Walnut City
Grain Station Brew Works

a pretty standard but very well made red ale, not the kind of beer i usually am drawn to when first visiting a brewery, but it was morning still, i was hungover, and something fairly basic sounded right on. this hit the mark, nutty and sweet alike in the middle with quite a bit more malt layering and depth than is common in the style, super well refined too, and a bit hoppy as they go, lots of character here. good clarity, nice brick red color, over an inch of pale off white head, pretty lace as it drinks. nose and taste of caramelized grain, a kilned earthy dryness along with a more rich sweeter side, toffee and bread pudding notes, but then quite a bit of northwestern hops, higher alpha with some orange peel essence and a little spruce or juniper or something, slightly spicy and bitter too, a cool way to help crisp the finish and give this a little distinctive pop that pushes through the malt. great fundamentals here too, high refinement, great carbonation, round body, clean finish, its very expertly made, way ahead of expectations for a place we didnt know anything about, and overall a darn fine pint of american red ale here, one of the best i have had in some time, obvious freshness and professional craftsmanship. the perfect beer in the moment i had it!