Tröegs Hopback Amber Ale - Tröegs Brewing Company

Maestro

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +23.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is the only selection I have given a perfect five. This is justified. Hopback is my favorite selection from Troegs. I had the opportunity to have the beer served on-cask. It blew me away. The nose was amazing, in that the hops were present and similar to the bottle or draught version, but they were subdued. The head was light and fluffy and lasted the entire duration of the pint. As this was a cask-conditioned ale, the carbonation was very low, allowing for all the flavor to present itself to the drinker. All the flavors of the Hopback were present but just more balanced. The beer was very smooth in my mouth and actually made me understand the purpose of cask ale. Props to Market Cross Pub in Carlisle, PA for taking care of this cask and serving it properly in an Imperial Pint.

Serving type: cask

04-28-2004 13:00:28 | More by Maestro

TheDeuce

New York

5/5  rDev +23.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

From the Troeg's Brewer's Dozen Variety Pack

Appearance- Poured into a pilsner glass...a nice amber red color with a large head that overflowed the glass at first and then settles down.

Smell-sweet wiffs of flavorful hops, sweet malt, a little bit of berry and a lot of grain. Very aromatic.

Taste- hops hit you immediately while the sweet malt puncuates the senses, character is well balanced, medium bodied mouthfeel, layered taste moves between hopes, fruit, and sweet malt, spicy finish.

Mouthfeel-not too heavy or too light, nice balance of hops, malt, and other layered flavors.

Drinkability-easy to drink, very nice flavor and charactar, flawless.

Overall-Spectacular, the first beer I've ever given a flawless rating to. I'm absolutely floored, great work.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2004 09:47:21 | More by TheDeuce

mlhall55

New Jersey

5/5  rDev +23.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearance- Appealing look to it, not too dark and not light at all.

Smell- Is great! A bold hoppy aroma, very pleasant and mouth watering.

Taste- Is exceptional. I personally believe this to quite possibly be the perfect amount of hops. Incredible flavor that's not too 'soapy' with a mildly bitter/sweet after taste.

Mouthfeel - Not too thick at all, I could easily and comfortably swish in my mouth.

Drinkability - Easy case gone.

This beer has been placed as my number one ranked beer, and I have been studying for a long time.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2009 22:01:12 | More by mlhall55

nickspagnolo

New York

5/5  rDev +23.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Found this beer at my local distributor and boy am I glad they carried it!
I am not going to get technical with this beer because it is so dam good! If you are a fan of hops you will love this beer! Don't just take my word for it; look at everyone else's reviews as well...it is an exceptional beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2010 12:57:55 | More by nickspagnolo

BeerLover48Fan

New Jersey

4.97/5  rDev +23%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Thanks goes to NJ State Trooper Pete Mosteller for this bottle.

Poured a nice clear copper with a large white head. This subsides to a good layer of white foam that leaves ample lacing.

The aroma has all kinds of things going on. I get notes of pine, some earthiness, and lemon zest. It has a very "clean" aroma that I can't quite find the words for.

The taste is very nicely balanced. There are small touches of toasted malt, but hops dominate here. The lemon character is definitely here, but what I really notice is tropical fruit. It is very soft on the palate and finishes clean. This beer is extremely refreshing and easy to drink.

This was an awesome brew. Crisp, clean, refreshing, and delicious. I sure wish I had more than one bottle! I will drink this again, and hopefully soon

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2007 19:25:23 | More by BeerLover48Fan

RBorsato

Virginia

4.95/5  rDev +22.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Copper colored with a tan head. Good lace and carbonation. Huge grapefruity citrus aroma ! Awesome hop flavor but with good balance (obviously leans hoppy). Light bodied and creamy. This should be ranked up there with the best West-coast American Amber Ales !!

Seemed very similar to Troegs ESB...

