Captain Pat's Irish Adventure
Ethereal Brewing

It may be most celebrated in the spring's "green" holiday, but the Irish red ale's flavor might be best suited for the weather on the other side of the calendar. Ethereal thwarts conventional thought and brews an experimental Irish ale for the autumn season and has it siding with an elevated toasty, roasty edge.

Rusty reds and browns define the beer's appearance while it crowns with a steady but short statured froth. Bold aromas of toffee, biscuit, toast, and a hint of coffee and cocoa taunt the senses while a malty sweet taste ensures with its own caramel, toffee and mild sorghum grain influence.

As the flavors open up on the middle palate, the yeast influences show more and more as the sweetness swiftly fades. Fruity aspects of apricot, red grape and plum show modestly in the shadows of almond, kona blends and faint char. the slightness of anise spice comes with a modest hop glow in the form of broad woodiness and tepid bitterness. But alas, its the coffee and cocoa nuances that provide the bulk of balance to the fading malty sweet taste.

Medium full in body, the beer's robust accents of roasted grain has it siding slightly with the dry stout character, although trending caramelized with amber and red ale properties. A mild spice of scorched earth, minty alcohol and hops lead slightly deeper in aftertaste than the malts although the beer is malt balanced throughout.