My most recent Vue Weekly column, which is now more than a few days ago (I got distracted by tap list number crunching), I take my first look at Tool Shed Brewing. Initially I wanted to wait until they had their Calgary brewery set up and were no longer contracting to Dead Frog in B.C. to get a true sense of what they can produce. But then I changed my mind and decided an initial review on the books would be helpful. It gives beer consumers a sense of where the brewery is coming from, and there is not reason I can’t revisit the beer once their brewery is up and running.

Of the three beer they have out right now, I opted to review the Red Rage Ale (you can read it here). The Star Cheek IPA might have been a natural choice, but brewing a red ale is actually more challenging than many believe, so it seemed like a good starting point. I think the IPA more appropriately waits until it is brewed in the home brewery.

At any rate, the Red Rage proved to be an interesting option. The boys at Tool Shed have produced an intriguing interpretation of a red ale. It starts with a toasty, sweet character accented by dark fruit. But there is also a slight burnt note reminiscent of scorched caramel or a light roast. A light piney hop note builds in the middle, overtaking the sweetness and leading to a finish that is drier than expected. The linger has a mix of pine hop, burnt caramel and a touch of roast, with some soft maltiness offering a bedrock.

To my palate the flavours could blend a bit more, and I do wonder if the hops and the roast fight a bit too much. However, I found I was opening a second can the next night, as I was intrigued by its overall profile. Drier and more edgy than most red/amber ales, it does suggest a different approach than Tree’s Thirsty Beaver or Yukon’s Red Ale. Whether it is better or too chaotic will depend on your preferences around red ales. There is something to be said about that soft, smooth, rounded, blended character of a red ale. This is not quite that – they are taking a different route to the same end.

I look forward to seeing what they can do once they get their hands on their own brewing equipment.