NOW AVAILABLE IN BOTTLES!!
Bottled 12/02/02 Tasted 12/15/02 Freshest by 05/02/03 (on case box)

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2002 11:25:38 | More by RBorsato

MacMan1980

Connecticut

4.88/5  rDev +20.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This beer's appearance was completely clear and see-through with a vibrant color, and a solid head. The aroma was floral and grassy. The taste is obviously very "hoppy" with a sharp and bitter taste to it--though not at all imbalanced. The mouth-feel was crisp and very clean.

Serving type: 1/2 pint glass

Serving type: on-tap

11-23-2008 04:51:56 | More by MacMan1980

JackTheRipper

Pennsylvania

4.85/5  rDev +20%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

My first cask conditioned beer, served up at Sharp Edge Beer Emporium.
A: Very different from either the tap or bottle versions of this one. Hazy amber/golden in appearance with a big creamy white head that lasted nearly to the end of the beer. Lacing was sticky and heavy. Fantastic.
S: Strong floral hop aroma with nice hints of lemon and spice.
T: Oh so smooth hop flavors right up front, balances with a darkly sweet malt taste that doesn't overpower. Tastes linger on the palate for quite some time.
M: Smooth and rich, creamy and mouth coating. The seemingly lower levels of carbonation let this beer travel all around and carry the flavors quite well.
D&N: Beer Nirvana. One of the finest brews I've had the pleasure of tasting. Rich and full of character, this beer in a cask conditioned incarnation is one I'll look forward to having again. If you ever see this in a cask, try it.

Serving type: cask

05-28-2004 07:33:52 | More by JackTheRipper

UnionMade

Colorado

4.85/5  rDev +20%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Thanks for the bottle, Jim and Allie!
Brilliantly clear copper, very shiny. Full, creamy bubbled cap of ivory foam. Excellent lacing and retention. Sheets of foam stick to the glass in layers. Really impressive, very few beers lace the glass like this. Very balanced aroma, equal parts toasty malt and piney, floral hops. Mild pear esters, but very clean otherwise. Very fresh hop scent. Very nice. The first sip reveals a gem of a session brew. Full flavored toasty malt, not too much, but just enough to keep your tastebuds content. Medium to full bodied, a little rough feeling on the palate, with sturdy, brisk carbonation. Excellent, milder ale fruitiness, appley and floral, moving seamlessly into a fresh, clean hop finish. Moderate bitterness, with a punchy pine flavor. Hints of woodiness and floral notes. A little rough edged, a little different, not your average cascade hop finish. Plenty of delicious hop flavor, but you can taste a bit of rougher flavored bittering hops in the background. I wonder what they use? If I ventured a guess, I'd say there's some noble hops here, or perhaps a US grown derivative. Tiny, tiny bit of alcohol is present, but goes away after my palate adjusts after a couple sips. Malt maintains balance, toasty with a little bit of grain, drying out in the aftertaste. Gentle, but assertive enough to hold your attention. I wish I had another.
Troegs' brews impress once again. Really, really nice stuff. If I were to choose a favorite beer that I drank exclusively, this would be a top contender. I'd definitely want it to come with me in the "shipwrecked on a deserted island" scenario. I'd love to try it cask conditioned, and I'll be sure to grab a case of bottles next time I'm in PA or NJ. I'm a sucker for great session beers, I've had hundreds, and this is a stand out.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2005 07:28:39 | More by UnionMade

cgraham5

Maryland

4.85/5  rDev +20%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A - Pours an impressive red-amber color. No head on the pour but a quick swirl of the glass produces a layer of creamy off-white head.

S - Smells great! Hoppy and full of complex citrus tones including lemon and even grapefruit.

T - A sweet citrusy taste for this amber ale. The smell of grapefruit carriers over to taste and the brew is still as bitter as you could want given the HopBack name.

M - Mouthfeel is interesting on this one. Given the complex taste I would expect the mouthfeel too be as well, but I was wrong. Instead, the sweet citrus and hop flavor inundates your whole mouth instead of (maybe) front or back for instance. Almost like you really are drinking some type of fruity beverage. But don't be afraid! This isn't your girlfriend's Smirnoff Ice!

