Slea Head Red
River's Edge Brewing Co

 

16 ounce prowler into pint glass, filled on 3/17/2019. Pours slightly hazy deep orange/copper color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy cream colored head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big caramel, brown sugar, brown bread dough/crust, toasted biscuit, nuttiness, raisin, plum, pear, and red apple; with lighter notes of toffee, wood, herbal, floral, grass, pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness. A bit too fruity/yeasty aromas, but not overwhelming. Nice aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/bready malts, fruity yeast, and light earthy hop notes; with great strength. Taste of big caramel, brown sugar, brown bread dough/crust, toasted biscuit, and nuttiness; with lighter notes of toffee, raisin, plum, pear, red apple, wood, herbal, floral, grass, pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Light herbal, floral, woody, grassy, spicy bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of caramel, brown sugar, brown bread dough/crust, toasted biscuit, nuttiness, toffee, dark fruit, wood, herbal, floral, grass, pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malts and light-moderate fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; with a nice malt/bitterness balance, and no cloying flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, creamy/bready, and lightly sticky mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 5.6%. Overall this is a delicious Irish red ale. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malts and light-moderate fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the mildly bitter/drying finish. Very clean and rich English malt complexity; balancing earthy hops, and restrained fruity yeast notes. Light residual sweetness with lingering dryness. A very enjoyable offering, and well made style example.