Review - Redhook Brewery's Mudslinger Spring Ale
"Redhook's Mudslinger Spring Ale has a medium body and features malty layers of dark chocolate and caramel, as well as notes of brown sugar and vanilla. Brewed with six barley malts and two hop varieties, Mudslinger's smooth, well balanced flavor is perfect for pairing with grilled meats, fowl, stews and even smoked oysters or salmon." -- Redhook Brewery
From a 12 oz bottle, pours a medium caramel color with a moderate amount of clarity due to a slight haze. A creamy, healthy, tan colored head crowns the brew with a nice texture that lends itself to strong rings of lacing with excellent retention. Head has almost completely dissipated but has left a thin film behind. Through the pillowy head, our noses initially detected a soft grainy malt aroma. Once it settled, a sweet caramel presence dominated. Although the alcohol by volume is average (5.8), a soft alcohol astringincy was present. A soft earthy hop character was noticed, but it was not over powering. Initial taste is slightly bitter but quickly changes to a semi-sweet caramel that lingers through the finish with a slight astringency. As the beer warms a bit, a slight nuttiness appears towards the back. The medium bodied Mudslinger was smooth, creamy, and very easy to drink. Softly carbonated and a bit watery, our mouths were left in a pleasant state of mind. The alcohol presence noted in the aroma was undetectable in the taste.
This is properly positioned as a spring ale, as the density is a little too heavy for what you'd be looking for in a summer brew. For those who might be intimidated by a nut brown style, there isn't much of a nutty presence to scare you off and, overall, is a pretty approachable beer. On a side note, the new Redhook bottles are unique and impressive. The design includes four embossed Redhook logos near the neck of the bottle and an embossed blade of wheat around the middle of the bottle - pretty cool.
Reviewed on May 8th, 2010.