D - Great beer, I could drink it all night, and I will. Every sip leaves me wanting more and I can clearly see why it flies off the shelves at work. Truly recommend this to any veteran beer drinker and to someone who may not know they like beer yet or what type of beer they're into yet.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2009 05:04:01 | More by cgraham5

traillme

Virginia

4.85/5  rDev +20%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I am NorCal born, NorCal raisbut this Pa brewery is awesome. I love the quality, consistency, and drinkability of all of their beers.

The Hopback Ambber is a great all season beer that especially shines in summer. We were a Sierra Nevada House before and now share time with the Hopback. For me any time you can replace a exceptional beer with one from a regional brewery, it deserves high praise.

On tap, head, nose and appearance are all fantastic.

Serving type: on-tap

07-23-2011 01:10:41 | More by traillme

guinness33

New Jersey

4.83/5  rDev +19.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

pours an awesome looking amber colour with a nice sized creamy head. damn near perfect looking for an ale. a distinct hop smell instantly hits you nose along with sweet caramel and slight fruit notes as well as hints of spice. this is a medium bodied brew that is just full of flavour and a joy to drink. very crisp and refreshing. the flavour is more malty and caramel based than you would expect from the smell, which, as mentioned, is quite hopped. hop presence is certainly here, just more subdued than one would anticipate. the finish is nice and smooth with a bit of a creamy, cap'n crunch cereal bite. this was really just a pleasure to drink and a great choice for a session ale. an awesome brew from troegs.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2004 21:24:55 | More by guinness33

drawbackwards

New York

4.83/5  rDev +19.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Initial pour was an excellent color with fantastic aroma. The taste was exceptionally smooth. It was not too heavy and this could become a fantastic session beer. The "hoppiness" was not overpowering and Troegs really got this one right. Fantastic...

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2009 03:08:37 | More by drawbackwards

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.8/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Acquired via trade from plaid75, so a big “Thank you” goes out to him. Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a light brownish orange color with a large foamy off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is loaded with hops as the name suggests, along with citrus and caramel sweetness.

T: The taste is very well-balanced with a strong hops burst and a heavy citrus and caramel sweetness. I know that isn’t much analysis, but it’s as simple as that. It just tastes great.

M: Crisp and very smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, clean finish.

D: Very tasty, goes down extremely easily, not very filling, similar to Nugget Nectar the only thing keeping this beer from being an American IPA is the fact that Troegs doesn’t call it an IPA. That being said, this is an excellent beer and I could see myself drinking a whole lot of it in an evening, if only Troegs were available this far in the Northeast. HINT-HINT!

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2007 03:57:28 | More by TheManiacalOne

TheFightfan1

Pennsylvania

4.8/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

poured into a pint glass. Pours a clear amberish red color with white heading.Hardly any lacing.

Smell is citrus off the bat ,then a toasted maltiness takes over.

Taste is sweet,with some fruitiness to it.

Mouth is very smooth,medium bodied and good carbonation.

Drink is very high I could definelty have some more of these.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2009 01:22:58 | More by TheFightfan1

WayneRooneyFan

New Jersey

4.78/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I know that some may argue with me, but Troegs Hopback Amber Ale is one of the finest American beers that I've had the pleasure of drinking in quite awhile.

Perhaps, this is the kind of beer that one needs to drink on-tap rather than from a bottle.

It combined three characteristics that I enjoy in a beer: hoppy, sweet and low-to-moderate carbonation.

The mouthfeel was excellent and struck me in a positive way immediately. The taste made my tastebuds stand-up and take notice.

It was served very cold, which may have helped its consistency remain strong until the bottom of the pint glass.

It is not my favorite from Troegs (Nugget Nectar is), but is very pleasing nonetheless.

