After enjoying the Pale Ale, I thought I’d try another beer down the list, so I went with the Jeremiah Red Irish Strong Ale. The menu says it’s “A silver medal winner in strong ales at the 1996 Great American Beer Festival. This Irish-style strong ale is brewed with a secret blend of five imported specialty malts. Not too hoppy in order to emphasize the complex malt flavor and fruity aroma.”
Location: On tap at BJ’s Brewhouse in McAllen, TX.
Numbers: 7.3% ABV, 25 IBUs, ~ 212 Calories
Ingredients: Malt: 2-row Pale, Munich, Belgian Crystal Malts, Chocolate; Hops: Northern Brewer
Appearance & Aroma: It too arrived with a good head and was pretty clear. I couldn’t tell if it had a bit of chill haze or my glass had condensation on it from being chilled. As you can see, the color was a bit of a reddish/amber color. The aroma was a bit grainy (like the smell of milled crystal grains) and a little bit buscuity. I didn’t smell any fruity esters, but that could just be my bad nose.
Taste & Feel: As expected from an Irish strong ale, it tasted sweet and malty. It had a medium to light body to it and had a bit of a toffee-like taste to it. There wasn’t much hop taste/flavor to it, but it’s a strong ale, so I wasn’t expecting it. What I thought it lacked was a bit of the alcohol hotness that I think I associate with strong ales.
Food Pairing: It was a good ending to a good meal, but I probably should not have had this following the pale ale – going from hoppy to malty extremes, but that’s my fault. I could see this being very good with some sweet BBQ sauce and ribs.
Overall Impression: All in all it was a good beer, but again, not one that I would go out of my way to find a BJ’s Brewhouse for. As I mentioned in my last post, I’ll be near the BJ’s Brewhouse in Norman, OK next week and hope to try a few more of their beers.
My Rating: 
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