Mad River Jamaica Red Ale

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 8

Pours huge orange head with nice sized bubbles, topped with some rather large sized ones. Body is orange-red color. On the somewhat cloudy side. Huge amounts of carbonation bubbles coming up from the bottom of the glass. Aroma nothing special to write home about. Flavor not of a traditional amber/brown ale with more hop character than normal. Not unpleasant. As it warms up a bit the hoppy flavor becomes more pronounced. would stand up good to spicy food such as a curry or (shutter!!) jerked chicken.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 7

12oz bottle at Barney’s Beanery in Santa Monica
Clear amber with a small off-white headn and good lacing. Aroma of toasted malts and toffee. Flavors of toasted malts and caramel
Decent

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

12oz bottle pours murky copper with tan head. The aroma is crystal malts, faint caramel, molasses, toffee and faint dark fruity esters mixing with a hint of pine hops. This has a tasty malt flavor with roasted to highly roasted malts, crystal malts and to a lesser extent sweet molasses followed up by mild vague hop bitterness.

Aroma: 4 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 5

Shorter than usual brown 12 oz bottle with a twist off cap, reminds me of Seirra Nevada. Twist off the lid in a manly manner and you get a whiff of uncooked bread dough and maybe even rootbeer. When I pour it into the glass I think there is some malty roastyness. Color is hazy brownish and I am surprised to find some sludge in the bottom of the bottle, must be unfiltered. When I swirl the last bit of brew, like wit, before I pour it into the glass, pretty large bits (1/8 to 1/4 inch) come loose and go into the glass, wow! Has a bitter bite when you first taste it, malty but not hops as far as I can tell. I know that the label says its hopped but I can’t really find the hops. There is no citrus or grapefruit rind flavor that can be detected. Mind you, it is not really stoutlike or heavy porter but it does have a definable bitterness that is not hops. Carbonation is medium low. Finish leaves a lingering medium bitterness on the back of your throat. This brew does not overpower my taste buds but it is oppressive in it’s own way. Not as good as Groelsch Amber or Redhook Copperhook but just a little better than Hereford & Hops Hop Rocket Ale, Otter Creek Copper Ale, and Thirsty Dog Hoppus Maximus. Those beers are more hoppy than this. Overall a decent entry into the darker beer arena. On par with Great Divide Ridgeline but ridgeline has much better carbonation.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

pours a rich red with a small white head that fizzles out after about a minute. The aroma is of malts, pine trees, citrus, hops and a hint of corn. The taste is very well balanced with bigger malt character than other reds with medium hops. The mouthfeel retains a surprising amount of carbonation. Manages to be fizzy with a medium body.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 6

A servicable nicely bodied dark amber ale, nice amounts of hops and malts that is great offering from the Beer of the monthe club form December 2011...

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

A deep amber colored beer with a healthy, frothy textured, white head rising above. There's some hang time. It has some hangtime. Settles into a thin ringlet. The profile is malt, and grassy, lighter pine hops. A nice, well carbonated, moderate bodied drink.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Reminded me of a redish pale ale. Murky amber appearance. Not quite a "red" ale in both appearance and flavor. Decent malt tastes. Was waiting for the hops to bite a bit, but just mildly kicks in at the end. On the sweeter side for this style. A better than average beer...not a Mad River I'll be rushing to get again though.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Buddy you were right about that. Just came back from the Fruit Bats and this is what i found. A clear amber, stickin itto the man. Malty but respectable. Wish they wouldhave had some beers.Now shes got the hiccups. Cinnamon, apple and caramel finishing it up. Thanks but no thanks! Wait till i tell my buddy.... ;)

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 6

a nice clean amber. nothing that will blow you away, but pleasant enough for a try, especially in the summer. a little on the malty side going in, with a ever so slightly hoppier finish. tends to be maltier...