Charlie Russell Red
Harvest Moon Brewery

From a 6-pack picked up at Growlers on Main in Polson, MT
12oz can poured into Council Belgian-style tulip

p- reddish chestnut w/ a tiny bit of light khaki foam; quick recession
n- med to med-bold nose of moderately sweet toffee and bready malt; inviting; a bit of fruitiness underneath as well; some brighter fruity notes as it opens
t- bready malt combines with toffee throughout; finishes with a touch of earthy bitterness; simple and pleasant
mf- a touch watery in the forward, but fuller in the finish; light-med to med bodied; soft-med carb level
o- I'm digging this one; simple, satisfying, and drinkable

Review date: 02.10.26
Can date: n/a

Canned on: ??????
Many thx to muchloveforhops3 for this can.

A - Ruby pour with an ever so slight, small amount of haze along with some thin, cream colored lacing.

S - Lightly toasted caramel malt, breadcrust, and a slight bit of earthiness

T - Toasted caramel, light breadcrust, delicate nuttiness, and a light bitterness on the finish and a light amount of residual spiciness.

M - A pretty substantial, smooth mouthfeel and texture for only 5.5%, impressive! Wet mouthfeel.

O - Really nicely done!

Somewhat foggy dark amber, dull red, nearing brown, with a moderately short tan head.

A surprisingly expressive red, it's strongly nutty--of both Brazil and chestnut stylings with a little walnut--while accented by a light and nondescript tang. Commendably, it's more bitter than sweet.

The body is slick yet lightly crisp and finishes bone dry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

meh, not real excited about this one, they do way better than this with their ipa and their porter. this one is a real let down for me, a highly tannic and slightly weird red, not sure if its fully done fermenting as its sweet, but still exhibits a lot of the irish yeast character in the taste, like its drying to be dried out, but wasnt allowed to get there. grains are watery in feel a little bit, between sweet and bitter, and nothing is more unflattering to a beer than an overdose of bittering hops without any real hop flavor in the finish. this isnt quite there, but its erring that way. i just dont like the clash in this one, and its hard to swallow after a little bit. one other issue is the head, it just doesnt hold. nothing i love more in a red than a tall rich head with great retention. this pours alright, but it cant hold it. overall not my favorite beer from these guys, not even close. its not bad necessarily, better than any BMC offering in the house, but i wouldnt select this one again. the finish after the swallow almost tastes like peanut butter candy.

edit: i stopped by the brewery last week and in a flash blurted this one out for my order, not remembering having had and reviewed it some five and a half years ago. its definitely better than i made it sound above here, clean and smooth and way more tidy on the ferment, actually kind of fruity and different without some of the obvious amateur leanings it had before. enjoyed my pint a lot as a morning and as a hangover pint, and think its quite clear this has improved over time. raising a couple scores here now. awesome little brewery here, super rural, worth a visit!

 

 

 

 

 

 

A nice amber-orange body capped with a nice, white head. Smell comes across with a slightly spice and malt character. Cinnamon and graham crackers come to mind. Taste has a comparable spice and malt note with a sharp bitterness developing near the finish. Slightly sweet undertone that lingers along with the hop bitterness. Soft and light feel; bright.

A decent beer. It can almost seem a bit watery, but the overall flavors bring this beer out from meritocracy. Enjoyable.