32 of the Best Red Ales, Blind-Tasted and Ranked

Learn about how we rate & review beers with our BJCP blind panel here


Portland Brewing MacTarnahan's (80)

MacTarnahan’s is a copper-hued amber ale dry-hopped with Cascades from the Northwest. Bright, crisp, and complex.

Destihl Flanders Red (81)

“Flanders Red is an acidic sour ale with an initial impression of tart cherries and sour candy. The dry, wine-like finish accentuates the complex malt profile and bright fruit notes showcased in this brilliant red colored hybrid of a modern Flanders and German-style sour.”

Grand Teton Brewing Teton Ale (86)

A classic American-style amber with a rich copper color and smooth finish.

Four Saints Brewing Potter's Clay (86)

Our take on the American amber: malt-forward caramel sweetness with a bit of hop bite on the back, though not hoppy.

Maplewood Brewing Company Royal Tannenbaum (87)

Brewed with dark and toasty malt, hopped with Citra, Chinook, and Cascade Cryo, with Colorado-grown spruce tips incorporated in the dry hop.

Perrin Brewing Company Anniversary Amber Ale (87)

This deep, complex, malt-forward amber ale has notes of gooseberries, black currant, and a pleasant hop aroma.

Breakside Brewery Fall Apple Ale (87)

Lightly smoked amber ale with a kiss of mulling spice, blended and re-fermented with freshly pressed apple juice.

West Sixth Brewing Co Amber Ale (88)

“Malt-forward but balanced. Biscuit malt flavors and fruity hop notes.”

Creature Comforts Brewing Co. Seeds Take Up the Soil (88)

“Celebrates the sweet potato and the story of agriculture and people from Africa to the South.”

Full Sail Brewing Co Amber Ale (88)

Malty sweet, reddish-amber hue, medium-bodied with a spicy, floral hop finish.

Denver Beer Princess Yum Yum Raspberry Kolsch (88)

“We take a traditional Kölsch and ferment it with real raspberries. The result is a ruby red fruity summer ale that finishes tart and dry and is perfectly thirst quenching on a hot day.”

Creature Comforts Brewing Co. River Ridge Red (88)

“A blended oak-aged beer with red raspberries.”

Hop Butcher For the World Satan's Mile (90)

Amarillo, Chinook & Mosaic-hopped red India pale ale.

The Bruery Oude Tart (90)

“Oude Tart is a Flemish-style red ale aged in red wine barrels for 18 months. It’s pleasantly sour with hints of leather, dark fruit and toasty oak.”

Allusion Brewing Fourth Wall (90)

"Red Berry Sour Ale. This Sour Ale was brewed with a large amount of your favorite Sour then Sweet Candies. Taste and aroma of cherry, raspberry, and strawberry form the candies with a sweet and tart finish."

Birds Fly South Ale Project Graffiti Heart (90)

"Our foeder-aged Flanders red aged with cherries."

Westbound & Down Brewing Company Milder Dan Brown (90)

English brown ale featuring notes of toffee, caramel, soft nuttiness, red apples, with a balanced sweetness and mild dark roast.

Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel Rigor Mortis ABT (90)

“Strong brown ale inspired by Belgian Trappist beers. Very little bitterness, this beer has intense malty and sweet flavors, mixed with the taste of chocolate and caramel. It presents complex red fruit and spice flavors.”

Silver City Brewery Ridgetop Red (91)

Full-bodied and smooth, with a sweet caramel flavor balanced with Northwest Liberty hops for a refreshing finish.

Odd Breed Wild Ales Red Vermouth (92)

“Turbid-mashed, mixed-culture wild ale aged... in red vermouth barrels.”

Supermoon Beer Company Punchbowl Melange (92)

“Oak-fermented farmhouse ale refermented in French oak with red & black raspberries, Montmorency cherries.”

Rodenbach Vintage 2015 (92)

"Black cherry, raspberry, and a hint of lime, but also some richer burgundy aroma. All that fruit is buoyed by a splash of biscuity malt. The gentler tartness emphasizes the red-wine character."

Green Flash Brewing Company Cellar 3 Natura Morta Cherry (92)

“This refined evolution of our Belgian-style saison is foeder-fermented with _Brettanomyces_, then aged and re-fermented in red wine barrels with sweet, dark cherry puree. After six months, a crimson ale with champagne effervescence is released, offering notes of ripe stone fruit and barrel-drawn tannins. Retaining hints of earthy wild yeast, Natura Morta Cherry finishes like a fine Beaujolais.”

Brasserie St. James Red Headed Stranger (93)

“Our gold medal-winning red farmhouse ale uses a lesser-known Belgian yeast strain at higher temeratures to create a rich palate. A blend of spices and whole-cone hops add a peppery floral nose, and finest specialty malts create a smooth delicate body that finishes dry.”

Russian River Brewing Co - Santa Rosa Intinction Pinot Noir (93)

Notes of red berries, cherry, and a faint smokiness with a complex mouthfeel and tart finish.

Amalgam Landscapes (Orchard Blend) (93)

"Blend of golden sours aged on Colorado-grown Red Globe Peaches and Ovation Nectarines."

Triple Crossing Brewing Company Skyless Moon (95)

“Our West Flanders–inspired red-hued ale.”

Seventh Son Brewing Co Seventh Son (96)

A ruddy American strong. Grapefruit and stone fruit hop aroma and character are balanced by a rich red malt backbone.

Urbanrest Brewing Company Wine Barrel Blonde (96)

“Blonde ale fermented with monastery yeast. Conditioned in French oak red-wine barrels.”

Resident Culture Farm Mentality (97)

"Mixed-culture ale barrel-aged in red wine barrels for over two years and refermented on over 5.5 lb per gallon of fresh South Carolina peaches."

Yazoo Brewing Co. Saison de Bois (97)

"Saison aged in 20-year-old French oak Bordeaux red wine puncheon casks."