My Bloody Valentine by Alesmith

I have recently become a very enthusiastic fan of Alesmith, and many of the beers they make (see my previous review of their Nut Brown Ale). They do an excellent job of making classic styles, and they also do an exceptional job of putting a west coast spin on traditional styles of beer. Well, this beer is no exception at all. My Bloody Valentine is a red ale, but not a red ale in the traditional sense of the word. It's a red ale that you would expect from southern California hop enthusiasts, as I am sure you'll agree after reading my review below.

Beer Name: My Bloody Valentine
Brewery: Alesmith
Style: Red Ale/Amber Ale
Location: San Diego, CA
Packaging: 22oz bomber
Price: $6.50/22 oz bomber
ABV: 6.66% (so awesome)

Appearance: Very dark amber/mahogany in color, with dark crimson highlights when held up to the light. The beer pours with a thick, creamy white head that is 3 fingers thick and takes forever to dissipate, leaving behind widespread lacing.

Aroma: Sweet caramel malt on the nose, followed by a resinous pine aroma with some citrus (grapefruit) on the back end.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Slightly more than a medium body, but just shy of a full bodied beer. A generous amount of carbonation on this one as well. There's a ton of sweet caramel up front, quickly followed by biscuit and dough flavors. The finish has a beautiful resinous pine flavor that really creates a dry finish to an otherwise malty, sweet beer.

Overall: 9.5/10 This a very interesting, and satisfying take on the classic red/amber ale. It stays true to the style with it's sweet  caramel malt backbone, but the California style of hopping really balances this brew out nicely and surprises you with the strong hop finish. The dry finish of the brew is very refreshing, and allows the mouth coating from the malts to dissipate just in time for the next sip. Once again, Alesmith has done an excellent job of putting a California spin on a classic style! Cheers!

PS-Probably the BEST packaging I have ever seen for a beer. The back of the bottle reads "best paired with dinner for one, or your favorite emo album". Classic.