Red Chair NWPA | Deschutes Brewery
Brewed by:
Deschutes Brewery
Oregon, United States
deschutesbrewery.com
Style: American Pale Ale (APA)
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 6.20%
Availability: Winter
Notes / Commercial Description:
Available: January to May
Alc. by Vol.: 6.2%
IBUs: 60
192 calories per 12 oz serving
Added by Bitterbill on 01-22-2010
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 2,657 | Reviews: 621
Reviews by Bonis:
More User Reviews:
4.42/5 rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
One of the best pale ales in the Pacific Northwest, deserving of its self-identification as the original NWPA.
Pours an orange/copper with moderate head. Aroma is thick and florally fragrant, heavy with hoppy goodness. This beer's flavor is bold but smooth, more than the sum of its parts in the way that only perfectly balanced beers can be. The malt presence is strong without tasting "grainy", and the hops are citrus and pine without being astringent. A little on the fizzy side, making for good mouthfeel and bringing the flavors together pleasingly.
Two thumbs up--definitely a buy.
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look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
One of the best pale ales in the Pacific Northwest, deserving of its self-identification as the original NWPA.
Pours an orange/copper with moderate head. Aroma is thick and florally fragrant, heavy with hoppy goodness. This beer's flavor is bold but smooth, more than the sum of its parts in the way that only perfectly balanced beers can be. The malt presence is strong without tasting "grainy", and the hops are citrus and pine without being astringent. A little on the fizzy side, making for good mouthfeel and bringing the flavors together pleasingly.
Two thumbs up--definitely a buy.
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4.73/5 rDev +15.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Great, great, really great beer. Do yourself a favor and get this if you haven't already. The hops make their presence known, then the malt says "hey hops, you can't take the whole stage, let us have a chance." The result is a product so tasty and pleasant that people from all walks of beer preference can enjoy its flavor.
Amberish/copperish in color. The citrus/floral/hoppy smell is good, but kind of light. Taste is damn good (technical term). Tastes like smooth beer - beer-flavored beer. There is a hint of bitterness, but very drinkable with a light and pleasant aftertaste of beer. Currently a seasonal offering here in the Northwest - I hope they make this a year-round offering. Could easily be a go-to beer, all year. Very pleasant. Highly recommend.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Great, great, really great beer. Do yourself a favor and get this if you haven't already. The hops make their presence known, then the malt says "hey hops, you can't take the whole stage, let us have a chance." The result is a product so tasty and pleasant that people from all walks of beer preference can enjoy its flavor.
Amberish/copperish in color. The citrus/floral/hoppy smell is good, but kind of light. Taste is damn good (technical term). Tastes like smooth beer - beer-flavored beer. There is a hint of bitterness, but very drinkable with a light and pleasant aftertaste of beer. Currently a seasonal offering here in the Northwest - I hope they make this a year-round offering. Could easily be a go-to beer, all year. Very pleasant. Highly recommend.
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4.04/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4
Bottle, BB 5/3/16. Threshold Beer Glass.
A: Pours a clear dark copper with 1 finger tan head. Excellent retention. Some visible carbonation rising up, not much. Outstanding lacing.
S: Smells of a floral hoppiness and ale yeast esters that remind me of some of the pale ales that I have really loved recently. Strong malt backbone. I think I am going to like this.
T: Fairly sweet and tangy arrival, turns to a rich, malty middle with lots of layered malt, ester and subtle hop complexity. Quite malty, mixed-fruity, and a touch sweet, actually. Think canned fruit cocktail - in a good way. Hop bitterness is fair, and lingers pleasantly.
M: heavier side of medium, bordering on full-bodied. Ample carbonation keeps it from feeling overweight. Somewhat slick, and has the mouth-filling character of ales - which I love - but does not quite clean up as much on the end as I might like.
O: A really solid and malty pale ale. Too light to be an amber, to heavy to be a pale ale. I love beers of this style, and I wish there were more of them (Boston Ale, Censored, Bell's Amber). If you are coming into this expecting a classic American pale ale, expect to be a little disappointed. But if you are looking for a slightly sweet and fuller-bodied hoppy pale, this is perfect for winter. Definitely six-pack worthy. This is comfort beer. Strikes me as similar to but sweeter and less citrusy than Dale's pale ale.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4
Bottle, BB 5/3/16. Threshold Beer Glass.
A: Pours a clear dark copper with 1 finger tan head. Excellent retention. Some visible carbonation rising up, not much. Outstanding lacing.
S: Smells of a floral hoppiness and ale yeast esters that remind me of some of the pale ales that I have really loved recently. Strong malt backbone. I think I am going to like this.
T: Fairly sweet and tangy arrival, turns to a rich, malty middle with lots of layered malt, ester and subtle hop complexity. Quite malty, mixed-fruity, and a touch sweet, actually. Think canned fruit cocktail - in a good way. Hop bitterness is fair, and lingers pleasantly.
