Southern Tier Big Red

(on tap @ hardware) pours clear gold orange, head disipates quickly. moderate to strong bitter that is met by a surprisingly sizable malt on the tail end. the soft finish allows the flavoring hops to break through the bitter, and balances the palate. (most imperials i’ve had are all parts bitter) the flavors mask the alcohol very well. this one packs a punch but is surprisingly drinkable. worth trying if you enjoy a strong ipa.

On tap @ Coles Buffalo NY. Big Big Red. Malty, hoppy with some citrus. Packs a punch. Well balanced but I enjoy their other imperials more

Courtesy boboski. Deep red/amber topped by 1cm of frothy off white foam. Nose of lightly toasted caramel, floral and resinous hops, subtle sunblock. Sweet and malty up front with a nicefloral bitterness in the second half and finish. Lightly spicy also. No sunblock in the flavor. Subtle, dry cookie like malt throughout in the background. Some citrus and melon showing up as it warms. Full/medium body, balanced carbonation, a little syrupy. Very good.

After sitting around in my cellar for nine months, two of us finally got to total this on a good summer day. The label came apart letter by letter from accumulated moisture. Probably the beer benefitted from some ageing, there was good big bitterness there, with the malts secondary and truly adding balance. Great with lunch. CItrus hop aroma, and decent head.

This is big for a red. The aroma is malty with some grapefruit hop hints, Orange coloured with a medium head. Dry bitter taste and finish.

Thin head of medium sized bubbles. Light carbonation. Light sprucy hops aroma with some sweet malts and spices. I have a bad feeling about this brew. Something just seems like it will be disappointing whether it be the color or the thickness of the brew from the pour. We will see. Color is a rather boring orangish brown. Don’t see no imperial RED in there anywhere. Harsh roastyness and bitterness in the flavor. Lot sof hops and ashy malts. Some dry roasted peanut skins also. Yeah this is a bit of a disapointment. Hides its alcohol pretty dang well though. Finishes dry and bitter with a bit of sweet malts. Finish is actually better than it tastes going down. I will pass on this one a second time.

Amber orange with a moderate head, good lacing and retention. Aroma is floral spicy hops with caramel sweetness, a touch of chocolate. Medium bodied, fairly sweet finish. Doesn’t feel at all like 93 IBUs.

Amber pour with a fading tan head. Chewy aroma with loads of sweet caramel malt, peppery bread, and spicy hallertau hints. The flavor is also somewhat peppery with a chewy bread character, somewhat sweet and sticky. Doesn’t taste like 93 IBUs, but the hallertaus come through with only a hint in the finish. It could be all the chocolate and caramel malts that sweeten this thing up. I need more hop assertiveness, and less sweet malts in my ASAs.