This review was done many months ago and I have been avoiding it because it was and is the worst beer that I have evaluated to date. At the time I even wondered if it was a bad bottle, perhaps past its prime. More recently a friend informed me that the stuff that ends up in bottles is brewed via contract with a small brewer in South Carolina and shipped back to Florida. With that I think it is best not to base my opinion of their brews entirely on the bottled, but make a trip to the down the coast to sample the brews at their origin. I certainly can’t ignore the bottled, but it is only part of the overall picture.
Here is a review of the bottled . . .
Brewery: Dunedin Brewery (Dunedin, Florida)
Name: Red Head Red Ale
Style: American Amber Ale
ABV: 5.2% (?)
Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass.
Aroma: Moderate, slightly citrus (orange) hop nose. Low aroma overall.
Appearance: Deep copper color. Three finger (plus), cream color head that slowly dissipates with some trail. Clear with a few bubbles rising visible.
Flavor: Some citrusy flavor in the middle with a slight bite at the finish. Metallic flavor noticeable with an almost artificial taste.
Mouthfeel: Light body with medium carbonation and some astringency.
Overall Impressions: Rather flat flavor that I will not be going out of my way to try again anytime soon (see intro above).
Grade: D+
Dunedin Brewery - Red Head Red Ale
That bottle is over 3 1/2 years old, and for an unfiltered, unpastuerized product that old even us here at the brewery would expect that the quality would degrade. For the past 2 1/2-3 years we have bottled in SC with Thomas Creek but those are 12oz bottles and not 16oz as this one is. That one was filled at the brewery long ago. Try our fresh product, I think you will be much happier with the beer and if you know where you got that bottle please let us at the brewery know so we can contact the retailer and get that horrible old stuff off the shelf.. Beer is food, it spoils and is very perishable. There are some retailers are not as informed about that so occasionally we have to inform them about the difference between fresh unpreserved products and the other stuff sitting in 18packs on the shelves..
Thanks for sharing your thoughts no matter what, in this case it called our attention to some very old products we must still have out there somewhere!
Cheers!
Travis Kruger
Dunedin Brewery
Thank you for the response and explanation! It is unfortunate that I ended up with an old bottle, but I am glad at the same time that my palate was good enough to suspect that at the time. This review was done earlier in the year and I have since had (and enjoyed) more of your bottled product at The Beer Festival of the South, which only strengthened my suspicions of the bottle I opened at home. I have been meaning to get down to your brewery on the recommendation of friends and I hope to do so soon.
I will email you directly with the information regrading the purchase location.
Thank you again!