Green Flash Hop Head Red - Red India Pale Ale - Green Flash Brewing Co.

JuliusWolf

Florida

1.83/5  rDev -53%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

A: A cool, nice red-orange glow when held up to light. There is a strong head on this beer, and with a light swirl, it comes right back again.

S: To preface this, I am an IPA fan. That being said, all I smell is the bitter aspect of the hops. There are no citrus or floral notes. All you get is grassy hops to be frank.

T: The smell caries over from nose to mouth. There is very little citrus or floral tones typical to IPAs, and next to no evidence of any amber or red qualities to this ale. You just get a major oily, hoppy, grassy flavor on your tongue.

M: Not much to be said here. It is pretty unremarkable. Not good, not bad. It somewhat lingers on your tongue.

O: As the title suggests, hop heads may enjoy this beer, as that is all there is. Only the bitter hop taste with nothing other than its looks to be its saving grace (kinda like Katy Perry). A good beer is a balanced beer. This one is just a bit top heavy.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2011 21:58:43 | More by JuliusWolf

harrymel

Washington

2.16/5  rDev -44.5%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2

Bottled: unk

Ugly brown with flecks of yeast and a solid sheet of fine creamy foam. Smells like malt, some spice and more malt. Not really picking up any hops on the nose here. Taste is bitter and malty with some bits of tea and bitter - well bitter. medium bodied with medium carb and a dry finish. Not impressed. Wish I knew how old this was.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 06:43:04 | More by harrymel

scootpolute

Washington

2.63/5  rDev -32.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

12OZs poured into a cone pint glass...

A: A murky deep reddish brew with a 1 inch head...Good lacing...

S: Sweet caramel in the nose blended nicely with a floral hop aroma. Some rye and mild citrus scents bring up the back...

T: A sweet sugary malt upfront starts out on the palate and slowly your taste buds become submerged in a light easy drinking watery hop bite. The bite resonates through to the backend...Not very balanced...

M: medium body with a heavy carbonation. A sweet and dry finish..

O: Kind of a 'WEIRD-BEER'...Also, I think it is mis-categorized. This one is more of an amber than an IPA. The hop seems too subtle for a standard american IPA, but does have a nice hop malt balance which seems more characteristic of an amber ale. If you're looking for a standard hop bomb, this is not for you. If you want a beer that blends sweet malt with a mild hop bitterness, then this is for you. Again, too weird, no thanks!!

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 20:53:55 | More by scootpolute

draiiinage

Georgia

2.78/5  rDev -28.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Slightly cloudy blood colored honey with a thin foam and crisp clear bubbles.

S: Lemon cotton candy with floral background.

T: Mildly dry, with copper.

M: Creamy caramel with mild acidity.

O: Decent red IPA, could use more hops. May prove too dry for some tastes.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 01:44:56 | More by draiiinage

denver10

Colorado

3.04/5  rDev -21.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.75

Pours a really dark amber with a thick creamy head. Nice lacing. A nice, balanced aroma of earthiness and some sweet fruit. Flavor is earthy, a touch of some toffee, and a little fruity. A nice crisp, active thinner mouthfeel that suits the beer quite well. Overall, a solid brew but nothing that has me needing to go out and grab some more.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2012 23:11:39 | More by denver10

gmagness

Colorado

3.08/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Cloudy, deep amber color with moderate head. Nice lacing with each sip.

S: Pine, juniper, and citrus over heavy bread. The combination hints of some harsh flavor.

T: Aroma is accurate to the flavor. Bitterness of hops overwhelms any fruit or malt flavors. It is difficult for me to describe other than the taste is underwhelming. While I like a good IPA, something is lost in this combination.

M: Good body and carbonation.

O: I am a fan of red ales with a hoppy finish. Green Flash make a valiant attempt to take a step further with mixed results. I would like to try it on tap since hops that have been on the shelf for a while can become harsh and lose their balance. Right now I find the Green Flash Hop Head Red Ale a much better beer than the IPA version.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 00:10:01 | More by gmagness

B967ierhunter177

Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer pours an amber color with a thin head and lasting lace. The aroma is floral and fruity with a hint of caramel. It's flavor is citrus, mainly grapefruit with pine and sweet malt notes. The mouthfeel is medium and dry yet refreshing. Green Flash Hop Head Red - Red IPA is a good beer, recommended.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2011 22:05:21 | More by B967ierhunter177

drakkath

Alabama

3.13/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12 oz bottle with no date stamp (that I could find anyway) poured into my 32 oz mug

a: pours a "tea" dark amber, 1 finger head which reduced to a thin film after about a minute and stuck around for a while; some significant lacing down the sides of the glass.

