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

UCLABrewN84

California

4.05/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

UPDATED REVIEW TO CORRECT LISTING.

On tap at Green Flash Brewing Company in San Diego, CA.

Pours a clear amber with a foamy orange-tan head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, citrus fruit, citrus zest, and alcohol. Taste is much the same with a medium amount of hop bitterness on the palate after each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer with a great aroma and tasty flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

10-14-2012 04:11:25 | More by UCLABrewN84

DoreenAndDave

Maine

3.78/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beer is a murky deep copper color. Aroma is of hops, bread, and an interesting burst of apricot. Taste is quite good. A good punch of hops along with pleasant spice from the rye. The beer has a dry taste/mouthfeel and seems slightly astringent, in a pleasant way. Overall, this is a nice red IPA. Crisp, nicely bitter, and fairly complex.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 05:40:10 | More by DoreenAndDave

inlimbo77

Delaware

3.53/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz, 7/23/12 (finally some bottle dating info on Green Flash products)
Central Waters tulip

A: Pours crimson red color. Full finger of off white, slightly tannish head. Still nicely carbonated. Sticking lacing sheets.

S: Earthly, spicy, hop aromas. Some caramel malt notes. There is also some fruity hops hints in there. Wonder if more pronounced fresh?

T: Still a nice rush of hop bitterness on the tip of the tongue. Again, more earthy piney hops than the fruity ones I am accustomed to with WC IPAs. The malt character gives this one a little more life. It's pretty sweet though. Kinda wish that it wasn't. Finish has a lingering hop bitterness and its dry. Pine notes.

M: Medium bodied, actually a big medium.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 18:57:20 | More by inlimbo77

babaracas

Florida

4.1/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a slightly hazy garnet with dense one finger thick khaki colored head. Settles to a thin layer, streaks of fine lace down the glass. Smell: resinous pine, citrus rind, sweet back with biscuit and caramel, lightly fruity. Taste: juicy grapefruit and pine, then sugary caramel, toast and cherry notes, a little grassy, then grapefruit again in the finish. Nice!

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 05:20:32 | More by babaracas

TrappistJohnMD

Mississippi

3.53/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Ruby color with white head and some lacing.

Smell is mild hoppy citrus but lots of unusual ripe fruitiness. Cherries and apple present.

Taste is sweet up front. Some caramel and moderate hoppy bitterness.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied. Lots of carbonation.

Overall this is good. Maybe this is just an older bottle, but not a hop bomb.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 00:37:32 | More by TrappistJohnMD

hardy008

Minnesota

3.53/5  rDev -9%
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

argock

Virginia

4.15/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served on-tap in a Shaker pint at Mellow Mushroom (Charlottesville, VA).

A: Very dark maroon-ruby with short cap of off-white head with a few scraps of lacing.

S: The aroma boasts muscular maltiness with slight roast and dark and light crystal notes coupled with pine and resin hops character.

T: The hops component takes over in the flavor with strong pine, resin, and orange citrus character. The maltiness still carries plenty of weight with a variety of caramel malt contributions including roasty notes with burnt caramel and sweeter characteristics as well.

M: A very drinkable beer for the big flavor with relatively even, low carbonation with medium body.

O: A big red ale and then some. Blasts off with big hops and malt flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

09-16-2012 04:39:08 | More by argock

hagbergl

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bought a 22 oz. bottle of Green Flash Hop Head Red at Belmont, MA's venerable Craft Beer Cellar. Bottled on date reads 7/23/2012, so this baby is still pretty fresh. Poured the beer into my Dogfish Head snifter. Review is from notes.

Appearance (5/5): Pouring a beautiful dark ruby/auburn color and topped with a voluminous two and a half finger head of beige foam, Hop Head Red is a beautiful sight to behold. Can't think of another beer that's this RED. Lots of sticky lacing appears on the sides of the glass as the thick head recedes, and, later, with each sip. The head retains well and retreats to form a 1/8" disc of white foam.

Smell (3.5/5): Surprisingly (especially given the beer's name and taste), Hop Head Red doesn't have a hugely hoppy aroma. I pick up a lot nice caramel malt sweetness and some spiciness in the nose along with faint floral hop aromas, but I'm kind of let down–hence, the middling grade. I'm not sure if there's a problem with this bottle, my glassware, or something else. Hop are ephemeral, of course, so it could just be that the hops have faded in the aroma.

Taste (4/5): Some initial sticky caramel sweetness in the foretaste gives way to a fruity, piney hop broadside that lasts all the way into the long finish. The red grapefruit bitterness builds as you drink. The mouth is coated with a pleasantly resinous taste that is bitter while also being sweet. Green Flash Hop Head Red has good balance–more than a "regular" IPA, certainly–but the hops steal the show, obviously by design. Very good flavors for a hoppy Red/Red IPA style beer. It's not complex; rather, it's beautiful in its simplicity. I'm kind of surprised how hoppy this beer is given the smell, which hinted at spoilage or at least a major mellowing. Tastes fresh to me.

