Beer of the Weekend #468: River Falls Red Ale
The first beer from my aunt and uncle’s custom sixer is not from North Carolina. It is, however, from one of the Carolina’s: River Falls Red Ale, brewed by the Thomas Creek Brewery of Greenville, South Carolina.
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. A batch code is printed on the bottle but there is no freshness date.
Appearance: Poured into a pint glass. The color is pale copper. A finger of off-white, buttery head left a thick ring around the edge and a spotted lacing.
Smell: Sweet and malty. Caramel, toffee, red and black licorice. It induces flashbacks of another beer but cannot remember which. (Murphy’s Irish Red?) As it warms, dark fruit plum and raspberry emerge, as well as strawberry and apple sweetness.
Taste: The mouthfeel is thick and chewy — a very welcome surprise. At first, the flavor is somewhat subtle and unimpressive; it offers very little except caramel and toffee sweetness. Hop spice and bitterness come into play as the beer warms, giving it a nice boost, and hints of fruit and licorice also emerge.
Drinkability: Very good stuff. Each sip invites another.
Fun facts about RFRA:
-Style: Thomas Creek calls it “Irish-Style Red Ale.”
-Price: A love for mowing lawns. Basically, I got paid to do something I love. On that note, I have often thought about starting a one-man lawn mowing business.
-Serving temperature: 40-45ºF.
-Alcohol content: 6.2 percent ABV.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. A batch code is printed on the bottle but there is no freshness date.
Appearance: Poured into a pint glass. The color is pale copper. A finger of off-white, buttery head left a thick ring around the edge and a spotted lacing.
Smell: Sweet and malty. Caramel, toffee, red and black licorice. It induces flashbacks of another beer but cannot remember which. (Murphy’s Irish Red?) As it warms, dark fruit plum and raspberry emerge, as well as strawberry and apple sweetness.
Taste: The mouthfeel is thick and chewy — a very welcome surprise. At first, the flavor is somewhat subtle and unimpressive; it offers very little except caramel and toffee sweetness. Hop spice and bitterness come into play as the beer warms, giving it a nice boost, and hints of fruit and licorice also emerge.
Drinkability: Very good stuff. Each sip invites another.
Fun facts about RFRA:
-Style: Thomas Creek calls it “Irish-Style Red Ale.”
-Price: A love for mowing lawns. Basically, I got paid to do something I love. On that note, I have often thought about starting a one-man lawn mowing business.
-Serving temperature: 40-45ºF.
-Alcohol content: 6.2 percent ABV.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.
