Hillstown Brewery Massey Red Ale

Massey Red Ale

 

Hillstown Brewery in Randalstown, Antrim, Northern Ireland

  Amber / Red Ale - Irish Regular
Score
6.21
ABV: 5.2% IBU: - Ticks: 10
A traditional Irish Red Ale modernised with the addition of special malts and fruity new world hops. A well rounded Red Ale that is malt focused with tasty notes of chocolate and caramel complimented with fruity hops.
 

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6.5
Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7

Old rating - A 500ml bottle found at Home Grown in Jersey. Pours a dark red with a white foamy head. Aromas & tastes of red berries, chestnut, caramel & malt. Medium body. Dry malty bitter finish. Enjoyable Irish Ale.

Tried from Bottle on 21 Jun 2025 at 12:51


7
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

Bottle thanks to allmyvinyl. Appearance - deep amber to brown with red chinks. Nose - brown bread, lightly tart red fruit bug at the same time, sweet dried peel. Taste - brown bread, even malt loaf and getting cakey. Dried peel, even light raisin. Overall - quite enjoyable. And it grew on me.

Tried from Bottle on 27 Jun 2021 at 06:53


6.9
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5

[50cl bottle from the Hillier Garden Centre, Sunningdale.] A slightly hazy chestnut coloured pour with a tight cream coloured head; aroma of yeast and caramel; quite lively in the mouth with a nutty taste and a touch of caramel, then some sourish fruit. A nicely balanced red ale.

Tried from Bottle on 19 Feb 2021 at 18:39


6.1
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 4 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Bottle from Garson's Farm shop. Malty aroma with some vinous hints. Dark chestnut with a red tint. Creamy light head. Light bitter. All about the malts. A streak of dark berry sourness. A hint of underlying creamy sweetness. Medium bodied. Verging on creamy mouthfeel. Fizzy carbonation. Long if low key fizzy finish. Could happily drink a few of these but it doesn't leave much of an impression.

Tried from Bottle on 13 Jul 2019 at 18:31


5.4
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 5.5

Bottle at home picked up from Crumlin Tesco. A hazed reddy amber coloured pour with a a fine off white head. Aroma is jammy red berries, metallic, tangy cranberry. Flavour is composed of semi sweet, tangy, red berries, cranberry, chalky, thin brown bready malts. Palate is semi sweet, thin, highish carbonation. Meh.

Tried from Bottle on 31 Dec 2017 at 14:46


5.1
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 5.5

Aroma: Look: Taste: Palate: Overall:
Bottle from Tesco, Enniskillen [300717]
Copper, crystal clear, bubbly white head, slight lacing
Aroma of caramel malts, slight fruits
Taste of soft caramel, very light earthy hops, touch of dark fruits, maybe a hint of raisin, dull malt flavour, bland for abv
Palate - Very soft carb, medium light body, light sweet. Finish asmain flavour, soft caramel, rapid finish
Overall - It’s fine to make a beer with low amount of hops, but this needs more malts, too dull flavour for abv

Tried from Bottle on 07 Aug 2017 at 19:05


6.1
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Tried in bottle. Slightly hazy reddish copper colour with a white head. Aroma is fruity berries. Taste is dry. Medium body.

Tried from Bottle on 08 Apr 2017 at 11:08


5.9
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5

Bottle from the brewer’s own stand at the Good Food Show at Birmingham NEC. A hazy amber-red brew with a sweet caramel and toast flavour. Ok, but as is often the case with this style it felt a bit-um- saggy is the word that springs to mind. Just needs a little extra something to make it stand out a bit more.

Tried from Bottle on 28 Nov 2016 at 15:33


6.5
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Tap at the Birmingham Beer Bash 2016. Poured a slightly hazy red colour with a round off white head. The aroma is red berry fruit, light dry spice. The flavour is moderate bitter with a fruity, light metallic hop bitter palate. Medium bodied with average carbonation.

Tried from Draft on 24 Jul 2016 at 12:57


5.2
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5

Bottle at home, 24/03/16. Murky reddish amber with a moderate off white head. Nose is blood orange, straw, earthy, bready. Taste comprises biscuit malt, toffee, light spice, earthy. Medium bodied, moderate carbonation, semi drying close. Not great.

Tried from Bottle on 08 May 2016 at 07:19