Mouthfeel (4.5/5): Certainly one of the best aspects of Hop Head Red is its mouthfeel. It has the hop resin stickiness going on here in spades, along with some good hop prickliness that, and I really like it. It also has very solid body and carbonation–medium-full and medium, respectively–that makes it a real pleasure to drink. Drinkability is very high.

Overall (4/5): I enjoy Green Flash Hop Head Red a lot and think it's one of the best all around hoppy Red Ales/Red IPA's around. It's characterized by a good balance of juicy grapefruit hops and sweet caramel malt and a stellar, resinous mouthfeel. Did I also mention it's stunning to look at? Get it, drink it. Two simple steps to enjoyment.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 20:41:27 | More by hagbergl

Chickenhawk9932

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a deep amber with a tan colored head - good retention, nice lacing.

Smells of citrus, big grapefruit, pine, malt, and resin.

Has a nice herbal bitterness reminiscent of ice tea. Bitter citrus and ruby red grapefruit swirl around the palate leading to a nice chewy malt backbone with some sweet caramel notes. A nice well balanced IPA.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 17:02:22 | More by Chickenhawk9932

kylehay2004

Florida

4.1/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: two finger off white head with nice lacing on a hazy deep amber body.

S: earth and grapefruit hops. Caramel malt base is nicely represented. Hops are a little musty

T: the hops are again earthy with some citrus and a nice dose of pine and grass greatest in the finish. The caramel malts base is best noticed up front.

M: medium body and moderate carbonation.

Overall: a nice beer. Very drinkable and flavorful. Nice contribution to flavor and both feel from the malts.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 02:03:38 | More by kylehay2004

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle: Poured a deep amber color ale with a large foamy head with good retention and some very good lacing. Aroma of earthy hops with some citrus and resin is quite nice. Taste is totally dominated by hops with some resin and citrus hops though notes of earthy hops are really powerful. Body is quite full with good carbonation. Not bad though grapefruit notes of Amarillo were not as dominant as I had expected.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 20:07:21 | More by Phyl21ca

gustogasmic

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

LUSH red, translucent, with a golden marshmallow head that sticks to the glass like spiderwebs.

Smell is amarillo paradise, juicy and citrusy, piney.

T/M: a big red-ale malt backbone and frothy feel, like a scotch ale. pungent hops and a hard bitterness that lingers. Quite rich.

I want to drink this one mega-fresh; I'm not sure this bottle is doing my first taste of the beer justice. At any rate, it's up there with the best of 'em for Red IPAs, a good example of the clarity and hoppiness of a pale ale style mixed with the heartiness and sweetness of a red.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2012 04:07:34 | More by gustogasmic

garuda

Pennsylvania

3.35/5  rDev -13.7%
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

kangarooAdam59

Wyoming

4.39/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From the bottle and into a pint glass:

A: rusty yet hazy amber red body that leaves a thick, foamy, off white one finger head that lasts for a good two minutes. No carbonation is seen rising. Great amounts of lacing is left all over.

S: pine up front with a superb combination of citrus and hops in the background. Some light maltiness does come out slightly.

T: all of the noted smells combined really nicely

M: medium with nothing harsh on the tongue, just generally an all-around good feel.

O: this is a superior blend of an IPA and a red ale. I am starting to wish I bought the four pack and would have no problem having this again any time any place.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 16:13:29 | More by kangarooAdam59

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

3.78/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had no idea what a Red IPA was before buying this and aside from the hue, I'm still not 100% sure. Like Green Flash's other offerings, this was a hop bomb in a heavy bottle and a sight to behold but I'm not sure if this really stood out from the hordes of IPA's that I could otherwise have tried. This was a nice beer but not particularly memorable or different from their other beers that I've drank and reviewed.

The pour and appearance was the best aspect of this beer, as the deep oak hue shone radiantly in the light and had the appearance of amber, since it was so cloudy. A good head and fair amount of lacing went with this but when it came time to smell it, this was a bit weaker that I was led to believe. The trademark Green Flash "weed" smell was here with a hint of caramel and grapefuit to boot. The stickiness was also in the mouthfeel but the hops weren't that strong and the citrus that was up front faded into a wet, tropical-type hops in the back. Tough to find the malt here and the carbonation was light too, both in appearance and taste.

No doubt that the alcohol was here and even though I couldn't taste it, I could easily feel it by the time I finished the contents of the bottle off. Fans of Green Flash or IPA's from the Left Coast won't be let down here but there are better choices available for this style. Perhaps this should be categorized under an American Amber, if for not other reason than to help distinguish it a bit more.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2012 21:34:53 | More by JerzDevl2000

WesM63

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a tulip.

