I received a special can of Tule Duck Red as a sample from Buckbean Brewing Company before the official cans were released so my photos of the can may not represent what you’ll find in the stores. This red ale is refreshingly different from other West Coast breweries in that it is not super-charged with the 3Cs (Cascade, Centennial, Chinook), instead the hops reveal themselves as more herbal and floral. The malt of this beer also gives is a sweeter flavor.Buckbean Brewing describes Tule Duck Red Ale as follows:

This red, robust ale combines a silky smooth, rich body with a fruity, caramel malt flavor and a soft herbal dry hopped finish. A full flavored, classic beer that pairs well with hearty foods of all types.

Date Reviewed. August 21, 2009

Where I Found It. Sent to me by Buckbean Brewing.

Serving Type. Can to a glass.

Appearance. Tule Duck Red Ale has a deep red-brown mahogany color and almost matches the color on the can. The head is off-white yellow-tan that is almost like a cappuccino. It is such a deep color it is hard to ascertain the clarity but it looks to be slightly hazy. The head has a mix of tiny and medium sized bubbles and lasts about as long as you would expect.

Smell. This beer has a sweet roasted malt aroma with a biscuit quality and with a touch of brown sugar and caramel. Unlike others of this style that I’ve had recently, it doesn’t smell like brew day or a brewery, fresh malts. This doesn’t mean there is something wrong with the beer, just an observation and quite to the contrary the aroma of this beer is great. It also has a little hint of coffee smell but a sweet and roasted coffee smell and not a burnt or woodsy. The hop aroma enhances the sweetness with floral notes and a hint of vanilla.

Taste. Tule Duck Red Ale has a sweet roasted flavor almost a woodsy earthy but weak roasted coffee with a touch of sugar added. I has little bit of caramel.  It also has a bit of bitterness that somewhat adds to the coffee flavor. The sweetness is malty but seems a little candy like.

Mouthfeel. This is a medium bodied beer with an average amount of carbonation.

Drinkability. This beer goes down smooth and is easy to drink. The candy-like sweetness is a little different and would probably keep me from having more than two, at the same time I rarely want more than two of event the best beers before I move on to try something else, sometimes it’s even just one.

Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.

• Appearance (20%): 4.0
• Smell (20%): 4.5
• Taste (40%): 3.5
• Mouthfeel (10%): 3.5
• Drinkability (10%): 3.5
• Overall: 3.80

Information

• Style: red ale or amber ale
• Brewery: Buckbean Brewery
• Alcohol by volume: 6.2%
• Beer Advocate rating: 3.19 (as of May 15, 2010)

Other Reviews

• Drinkhacker.com – Review: Buckbean Brewing Company Beers
• Basically Red – To be Read, Basically – Buckbean Brewery Tule Duck Red Ale, Orange Blossom Ale, and Black Noddy Lager
• Beer and Whiskey Brothers - We Love You Buckbean!
• The Beer Snob – Beer Review: Buckbean’s Brewing’s Tule Duck Red Ale
• Beer Goggins – Bucking the Trend: Reviewing 3 of Buckbean Brewing’s Finest Beers
• Beer Advocate – Tule Duck Red Ale
• Rate Beer – Buckbean Tule Duck Red Ale

In a previous article about the SF Beer Week Canned Craft Brews event, I briefly mentioned some of the benefits of craft beer in a can. Buckbean is very interested in both dispelling the myths as well as promoting the benefits of beer in a can. These are some of the points that the brewery makes:

• Cans have had inert, flavorless linings since the 1980s, meaning no metal flavor
• Cans can go where bottles cannot: golf courses, camping, parks, etc.
• Cans are more environmentally friendly
  • Since they are lighter than bottles, they require less fuel to ship. Trucks go partially empty with bottles due to weight concerns.
  • Cans don’t require paper labels and glue.
  • A case of cans uses 70% less paper and cardboard than a case of bottles.
  • Cans are more easily recyclable.

