The Moon’s Rising Red
Outlaw Brewing

a nice malty red, perfect for the fall season, and somewhat different than the conventional irish red ale. i enjoyed this one a lot. its a deep copper color, crystal clear, with a full inch of khaki airy head. the aroma is sweet, toasty earthy caramelized grain sweetness for sure, but something else too, more interesting than just the grain, perhaps a hint of vanilla bean, smells awesome. i get that vanilla in the finish too, very distinctive vanilla, not sure if they actually used it, or if it comes from something else, but i really like what it adds. good depth of malt flavor here too, and remarkably dry in the finish for how sweet it starts off. that must be a product of the irish ale yeast. i like how carbonated it is, makes it a much more drinkable pint of beer than it otherwise would be, but to really stand up to fall and extend its seasonal appeal a little bit, i think it could definitely use a little more body. its just a tad thin for the depth of flavor it presents here. overall a real nice red ale, i love the vanilla flavor at the end. nicely done.

Served on tap in a pint glass

Appearance – The beer is served a clear reddish amber color with a one finger head of just off white foam. The head fades relatively quickly leaving just a scant of foamy lace on the sides of the glass.

Smell – The aroma is heaviest of a caramel smell mixed with a decent showing of some bready notes. Along with these aromas comes some lighter smells of a lighter fruit nature of apple and pear with just a little bit of a grassy and hay smell mixed within.

Taste – The taste begins with a strong showing of a caramel flavor mixed with a rather big bready taste. There is also a smooth doughty flavor which becomes more roasty and bready in nature as the taste moves forward. A fruit flavor develops more toward the end of the taste, with some other flavors of a light hay and some decent molasses notes also joining the taste (bringing an almost cloying sweetness to the brew. With the transitions that occur during the taste, and the rather strong malty presence, one is left with a rather sweet and malty (sometimes overly sweet and malty), and lightly roasted flavor to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is on the thicker and creamier side with a carbonation level that is on the slightly lower side. For the rich bready, sweet, and lightly roasted and hopped flavors of the brew the feel is rather nice as it coats the mouth in all the thick and robust tastes of the only 6 % abv. brew.

Overall – A rather rich, sweet and malty red with lots of over the top flavors for 6 % abv. At times it seems a bit cloying, so not the best in all occasions, but overall a rather rich red ale that would be nice for the cooler weather.