Balefire Irish Red
Echo Brewing Co.

a solid irish red ale here, amber in color from the tap and essentially perfectly crystal clear, and sporting a full inch of almost pure white head, thick and foamy. it smells nutty and clean, less sweet than a lot of these are and with an appreciable irish type yeast character, bready and earthy and helping dry this right out. the grain has some caramelized elements to it, toffee and brown sugar flavor without the sweetness, and there is a faint woodiness too that gives the beer a little bit of depth, maybe a pinch of chocolate malt or something too, just a little more happening with this than most in the style seem to have. its clean to drink, medium bodied, and carbonated enough, without very much hop presence at all. the vibe of this beer is sort of late summery and harvesty, with some subtle complexity to the cooked grain profile, its a nice brew, an easy drinker, and a fine compliment to spicy food like their delicious roasted shishito peppers they serve up in here. an enjoyable pint!

Awesome beer. Great before and after taste, the hops and spices really come together well. Just wish we had this beer in the springs!

As I sit here in the Echo Brewing Co. at their Briggs st. location, I am overcome with a peaceful environment, good music, fantastic pizza...and a delicious Irish Red session ale. This beer is quite drinkable, although the lacing leaves much to be desired. I really think that, outside of the appearance, this is a solid beer and a great local spot to visit if you are ever in the area.

L: Mahogany red color with a small slightly tan head that dissipates quickly and leaves just a few fingers of lacing. The beer is a little cloudy.

S: Slight toasted malt with some caramel and toffee, a slight herbal spice from the hops. Not a strong aroma but still quite inviting.

T: Caramel, toffee, toasted malt, some hints of an earthy peat, slight herbal spiciness. Nothing too strong but still a nice beer that definitely leans a lot more malty than hoppy.

F: Medium carbonation, light to medium body, an easy drinking session ale.

O: This is a really nice easy drinking session ale especially for those that like a beer that leans more to the malty side than the hoppy side.