Pursuit Of Hoppiness - Grand Teton Brewing Co.

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A full litre had to be shared by two others. Pours above average slightly dark body with lasting quarter-inch head. Malty aromas mostly. Above average mouthfeel, red style is not normally my favourite but I appreciate the toasted malt and the balanced presence of so much hops: summit, simcoe, chinook, and nuggets. Better with food, it was drinkable and satisfying.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2010 23:27:52 | More by northyorksammy

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cracked this one open before dinner last night, I really wanted help getting some of these bigger brews done for sure! Served chilled and poured into a snifter, this one was consumed on 11/27/2009.

The pour was very nicely done, rich looking light brown in color with a small head of off white that capped it off very nicely indeed, Aroma hits quickly and right up front with tons of citrus hops and loads of booziness. Warming brings out a hint of malts, light notes of caramel and a touch of pineapple. This carries over very well into the flavor. Very sharp hops are right up in front, in your face and definitly to be reconnend with. Lots of alcohol here as it comes across quite hot still. Need to mellow it for about 6 months I would think to really get the full effect from this one. Nice and smooth, medium bodied feel with a great mix of flavors and a nice dry, hoppy, and quite boozy finish.

Overall a very solid ale, but a little hot still. I think it may age well, will have to wait and see.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2009 21:21:03 | More by mikesgroove

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a cervoise at Duke's Alehouse.

The Sox are leading the Cubs, so I can't help but be on the lighter side right now. This brew in front of me pours a clear sunset amber-russet topped by over a finger of dark cream foam. The nose comprises grapefruit, pine, toffee, very light chocolate, lemon peel, and orange peel. The taste holds notes of toffee, pine, grapefruit peel, orange zest, lemon peel, and lightly toasted biscuit. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a finish that borders on dry. Overall, a very nice red, one of the better examples I've had in a while. Oh, and Sox win! Nice!

Serving type: on-tap

07-02-2011 00:49:28 | More by TMoney2591

WesWes

New York

4.18/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The beer pours a hazy dark amber, almost orange, color with a thick frothy off-white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a nice pale and crystal malt scent along with an excellent citrus hop nose. The alcohol seems well integrated. The taste is great! It has a very bitter, hop flavor that goes down easy and finishes with a nice malty sweetness. The hops taste fresh and lend a great deal of character. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a damn good beer. Is it the best DIPA or hoppy red around? No, but it's pretty tasty and it satisfies my hop craving.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2010 21:07:33 | More by WesWes

Mora2000

Texas

4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to bu11zeye for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours orangish-brown with a white head. The aroma is lots of caramel malt with some nice hop character. The flavor is a great mix of caramel malt and piney hops. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. This is only my second beer from these guys, but I have been very impressed with the two I have tried.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2010 00:53:11 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

4.03/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - One of the most unique appearances I've ever seen. The first pour resulted in a hazy, amber colored beer with a three-finger, tan head of foam. I recapped it and place it back in the fridge. The second pour had a much smaller head and it looked like a creamy head on a cask ale.

S - This brew has a big piney smell like a West Coast IPA with notes of citrus and caramel malt.

T - It tasted piney and spicy with a burnt toast maltiness. It had an alcohol heat present, too.

M - It was crisp and sharp at first but that second pour had a creamy feel. A medium to full bodied beer.

D - This is a pretty good ale. I was always worried that it wouldn't be worth the price, but it is a good beer and alot of beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2010 11:57:23 | More by zeff80

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.63/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Picked one up in Wichita & just saw this today in Mizzou, woohooo!

Opened with a vague psst..pours copper colored with 2 fingers of rocky tan head. Good head retention & lacing

S: Huge cakeyness & a bit of toffee

T: Cakeyness, brown sugar, piney & orangey hops up front. Toffee, herbal hops& leafy, dryness & grapefruit are all there as this warms, plus some figgyness. Finishes dry with brown sugar & leafy hops & a bit of booze

MF: Chewy with moderate carbonation, some wetness sneaks through as this warms, plus a nice warming feeling

Drinks fairly easy, but doesn't pull all the way together. Grand Teton can do better than this, hopefully age helps smooth this one out...

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2009 04:19:29 | More by russpowell

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.95/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750ml bottle with a bottled on date of 1/11/12 into a mug glass.

A: The beer is a deep amber color, with a large off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains floral hops, caramelized malts and citrus.

T: The taste starts out with a strong hops bitterness that is quickly followed by some caramel and citrus sweetness. The malt character is hearty and brings some balance. The after-taste is slightly hoppy and slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and a little smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, good kick, good representation of style, it’s a solid hoppy red ale but there are better ones out there.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 03:00:48 | More by TheManiacalOne

Gavage

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: reddish orange in color with a 1/2" head that falls relatively quick, but leaves some nice lace on the glass.

