Bulldog Red Irish Ale
Cranker's Brewery

 

Watery, kind of bland and just kind of boozy. Nothing remarkable about this one except for the fact it was a semi sweet red ale. Nothing would really make me go back to it.

i think this is a bit underrated, my first from crankers. i mean, what do you want from an irish red anyway? this one has a good amount of flavor, balance, and drinkability, a fine trifecta, and frankly, is pretty solid for a style that most guys seem to stay away from these days. it has a deep amber color and a nice head on it, mostly clear, very bubbly, with an earthy aroma of classic irish ale yeast and rich kilned malts. some nice nutty warmth and sweeter cooked flavors, a pretty robust malt build on this, lots of body, a toasted element, not overly sweet either. the yeast is traditional but mellow in the mix, there are some light bittering hops in the finish, and the whole thing stays on the dry side, with high level carbonation. i never expect an irish red to set the world on fire, but i dont demand much more than this in the style. its hearty and its fresh, and for a somewhat antiquated style, i think they did a nice job with it. the fact that i can taste the yeast through all this grain means it hits the marks. wheres the love?

 

Pours a dark amber color with a minimal head that disappears quickly. Aroma is sweet caramel and fruits. Tastes of malts, caramel and a hint of nuts. Smooth, crisp finish.

Pours deep amber. Thick, medium, light tan head lasts a bit.

Smells malts, roasted. Hints of fruits and hops. Slight metallic

Tastes herbal, bready and caramel malts, light toasted malts, some fruit and earthiness. Light metallic. Dry finish piney linger. Lighter medium body. Creamy medium carbonation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

on draft

Bulldog Red Irish Ale has a mostly clear dark amber [with a slight red cast] body. The head produced was just short of 1-finger, off-white in color and left behind minimal lacing. The nose was dominated by sweet malts - caramel and toffee come to mind. The taste also was malt dominate, however, stronger than the nose and that is a 'good thing'. Toffee, caramel, brown toast and nuttiness is detected with a very light bitterness. The mouth feel is light-medium, and crisp. The carbonation is also light-medium.

Overall, an easy drinking Irish Red Ale that is worth the try!

 

 

 

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, no bottle dating. Pours slightly hazy ruby red/copper color with a 2 finger dense and rocky light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings down the glass, with a good amount of streaming carbonation retaining the head. Aromas of caramel, toast, brown sugar, brown bread, raisin, plum, apple, light roast, light nuttiness, herbal, grass, and yeast earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/bready malt, fruity yeast, and earthy hop notes; with solid strength. Taste of caramel, toast, brown sugar, brown bread, raisin, plum, apple, light roast, light nuttiness, herbal, grass, and yeast earthiness. Light herbal/spicy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, toast, brown sugar, brown bread, plum, apple, herbal, grass, light roast, and herbal/yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Nice robustness and complexity of dark/bready malt, fruity yeast, and earthy hop flavors; with a good malt/bitterness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a smooth, fairly crisp, and lightly creamy/bready mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is a nice Irish red ale style. All around good robustness, balance, and complexity of dark/bready malt, fruity yeast, and earthy hop flavors; and very smooth and crisp to drink. A nicely enjoyable offering.

Average Irish red ale drinks OK

Not what I expected when the label calls it an Irish Red. I would give it a more detailed review but I can't bring myself to open another bottle and put myself though that again. It tastes precisely like what you'd expect some concoction that a wannabe craft beer producer threw together would taste like. Not a traditional Irish red but more like an abhorrent experiment. Save your money and try something else. . .