Redhook Long Hammer IPA - Redhook Ale Brewery

ninaturner

Florida

2/5  rDev -38.5%

01-05-2013 02:06:53 | More by ninaturner

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

JHendu

Florida

3.75/5  rDev +15.4%

05-10-2013 15:28:19 | More by JHendu

Hopinista

Nevada

3.5/5  rDev +7.7%

05-10-2013 01:19:06 | More by Hopinista

Bill235

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev +15.4%

05-09-2013 19:02:00 | More by Bill235

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.21/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured minimal head on a clear, copper body.
The aroma has a mild lemon and honey smell to it. Not much though.
The taste is fairly tame for an American IPA. Moderate bitterness followed by lemon bitterness to finish.
The texture is crisp with moderate carbonation.
Not a bad drink.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 01:14:03 | More by Fatehunter

sam_bliss

Washington

3.49/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Long Hammer is a slightly cloudy light orange with a quickly dissipating creme head that leaves impressive lacing. Smells incredibly fruity. Tropical esters and citrus hops layer over light caramel malts. Bitterness hits the front of the mouth and mellows into a ruby red grapefruit taste that lingers throughout the drinking experience. The malts are crisp and biscuity; some chewy banana balances out a bit of soapiness and a sprinkling of pepper. The finish is surprisingly dry with a tiny hint of oily spice. The pine-needle hop flavor brings the lips in for another sip. A refreshing, well-carbonated, and medium-bodied brew.

This Redhook offering is typical of Northwest IPAs, but nothing jumps out as special and no aspect of the beer leaps out of the box.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 03:55:16 | More by sam_bliss