Peanut Alert
Aftershock Brewing Co.

 

Maybe my palate is not refined enough to appreciate a peanut butter beer. I am OK with a little peanut butter in a big stout which has a lot black patent malt to complement the peanut flavor, but in my opinion it is not a good flavor for a lighter red ale. I could not finish the 22oz bottle and I poured it down the drain. At least I can reuse the bottle for my next home brew IPA.

these nut forward beers usually arent my thing, they all taste contrived to me, extracty and cheap, but not here, this is a beacon of hope in the category, and one of the best nut beers i have ever had that isnt a big black stout or porter. i like the red ale being a little deeper in color and richer in grain complexion than most though, its needed to balance all the peanuts, which are both incredibly natural tasting and extremely robust in flavor, absolutely the lead dog here, but the red malt has a nice earthiness to it, a deeper color and caramel character, and is warming and hearty without being sweet or heavy, its just right for these nuts. the peanuts are a little roasty, a little oily, and decidedly not peanut butter, but the actual nuts themselves. its not greasy in texture or anything, but the natural oils give this some real body and shine. its frothy from the bottle, deep mahogany in color, radiantly clear, and with a contrasting inch of pure white head. its smooth drinking through all the earthy grain and nut character, and the higher carbonation keeps it moving. i love how forward and natural the nuts are at the same time, and how much they contribute to this being unique and awesome, its not just an accent flavor, it totally runs the show. as good and real as i have experience any nut in a beer, this could not have been easy to make, but its smartly done and i find myself already craving more. such a cool beer! i wont soon forget this one!

Chestnut brown with a one finger tan head that quickly dissipated to a thin film, leaving a curtain of lacing.
Mucho peanut on the nose and palate. Slight hints of brown sugar and molasses.
Medium carbonation. Maybe a little bit thicker than medium mouthfeel. Mild hop bitterness on the finish.
A tasty brew!

 

I'm not a big fan of beer with peanut butter in them. However, this flavorful red ale with peanut butter smells like you've just opened a jar of peanut butter and stuck your face in it. Add to that the complexity and layers of a well made red ale and, for some reason, it really works.