Pursuit Of Hoppiness - Grand Teton Brewing Co.

BostonHops

Massachusetts

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

750ml bottle served in a snifter.
served within a month of bottling. (ABV: 8.5%)

pours a murky very dark amber, almost brown while yielding a 1" creamy/frothy beige head. respectable lacing and head retention. aromatic nose is very nice, offering a big hoppy presence: citrus (primarily grapefuit), pine, and herbal. after the initial wave of hops you pick up a notable malt character.

taste is the citric/herbal/pine hops balanced by toasted and caramel malts. definitely more malty than i was expecting, but it isn't bad. medium bodied mouthfeel with average carbonation.

overall, this was a good red. reasonably tasty and enjoyable, but lacks a 'wow' factor. would definitely be up for a revisit but won't go crazy trying to track it down either.

(originally reviewed: 07-19-2011)

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 21:34:23 | More by BostonHops

Treebs

Illinois

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

Had on tap at Wild Monk. Served in a snifter.

A: Pours a nice dark ruby red color with a half finger of thick, off white foam forming on the pour. It recedes slowly to a bubbly film and thick collar. Sticky webbiings of lace are left down the glass.

S: Nice fruity hops, a touch of grapefruit, with some mild pine up front. Some biscuit-like malts push their way to the front and the finish is mostly caramel and wheat bread malts.

T: The light fruity hop flavors form the nose are there at the beginning of the taste as well. Green grass and some hay with a pithy bitterness. The malts come up mid palate with a nice combination of biscuit and sweet caramel and the finish is a bitter green hoppiness. The booze isn't noti

M: Medium bodied with a nice carbonation level. The finish is refreshing with a mild hop bitterness and smoothness.

O: I'm a big fan of hopped up Reds or "Imperial" Reds. This is another solid take on that style. The booze isn't noticeable and there is nice balance between hops and malts.

Serving type: on-tap

06-07-2012 01:15:53 | More by Treebs

nataku00

California

3.48/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle poured into a tulip glass. Beer pours a dark hazy copper, with some amber and reds when held up to a light, with two fingers of foamy loose bubbles. Head dissipates after a few minutes to half a finger of foam, leaving ample sticky lacing. A lot of carbonation streaming up from the bottom of the glass.

Nose is grapefruit peel, pine and caramel. A bit of fruity ester, red apple as well.

Taking a sip, toasted and caramel malt greets the tongue first, then a bit of grapefruit peel bitterness. Some apple ester flavor mid tongue, before finishing with a combination of caramel malt and grapefruit. Was hoping for more hop flavor though.

Medium body and heavily carbonated for a somewhat creamy mouthfeel. Easy to drink for the abv, but given the name, I was disappointed with an average beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 02:34:57 | More by nataku00

Durge

Connecticut

4.45/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A cloudy rusty-amber colored brew with a two-inch thick clumpy oatmeal colored head and big chunky gobs of lacing left behind. The aroma is pretty powerful spruce and bright citrus tempered by near chocolatey malt with a hint of some alcohol. Very different and enticing. The flavor is really different with a clear mocha and grassy-pine hop merged into a tangy pineapple malt deal. The chocolate idea seems to dissipate as it warms and the malt with orange-citrus comes out. Medium bodied with solid carbonation and a brisk, lush feel. Very fun brew!

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 03:36:53 | More by Durge

DocJitsu

California

3.75/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours an opaque red amber with a long-lasting, foamy, brown-tan head. Obtrusive aromas of sweet toffee pull candy and notes of milk chocolate. Slight alcohol burn in the nostrils. Mouthfeel is quite nice with a wet, slick beginning and a stinging mild carbonation burn at the finish. Sweet jam on a biscuit yields to raw potato with a vodka finish. High alpha acid hop remains in the palate after everything else has faded. Very interesting beer. I don't love it, but it is big and interesting.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 03:34:55 | More by DocJitsu

Drinkerofales

California

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

Pours copper, a hint of haze. A light tan frothy head sticks to the glass and is there 'til the final sip.

Smell is a good balance between piney floral hops and lightly roasted malt, that attains and almost sweet quality.

