Red Giant | Element Brewing Company

3.64/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Pours a nice ruby red, but our bottle's carbonation was quit low, so there was no head at all.
Smelled nicely hoppy & grassy.
Taste: biscuity, spicy, citrus... a lot going on in this beer, quite complex but not entirely pleasing to my palate. Perhaps the lack of carbonation had something to do with that.
Mouthfeel: Again, lack of carbonation, but otherwise a full-bodied beer. Maybe a little syrupy.
Overall: we were not overly impressed with this beer. Expected more from Element.
Might try it again to see if this was just a bad bottle.

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4.2/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine Issue #46 (Nov 2010):

A healthy head on a ruddy-looking ale. Smells of caramel, baked apples, spicy hops and molasses cookies. Smoothness precedes a quick kick of crispness in the medium body. Broth and hay flavors soon meet a flash of caramel and breadi- ness. Hops are there to balance this big brew even if they sidestep here and there. Alcohol warms a bit but is noncha- lant. Leafy hops pool on the palate toward the end with a linger of a fruitiness from when the cork was popped--that caramel flavor just doesn't want to let go. A big beauty, this lush and untouched ale has won us over.

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4.5/5  rDev +13.6%

4/5  rDev +1%

4.75/5  rDev +19.9%

This does not strike me as an American Amber or Red Ale. There is a sour tartness on the nose along with cherry and other fruits over rich malt that do not belong to the style.
The beer pours a deep garnet brown under a moussey 2" persistent tan tinted foam cap.
The attack on the palate starts with big malt, tart, fruit, cherry then a big bitter hop presence to bring it on home. Lingering bitter fruit flavors. Good balance between the tart flavors, the malty sweetness, the bitter hops and the alcohol.
The very creamy body and very fine soft carbonation suggest a touch of wild yeast. It is medium bodied and very smooth. If this is indeed an American Amber Ale then I lucked out and got an infected bottle.

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4.5/5  rDev +13.6%

4/5  rDev +1%

3.73/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

5/5  rDev +26.3%

2.75/5  rDev -30.6%

3.25/5  rDev -17.9%

4.28/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a crimson red, nice creamy head, good lacing. Smells of light caramel malt, dark fruits, citrus hops, tart cherries, soft apple and rasberry notes, floral notes, mostly daisies. Taste is very similar, fruity esters dominate the light caramel sweetness with a good dose of citrus bitterness as it tails off. Touch of roastiness in the finish, slightly dry. Good moderate carbonation and creamy mouthfeel.

This is a terrific beer, i was blown away by how powerful the esters were in this beer without being too solvent like. Great body and loved the blast of hops and slightly roasty finish, a very unique beer, never had anything like this. Great offering from a brand new brewery, i'll make sure to make the long drive again to try their other beers. Highly recommend.

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4.42/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

3.25/5  rDev -17.9%

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

4/5  rDev +1%

4.97/5  rDev +25.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is the best bottle conditioned beer ever! Rich red color, laced all the way. Earthy aroma, possibly EKG? bitterness balanced carmel malt notes. Very hazy, yeast did not settle but it is conditioned in the bottle after all. I have not seen this beer on tap, I think you can only get in in the 750ml bottles?

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4.23/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: deep ruby brown body with rich tan head 3 fingers-thick; good head retention; drops some lace

S: floral and herbal hoppiness, some sweet dark malt aromas

T: hearty malts, molasses and pine, bitter, roasty hops; flavors shift nicely, and bring up savory beer stew flavors and rugged dark caramelly malt notes

M: well-carbonated, solid medium-weight body, great chewiness; nice bitter close, some sticky sweetness residue

O: I've only had a few "red ales" and they remind me of a cross between an American strong ale and a DIPA - this beer has great heartiness and is very palatable; wonderful piney bitter hops wash over a rich, sweet and chewy malt base. This particular beer seemed akin to a strong American ale like Stone's Bastard beers or Speakeasy's Betrayal.
Element Brewing is very impressive, and this beer is another great in their line-up. Recommended.

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3.55/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark copper color with big head that dissipates rather quickly.

Getting a lot of sweetness on the nose with some hops and banana. First whiff reminded me of a warm summer night.

The taste is not completely what I expected, but not far off. It has a pretty well balanced assortment of hops, malts and sweetness.

Mouthfeel is great, not overly carbonated, but not tasting flat.

Overall this is a great beer, but nothing too special. Definitely nice to try!

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4.25/5  rDev +7.3%

5/5  rDev +26.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

What a wonderful find. A beer that appears unrefined and yet improves with each sip and temperature change. As the beer warms even more flavors and smells appear. The IBU were more apparent cold and much more rolled and enjoyable as it came up in temp. A really enjoyable beer on its own or with a meal. We tried it with grilled turkey and really enjoyed the play. Worth a shot.

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3.89/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

On-tap at Cooper's Craft & Kitchen, New York, NY

A: The beer is crystal clear dark amber in color and has a slight amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a thin beige head that died down and left lacing on the surface and a collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Light aromas of grainy malts and spices are present in the nose along with hints of caramel.
T: The taste is similar to the smell and also has a light amount of bitterness.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer has a very good balance between the malts and hops.

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4/5  rDev +1%

4.25/5  rDev +7.3%

4.12/5  rDev +4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Dated March 29th, 2012 on the wrapper. Poured into a goblet. Colo was a very dark burgundy red that as slightl translucent. Had a light brown creamy head that left a nice layer on top. Aroma was slightly peppery, but also has sweet roasty malt aromas as well. Flavor matched up nicely with the aroma. Hints of spice, but not overly so. A bit on the sweet side, but not like a lactose sugar. No hoppy kick, and no overpowering malts either. Seemed slightly different with each sip, but never over the top. Coated well, but had a bit much carbonation tickling the tongue. Not really detracting, but enough to be noticeable. Overall the shifting flavors made this an intriguing beer.

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