Hale's Ale's "Red Menace" Amber Ale

4 out of 5 Hops






Another Seattle staple brewery, Hale's Ale's, and their delicious hoppy amber, Red Menace. I love the name and bottle label for this beer. The bust of Lenin in the picture is of an actual statue located in Fremont, just north of Seattle, where the brewery is located.Here is the story of the statue. I have to love this beer, if just for the label. Truth is though, it tastes good too. Style could be compared to an American Pale Ale, but with more toasted malt flavor and color. Hoppier than its UK cousin but not infringing on the IPA category. This fine brew is deep red color, almost brown until held to the light. The aroma is toasty, malty, and a touch of piney hops. The taste is initially a mild sweetness, then quickly balanced by moderate hop; about 37 IBU. The Centennial hop only is used exclusively for this beer. Bonus points for Single hop beer! The hop oils cling to your mouth for a while afterwards...in a good way though. The flavor has a slight black tea flavor left behind. Not sure my feelings on that. Mouthfeel is full bodied, but not to the point of being thick and creamy. I could not find the ABV for this beer, but given the original gravity of 1.056 I would calculate it is around 6% or just under. There is a bit of yeast sediment in the bottle, which makes me assume this has been bottled conditioned for carbonation. Bonus points for bottle conditioning! Hale's has been around since 1983 and still going strong. Try the Red, and if you like it, Join the Party!

Elysian Brewing Company "Mens Room Red" Ale

4 out of 5 Hops



"Hola Bitch Hola!" is the familiar call from a local Seattle afternoon radio talk show called...The Mens Room. It don't get any classier from there. Our local rock station KISW talk show teamed up with Elysian Brewing in Seattle and created this fine red ale you see before you. This is a real decent session beer at 5.6% ABV and a 45 or so IBU. Aroma has a toasted barley note and a wee bit of piney/citrus hop from Chinook bittering and finishing Cascade hops. The taste is balanced and crisp with a medium bodied mouthfeel and a clean dry finish. I would classify this as akin to an Irish Red or a toasted colored Pale ale. Its less sweet than an amber, but more malty than a pale. I think it tastes great as a sit-down with friends brew. I don't get a lot of "remarkable"/"hidden" flavors, but it beats the Hell out of any lite lagers that are mindlessly consumed. Plus, proceeds from this bad boy go to charity; specifically veteran family ones. Bravo to Elysian, who is totally awesome, and the Mens Room, who are not bad for a talk show! Available in 22oz bottles and on tap around Seattle. As they would say, "Party in our tummy"