Taste is very similar to the nose, almost tart hops up front, followed by some sweet, almost caramel malt, finished with a nice bitter flavor.

Texture is stellar, medium bodied and great carbonation. A perfect crisp finish makes this fun to drink.

The beer is well balanced and very tasty. Hops are big enough for a hop head, and malt reels in the punch. Recommended.

DOA

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 23:48:25 | More by Drinkerofales

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

bigbluebeerguy

Kentucky

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

22oz into a pint glass, gusher.

Nice copper in color, with a 2-3 finger, buff-colored head. Head is slow to recede, but finally leaves a thin layer with very sporadic, wispy lacing.

Nose is sweet, predominantly citrus. Do get a lot of toasted bread crust type malts as well.

The taste follows the nose for the most part, with the citrus stepping up, most notably pineapple. Fairly strong sweet malt backbone keeps a pretty good balance. Hop resins linger on the finish.

Medium body and carbonation, with the hops creating a dry, bitter finish, fairly astringent. Alcohol begins to creep up on you in this one.

Overall this is a pretty solid beer. Nothing really blows me away, but one that I would gladly drink again. My first beer from Grand Teton, would like to try more.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 04:30:10 | More by bigbluebeerguy

dogfishandi

New York

3.9/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml capped and foiled bottled poured into a boulevard tulip, bottled 5.5.11

pours out a murkey reddish color with a nice off white, almost tan colored head that had some very nice retention and some decent lacing as well.

somewhat muted piney hops balanced by a nice sugary caramel, biscuity malt.

a good balance, but some of the hop flavors seem a little lost. again, biscuity, caramel malts balanced by a bit of pine. still a solid hop bitterness in the finish.

medium bodied with some nice carbonation for the style. slightly stickey feel.

this surprisingly stood the test of time very well and leaves me even more intrigued to find a fresher bottle.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2012 17:54:12 | More by dogfishandi

TenHornsProud

Colorado

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

Pours a clear red with a big, fluffy off-white head that lingers and laces.

Smells of sweet caramel malt and some piney/lemony hop.

Taste is up front pineapple/peach/grape that fades into a fruity middle and ends on a bitter/fruity/stone fruit note that lingers. I was completely surprised by the taste gives the look and smell. This has a fantastic hop flavor that is fruity/grapefruit/stone fruit/etc...really interesting and balanced in terms of flavors.

Medium body with medium carbonation work well.

This is a nice, hoppy beer that smells sweeter than it tastes. The fruity hop taste is really pleasing...I'd get it again.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2012 04:00:02 | More by TenHornsProud

hopfacebrew

Colorado

4.65/5  rDev +16%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Picked this up at the local liquor store after they rearranged the bomber room. Reminded me of Trout Hop Black IPA so I bought it. Very happy I did. Bottled 12/7/10.

A - The beer pours a nice red/amber/copper color with a huge 2.5 finger white head with unreal retention and lacing. Gobs of lacing.

S - A nice nose with a nice citrus, earthy, fruity aroma hop character. A bit sweetness from the malt.

T/M - The beer starts just where the nose left off. The beer starts with the fruity sweet hop character: apples, and citrus, and earthy tones. The sweet malt character comes into play in the middle with orange and tart flavors. Very smooth. Hides the alcohol so well. The beer finishes with a mild bitterness together with a mild fruity malty tone. Very good. Finishes a bit dry.

D - Yes!

Overall, this is a fantastic beer! Very happy with the purchase and plan on picking up another tomorrow if there are any left. 8.5% ABV not 8%.
Great.

Note: This review was a re-post from my former account, jmkratt, which was hacked and I lost all my reviews...sorry for the redundancy.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 03-01-2011 02:52:00

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 14:25:27 | More by hopfacebrew

TheSarge

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours well to form a towering three finger thick, pillowy light khaki colored body. The body is copper to caramel in color, and is pretty hazy.

In the aroma I'm getting celery, caremel, and maybe BBQ sauce.

Taste wise I can seem to get that strange celery quality. There are notes of caramel, and a kind of tomatoe like flavor.

Good carbonation, full in body, warming to the palate in the end.

