Communicating with my kinsmen.

Brewery: Diamond Knot Brewing Co.
Location: Mukilteo, WA
Name: Slane's Ale
Type: Irish Red Ale
ABV: 6.6%
Purchased from: Total Wine & More, Va Beach
Price: $3.99

Break the mold. While Guinness will be the most consumed beer today (and that's a perfectly fine thing), I wasn't in the mood for a light beer. Zing! I kid, I like Guinness just fine. But I wanted something a little different. This is my second foray into Diamond Knot's catalog and I'm pretty excited about it. Slane's is delightful shade of a ruddy ruby red that is graced with a nice and foamy light tan head. The nose is sweet and tart. But not like a sweet tart because beer shouldn't smell like that. For any reason. Unless it's Sparks in which case it's not beer. It's malt liquor and you've lost all hope. There's a delightful bit of earth to the bouquet and the faintest amount of peaty funk. Biscuits and malt dance into the finish of hops bitterness. Pour me a proper pint. This is honest ale. The flavor profile starts with a sharp blast of sour fruit tart and then immediately finds balance of caramel and a slight flavor of rye bread. The hops appear towards the back half of the flavor strata by way of bitter flora. The last bit of taste you get is that slightly smoked peat earthiness that I just can not get enough of. There are certain tastes that will bend someone one way or the other and often I find folks can't really get behind the flavor of "earth." I often here it described as dirt, which while not inaccurate, adds a "this hasn't been messed with" dimension to the flavor profile. The incredibly light body beckons you to drink some more and the pleasing amount of carbonation woos you into a safe place, assuring you everything is going to be OK. Having a reasonable ABV makes this ale enjoyable in ounces in mass and en masse. In my barely informed and deeply humble opinion, an Irish red ale is a suitable alternative to the "gateway stout" on St. Patrick's Day. Just say no to green beer today with a red. Slainte, I say to you all for being Irish for a day as I stroke my gingery beard.

I ate a proper Irish banger tonight.