Epic Imperial Red Ale
This beer is very popular! Extremely complex and strong at 7.1% ABV. This beer is well balanced between the caramel-malt driven profile and the dry, supporting hops. Look for hints of dark bread and a slight fig or raisin taste all backed by a strong resin, but not overwhelming hop presence.
Release #1,5 - 8.0% ABV
Release #2,7,10 - 7.8% ABV
Release #3 - 7.4% ABV
Release #4 - 7.1% ABV
Release #6 - 7.9% ABV
Release #8 - 8.1% ABV
Release #9,12 - 8.0% ABV
Release #11 - 7.3% ABV
Release #13 - 7.7% ABV
Release #1,5 - 8.0% ABV
Release #2,7,10 - 7.8% ABV
Release #3 - 7.4% ABV
Release #4 - 7.1% ABV
Release #6 - 7.9% ABV
Release #8 - 8.1% ABV
Release #9,12 - 8.0% ABV
Release #11 - 7.3% ABV
Release #13 - 7.7% ABV
3.7
212 reviews
Salt Lake City, United States
Community reviews
At the wyoming beer fest it is a muddy tea color with a slight head the aroma is caramel with s hint of flowers the taste is a very bitter flavor that masks other flavors to me
Bottle from BOE, consumed at Moncada with Ang and James, Friday 22nd May 2015 Reddy brown on the pour, I was a little carefree on the pour so mine took in quite a bit of sediment whereas Loz, James and Ang had much less cloudy beers. Soft in the mouth, big, sweet malty beer but hops very prevalent on the nose. Bitter at the edges a really pleasant beer, thoroughly enjoyed this. A7 A3 T8 P4 Ov15 3.7
Poured into a perfect pint. Release #20.
4.0 A: Lightly hazed deep amber color. Two fingers of frothy beige head. Retention is pretty good and a good bit of irregular lacing is left.
3.75 S: This smells much more like a barleywine than an amber ale. I suppose an imperial red ale might be a barleywine anyway. Chock full of caramel, toffee, and myriad fruits. Currants, plums, and grape lead the way. Toasty with a rich neutral maltiness. Reasonably hoppy too with floral and citrus notes.
3.5 T: Tastes like a barleywine too. Again lots of caramel, toffee, and the fruits mentioned. Moderate bitterness, toastiness, and thick maltiness. Floral and citrus hop flavor.
3.75 M: Heavier body. Good moderate carbonation. Reasonably creamy. Good here.
3.5 D: It’s amazing how barleywine this beer is at just 8.7%. I would have guessed it to be much bigger. It’s a good beer too. GIve it a try, but don’t expect a red ale.
March madness 2015. Very nice aroma balanced between malt and hops. Nice buttery texture in the mouth. The beer has a very nice complex taste. The finish is dry and slightly bitter, the only thing preventing this from being a phenomenal beer.
March Madness 2015 - Cloud medium brown color (not the best looking beer), but a smooth malty flavor, similar to a weaker barley wine ale.
22 oz bottle at home from notes. Pours a hazy darker red/amber color with a medium sized off white head. The aroma and flavor have caramel malts, toasted malt, earthy hops, some berry fruitiness, a splash of spice and resin, moderate bitterness to the finish.
22 oz bottle. Aroma: malty and piney, with hints of caramel, graham cracker, resin, and barnyard. Taste/Palate: starts sweet and crisp, and finishes creamy and bitter.
Poured from a 22. Aroma is hoppy. Flavor is malty, slightly sweet, hoppy (but not overtaken by hops). Has almost a slight peach (sweet fruit and bitter skin) flavor to it. The sweetness mixed with the bitterness and the malt is just fantastic. Overall great beer!
Bomber bottle poured a muddy copper hue w/ a medium creamy tan and minor lacing. Light to moderate malty aroma. Initial flavor is moderate sweet w/ a bold bitter finish. Tastes are rye, dark bread, raisins, and tea. Full bodied and creamy mouthfeel.
(Bottle. Release #22 8.3%) Reddish amber colour with frothy, beige head. Malty, hoppy nose with caramel, dried fruit, pink grapefruit, rye bread and resiny hops. Malty, hoppy taste with notes of caramel, rye bread, pink grapefruit, red fruit, apricot marmalade and a generous resiny bitterness in the finish. Almost full body, with a certain sweetness. Tasty and well made. Very nice.
A nice basic red. Pours a bright amber with a grey head. Smells and tastes like a nice red all around, nothing super unique but good overall. Had on tap at the brewery.
Draft sample at the annex. Nice chestnut red color with a thin white head. Strong aroma of caramel malt and pink grapefruit hops. Spicy flavor that finishes with a lingering bitterness. Great without being too bold.
Bottle at home. Pours lightly cloudy tawny with a medium, rocky and bubbly beige head, medium retention with good lacing. Aroma is moderate toast, nutty and graham cracker malt with medium apple, pear and stone fruit esters, light spicy and earthy, citrus hops with faint caramel notes. Flavor is sweet toast and nutty malt, lightly spicy and peppery alcohol, earthy and spicy hops with light resin notes, pear, apple and stone fruit esters and a sweet finish, well balanced. Medium-full body, medium carbonation and slight alcohol warmth.
