The Great Return
Hardywood Park Craft Brewery

The Great ReturnThe Great Return
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From:
Hardywood Park Craft Brewery
 
Virginia, United States
Style:
American IPA
Ranked #1,389
ABV:
7.5%
Score:
88
Ranked #12,966
Avg:
3.95 | pDev: 10.63%
Reviews:
94
Ratings:
673
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 04, 2024
Added:
Oct 26, 2013
Wants:
  34
Gots:
  153
Bold, resinous and bursting with bright grapefruit aroma, this IPA is a tribute to the decades of hard work by conservationists to restore the James River as a bounty of vibrant aquatic life, eco-friendly recreational activity, and in our case, fresh brewing water. These efforts have culminated recently with the symbolic return of the endangered Atlantic sturgeon, a prehistoric, yet majestic behemoth of a fish, spotted as far up the James River as the fall line in Richmond. Your purchase of this beer supports the James River Association. Thank you for being a part of The Great Return.

In our commitment to James River conservation, Hardywood will contribute $10 per barrel of The Great Return to The James River Association, to support their mission to be the guardian of the James River. The JRA's core programs include Watershed Restoration, Education and Outreach, River Advocacy and the Riverkeeper Program.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by hophugger:
Photo of hophugger
Reviewed by hophugger from Virginia

3.44/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Very Excited to have this beer as I have been extremely pleased with several of their other offerings. Poured from a 16 oz. can, canned on January 23, 2015, the color is a beautiful golden-bronze that just screams sunshine and citrus. Head is nice and fluffy and the only disappointment is that it leaves too early. The lacing on this west coast style IPA is spotty, yet abundant and gets me even more excited to drink it !. Aromas hit the nose with nice grapefruit and other citrus smells. Also, get some smooth malty caramel also, nice !. The flavor smacks you right upside the head with some abundant hop bitterness, lots of grapefruit rind and yet again, that background of smooth caramel that evens thing out quite a bit. The maltiness does play a bit part in this IPA, but isn't that what you want in a bold IPA?. The bitterness hangs in the back of your mouth in a good way, providing a nice remembrance of what you are drinking. Overall, the mouthfeel is nice and what I expected. This is a bold beer and you would never know, by the taste, that it is 7.50 abv. Alcohol is completely hidden and that also adds to the enjoyment of this beer. Balance is right on for the style and I would say that Hardywood has done it again with this one, Cheers !!
Feb 08, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of MrOH
Reviewed by MrOH from Maryland

3.05/5  rDev -22.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
brownish yellow with a decent haze, but definitely not a hazy boi. Dense white head, ok retention, thin rings of lace
Grapefruit, pineapple and mango aroma
Grapefruit and tropical fruit hop flavor, some sweet toasty malt
Medium bodied, somewhat fluffy, appropriately carbonated
I think they must have changed this up since it first came out. I remember it being more crisp with more of a citrus flavor. Now it's like a halfway NEIPA.
Feb 04, 2024
 
Rated: 2.68 by RoyalKaiju from Kentucky

Nov 16, 2023
 
Rated: 3.75 by MutuelsMark from Kentucky

Nov 16, 2023
 
Rated: 3.84 by KensWorld from Florida

Aug 27, 2023
Photo of Danmooney40
Reviewed by Danmooney40 from Virginia

4.08/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Bottled on 5/30/23 from Big Fish line
Poured into 12 oz pub glass a slightly hazy dark golden with a faint head.
Taste is of pine and a bitterness which lingers. An old school AIPA.
I liked it a lot.
Jul 31, 2023
Photo of DarkPassport
Reviewed by DarkPassport

2.68/5  rDev -32.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3
Poured from a pint can into a cold pint glass.  No discernible date but if I had to guess based on the establishment serving it, the beer was probably a little on the old side. The can had a boring, no frills label. What minimal white head present on the pour immediately went away, revealing a beer that was a crystal clear straw color with some bubbles rising up from the base of the glass.

