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?

Lagunitas Sucks

Brewery:  Lagunitas Brewing Co.
Location: Petaluma, CA
Style: Double IPA
ABV: 8%
Price: $9.99/6pck

Ok, so truth be told, Lagunitas actually doesn't suck. In fact, they're pretty amazing cool people. What other brewery is so confident in themselves that they would 1) admit that there was an issue with brewing a batch according to its recipe, 2) brew that beer anyway with a substitute ingredient, and then 3) make fun of themselves by saying they "suck"?

Lagunitas is kind of like that friend who we all have and no matter the circumstances, things just always go right for this person. Bad luck brings good fortune. Yeah, that's exactly what happened to Lagunitas.

I recall when Lagunitas Sucks first came out in 2011. I was skeptical about the whole story behind the beer, but bought it anyways. After trying the beer, I remember calling a buddy of mine and telling him he had to go out and buy some because it was actually better than the original. As it turns out, a lot of people had that same reaction and Lagunitas decided to brew some more...on purpose this time.

Naturally, I felt compelled to buy Lagunitas Sucks once more. This time, however, I am more interested to see if they were able to recreate the 2011 release. So here are my tasting notes...

The appearance, as you can see, is a golden amber color with a quarter inch head that laces the glass as the beer is consumed. The carbonation is easily seen rising from the bottom of the glass, so I am expecting a nice zing from the CO2.

The aroma is a lot of pine and grapefruit/citrus hops. I don't really get a ton of depth beyond that; just hops.

The taste follows suit with the aroma--pine, grapefruit, lemon zest. As I expected, the carbonation is a nice factor in how the hops dance on the palate. The flavors of the various hops come into play due to the carbonation. There is a mild sweetness in the middle that works to balance this drink. The malt is subtle, but it's there. The finish is dry and bitter and long.

It's drinkable and, dare I say, refreshing? I love the body of the beer which is on the fuller side for the style. Despite the fact that this is undeniably a hop bomb, there's a lot going on here.

Lagunitas Sucks is affordable AND highly rated, a combination you don't fine too often. Oh yeah, and you can also get this in 32oz Quart jugs. #MindBlowing.

Cheers to you, Lagunitas, and all your good fortune.

Good til the last drop. Love the lacing.