Red Giant

Beer Name: Element Red Giant
Brewery: Element Brewing Company
ABV: 7%
Serving method: 16-oz pint poured from a growler
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Bottled (growlered?) 9/10/10

As a native of Massachusetts, I try to buy local whenever possible.

Ok, that is a complete lie. I buy whatever is cheapest when it comes to food, and whatever looks exciting when it comes to beer. But I suppose when the beer that looks exciting happens to be a local one, that is probably good for the local economy. Or not. Hey, I wasn't an economics major. I was a barely competent CS major.

I stopped by the Element Brewery because it's one of only a handful of breweries whose actual physical location I know and because I assumed that getting beer directly from the brewery would result in the freshest possible beer. Seems logical.

Right from the start, this beer comes on strong. It smells like a serious beer, and it's not afraid to let you know. If you're into head (beer head you sicko), this one brings the heat, with almost an inch of that foamy silliness chilling out on top of the beer. I have been told that it's good to have a head on the beer, but I can't see how. More foam = less space for beer = less beer for my enjoyment. But other "experts" claim it's important, so there you go. This beer has got aroma and head in abundance.

This beer has got some bitterness to it as well. There's a little carbonation, but what really hits you is the bitterness and the hops. I think the bitterness is what keeps the flavor in your mouth after you've had a sip. It definitely sticks around. The red ale taste is in there too, and it comes through at the end. It's not like most other reds that I have had though. Or at least it seems different. This one feels like it's quite a bit stronger, and further down the darkness scale in terms of color. If you hold up the glass, you can pick out the hints of red, but mostly this beer is dark. Deal with that!

Final thought - The Red Giant is good, but I can see how it wouldn't be for everyone. I think the bitterness would push people away, and the fact that it is really strong means that little sissy drinkers wouldn't like it. Although to be fair, I imagine that if I drank the whole growler, I'd be knocked on my ass and have another "bagel incident." I like it though, and will enjoy it again in the future.

-Jon