s: very hop forward on the nose, along with some citrusy fruits in the background.

t: taste is the same as the smell, hops in the opening act followed by the caramel malt and citrus with a little bitter bite at the end that stays with you in between sips.

m: medium carbonation, not too many prickly bubbles, but that's okay with this beer's medium body. comes off clean and somewhat crisp.

o: while this is not a bad beer, it's not a great IPA and it's not a great Red Ale. I'm kind of undecided here. I'd get it again if I saw it on a store shelf, but I wouldn't seek it out. That being said, if you haven't tried it, it's worth at least that. Since there's only 4 in a pack, I think this could pass for a very short session.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2012 22:23:38 | More by drakkath

Reaper16

Alabama

3.15/5  rDev -19%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz. bottle served into a nonic pint glass

Pours a DARK red color. This is like beets or hearts or something. But coppery too, like you dropped twelve pennies into a glass of V8 juice. A finger and a half of buttermilk colored head spots and lines the glass with lacing.

This beer's aroma starts off pretty mute. It opens up with warmth, though. What's here is a blend of strong grapefruit backed up with peaches. There's some sweet tea aromas here, too. As the beer continues to warm up I pick up on a lot of curious spice aromas. The dry ambery malt body is a good springboard for an aroma that, frankly, becomes not dissimilar to potpourri.

That aroma proves far more interesting that the flavor of this beer. Hop Head Red is, ultimately, pretty mild. It's spicy and loaded with grapefruit flavor, but it's never particularly juicy. It's got malt presence for sure, but it's not malt-dominant. It's kind of a big glass o' nuthin' in particular. Which is something I'm not interested in spending money on.

The mouthfeel is pretty average for the style. Well, for my palate, it's below-average: too thick, too creamy, too dry. I want my IPAs light yet juicy. But, for a thick IPA, the body works pretty well. It makes a sort of sense with the flavor profile.

Overall, this is a baffling step down from Green Flash's West Coast IPA. This beer tastes like an ineffective attempt to re-create Nugget Nectar or something.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2012 03:17:50 | More by Reaper16

mdaschaf

Washington

3.2/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap at the Pickled Pig. Review from notes.

A: Pours a red/brown with a small off-white head. Not much retention, but nice lacing.

S: Slightly spicy, but not really much going on. Some very faint citrus fruit and some grapefruit, but seems lacking in terms of hop presence. There is some grainy malt that comes through strong.

T: Similarly lacking in hop presence. Mostly spices and lots of caramel. Was expecting this beer to be very hop forward based on previous beers I have had from green flash.

M: Medium bodied with medium to high carbonation.

O: Like I said before, was expecting much more of a hop bomb and got a malty beer. Disappointing.

Serving type: on-tap

05-14-2012 13:44:41 | More by mdaschaf

obrike

Texas

3.23/5  rDev -17%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bought a 4 pack at Whip-In in south Austin.

Poured a rich dark caramel with a tinge of red...a nice two inch head that left significant lacing through the drink. Just a lovely looking brew.

Fresh cut grass hops on the nose...a little spice too...not catching a lot of citrus or pine. Maybe a touch of malt if i take a huge whiff.

Quite a bitter punch...almost sour. Not much malt sweetness to back it up either. Not sure if this was what they were going with. If so, I'm not a big fan. Grassy hops certainly lay on the tongue, and the beer goes down fairly easy (med carbonation), but the lack of citrus or pine an absence of caramel malt on the backend leaves me a bit unfulfilled

Sorry Green Flash, I will not return to this one...I'll stick with your Red Ale over this one as far as Hop Head goes. There are just way too many better IPAs out there; for a better price than this one too.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 01:55:54 | More by obrike

Brad007

Vermont

3.25/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a handsome reddish color with a frothy head into my glass. Well, they nailed that.

Grassy hops greet the nose followed by just a touch of malt underneath. This one, I can smell for sure!

Hmm. I can't figure out when this was bottled because the hops leave a harsh taste in the mouth. Combined with the malt, the overall taste is undesirable.

Ditto for the mouthfeel. Nothing but (stale?) hops and bland malt.

