Picaroon's Irish Red Ale by the Northampton Brewing Company Ltd.

The Hoppy Hippy sez:


Picaroon's Irish Red Ale

And on the seventh day boys and girls, God created Picaroons Irish Red. Yup. That’s right. This is one heavenly creation.

Ambers are never my go to brew. But this one came recommended by a co-worker who’s from out East so I assumed he knew what he was talking about. He’ll laugh and say he had no clue and just thought it was good.

Well he’s not wrong. It’s good. It’s incredible. It’s Buffy season two writing good. It’s Bey when she woke up like this. It’s flawless. Do I drop the mic at this? Dare I throw the beer towel in? Is that it? Am I out? Cause I can’t foresee it getting any better than Picaroons Irish Red.

From Fredericton New Brunswick, this Northampton Brewing Co. LTD Picaroons comes in a 500 ml bottle at 4.8%, and pours a clear dark red amber color with high head. There’s a lumberjack man in red plaid flannel on the label. I dig his beard.

The beer smells of caramel and molasses…and almost a hint of chocolate cookie dough? Is that an option? I don’t even like cookie dough but if that is the smell it’s amazing.

Hitting your taste buds is a completely different taste than the one that lingers for a moment after your first sip. Both hold velvety love though. This beer is smooth, yet holds complexity in a very elegant fashion.

My handwritten notes I made when I tried this beer have a lot of ‘OMG’ underlined, with ‘LOVE IT!’ and the one liner “feels like velvety blanket wrapped around my tongue.” (Which makes sense to someone who describes Hendrick’s gin as “tastes like a rainbow cloud.” Get what I’m saying? It’s really, really good.

Thanks for the recommendation! In return I gave him the address to a little liquor store in town called Sherbrooke so we’re even ;) You can buy this Irish Red ale there under the Amber section as singles. If you find them in 6 packs available somewhere in town please let one Hoppy Hippy know.

 

Alewife Anne sez:

 

This beer came recommended by one of the Hoppy Hippie's friends, and we were anxious to give it a go. I poured it out into my favorite glass tankard, noting the deep, jewel-tone red and the generous foam racing to the edges of the glass. I couldn't get my snout into it fast enough. Big malty nose--I had to check the label a second time because I couldn't believe this wasn't a British beer. Produced by the Northampton Brewing Company of Fredericton, New Brunswick, it's all Canadian, but after the Irish style.

It is said about the Irish that "All their wars are merry, and all their songs are sad". I don't know about that, but this Irish beer makes me very happy. Words I would use to describe the overall impression of this brew? Spectacular, magnificent--yeah, that's nice, Annie, but what does it taste like? Well, beer is often about contrasts. Picaroon's Irish Red Ale is a study in contrasts. The malt delivers a powerful, rich mouthful of toast and dark chocolate, balanced off by spicy Goldings hops, leading to a long, lingering dry espresso finish.

 

I don't dish our five hop cones to every beverage that comes along, but unequivocally, this delicious ambrosia gets full marks.

 

Five hop cones out of five, kids.