Mark
The 2012 Beer Camp #65 Imperial Red Ale from Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico, California pours out a very dark red in color with some brown hues, a little suspended sediment and is topped with a two finger, khaki colored, dense head that slowly reduces down to a thick film with a large collar. On the nose, rich malty tones and a bit dank. Aromas of tobacco, weed, roast malt, caramel, pine and earth. In the mouth, a good amount of sweetness with a nice hop bite. Flavors of toffee, dark bread, pine, roast grain and earth. Medium to full bodied. Good carbonation. Almost solid lacing on the glass with just a few breaks leaving very thick sheets. Sticky, chewy mouthfeel. The finish is slightly dry and very long with the hop bitterness commanding center stage all the way to the end.
A wonderful Imperial Red Ale with rich malty flavors and a huge hop bite. Thick and chewy. Layers of flavors meld into developed complexity. My favorite of the 2012 Beer Camp brews so far. Highly recommended.
12 ounce bottle, 8.1% ABV, Bottled on June 26, 2012
Beer 321 of 366 for 2012
