Mayflower Spring Hop - Mayflower Brewing Company

Hojaminbag

Colorado

3.6/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Mayflower Spring Hop has a translucent, brown body and a creamy tan head. Pretty good retention and some decent lacing.

The aroma is pretty good, with loads of orange, lemon, and a little bit of floral scents. Very hoppy, with just a bit of sweet, biscuit-like malt in the background.

The flavor isn't nearly as hop-centric as the aroma suggests. Up front comes a blast of orange, some grapefruit and just a hint of lemon. A little bit of grass. The malt comes in and takes the beer over, with biscuits and a little bit of molasses.

Medium bodied and well-carbonated.

I liked the aroma of this one more than I liked the flavor. Not bad at all though.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2011 14:20:38 | More by Hojaminbag

tigg924

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Sam Adams perfect pint glass

Appearance: moderate carbonation, 1/4 inch head, dark caramel brown in color, clear

Smell: pine hops and light citrus hops

Taste: caramel with big piney hops, small citrus hops and an earthy back bone.

Mouthfeel: sweet start with a big bitter spike in the middle and a less bitter end, high carbonation, light body

Overall: Mayflower knows how to do seasonal beers. They may have the best seasonal line up in the state. This one is no exception. You would think the pilgrims landed in California as this one is a very hoppy red ale and drinks very west coast. A sipper, I could have two per sitting, but would want more for the next time.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2011 13:27:04 | More by tigg924

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Found this at the store today and was surprised to find that this would be it's first review. I looked it up on the Mayflower site and it's not even listed yet. Bottle is date stamped and I believe it says this was bottled on 3/4/11 (the month is a little smeared)

First note is that it's darker in color than I would have guessed. Totally clear and straight amber in color with no visible carbonation. Two fingers of fluffy head form and show great structure. It's collapses fairly quickly but leave clumps behind. Nice lacing.

Aroma is grassy, fresh and of grapefruit peel. Very floral and almost perfume like. Green and fresh in nature.

Nicely done. Pretty wonderful balance here. Hop focused but with a perfect malt backbone. Bitter, citrus hops front and back with a perfect bready malt flavor in the middle. Like crusty bread. Some light fruit as well. Finishes smooth with just a tingle of bitterness.

Very smooth mouth feel and subtle carbonation.

Very easy drinking and a great brew to greet spring.

Well done Mayflower.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2011 22:39:11 | More by Reagan1984

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine Issue #51 (April 2011):

A hoppy Red Ale thrown into the ring for spring seasonals ... someone has been thinking outside the box. A beauti- ful-looking beer, with thick froth left on the glass and a brilliant red color. Fresh peppery and citric hop nose meets its malty counterpart and then some. Smooth, oily slick palate; some malt body with a faint viscous hop oil. Lots of hop flavor, so much that the bitterness is a forethought. Malt base aims dry, but is quite toasty. Hops linger for a long time with firm citric and tobacco flavors. A gem of a spring seasonal—great to see another hoppy Red on the shelves

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2011 01:24:16 | More by BeerAdvocate

scottfrie

California

3.95/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into Portsmouth snifter. 4/7/11 printed on bottle. Huge thanks to SneezyAchew for both the beer and the glass!

A: Pours a glowing dark ruby red with a huge, oily, light-tan head that slowly faded into a fuzzy film that left sticky patches of lacing down the glass.
S: Very hoppy on the nose with notes of citrus and flowers. There is balancing scent of sweet malt, but for the most part this smells like an ipa.
T: The malt hits the mouth first with flavors of dark breadcrust similar to rye. The hops come in second and round out the brew with an ambiguous flavor of citrus rind and flowers. The finish is sweet and peppery with flavors of earthy spices, and the aftertaste is lightly bitter and drying.
M: Medium body with frothy carbonation that for the most part is soft, but there is a sharpness to the mouthfeel at times. This beer is slick but not too oily, and finishes fairly dry.
O: A very hoppy amber ale great for those of us who like everything to be hopped up. Thanks for sending me more than one of these Michael, I'm enjoying them.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2011 20:02:12 | More by scottfrie

Jayli

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured in to a pint glass

A: This beer pours a clear, deep copper/amber color with a one finger of foamy, rocky off white. Head retains nicely and leave sticky sheets of lacing on the glass.