Bottle, release #33, 8% ABV. Deep mahogany, reddish brown with a firm head of pock-marked foam. Sweet malty aroma. Drinks with a stiff, caramel malt backbone, then adds a bit of woody sting, and finally an almost sour bite. Full-bodied for sure, this is a meaty brew. (#5577, 7/13/2014)
Bottle. Creamy White good mostly lasting head. Red colour. Moderate malty and heavy hoppy herbal aroma. Heavy bitter powerfull flavor. Long heavy bitter finish. medicine and loads of power. Love it.
Dark Amber color with Great head. Hoppy aroma. Flavor is strong tops and lots og licorice almost line a black IPA.
Pours a dark amber with a tan head. Aroma is dominated by caramel, with bread, plum, dried fruit and raisins. Taste is quite similar with banana, grass, ripe peach, some hints of maple syrup.
(release #33, 8.0% ABV) Hazy dark amber under a generous foamy light tan head. Deep rich nose of biscuity caramel, a touch of stickiness and a little raisin, some light piney and floral resins, and a chewy toffee undertone. Flavor was much of the same: sticky toffee and raisin and caramel amberness with a grassy, bitter, floral and piney resin on the back end. Rich and complex without being overly hoppy. Sticky but palatable and very enjoyable.
Draft - Big hoppy earthy pine and malts. Cloudy copper with a very rich beige head. Big pine hops and malts. Decent.
5oz taster at the brewpub. Looks the part, good lacing. Smells good, appetizing. Very decent overall, nice flavor and well-malted, decent moderate aftertaste--it’s the blue jeans of imp red ales, it fits great and never goes out of style.
Pours dark ruby red with a moderate beige head. Aroma is caramel malts and earthy, pine hops. Taste is an awesome balance of rich caramel malts with a little smoke and fabulous pine and earthy hops.
Very straight forward - big bold body with resionous finish. Clean and simple but very drinkable.
Deep amber color, lots of caramel and pine in the nose with some dried fruits. Big malty back bone but fairly simplistic. With aggressive hops.
Bottle from Erzbierschof - Hazy amber/reddish color with a small and fast disappearing beige head - Aroma is very malty and citrusy (grapefruit) with notes of caramel - Flavor is malty, caramel, grapefruit, with herbal notes - Medium body, medium carbonation, medium bitterness, dry, dry bitter caramel finish - awesome beer, well balanced, good malt backbone and a judicious choice of hops
Draft at a local. Release # 13. Pours a thin ivory head, over a hazy light brown (SRM 20) body.....nose is cereal, roasted malts, with cocoa tones, hints of pine and citrus from the hops, minimal esters......taste is cereal, with light roasted malt tones including cocoa, finishing with a harsh hop bite......mouth feel medium, slightly sticky, alcohol hidden, clean acid finish. The hops are a bit harsh on the finish, dominating the malts and making for an unbalanced beer. It would be better with less bitter hops, a bit more in the dry hopped, and an increase in malt complexity. BJCP 7/3/11/4/6
Bomber of batch 27, 7.7% abv from the brewery. Pours rich red with a white head. The aroma is plenty hoppy with a sturdy malt backbone. The hop aroma or flavor doesn’t come out as much I like from the style, but there certainly is a strong bitterness present. There are hints of grass, pine and resin with caramel and biscuits for balance. The flavor has sweet hints at brown sugar that remind me of their IIPA. Similar to that one, the hops here are very bitter and cut through the palate while not having an overly broad or deep character. If a beer is going to be crammed full of hops I want some greener, fresher qualities. I consider Arrogant Bastard to be the benchmark of this style and having this makes me crave one.
Impressive hop character for American strong ale, grassy and citrus fruity, covered with pleasant intense malt background, wood, pine. Sweet with moderate to intense bitterness. Bit astringent. Wow.. huge beer with perfect balance. Really enjoyable brew. Reminds me of amber ale.. oh wait.. Imperial red! X)
Release #30 - 7.8% ABV Epic Imperial Red is a bit cloudy and malt forward but has great hop flavor. The hops are not particularly complex but the balance between malt, yeast and hops provides for the nuances of each to manifest somewhat.
On tap @ Epic (Denver). Pours a nice amber color with a khaki head. Sweet caramel and toffee on the nose. Really woody, herbal hop profile. Lots of pine, some chocolate, and grass. Heavy herbal, wood, pine and a bit of bitterness. Some sweet caramel, toffee, and toasted malt. Light sweetness.
Draft sample at Epic Brewing taproom, Denver. Pours hazy amber with a small tan head. Aroma of malt, pine, resinous hops, caramel, ripe fruits and toffee. Flavour is over moderate sweet and bitter. Medium to full bodied with soft carbonation. Nice brew!