Friday, October 23, 2009

North Coast Brewing Co.: Red Seal Ale

After a hiatus, I'm back to the blog. First up in the "one more year in Philly" edition is a beer I haven't had in forever and that I've bee meaning to try again. Here it is: Red Seal Ale.

I've been gravitating back towards Amber Ales recently, so I figured I'd have at least one more go before cold weather really sets in. North Coast's take on this classic American genre falls somewhere between Rogue's American Amber and Mendocino's Red Tail. In other words, it's got a a very earthy-bitter taste to it, but it's also got a light body and citrusy tang to it. There's a brief rush of smooth malt flavors early, but the bitterness comes in to wipe that out pretty quick. Despite it's oceanic name, Red Seal winds up with a very dry finish.

I didn't really recall liking this brew very much, but on this second try, I actually find that I'm pretty fond of it. It manages to pull off a big earthy-bitter flavor but somehow remains very drinkable. Now that I think of it, this is really more of a springtime brew, so I think it'll probably be awhile until I grab another one. But I'll be looking forward to it all winter long.

1 comment:

Mattie said...

I have a vague memory of not enjoying this either. We shared a pitcher at Zeitgeist? After your review, maybe I'll give it another shot.