The last time I was at my favorite local liquor store, I saw some fancy new bottles from Flossmoor Station. I had heard of them from members of my local homebrew club, as they have had the chance to stop there. It’s south of Chicago by a little bit. Since I’ve had a lot of the other beers on tap here at Medici in Normal, I thought I’d give this one a try. Their site says, “Our Panama Limited Red is a hoppy, robust yet smooth amber ale brewed with nine different malts and four types of hops. With its deep amber color and rich malty body, our Panama Limited Red will smoothly transport you into the wonderful world of complex and flavorful handcrafted beers.”
Location: On tap at Medici in Normal, IL
Numbers: 6% ABV
Appearance & Aroma: The color was deep red/brown and it was pretty clear. The head was thin, but very creamy and tan. There was a bready-malty aroma with some caramel toastiness to it, along with a nice grassy hop aroma.
Taste & Feel: The body was medium and mouthfeel was smooth and creamy. This added to the solid bready and caramel maltiness in the middle along with a bit of sweetness. The hop flavor came in late in the finish, giving it a somewhat bittersweet taste that lingered for a little bit. The bittersweet finish was crisp after the smooth, creamy maltiness in the middle.
Food Pairing: This beer has a solid malt backbone, so it’s going to need an equally hearty meal to go along with it. I think the malty flavors might go well with something like BBQ, and I think the breadiness and grassy hop flavors might make it a good pairing for St. Louis style ribs.
Overall Impression: I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I must say that I was very surprised with this beer. The malt flavors were great and the creamy body gave it plenty of flavor and feel. After enjoying the full flavor, it finished with a nice tasting, crisp, grassy hop bitterness which mingled with the toasty caramel sweetness. I really enjoyed this beer and it has definitely encouraged me to try other beers from this brewery.
My Rating: 
Reader Ratings[five-star-rating]
