Sunset Red Ale
General Lafayette Inn & Brewery

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From:
General Lafayette Inn & Brewery
 
Pennsylvania, United States
Style:
American Amber / Red Ale
ABV:
5.9%
Score:
87
Avg:
3.89 | pDev: 8.74%
Reviews:
24
Ratings:
24
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jul 26, 2009
Added:
Dec 14, 2001
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Ratings by mymrnngjckt:
Photo of mymrnngjckt
Reviewed by mymrnngjckt from Pennsylvania

3.46/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Had this on tap at B.J. Jeat's. Pours a nice cloudy amber. It really does look like a Sunset. The smell is pretty much neutral with a hint of mild hops. The taste is great. Lots of soft hop and light malt characters. The mouthfeel was very palatable.

Overlall, a very drinkable and enjoyable beer.
Jan 28, 2008
More User Ratings:
Photo of julian1117
Reviewed by julian1117 from Colorado

3.58/5  rDev -8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
I ordered this beer as part of a $6 flight of 4 beers when I visited this place with my father in July of 2009. I actually tasted my father's because the only Sunset Red I ordered was part of their Red Velvet special. It had a reddish amber hue. The smell did not impress me. The taste was slightly bitter and slightly sweet. The mouthfeel was average. The drinkability was average.
Jul 26, 2009
Photo of philbe311
Reviewed by philbe311 from Pennsylvania

3.86/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A - Deep crimson amber color... A beautiful frothy light tan head that only a cask can deliver... Eventually the head fades leaving only the slightest lacing around the edges of the glass... A little bit of clinginess on the sides of the glass...

S - Wonderful maltiness.... Caramel... Toffee... Roasted malt... Perhaps a hint of wheat... Apple... An ever so slight hop presence...

T - Wonderful balance... The taste follows the aroma perfectly... Faint caramel and toffee mixed base... Apple... Trace amount of slight hoppiness as part of the finish... Slightly on the sweet overall, but well balanced...

M - Wonderful smooth... Medium bodied, though ever so slightly on the thin side... Insanely creamy... Consistent sip after sip...

D - Easy drinking... No one does cask conditioned ales better than the General Lafayette... This has been a favorite of mine for years... There's nothing overpowering or pretentious about it... Quite simply it's a wonderful brew that delivers time after time...
Jul 18, 2009
Photo of naproxen
Reviewed by naproxen from District of Columbia

4.12/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Enjoyed on cask at the brewery on 9/29/08

I was very pleased to have had this one on cask!

A dark red/amber color to this beauty, much like a gorgeous sunset :)

The aroma caused me to pause and repeat, very much caramel, roasted malts, a hint of hop.

The taste did nothing to disappoint after the lovely smell. I actually found this to be hoppier than I had expected, not that there is a huge hop presence, but the cask conditioning really brings out the mild grassy hop finish which is lovely. I also picked up toffee, and a sweetness that sort of reminded me of apples. I thought this was well balanced, none of the aforementioned attributes worked negatively to outdo the others.

This ale is very smooth and goes down like a charm. I would make this my staple beverage from the General dare I ever live close enough to have the priviledge.
Sep 30, 2008
Photo of thequeen711
Reviewed by thequeen711 from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Looks and tastes like a beautifully brewed Red Ale. Just a hint of caramel and toffee makes this brew pleasing to the palate, with barely a hint of hops. Malty overtones also make it pleasing to the palate. 5.9% ABV. I'd recommend this beer to any beer affectionado to enjoy and savor.
May 12, 2008
Photo of HopDerek
Reviewed by HopDerek from Pennsylvania

3.61/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured a dark amber red with thin off-white head. Smells of caramel and grass. Tastes of roasty malt, bread, and caramel with a earthy hop finish. Medium in body with low carbonation, sweet yet burnt toast notes with a bitter finish. Better than average, but not really my thing. I'd try it again if it was on cask.
May 05, 2008
Photo of Jettanbass9
Reviewed by Jettanbass9 from Pennsylvania

3.72/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
ahhh cask beer. Real ale? both.

