This beer blog usually caters to the refined palate, but occasionally one finds oneself stranded on a desert island with little to choose from in the beer fridge. For that reason we occasionally "go slumming" and review mass produced brews. Or so says I, because it sounds like a good way to start this review of Alexander Keith's Red Amber Ale.
Full disclosure: I grew up in Nova Scotia, the home of Alexander Keith's Ale, and until recently the only place where it was available. According to the brewery, they've been making their IPA the same way since 1820, and their marketing centers around the idea that it is an old tradition and "those who like it, like it a lot." That was certainly true in my day -- Keith's was by far the most popular beer in Nova Scotia when I was growing up, but we only had about a dozen brands to choose from, and craft beers were unheard of except for stinky "kit" beers that people made in their basements to save money.
Keith's India Pale Ale, which our Good Beer Blog host Alan has famously referred to as "The IPA that isn't an IPA" has been marketed across Canada for the past eight years or so, and apparently the extra-Nova Scotia launch has been quite successful. The marketing wizards have transformed it into a high-end "specialty" beer, when in fact it is just another mass produced domestic along the lines of Labatt Blue and Molson Export.
In recent years, the Alexander Keith line has expanded, which is rather curious considering Mr. Keith has been dead for something like 150 years. This is particularly curious considering the appeal of Keith's is supposed to be its long tradition. So how are we supposed to interpret Keith's Light Ale, and Keith's Honey Brown Ale? Those are brand-spanking new, with no history. Yet the image persists, to the extent that Keith's official Web page refers to these brews as "his finest work."
The latest invented tradition in the house of Keith rides the red bandwagon in the form of a "red amber" ale. Is it red, or is it amber? Those marketing perverts will do anything to turn a buck.
I had to try it, out of a sense of loyalty to my roots. My expectations were not high, although I tried to keep an open mind. So today, in the yellow light of a spring afternoon, I pulled a cold Alexander Keith's Red Amber Ale out of the fridge, cracked it open, and poured it into a hefty ale glass.
Initial impressions were reasonably good. The head did not flare up too fast, so it isn't overly gassy. However, the head didn't really develop at all -- it turned into one of those loose and lazy heads like you get on any mass produced domestic beer.
The color is a bold dark orangey-red, fully transparent. A sniff revealed very little. A sip revealed little else. Regular domestic beer flavor but with an extra hint of caramel. Virtually no aftertaste, which is a bonus for people who don't actually like beer, but a disappointment for those of us who do.
In brief, as a mass produced domestic, it's actually pretty decent. The color, and the slightly developed amberness put it a knotch above many many standard yellow beers, but no better than any of the other mass produced so-called red ales that have hit the market in the past few years.
As a craft or specialty beer, it fails. It's just too safe and uninteresting. It has very little character for a beer with such a lovely color. It doesn't taste bad, it just doesn't taste particularly good.
That blandness means it will, with the right marketing, be a huge success. But for the rest of us, as long as we're not stuck on that desert island, there are many better beers to choose from.
Comments
Mike - May 5, 2006 9:28 am
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 - May 5, 2006 1:29 pm
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 - July 29, 2006 6:33 pm
At selected breweries, an 8-pack comes with a free hat. I'm wearing it right now.
Johnathan - October 23, 2006 8:58 am
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 - May 25, 2007 12:33 am
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 - October 6, 2007 4:36 pm
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 - December 10, 2007 6:34 am
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 - December 10, 2007 1:18 pm
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! - December 13, 2007 12:21 am
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 - June 25, 2008 11:42 pm
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 - August 5, 2008 2:24 pm
where can i buy alexander keith's in the US?
Dave - August 15, 2008 10:40 pm
You shouldn't be able to.
You should have to live here to get it!!
(to steal a line)
Dorothy Martin - August 31, 2008 4:31 pm
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 - October 21, 2008 2:59 pm
@ 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....