Smell: caramel and a strong hop presence is easy to detect by the nose.

Taste: caramel, black plums, grapefruit, pine, alcohol, and a hearty bitterness are the main flavors.

Mouthfeel: medium in body. Lightly crisp to start, smooth and a bit dry at the finish. Long lasting bitterness here.

Overall: I found this to be an enjoyable hopped up red ale and nicely drinkable. One is enough in a session and it will last a while as it is slow sipping.

Serving type: on-tap

12-23-2011 15:46:48 | More by Gavage

jwc215

New Jersey

4.4/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

1 Qt. 1.8 oz. flip-top bottle - Brewed on Sept. 17, 2009 - wish I had gotten to it sooner, but reviewed shortly after receiving it from Half Time...

Pours slightly clouded orangeish copper with a bubbly one-finger-plus head that stays. Lacing nearly covers the glass.

The smell is of a lovely hop aroma - citrus/grapefruit with herbal and piney notes. (Hop bill is Summit, Simcoe, Chanook and Nugget). Hops come together to showcase citrus, pine and peppery spicing with a caramel malt backing.

This is a "must try" for hoppy amber/red lovers. Beautifully hoppped with caramel (in a "red" way) backing. Alcohol well-integrated. I didn't have pizza on hand, but I can see the hoppy, doughy, carmelized maltiness complementing it very well. I wish I had more of this (had no problem getting through the large bottle) to go with a pizza with carmelized onions. Very nice - hoppy, with firm caramel malty backbone and some doughy notes.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2010 01:34:06 | More by jwc215

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This is a hearty 8% strong ale. It's a bit heady like a barleywine, but lacks the malt backing of the style. The hops still dominate here, but I feel like they could be dialed back a bit so they're less overwhelming and more complex. Still, there's a great syrupy pine and guava aroma. The flavor has more of the pine syrup with grapefruit and orange peel notes. The pine and grapefruit stick to the back of your tongue and just hang there. Don't try to drink something else after this beer, your palate will be locked on it for a while. Both the aroma and flavor offer a hint of dried bread malt, but this is a hop bomb and a fine one.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2009 03:51:54 | More by tempest

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I don't know why I thought this was going to be an IPA. Reading beer labels is beneath me.

This is a pretty decent amber ale. I think it might depend on what your expectations are for the style as this one is mildly spicy with the hops and carries a lot of malt influences on it. Might not be "imperial" enough for some. But for me, it works. Though a 12 ounce bottle would have worked just as well as a 750ml one.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 21:27:28 | More by RblWthACoz

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Lumpy, slowly dying head (leaves a dome). Leaves plenty of chunky but spotty lace. Dark cherry amber color. Hazy.

Powerful, spicy hoppy aroma. There's enough malt for balance. Some alcohol to the nose as well.

The only flaw I detect is the thin body (watery). The carbonation is low. Wonderfully hoppy, you taste the bitterness throughout the taste. The aftertaste is dry, earthy and longlastingly bitter.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2011 18:58:07 | More by smcolw

Wasatch

Utah

3.55/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks goes out to portia99 for this brew.

750ml
Red Foil

Pours a very nice hazy light amber color, nice carbonation, with a very nice thick creamy two-finger head, with lots of nice sticky lacing left behind. The nose is malty, with a very nice hop note, with lots of caramel. The taste is malty, with a bitter hop note, slightly sweet, kinda watery, not much body. Medium body, with a dry finish. I was ready to really enjoy this brew after the pour, but it was a let down, a nice brew, but after having the new Squatters Radio From Hell, there just is no comparison.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 19:26:59 | More by Wasatch

Jason

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

1 liter flip top brow bottle with a vintage date.

Right away you can tell this beer is bottle condition, as I poured it into my .5 Liter mug a whole lot of tiny bubbles started to form slowly and gain momentum enough to provide a think three fingers of lace. Reddish amber color is pretty damn clear, no hop haze or floaties at all. Orange rind and tobacco, perhaps a little bit of leather from the hop nose ... small kernel of toasted grain and nutty yeast when sniffing a little deeper. Extremely smooth with a solid medium body. Hops and malt battle it out from start to finish. Hop bitterness grows a little more with each sip and the alcohol sneaks in warmth as well. Maltiness tries hard to fend off with toasted bread and caramel flavors. Hops drive hard with citric and mint. Peach fruitiness in the bitter sweet finish.

A love big reds, especially reds that have a ton of hops and the malt to back it up. Very nice ...

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2010 00:50:58 | More by Jason

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a creamy rich 1 finger head fades slowly over hazy yeasty reddish orange copper color.