M: heavier side of medium, bordering on full-bodied. Ample carbonation keeps it from feeling overweight. Somewhat slick, and has the mouth-filling character of ales - which I love - but does not quite clean up as much on the end as I might like.
O: A really solid and malty pale ale. Too light to be an amber, to heavy to be a pale ale. I love beers of this style, and I wish there were more of them (Boston Ale, Censored, Bell's Amber). If you are coming into this expecting a classic American pale ale, expect to be a little disappointed. But if you are looking for a slightly sweet and fuller-bodied hoppy pale, this is perfect for winter. Definitely six-pack worthy. This is comfort beer. Strikes me as similar to but sweeter and less citrusy than Dale's pale ale.
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4.34/5 rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
APPEARANCE: A slightly hazy, red/amber in color. Finger plus of thick, creamy khaki head that lingers and finally settles to a still thick collar. Great lacing down the glass. Hard to see what the carbonation is doing.
AROMA: Overall mild but smells very good. Mostly citrus, a little pine, and I swear there's a peach in there somewhere, too. Some nice caramel malt.
TASTE: Bready, caramel, citrus. Has a very pleasant sweetness to it and just a slight bitter note for balance.
FEEL: Medium body, nice solid amount of carbonation, slightly stick feel but then things dry up nicely on the finish.
OVERALL: Really nice tasting and balanced PA. Nice bready, caramel sweetness combined with some subtle hop notes.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
APPEARANCE: A slightly hazy, red/amber in color. Finger plus of thick, creamy khaki head that lingers and finally settles to a still thick collar. Great lacing down the glass. Hard to see what the carbonation is doing.
AROMA: Overall mild but smells very good. Mostly citrus, a little pine, and I swear there's a peach in there somewhere, too. Some nice caramel malt.
TASTE: Bready, caramel, citrus. Has a very pleasant sweetness to it and just a slight bitter note for balance.
FEEL: Medium body, nice solid amount of carbonation, slightly stick feel but then things dry up nicely on the finish.
OVERALL: Really nice tasting and balanced PA. Nice bready, caramel sweetness combined with some subtle hop notes.
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4/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
On sale at Whole Foods; $9 for a 6. Love Deschutes. Interesting that they make a seasonal Pale Ale in the winter. Never seen this before. Says it's good till 4/6/18, so according to their website, it was bottled 120 days prior, on December 6th last year...or maybe 7th. Who cares.
L: My favorite bottle I've seen from them so far. Poured into a wide chalice, it has a semi-transparent glowing red-orange body with a thick layer of pale head. I kid you not, the foam has a spring green tint. It also leaves sticky lacing on the glass in fine, but dense rings. Pale jelly-like globs can be seen floating buoyantly throughout the liquid, tracing its movement.
S: A sharp herbal and floral blast with sage, bergamot, juniper, pine, basil and lemongrass, followed by medicinal cherry, canned peach, honey, molasses and a barley malt finish with a bit of rye and yellow grapefruit.
T: If this is a North West Pale Ale, I think I prefer the South West version. That cherry is really prominent, but balanced with apricot, peach and yellow grapefruit against a competent malt base. Maybe this batch didn't turn out so good? I will allow it the benefit of the doubt and give it another try some other time.
F: Not bad, but the herbal qualities are quite clingy to the palate and cumulatively overwhelming.
O: I wanted to really love this, but alas, it tastes to me like a watered down version of Hop Ottin' IPA.
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look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
On sale at Whole Foods; $9 for a 6. Love Deschutes. Interesting that they make a seasonal Pale Ale in the winter. Never seen this before. Says it's good till 4/6/18, so according to their website, it was bottled 120 days prior, on December 6th last year...or maybe 7th. Who cares.
L: My favorite bottle I've seen from them so far. Poured into a wide chalice, it has a semi-transparent glowing red-orange body with a thick layer of pale head. I kid you not, the foam has a spring green tint. It also leaves sticky lacing on the glass in fine, but dense rings. Pale jelly-like globs can be seen floating buoyantly throughout the liquid, tracing its movement.
S: A sharp herbal and floral blast with sage, bergamot, juniper, pine, basil and lemongrass, followed by medicinal cherry, canned peach, honey, molasses and a barley malt finish with a bit of rye and yellow grapefruit.
T: If this is a North West Pale Ale, I think I prefer the South West version. That cherry is really prominent, but balanced with apricot, peach and yellow grapefruit against a competent malt base. Maybe this batch didn't turn out so good? I will allow it the benefit of the doubt and give it another try some other time.
F: Not bad, but the herbal qualities are quite clingy to the palate and cumulatively overwhelming.
O: I wanted to really love this, but alas, it tastes to me like a watered down version of Hop Ottin' IPA.