There was a very muffled tropical fruit smell, that's it.

The taste was also somewhat muted for an IPA. Resin and pine with a big bitter aftertaste. A little bit of grapefruit with a barely noticeable hint of orange on the back end.

It felt very crisp with high carbonation.  There was dryness and juiciness at the same time.

Overall not a terrible beer but it lacks character and purpose on its own. I recommend pairing it with some flavorful food to bring out its true colors. Separately, this would be a good choice for someone who enjoys the bitterness of IPAs but hates the fruit tones that so many sub-styles have.

Despite the prominence of the resin, the lack of fruitiness plus the strong carbonation made this beer a great partner to a blue cheese burger with bacon and avocado due to the way it cut through the abundance of fat without diluting the dominant flavors of the entree.
Jul 01, 2023
Photo of NiceTaps
Reviewed by NiceTaps from New Jersey

4.04/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
12 ounce stubby bottle in a nonic pint glass.

Deep gold color, translucent and bubbly. The head is tall and lasting, starting at 3F linen white color and leaves sticky cotton lacing.

Caramel malt aroma to start laced with a touch of tropical notes. Slightly dank and earthy. Pine resin.

Strong malt flavor with a citrus blend of grapefruit, orange, and lemon. Herbal.

Solid medium-plus body. Strong citrus hop feel with only a bit of bitterness. Dry and clean.

Very good well rounded AIPA. It’s a beer, thankfully.
May 10, 2023
 
Rated: 4.07 by PaulSlazinger from Pennsylvania

Apr 01, 2023
Photo of MadMadMike
Reviewed by MadMadMike from France

3.84/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Cold full pint pour at the ‘Sam Adams Brewhouse’ at Richmond Airport, Virginia.
Handsome cup full, nice rich foam floats and dissipates slowly.
Smell is light spice, piney hop, lemon drops.
Tastes fine. Fresh for sure, citrus & pine dance to a myriad of underlying spice hints. The complexity of flavors confused my IPA palate as unrecognizable.
Feel is medium in carbonation and body.
Overall, a serviceable IPA, but the nose and taste are too complex and undefined.,.
Mar 01, 2023
 
Rated: 4.13 by KC_beerman from Missouri

Jan 22, 2023
Photo of brewerburgundy
Reviewed by brewerburgundy from West Virginia

3.21/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
12oz bottle, stange, and I can’t make out the date on the bottle, though it appears to be September 2022 and I also can’t tell if it’s a packaging or best by date. There are at least two lines of illegible characters.

Lightly hazed copper so familiar in IPAs. I made a perfect pour, with head just cresting at the edge of the glass and very slowing receding. What’s left behind are rings at each level.

Mild nose, fruit cocktail, flower water.

Sweet citrus syrup, orange peel, pine in the finish, moderate bitterness.

It’s a little dish watery. Almost thin, little carbonation, moderate to medium bitterness.

I’m going to assume the date was best by September. This has the signs of age.
Nov 19, 2022
 
Rated: 5 by skendall1231 from Virginia

Sep 04, 2022
 
Rated: 4.23 by TeachChefs from Pennsylvania

Aug 25, 2022
Photo of RonaldTheriot
Reviewed by RonaldTheriot from Louisiana

4.96/5  rDev +25.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
Great Return has a thick, ivory head and a translucent orange appearance, with heavy lacing. The aroma is of herbal, spiced white bread. The flavor is similar, with strong bitterness. Great Return has a medium body and a dry finish.

RJT
Aug 23, 2022
 
Rated: 3.73 by NastyNorseman from New York

Apr 13, 2022
 
Rated: 3.75 by Stengelfoot from California

Dec 29, 2021
 
Rated: 4.1 by StanleysCup from Maryland

Sep 13, 2021
 
Rated: 4.1 by BeerBeast from Florida

Aug 19, 2021
 
Rated: 4.25 by AngusOg from North Carolina

Jul 03, 2021
The Great Return from Hardywood Park Craft Brewery
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 673 ratings