Knucklehead
Rhinegeist Brewery

 

boy, oh boy; did I hit the jackpot on this one or what?! It's always a priviledge to experience a new red ale! A proper Irish Red Ale is hands down my favorite style. Onto the review:

L: A rich mahogany with a beautiful ruby transparency, accompanied by creamy, off white, do i dare say, pink head that RETAINS!

S: Roasted barley. Bready and sweet!

T: Imperial and red without a doubt! Comparable to Great Lakes Nesferatu. Sweet aftertaste with a delightfully hoppy bite in the end. Well balanced, indeed!

F: Creamy with plenty of body! Carbonation and malt come together in holy matrimony!

O: Must it even be said? Well then; so be it; my only regret in life is not acquiring a larger volume of this magnificent brew! It's probably the best beer I've had within the last 6 months. Love the style, quality and taste. If i could sum this beer up in two words, they would be: Magical and RED! ;)

I bought a bottle of this from the beer store just around the corner. It poured a clear rich amber with white head that is leaving a lace. The scent is faint not much happening. The taste is nicely balanced and easy to drink. Slight caramel sweetness. The Mouthfeel is fuller in body with good carbonation. Overall it's a solid beer just wanted more hoppyness.

 

My favorite beer I had at the brewery. Pours a garnet, darkish red/brown with a pencil thin head. Aroma has that strong ale feel to it - a bit of everything with a healthy dose of barrel aged: dark fruit, bitter hops, candied malt, floral notes, roasted malt, oak and bourbon. Taste is right on track with some additional tobacco, leather and a vanilla kicker on the back end and a dry finish. Outstanding taste for the ABV - excellent trade off.

With the rollout of cooler weather comes a beer from the Rhinegeist camp that meets the cold with warmth, strength and substance. Their strong American ale provides a surprisingly drinkable demeanor with a stern malt backbone and without letting up on the hops of summer.

The aptly named Knucklehead is deep in honey-amber hues with a hazy reddish depth to its center. Initially weaving a frothy skirt across the glass, the bubble fold back into the beer relatively quickly. Its fruity-sweet scent is laced with citrus, orchard and tropical fruit with a candied nut, perfumy pine character. Its taste starts sweet with caramel, light toffee and rich winter's honey.

But its sweetness brings the savory flavors of toasted cashew and pecan as the ale opens up on the palate, and inviting the charm of pink grapefruit, ripe orange, marmalade, soft red apple, melon, pineapple and apricot as its fragrant hops turn juicy and fruity, and the fruit esters emerge from the sweetness. And as the hops continue to develop toward a grassy, resinous and deeply piney bitterness to close, the shortbread flavored malts relax and allow the taste to tighten and to crispen beautifully.

Medium-full in body, the ale retains its rich and succulent soul while the hops balance with an accompanying hop taste to appease the winter time hop-heads. While a greater depth of toasted malt savoriness and a more aggressive hop tone is preferred, this sweeter, simpler and fruity version is a welcome taste for the season.

 

Not bad but far from impressed. Makes for a pleasent fall beer with it's spicy and nutty aromas and flavors. Pours a deep autumn brownish red and no lacing left on the glass. Has a nice piney hoppy bite and bitterness. Feel is rather thin and I would have preferred a heavier brew. Overall, not bad . . . A nice fall strong ale.

Enjoyed from a growler via Party Source's Eightball Brewing in a snifter. This nice strong ale pours a luminous reddish amber with a nice head of off white foam that subsides to a thick ring, thin layer, and very nice lacing. Nose of rich caramel malts, citrus fruit notes of pineapple, mango, light peach, and bittering hops. Flavors follow the nose with caramel and brown sugars fading on the middle of the taste to a light fruity note of pineapple and mango on the sides with a touch of apricot and then searing into the back a solid blast of bittering pine laden hops and a light grain note. Smooth mouth feel with great carbonation to keep it lively and a medium dry aftertaste with pine laden hop notes. Solid for the style with a warming finish. Let it warm substantially and enjoy.

Cheers

Listed as a strong ale this resembles a Pale Ale or a Red Ale. Kilned roasted grains mix with a nutty malt, this ends with a piney bitter hop. It doesn't feel very hefty at 7.7% I felt like this had tremendous potential but came up short.

 

 

 

 

 

I'll have to try this again but for the first time I thought it was ok but lacking for a strong ale.