Suburban Menace
Refined Fool Brewing Co.

Pours a mohagany colour. Smells malty and toasty. The taste is classic, good red ale. Mouthfeel is a tad thin, but overall this is a very good amber/red ale
April 23 2020

 

650 mL bottle picked up at the brewery about two weeks ago and kept in the fridge ever since. Served slightly chilled.

Pours a muddy brownish-amber colour, topped with one inch of soapy, off white-tinged foam. Excellent retention; as the head seeps slowly away, a layer of sticky lace is left clinging to the glass, whilst the remainder is eventually reduced to a smooth, creamy cap about a quarter-inch thick. Weedy, earthy, dirty hops on the back end; some blueberry skin and pronounced caramelized maltiness that comes off bready and a bit biscuity. Pine resin, muddled citrus and a few spicy/herbal notes.

Fairly aggressively hopped for this style, but not in a way that is approachable to non-hopheads - it's very bitter, almost medicinal at times. Still, it's equipped with a strong enough malt character to dampen the hops out a bit. Caramel and honeyed sweetness, with more of those bready, doughy malts and some toasted biscuit notes. Fruity and citrusy, with orange rind, pine resin and blueberry skin, leading up to an unrelentingly earthy, dirty bitterness at the finish, which also has some spicy and herbal qualities. Medium-bodied - good weight on the palate, with fairly soft carbonation that gently agitates the tongue, and a smooth, slick mouthfeel. Tastes a little stronger than it is - I would've guessed 6.5% if I hadn't read the label.

Final Grade: 3.57, a decent B grade. Suburban Menace is basically a red IPA, though I can't say I'm too fond of the hop profile, myself. Odd, given that I usually like Mosaic-hopped beers - but the individual parts don't really come together in this one, at least for me. Good enough to give a shot - it's reminding me of sort of a maltier, fruitier Antique Peepshow, and there's no serious technical flaws - but I don't think I'd go out of my way for more.