Everyone Loves a Red Head

Welocome to the first day of March 2011. Most of you will be celebrating the birth of our future overlord, Justin Bieber. While I commend you for kissing the ass of our inevitable ruler, I have have a better - self serving way to help get you through this most maddening of months.

Unlike the "Bieb" my harbinger is strong, Irish and frankly has a much better hairdo. You'd best get your shit together now, The Hot Headed Red Head is fickle and she doesn't like to stay in one place very long.

Hot Headed Red Head, is an Irish-styled Strong or Vintage Ale. Hoppers' Brewmaster and Secret Agent, Donovan Steele wanted to recreate a pre-Guinness era Irish strong ale and modernize it. For the "Red Head" Dono used darker pale ale malt varieties for a toasty flavor, golden naked oats for a nice creamy textured mouthfeel, some unmalted roasted barley for color and a hint of flavor, and a blend of crystal malts for a delicate sweetness and some depth.

Also breaking with tradition, Dono decided to enhance the attributes of this beer by combining two different ale yeast strains; one to give richness and fruit like aromas, while the other gives the beer a woodsy flavor. This ale is also hopped completely with 'noble' Sovereign hops from England. The result is a beer with malt complexity with a very distinct ripe black raspberry flavor and aroma, finishing with a silky smooth body. Remember this is a "strong ale" Go easy, at 8% abv she'll sneak up on you.

Hot Headed Red Head comes packaged in a beautiful 750 ml bottle and is reasonably priced at $7.50 out of Hoppers Packaging Agency. This is a limited run, only a thousand-plus bottles produced. Like I said, This girl doesn't like to stay in one place for very long. Available today, (3/1/11) late afternoon. Call to check on availability.

Sláinte!