Rock Island Red
River City Brewing Co.

On tap at RCB @ ICT. Maybe I got a bad batch, but this tastes thin and a little odd. I had a great Irish Red from Kansas this week, but this wasn't it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

64 ounce growler. I had an opportunity to visit River City while I was in the area last weekend, and I actually came away rather unimpressed. Most of their beers came across as very average at best. Still, I picked what I thought was the best of the lot, the Red Ale, in a growler to try at home. The growler is about a week old but has been sealed the entire time and in my fridge. Pours a bright amber that has, shockingly, red, undertones. Some head on the beer with moderate lacing. Mild aroma with some grassy hop notes and caramel malt character. First taste is underwhelming. Very malty with some mild bitterness and more grassy hops in the finish. The taste can best be described as burnt sugar minus the smokiness. Meh. It's still not that great. The good news is that it's a very watery beer which means I should be able to drink it quickly, even though it's not all that enjoyable. This is a beer that tastes like it's old, and has been on tap for awhile. Should have passed on picking up a growler.

Appearance - Vibrant and almost bright red. Tan head medium-fast retention

Smell - Strong on the hops. Not bitter but very swift to awaken the nose.

Taste - The red malts are as present as the hops. Gives a crisp wave of hops and blankets with a very flavorful malt.

Mouthfeel - tinges up the mouth at first but give a half hearty after feel

Drinkability - All the flavor of an IPA without the struggle. Could have 5 or 6.

NOTE: Some reviews about this brewery may be inconsistent. In my opinion, this is because this is a larger brew pub and there are not a ton of brewery drinkers in this town. They also serve bud light etc. so their brewery beer sometimes gets a little flat or stale before it is all gone.

Tasted on 12/20/2005. Gorgeous white head with lacing. Liquid was a clear amber color. Generous amounts of carbonation evident. Aroma is a sweet mixture of predominantly caramel malt and floral hops in the background. Flavor is fairly typcal for a brewpub amber ale, with a leaning toward malty sweetness. Mouthfeel is light-medium. Finishes malty and "sticky". Not bad at all, just nothing particularly remarkable.

Sampled from a growler four hours after it was filled and capped. Pours a hazy iced-tea colored amber, with a diminuative head that leaves some lacing as the beer disappears. Nose is hops, and some sweet malt. Tha hop nose predominates but is not overwhelming or jumping out like an IPA. Tastes sweet, caramel malt with hops creeping in in the finish to balance. The taste did not have the citrusy hops the nose suggested. Mouthfeel was moderate, smooth, not too dry on the finish. Easy enough to drink- I'd like to sample it on tap for an evening.

Sampled at home from a growler.

Appearance: This beer poured a slightly hazy amber color from a growler fresh from the brewery. A tan, two-finger head rose up dense and a little fluffy before slowly settling down into the beer. There was hardly any lace left behind at all.

Smell: The smell was a little odd. There was a sharp, citrusy-sweet bite, combined with a semi-strong raw hop aroma. And I mean raw; very sharp and herbal.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, smooth, and slightly chewy.

Taste: Upfront were some sweet malt flavors, combined with crackers and dry bread. Then, in the back of the mouth, a combination sweet and sour taste developed that lingered for a long time. Well into the finish, a very indistinct hops flavor finally arose to help balance things out.

Despite this brews name, it is definitely an amber and not a red. I've had it many times before and I must same that this batch is not quite up to par. Usually the maltiness upfront is bigger and nuttier and the hops finish is stronger and more fulfilling. Also, the sweet/sour aftertaste that was present in this batch was distracting. I will let some time pass and revisit this beer again. I know it can be better.