Stumbled Hoppy Red IPA
Ocelot Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

 

A slightly cloudy medium red with a nice cap of light tan head. Good retention leaves swathes of tight sticky lacing. The aroma is moderately hoppy, with pine and citrus balanced against dark sugar sweetness. The taste is similar but a little less robust. It is medium bodied with slight carbonation and a smooth finish.

The beer pours a fairly light head that dissipates quickly. It is a nice creamy and light brown looking head though. The beer itself is a very nice dark amber color with a deep reddish hue to it. Of all the red ales I've seen, this is definitely one of the better looking ones.

The smell is interesting and certainly unique from others of the same style. Instead of a bright and pine hop note, this beer is a bit more earthy and resin. The hop notes are grapefruit and resin but aren't as bitter as one would expect because of the malt. The malt gives a nice sweetness with a moderate caramel note. The overall product is a sweet and bitter smell that is pretty balanced and strong.

The taste is similar to the smell to the point it might be the same but with a bit more intensity. It has a nice balance with a sweet malt note, which comes off as honey a bit, and pine/grapefruit hops that there appears to be a nice tea note that comes from it. A pretty good taste and a lot more similar to others of the style.

The feel is interesting but it isn't as good as the taste or smell. It has light carbonation and medium body that is on the lighter side. The mouthfeel doesn't have much thickness to it and comes off a bit thin and is decent. Overall, very easily drinkable.

Overall, a pretty good Red Ale and worth getting. It has a nice balance between malty sweetness and hop bitterness. I definitely recommend this one if you come across it.

 

 

 

 

Delicious hop profile that was blended and perfectly balanced with the red malt. Very clean finish. One of the best red ales I have ever had.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From a growler, this beer looks amazing--a deep copper-red with a 2-finger buff-colored head that's dense and creamy, which never completely goes away. Lacing all the way down. It's a beautiful, jewel-like beer, reminiscent of Furious but darker and even more crimson.

Both smell and taste are more IPA than you'd expect given the color (hence the "Red IPA" in the name, duh), though there is a malty sweetness that pokes through. Smell is somewhat subdued overall, with grapefruit and pine, along with an earthy smell, and even a tiny bit of banana.

Taste has all the elements of the smell, with a decently bitter finish that's both dry and juicy. Feel is super smooth but a tad watery, with very little carbonation evident.

Overall this is another really good offering from Ocelot, who are consistently firing off world-class beers in the DC area.