A: Pours a murky amber red with a nice 1finger offwhite head. Fair amount of lacing and retention.

S: Pine, citrus, resin with a hint of some malts.

T: Glorious hops/pine/citrus up front followed by a somewhat malt/spice middle and finishes with more hops/pine.

M: Medium body and carbonation.

O: Overall, extremely well made brew. I'm not sure if the classification is correct, but a great easy to find, year round brew.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 00:55:08 | More by WesM63

jmaharaj

Maryland

3.53/5  rDev -9%
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

rdilauro

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a rusty amber color with a pretty large beige head.
When my nose is inside the glass, I pick up some pretty potent hops and citrus along with a vanilla pear scent.

I was expecting something different with the taste. There was a lot of hops which I've come to expect from Green Flash, but the taste was a bit unbalanced. There hoppy bitterness was just a little much.

The aroma and bouquet for this one is much nicer than the actual taste

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2012 02:51:09 | More by rdilauro

mschind

California

3.45/5  rDev -11.1%
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

CanuckRover

Ontario (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

This is a tough one for me. I appreciate a good red, and I'm often horrified at what American brewers do to them. They just seem to miss the point. At least Green Flash is up front with this one.

Pours a lovely dark amber with a nice off-white head and great retention.

West coast hops on the nose. Buckets of pine and grapefruit. Where's the malt?

Again, full frontal of tropical fruit and resinous pine... and a finish of tropical fruit and resinous pine. I hadnthis with a chocolate creme brûlée and that helped pick up some nice caramel flavours, but they're barely noticeable.

This is a well made beer. It would make a lovely IPA. However, I just can't get into the American approach to reds. The malt is completely lost here, I'm quite skeptical of anyone who claims this is a successful melding of styles. Hops are at war with malt here, and they win.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2012 02:05:01 | More by CanuckRover

Thads324

Connecticut

3.68/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A : pours a reddish orange, with a huge sticky off white head. Super thick head with loads of lacing.
S: not much aroma, a bit of piney hops and tropical fruits. Very little malt, but what's there is pretty regular basic malts.
T : starts a bit watery, then comes a sharp bitterness. A bit of unidentifiable hop flavor, followed by a little bit of citrus and grass hop flavor. Finishes with some light crystal and caramel malt flavors followed by some mild pine hops. Pretty nice
M : heavily carbonated, smooth throughout with good bitterness that sticks to the tongue.

Pretty tasty, but an odd lack of malt backbone in a good red. Still a repeat buy will be coming, I like this one.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2012 03:14:57 | More by Thads324

JayQue

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Good Red Ale. Takes a style with many boring examples and gives a robust, flavorful beer. Pours a hazy reddish brown. Big light tan head with good retention and thick bands of lacing.

Smell is very impressive. Good strong piney and floral hops with balancing sweet caramel malts. The floral hops are really pronounced.

Good flavor as well. Balanced with a strong hoppy presence AND some sweet caramel malts. Both flavors are pronounced. As hoppy as many IPAs but with Red Ale signature sweetness.

Mouthfeel is crisp and rich.

Overall a very impressive Red Ale. Great with food, interesting enough to savor by itself.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2012 01:02:56 | More by JayQue

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.93/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Comes out of the tap a dark, nearly opaque reddish amber with a thick, fine-bubbled, light tan head. Hoppy aroma has a hint of malt. Flavor is more hoppy than malty, leaning towards an IPA, a bit bitter with subtle notes of caramel and fruit. Firm, smooth texture has some good fizz and life.

Serving type: on-tap

08-05-2012 21:55:31 | More by Cyberkedi

Georgiabeer

Georgia

3.78/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A very nice looking beer, with a deep reddish brown color and a thick beige head that leaves some very thick lacing. In the nose and to a somewhat lesser degree in the mouth, though, this is more malty than it is hoppy. Very smooth with some thick caramel malts, with some piney and citrus rind bitterness balancing out the sweetness in the mouth. The smell gives you no sense of the hops, just smooth malt- not really what I want from the style. Luckily, the hops do come into play and keep the beer from becoming too smooth and sweet. Not bad.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 19:27:28 | More by Georgiabeer

inandon

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pour - Nice deep auburn red with a nice foamy head that leaves a lace once it dissolves

Smell - Pine and citrus with a nice hoppy aroma. Very inviting!

Before tasting my expectation, I am just excited for a red ipa. I love most red beers and IPAs are my obsession.

Taste - Deliciousness. It was almost exactly what I expected. It is a light bodied beer with a citrus aftertaste. It has the warm inviting flavors of a red ale; caramel and toffee that mix with the citrus

The only thing lacking is that i wish it was a bit hoppier. Otherwise another great beer from green flash!

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 00:57:00 | More by inandon