Reudrich's Red Seal Ale is a product of North Coast Brewing in Fort Bragg, California. This is my second drink out of the mixed six-pack of amber ales I bought at the World Market last week.

This is a decent amber ale, but it won't make my to-drink list in the long run. It's a little more bitter than I like in an amber ale. It rings in at 42 IBU as compared with about 32 or 33 of the Retro Red that I sampled a few days ago. The color and clarity of this brew are excellent. It's a little lighter colored than the Retro Red, but it didn't hold its head very long in the glass.

"In
my estimation, even more so than Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Red
Seal strikes the perfect balance between refreshment and substance"

This quote from the North Coast website makes my point a little better.  We have a critic who compares Red Seal to Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, which is a significantly more bitter pale ale.  Another critic says:

"Red Seal has to be the finest American
pale ale available nationally. Loaded with truly intense hop
flavor, it's not for the faint hearted, but a delightful reward
for lovers of the style".

This critic calls Red Seal a pale ale.  North Coast Brewing calls Red Seal an "American Amber Ale" so I'm not really sure where this beer falls in the classification.  If you like something with the traditional malt flavor of an amber with some extra hop punch, you should give this one a try...

My love of the malts and hops has been put on hold for quite a while since I started back to school. I haven't brewed a batch of beer in a long time, and I haven't really been drinking much either. 

I made a road trip this afternoon with The Great Tondini down to the World Market in Mooresville to do a little shopping.  I have been there several times recently with her and admired their selection of microbrews.  Today, I decided to buy an assorted six-pack of amber ales.  I picked out one that I have tried before and five more that I have not.  My first sampling was "Retro Red" from the Fort Collins Brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado.  Anyone who boasts their beer as "The Official Beer of Earth" deserves a try.  Ambers are my overall favorites for any time of the year, and this one was worth the taste.  Retro Red is made with English Crystal malts and Tettnang hops to create smooth taste and excellent aroma. 

This is a brew that will make my to-drink list easily.  Sources for this beer here in North Carolina might be rather week though.  I might have to call in some favors from my friends out in Colorado :)