Beer – #576 – Harrington’s – Classy Red
Harringtons Classy Red. A beer of parts, a band of parts, part of the equation and part-y.
Seems a bit more like an Irish Red Ale with American hops – which is good..
This is the brewers standard 500ml Bottle, the contents are beer of 5% ABV, around the 156 calories a serve, and 60 IBU things , 2 standard drink units in the bottle.
Brewed by Harringtons Breweries (Christchurch) In the style we know as American Pale Ale or Premium Bitter/ESB and they do that in Christchurch, New Zealand. The brewer currently lists this as an ESB (Extra Special Bitter).
Styled on the American Pale Ale, and brewed with the complexity of using high acidic hops, and dry hopped to balance the bitterness with wholesome
Classy beer, not so classy drinker
flavour.
Pours a clear amber with an off-white head. Smells a bit of metals. Bitter with some caramel aromas. Hops aromas of resin. Tiny hint of diacetyl. Light alcohol notes. Medium bodied. Lively carbonated. Long bitter finish.
Seems a bit more like an Irish Red Ale with American hops – which is good..
What could go wrong then? Well another beer from the brewery that has changed ‘style’ and retained it’s name, changed the ABV as well.
Quite a rich aroma, backbone of hops.
Lovely rich orange brown pour wit ha nice finger width head, the aroma moved more to malt sweetness.
That’s quite nice, some hop grassy bitterness, a nice cushion of soft sweetness and a tart finish. 2 out of three things that work for me there.
As a bitter then this isn’t too bad, the peaky hop at the front though could eventually wear you out, it’s a bit shouty, the middle is nice, and I’m not overly sold on the tart bitter finish. I’m sure that I could however go a couple of three before it really wore me out,and before I finished even a small amount I was thinking that I’d like another, so something is working for me in the profile.
I’m enjoying this from the sleeve style glass, as you should a bitter, it makes me think fondly of my youth in English pubs. Glasses do make a difference, like beer in glass or cans does.
I quite like this beer then, in this style, from this brewer, which is refreshing because it’s had a couple of iterations. I think this ‘works’ and they shouldn’t fuss with it any more, is what I think.
The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 8 a of its things from the thing. Earthy and hoppy aromas deliver a hoppy bitter beer with a lovely soft middle and a tang of a finish, you’ve drubk more than you though and you then think that you;d easily go another, a beer to reconnect me with a style that I didn’t realise I missed so much, and that made me smile.
The double dip review
- Am I enjoying it? It’s a cracker of a way to remind you about bitters.
- Would I have another? I so would, I’m going to be miffed I don’t have one.
- Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? I would. in the forest of Pales, and IPA’s, Lagers and Saisons it’s actually a bit good to get back to the basics of a really enjoyable English style bitter beer. Cheers!
Note: I was provided this beer by the brewer to try and review, without catches, this is 1 of 12 should you wonder about the sudden love of a brewer out of the blue.
Musically, Blancmange who are an English synthpop band who came to prominence with a string of hits in the early to mid-1980. Still going though. You can Listen here.
Not on the album I’m listening to, which is “Semi-Detached” is one of their early tunes
An album though where the appear to be singing songs about what they’ve seen on he way to work in places, a bit odd. In it’s favour it is well produced, and they’ve rolled out the bing machine in a couple of places.
AMERICAN PALE ALE
American Pale Ales are light in color, ranging from golden to a light copper color. The style of this beer is defined by the American hops used. American hops typically have high bitterness and aroma.This is a perfect beer for big fare like grilled burgers or combination pizzas, as well as lighter fare like sushi and green salads
PREMIUM BITTER/ESB
In England, many breweries have a number of bitters in their range. The style that has come to be known as Premium or Special Bitter generally includes the stronger ( 4.6%-6.0%) examples. These are mostly served in the traditional way from the cask, but some are also found in bottle form where the extra malt allows them to stand up better than the more delicate ordinary Bitter. In the US, the designation ESB is common for this style, owing to the influence of Fuller’s ESB, the London brew that was among the first to be exported to the States. In the US, some ESBs are made with American hops and a clean yeast, but the alcohol range is the same, as is the range of bitterness, usually between 25 and 35 but occasionally creeping higher.
A life just as ordinary 
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