Ginger Twin - Half Acre Beer Company

timc100

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Gorgeous looking red ale. Blood red amber with a sticky red-tinged beige head.

S: Really fresh and hoppy. Big, ripe sweet grapefruit dominates, backed by caramel and toffee - slightly sticky and resinous, very slight tropical fruit astringency. Very hop forward red ale

T: Much less vibrant than the nose. Grapefruit and caramel. Very smooth

P: Surprisingly low carbonation - medium bodied

O: Another solid offering from Half Acre - love what they're doing

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 23:36:15 | More by timc100

zrbeer1579

Illinois

4.39/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Originally, I was going to have this on tap but I had other beers. That is when it came out again. So, I resorted to buying a bomber at the brewery's store to have a couple days later.

Appearance: Dark, somewhat hazy, crimson/blood red with a one and half finger tan head. I'm digging it. One thick ring and spotty lacings.

Aroma: Sweet floral. Piney with some grapefruit/orange. A little bit of sweet caramel.

Taste: Nice sweet floral and pine. Tangerine and a little hint of grapefruit. Some tangy citrus. Sweet caramel makes a good present throughout. Slight toasted malts. Tasted very fresh, which was great!

Mouthfeel: Feels medium bodied. Carbonation fits well. Finish has a little hop bitterness and caramel sweetness.

Overall: Most delicious hoppy red ale I've had so far.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 00:51:22 | More by zrbeer1579

DavoleBomb

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a snifter. Big thanks to Urbancaver for this.

4.0 A: Opaque amber brown color. Three fingers of frothy beige head. Retention is pretty good and a good bit of lacing is left.

4.0 S: Big toastiness with earthy and citrusy hops. This really isn't any hoppier than most amber ales, so they could have just called it an amber. Big hit of caramel with a dusty graininess and a solid neutral malt sweetness.

4.0 T: Taste is much like the nose. Toasty and grainy malts with caramel and a solid neutral sweetness. Hops are citrusy with focus on orange and earthy. Very tasty.

4.0 M: Medium body. Good moderate carbonation. Reasonably creamy and super smooth.

4.5 D: Super easy to drink with a wonderful toasty flavor.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 23:39:15 | More by DavoleBomb

yourefragile

District of Columbia

3.9/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle

Pours a clear, dark chestnut amber with a creamy light tan head. Nice retention and minimal lace. Slightly sweet caramel and biscuit malt dominated nose with some residual sugar and mild resiny hops. Medium thick body, soft carbonation. Not as sweet as the nose in the flavor, bready and doughy malt throughout finishing with an earthy and resiny hop finish. Reminds me of Big Hoppy Monster, not a bad beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 23:28:05 | More by yourefragile

cmoody91

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber picked up from brewery on 5/24/2012 opened 06/22/2012 poured into my Half Acre Pint Glass.

Copper/ginger (appropriately named) color toped by a inch foamy bubble head. Aroma is all piney hops with a sweet finish of malt. Taste starts off weak and finishes strong as your taste buds register carbonation, malt, caramel then strong spicy hop finish. Mouthfeel is oily with fine carbonation. Overall a compelling example of the style and a fun seasonal beer for them. Kudos, HA.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 03:49:02 | More by cmoody91

siege06nd

Virginia

4/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Big thanks to bertram for this little treat...

A. I'm immediately stricken by how ugly the color on this beer is, light rusty toilet water. I really don't like light colored beers that are this cloudy...just brings to mind bad imagery. That said, it's got a fairly tight half finger head and some pretty solid lacing. That's enough to balance out the atrocious color and let me settle on an 'Average' for this.

S. Mmmmm, now that's better. A nice, aggressive hop presence in the bouquet, this one a very herbal/grassy hop profile. Some faint caramel malts linger in the background, but for the most part, this is a hop storm.

T. Roasted malt, burnt caramel, and a more subtle hop profile than I expected. The front is all sweet malts and caramel with some piney hop presence, which carries into the mid with some light grassiness. Caramel notes carry throughout, and provide a really nice backbone to the beer. Not at all what I expected from the nose, but in fact it is much more enjoyable than I thought it would be. This is pretty good.

M. Medium-light bodied and nicely carbonated. A mouthfeel that is a study in contrast, as to me it is at once crisp and creamy. Nice.

O. A very solid amber here. It's not going to give Nugget Nectar a run for its money anytime soon, but this is very well-crafted and, at 6.5%, it's one you can enjoy on a summer's day without getting absolutely hammered. I really enjoyed this, and encourage anyone who sees it chilling on the shelf to pick one up and give it a whirl.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2012 18:55:53 | More by siege06nd

ChiPool

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Picked up a bomber at the brewery today. Poured into a duvel tulip.

