Redhook Long Hammer IPA - Redhook Ale Brewery

Dave128

Kentucky

3.25/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a funky looking bottle into a Duvel tulip.

A - A rigorous pour yields a finger and a half of white head. The body is golden in color and slightly hazy. Lacing is not bad here.

S - Well, it smells like an IPA. All I can really smell is grassy hops. Slightly citrusy.

T - Doesn't really have much malt character to it. It comes in right away with a sharp citrusy hop flavor followed by some pretty intense bitterness. Not too well balanced. Pretty dry on the finish.

M - Light body and a bit overcarbonated. The bite from the carbonation made the bitterness seem extra dry.

O - A drinkable IPA, but it needs some more malt character for it to be good.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2012 17:41:05 | More by Dave128

Burkbom23

Connecticut

3.9/5  rDev +20%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Really pale copper color. Some haze to it. Kind of dull looking. Lots of bubble of carbination. Pretty large white head with fair retention. Some lacing but not a lot. Mostly hops in the nose. Lots of resin. Pine needles, floral. Some malt backbone there too. Hoppy taste. Again, resin. Some bitterness towards the end, but not overwhelming. Some bready malt there also. Light medium body, kind of oily mouthfeel. Can really get a sense of the dry hopping, in the aroma, taste and feel. Really an easy to drink brew. Session IPA for sure. I wouldnt turn one down.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 01:22:47 | More by Burkbom23

PGVG

Virginia

3.25/5  rDev 0%

05-23-2013 00:29:25 | More by PGVG

Bones10

Illinois

3/5  rDev -7.7%

05-22-2013 03:19:46 | More by Bones10

buildernick

Massachusetts

2/5  rDev -38.5%

05-22-2013 03:00:32 | More by buildernick

johntfox

Florida

3.25/5  rDev 0%

05-21-2013 02:09:37 | More by johntfox

seplo

Connecticut

3/5  rDev -7.7%

05-21-2013 01:47:00 | More by seplo

jburd19

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev +7.7%

05-20-2013 17:55:36 | More by jburd19

1sophrosyne1

District of Columbia

2.99/5  rDev -8%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured in to an English dimpled pint glass, cold, then allowed to warm over 20 minutes of tasting.
A somewhat hazy medium gold foundation to a thin but rather durable head.
Mild citrus-sprayed weak flowers sit beside a more mealy aroma of corn tortillas with scallions.
The overall drinking experience, led by the taste and mouthfeel, is closer to that of a lager than an IPA. An oily alkaline cream makes for a less interesting flavor, but gives something to chew on.
It washes down the breadiness of pizza dough nicely, but wouldn't be the centerpiece of any table.
I would certainly drink it as a safe accompaniment to many foods with its pleasing, bright note of hops, but would not seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 03:04:54 | More by 1sophrosyne1

ClayO

Arizona

3.25/5  rDev 0%

05-19-2013 21:23:35 | More by ClayO

kjfinnerty

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev +7.7%

05-19-2013 00:47:52 | More by kjfinnerty

Michaeldmanley

Texas

2.25/5  rDev -30.8%

05-16-2013 21:21:16 | More by Michaeldmanley

ajtorres311

Florida

3/5  rDev -7.7%

05-16-2013 15:39:20 | More by ajtorres311

DeeMalloy

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +38.5%

05-16-2013 02:53:24 | More by DeeMalloy

Roguer

Connecticut

3.39/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

A - Nice balance between a coppery IPA color and a more golden AAL. Slightly off-color head, decent head size, but poor retention. No lacing to speak of. Then again, this was in a standard pub glass. Decent amount of carbonation, but not at all special.

S - Small amounts of hops and citrus, some grapefruit, but nothing stands out strongly. For an IPA, the aroma is very subdued; for a normal beer, it smells nice enough, but I didn't detect much standing out.

T - Not bad at all. Some hints of grapefruit, some orange peel. A citrus sweetness, not very strong, but present, and it brings some nice balance. It's actually a nicely balanced beer. Some malts, toast, maybe a hint of pepper. A little bitterness, but not much compared to some of the hop bombs on offer. More bitterness on the backend, more sweetness on the tongue.

M - This is about as drinkable as an AAL, but I didn't feel particularly happy to swish it around and savor the flavors. Absolutely drinkable in bulk, if that's your thing; not quite as nice to savor as am individual experience.

O - This isn't a bad beer by any means, but it's not a particularly great example of the A-IPA style. Maybe it was when it came out; I can't say. For its price point and drinkability, it definitely ranks higher than your standard BMC/AAL, but if I'm grabbing an IPA, this isn't my first choice. Still, it wins points for favoring a little complexity and sweetness over simply emphasizing massive amounts of hops for their own sake.

Serving type: on-tap

05-14-2013 23:18:33 | More by Roguer

Chegui

Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev +38.5%

05-14-2013 20:28:32 | More by Chegui

Rob315

Kentucky

3/5  rDev -7.7%

05-14-2013 18:17:16 | More by Rob315

drummermattie02

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +30.8%

05-14-2013 18:13:40 | More by drummermattie02

CT949

California

4.25/5  rDev +30.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

In my opinion, Long Hammer is an easy-drinking, tasteful ale. Is it one of the best IPAs on the market? No, but it's been one of my top-10 beers for five years or so, and I don't see that changing in the future. Honestly, to me it is more of an APA than an IPA.

Redhook (and realistically all Craft Brew Alliance beers) are hit-or-miss, but Long Hammer is a solid brew to me. I can see this being a solid transition beer for people entering the IPA realm.

Very drinkable, good taste, not too heavy, affordable.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 01:55:06 | More by CT949

aty11b

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +38.5%

05-14-2013 01:45:29 | More by aty11b

AmandaSchaefer

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev +15.4%

05-13-2013 23:13:04 | More by AmandaSchaefer

leprechaunandfatman

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +30.8%

05-12-2013 19:33:22 | More by leprechaunandfatman

buzzy

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev 0%

05-11-2013 21:09:43 | More by buzzy

BeastLU

Virginia

3/5  rDev -7.7%

05-11-2013 15:58:42 | More by BeastLU

Hessian257

New Jersey

3/5  rDev -7.7%

05-11-2013 04:48:48 | More by Hessian257