Redhook Long Hammer IPA - Redhook Ale Brewery

Phelps

Arizona

3.15/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

Longhammer is one of the first IPAs I ever tried. Felt it was worthy of a revisit, this time from the tap, into a standard pint glass.

Pours a perfectly clear light orange with a frothy head nearly two fingers tall that recedes to about half its size then doesn't go anywhere, leaving thick bubbled sheets of lace.

Citrusy hops prickle the nose with lots of grapefruit and spicy lemon. Bright, snappy and solid, but nothing special.

The hops don't follow to the flavor, however. There seems to be a lot more pale malt here than I got from the nose, giving me a strong flavor of crackers before lime, just a tiny hint of bitter grapefruit, and herbal basil sneak in. The finish is subtly sweet.

The mouthfeel increases my sense of this beer's insubstantiality: light, watery body; delicate, tickly carbonation.

I can see how Longhammer is so popular with the masses, as it's definitely an approachable IPA. But for this beer drinker, big flavors and hops that smack you in the mouth are more important than approachability. Longhammer is decent, but nothing more.

Serving type: on-tap

12-13-2010 21:52:50 | More by Phelps

yancot

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev +7.7%

05-24-2013 01:57:03 | More by yancot

jaswilson2

South Carolina

2.75/5  rDev -15.4%

05-24-2013 00:57:26 | More by jaswilson2

DRTBrewster

Arizona

2.75/5  rDev -15.4%

05-23-2013 22:31:39 | More by DRTBrewster

InspectorBob

New Jersey

3.25/5  rDev 0%

05-23-2013 15:50:44 | More by InspectorBob

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