After a summer long brewing hiatus, wherein I wasnt smart enough to use the heat to create a saison, I have returned to the kettle, and made good on a promised beer for a friend of mine. My version of an Irish red ale. I lost more water than I had anticipated in the boil and as a consequence it is a bit sweeter, has higher alcohol content, and is darker than I had planned. It is almost a brown ale but still has deep rich red hues. When poured it forms a nice ivory head about two fingers high. As it settles the foam becomes more like what you see from a nitro beer, with tiny bubbles making a soft fluffy yet thin layer. The aromas are quite subdued and subtle despite an underlying heaviness. I'm picking up hints of caramel, bread, a light nondescript fruitiness, and a bit of sharpness from the hops. It reminds me distantly of fruitcake. In the mouth, it is much the same but richer and with an alcohol warmth. Caramel and bready, light biscuit, and that indistinct fruitiness are the main components. It is fairly sweet but the hops and alcohol really tame it. There isn't a lot of complexity to this beer but it is really tasty. I think this may be my best beer yet.