I'm looking for a distinctive Irish red ale

I'm commenting so I can get alerted as well. The Irish red is a very underrated style and the accentuation of the caramel malts makes this style one of my favorites. I've had a few, but they were Samuel Adams Irish Red and Karl Strauss' Red Trolley. Both solid representations, but nothing that made me rethink the better things in life.

Great post btw.

 

I just had this same discussion a few weeks ago... Ended up falling in love with Lagunitas Lucky 13. Of course we all hear about Nugget Nectar (and rightfully so, the shxt is amazing) but not a very common style it seems. You won't be disappointed by Lucky 13. I have a can of Oskar Blues G'Knight, haven't opened it just yet though.

 

Great Lakes Conways Irish Red Ale, not too big into the style, but I love this one.

 

Nothing remotely Irish red about a single one of these. Zero in a bit.

OP, it's a nebulous style and one that I'm only marginally convinced exists anywhere except in homebrew comps. Red ales are amber ales. You will not find any Irish red ales from Ireland though.
If you want to try a really good amber/red ale that fits the 'Irish red' style guidelines and is not insanely hopped over so as to make it an off-color american IPA, search out Brian Boru by Three Floyds.

 

o'hara makes a pretty good irish red, and i thing their stout is even better

 

There is some doubt as to whether Irish Red is a style in its own right as you say , rather it's just another bitter.If you accept this it opens up a mass of possibilities.

 

Doesn't appear to be an export-only beer, either, since it's listed on their website as part of their regular line under the same name - O'hara's Irish Red

(Not that I don't agree that it's a dubious "beer style"... but, then, so are many of them).

 

O'hara's Irish Red is great.

Although their Irish Pale Ale is actually an APA.

Not sure what the Red is hopped with.

 

About 90% are either made up or simple variations within existing styles.
Back to so-called Irish Red , here's an Irish beer blog's take;
http://www.beoir.org/index.php?opti...sh-red-paradox&catid=33:beoir-meets&Itemid=95
I quote the last paragraph;
The second proven thesis from the evening's tippling is that Irish Red is not a real beer style. On the night, nobody was confident about which was Smithwick's and which was Bass, even though one is supposedly an Irish "red ale" and the other a British "keg bitter". Kilkenny was easily spotted since it had a nitro head, but had John Smith's or Tetley's Smooth been in the mix, I think there would have been some contention. Likewise there was no way either craft beer was going to be mistaken for a mass-produced ale like Bass, but a quality British red keg ale -- Brewdog 5am Saint, for instance -- would, I believe, have muddied the water considerably. Until further tests are carried out, I think my hypothesis that "Irish Red" is simply keg bitter stands.

 

Brian Boru by three floyds, being in Indiana I'd assume that'd be your best bet. Just like with all of three floyds they do stay true to the original style with their own twist.... Hops haha. It's not bad at all, makes for very easy drinking.

 

I've never understood the idea that Red Ale isn't a style. Having four different styles for beers that taste identical like stout (American stout, American porter, English stout, English porter) is pointless, but pretty much any red ale I can pick out from a proper pale or IPA. Mostly because to me they always taste like bitter, burnt bread or bagels.

 

I do have to agree a bit that bitters and our shoe-horning of a style Irish Red Ales is tenuous. I do acknowledge that a lot of Irish red ales taste a lot like bitter with a slightly more of a dryish finish or maybe more carmel flavor. You can pretty much take a standard bitter recipe and lighly add some black malt or some more carmel and have an Irish red. They are pretty much the same thing and at times it is hard to tell them apart. Though I do think bitters should lean bitter verses the balance I think of when I drink an Irish red style.

 

Irish Reds and Alts seem to be the most common "fake" styles over here in the states. Historical or not, I find that most beers labeled as alts are just random amber ales that lean on the dry side. Irish Reds tend to be the opposite and are usually just malty ambers.
That said, I do like some of 'em! The Sam Adams Irish Red might not have any historical backing, but it's an easy drinking malt bomb of a beer that I enjoy.

 

I couldnt agree more. And out of all the "Irish Red Ales" I have had, Sam Adams is my favorite. Love that beer on a brisk Fall day.

 

Admit it everyone. Finally. Irish beer is generally just terrible.Terrible.
In other words, prime time the craft beer scene took a foothold and starts to shake things up like has happened in the the US, UK etc. Now that would be awesome.

 

I try and I try and I try, but I always find myself going back to Harpoon Celtic Red. It just has that something that does it for Me.

 

What?

 

I enjoy Red Banshee from Fort Collins Brewery