Red Menace
Ethereal Brewing

 

 

We don't need no green stinkin' beer. We've got the Irish red ale that's much more festive, much more accompanying for corned beef and heartier on the palate; and without that synthetic taste that green dies leave on the tongue. And just in time for those Irish celebrations, the team at Ethereal roll out such a red ale that's a tad more robust than its common competitors.

Red Menace is deep mahogany, sharing both red and brown hues. As a creamy off white foam stance builds, its supple aromas are toasty, nutty and with a kiss of toast, chocolate and dark fruit. Sweetness on the early palate follow that of the nose while light toffee and caramel carry a taste of toasted pecan, bread crust and brisk hint of coffee.

And as the sweetness drifts away from the middle palate, the remnants of malt gain a robust, drying and toasty taste. Nutty and of charred breads, those coffee and light pepper notes carry an earthy, toasty flare. A tingle of alcohol shed light on a hint of red grape and cherry as a light spiciness of rum follows.

Toasty, peppery and drying, the beer's sweeter upstart trends highly drinkable to finish. Its heightened strength allows the beer to carry a slightly sweeter balance into finish but not so much as to interfere with the beer's palatability. A medium length aftertaste is of peanut skins and coffee as the modest hops take an edge off of the caramel sweetness..