The Phoenix
Ascension Brewing Company

16 ounce can into pint glass; no can dating, but is a recent release. Pours slightly hazy deep orange/copper/amber color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and rocky cream colored head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted biscuit, nuttiness, plum, pear, and red apple; with lighter notes of roast, herbal, floral, grass, pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness. A bit too fruity/yeasty, but not overwhelming. Nice aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/bready/light roast malt, fruity yeast, and light earthy hop notes; with good strength. Taste of caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted biscuit, and nuttiness; with lighter notes of plum, pear, red apple, roast, herbal, floral, grass, pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Mild herbal, floral, grassy, spicy hop; and roast bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted biscuit, nuttiness, light fruits/roast, herbal, floral, grass, pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roast malt, and light fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; with a nice malt/bitterness balance, and no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness. Light-medium carbonation and medium body; with a very smooth, creamy/bready/grainy, and lightly sticky/chalky mouthfeel that is nice. Minimal warming alcohol for 5.5%. Overall this is a delicious Irish Red Ale. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roast malt, and light fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the mildly bitter/drying finish. Nicely clean and rich English malt complexity; restrained fruity English yeast and mild earthy hop balance against sweetness. A very enjoyable offering, and spot on style example.

I tried this at the brewery. It was a solid offering.