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"

Hales Ales Two Fisted "O'brien Harvest Ale" and "Mongoose IPA"

4 Hops out of 5 Each





Hales Ales is an established and respected Brewery located in Fremont near Seattle. I have not had any complaints about their long list of offerings. This Harvest Ale is no exception. Available from Sep to Nov. ABV is 6%. First time I have had the pleasure. The aroma is very slight; toffee and hint of hops? The color is rich and red/amber. The flavor is a hop punch right away. I cant find the hop listing yet or the IBU, but I would guess its around 70. The flavor finish is hoppy and slightly oily with a pleasant bitter aftertaste. Wish I had bought more of this one in November.


Next up is Mongoose IPA. This has been a standard Hales Brew for some time. This IPA is dry hopped, which is what I do to all the beers I brew. The aroma is a fine citrus/piney smell. The flavor is malt with a balanced hop finish. Not a hop bomb IPA; this is an extremely daily drinker IPA. ABV is in the 6% range which is also appealing. I appreciate the English mentality of moderate alcohol so I can drink more than one and not fall down. This beer has moderate aftertaste of hop oils courtesy of Amarillo, Centennial and Nugget Hops. IBU appears to be in the 60 range. Earlier this week I actually had the pleasure of meeting Mike Hale at Costco. He was promoting their Irish Style Nut Brown Ale. They even had the double decker bus parked out front. BTW the Brown ale is available until Mar.

Christmas Ale Party

5 Hops each!



Today I am tasting 3 Northwest Winter/Christmas Ales. I thought a side by side comparison of 3 would give you a range of choices for beers of the season.

First up is Bridgeport 'Ebenezer'. This is brewed in Portland, OR and would be considered an English Strong Ale. Bridgeport makes a tasty traditional IPA as well. Ebenezer pours a rich amber color with scents of malts and fruit with a small hint of hops. Taste is on the malty/toffee side with only a hint of hop bitterness. At only 40 IBU, it is not a Hop Killer. I think it has a mellow refined taste and very enjoyable. I cannot find the hops used other than being "local and imported hops" according to the brewery. I don't detect a lot of late addition hops for flavor and aroma, so I would assume most are early boil for bitterness.

Next up is Rogue Ales 'Santa's Private Reserve' from Newport, OR. Rogue is by far one of my favorite breweries. They brew amazing beers that transcend boundaries and styles. All their beers are class acts. So Santa pours a light red hue with awesome citrus hop and malt aromas. Flavor is a hop fest in your mouth. Not overpowering at 65 IBU, but enough to get your attention; especially at the finish. This is in the range of an IPA for reference. Bittering is courtesy of Chinook hops with flavor and aroma by Centennial and the mystery "Rudolph" hops. The 3 C's hops: Cascade, Centennial, and Chinook are west coast favorites producing evergreen sprucey and citrus flavors/aromas. Mmmm...bitter never tasted so good. Abv is around 6%.

Last but certainly not least is 'Jolly Roger Christmas Ale' by Maritime Brewing in Seattle/Ballard, WA. This is one of my early holiday beers I first tasted in 2006. I even brewed a half decent clone of it last year. This 8-9% brew pours a red/amber color with complex malt aroma. For me, this is a rich, delicious, alcohol laced treat each year. The malt profile and hops are perfectly balanced in my opinion. It may be high in the IBU department; upper 80's I estimate, but I love the taste as a confirmed Hop Head. Bitterness, Flavor, and Aroma hops used are Chinook and Cascade alternatively with Chinook doing the bittering. Don't listen to any naysayers, pick one of these up ASAP and support Seattle!

I believe these selections present a variety of flavors that can be enjoyed by all. For those who prefer a milder, smooth and malty ale, try the Ebenezer. If you prefer a solid hoppy seasonal, go for the Santa. And if you enjoy a winter warmer with extra warmth and more malt, grab a Jolly Roger. Cheers!

Three Sheets Rover Irish Red Ale

5 out of 5 Hops!


This is another fine homebrew from my buddy Luke. This being a homebrew, it is a unique experience for every beer made. Sorry, not commercially available.....yet. This creation is a dark, hoppy red with a strong hop character and carbonation. Traditionally, most reds tend to be on the lighter, amber side. I love this bold in your face black beauty. It has a chocolate and coffee taste to me at the front and finishes dry with a moderate hop bitterness that works for me. Being a hop fiend, I appreciate a unique take on styles. Not sure what the ABV is but at half a glass so far I am warm and happy. Cheers brothers!

Redhook Late Harvest Autumn Ale

4 out of 5 Hops

Redhook is a local Seattle icon in Beer History. What began in Ballard in 1982 has continued to be a staple brewery. Redhook ESB is a definite grocery store "go-to" beer in my book. This is a moderately hopped ale at 32 IBU, great dark amber color, and a nose of malt and subtle Chinook hops. This is brew is made with 4 different grains and 3 hops: Willamette, Saaz, and Chinook. At 5.9%, its a decent ABV beer to toss a few back while tossing the football or raking the fall leaves. The aftertaste is clean and not oily or thick in the mouth. Great beer in Autumn to get ready for hopped up stronger Winter Ales. Cheers! www.redhook.com