A - a little cloudy but i am quickly reminded by my drinking partner that this beer is cask conditioned. It makes this beer so much more real.

S - all malt on this one... caramelly candy sweet.

T - Sweet and slightly toasty the malts are in the forefront here. there is a fruity, yeasty flavor that comes in the aftertaste too, its quite plesent.

M - Smooth cask conditioned ale, these slide right down.

D - Quite the smooth drinker, watch out cause these catch up to you at almost 6%.
Feb 19, 2008
Photo of RblWthACoz
Reviewed by RblWthACoz from Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Pours a very cloudy amber. Flavor is evenly balanced. Nice level of malts with almost a caramel covered apple tone to the flavor. Feel has a full carbonation and a good liquid bodt as well. This is very easy to drink and I could easily have gone for more.
Jan 05, 2008
Photo of Biscuit033
Reviewed by Biscuit033 from Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A: Served with a one finger dense creamy head. Dark amber in color with loads of clinging lace.

S: Malts dominated with toffee and caramel.

T: Very malty ale with caramel, toffee, butterscotch dominating but a green apple skin hop finish.

M: Creamy and smooth with a long malty taste with a crisp apple finish.

D: Very easy drinker especially from the hand pump. I think I will be back tomorrow for another pint.

This was the maltiest beer I've had on cask and was an extremely pleasant surprise.
Dec 27, 2007
Photo of tempest
Reviewed by tempest from New York

4.07/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Served as part of a sampler, definitely the high point for me. I like a fine cask ale, and this fits the bill. It's lightly sweet, with caramel and biscuit. The hops and malt mix for a wonderfully creamy mix of whole fruits and juicy hop flowers. This is a tasty, tasty beer, a must have if you stop by the General.
Oct 22, 2007
Photo of Phatz
Reviewed by Phatz from Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
On-Tap at the brewery on 1/27/07.

Appearance: Served a red brown color, small ivory head and light lacing.

Smell: reserved nose. Sweet malt and a light sprinkling of hops.

Taste: It has a bit of the typical red ale flavor with sweet grains, malt and balancing hops.

Mouthfeel: Medium light. Crisp. Smooth and dry finish.

Drinkability: This beer is built for session drinking. I could drink it all day.

Hope this is helpful.
Cheers!
Jan 30, 2007
Photo of JohnnyM2002
Reviewed by JohnnyM2002 from Maryland

3.88/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Sampled at the General Lafayette Inn...poured into a pint glass.

A - Poured an amber color with milk-chocolatey-brown highlights. Medium off-white head with only slight lacing left on the glass.

S - Smells of sweet malt...a little spice. Not very powerful.

T - Good combination of sweet/caramel malt and spiced hops. Fruity notes in the background. Taste grew sweeter as the beer warmed, but a crisp hop finish remained strong.

M - Medium body with a slightly tart crisp finish. Carbonation remained strong.

D - This is my first beer from Gen. Lafayette, and it did not disappoint. I was looking to start the day with something a little ligher in the ABV column, and this made for a very enjoyable lunchtime beer. I'm very much looking forward to trying more from here in the future.
Jan 28, 2007
Photo of tgbljb
Reviewed by tgbljb from Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Served as a reddish brown beer with moderate white head. Minimal lacing. Smell is summer fruity and malty. Taste is very pleasant, with the combination of sweet malt and bitter hops meeting in a perfect blend. This mixture follows throught in the finish giving the perfect drinking session beer. I felt that I could have enjoyed this beer all day, but it was too long a ride home. Paired well with a sausage sandwich.
Sep 26, 2006
Photo of DarkerTheBetter
Reviewed by DarkerTheBetter from Minnesota

3.53/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
This beer came a dark cherry, cola and amber color with a thin collar of head with a little spot that floated around in the middle that left nice stripes of lace.

Smells of white flour, walnut and a hint of carrot. There was also a slight dark chocolate and a little yeast.

