Red ales tend to get their intriguing colour from dark-roasted barley. I'm a fan of the style, though many big-brand red ales taste like big-brand ales coloured with dye. One glance at this beauty and you get the sense it's going to be serious. More mahogany than red, it offers up a pronounced barley flavour, lively effervescence and - true to the Irish style on which most red ales are based - a satisfyingly bitter, spicy quality.