Redhook Long Hammer IPA

Brewed by Redhook Brewery
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Woodinville, Washington USA

Sampled at the Flour City Brewers’ Fest 2008. Redhook Long Hammer IPA is a dense, light golden ale with a huge, white, fluffy, rocky head. It leaves excellent lacing. It has a huge aroma of hops-- not citrusy, maybe Saaz. It is medium light bodied and pretty smooth with a dry finish. The flavor is pretty mellow and really well balanced. It tastes grassier than the aroma and I’m detecting some lemon that I didn’t pick up in the aroma. I’d like to compare this to Ballard Bitter.

Two drafts in a plastic cup at an obscenly long LV Iron Pigs game last night. Nose was lost in the wind but what I got was mellow hops and some grain. I was actually glad to see this at a minor league baseball game since as you guessed it you intrepid reader, BMC abounded in those funky metal bottle shaped cans. They even had landshark lager in them thar can-bottles. Medium minus body that looked a bit strange under the field lights in that thick clear plastic cup. A deeper amber with a head that dissapeared fast. Floral hops and whole hops in quantity for a well founded hoppy experience. Nice with that 7th inning hot dog that had been sitting since the 2nd. Mmmm.

On tap. The pour was a pale copper that almost seemed more tan. A thin white head that produced little lacing. The aroma was cardboard and pine. Dry, not much sweetness balancing against it. The flavor was dry hops with some floral notes. Very little sweetness. Thin, easy drinking. Not very exciting.

Bottle poured into a plastic cup at the Comcast Center. I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I got it because it seemed like a decent choice given my only other options: bud, bud light, smirnoff ice, coors light. Nice piney aroma and flavor. Not the best IPA, but worth a try.

Cask at GBBF 2008 ... amber ... american hop nose ... little dry ... little sweet hoppy ... little floral.

Pours a very yellow color with medium head. Aroma of piney hops. Tastes of floral hops and slight flavor of pines and some citrus and malts. Very drinkable with a medium bitter finish but honestly more of a pale ale.

from bottle, poured to glass. nice head, some of which lingers like soap. good looking beer. very pleasant aroma, hops and tangerine. taste, sweet and fairly complex: hops, fruit (peach, plum, orange), slightly nutty and slightly caramel. a little "woodsy" like pine sap. strong taste for a second, then drops dramatically. somewhat bitter aftertaste, hoppy, nutty (particularly almond) and pine sap again. feels like soapy or oily water in the mouth. a little fizzy, nowhere near heavy. i like this beer, another good redhook product.

Cask at GBBF 08. Slightly hazy yellowish amber with a great nose of aromatic American hops and fruit salad. Simple, highly drinkable and very nice.