Red Seal Ale

This is a beer that advertises itself bluntly. The label reads "Water, malted barley, hops, yeast & that's all." And that is all you shall receive. It is not even remotely a bad thing.

Red Seal is brewed by the North Coast Brewing Company. It is an American amber ale, and North Coast describes the beer as a "beautifully married" combination of barley and hops.

I had this beer with my group of friends at a bonfire at my buddy Jose's place. The weather's been particularly cold 'round these parts (well, to us Southern Californians anyway), so we burned the everloving hell out of whatever Jose had in his back yard. It got to a point where it was painful to stand within two yards of the fire pit.

Let's get on with whatever the hell I'm supposed to be doing here.

TASTE: B
I'm not a huge fan of hoppy beer. As of right now, though, I'm starting to get used to it. This beer had more than a hand in helping me develop a taste for hops. While the bitter flavor does dominate, there's enough malted barley in the mix to maintain a nice balance in the beer. The texture of the beer was nice and creamy.

PRESENTATION: A

I had this beer straight out of the bottle, which, in retrospect, is stupid. I couldn't really see what the liquid itself looked like. But any beer served in a brown bottle is good enough for me. I might amend this later.

PRICE:
BevMo lists Red Seal Ale at $17.69 for a twelve pack. It's a tad pricey. Still worth a try for special occasions, though.

OVERALL GRADE: A-

If you have a recommendation or comment, feel free to write in the comments section or email me at martinpmarrufo@gmail.com.