S: Nose is a nice big caramel malt profile with piney and citrus hop presence.

T: Taste is a very well balanced brew here! Taste starts with piney hop notes before the malt profile takes over. Nice biscuity notes and a touch of caramel come through. Mild pine and a nice grapefruit zest give a nice bite. The bite is calmed by a hint of grassy earthy notes and a touch of sweetness finish this one out.

M: Lighter side of medium body, medium carbonation, nice crisp body, dry in the middle with a bit sticky finish.

D: Goes down very easily, tasty, not too filling, mild kick, nice representation of style. This is definitely a beer that I will be revisiting numerous times this spring!

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2011 00:35:17 | More by Jayli

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Clear, dark amber with a fingers width white cap. Drippy lace left by decent retention.

Bright, airy, floral and grapefruit citrus hops and fruity bread crust aroma. Has a deep earthy undercurrent from which the hops bring brightness to like the first sunshine rays of a thawing New England spring. Hooray for the power of suggestion.

Grapefruit hop flavor and an earthy, sweet, slightly raisin puree hinted, bread crust malt. Grassy, grapefruit bitter. Mouthfeel is silky smooth - reminds me of Geoffrey Beene Sateen shirts in a tactile sense.

There are few things I enjoy more than an balanced, flavorful, sessionable amber ale.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2011 23:53:09 | More by donkeyrunner

merc7186

New York

4.03/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this beer poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

A: Amber Hue, Passes Some Light, Off White Head, Great Lacing

S: Black Pepper, Piney, Nutty, Malty

T: Black Pepper, Piney, Nutty, Malty, Mild Caramel

M: Great Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Spicy, Bitter, Semi Drying

Overall, a really good take on a hoppy amber ale with a nice spicy, malty backbone finish. These guys may have something going for them.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2012 01:58:11 | More by merc7186

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

4.53/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-Pours a rich, deep amber hue. Was not sure what the style of the beer was when I bought it so I was surprised to see how dark it was. Now knowing that its an amber ale, I am excited. A slightly off-white head with orange tones forms and refuses to die. The beer leaves pretty good lacing too.

S-Quite a pungent nose. Big whiff of citrus hoppiness. Floral and grassy hops too. A sweet maltiness is present as well. Smells pretty great. Good balance between sweet and bitter hops.

T-Very, very floral. Hop bitterness mixes well with the bright floral hop notes. Rich flavor but not overpowering which makes this beer simply taste sessionable. The malt is subtle, but adds another dimension to the beer. A great amber beer.

M-Just about medium bodied. Drying. Not overly carbonated. Mouthfeel is great for a beer that begs you to drink all 6 in one sitting.

O/D-This beer far exceeded my expectations! I like Mayflower so I thought I'd give it a go even though I knew nothing about it. To my surprise, this is most likely my favorite Mayflower brew. A sessionable, but still extremely flavorful brew! Yea Plymouth.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2011 18:09:36 | More by VelvetExtract

number1bum

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear copper color with two fingers of beige head. Keeps only a thin lace, fullest around the rim, with some good rings of stick as it falls.

Smell is very bright, floral and fresh. Big grapefruit and citrus aromas, very fresh and juicy. There is a bready malt base with some caramel sweetness here too, but the hops really shine brigthly.

Taste is not nearly as hoppy as the nose, but makes up for it with a nice bready and sweet caramel malt base. I don't know if there is any rye in this but it has a rye bread sort of quality to it. I do wish the hops were a little juicier and more citrusy like they were on the nose, but those flavors are much more subtle. Modest bitterness in the finish.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and quite smooth. Pretty creamy with average carbonation.

