Great Basin Truckee River Red

Brewed by Great Basin Brewing Company
Style: Amber Ale
Sparks, Nevada USA

Serve in English pint, Shaker

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3oz sample. One of 7 samples tasted while having lunch at the brewpub. I found all 7 to be solid brews and good examples in each of the styles. Overall they had better than average offerings than the majority of brewpubs out there. (actual tasting was on 2/15)

on tap-pours a foamy tan head and amber color. Aroma is citrus/pine, secondary sweet light/medium malt. Taste is sweet light/medium malt-caramel, then non-descript hops bite.

A cellared, 12oz. competition/sample bottle, poured to my favorite 1/2 pint glass with a clear, deep, amber/copper color, with bubbly, light tan head foam that lasted for awhile, and then reduced to a ring and film, leaving all kinds of curtainy lacing that morphed into an etched-like coating. The aroma was some bready and toasty notes, with a bit of caramel, and tea hints. The flavor added some moderate hop bitterness, with a touch of tart astringency as grapefruit, that lasted into the finish, and didn’t impress me favorably as a complimentary note. The body was good, and the carbonation was on the soft side. Not bad!

Draft @ Great Basin. Pours a bright, clear copper color; off-white head with fine-bubbled lacing. Light amounts of red fruits, biscuity notes, and earthy hops in the nose; muted, but pleasant. Medium mouthfeel: basic toasty maltiness, some juicy earthy hops, and a kind of hollow cardboard / papery note; bland, somewhat stale, although the earthy hoppiness is solid. Medium finish: toasty malts, light nondescript bitterness; drying end.

Tap at brewery. Clear amber color with a big, off-white head that leaves some lace. Aroma of citrus, caramel. Mouth is very nice, medium with lots of creamy carbonation for a fairly dry finish. Flavor is light caramel, sugar, grapefruit rind, and well-blended. Long, lightly bitter finish. A nice brew.