GT pours a dark amber, opaque color. It is well carbonated, with a generous amount of cream colored head. It's not particularly aromatic, but it looks pretty! Locally, there is some creativity within this style, so I'm happy to see new spins on a relatively bland style. This is a hopped up red: reminds me a bit of some of the nice rye beers from the region (Founders/2 Bros/etc.). Pretty well balanced. Nice beer...actually, similar to odells version of the same style.

Overall: above average. maybe a gateway for a bidding hophead? Always happy to try an offering from HA, and to suport my local brewers.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 01:15:08 | More by ChiPool

KDawg

Illinois

4/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

poured from bottle into a pint glass. Pours a orange/amber color with a small head

Rich and aromatic with aromas of malts, toffee, blood oranges, and some hops

medium/full bodied with a real nice smooth feel and good flavors of blood oranges, malts, and some toffee

More hoppy on the aromas than the feel. One of my favorites from half-acre and always a welcome time when they release it

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 23:53:06 | More by KDawg

312HopBomb

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Gushing head from the fresh growler generates frothy head. Appearance is a cloudy caramel. After a moderate time the head falls to a light coating with some lacing.

Smell is the daisy cutter profile of citrus and tropical fruity hops and a good malt backing of caramel malts. A hopped up red ale like the description says.

Tastes like a quality red ale with grapefruit hops which hit my tastebuds the way I like it. Assertive hops blend with the caramel malts and balancing subtle residual sweetness.

Mouthfeel has spot on carbonation that is appropriate for this style.

I quite enjoyed this one. I missed it last year but glad I was able to try Ginger Twin. Always look forward to a new one from Half Acre Beer Company. Cheers!

Serving type: growler

04-16-2012 01:53:44 | More by 312HopBomb

kawilliams81

Illinois

4/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from Half Acre growler into Half Acre tulip.

A- Cloudy, burnt orange color with 3" tapioca head. Heavy netting of lacing.

S- toast, caramel, citrus and pine.

T- citrus upfront with some sweet caramel and toasted malts. Nice pine and grass bitterness.

M- medium body and carbonation. Leaves somewhat of a dry, bitter aftertaste.

O- good amber. Not going to mistake this with Nugget Nectar but nice hoppy amber nonetheless.

Serving type: growler

04-07-2012 21:22:12 | More by kawilliams81

WankelEngine

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a Goose Island chalice because why the hell not

A: Pours a hazy amber/orange color. There is a fairly small yellow-tan head that fades to a few bubbles.

S: Smells of fruity hops, apricots and citrus. There is a good dose of caramel malt as well. There is a mild nuttiness as well.

T: Hops are still dominant but now they taste more of grass and pine. The fruit flavor is still present but subdued. There is a little bit of spice to the beer. Aftertaste has some lingering bitterness.

M: Medium-light bodied with mild but fizzy carbonation. A little bit oily.

O: A good combination of fruit, bitter and spice. Interesting take on an amber ale.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 06:50:45 | More by WankelEngine

bmwats

Louisiana

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

Poured from a 650 ml bottle into a standard pint.

A: Medium reddish brown. Pours about a 2 finger, frothy, brown-white head. Settles slowly and unevenly leaving some persistent residue behind as it does. Hefty lacing as well.

S: Baked French bread, with what seems like a little butterscotch, and a little nutmeg. I think some parsley in there, too.

T: Malty, and really grassy. Notes of Italian spice clearly present.

M: Bittersweet throughout including a lingering aftertaste.

D: Full flavored, but somewhat light body.

Atmosphere is pretty good. Nice appearance including a thick, persistent head, and plenty of lacing. Nose is not overly complex, but full; including grain and spice. Flavor is a light grainy combination with a grassy feel and some sweet and savory spice; but not overly so. Overall, this is a good quaff.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 05:09:19 | More by bmwats

BrewerB

California

4.05/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Big thanks to MarkFy for sending this bottle out in a recent trade. I'd shared this with a buddy of mine months ago and we both loved it. Have been hoping for another bottle ever since. Cheers, Mark!

Pouring into a Firestone Walker nonic pint glass. This is slightly hazy, amber-orange in color. Dimpled, 1-2 finger very light tan head setting up camp and staying for a while.

Pleasant, fruity, dried-apricot nose up front with a prominent sweet caramel malty layer right behind it. Touch of piney hop beneath those.

Sweet caramel malt with a hint of medium-dark chocolate. Hop flavor is a sweet, white peach. Dry finish with a medium-lingering toasty bread malt. Bitterness is moderately high.

Medium-light body with a moderate level of carbonation.

