Thrashzone Morbid Red is a 6.8% American IPA brewed by Thrashzone Brew Labo based in Yokohama. It is heavily infused with El Dorado hops while the redness of the beer is associated with the Keihin Kyūkō, aka Keikyu, line that runs through Yokohama station. According to the Thrashzone Brew Labo, the Keikyu line is the “soul train” though it’s a far stretch to understand why. Thrashzone Morbid Red can be found on tap all-year round at Thrash Zone though I’m yet to see it anywhere else.
One of the “weaker” beers at Thrash Zone.
Thrashzone Morbid Red Aroma and Taste
At 6.8%, Thrashzone Morbid Red is one the weaker beers on the menu at Thrash Zone, with only the Thrash Zone Tsuruyacho Ale (5%) and the Thrashzone Front Side Grind (3.5%) being weaker. In the past, I’ve tended to avoid it as I usually only stick around for two, maybe three beers at a push and like some bang for my buck or want to try some of the other beers on tap. Moreover, the quality has varied so many times that I had kind of lost interest before drinking it three times in a row to get the same taste.
Thrashzone Morbid Red poured out a deep red colour with a minimal amount of head. I’m sure that you could probably ask for head if you really want some but you might get some funny looks. What head there was had an off-white tinge to it that appeared brownish in the light of the bar. The aroma coming off it was a sweet caramel aroma with a huge citrus and apricot-like aroma to it. The sweetness also had a boiled sweet like aroma to it, something not too dissimilar to boiled apple and raspberry sweets.
The body had similarities to the aroma with the sweetness from the malts being balanced well against the bitterness of the hops, which got stronger as the beer went down. The grassiness wasn’t as pronounced as in other beers from Thrashzone Brew Labo but it still had the light, citrus flavours that I associate with El Dorado hops. It finished off quite sweet but balanced as the aftertaste faded away.
Thrashzone Morbid Red One Line Review
Thrashzone Morbid Red is a really nice, smooth IPA that is worth trying as long as the recipe remains constant.
4 comments
they are really improving. good clarity in their beers, too
Another precinct reporting. ;=)
This is my favo(u)rite Thrash Zone beer. I am not a hophead. I think a bunch of craft beer breweries put out a DIPA, or an ‘imperial’ IPA without considering the context of how it differs from its regular IPA. So many turn out tasting like a hop soup. But, they apparently sell; and so the brewery doesn’t want to leave that money on the table.
As for Koichi-san’s preference for Keikyu’s red cars over the greenish livery of J.R. consists, I identify as his personal selection. {Another one which I share.}
It’s definitely one of mine too. It has improved a lot over the years, though it has got stronger and stronger too.
Definitely true – it seems that they throw in the hops and forget about the base of the beer. The malt maketh the beer.