O'Dell Brewing from Colorado makes some fine beers, I have sampled a number and have yet to be disappointed. The beer I am reviewing today is from the limited Cellar Series, beer they take the extra step to make special. Some are barrel aged, such as this one which is whiskey barrel aged for 6 months in rye whiskey barrels before being bottled. Another of their Cellar Series that I have tried was maybe one of the very best beers I have ever had, Bull Proof. Look for that one if you can find it too.
O'Dell Brewing - Extra Special Red
Stats
- Brewery: Odell Brewing - Fort Collins, Colorado
- Alcohol Content: 8.7% by volume
- IBUs: 53
- Company Description: Extra Special Red is our Imperial Red Ale, a crimson-hued brew full of juicy hop flavors and aromas of pine and stone fruit. After 6 months of aging in rye whiskey casks, it was roused from its oak cradle to the bottle in your hands. The barrels impart notes of sweet vanilla and soft tannins, while the hops settle into the background in favor of the strong malt foundation. Slainte!
Bottle
This beer comes in a 12 oz dark brown bottle with a black foil wrap around the neck and cap which is adorned with the Odell logo. It has a 2/3 wrap main body label with is a blood red color with ivory lettering with beer name and series in an unusual font and the year it was bottled on the bottom. One side has the description (above) from the company talking about the whiskey aging and taste notes. An attractive design, simple but still interesting. Odell sells both bottles and cans and the labeling, while not identical has a similar theme and you can often tell it is an Odell beer when you see it on the shelf. This beer comes in the 12 oz bottles or on draught.
The Beer
- Appearance: It has a crimson color, clear body with a light tan head of foam that lingered for a short time.
- Aroma: I mainly picked up the hoppy aroma, very slight boozy notes.
- Taste/Mouthfeel: A lot of red ales are hoppy and this one had a very notable hoppiness but the whiskey barrel aging seemed to mute the hoiness. Moderate carbonation and medium bodied. Slightly dry finish. There was a mild booziness to it but again, as with the Bull Proof, it was about right, not over done and still noticeable.
- Drinkability: It has a pretty high abv and the slight hopiness slowed the drinkability down a bit for me but it was an enjoyable beer to drink.
Rating and Final Thoughts
I rated this a 4.0 on Untappd where one friend gave it a 4.25 and its overall site rating was 3.85, which is pretty high for an overall rating. It was as good beer, another barrel aged winner from Odell. Ive come to be impressed by Odell's beers. I would recommend this beer to any and all but it is a stellar red ale for sure.
4.0/5
I think I will slide this one into #beersaturday to "spread the word" about it. Good beers need to be shared. Thanks for reading. Cheers!