This beer smells amazing and tastes quite good as well. The label states that the intent here was to profile aroma hops, so it's not surprising that it's not as hoppy as the nose was. That would have made it a really incredible beer, although the flavor is still quite good. A nice spring seasonal from Mayflower.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2011 01:22:23 | More by number1bum

Dope

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: A very nice clear ruby red pour. Huge dense tan head adorns it. Head retention is top notch, it never fully fades, leaving a nice permanent foamy island. Lacing leaves spiderwebs all over the glass.

S: Nice citrus hop character up front with a bit of pine. Very nice bready and sweet malt backs it up. Touch of resin once in a while.

T: Citrusy with orange and grapefruit. Big sweet bready malt comes in after that to balance it up. Bitter pine and resin follows and lingers into the aftertaste.

M: Medium bodied, a bit bitter and drying in the aftertaste.

O: Great amber ale. Nice strong malt with enough hops to match. Varied and balanced flavor. I daresay that this is basically Nugget Nectar Jr. Not as good in any one area of course but stands on its own nicely. Drinkable and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 03:59:06 | More by Dope

Hibernator

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Mayflower Spring Hop Ale
12 oz brown bottle
03/06/12 jet ink on the side of label
Served in a 20 oz tulip

Pours a reddish crimson color with a decent head on top. Trails of sticky lace cling to the side of the glass.

Nice aroma of malts, but also some hoppy notes of citrus fruits too.

The mouthfeel provides a chewy malt backbone with hints of caramel sweetness. The finish provides a nice hop snap with flavors of green apples and citrus inspired grapefruit.

An enjoyable spring time beer from Mayflower. Having this beer reminds me that I need to plan a trip to visit the brewery down in Plymouth.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2012 22:26:29 | More by Hibernator

portia99

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle poured into a Dogfish Head signature glass.

A - Pours an unexpectedly dark magohony and amber mix with a strong two fingers of khacki dense foam with excellent staying power. As the head dies slowly it leaves behind an even coating of fine bubbled lace all over the glass.

S - Very fresh hop aromas up front here. Nice combination of citrus, pine, grass and spicy hops. Citrus takes the lead, but the variety of hop character is all allowed to shine thru nicely. Only a trace of breadlike malt sneaks past the hops into the aroma.

T - Hops and malt work together in the flavor with a bit more balance than the aroma. Firm hop bitterness with the sweetish caramel driven malt rides underneath it slightly. Layers of resiny hops thru the middle - I get more pine than anything else in here, but there is definitely citrus and grassy contributions too. Very good, but a bit less impressive than the aroma - which is always a bit of a disappointment for me.

M - Medium bodied with equivalent carbonation level. Feels very bright and fresh. Resiny but not quite sticky in feel. Very fresh tasting - coincidentally? makes me think of stepping outside on the first warm spring day aqnd breathing in the smells of spring.

O - This is an excellent American pale ale. This has such a great fresh character to it. Not sure how well this will hold up over time, but it certainly is very nice with only a couple weeks or less on it. This could very easily become my go to spring seasonal.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2011 19:17:55 | More by portia99

BeerResearcher

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz dark brown bottle. Packaged on Date stamped on label.
Served in a SA etched fluted glass.
It's a deep coppery amber color with a 1" fast-fading white head. Some sticky and trailing lacing.
Almost IPA-quality resinous hop nose. Some citrusy and flowery aromas vie for attention, as does a light smell of rye toast.
The taste reminds me of some rye ales at first gulp. The edgy hop bitterness give way a bit to a honey and malty sweetness.
A very tasty brew and a nice beer to welcome in the spring.
Will pair nicely with grilled burgers and brats.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2011 23:40:13 | More by BeerResearcher

ShogoKawada

Rhode Island

4.5/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

12oz into pint glass. This beer has confirmed that low ABV american red ales are among some of my favorite beers. No freshness date, although this arrived at my local store within the last few days.