Of the craft beer that I have tried in cans, with Original Orange Blossom Ale as no exception, I have not detected anything that tasted like metal. Since I always pour my beer into a glass, I never literally taste the can itself.

Now onto the specifics of Original Orange Blossom Ale. The idea for this beer style came from the brewer, Daniel B. Kahn, in the 1990s while he was living and brewing in Riverside, CA to accompany the Orange Blossom Festival. Buckbean claims that Dan originated this style of beer and thus include the term “Original” in the name of the beer.

If you enjoy beer that are, as the folks at Dogfish Head put it, “off-centered” or extreme, then you might enjoy this beer. Otherwise if you are a conformist to the Reinheitsgebot and dislike beer with adjuncts, herbs, or spices, then you might not like this beer. The orange blossom bouquet and flavor is quite prominent. I find this to be a very interesting and refreshing beer that will go great with food. Just before I tried this beer I had some Japanese yaki soba fried noodles and it would have been excellent with that. It should also pair well with spicy food like Mexican and especially Thai food to complement the lime, spiciness, and saltiness found in many Thai dishes (at least the ones that I eat and prepare).

Where I Found It. A sample can graciously provided by the brewery. Thank you Buckbean!

Serving Type. From a 16oz can into a pilsner-like glass.

Appearance. Orange Blossom Ale pours our of the can smoothly with a nice thick frothy white head. The head lasts much longer than I would have expected. When the head receded, it does not leave much on the glass. The beer is hazy and has a color that is somewhere between dark honey and light amber.

Smell. Upon opening the can, the smell is bready and yeasty. As the beer is poured into a glass and brought to your nose the full affect of the orange blossoms come into play. The bouquet is fruity and sweet-floral, like the scent of jasmine flowers, or orange blossom flowers. The fruitiness isn’t the typical citrus-from-hop but more like a tropical-orange fruit juice cocktail. I pick up fruitiness like passionfruit with a little white grape juice. The combination of these flavors creates a candy-like odor. The floral bouquet is quite intense but in the background there is still a hint of malted grains, letting you know that this is a beer.

Taste. Original Orange Blossom ale has a sweet honey maltiness without actually being sugary. There is a touch of hop bitterness making it crisp and clean coupled with a floral and fruity orange flavor. This beer should be great with salty food as well as spicy food. It will be especially tasty ice cold on a hot summer day.

Mouthfeel. This beer is a light to medium bodied beer that goes down very smooth. There is a slight bitterness that lingers on the tounge with the floral flavors. For some reason, I feel that I want more effervescence

Drinkability. Original Orange Blossom Ale is highly drinkable and very refreshing.

Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.

• Appearance (20%): 3.5
• Smell (20%): 4.0
• Taste (40%): 4.0
• Mouthfeel (10%): 3.0
• Drinkability (10%): 4.5
• Overall: 3.9

Information

• Style: Herb/Spice Ale
• Brewery: Buckbean Brewing Company
• Alcohol by volume: 5.8%
• Hops: “American” hops
• Malt: Munich and light caramel malts
• Other ingredients: orange tree flowers
  
• Beer Advocate rating: 3.12 (as of March 28, 2009)

Caption on the Can

The following caption is found near the bottom of each can:

This well balanced, full flavored, copper colored ale combines the smooth, creamy flavor of Munich and Caramel malts and bright, refreshing American hops with the rich flavor and aroma of real orange tree flowers. A real treat for the sesnses!

Other Reviews

• Fermentedly Challenged – Buckbean Original Orange Blossom Ale review
• The Beer Snob – Buckbean Brewing: Original Orange Blossom Ale
• The Barley Blog – Buckbean Original Orange Blossom Ale
• Beer & Food – A taste of … Buckbean Original Orange Blossom Ale
• A Beer Sort of Blog – Buckbean Brew Review
• A Roughneck’s Take on Beer - Buckbean Orange Blossom Ale
• Beer Advocate – Original Orange Blossom Ale
• Rate Beer – Buckbean Original Orange Blossom Ale