A Good Beer Blog

Comments

Mike -

Hey, I just came by to do my own post on AK Red, but am just as happy that you beat me to it. Pretty much as you say, a decent product with some marketing wizardry behind it. (I can't believe there are people in Canada who think of Keith's as 'exotic', but there you go.) Keith's Brewery had been bringing out some somewhat flavourful on-tap product in local pubs over the last five years or so (ie a 'winter ale') so I'm not surprised to see the expansion in the product line.

But it was still in my fridge, right? I often have a mix of domestic mass-produced stuff and more crafty stuff on hand ~ the domestic over the last few years was Clancy's Amber Ale (Moosehead) more often than not, but I can see the AK taking its place from time to time. (At our Christmas party, I went on the cheap and had Old Milwaulkie on hand, and said "Only Milwaulkie's Finest for Our Guests!" as I handed out the cans.)

As the AK Red was in the house when we brought our new baby home last week, it had the honour of being used in my first toast to my son. So, ... that's something.

blork -

Congratulations on the son!

I have no problem with AK expanding the line -- you have to adapt to the market after all, and that's a sign that the domestic beer market has opened its eyes a bit. But there's something weird about using the same "old tradition" approach to brews that are brand new. It's such a bald-faced lie. But these days nobody believes marketing anyway, so it's all just part of an image game.

Robert Morrison -

At selected breweries, an 8-pack comes with a free hat. I'm wearing it right now.

Johnathan -

I always thought it was more about Mr. Keith's techniques, his traditional brewing methods, and that seems like something that you could extend to any brand extension wouldn't you think?

Jonathan H -

I work at TBS in Kingston, and we just got our first batch of Keith's Red in on Wedsnesday. I'm on holidays so I went back into work and picked up a six-pack. I have to say that I agree. It is bland. I've enjoyed almost all of our 325 plus brands and I can usually find some validation in domestic brands, but this just leaves me wanting.

Sarah -

i am from BC.. Red was just released. i love it. having a red with a smoke is more satisfying then IPA. it seems to be smoother with less bite, so i guess its just what you like. For example, some people LOVE pilsner. weird.

its still good. and people are still going to buy it no matter how it is made. its a magnificent line of beer.

Billy w -

I tried alexander keiths red amber beer about 2 - 3 weeks ago for the first time. i live in newfoundland and have tried many of the Keiths lineup. i was fairly impressed by the color and the taste of the beer. I am heading out before the holidays to pick up a couple of cases to put in my fridge for my guest's to drink here christmas! All round a good beer. Those who likED it STILL like it ALOT!

Phaedrus -

I'm not sure about Keith's Amber Red in the bottle, but on-tap, I find it delicious. Although I agree with Blork's original comments about bland beers which appeal to mass markets, I don't think the on-tap version of AK Red fit's into that category. On-tap it has a nice balance of bitterness and hops, a fine grainy taste which makes me think of fields of barley in the fall, and a nice lingering aftertaste...and all this not to mention a great amber colour and a perfect head. But again.... I often find the bottle versions VERY different from on-tap. I'm not completely sure why. The same goes for Rickards Red... it's much better on-tap.

Beer Me! -

Tap product should always be better than bottle because it doesn't need to be pasteurized and it doesn't get light struck. Unfortunately though many/most bars in Canada do a lousy job of cleaning their lines and taps which causes the beer to pour flat and often taste a little skunky ... true pubs are better at this.

souljah -

I am a beer drinker and I really enjoyed the first time I tasted AK's Red Amber Ale. I had to buy it again just to make sure it was that good, and it didn't disappoint.

alex -

where can i buy alexander keith's in the US?

Dave -

You shouldn't be able to.
You should have to live here to get it!!
(to steal a line)

Dorothy Martin -

Yesterday I went to the local pub to attend one of your free draft events. I was lucky enough to receive one of your free baseball caps. After wearing it for about half hour, I noticed that the material around the brim had split in several places.This upset me greatly, but then i noticed that everyone's hat had mant splits in its brim. These hats do not show a good example for your company. I feel you should find another company to produce hats to equal the standard of your beer.

Drew -

@ Dorthy Martin

If you look at the hats again, you'll see that every hat has splits in exactly the same place. The splits on the brim were intentional. You obviously didn't look too closely at the hat right when you got it....

Post a Comment: Alexander Keith’s Red Amber Ale

Email addresses are not displayed with your comment and will not be shared.
Allowed tags are: <em>, <strong>, <code> and <a href="url">. All other tags will be displayed as plain text.