As some of you may remember, not long ago I wrote a review on Laughing Skull Bohemian Pilsner, a very loose interpretation of a pilsner, in which I found that more attention seemed to be put into the marketing than into the actual beer itself. Made here in Georgia by the Atlanta Brewing Company, Laughing Skull may be a beer intended for those who usually drink megabrewer offerings. But wait a minute. Atlanta Brewing does have something for the craft beer drinker, too, in the form of Red Brick Ale.

To be quite frank, I hadn’t picked up a six-pack of Red Brick since I had moved to Georgia. I had tried it a few years ago, receiving a few bottles through a beer of the month club if memory serves. It was a good beer, I seem to recall, but it didn’t seem to stand out in any way. So, I would usually pick up something from Sweetwater or Dogwood when I wanted a local brew at home, and then sip a Red Brick ale occasionally on draft.

As it turns out, that was a mistake. I found that out when I grabbed a six-pack of Red Brick Ale the other night. Bottles gleaming and with a best-by date almost into September, I thought it was time I gave Red Brick another try. And I am very, very glad I did.

Truth be told, Red Brick Ale belongs right up there with the wonderful products of Dogwood and Sweetwater as a shining example of the fine beers being brewed in Atlanta today. Brewed in the heart of the city’s Midtown section, Red Brick Ale has been called an amber in the past but I think its more of a soft, malty brown ale, albeit it a rather robust one. The deep chocolaty and sweet malt flavors are much more pronounced here than they are in a classic English brown. The assertive hops of an American brown are not here, though, making Red Brick an anomaly of sorts in the beer world. But there are hops in the finish, enough to make this approach a very decent altbier in style (altbiers are German brown ales). They've even tweaked the recipe a little and ratcheted the beer's strength up to 6.5% by volume.

As much as I like Sweetwater’s Sweet Georgia Brown, I think I like Red Brick Ale even better. Make no mistake; Sweet Georgia Brown is a great brew, so that should tell you something about the quality of Red Brick Ale. The beer won a gold medal as an English brown at the 1996 World Beer Cup, and is brewed with five different malts to impart its wonderful malt character.

Red Brick Ale ale pours to a deep chestnut red color with a light but creamy head formation and a rich sweet malty nose. The body is firm and the beer slides over the tongue nicely with a full, rich texture. The palate is packed with chewy caramel and a hint of nutty toasty malt and a subtle hint of fruit. Strong notes of chocolate permeate on into the slightly sweet, slightly toasty finish.

You could drink this beer all day. It’s just a wonderful sipping brew for a lazy day by the pool or for any casual drinking occasion. Should you happen to be attending a Braves game, stop by the Chop House for a draught glass. And don’t forget to pick some up at the local grocery or package store on the way home.

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