Charmed Life
Block 15 Brewing - Southtown Tap Room

Handsome coppery red brew with abundant foam in the New Belgium snifter. Light and sprightly on the tongue. Malty, winey aroma with a whiff of the green stuff. Tangy with a modest bitter aftertaste. Flavors of dark bread with a hint of caramel and that malty taste, just slightly sweet. Certainly a better than average brew for the style. From the 16 oz can purchased at the Community Co-op Market. Dated 02/11/25.

16oz can

Pours nearly two fingers of tan head into my Nonic. Retention is average and the head mostly fades within two or three minutes. Lacing is pretty good for the most part. Body is a an extremely dark red, basically brown. Looks good.

Biscuity malts come through on the nose, along with some tart cherries and maybe the faintest caramel. Smells very well attenuated, not quite dry. The aroma is nice enough.

Flavor has a lot more going on. Pretty significant malt backbone hits you right up front, biscuity, some caramel, tart cherries as well. All the flavors play well with each other, this is really nice. Not really what I would consider a traditional Irish Red profile, but I could care less.

Carbonation is medium-low. Body is medium. The smallest touch of sweetness. Bitterness is low, but the tartness add character there. This is pretty clean, and extremely smooth. Overall a wonderful mouthfeel.

Drinkability is phenomenal.

Overall this is a great beer. The flavor is complex and very full, with a smooth mouthfeel.

Canned 2/14. Pour is a very dark, clear, red amber. Tight frothy head, nose is malted milk, first taste is dry and lightly carbonated. Bitterness is very mild, just enough to complement the very tasty malts. A very rich taste, plenty of layers to unfold...you get a dash of dates and figs in the finish. Most Irish Red Ales are pretty one -dimensional, but this has a lot going for it.

All that's needed now is to arrange a table in a cozy pub with a warm peat fire and an order of shepherd's pie.

Look: Deep ruby red in color and quickly forming a beige, almost grey looking head that swells and fairly quickly settles to a film, leaving good lacing behind
Aroma: Toffee, freshly baked bread, some melanoidin, light dried dark fruit notes, some floral hops, fruity esters, and caramel
Taste: Caramel, toffee, and melanoidin all intertwine upon the first sip as layers of rich, dark bready malt start to pile on. Some fruit and light floral hops weave in and out throughout and closes with more of the full-on malty goodness
Mouthfeel: Full, smooth, medium-high carbonation, and a soft and smooth finish
Overall: This is some good stuff. I love a good Irish Red ale and this one is tasty and checks all the style boxes for me as well as being made by a brewery I dig and support quite often. A ton of great malt flavor and depth plus a smooth feel and soft finish help make this one a winner in my book. Recommended