Kettleface Double Dry Hopped Imperial Red Ale
Columbia Kettle Works

 

Every so often, I need to take a break from the eradication of the Bottle Backlog here at Chez Woody & return to the all-important CANQuest (tm)! I had been working on the day that this beer was most recently released in CANs, but a member of the FGBS Drinking Group was kind enough to score one for me.

The Crack! was like music to my ears & I even got a light spritz across my fingertips due to its being a brimful craft CAN! My Glug was not inverted, but instead a gentle one since it is a large CAN & I have had spillages in the past. An in-glass swirl raised a brief finger of foamy, fizzy, light-tan head with modest retention. Color was Deep Amber/Light Copper to Copper (SRM = > 13, < 17) with NE-quality clarity. Nose was very piney, to the point of resinousness, like sap from a pine tree. Mmmm. Mouthfeel was medium. I liked that it was unquestionably hoppy with a definite pine bent, but it still allowed the bready malt to be perceptible. Mmm. I CAN remember in the early part of the 21st century (Wow, did I JUST type that?) when many brewers were turning away from this tried and true microbrewery style in pursuit of the next big thing. "Amber is dead," they said. Long live Amber! I need it every day! Thanks to The Who for that burst of inspiration. This beer is an exemplar of the return of Amber - bigger, stronger, faster, hoppier. Rebuilt for the modern age. Finish was semi-dry, hoppy, certainly, but not so much so as to completely overwhelm the malts. I dig, man, I dig!

 

 

 

 

 

I tried this on tap at the Warwick Hotel served chilled in a pint glass.

The color is deep amber bordering on copper with mild haze and thin white head with fine bead.
The smell is a mix of malt sweetness and slight spicy almost woody hop aromas. The feel is good with a nice balance of the malt with hops and low alcohol impact on the palate with mostly dry finish.

The taste is good without the excess sweetness of some in this style, there is certainly a depth of malt with a mild toast and slight caramel quality but the hops are there to balance with some spicy and light herbal flavors. The taste is mildly dry in the finish with the alcohol not overdone. Overall this is a very good beer, not the best of this style but the alcohol is well hidden and there is a nice layered balance of malt with hops

 

 

 

 

 

Originally had this on 2014-10-04 at the Columbia Kettle Works brewery and on several subsequent occasions; including 2017-01-07 on-tap (first day of that year's release). Of interest, it was also first available in 2017 in a limited number of 16oz cans at the two breweries. The 2017 release listed the ABV at 9.2% instead of the initial 8.0% from 2014). Had this again on 2018-01-20 from a 16oz canned on 2018-01-09. ABV is 8.5% this year. Had this side-by-side with a 2018 Troegs Nugget Nectar and liked this one equally-well.

Original review below is from 2014-10-04

A - Pretty clear mahogany with a very short light tan head and little lace

S - Nice amount of dank hop bud, light citrus, caramel and light earthy spice..

T - Initial blast of spicy hops and grapefruit flesh, then caramel and alcohol sweetness, lightly roasted grain, chalk, toffee, touch of spice and plenty of bitterness. Finishes fairly bitter but there's enough balancing grassy spice and sweetness to keep this in check. As it warms, the bread, caramel and spice become more apparent. Lot's of flavor complexity. It's nice how this beer changes with time.

M - Medium-heavy body and light-medium carbonation. Prickly and resinous.

O - Theoretical IBUs listed as 140 although it tastes more like ~75 with its balancing caramel and fruit sweetness. Reminds me of a Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere although not quite as much malt.. Hope they keep doing this collaboration each year with St. Boniface.