Hop Head Red Ale

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One of my favorite local beers. Delicious combo of malt and hops. Best red ever.

Poured from 12 oz. bottle into pint glass. A: Deep copper to reddish-brown in color. Very hazy. Tan head, about one finger's worth. Moderate visible carbonation. S: Piney hops, malt, some sweetness. T: Pine, bitter hops, then malt. The sweeter flavors fade quickly to the ending bitterness, which reminds me of grapefruit rinds. It is hop-forward, but overall seems a very balanced beer for the style. Although, to be fair, I'm not sure the style actually exists. M: A little creamy, good carbonation. Bitterness bite at end with just a touch of sourness. There is more alcohol presence than I expected. O: A good, very drinkable brew. Now that Green Flash is available around here, it will likely be a regular. That being said, I remember liking it much more on draft than out of this bottle.

Lovely red

Love it!!

Aroma: bready malt aroma, with fruity citrus hop aroma. Appearance: Amber red color, white frothy head. Taste: medium sweetness and very bitter. A bit too much for my liking. long finish.

Mmm.

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Great hop beer. Nice and clean. Not too hoppy so good for a starter into hop beer. Beautiful color !

I normally hate IPAs but this is a red IPA and loved it!! Smooth amber ale flavor with a hint of bitterness from Amarillo hops.

Cloudy amber brown color with a full head. Citrus hop flavor with a dried wheat undertone.

2/18/2012 If the bitterness was just a little more balanced, it would be a favorite. Very good as it is; pretty easy to drink, goes down smooth, slightly dry finish. Would drink again.

This poured a surprising amber red, but all the hoppy taste of an IPA. Somewhat disappointed in the lack of aroma, but the taste provided plenty of citrus flavor and at 6%ABV and 45 IBU it was well balanced and easy to have several. I enjoyed this a full bodied, citrus flavored brew.

2012 beer list

Hoppy and crisp

2/9/2012. 12oz bottle. No date on bottle or package. Pours dark copper with a substantial head that displays excellent retention. Beefy lace rings on this. Disappointed at the aroma - hop aromas are underwhelming and somewhat overpowered by fruity esters and toffee. Maybe it's better when fresh, not that I know whether this bottle is fresh or not. On the palate this fares much better. Solid caramel malt backbone, plenty of hop oils, a not quite IPA level of bitterness throughout. Reminds me of Celebration a bit, but not as good. More pronounced maltiness in keeping with the style, and more muted hop flavor (mostly grapefruit). Mouthfeel and drinkability are solid: oily, soft carbonation, no fuel note. Another really good beer from Green Flash, but can it stand up against Nugget Nectar? I'll have to do a side-by-side when Nugget Nectar comes out (soon).

the color was amber with a bit of red, very clear, definite lacing going on. the aroma was very reminiscent of IPAs with a lot of fruity and floral elements, had sort of a grape-like odor. the taste was sweet but also toasty with a very hoppy bitter finish. also picked up some almost medicinal qualities in the taste / aftertaste. it has a very balanced mouthfeel.

pours a 1/4" head. cloudy, auburn color, hoppy aroma with a subtle sweetness on the back end. very good beer.

Poured in a tulip. A: Pours a clear, bright ruby red with 2 fingers of fluffy, off-white head that dissipates slowly. A good, thick layer of lacing clings to the side of the glass. Low carbonation. N: Candied orange, candy sugar, pine, rich caramel, florals and a hint of brown sugar. T: Candied orange, candy sugar and caramel upfront. Mid-palette there's grapefruit and pine with some toffee notes underneath. Finishes with spicy pine, florals and grass with a note of burnt sugar and perhaps some brown sugar. M: Medium-full bodied, semi-chewy, slightly tingly, crisp, smooth, clean and dry. O: Hop Head Red delivers on exactly what it is supposed to be. High hoppy bitterness balanced out by smooth candy caramel malts. Appearance, nose and mouth-feel are exceptional! Pine, citrus, florals and grassy hops are very well balanced.

This is one of the classic West Coast Red Ales. It has a huge malt character that is only matched by the copious hop charages at all levels. It has big bitternes, aroma and hop flavor. It comes in a 4 pack for a reason.