Deschutes Cinder Cone Red Ale

Brewed by Deschutes Brewery
Style: Amber Ale
Bend, Oregon USA

The Cinder Cone is another offering, practically pouring into Colorado after a recent border invasion that was welcomed by many beer avids. Though I’m often in the mood for a "red ale" these days, which I take to mean a beer with lots of caramel notes, the Cinder Cone fell a notch short of my appalingly high expectations. After the pour the Cinder Cone’s custard colored head flattens immediately into a thick, dense pancake, below which the deep red brew sits expectantly. The aroma cascades from the glass, robust and provocative with caramel, toffee, more caramel, brown sugar, caramel, and a dry cinder block dustiness. The flavor is somewhat akin to the aroma, starting sweet with a razor sharp cinnamon edge, then dipping into a thick bath of malt bitterness. From here it zig-zags between sweet, spicy and bitter all the way to a quiet and echoing aftertaste. The Cinder Cone is bold, but blocky, strong but bungling - a strong flavor, but lacking the good grace to be a nice flavor.

On draft at Flagstaff brewing. Pour was full murky red in color, large amber-ish colored head, solid pale ale / amber ale style lacing. The aroma was full of toffee and caramel malts, ample hops, pine and citrus. The flavor was heavy hard core toffee and caramel malts with a piney and rather bitter hop balance. Mouthfeel was hearty full, but the flavor combo didn’t work great for me. Surprised I hadn’t had this before, ordered it assuming it as another good Deschutes brew, something I can’t get at home, but it was only ok (and I shoulda gone back to the Hop Rod Rye instead!).

12 oz bottle. Nice dark amber color. No real aroma. Flavor is malt forward - i expected more hops. Well crafted, although I would have liked this to be a little hoppier.

V - Prototypical amber/light orange color A - Malt, pine, hops, citrus T - Very hoppy/piney P - Small bitterness to finish, good lasting impression of hops.

Pours slight hazy orange with white head. Nose is on he malty sweet side. Hops are minimal, but come through with some apple & grapefruit prickle. Palate is malt focused too, but hops quickly take over. Caramel starts it out but then a light orange hopy flavor comes along, with some pine, and the finish is caramel-pine like.

sampled on nitro tap at baily’s taproom, as well as the bottled version. for the sake of spontainety, i will rate the nirto version... pours a red/amber color with a nice frothy white head that contrasts well. tastes of sweet malts up front and fades into a slight hoppy peppery taste. smooth as silk as it was nitro’ed. suprised by the nitro which was well welcomed.

On draft at Hamilton’s Tavern. Pours aclear rust hue with an ivory dollop of whipped froth. Balanced nose of apricots, buttery yeast, melon seeds, and peppery hops. Creamy with a prickly tinge, but palate filling. Toffee-glazed toasted nuts immediately anchor the snappy leathery yeast and earthy hop blend. Intense backside of spicy, fir tip-accented bitterness. Rounded fruity underlay caresses the scratchiness of the mild roast and leathery yeast. Light huskiness at the core comes and goes. Finishes dryly chalky and spicily hop-laden with herbal Tettnang. Stellar session brew which eloquently intertwines vibrant yet forceful hop bitterness with a plentitude of malt,

Very IPA like. Good but I expeted something sweeter when I pull a red off the shelf. Bitter malty taste lead to a short bitter finish. You just can’t go wrong buy a Deschutes of any kind!