Riptide Red Ale
Pelican Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pelican has become a favorite of mine thanks to its varied, and consistently above par, offerings. This red ale is a great, easy drinking example of the style; with pleasant malt highlights and a bit of a hop finish. Sweet without cloying, it makes a great session brew at a modest alcohol level.

 

Had this from a 22oz bottle poured into a pint. First thing that stood out was the color. Very dark red, almost brown, and crystal clear. Had a nice creamy off white head as well. Smell was a bready malt, with sweet notes of caramel, and even a touch of fruitiness. Caught no hops at all on the nose. Taste was right in line with the nose, bready malt with a touch of sweetness. No hop flavor, and just the slightest hint of bitterness on the finish. Medium bodied and smooth, certainly a drinkable beer.

22oz bottle into tulip pint.

A - Pours a clear, but fairly dark amber with an off-white head that has fair retention and some light rising carbonation.

S - Very strong bread upfront with some faint hop bitterness to the finish.

T - More fresh baked bread with some very lightly roasted malt as well as more light almost herbal hop bitterness in the finish.

M - Medium to full body, with good carbonation.

D - A nice change of pace with a very bready backing and unique flavor, though still very approachable and easy to enjoy. This is my first of this style, though I was able to pick up the tea-like hop flavor mentioned in the style description.

Appearance: On-tap in Pac City, very dark with ruby/copper highlights, off white lacing ring around the top.

Smell: Caramel in the nose, molasses, cranberry like tartness.

Taste: Cranberry like sweetness in the malt along iwth a black tea like flavor, hops come in, subtle, spicy, and then vacate.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied, fairly like carbonation, juicy, and dry.

Drinkability: This beer was really tasty and drinkable. It is not alcoholic or hoppy or even malty, light sweet flavors with a smooth mouthfeel, I like it.

Had this today on tap at the brewpub.
Its quiet a nice brown colour,quite dark for a "red", has a large tan head.
Smell is mostly of caramel malts though the hops to show a little.
I did not like the taste of this to begin with, at the start I found it too sweet and watery,but as it warmed more robust characteristics took hold, the malts became less sweet and more caramel and the hops showed well at the end.
Thin mouthfeel to start ,but thickened as it warmed ,eventually being rather smooth and nice.
A drinkable red ale in the end,not too bad at all.