Nice try at a red IPA. Not something I'd drink again though.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2011 07:39:36 | More by Brad007

maleman

Mississippi

3.25/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass. Deep red with a two finger off-white head that was slow to recede into a one finger cap. Thin lacing. As you'd expect, the nose was very hoppy with traces of resin, grass, and grapefruit. An alcohol/phenol blast is the first thing that registered with me taste-wise with a strong aftertaste of hops in the finish. Average carbonation and near medium-bodied. I was a bit put off by the strong alcohol tinge up front after getting so excited over the smell. Sadly, this beer does not perform as well as it's cousin West Coast IPA.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2012 23:16:20 | More by maleman

AdamGarcia

Pennsylvania

3.29/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

12oz btl served in Newcastle "Geordie Schooner" (crap beer but I love this glass). no freshness date on bottle

A: hazy deep red color. bright orange around the edges. a finger and a half of cream colored head sticks around for a while.

S: aroma is subdued. faint herbal hops and some caramel sweetness.

T: malt forward. caramel, some cocoa, leather. mostly herbal hop presence with a hint of pine. sweetness is tidied up nicely with some bitterness in the finish.

M: medium body. carbonation is smooth. easy to drink.

O: Ok. this beer isn't what I remember, although I think every time I've had this in the past it has been on tap. I'm assuming this one has too much age on it. It's actually not bad if it were just a big red ale or even an old ale...it reminds me of a slightly more bitter version of GD Hibernation. As a "red IPA", however, it falls short. This was given to me as a single. GF does date their cases so be on the lookout for a date if you are purchasing it in that format...for sixers and singles you've gotta hope to get lucky. I didn't this time around.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 02:59:57 | More by AdamGarcia

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.31/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

12 oz bottle poured into a Samuel Smith pint glass.

A: Pours a glowing reddish orange color. Small yeast particles seem to be suspended in the body. The head is a three finger offwhite shade featuring good texture and lacing

S: The aroma features a good mix of caramel malts blended with some grapefruity, piny hops. Nothing particularly out of the ordinary, at all really, but it works well.

T: I swear this almost has a chocolaty flavor to, especially near the front end. The midtaste transitions to burnt toast and caramel, while it finishes with subtle grapefruit peel and black pepper. Quite biscuity in its general flavor, as well.

M: The body itself is creamy smooth until the piny hops dry out the palate some. Otherwise, the finish is mostly a vaguely sweet linger that could use a touch more delicacy. Befitting the style, it's weakly carbonated.

O: This is a decent example in a style that I'm not a huge fan of, with one glorious Hershey chocolate-covered exception. This will satiate me nicely 'til Nugget Nectar arrives in my area, but I doubt I'd buy a 4 pack of it.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 21:50:14 | More by ThisWangsChung

Treyliff

West Virginia

3.31/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- pours a dark rusty amber color with some dark orange hue, murky with some sediment floating toward the bottom, two finger cream colored head with good retention and some sticking patches of lace.

S- citrus hops with some grapefruit, ground black pepper, some toasted bread with a touch if caramel

T- sweet sugary malt makes the first impression on the palate, the hops don't kick in until near the end, some citrus notes, finish is dry and clean.

M- medium body with moderate carbonation, creamy mouthfeel with a smooth, yet slightly watery finish

O- this one seemed a bit watery and lacking in the hop department, very drinkable but just seemed off balance

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 05:13:17 | More by Treyliff

mactrail

California

3.35/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This is a distinct ruby red color. More on the Hawaiian Punch end of the spectrum than coppery. Nice head on the stuff. Interesting malty nose, a hint of citrus.

Some sweet malt with a fruity touch. Maybe it's the power of suggestion, but it tastes like cherries and underripe pineapple. Resiny hops take over the flavors. Moderately bitter. Rich and sharp with a malty undertone.

On the whole, this seems to marry some the less attractive aspects of a Red Ale with an anemic IPA. However, the manageable bitterness along with the nice sudsy mouthfeel makes it quite drinkable. From the 12 oz bottle bought at Best Damn in San Diego.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2012 04:59:01 | More by mactrail

cindyjeffsmith

Georgia

3.35/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: deep clear red. Slight pink head.
Smell: Hmmm...bitter hops to be sure but a fruity, strawberry nose as well.
Taste: a bit of the fruit, but dominated by biting hops. Not the balance I was hoping for.
Overall: interesting combo of ipa, and amber. Not quite dialed in though.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 00:42:19 | More by cindyjeffsmith

garuda

Pennsylvania

3.35/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Deep amber, white head that has good retention with lacing.

S/T - Sweet caramel malts up front, finished off with resinous pine hops.

M - Medium to full body, medium carbonation, finishes clean with lasting bitterness.