Nose is full of malts and hops with some bright hops, some citrus and pine and little earthy and fruit. Malts add some sweet aromas with red malts and slightly creamy.

Taste is similar but malts come first with sweet and creamy red malts. Light toasty malt. Hops come through with some bitterness, light grassy hops and some pine, citrus, and little earthy bitterness. A slight chewy hop and malt flavor too. Finishes clean with some light bitterness and light sweet malt flavors but mostly dry.

Mouth is medium bodied with decent carbonation.

Decent drinkability with crisp dry finish, no sticky flavors and tolerable bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2010 03:03:26 | More by jlindros

weeare138

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to josh for supplying this brew...
Appears a hazy amber with a small white cap that slowly fades out into a gentle floating head. Beautiful bits of Belgian lacing are left in the form of beads all over the glass.
Smell is of caramel, bitter orange, crystal malts, cracked grain, toffee, and pine needles.
Taste is of the aromas with caramel, toffee, orange citrus, pines, herbs, and raisins.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied, sugary, and warming with light booziness found in the swallow.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2010 00:42:32 | More by weeare138

Zorro

California

3.95/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark red colored beer headed in the direction of brown. Small tannish head with a distinct orange color to it. Fairly unique first orange colored head I have seen.

Smell is sweet and strongly hoppy, quite intense. Oranges and mint with grapefruit and pine. Redman Chewing Tobacco and wine grapes with a distinct sour fruit scent. Say what you want about this beer but is intensely aromatic.

Starts out very dry, muddy and woody with a slight bitter aftertaste. Mushroom and pine with some orange oil. A little bit of caramel and toffee peaks through after a while but this is very dry beer.

Mouthfeel is good.

Overall good, but could be better. Too bad this doesn't taste like it smells. If it did I would brush my teeth with the stuff.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2011 01:47:23 | More by Zorro

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.55/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Came across red, carbonation was definitely not a problem, wasn't a gusher, but it definitely was excited to get out the bottle. Head didn't amount to much or stick around long. Aroma was less red, more dipa on the caramel and sweetness tip.

Taste, less hoppy than expectations were, being that it was called pursuit of hoppiness. Not a fail by any means. This is really one of those line blurs when it comes to style. A little bit red, dipa, strong ale, whathaveyou. Sticky.

Price was just too much for what you get, there's a lot better investments, this was like $11 for a liter.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2010 01:19:56 | More by Beerandraiderfan

glid02

Georgia

4.15/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle purchased from Wine and Cheese place via mail order.

Pours a slightly hazy deep amber color with a cream-colored head leaving solid lacing.

Smells of smooth caramel malts with large amounts of pine and floral hops.

Tastes similar to how it smells, though the hops are a bit more restrained. Mildly dry caramel malt flavors up front are joined quickly by pine hops. Midway through the hops turn more herbal, carrying through to a moderately bitter ending. Mouthfeel is very good, with grainy carbonation.

Overall this is a solid beer for one of my favorite sub-styles, the hoppy amber. Well worth a shot.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2011 02:06:29 | More by glid02

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer has a candy apple colouring and bright auburn highlights, it's a very approachable and aesthetic beer for sure, especially given its clarity (provided you can see through the deep tone). An average amount of head produces an average of lace.

The aroma has such a raw hoppiness that it smells almost grossly herbal, a stinky and pungent scent that has such bitter resins that it smells genuinely plant-like, like some sort of strangling, carnivorous vine. There's little elegance about it, hardly any floral accents or fruity overtones, and any toasted malt is buried deep beneath all the pungent herbals.

Hops are no doubt important to any full-flavoured American beer, especially those reaching for 'double' or 'imperial' territory. But some brewers have the self-control with them of a teenage boy about to lose his virginity. This beer is so inundated by raw hop taste that, despite floral notes and a caramel flavour, it has the spiciness of ginger and the bitterness of steamed greens, tasting distinctly plant-like and possessing an obnoxious, choking vine-like quality.

The beer suffers a great imbalance: it has little redeeming zest for all its bitterness and yet simultaneously far too much sugary sweetness. Some bruised fruit flavours appear in the form of alcohol esters but they are chased away by the pungent bitterness. The taste again is that of stale ginger, with none of the usual candied citrus or sweet toffee tones lingering.

I've thought very highly of every other Grand Teton offering I've had to date, but Pursuit of Hoppiness is a rough-around-the-edges beer that, like I said, showcases as much command of its hoppiness as a teenage boy about to get lucky for the first time - this brewer clearly blew his hop load early with the kettle hops, leaving a lot of bitterness and not much aromatics. There's little gratification in something this big and bitter if it doesn't please the palate.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2011 06:28:08 | More by biegaman

kojevergas

California

3.14/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

8.5% ABV confirmed. Pursuit of Hoppiness Imperial Red Ale. 12 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap acquired locally and served into a conical Samuel Smith's pint glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are high given its current ratings.

