 kp (6000), Woodstock, Georgia, USA
Sep 1, 2007 Name: Ard RI Imperial Red
Date: 04/26/2007
Mode: Draft
Source: Rich O’s
muddy burnt orange, dense creamy head, thick lace, sweet caramel malt aroma with lots of floral hops and very light fruits, stick sweet dark caramel flavor, balanced with lots of citrus hops with an earthy edge, nice biscuit character brings it back to being a red ale, best Upland ever and quite possibly the best imperial red, and then the sweet butterscotch comes in the very last sip but too late to detract from the overall experience
Aroma: 8/10; Appearance: 8/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 8/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 4/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: ***/4
Cornfield (4254), Oak Lawn, Illinois, USA
Apr 1, 2008 My first "Imperial Irish Red Ale" - called The Ard Ri on the label, which I suppose is important to someone somewhere... Looks good, deep amber with a touch of red and a solid ecru head. Loads of lace. The aroma is caramel, toffee, apple, with some grapefruit and zest. The citrusy bitterness is a bit strong for an Irish Ale, but I appreciate it. It blends well will the dull malty sweetness that’s more characteristic of the style. Not bad. <font size=-4><a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp?PlaceID=5495> Pat’s Liquors, Porter, IN<font size=-1>
BBB63 (3681), La Porte, Indiana, USA
Mar 29, 2008 Tap and served in standard pint glass: Reddish amber hue with a nice creamy head and fair lacing. The aroma has notes of caramel and toffee, rye bread, mild apple and orange esters, flowery, hint of coriander and dusty yeast. The taste is rather straight forward but it is balanced and quite drinkable with mild hop bitterness and acidity countering the caramelized malting. A light spice upon the finish as well. The mouth feel is smooth and has a slight bite around the edges. Overall a solid example of an "Irish Red" even if a tad too high on the ABV. (Seems that the 2008 batch is improved over the 2007 by looking at the ratings).
thedm (3405), Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA
Mar 16, 2008 This draft brew from a restaurant served fully diminished yet when poured into a seperate glass poured a large sized head of foamy fine to medium sized tan colored bubbles that were fully diminished and left behind a semi-opaque light red brown colored body and thick foamy lacing. The aroma was malty bready and doughy. The mouth feel was strongly tingly at the start and weakly tingly at the finish with a strong vinous note throughout. The vinous flavor contained notes of strong hops dough and brown malt. A wonderful best in class brew. A very good beer with a kick.
hotstuff (3019), Indiana, USA
Mar 25, 2008 Draft at J.K. O’Donnell’s, Fort Wayne, IN.Medium sized head that was creamy, semi-fizzy and tan and mostly lasting, fair amount of lacing, no carbonation observed, semi-opaque, and an amber hue. Nose was malty, caramel, mildly hoppy, light citrus, some floral hoppiness, and grapefruit. Flavor was lightly bitter, malty, caramel, light citrus, hoppy, fruity, and a lingering hoppy aftertaste. Medium in body.Very quaffable, nicely done and balanced, would drink this again, and worthy of a try.Very tasty indeed!
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