Yellow Dog Brewing may not be the first name that comes to mind with Belgian beers, but that does not mean they can’t hang with the best of them. They recently released a Flemish Red Ale, and this beer is seriously complex. B.C. Beer Reviews is here to crack this one open and see how they fared in tackling such a difficult style.
B.C. Beer Reviews: Yellow Dog Brewing – Flemish Red Ale
Colour
This beer pours a lightly cloudy and pale red colour from the bottle. In the glass, it retains a beautiful red colour reminiscent of that of a raspberry, but slightly paler. It is not clear, but has a slight haze to it.
Nose/Aroma
As you would expect from this style, there is a lightly acidic aroma. It is not at all off putting, but rather a smooth and light acidity that leaves you feeling excited for what you are about to drink.
Behind the acidity there is a few layers of complexity that make this a very enticing brew. You can undoubtedly get a smooth and lightly sweet oak characteristic that is very pleasant.
Other notes you can get are a lightly sweet vanilla aromatic. There is reportedly a touch of cinnamon to this beer, but every person gets different notes and I did not perceive this.
Tasting Notes
Much like in the aromatics, there is a bite of sourness up front that is still within an approachable level and appropriate for the style. This follows throughout the drink and finishes with a light touch of acetic acid, once again an appropriate note for the style.
The Oak comes through again quite fantastically. This also presents you with a light vanilla sweetness that helps to balance out the acidity this beer offers. Overall, this is a rather balanced beer between sweetness and acidity.
Once again, I did not perceive the cinnamon, but would love to know if others did. As I often say, every palate is different.
Other Notes
This beer from Yellow Dog Brewing is bottled in a bottle that would be just as suited for a cork and cage as it was a cap. The label shows a farmhouse in front of farm rows. Nice dark blue, orange and red colours make for a simple and pleasant label.
This beer initially pours a moderate head. As you would expect from a beer with a low pH/high acidity, the retention of that head is nonexistent.
Rundown
This is an acidic beer that presents you with notes of cherry, oak and vanilla quite nicely in both the aroma and the taste. The cinnamon is a note that some may get, while others won’t. Either way, this is a beautiful and complex beer.
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Main photo by Nic Hendrickson, Lastword Inc., all rights reserved