Bottled 12/03/12.

Served straight from the fridge. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

Not paired with food.

A: Pours a two finger light khaki colour head of nice cream and thickness, and flat out fantastic retention; it looks like it'l keep for a good ten minutes. Lacing is decent. Body colour is a dark amber-copper; semitransparent and translucent. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Par for the style, with an impressive head.

Sm: Hoppy, with nectar and floral character dominating. Caramel and sweet malts form the foundation. Little hop bitterness. An average strength aroma, and a pretty simple one.

T: Nectary hops, a bit of floral hop character, caramel, and sweet amber malts. Fairly balanced, but underwhelming. I do like it, but it lacks subtlety and complexity. There's just not much to say about it. Some bready notes. A bit too sweet, with malts defeating hops.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Not quite refreshing. Decent thickness. Pretty good carbonation.

Dr: Drinkable but pretty pedestrian. For an imperial red, it's not bad. Still, I wouldn't trifle with it again - especially not for its price as an import. There are better examples of the style at this price point. Hides its ABV fairly well. Another good but not great offering from Grand Teton.

C+

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 04:08:46 | More by kojevergas

tavernjef

Minnesota

4.22/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Large swing top bottle: Muted dark tangerine orange color with a moderately tall capping of yellowed foam and has lots of cob webbed lacing drawn across the glass and more so as its consumed.

Heavy aroma of spruce wood soaked in old pineapple and mango juices. Quite deep and darkly set with a muted tropical sense with a bready malt backing, but mainly hopped in a woody wetness slathered in dull dark citrusy goo.

Taste has a rounded sweet tone of deep dark red apple, pineapple, dark orange, banana, mango, and a bit of pithy citrus pinches to it. But all very muted and smoothed over in a bread doughy fruityness noted with woodish hints passing here and there adding some slivers to its overall orangey bitterness. Which too, is quite muted, controlled, smooth, soft, and fluffy in texture to the palate. Quite the fun array of twisted in complexity to its hop tones. Drys off slowly adding and building to itself as you go.

Body is a solid medium, smooth, sweet, orangified hoppyness with a side dashing bitterness thats woddy and pithy with a herbal earthy tea twist to its finish that I find fascinating.

Ooh so smooth and drinkable. The large bottle empties in no time flat, as its easy going bitterness of orange fruit and balancing sweetness makes for a palate quenching yummy ride of goodness. Another of the big brew series from Grand Teton that is a keeper, albiet a bit pricey, but you do get about three 12 oz servings out of the large bottle for $14 which is still less then $2.50 a glass.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2010 02:29:03 | More by tavernjef

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.85/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Sharing this one with the bro... Big 1 Ltr flip-top with an orange label and an orange stringer stretching over the hinge and cap. Poured into my Delerium goblet... Paid the customary $13.

I am putting this in the American Strong Ale category just because I doubt it belongs in with the regular American Ambers.

1" off white head looks like whipped cream.. tons of lace.. and great retention... The brew is slightly hazy deep orange.

Nose seems a little muted for the name of the beer .. Don't get me wrong, there is alot of stuff going on here, but none really jump out of the glass. Lite citrusy hops and a more than a bit of caramel.. more hoppy fruitiness show as it really warms up.. and the malts help drive the hoppy nose.

Flavor has a much more fruity hops than the nose.. minerally and sorta tropical with lesser citrus.. caramel malts and toasty elements really help the hops push forward... bigger body than expected with a light carbonation... really pretty smooth.. could use a bit more carbonation to make things prance around a bit.

I am really surprised ... the hoppy bitterness was really pretty mellow.. instead it allowed the flavor additions to do the talking... Very tasty.. I think this is going to be waaay more enjoyable fresh... I am gonna pick up some more bottles for sure and store them on the bottom (the coldest) shelf in my fridge.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2009 06:42:02 | More by JohnGalt1

mactrail

California

3/5  rDev -25.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Big gorilla of a hop brew. Nothing subtle, intriguing, or armoatic. Some sweet malt, but a dishwater aftertaste followed by the bitter burn. A litle bit of maltiness squeaks through. Ruby amber color is nice. Foam fairly long lasting and well laced in the pint glass. Supposed to have Summit, Simcoe, Chinook, and Nugget hops.

At Sessions Public in San Diego. Surprised a pint of a beer listed at 9% is only available in pints. Why do they want to call it an "American Red" with 100 IBU? One of the less interesting hoppy beers I've had this year.

Serving type: on-tap

11-06-2011 04:08:40 | More by mactrail