Tasting Day: Red Ryder Ale

The Red Ryder Ale next to the "Christmas Story" lamp.

Another day and another beer is ready to taste.  The plan was to taste it last night at the holiday party with some friends but, the Pitchfork Black stout was too good to put down.  So, today is the tasting day for the Red Ryder Ale.

When I think of Christmas, I think of one thing.  That one thing is A Christmas Story.  So naturally, when I began to make my red holiday ale, I thought of the gift that Ralfie wanted so badly - The Red Ryder 200-shot range model air rifle. 

Overview: This is an American holiday red ale that was brewed with sweet orange peel and a generous addition of Styrian Goldings hops.

ABV is 6.4% and the IBU comes in at 66.

Appearance: A nice deep amber red color with a large white foamy head that disappears pretty quickly after settling in the glass.

Smell: It has a bigger malt smell to it than most of my other beers since I used English Ale yeast for California Ale.  You can smell some bitter orange which is the combination of the Orange Peel and extra hops.

Taste:  Big malt sweetness followed by a quick hit of orange and then a nice bitter finish a little after you swallow.  Nice combination of malty and hopy with that little something extra you are custom to tasting in holiday brews.  It's a nice beer but it may need a bit more of something else to give it a more unique flavor.  More orange?  Touch a cinnamon?


Overall:  I like it better than the other holiday brews that I have done which have been too spiced.  This might of been too much of a compromise though.  We will see how it ages but the goal is to have this batch completed by January.

All was right with world (with a brew in your hand)

Update
So I find last night at our beer tasting club that Erie Brewing Companies Ol' Red Cease and Desists was originally named Red Ryder.  They got two cease and desists letters from Red Ryder and that is what created the new name.  I guess next years batch will be Ralphies Red or The Red Rider.