Red Chair NWPA
Deschutes Brewery
Beer Geek Stats:
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- Style:
- American Pale Ale (APA)
Ranked #96 - ABV:
- 6.2%
- Score:
- 92
Ranked #2,925 - Avg:
- 4.11 | pDev: 9.98%
- Reviews:
- 639
- Ratings:
- From:
- Deschutes Brewery
- Oregon, United States
- Avail:
- Winter
- Wants
- 164
- Gots
- 601
SCORE
92
Outstanding
92
Outstanding
Notes:
Available: January to May
Alc. by Vol.: 6.2%
IBUs: 60
192 calories per 12 oz serving
Alc. by Vol.: 6.2%
IBUs: 60
192 calories per 12 oz serving
Reviews: 639
| Ratings: 2,700
| Log in to view all ratings and sort
Reviews by HoppyBastard:
3.99/5 rDev -2.9%
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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More User Reviews:
4.42/5 rDev +7.5%
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 +15.1%
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 -1.7%
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 +5.6%
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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4.06/5 rDev -1.2%
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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4/5 rDev -2.7%
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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4.73/5 rDev +15.1%
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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4.18/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Poured out of a 12oz bottle into my Bruery tulip. Best by 4/14/2011 (says 1920 M underneath, batch number perhaps?)
Pours out a nice deep copper color with a light beige head. Head is initially a finger high but settles to a thin ring around the glass. Body is hazy. In light it is a nice golden copper color. Very nice looking liquid. Some very nice looking loose lacing clings to the glass as the liquid recedes in the glass.
Nice and hoppy upfront. A good malt backbone balances this out nicely. Getting some toasty notes from the malt. The hops give off a more resin and earthy tone.
Resin hops great the taste buds upon first sip. A bit grassy notes also detected. The malt doesn't come through as much as it does in the smell for me. The hops really dominate this one. Each swallow gives a bit of sweetness that I'm guessing comes from the malt. It really helps to balance the beer but the hops are still much the dominating presence. A nice bitterness lingers in the mouth after each sip.
Nice feeling on this one. It's a bit thicker than medium bodied but not in a bad way. Carbonation isn't apparent on the mouth. As stated in the taste, bitterness lingers but isn't distracting at all.
This is another solid beer from Deschutes. For a pale this is pretty hopped up (sort of like Sierra Nevada Pale). I would have liked a bit more balance but at the same time the hophead in me loves this. Will be getting more of this for sure.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Poured out of a 12oz bottle into my Bruery tulip. Best by 4/14/2011 (says 1920 M underneath, batch number perhaps?)
Pours out a nice deep copper color with a light beige head. Head is initially a finger high but settles to a thin ring around the glass. Body is hazy. In light it is a nice golden copper color. Very nice looking liquid. Some very nice looking loose lacing clings to the glass as the liquid recedes in the glass.
Nice and hoppy upfront. A good malt backbone balances this out nicely. Getting some toasty notes from the malt. The hops give off a more resin and earthy tone.
Resin hops great the taste buds upon first sip. A bit grassy notes also detected. The malt doesn't come through as much as it does in the smell for me. The hops really dominate this one. Each swallow gives a bit of sweetness that I'm guessing comes from the malt. It really helps to balance the beer but the hops are still much the dominating presence. A nice bitterness lingers in the mouth after each sip.
Nice feeling on this one. It's a bit thicker than medium bodied but not in a bad way. Carbonation isn't apparent on the mouth. As stated in the taste, bitterness lingers but isn't distracting at all.
This is another solid beer from Deschutes. For a pale this is pretty hopped up (sort of like Sierra Nevada Pale). I would have liked a bit more balance but at the same time the hophead in me loves this. Will be getting more of this for sure.
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4.37/5 rDev +6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
Poured from a 12oz into a Vertical Jewbelation glass. Pours a medium amber with an inch and a half of head. The head fades and leaves not much lace.
The smell is light but interesting, bread and caramel with floral, grassy and citrus hop notes.
Red Chair is very well balanced in the taste. Though it follows the smell, there is a meta/mineral background that throws it off just a bit. Other than that it goes down smooth, is very affordable, and in my opinion, is a welcome sort-of new-comer to Deschutes.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
Poured from a 12oz into a Vertical Jewbelation glass. Pours a medium amber with an inch and a half of head. The head fades and leaves not much lace.
The smell is light but interesting, bread and caramel with floral, grassy and citrus hop notes.
Red Chair is very well balanced in the taste. Though it follows the smell, there is a meta/mineral background that throws it off just a bit. Other than that it goes down smooth, is very affordable, and in my opinion, is a welcome sort-of new-comer to Deschutes.
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4.71/5 rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
4.12/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a bottle into a pint glass
A- pours a clear copper color with a steady stream of bubbles, a solid one finger fluffy off-white head appears and very slowly dissipates, spotty lacing
S- bready malt, citrus hops, slightly sweet too with vanilla and caramel
T- just like the nose, bready malt, a pretty substantial hop punch, creamy vanilla, real clean finish
M- light to medium body, nice balance of carbonation, finishes slick and clean
O- this is a great pale ale, nothing overwhelming or unbalanced, very clean and easy to drink, alcohol is barely noticable, highly reccommend
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a bottle into a pint glass
A- pours a clear copper color with a steady stream of bubbles, a solid one finger fluffy off-white head appears and very slowly dissipates, spotty lacing
S- bready malt, citrus hops, slightly sweet too with vanilla and caramel
T- just like the nose, bready malt, a pretty substantial hop punch, creamy vanilla, real clean finish
M- light to medium body, nice balance of carbonation, finishes slick and clean
O- this is a great pale ale, nothing overwhelming or unbalanced, very clean and easy to drink, alcohol is barely noticable, highly reccommend
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Red Chair NWPA from Deschutes Brewery
Beer rating:
92 out of
100 with
2700 ratings
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