red ale – Let's Learn Beer!

elemental

by Ceit
July 25, 2026July 25, 2026

Whew, exciting times! You can win a sporting event and come home to a burned-out wasteland! It seems to be one of the benefits of living in a modern city, that you don’t get evacuated from a forest fire. You can get bothered by it, of course, as huge clouds of smoke roll overhead, but I think a lot of people might feel some nostalgia with the campfire essence that surrounds you in the street. The light reflecting off the walls is red, the moon is as Halloweeniest orange you can imagine, it’s at least semi-apocalyptic. If I really believed it was the end I would have dug up the most decadent beer I could, but this is an unfortunate summer tradition. Still, I can honor the wildlife with color. It’s been some time since I’ve had a red ale, and even more an Irish red. Galway Bay might bring some cool, watery winds to blow away the last ashes, or at least I can imagine with Bay Ale.

There’s a little leakage on opening, but no geyser, and the beer pours nicely. It’s more rusty than ruby, but you can accept it in the realm of red. Nice head at first, but it’s quick to dissipate. There are ghostly hints of grain flitting up from the liquid but otherwise no strong aromas. Taking a drink opens up the bakery – grain raw and toasted floods in, with a fresh sweetness and a solemn bitterness, and just a snap of bubbles. I guess being in a real cold fridge hasn’t damaged the carbonation. There’s some dustiness to it too, which I often get from these darker ales, fitting for the atmosphere these days. A tickling of cidery flavor starts to make an appearance after some minutes on the table, adding complexity and interest, although it’s something you have to look hard for. It’s pretty standard but of quality, maybe something you wouldn’t mind pouring into your mug on your upper floor balcony to watch the world burn.

Supplier: La Mundial
Price: €4.50

summer surprise

by Ceit
June 17, 2023July 15, 2023

Who likes an imperial stout on a steamy summer night? Me, of course! You’ll never change my mind. While I’m open to new possibilities, I do like to have a good stout as much as I can, so certain names are go-tos. Laugar is one of those names. But what’s this? Cerberus is not a stout, but a double red ale! Whisky barrel aged at that. Will it measure up to the standards the stouts have set?

It’s more whisky brown, old, old whisky brown, than red, and the spirits (hah) of the harder stuff make themselves known to the nose immediately. Head is fizzy, and quick to disappear. It’s an odd bouncy ball of flavors – rubbery, woody, syrupy and smoky. The beer as a liquid is fairly easy to drink, smooth and only a little sticky. After the first impression, the taste seems to die down a little, becoming less complex and highlighting the woodiness more than the other notes. It probably shouldn’t be a surprise that the texture gets rougher as the beer sits and warms up, but it’s not as throat grabbing as some whisky barrel aged beers can be. On the heavy side for some certainly, given the weather. But I am impressed with Laugar’s flexibility.

Supplier: Labirratorium
Price: €5.95