This beer actually tastes like it'd go well with spicy buffalo wings. Just has something to do with that celery trait.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 01:03:38 | More by TheSarge

ricchezza

Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Bomber poured into a Belgian style glass. Rich, deep copper (penny) tint.

Orange/tangerine fruity aroma with a hint of pepper and celery. Tastes is also fruity/citrus-like, with much less hop aroma than expected; pretty mild for an IPA. Lightly carbonated.

Smokey after tastes that sneaks up on the palate with a warming alcohol presence.

Perfect for a cold night and with a good steak.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2012 16:27:42 | More by ricchezza

jondeelee

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pursuit of Hoppiness opens with an aroma that nicely befits the name, being bright and full of citrusy, lemony, piney, grapefruit notes from the hops, which slightly tickle the nose in their citrusy bitterness. A healthy malt base, full of brown sugar, vanilla, biscuit, orange, and berry aromas, complements the hops. The aromas as a whole are well balanced and enticing, none overwhelming the beer, and the slight stickiness around the bottle's mouth promises excellent viscosity and quality of brew.

On the tongue, the beer opens in good IPA-like style, with a huge and immediate hit of hops, which bring pine, grapefruit zest, lemon, dandelion stem, mint, and eucalyptus notes, as well as a good dose of bitterness from the 100 IBUs. The hops are so well-balanced and crafted that, despite their intense flavors and bitterness, they still allow a good amount of malt sugar to break through, providing a base of orange liqueur, berry, toast crust, brown sugar, and fresh whole wheat bread. The beer is tilted very much in favors of the hops, however, and this continues into the aftertaste, which consists mainly of the dandelion stem, grapefruit rind, and lemon rind hop notes, with some brown sugars and oranges left over, and lingers for some time. Mouthfeel is medium, and carbonation is medium to medium-high.

Overall, this is a great Imperial Red Ale, showcasing an excellent range of hop and malt flavors, and being largely well balanced--at least, as well balanced as a 100 IBU hop monster can be. The hops do overly dominate the aftertaste, of course, and tend to slightly detract from the sugars in the main mouthful, but I doubt many hopheads will protest too much. Very much worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 00:33:22 | More by jondeelee

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

syrupjoe

Minnesota

4.22/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle into pint glass.

Pours a cloudy brown-amber with medium sized dark floaties.

Nose is clean, green, and fresh with a great honey malt biscuit flavor.

Taste is balanced. I get sweet, full-bodied malt at the same time I get a great hop presence that is grassy, slightly citrusy, and gives a great pine resin flavor.

Moderate carbonation - finish is clean and crisp with light lingering hop notes and malt sweetness.

Overall a very well-rounded brew that does an excellent job showcasing aromatic hops while maintaining balance. Will drink again!

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2011 18:26:50 | More by syrupjoe

brewski101

California

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

Had this one at a local pub's pint nite

Poured relatively dark for an amber ale.

Not much head or carbonation.

Aroma was subdued - deceptively so in light of the degree of hopping.

Definite presence of pine and a grassy bite that was well balanced by the malt.

Serving type: on-tap

12-01-2011 05:41:59 | More by brewski101

seanwhite

Massachusetts

3.35/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A:clear, glowing copper colored beer topped by a minimal sized light beige head.

S: The aroma is rather sugary malty at first, soon to be overpowered by piney, citrusy hoppyness. Some lemonpeel.

T: It’s full-bodied, quite effervescent and lightly warming, with flavors of caramel sugary maltyness and a solid dose of citrusy, resiny malts. Lasting finish with bitterness dominating.

O: Some balance brought by the sweetish maltyness. A really pleasant one. A bit sweet maybe, but with hops enough to deal with it

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2011 17:42:37 | More by seanwhite

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

quirkzoo

Colorado

3.98/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy deep amber with an adequate off white head that recedes to a thin layer on the glass. Nose is distinctly piney hops, not quite as much as I was expecting from the title but a good amount for a red. Taste is definitely pine hops with a strong malt backbone. Flavor is accented with a touch of caramel sweetness. Finish is a clean grapefruit peel bitterness. The mouthfeel is good for the style. Overall this was an enjoyable brew. I was expecting a bit more hops given the name but it is a mighty fine imperial red none the less.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2011 02:17:33 | More by quirkzoo

sholland119

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-Pours a hazy amber with a huge frothy off white head and massive sticky lacing.