O - With a name like this, I expect the hops to be much more assertive (a la Nugget Nectar). Not just on the back end of the taste. Still good, but could be more hoppy.

Serving type: on-tap

08-19-2012 16:27:59 | More by garuda

ncfrey

New Mexico

3.4/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Purchased at Bird of Paradise, $9 for a 4-pack. Poured into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint.

a- Lovely, clear, medium amber-red with a 2-finger, dense, rocky off-white head with great retention. Leaves a few clumps of lacing.

s - Citrus, herbal, and grassy hops, with a hint of caramel. Smell isn't terribly strong.

t - Hop character is pretty subdued. I'm getting caramel and toasted malt, with (again) citrus, herbal, and grassy hops. More booze evident than I'd expect for 7%. Finish is more-or-less respectable, hop dominated but not terribly bitter, and has a bit of staying power. Overall, I'd call this more of a red than an IPA.

m - Light-to-medium body, adequate carbonation. Pretty much as expected.

d - Very high, but mostly due to being pretty wimpy for something with "hop head" in the name.

Certainly not a bad beer, but it suffers from a bit of excess booziness, fails to live up to its name, and is overpriced.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2011 00:54:29 | More by ncfrey

scratch69

Missouri

3.4/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I poured a bottle into a mug.

Appearance- Clear reddish amber with a finger and a half worth of light tan head. Fair amount of watery lacing.

Smell- Strond aroma of hops. Faint hint of malt.

Taste- Bitter hops dominate with notes of caramel malt.

Mouthfeel- Medium bodied with a large amount of carbonation. Crisp with a dry finish.

Overall- A decent brew but a little too bitter for my tastes.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 19:17:29 | More by scratch69

mschind

California

3.45/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A- Poured from a bomber into a nonic pint glass. Big fluffy off white head with good retention and a little lacing. Definitely a red ale in appearance but it is quite hazy, bordering on cloudy. Must be those bucket loads of Amarillo used for dry hopping.

S- Not as hop forward as I was expecting but it's there. However, not much malt. Hops are more pine than floral or citrus.

T- It all comes together quickly. Hop bitterness in suspension with very mild roast malt character. The finish is dry with a slight citrus like astringency. Tastes good with no flaws that are obvious to me.

M- Carbonation seems right on but a bit thin bodied.

O- A slightly above average IPA. I'm not sure what the red part does for it other than try to separate it from the vast crowd of IPA's out there.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2012 21:10:41 | More by mschind

elgiacomo

Georgia

3.53/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottled June 4, 2012. Nice ’n fresh. Served at around 40F.

Pours clear red/amber with a two finger light beige head that leaves some nice spiderwebs of lacing and holds a small cap.

Aroma is floral and piney hops, some caramel and a bit of fruit, bread. Moderate strength...kind of subdued, but does get better as it warms.

Flavor is a lot more bold than the aroma, starts with a blast of piney, resinous hops, lots of rich caramel malt as well as some dark fruits and toffee, some sweetness in the middle, nice bitterness on the finish. Some alcohol noted, but not too bad.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, oily, creamy, sticky, good carbonation.

Hopped-up Amber Ale? Red IPA? Whatever it may be classified as, it is quite good. Nice hop kick, robust malts, just wish for a bit more in the aroma.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 00:28:51 | More by elgiacomo

jmaharaj

Maryland

3.53/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- more amber than red. Dense off-white foam head that lingers.

S- Citrus hops for sure, but a very strong raisin sweetness. perhaps a slight roasty aroma.

T- Very tangy. Not as malty as I was expecting, but i suppose its green flash and they like to go hops. A piney, slightly citrus hop flavor. that fades into a slighly sweet, very faint roastiness (i feel like im imagining the roast). ultimately it finishes dry and tart.

M- i would have loved a little more body, this feels a little watery. the carbonation is a little aggresive, which i like for this beer.

O- More IPs than red, but a nice beer on a warm day.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2012 03:12:59 | More by jmaharaj

hardy008

Minnesota

3.53/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours hazy dark amber with a 3 finger off white head with good retention and lacing. The aroma has citrus, pine, some floral hops, and caramel malt.

The taste is sweeter than I expected with plenty of caramel malt, as well as citrus, and pine. Is on the sweeter side, with balance from the hop bitterness, but definitely sweeter than I expected.

Medium bodied with above average carbonation, and not much aftertaste. Definitely a solid beer, but a bit sweeter than I would like. May need to review again, this bottle may be past it's prime. I expected this beer to be much hoppier. Still good though.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2012 03:21:28 | More by hardy008