Peak Organic - King Crimson

Last year, I reviewed the Portland, ME-based Peak Organic's Maple Collaboration and loved it. I also tried their Mocha Stout, which was delicious as well. I read online about a re-release of their popular imperial red ale, King Crimson. Whole Foods on P Street started carrying it, and being a huge fan of both red ales and Peak Organic, I picked up a bottle. This beer, an American Imperial Red Ale, weighs in at 9.5% ABV and 90 IBUs.

I cracked open the bottle and let the beer sit for a few moments. One of the first things I noticed was the strong smell. It has a very pungent nose to it that is clear when you pour it into a glass. The color is deep amber; the nose is a strong alcohol and tangy fruits.

The beer also had a frothy, bone-white head that was very clingy to the side of the glass.

I let this beer sit a few moments to enjoy the nose. Upon first taste, I found the King Crimson to have a very forward taste of fruity hops, but there was definitely a strong showing of malt, too. At first it was clean, crisp, hoppy, but was very nuanced but had little carbonation. But once the flavor developed on my palate, there was a resiny, piney, citrusy full-mouth flavor. The strength of the malt and hops didn't overpower my palate, though, and it left a strong sweet taste that had a nice fruity bouquet. The finish was one of strong, wet malt with a tangy alcohol flavor. Delicious! 

I knew this beer was going to be strong, because it's billed as an "Imperial Red Ale." Imperial ales were originally called such because they were top-of-the-line luxury beers intended for the imperial court of Russia. Today, any beer labelled "Imperial" is likely to be a very strong ale brewed with extra (sometimes double or triple) hops. An Imperial ale is going to be heavy, strong, and amped-up with all sorts of ingredients. I knew what I was getting into with this beer, and I'm glad I did. 

This beer is a strong, ripe, spicy red ale that (in my opinion) is one of the best red ales on the market. You could cellar this beer (as I am doing right now) and you could probably hold on to it for another few years. I picked this up for $7, which I consider a steal for this beer, at Whole Foods. Since it's a limited release, you may not be able to find it anymore. But if you do see it, consider trying it. I very much recommend it.