The flavor was light and easy with a smooth crisp apple base, but it picked up a Robitussin® medicinal flavor with the introduction of a light, dry, woody hops.

The mouth feel was light and creamy that worked well with the dryness of the beer.

Not too bad but seriously, that whole Robitussin thing really threw me. However, if I drank it fast the sweet doughiness didn’t have time to catch up with the light fruity dryness at the end to create the cough syrup, but that’s no way to drink a beer.
Jun 23, 2006
Photo of DrJay
Reviewed by DrJay from Texas

4.19/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Slightly cloudy and deep reddish amber, my pint was poured with a thin tan head that fell quickly to a ring. Spotty lace was left on the glass throughout. It had a predominantly British aroma, with sweet crystal malt and floral English hops with a mild citrus component. Moderate bitterness balanced the caramel maltiness. There was a hint of toffee, light hop flavour, and a bit of fruitiness (especially as it warmed. Medium bodied with low carbonation - attenuation seems to be on the low side. I really enjoyed this beer, lots of British character and it seems like it would be a good session.
Jun 09, 2006
Photo of ithacabaron
Reviewed by ithacabaron from California

4.45/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Attractive deep ruddy amber, slightly cloudy, and with a frothy head from the handpump's sparkler. Looks like a well poured pint of cask ale to me.

Smell is solid caramel and crystal malts, with a muted hop balance of EKGs. Nice and bready, with a whiff of house yeast. Pleasant.

Taste reminds me what cask ale is all about. Perfectly balanced. Hops, water, malt, and yeast. That's all that you'll find in here, and you can pick out each element pretty well. This takes me back to drinking fresh cask ale in the UK, to spending all night in a pub and slowly draining pint after pint.

Mouthfeel is beautiful, creamy, and caskalicious.

Drinkability is flawless. I could drink this all night.

This is what cask ale should be, with just the slightest tip of Mr. Leonard's impish hat to the US and more domestic tastes. The best cask-conditioned beer you'll find, bar none, within 50 miles of Philadelphia.

It should be noted, the first time I drank this, I gave it a 3.65, because I was a douche, and I didn't get it. I hadn't reached a certain level of maturity to appreciate what it is...

...and it is a beautiful thing.
Jan 25, 2006
Photo of raven3131
Reviewed by raven3131 from Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Nice red ale - easy drinking but a very smooth malt flavor. Cascade I'm guessing comes through right of the bat and mellows through the end of the pint. This was a nice choice with cheese steak I had! Apparently they mix this beer with whatever porter or stoudt is on tap at the time - looking forward to trying that next week...
Oct 18, 2005
Photo of Sammy
Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

3.35/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
This batch at 5.7% and light taste and light-medium mouthfeel. Solid amber colour. Some hops, and malt/caramel. Least interesting of lineup that I tried, would be refreshing by itself and only macros about. Perhaps better when very fresh, or just this batch did not work.
May 15, 2005
Photo of francisweizen
Reviewed by francisweizen from Washington

3.5/5  rDev -10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
As opposed to the Pale ale that gets better on cask, the red ale at General Lafayette gets worse on cask for some readon! The appearance is a watery red colour with no head to speak of and the aroma is a somewhat muted reinterperatation of itself! The taste is also a bit "off" with some muddy flavors making their way into the mix! The mouthfeel is also too light and the drinkability suffers due to the above!
Nov 11, 2004
Photo of Gavage
Reviewed by Gavage from Nevada

3.73/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Reddish / orange in color with a 1/2" head. Some mild lacing developed during the drink. The aroma was dull and uninteresting as some soft malt tones were barely detectable. The flavor was pleasant. Malt, light fruit tones, caramel, and toffee were nicely balanced with soft bitterness.

The mouthfeel was smooth at the start and finish. Medium in body. Nicely drinkable session brew.
Nov 05, 2004
Sunset Red Ale from General Lafayette Inn & Brewery
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 24 ratings