Redhook Long Hammer IPA - Redhook Ale Brewery

cerveza5150

California

3.3/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

AP: Pours a golden yellow, large bubbles of carbonation with a soapy head. The head starts to dissapate almost immediately. Lacing is present down the glass.

S: Slight smell of sweet malt. Almost reminds me of over-ripe fruit. Some slight apple cider tones are also present. Not very impressive. The hops are non-existant in the nose...this in an IPA???

T: Surprise of the century. I was gearing up for a bland 'Budweiser'-esque imitation IPA (I think the normal Redhook IPA is a TERRIBLE excuse for an IPA!!), but the hops that were absent in the nose exploded out on the palette. This ale would have definately benefited from some liberal dry hopping. The hops finish a little weak, but the overall taste is quite good. Not the best IPA taste by a long shot, but not that bad either. Reminds me of Firestone's Pale Ale.

M: Something metallic on the finish kinda turns me off. It still tastes macobrewed and that comes out in the mouthfeel quite a bit.

D: Overall, not worth the 8 bucks I paid for a six pack. I could have a few of these while watching the game, but I'm not convinced that this is an award winner.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2007 21:53:18 | More by cerveza5150

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

TWBirmingham

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +38.5%

05-10-2013 21:11:29 | More by TWBirmingham

HopHeadRyan

Pennsylvania

2.75/5  rDev -15.4%

05-10-2013 18:21:11 | More by HopHeadRyan