Red Flag
Heavy Seas Beer

 

 

Not sure of the age on this one, but it was on the discount rack for $1.50 so I imagine it's pretty old. Regardless, this should still be interesting

Pours an opaque, light cola brown with a finger of off white head that quickly fades to a ring and leaves no lacing

The nose is pretty mild for a flanders but still appealing. Lots of tart medicinal cherry, dates, buttery oak, and just a touch of brown sugar

The taste is just as bland sadly. There's a nice cherry tartness up front, but a weird funky oak comes in after the swallow and kinda washes everything else out. Genuinely not much more going on here otherwise

The body is thinner than many others in the style, even those with a lower abv. The intense carbonation lets it go down easy, but it's never really interesting enough to keep me coming back for another sip

This was a very disappointing beer, though it could very well be a freshness issue. I know it's not exactly highly regarded, but I was expecting a bit more. Not offensive, but I would not get this again

Poured out of a 12 oz bottle into my tulip glass, this beer pours a somewhat cloudy/hazy, dark red/amber color with a slightly off-white head that's about an inch thick when first poured. Head settles eventually to a very thick ring surrounding the inside of the glass along with bits of lacing on the inside of the glass and the slightest hint of surface foam. Aromas of toasted, bready malts with some caramel sweetness, oak, cherry, raisin and plum fruit notes, and a slight barnyard funk. The flavors match the aroma, starting out with some toasted, bready malts with some caramel sweetness followed by white oak tannins. There's also a nice hint of brown sugar. Next up comes the slightly sweet and mostly tart fruit flavors of cherry, raisin and plum. This is all rounded out with a bit of a barnyard funk note and a hint of sourness. Has a crisp, slightly prickly, also smooth, medium to full bodied mouthfeel with moderate carbonation. All the aforementioned flavors sit very nicely on my palate in the aftertaste.

Eric

 

 

 

A-Pours a nice reddish amber color with a slight head and lacing
A-Aroma has dark fruit hints
T-The taste follows the nose with a pleasant dark fruit sour flavor
M-A light bodied decently carbonated beer
O-A good Flanders Red

 

The clear dark reddish amber colored beer with reddish highlights pours out in to a Duvel glass with 1 1/4” a light tan creamy head that recedes fairly soon to a small ring around the glass and a small thin irregular island of foam on the surface of the liquid while leaving little or no lacing on the sides of the glass. Early on sipping creates scattered small patches of lacing most of which those soon slide back down to the liquid. By midway through the beer there is no lacing on the sides of the glass.

The aromas are filled with fruit that includes some tart cherries and dark fruits such as raisins and plums. There’s also a bit of oak, leather and toasted malt in the background.

The flavors are similar to what is expected from the nose but is more intense than expected. There are the dark fruits, including some raisin, the tart cherries upfront and both against a background of toasted malt and light sweetness. In addition there’s some vanilla and oak from the barrel. The alcohol is hidden here so there’s no bite whatsoever. The slight tartness and a touch of acidity remain in the background and are well controlled by the malt sweetness.

The mouthfeel is on the light side of medium-bodied and almost creamy with only some light finely bubbled carbonation. The finish is fairly long and begins as all the flavors begin to slowly fade with the tartness disappearing into some light, fruity malt sweetness at during the semi-dry ending.

Overall this is a nicely drinkable and enjoyable example of the Flanders Red. The tartness is definitely in the background allowing the fruit, malt flavors to remain centerstage. While this version seems a bit less complex in its aroma/flavor profile that some other Flanders Reds I’ve tried, I’ll probably be picking up a few more of these to see how well they age. Be interesting to see if the sweetness recedes a bit. Worth a try if you find it.

Not a bad Imperial Flanders Red. Semi Tart with cherry and Dark fruits with a smooth easy to crush body. Price was a bit expensive to enjoy more often but it was a decent beer overall.

 

Maybe I was expecting something different since this was advertised as a sour. It is tart. It does taste of dark fruit with a blend of sweet and sour. It just didn’t appeal to me.

It pours a nice dark amber. Carbonation is medium. Smell is funky sweetness. Not bad, just not anything special.

 

 

 

5 oz pour on tap. Oak, leather, sour cherry, vanilla, red wine, and a light crackery malt flavor combine in this Flanders Red Ale. The 8% abv is well-hidden. Slightly sweeter than I would prefer, but otherwise solid.