BrewDog "5AM Saint" 21st Century Red Ale

BrewDog, keep doing your thing. A friend asked me a question about what beers I thought were the best, and I just looked at this blog and searched on ratings. Specifically, I looked for anything that got a 5.0. It turns out, BrewDog is the only brewer that has managed to get two beers into that very short list. The impressive Lagunitas and beloved Bearded Iris both only got one each. So these guys are definitely doing something different, and what they're doing is better.

The dirty maroon beer has an off-white head that fizzles to only a suggestion of a head - no lacing, I'm sad to say. Still, that's only to be expected from a red ale, isn't it? The aroma is malt sweet with citrus and cherries held aloft.

First sip is a little dry and a little tart (almost sour) mixed with the very light, crusted pastry of a malt. It's not bad, but, as with a lot of reds, it's unfortunately forgettable in a sip. Maybe a full swig will fix things.

Tip-in is carbonation sizzle with a little light crust malt on top of it. The middle brings carbonation sting on top of a malt that turned a bit caramel with light citrus spritz - it's a bit bland. The finish is a wave of carbonation sting with a bitter afterglow.

Bottom Line: Not even the best of reds. Just too dull.

1.25/5