Infra Red
Hardknott Brewery

 

 

Pours a lovely red-gold with a creamy head that leaves a layer that lasts the whole glass. Nose is dull. The "west coast" hop profile promised on the label are mostly missing. And this is a very fresh beer, BTW. Taste is better. Malty, a bit peppery, and a reasonable bitter balance. Overall, decent, but could be much better with an improved nose.

 

 

 

333 ml bottle, Morrison's, Bristol. Pours dark red with a large foamy tan head. Medium carbonation. Nice lacing. Smell -citrus fruits to the fore, touch of caramel. Taste - grapefruit with a long bitter finish. Nice bitter to the fore brew.

Oxymorononic it is, red (ish) IPA and still good in Sept 2015 with bbf date of 04-04-2015. Not best pleased with my off licence for selling, even on special offer.

 

330ml bottle, billed as an Oxymoronic IPA, poured into La Chouffe tulip.

A: Ruby, mahogany, clear, small tanned head which was intent on making a swift exit, moderate amount of lacing.

S: Earthy Fuggles hop.

T: Decent Maris Otter malt profile, lots of charcoal, earthy Fuggles, slight bitter sweetness at the finish.

M: Medium body, moderate amount of carbonation, smooth.

O: English IPA meets ESB, well balanced, a bit more of a cold weather beer, but a nice change from the seemingly endless stream of American IPAs.

Beer pours a hazy dark red/copper colour. Smells sweet and malty, very typical "red ale" nose with very faint hops. Beer has initial taste of sweet malts that transitions into a strong citrus-hop body. Slight bitter aftertaste with a dry finish. Very Sessionable.

Would I buy this beer again? Definitely.

 

 

Coming in a 330ml slim brown bottle, BB 10/2015, served lightly-chilled in a straight pint glass. Notes: the back label suggests Cascade, Centennial hops and Crystal malts are the main ingredients used in this brew.

A: pours an obviously very red-ish pale copper colour, coming with abundant flows of carbonation in support of a soufflé-like huge and frothy dark beige head to last.
S: like one’s “Red IPA”, the grapefruit peel aroma, burned caramel-like malt sweetness and faintly tropical fruit-ish esters come together to deliver a robust background; as the rocky head subsides (after a good five minutes or so), a swirl would then wake up aroma as of hawthorn fruits and/or unknown berries, with a sour-sweet undertone, while the resins from hops are also vivid enough to be picked up.
T: the juicy entry of Crystal malt and its sweetness is at check at all times by the colourful, tannic and sprigy grapefruity and piney hop flavours, added with a bit of bitterness from the thick froth as well; the aftertaste has a lingering bitter tail to it, accompanied by undertones of longan-fruits, caramelised apples, and even prunes, leaving a soothingly warming feel slipping down the throat. Not particularly sweet, either, with a good dry finish at the end of each sip.
M&O: refreshingly carbonated with lots of microscopic fizz to boot, this medium-bodied red-coloured IPA is so well made that it outshines many other counterparts I’ve had so far. This beer has captured the best of both worlds, that it’s colourfully flavoured, yet ever so well balanced, and terribly quaffable... Well worth a try!

 

330ml Bottle: BBD 08 2015, poured into a Duvel glass during 10 2013.

Looked fine, nice red hue with a full white crown on top.

Floral and fruity nose, but difficult to tell if it was hop or malty notes I was picking up, most likely a mix of the two. It became more malty as it warmed in the glass, with some sweeter, caramel type esters arriving.

The taste was maltier from the start with dark berries and an earthy, woody hint within the mix: different and no unpleasant. The alcohol just about hidden by the flavours, would have liked a bit more body depth, but is based on an IPA style, so you shouldn't expect a heavy, creamy bodied beer.

 

Bottled and possibly bottle conditioned
Pours a big red copper hued body with thick lasting off white head
Nice rich strawberry laces aroma
That candy taste in the flavour with a nice slight grapefruit bitter finish
Solid mouthfeel

Dark auburn. Medium head.
Malty aroma. Hint of chocolate. Tangy hops.
Sweet malt followed by the astringent hop. More hop than malt in the taste. Bitter finish.
Medium body. Well carbonated.
I enjoyed this more the second time of tasting.

Dark ruby with piles of oatmeal-coloured head.
Red berry on the nose with cherry scone and waxy orange peel.
Caramel + plums with a dusting of cocoa, then orange wedge, resin and cardamom hops plus some dry-hopped grassiness.
Piney finish and tightening linger.
Medium, chewy, round.

OK, Hardknott really need to get their carb under control - after Azimuth poured flat, this overflowed head on the counter with about 1/3 of a glass.

The label makes a joke ("oxymoronic") of it being too dark to be an IPA, and that's what's happening here. Piles of crystal, and the better for it. At the same time, with 5 AM Saint as a blueprint, can't UK brewers make a more interesting amber?

Solid, but nothing more.