Holy Crap! Look what I found in the back of one of my beer fridges! Holy Crap! Yes, that’s what I found-Holy Crap!. Holy Crap! Imperial Red Ale to be precise from the Mispillion River Brewing Company of Milford, Delaware. This is the first beer I’ve had from this brewery because, well, they don’t sell their beer in these parts. I think I got a can of this from Erik Bierbiker, that traveling beer Santa with a motorcycle, back in spring of 2015.
That’s right, 2015, and this beer, with a canning date stamped on the bottom as Take 2 3/15/15 has been chilled in the back of my second beer fridge since I got it. I’m actually on my third beer fridge now, with two dorm fridges (one in the bedroom and one in the guest bedroom, in case, you know, a guest wants a beer) and now a full sized beer fridge in the garage. And you wonder why it took me a year to get to this one….
From the label:
Holy Crap! Evolved by accident, when our brewer blended two different styles of beer. After months of digging for the recipe, we learned: you can’t suppress a brewer’s gut instinct. This Imperial Red Ale leads with a strong malt body and finishes with the dry bitterness of a 65-million year extinction….
HOLD ON TO YOUR BUTTS!
Ahem. Guys, it’s kinda hard to drink a beer while you’re holding onto your butt.
Anyway.
Holy Crap! Imperial Red Ale has an alcohol content of 9% by volume with 50 IBUs. Total Wine in Delaware sells it for $9.99 a 4-pack of 12-ounce cans, and demerits for that. $9.99 a six-pack would be more reasonable; as it is it works out to about $15 a six-pack and leaves me saying Holy Crap! At the price.
Holy Crap! Imperial Red Ale pours to a dark reddish color with a medium head formation and a luscious stewed malt and grassy hop nose. Taking a sip, the beer has light hints of chocolate and more of those robust, tasty and slightly berry fruity stewed malt flavors up front. The malt here is substantial, and I love that. It all leads into a grassy herbal dry bitter finish with a warming alcohol buzz.
A very tasty sipping beer indeed, quite delicious and makes me want some more.
4 stars based on its merits, a half star off for the price.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
(G)=Growler