Ard Ri (Upland)

I had this on tap at Three Floyds. It's about time for some good Irish Reds (Imperial of course...because everything is now). I always have to enjoy the guest taps they get in as much as the FFF brews available.

General Thoughts
Look and Smell: It had a thick, white-tan head and was a deep red. I could smell malt and musk from the hops. I already liked this brew just from the smell.

Taste: It was more bitter than I was expecting. Even with the smell and look of it, I still had a sweet malt idea in my head.  It still had the sweet malt to it, but was more bitter than sweet. It was earthy and musky. The aftertaste was bitter malt, which seemed to me like a contradiction,but I guess not. I liked it. I'd order it again.

From the Upland site:
Ard Ri (pronounced Ard like hard and Ri like bee) means High King in Old World Gaelic and certainly lives up to its name. Like all Irish Red Ales, Ard Ri gets its distinct color from roasted barley used in the brewing process, but we’ve stepped up the malt and hops to make this imperial version of the style. Our signature St. Patrick’s Day brew is slightly sweet with a complex malt character, balanced by a large hop addition to make it perfect for the big beer lovers and hop heads alike.

Recipient of a Gold Medal in the 2007 World Beer Championships.