Blood Alley

Today's beer: Blood Alley by Russell Brewing Company

I picked this beer up after looking at a Rogue Bacon Maple Ale (to be reviewed at a later date), but before I picked up said Rogue beer. The label caught my eye and I just had to try it.

The beer has a slightly higher than average alcohol content at 5.5%, but there is virtually no hint of alcohol taste in the beer. While it says that it is an Extra Special Bitter (ESB), there is almost no bitterness to the beer. I was, in fact, rather disappointed about the whole lack of bitterness. The bottle says "At 50 IBU's [International Bitterness Units] this beer is slightly higher in bitterness than the average ESB..." But as I said the bitterness is hardly detectable, though you do get a small aftertaste of them 

When I took a whiff after pouring it into my glass I got the scent of apricots. Sometimes beers have a bit of an unusual smell, but this really caught me off guard, but I plunged ahead. The beer its self is a red-amber colour with only a small amount of carbonation. My first sip and I was hit immediately with the taste of fruit. The overwhelming taste is that of fruit. Not a fruit beer like Fruli (a truly horrid beer that I will never again let pass my lips so there will be no review of this beer on this site ever) but a beer that has the taste of various fruits. While not being necessarily a bad thing, I was rather disappointed. The whole lack of bitterness and fruitiness of the beer left me craving another beer. Another beer with a good hit of hops or even less...bland. If you don't mind a beer that presents a fruity complexion right out front then give this beer a try.

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May your glass always be full of good beer!