Overall not quite the beer I remember it to be but none the less a damn good American Amber and another solid offering from Half Acre.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2011 00:36:46 | More by BrewerB

ATLbeerDog

Georgia

3.95/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a beautiful but cloudy reddish brown with a frothy 2 finger yellow/tan head. Smells only of beautiful fresh c-hops. Wow this smells great. First sip mirrors the aroma. Some ginger spice here but not overwhelming. A tad thin but there is just enough malt to counter the massive hops. Interesting how this India Red Ale falls right smack in the middle of East and West Coast styles. The 6.5% ABV tastes bigger than stated. Either way this is a great IRA. So glad it is so fresh.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2011 22:42:10 | More by ATLbeerDog

syrupjoe

Minnesota

3.95/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle into pint glass

Pours a dark amber color with no particulates. Creamy light toffee colored one finger head.

Smells spicy, piney, nutty, and roasty.

Taste is herby, grassy, piney, caramely and slightly metallic.

Very well-rounded, smooth body with moderate carbonation and a creamy but crisp mouthfeel.

Really enjoying this beer, it has a lot of flavor for only being 6.5% abv. Overall very pleasant. Not phenomenal, but would drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2011 04:03:42 | More by syrupjoe

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Chambord shaped pint glass.

Finally getting around to cracking this bad boy. He pours a clear sunset russet topped by plenty of dirty cream foam. The nose comprises toffee, pine, spicy herbs (cilantro and the like), and nutmeg. The taste holds notes of pine, toffee, mixed greens, and light cilantro. The red portion of the beer is mostly drowned out by the hops, deceiving my tongue into thinking this is just a mildly malty IPA. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a dry finish. Overall, a nice hoppy red, but the redness just isn't able to shine through all that well. It's still pretty tasty, but I feel more redness would make it even better.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2011 02:25:37 | More by TMoney2591

cosmicevan

New York

4/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

picked this one up last time i was in chi-town.

a - opened and filled my southampton snifter. poured a soft yellow orange, but settled as a deep opaque brownish red with a generous frothy white head that hung out and left frothy lacing.

s - hops, fresh cut pine, spiciness. some malts. some nice earthiness that is well balanced.

t - nutty sweetness. sticky hops. not very much like an amber...maybe an amber with hops x 10. malts are certainly there, but this one leads with the hop on the nose and taste. the earthiness in the nose is also on the taste, it is a nice touch.

m - pretty thick, kind of syrupy. finishes with a soft hop bitterness.

o - overall, pretty good brew. nice for the style...good hop. some briskness.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2011 03:00:57 | More by cosmicevan

woosterbill

Connecticut

3.8/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber into a Duvel tulip. NB: A friend of mine included this in a box of random Chicago-area stuff that I picked up at DLD - 2010. It wound up in a box under another box, deep in the cellar, and is obviously over a year past the typical "freshness" window for a 6.5% beer. Having enjoyed some similarly accidentally-aged brews in the same ABV range, though, I decided to give this one a shot, and feel it's definitely worth communicating the experience.

A: Clear, deep orange-tinged amber body capped by a solid inch of creamy, thick tan head. Terrific retention and tons of lace. Lovely.

S: This must have been a hop monster when fresh, as the hops are still the dominant aroma even after 18 months. They're rich and spicy, and blend wonderfully with some caramel malt that displays some elegant smoky notes from its time in the cellar. I'm a fan.

T: Piney, spicy hops are up front, followed by a touch of sweet toffee, a bit of stone fruit, and a hugely bitter, dry finish. At this point I wish the hops were a little less dominant, as they suppress some of the malty complexity that I can tell is just bursting to get out.

M: Lively, slightly prickly medium body that smooths out nicely after a moment. Pretty good.

O: While the flavor doesn't quite stand up to the strong aroma, this was still a very enjoyable beer; the malts aren't quite strong enough to combat the heavy hops, even after a good bit of time, which is a pity - it smells like it has the makings of a nice little Barleywine-light.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2011 02:06:20 | More by woosterbill

jsanford

Georgia

4.1/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle poured into a Pint Glass.

Pours a nice dark copper with a huge, fluffy off-white head that settles to a craggy cap, leaving some spotty lacing as it recedes. Big, pungent hop aromas of pine resin, grapefruit, and pineapple with a solidly sweet amber malt backbone. Taste follows the nose closely, lots of sticky, resinous hops with a good amount of caramel/amber malt. There's a slight chocolate quality in the finish that's very nice. Very balanced flavor-wise. Mouthfeel is moderately crisp, slightly sticky, with a medium body and good carbonation. Overall a very nice Amber Ale, not quite Nugget Nectar but it's close.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2011 22:20:36 | More by jsanford

mdfb79

New York

3.58/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From 07/29/11 notes. Received in the Gang Bang BIF courtesy of the Chicago group; thanks guys! Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into a SAVOR snifter.

a - Pours a deep reddish amber color with one inch of off white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of caramel malts and toasted malts, which very light citrus hops as well. Pretty good.

t - Tastes of caramel malts, sweet fruity malts, light toasted malts, and light citrus hops.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation.

o - Overall a pretty nice amber ale. Lots of malts and some light citrus hops as well. Would give another shot.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2011 01:43:54 | More by mdfb79

JLeege

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance- Into a flute, pours a deep amber / mahogany color with two fingers worth of thick off white head. Above average retention and a little splotchy lace.

