These beers are lighter in color than stouts but still carry a leading malt presence. More often than stouts and porters, you will also find these beers will some noticeable bitterness, depending on the style.

Flavors of toffee, biscuit, and caramel are common, and these beers can find a good balance between the darker, malt-heavy beers and more hop-forward brews.

Some red ales are bright as blood orange marmalade while others are deep and brooding like a glass of Shiraz.

Some are all about toffee malt flavours, while others will use their caramel notes to magnify hop characteristics. But all of these liquid rubies are worthy of your attention.

What makes it a red ale?

The answer’s as obvious as it sounds - if it’s an ale and it’s of a somewhat reddish colour, it’s a red ale.

Red ales get their delightful colour from the kinds of malt used in the brewing process. In our previous posts on pale ales and porters and stouts, we’ve talked about how malts can be roasted to be pale or dark, and how this affects the colour and flavour the malts give to beer. 

What should I expect?

First things first - don't you dare ignore the visual beauty of these beers. Each one is a masterpiece, whether it’s a light amber, a deep copper, a dirty rust or a dark crimson. If you look carefully, you’ll usually notice that even the frothy head has taken on some of the red colour.

The best way to appreciate the hues in these beers is to hold them up to the light. See the light shine through the glass and it’ll transform your beer into a precious gemstone. Hopefully then you’ll get the full effect of why these beers are called red ales.

American Red Ale

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Top on the info icon for flavour info
  1. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Smooth / Velvety
    Tasting notes
    Lightly hopped fruit character with a malt chocolate and coffee punch.
  2. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Chewy
    Tasting notes
    Full bodied. Malt aromatics of chocolate, caramel and coffee.
  3. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Smooth / Velvety
    • Dry
    Tasting notes
    Slick Rick presents a deep amber/red colour, showing rich caramel malt flavours with a hint of roast and chocolate
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