Partner Ships: Red IPA
Heavy Seas Beer

 

 

 

 

 

Snatched up a 1 pint 6 fl oz brown glass bottle because Maine Beer Company's name was on it.

"Red IPA." 7.25% ABV.

Overmalted, with too much amber malt sweetness in addition to its toasty caramalt bend. Hop profile is lacking, letting amber malt syrup take the lead...maybe some generic floral hop character, but that's really it.

Coating, smooth, wet, and medium to full-bodied with some thick syrupy tendencies. Overcarbonated. Unrefreshing.

All things considered, it seems like Maine Beer Company lent Heavy Sees their name but not their talent, boosting sales for the inferior brewery but not delivering a beer that's up to par with Maine Beer Company's vanilla work. Mediocre fare I wouldn't trifle with again. The kind of brew you'd expect from a grocery store bomber focused brewery like Lost Coast.

Low C- (2.55) / BELOW AVERAGE

 

 

 

 

 

 

The look is clear dark amber, with a creamy beige head with excellent retention and lacing.

The aroma is deeply toasted and sweet malts, browned toast, caramel, a touch of molasses and toffee, brown sugar, plum and cherry, candied orange peels, earthy spice, pine, and peppercorns.

On the palate, upfront you get a pleasant brown sugar, toffee, and molasses sweetness, rich, brown bready malts, a hint of cocoa, lots of caramel, and then a nicely balanced, lightly bitter finish of orange pith, orange zest, earth, and delicate pine. Finishes dry with some lingering earthy hop notes.

The body is the heavier side of medium, smooth and filling, palate-coating, and almost creamy.

This is quite the tasty red IPA. Nicely balanced for a style that is often too sweet.