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4.06/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Gorgeous amber-gold color, quite dark for a PA. A light head quickly fades to a skim coat. A floral aroma, mixed with biscuit dough background. The taste starts out with a rounded hop flavor, not overpowering. Which then tapers out to a nicely full-bodied malt finish. It's a different take on a mainline ale, and a good one.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Gorgeous amber-gold color, quite dark for a PA. A light head quickly fades to a skim coat. A floral aroma, mixed with biscuit dough background. The taste starts out with a rounded hop flavor, not overpowering. Which then tapers out to a nicely full-bodied malt finish. It's a different take on a mainline ale, and a good one.
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3.99/5 rDev -2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a Shaker pint glass, "best by" date 7-16-15.
APPEARANCE: pours a hazy, copper color with one-finger off-white head that quickly dissipated until a thin layer of small bubbles remained, there is significant lacing on the glass, somewhat lighter than average carbonation.
SMELL: grapefruit, bread and some pine.
TASTE: the taste mostly follows the nose, initially very sweet caramel and then grapefruit, finishes with a pleasantly mild, piney hop profile.
PALATE: medium body and lighter carbonation.
OVERALL: this is a nicely balanced beer, the sweet malt up front made the hops even more enjoyable on the back end, Deschutes is one of my top five brewers, I would buy this again no problem.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a Shaker pint glass, "best by" date 7-16-15.
APPEARANCE: pours a hazy, copper color with one-finger off-white head that quickly dissipated until a thin layer of small bubbles remained, there is significant lacing on the glass, somewhat lighter than average carbonation.
SMELL: grapefruit, bread and some pine.
TASTE: the taste mostly follows the nose, initially very sweet caramel and then grapefruit, finishes with a pleasantly mild, piney hop profile.
PALATE: medium body and lighter carbonation.
OVERALL: this is a nicely balanced beer, the sweet malt up front made the hops even more enjoyable on the back end, Deschutes is one of my top five brewers, I would buy this again no problem.
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4.13/5 rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
When I think of a brewery that produces traditional Pacific northwest ales Deschutes easily comes to mind first for me,this pale is exactly what Iam talkin about.Poured a clear burnt orange with a fluffy one finger slight off white head that never really fades,a creamy mass holds to the finish.A mix of citrusy/piney hop and a healthy caramel malt base in the nose,no frills just goodness.Flavors are slightly piney but much more grapefruit-like and citrusy, a big biscuity caramel sweet malt base holds up to the hops,the hops win out slightly but its pretty balanced.I could drink this all night,it dont need to be complex for me because the flavors are great,this is old school northwest American craft brewing at it's best.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
When I think of a brewery that produces traditional Pacific northwest ales Deschutes easily comes to mind first for me,this pale is exactly what Iam talkin about.Poured a clear burnt orange with a fluffy one finger slight off white head that never really fades,a creamy mass holds to the finish.A mix of citrusy/piney hop and a healthy caramel malt base in the nose,no frills just goodness.Flavors are slightly piney but much more grapefruit-like and citrusy, a big biscuity caramel sweet malt base holds up to the hops,the hops win out slightly but its pretty balanced.I could drink this all night,it dont need to be complex for me because the flavors are great,this is old school northwest American craft brewing at it's best.
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4.7/5 rDev +14.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
3.68/5 rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This beer wasn't exactly what I expected when I had it.
A- The color has a nice cooper with hints of red and gold.
S- The smell was typical of a north coast hopped beer. The smell of pine and citrus cut through.
T- This is where the beer kind of lost meet. The hops shoot out at you and it is a little overwhelming. The malt starts to show up the more you drink it, but the balance doesn't seem to be there for me.
M- The mouth feel is smooth and crisp. Refreshing and not too filling.
D- If it werent for such a hoppy taste this could be more drinkable. The tastes are all there, the hops just seem to be doing too much over powering. For something that is 60 IBU's it taste like a heck of a lot more.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This beer wasn't exactly what I expected when I had it.
A- The color has a nice cooper with hints of red and gold.
S- The smell was typical of a north coast hopped beer. The smell of pine and citrus cut through.
T- This is where the beer kind of lost meet. The hops shoot out at you and it is a little overwhelming. The malt starts to show up the more you drink it, but the balance doesn't seem to be there for me.
M- The mouth feel is smooth and crisp. Refreshing and not too filling.
D- If it werent for such a hoppy taste this could be more drinkable. The tastes are all there, the hops just seem to be doing too much over powering. For something that is 60 IBU's it taste like a heck of a lot more.
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4.19/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.73/5 rDev +15.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
This beer has a totally different taste and appearance. The favor is one the best IPA's I have ever experienced. In a chilled glass this beer is premium in favor with a fine looking head. My only complaint is I cannot find it in a half or pony keg size.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
This beer has a totally different taste and appearance. The favor is one the best IPA's I have ever experienced. In a chilled glass this beer is premium in favor with a fine looking head. My only complaint is I cannot find it in a half or pony keg size.
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Red Chair NWPA from Deschutes Brewery
Beer rating:
4.09 out of
5 with
2,657 ratings
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