Which statement accurately describes Irish Red Ale's malt and color profile?

• A. Uses a dark chocolate malt predominant.
• B. English pale base malt with a small amount of roasted barley or black malt for reddish color.
• C. Fermented with warm lager yeast.
• D. Contains lactose.

Answer: (B)

Irish Red Ale gets its characteristic reddish color from a pale malt base with just a hint of roasted malt. The standard approach uses an English pale base malt, and only a small amount of roasted barley or black malt to tint the beer without making it dark or chocolatey. If you used mostly dark chocolate malt, the beer would lean toward a much deeper, chocolatey profile, not the light to reddish hue typical of this style. It’s an ale, so it’s fermented with ale yeast rather than a warm lager yeast, and lactose isn’t part of its traditional malt profile—lactose is more associated with sweetness in other styles like milk stouts. So the best description is a pale base with a touch of roasted malt to yield the reddish color.