United Nations of Beer

Rutting Elk Red

by Trevor Prosser
(Beer Delegate, AB, Canada)

Rutting Elk Red
Grizzly Paw Brewery, AB, Canada

I wandered into my local liquor store about 10pm last night, hemming and hawing over the selection, deciding that Alberta Genuine Draft would have to wait for another day.

But I noticed a beer I hadn't seen before from a brewery in Canmore. Perfect! I grabbed a six-pack of the most humourously named and darkest looking beer from their shelf, and spun back home to begin my first review.

(Quick note: humour doesn't always equal a good beer. See Alley Kat's awful "beer cooler" Aprikat for proof.)

Rutting Elk Red is described as a "traditional Scottish style amber ale" running at 5% ABV. The initial sniff as the cap twisted off brought a smile to my face and the first sip kept it there.

Now, I'm sure we've all had a nice spicy beer in the past... and I don't mean Crazy Ed's Chili Beer. Something a little thicker than the average brew, that tickles the tounge and warms the lips with that liquid-smoke feel; something that you would drink in a ski lodge when everyone else wussed out and had plain coffee because they didn't serve anything fancier, and you were the only guy in the pack who wasn't wearing a designer snow suit from France.

And I'm sure we've all had that beer that goes down far too easily. You know the one, the one that you figure you'll have, since it's a beautiful day and you're on the patio of a neighbourhood restaurant and it's a Friday but you have the day off and no one else does, but it's so hot you have another beer... and another. And suddenly you realize you can't stand up, because you have that lovely combination of heat stroke and a good buzz.

Now, imagine that a beer could contain both qualities. Rutting Elk Red had the full body and deep flavour that you would expect a beer labeled "red" to have, with a surprisingly easy finish that...

Wow, that last sentence sounds like a cheesy beer commercial!

Let's put it this way. I downed two in quick order and smiled the whole way through. The finish on the second bottle came off a little bitter on the back of the tongue, but it wasn't burnt.

Nothing beats the thrill (beer wise, that is) of discovering a great beer on your own. It's like finding twenty bucks in your pocket and spending it on beer. And if you have twenty bucks (actually closer to $12.50), you'd be well advised to spend it on some Rutting Elk Red.