Favorite Red Ales

As I was sipping on a freshly canned Tocobaga, I started to think about how much I appreciate a good red ale, and then I realized that there aren't a ton of red ales that have blown me away. In fact, I would argue that when compared to other beer styles, the red ale genre is fairly lacking in superb beers. Let's face it, stouts and IPAs get all the glory in the craft world.

So, I thought it would be fun to give recognition to three of my favorite red ales, and then I would love to hear from you. Admittedly, my list is limited because I don't typically seek out red ales when I am looking for new beers to try. So please feel free to add to this list, dismiss the beers I've mentioned, or argue for your favorite red ales!

My list of favorite red ales:

1. Pinglehead (Pinglehead, Jacksonville, FL). Pinglehead is located inside Brewer's Pizza, and is a place I would consider "a gem" in North Florida. It's a small brewpub in Clay County that not only makes mean beer, but they also cook up some awesome pizzas too! Pinglehead's Imperial Red is a perfectly balanced red that blends the sweet malty backbone with a floral and semi-bitter hop presence. It has just the right amount of bitterness and sweetness to make this a highly enjoyable, very drinkable red ale that's packed with flavor. Whenever visitors come to Jacksonville, Pinglehead usually tops my list of beers they need to try.

 
2. Tocobaga (Cigar City, Tampa, FL). Tocobaga was the first red ale I ever tried that had true complexity and character. Before Tocobaga, I had limited experience with reds and probably thought of Fat Tire as the ceiling in terms of the style. Tocobaga is a rich red ale with a prominent malt backbone that is countered by a citrusly-sweet-bitter note that comes from the Citra hops with which Cigar City dry hops the beer. As I said on Twitter, when this beer is consumed fresh, it's a real treat!

3. Zoe (Maine Beer Co, Freeport, Maine). I purchased six bottles of Zoe to celebrate the birth of our second daughter, Zoe, in October 2012. A few weeks before my wife's due date, I searched Google for beers that might share the same name. I found this red ale from Maine and had it shipped to Florida so that I could properly toast and welcome my daughter to the world.

Zoe, like the first two on the list, has a nice hop bitterness that balances the malt profile of the red ale. In fact, I would say Zoe is the most "bitter" of the three on this list. Zoe drinks more like an IPA than a red. But Zoe and I are forever linked, and it has earned it's place on my top 3 red ales list. Before I close, I must mention some beers that I left off this list that I suspect might be on your list.

Honorable Mentions:

• Lagunitas Imperial Red
• Grasslands Leeroy the Red 
• He'Brew Genesis
• Terrapin Oaked Big Hoppy Monster
• Saint Arnold Amber Ale (This might have made my list 3 years ago when I lived in Houston)
• Bold City 1901 Red Ale

So, let's hear from you. What beers did I leave off? Where did I mess up? What are your favorite red ales?

Grasslands LeeRoy the Red Imperial Amber #5

This is a recurring monthly series in which I taste and share my thoughts on a different beer from Grasslands Brewing Co. as they progress on their journey to open their doors to thirsty craft beer lovers (2014).  Grasslands is an up-and-coming brewery out of Tallahassee, Fl. that centers their philosophy on making quality "earth first ales." I will taste pilot batches and share my thoughts with the BeerApostle community. You can read past posts about Grasslands beer in the archive section of this blog.

Style: Imperial red/amber ale
ABV: 9%

Appearance: Dark amber, thick and cloudy. Tan head with long retention.

Aroma: Floral, pine, malt, sweet bread

Taste: Great flavors! Sweetened grapefruit, spicy bitterness from the hops which makes this surprisingly floral for a red amber. The finish has a well-balanced malt profile with notes of caramel and toasted grain. There's a slight dryness on the end with a spicy/sweet blanket that coats the lips.

Mouth: As I suspected from the appearance, this is a full bodied beer. It's perfectly carbonated which helps to open up some of the floral notes without compromising the malt backbone. This is a beer I could drink regularly (though in moderation--at 9%, this one will sneak up on you quickly!).

As the beer warmed, the bite seemed to grow in intensity. The alcohol content became more evident, as did the spices in the beer. Although it was still good, I think this one is better served and enjoyed at colder temperatures. It became less sessionable the longer it sat in my glass--apparently, I am slow typer...

Overall: This is the fifth variation of this recipe and I am crossing my fingers for #5 to be a close representation of the final product. I was fortunate enough to also sample LeeRoy #4 and I definitely prefer this recipe over its predecessor. The balance of citrus and sweet makes this one stand out in a pretty crowded genre of beers. If you follow me on Twitter, you know that Tocobaga has been my go-to red ale. LeeRoy certainly gives Tocobaga a run for the money.

Price: Because Grasslands is up-and-coming, they have asked me to share my thoughts on a recommended price-points for their brews. LeeRoy packs in a lot of flavor, alcohol, and is on the heavier side as far as body is concerned. I would expect to pay somewhere in the range of $5-$6 for a pint of this at a local pub. And I would pay it gladly.

Another great job by Gabe at Grasslands Brewing Co.!