S-Sweet juicy piney hops with good tangerine notes and a very nice malt sweetness.

T-Not up to the nose but still tasty. Grainy malt followed by nice grapefruit hoppiness. Less complex than the aroma but still nice.

M-Medium bodied, nicely bitter, medium carbonation.

O-Quite delicious. A fine hoppy imperial red, just this side of Nugget Nectar.

HV

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2011 01:39:08 | More by sholland119

Ryan011235

Ohio

2.7/5  rDev -32.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

On tap in a pint glass at Barley's, Greenville, on 9/18/11

Faded copper color. Poured a thin head and thin it remained. Hardly any lace at all.

Aromas of floral hops, watery caramel and a touch of bread. Way tame and a little soapy. No brightness to the hops. Ugh, it tastes just as bland and boring. Floral hops and caramel smeared all over the place. Lacking in citrus and/or pine. Bitterness is low. Tastes kind of soapy, also. Medium body with moderately low carbonation. Something of a slick feel.

This isn't exactly a bad beer; it's just boring as sin. I'm glad I didn't buy a bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

10-24-2011 01:23:40 | More by Ryan011235

hwwty4

Missouri

3.75/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a capped 22oz bottle into my Hennepin globe.

This beer pours a murky reddish amber with a big 3 inch creamy head that leaves soapy lacing down the sides of the glass. The aroma is fa. Upfront is a nice mellow piney hoppiness intermingled with chocolate malts and a bit of coffee astringency. Just a bit of citrus lingers underneath it all. Almost tangerine citrus. The flavor is surprisingly malty. And not just malty, the profile itself is odd. I get quite a bit of chocolaty malts with just a bit of coffee astringency. The malt almost reminds me of a black IPA. I was expecting more of a toffee/caramel/biscuit type of malt backbone, this is not it. Good but different. I was expecting this to finish a bit dryer then it does. Fairly full and creamy. Overall, I just don't know about this beer. Not quite what I expected. The bottle on date is printed on the black instead of the white. It makes me wonder if the bottle I bought is old. I thought it was fresh due to the fact that my local just started carrying it. Will give it a whirl again when I can find a fresh bottle

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2011 01:23:17 | More by hwwty4

nhindian

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Provided by dtx00 at a recent, small tasting. Thanks, Sam!

750ml bottle poured into a pint, split 3 ways.

A - Pours a ruby red color with highlights of rustic orange and cherrywood. It grows about 1.5-fingers of head with good retention. It leaves behind some lacing, but nothing incredibly special. The body, however, is beautiful, from the color to the almost crystal-clear transparency that paints everything on the other side a deep crimson.

S - Immediately after pouring, aromas of numerous hops waft up and fill the air. This apparently has reached the fabled 100 IBU mark, which definitely is impressive, especially for a style like amber ales, where very hoppy beers are not typically the norm. The hops here give a robust nose full of spice, earth, and of course lots grapefruit bitterness. Some caramel as well, but obviously not much.

T - I have to say, upon my first sip I was impressed. I've heard snippets about this brewery, but nothing substantial, but this is a great tasting beer. It has the bitter hoppiness like something a double IPA would bring, but also has a more complex base behind it with the malts, which are sweet and even nutty at times. From there, the hops springboard to the front, offering bold, rich flavors across the hop spectrum. The spiciness is something that I found myself liking, especially when complemented with the malts, and the strong pine and grapefruit and other citrus notes are always welcome. Just a tinge of heat in the finish.

M - Mouthfeel is moderately heavy-bodied with okay carbonation. A little bit more carbonation would have hit the sweet-spot, but it's not bad in its current state. Even after a single pour, my mouth and palate were starting to feel that numbness that hops sometime impart.

D/O - Drinkability is high. A complete dark horse for me, but I can't say I wasn't enjoying every last bit of this beer. It was refreshing to get a beer with the strong hop presence, but also with the fortitude to withstand that and balance it with the malt sweetness. I will definitely be keeping Grand Teton on my radar for the future.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2011 02:04:05 | More by nhindian

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