Ionic Irish Style Ale
Theoretically Brewing Company

Look: Deep orange-copper with a thick, light-tan head. A bit cloudy with a floater or two.

Smell: Toasty caramel, malts, spices, some hops, kind of herbal and fruity undertones.

Taste: Dark fruits, bready, dark chocolate, definitely more of the bittersweet cocoa and hops after swallowing.

Feel: Sort of watery with a dry finish, moderate carbonation.

Overall: This is a tasty beer, the feel and aftertaste leave just a little to be desired in my opinion but overall I enjoyed it.

 

 

650ml bottle - I am of the opinion that there should be more well-made Irish red ales out there, so good on this fledgling Lethbridge brewery for taking up the cause!

This beer pours a clear, dark orange-brick brown colour, with one fat finger of puffy, loosely foamy, and bubbly tan head, which leaves a bit of approaching landfall lace around the glass as it quickly recedes.

It smells of toasted caramel malt, a twinge of biscuity toffee, muddled and bruised pome fruit, ephemeral cafe-au-lait notes, and very gentle leafy, weedy, and floral hop bitters. The taste is grainy and bready caramel malt, some free-agent ashiness, a sort of watery dark orchard fruity character, slightly tannic black tea, an ethereal coffee/cocoa essence, and more laid-back weedy, grassy, and floral green hoppiness.

The bubbles are adequate in their basically palate supporting frothiness, the body a so-so medium weight, and mostly smooth, just a bit of char flitting about, causing a wee fuss, is all, girl dear. It finishes trending dry, the bottom kind of falling out of the malt, while the various fruity and hoppy players loiter aimlessly, looking for a place to happen.

Overall, Ionic is a decent attempt at the style, with lots of bang-on typical flavours kicking around. Maybe shore up the sagging mouthfeel, and we'd have a winner on our hands here, or as winning as we poor Irish can expect to be, yeah?