Armchair Quarterback
3 Sheeps Brewing

 

 

 

 

 

On tap in Wisconsin. Poured pint. Bready. Not a strongly flavored beer which isn’t a fault in a red. Sessionable and I would definitely drink again.

 

 

With almost no scent when I opened the can, the beer yielded only a slight and sweet earthiness after repeated huffing. Pouring into the glass, two fingers of quickly retreating singed sugar-colored foam topped a nice dark copper translucence. There was still really no scent to speak of... maybe a hint of sweet floral... maybe. A little round and viscous in the mouth with a hint of carbonation, the taste was almost as subtle as the smell. Ever so slight bitterness and sweetness comingled, but not any real flavor. Maybe flat, watered-down citrus cola... maybe. As it is a little cloying and otherwise nondescript, I see no reason t try this again.

Canned on 10/6/2022; consumed on 4/25/2023

Pours a deeply translucent copper-maroon body capped with three fingers of off-white foam; decent head retention leaves a paper-thin cap, slim yet frothy collar, and a steady array of webby/spotty lacing spread around the walls of the glass.

Aromas of brown sugar phase into orange zest, cherry, and a steady undercurrent of minerality as tinges of lager yeast present throughout the bouquet.

Taste opens to a hint of toffee with brown sugar accents; a taut minerality meets slight cherry and tinges of clove through the mid-palate as sweet prune evolves and lingers through the finish.

Mouthfeel offers a lighter body and a rounded, moderate carbonation, dispersing a delicate spritz into taut, crisp textures through the mid-palate as the back end progressively dries.

A choppy profile exploring rangy sweetness across near-saccharine malts and a quirky dark fruit underscore, the mineralic interludes seek a hapless balance to leave this amber lager passable.

Appearance: Pours a clear, dark red to amber color with a strong light tan head. SRM of 15. (4.00)

Aroma: Strong aromas of bread, caramel, rich amber malts. Aromatic. (4.25)

Flavor: Strong flavors of bread, caramel, rich and sweet amber notes. Mildly sweet. (4.00)

Feel: Medium-bodied, lower carbonation and finishes mildly sweet. (3.50)

Compared to 3 Sheeps Rebel Kent 11/2022: Pours darker, stronger aromas. More bread and rich amber notes. Less caramel. More flavor, but less carbonation.

Compared to Oliphant Rusket Red 11/2022: Pours darker, stronger aromas. More bread and rich amber notes. Less brown bread crust. More flavor all around.

Overall: Really nice aromas and flavors here for a copper lager. Drinks like an amber ale. Pours beautifully. Nice aromatics. Rich amber and bread malts. Slightly under-carbonated is the only downside. Better than expected. (Rating: 4.01)

Armchair Quarterback pours a darker reddish color, clean, big long lasting head. Aroma is harsh, but also full of sweet caramel. Flavor is back and forth between bitter and sweet, some harsh earthy undertones, with lots of caramel. Good body and feel. Overall, big flavorful red lager.

 

Poured from a can into a pint glass. Pours deep red with a small off white head. Smells of caramelized grain, nice and sweet. Tastes of caramelized grain with bright fruit notes. Beer is light bodied and easy drinking, good carbonation. Overall, a good beer.