Deschutes Red Chair NWPA
I’d been looking for Deschutes Red Chair NWPA ever since the company started shipping to Virginia, but it wasn’t until this past February that I finally ran across some. The bottles had a best by April 26 date printed on the side, but I figured I’d give the 6.2% ABV pale ale an opportunity nonetheless.
I’m not sure when this batch was actually bottled, but there was definitely a bit age apparent right from the first sip. The time in the bottle was not, however, enough to dramatically alter my impression of the beer — just give the impression of a different style of beer. Red Chair is a “northwest pale ale,” but the brew presented itself as a generously hopped amber ale in appearance and flavor.
When all was said and done, this is still a solid, well crafted beer. It’s got a great balance between the malt backbone and a welcome burst of hop bitterness that keeps things interesting. If Red Chair was this good two months from its expiration date, I will most certainly be on the lookout for the beer on shelves during upcoming beer runs.