Mountaintop Imperial Red
Border Brewing Company

wonderful to see how far these guys have come since they first got started! this is a great beer, a real autumnal earthy and sturdy red ale, malty and dense but not too sweet, and oak aged with maple syrup, which is right up my alley! its deep brick red in color, burnt red even, really attractive shade, deeper than most, with a frothy tan head on top. i dont get a ton of oak or maple in the nose, accents at most, instead its a nice toasted hearty red malt profile, a little caramelized sugar, apple cider, and dark bread, very harvest timey to me. the oak is there a bit more in the flavor, more chip than barrel if i had to guess, tastes new and clean, light vanilla and earth with it, very little maple but a suggestion is there in the finish with the malts for sure. lots of body here, not quite palate coating, but bigger for sure, although its not problematic because the residual sugar is lower than expected in the style, and it actually drinks smooth and easy for its structure and strength. nice depth on the grain side, some yeast character there too which i like. well made beer, but it could benefit from more wood and maple in future releases!

 

Pours a dark burgundy with a finger and a half of plush, foamy khaki head. Head retention is good with good lacing left behind. Aroma is biscuit, and bread malts with caramel, and oak splashed into the mix. It really has a round, sweet aroma. Flavor profile is caramel, and oak with biscuit and bread malts providing support. The oak aging really rounds it out, giving it a sugary sweet flavor profile. Earthy hops add a touch of bitterness to the sweet malt and aging base. Mouth feel is medium-thick with a slight carbonation fizz on the tip of the tongue. Overall, it drinks more like a light barrel aged scotch ale, with sugary malt and oak notes. It remains well balanced despite the constant mention of "sweet" in this review.

Served in a 12oz snifter from a 22oz bottle.