Fulton The Libertine Review

Name: Fulton The Libertine
Style: Imperial Red Ale
ABV: 8.5%

If you're reading this right now, you're probably trying to escape the monotony that is the Thanksgiving family get together. If so, then a very Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Nick's Beer Blog; And by us, I mean me!

Today I've got a beer from the Fulton Brewery called The Libertine, which is an Imperial Red Ale. I'll admit that until now, I have never had an Imperial Red Ale although I have had numerous Red/Amber ales before. So I'm going into this not exactly knowing what to expect and, of course, with an open mind.

Libertine pours a hazy dark red color with some mild carbonation on the bottom of the glass, but it's hard to tell in the rest of the glass because of the haze. The head takes on a very thin khaki colored appearance and the lacing is sparse.

The nose starts off with some dark fruit notes along with some strong toffee & caramel malts and a hint of roastiness. I'm also picking up on some light floral hoppiness, but it is well masked by the maltiness.

The flavor has some dark fruitiness which are backed up by the strong caramel & toffee malts. The floral hops are also fairly light here and show up in the back of the palate. Some rye spiciness and a bit of booziness encompasses the overall flavor as well.

The body is moderately weighted with some mild carbonation. When you take into account the flavor, it matches it quite well.

The Libertine is no doubt a good beer but I'm not exactly sold on the Imperial Red Ale style. It is an interesting concept no doubt but I think the rye could be toned down to give it some more balance. As it is right now, it's good but I think the asking price is a little too steep

Fulton The Libertine - 8/10