Smell- Citrus is noticed right away, particularly grapefruit, very vibrant. Somewhat floral beneath that, turning earthy and leading into caramel malt accents. Very impressive nose on this one.

Taste- Citrus on the tongue right away, but doesn’t turn bitter till the linger. Juicy grapefruit with some orange peel. Then a bright floral quality is procured, somewhat earthy, with a bit of pine. Turns to caramel and slightly doughy towards the finish, from the sturdy malt bill used. The ultimate linger is bitter citrus and slight brown sugar.

Mouthfeel- Medium light body with average carbonation for the style, just a bit sticky. Fairly dry.

Overall- An impressively complex beer for a generally, fairly straightforward style. They coined it an “India Style Red Ale” and that is a pretty damn good descriptor. Has an initial bright hoppy presence found in your IPAs leading to your deep caramel malt notes generally associated with an amber / red ale. If they ever 4-pack - can this, I would probably pick it up regularly.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2011 22:48:05 | More by JLeege

litheum94

California

4.08/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle. Reviewed on 6/27/2011.

Pour: Very deep copper body, almost brown in color. Some chill haze. Moderate, light brown head that settles out to a whispy cover. Nice, big bubbles.

Aromas: Carmel malts mingle with loads of piney hops. Very floral as well. Orange rind zest. Smells fantastic; typical red ale aromas, but pushed to the extremes.

Mouth: Carmel malts and brown sugar sweetness. Tangerine sourness. Floral tastes, like taking a bite out of a bouquet of flowers. Woody, pine bark hops and a strong bitterness. Oily, hop resin taste. Loads of juicy, citrus hops on the finish.

Great red ale. This is a style that I don't always like. Sometimes the bitterness is just off putting to me. But this hits the mark.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2011 00:31:03 | More by litheum94

HopHead84

California

3.9/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

7/2/2011

Thanks to stawn for opening the bottle. Snifter.

A: Hazy dark red with a big frothy off white head. Nice retention and thick sheets of lacing remain on the glass.

S: Aroma is of resinous pine and grapefruit flesh and rind. The carmael malt profile is pronounced. Nice and aromatic.

T: Lightly sweet caramel malt with a moderate bitterness. There's a little bread in there. The hops are reminiscent of pine and grapefruit. The finish is caramel and bitter grapefruit with a dash of alcohol.

M: Medium in body with upper moderate carbonation. The mouthfeel is sticky and dry.

Overall: An enjoyable hoppy red ale.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2011 18:25:11 | More by HopHead84

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle poured into tulip - thanks to beerecorder

Pours a clouded auburn color with some brighter orange hues. Thicker off-white head fades into a cloud of filmy retention with some spots of lacing on the glass.

Stiff pine and resin hops in the nose with some citrus notes. Bready caramel malts with some sweetness.

Kicks off with a nice bite of pine hops, sticky resin and bitterness wrap around the palate. Citrus with grapefruit and pith contribute to the attack. Thicker malt backbone tries to balance the flavors with breadcrust and caramel, with some slight syrupy notes. Finishes bitter and strong with a touch of heat.

Medium body, somewhat higher carbonation, sticky and aggressive on the tongue. I really enjoyed this one, and with a little more balance this could be pretty awesome.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2011 05:41:23 | More by xnicknj

ferrari29

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Beer poured from bottle int Pint shaped glass

A - Beer poured with a nice burgundy colored body; reddish tint; cloudy, but semi-translucent; nice one finger frothy looking beige colored head form and dissipated quickly and evenly leaving sticking lacing in its place; beer appears to be well carbonated

S - Nice citrus scents couple with a great malty back drop; brown sugar; pine and hop aroma; some apple; crisp and refreshing; caramel

T - Brown sugar; bitter flavor develops about 5 seconds after the sip is complete; feels like the beers flavor composition evolves from sweet to bitter; sweet flavors of brown sugar linger for a while but disappear as soon as the bitterness kicks in; great malt flavor; caramel; retro-olfaction kicks it up with more bitter aftertaste; hops and pine flavors

M - Some creaminess; slightly effervescent; slightly chewy; bitter aftertaste

D - Great drink; I really like this one; very easy to enjoy and smooth; sends your taste buds through a roller-coaster ride of flavor; you can't have just one sip!

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2011 05:30:32 | More by ferrari29