A- Dark ruby amber, did not know this was an amber ale until I poured it. Orangey tan creamy head sticks nicely and has some pretty solid retention. A very attractive pour.

S-
Floral and fruity hops- could get lost in the nose. Very sweet and sugary.

T- Follows the nose- great hop flavor, mostly fruity, some floral notes and a bit of pine resin, mild bitterness but it's much more aromatic/flavorful than bitter. Slight toasty bready malt compliments the hops without overstepping it's role.

M- Perfect balance, oozing flavors, no off-notes, splendid carbonation. Light compared to other beers, but just right considering the ABV.

O- I think I found a new favorite seasonal. This beer is the east coast answer to Stone's Levitation (of which I'm a huge fan)- however this has a bit more 'oomph' behind it, both in flavor and ABV. Glad I bought 2 6ers, will have to grab some more before this is gone. Well done, Mayflower. Thanks for coming to RI!

615

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2011 13:45:37 | More by ShogoKawada

THECPJ

Delaware

4.43/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed from notes:

appearance: copper orange with a 1 finger head

smell: hops, citrus, malts

taste: citrus, floral, hops, malts

mouthfeel: mild carbonation, medium body,

overall: this is a very nice amber / red ale. So glad that I got to try it out.

Cheers,
The CPJ

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2011 00:29:30 | More by THECPJ

bum732

Maryland

4.33/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

S: Fresh hops, resiny, some pine, grapefruit, some breadiness, candy-like hops.

L: Deep burnt orange, light tan head, creamy retention and solid lacing.

T: Grapefruit rind like hop with key limes. Semi-grassy sweetness followed by a rind-like bitterness. Typical hoppy dryness.

M: Medium light mouthfeel, medium carbonation.

Solid beer, unique aroma and taste, very rind like and a great hop aroma. Absolutely love this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2011 06:25:41 | More by bum732

ThePorterSorter

New York

4.03/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

thanks merc for this sweet free gift

The beer pours a deep crimson, almost dried blood red with a thick, foamy off-white head. There's some nice looking lacing and no sediment. The smell is big hops (not specifically citrus or pine), sweet malt, and a touch of alcohol. Although the head falls quickly in my wide-mouth DFH goblet, it's easily regenerated with a swirl. Nothing seems to be out of balance in this beers nose and taste, therefore it will pair nicely with dinner. It's got a nice malt base that helps stifle the intense hops, but the aftertaste is all AA bitterness. The beer's body is a light-medium and has a creaminess associated with the intense carbonation. There is no excessive, unwarranted bitterness in the aftertaste, just a residual grafefruitiness.
Overall this beer tastes fresh, hoppy and is easy to drink. It reminds me a lot of sixpoint's resin due to it's rich maltiness and intensely resiny hops. It's definitely something I'd try again and I would especially like to enjoy a full pint at some point.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2012 22:49:31 | More by ThePorterSorter

silentjay

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a purplish/amber beer produces a sizable soft off-white head that sticks around for a while and laces very nicely.

some caramel malts give way to herbal/floral/woody, citrus and grassy hops.

starts with some crackery malts with a ton of caramel and then a rush of hops come in providing some spicey, herbal, floral, citric and pine flavors. a bit toasty, but hoppy and balanced.

medium bodied a bit resiny and a bit sticky with subtle but present carbonation.

another quality, though not quite mind-blowing, Mayflower beer. They are always worth the money, and this is another example of that.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2012 04:45:58 | More by silentjay

steve8robin

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had a sample of this brew at a local beer store and loved it! Had to grab a bottle. 12oz bottle, packaged on 02/24/11...

A: A gorgeous clear ruby red and slight copper color with a 1 inch off white head that fades quickly to a bubbly lace. Very good.

S: Smells of a nice sweet hop immediately upfront followed by some nice earthy citrus and some nice faint malts on the backend. This smells great. Very good.

