DeValera's Red Ale Taste Test

There is a nervousness that takes over just before you snap the cap off of the first bottle of a homebrewed beer. 5 weeks have gone by since the beer was bottled. That nervousness has been around since but is more apparent as you pour the beverage from the bottle to a glass; observing color, carbonation and the amount of head that accumulates. A quick smell- enjoyable and certainly alcoholic. The color- an obvious amber red. Head- fair amount, carbonation- a jet stream of active bubbles. So far so good. Now the glass comes to the lips and the first drops of nectar flow across the tongue. Days and dollars have gone into this production and the mouth's reaction will dictate how well those were spent. Initial taste- quite carbonated, perhaps a tiny bit too much but better so than flat. The taste- three levels of flavors. First a smooth hoppiness, followed by the distinct caramel flavors of a classic red ale and, to close, a strong and abrupt moment for the smack of alcohol to shine through. DeValera's is not on par with a professionally brewed Irish red, such as a Killian's, but as a first effort for Lowertown Loft Homebrewing this beverage comes surprisingly close. Sharing the two cases of this ale with friends is an Irish tradition I look forward to.