The Imperial Red

A couple of months ago, my brother (who is a much better homebrew than I ever will be), told me he was in the process of formulating his next beer, an Imperial Red.  I had not noticed imperial reds before.  Never even thought of it. But now, it seems like I keep running into them.

From my friends at Side Street Brewing (a couple homebrewers with craft beer intentions) to Rogue XS Imperial Red to Lagunitas Lucky 13 and more, it just seems to me like the imperial red ales are being noticed more often.

On the heels of this comes Flying Fish Exit 9:

Created by Head Brewer Casey Hughes, Exit 9 Hoppy Scarlet Ale is a richly flavored red beer crafted with a variety of domestic and imported malts and a classic American yeast strain.  It is assertively hopped with Amarillo, Centennial, Chinook and Citra hops for a bouquet with complex notes of citrus and tropical fruits and an appropriate bitterness in the finish.  Hughes recommends it with spicy foods, such as gumbo or curry, as well as alongside rich blue or sharp cheddar cheeses, or just by itself.

The Exit series has been a very good line (in my eyes).  I haven't found much fault in may of the beers.  The Exit 1 Oyster Stout was great (even though I don't like oysters), the Exit 4 triple was fantastic, and the others that I tried, Exit 6 Wallonian Rye and Exit 11  Hoppy American Wheat, were very good. It is good to see these beers on the shelf or on tap, as I know that I can always give them a go.