T: A nice dry bitter hop which is quickly followed by earthy grain and breadiness. Some grassy bitterness in the middle and a slight almost cranberry flavor buried on the back. Good.

M: Medium body with a good carbonation. A very dry finish. Good.

O: All in all, this is a great beer. A nice bitter clean hop is the staple of this beer. It is nicely balanced by some tame grains and malts. Definitely try this if you like hoppy ambers! Great beer. May be the best I've tried from Mayflower yet!

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2011 01:44:41 | More by steve8robin

jneiswender

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this beer at the brewery as part of the tour. Served in a sample glass from a new bottle. NIce clear amber body and an off white head. Well ramped up smells. Smell of nice citrus fruit and pine. Great resin, fruit flavor. Bitter but not a bomb. Good malt balance. Nice cereal flavor. Medium mouth feel. Great beer and I would have this again.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 02:44:30 | More by jneiswender

Flounder57

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

12 oz bottle was poured into a pint glass.

Appearance: This beer poured a one finger head that reduced to a thin layer and left some nice lacing on the glass. It is a deep copper and amber color with good clarity and bubbles coming up through the glass.

Smell: Caramel and bready malts with some citrus and piney aromas in the rear. The scent is a bit on the light side and would be a lot better if it were more fragrant.

Taste: Same as above. Hops are nice with some lingering bitterness in the end.

Mouthfeel: Creamy and silky smooth, medium carbonation, and medium bodied.

Overall: Pretty nice amber/red. The taste could be cleaner and the aroma more noticeable, but I'm happy with this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 04:29:25 | More by Flounder57

Gatch

Massachusetts

4.21/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Beautiful copper red color with a tan head. Good lace. Sweet malt and fruity hops in both the nose and taste. Sugary, sweet liquid. Great balance of malt and hop and definitely not as hop forward as I expected but its awesome for the style. Smooth and easy drinking. I had high expectations for this beer and they were met. Delicious brew. Still good in May when I think it was released in March.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 00:26:46 | More by Gatch

ryan1788a5

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

A: Pours golden/amber with a thick white head. Great retention and sticky lacing.

S: Lots of American hops. Pine and tropical fruits. Distinct grapefruit and some mango and melon. Green grass clippings. It smells like spring. Underlying malt scents are very sweet. Crystal and caramel malt.

T: Sweet malt flavors open, then step aside and let grapefruit and pine hop flavors take the helm. Pleasant grainy tastes mid-palate. Bitterness builds. Tropical melon tastes play in the background. Dry finish with hop bitterness and faint grainy tastes lingering.

M: Medium bodied, but very full and creamy. Firm carbonation adds crispness and enhances drinkability.

O: A hoppy, flavorful, and very drinkable spring seasonal.

Notes: Wow! This has got to be one of the best spring seasonals on the market. Perfect warm weather beer. Hop heads will love it too. It is certainly bitter enough. This now sits behind nugget nectar at the top of the amber/red style in my mind. Best in Mayflower's lineup next to their porter.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2011 18:12:10 | More by ryan1788a5

twelvsies

Maine

4.03/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I miss Mayflower - but I was pleased to see that the missus brought back a 6er of this from Boston the other day. Pours a beautiful amber color, very clear, with a frothy dense head and great lacing down the glass. Nose is very hop forward - fresh and floral with a touch of mint or herbs and some tropical fruit, apricot maybe. Hops still plenty active on the palate, but this beer is more about balance. A nice biscuity malt backdrop and a subtle, earthy nuttyness play off the hops well. Not particularly bitter, just robust, bready, and hoppy. Crisp and smooth on the palate, and refreshing for as dark as it is. A good candidate for outdoor drinking this season by the grill. This is a nice take on a "fresh hop" seasonal - usually they are lighter but this is a good malty amber with the hop profile to match.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2011 00:06:09 | More by twelvsies