Serving type: on-tap

11-06-2008 19:19:26 | More by WayneRooneyFan

JamesS

Indiana

4.75/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pours a very nice deep amber color with some very good head and nice lacing. Excellent scent, very well balanced with a nice deep malty tone as well as a great floral hoppy scent. Excellent taste, very well done; it has the deep earthy amber ale malt with a wonderful hoppy/bitter flavor and great bitter/floral aftertaste. It goes down very well, a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2008 01:44:46 | More by JamesS

montageman

Michigan

4.75/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured into a pint glass.

Another winner from Troegs. A delicious, well-hopped amber ale. Rich amber color with a delightful sweet pine aroma and a perfectly balanced flavor. A nice pine/citrus punch up front with a clean finish. Just a really great, easy drinking amber ale. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2009 03:32:32 | More by montageman

robertp1024

Virginia

4.72/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Nice reddish amber ale with great flavor. Decent size head which stays around for a long time, just like the flavor. Not a very hoppy ale, but a great mix of malt and hops. Has a slightly sweet taste. The smell of the malt and citrus fruits is quite strong and quite appealing.

Serving type: on-tap

06-28-2005 14:28:07 | More by robertp1024

Wilceaser

Pennsylvania

4.72/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

First Time drinking this beer.
Poured from the bottle, cold
It has a very clear amber color with a nice head that disappears quietly.
Upon pouring you notice the strong pleasant aroma of the Hops, It has a citrus smell, with a slight grassy overtone that translates in to the taste.
Very good Hoppy tasty with a grapefruit after taste that is very pleasant with a dry finish. More IPA than a Pale Ale

Poured a second tasting with the bottle at cellar temps. The taste truly develop and the bouquet erupts with more earthy tones and a stronger hop flavor.
This is a very drinkable beer, I don't see it as session beer but rather a nice first beer or thirst quencher.
Would go good with Mexican or spicy Mediterranean fair.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2008 17:42:50 | More by Wilceaser

andrewt960

New Jersey

4.72/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured a nutty, golden brown. Nice head that stuck around for a few minutes. not much lacing in this glass, but if I recall the last one I poured a few days ago had more.
S: Smelled of citrus hops and a slight hint of pine aroma. Malt was there but hops ruled here.
T/M: tasted great... with a nice fruity hop taste up front but a nuttiness aftertaste...nice smooth carbonation and very refreshing for a hopped up beer.
D: Very drinkable, and a very safe beer to drink. If you're into hops... this is a very nice but not completely overwhelming beer. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2008 03:21:16 | More by andrewt960

warbird07

Michigan

4.72/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured for review into my New Belgium globe...

Appearance..pretty..pours blood orange red, medium white head with a strong pour, nice lacing...very tasty looking..

smell is real nice, fruity hops, malty, sweet..all in great balance..very good smelling beer...

taste is bready,buscuity, clean malt profile, muted hop bitterness,real nice finish..

mouthfeel is smooth and kinda velvety...good body..

I am very impressed with this beer..I enjoy it almost as much as it's big brother..Nugget Nector..this is a MORE drinkable version of it...

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2011 01:25:11 | More by warbird07

jscondon

Massachusetts

4.7/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Beer engine pour!

I love cask beers and this did not let me down, in fact I would go so far as to say that the Troegs Hopback amber from the cask is awesome. It arrived in a pint glass brown, slightly hazy and at a nice temp. The floral hop aroma of this one was out of control awesome, and these were followed by hints of pepper and a good amount of maltiness. When I tasted it I was blown away, a malt front with hints of caramel that foamed up in the middle and finished with a nice hop flavor.. it was very well balanced.

This is a great cask beer. I have had the bottled version before and was not as impressed by its flavor then. It was good but on the hand pump this blew me away. If you find it cask, don't pass it up this up.

Serving type: cask

01-10-2008 02:41:06 | More by jscondon

mwa423

Ohio

4.7/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A - Beautiful very dark and crystal clear amber with one finger of head and lacing that retains all the way down the glass

S - Strong floral and fruit smell, if I could get this in candle form I would burn it 24/7

T - The hops taste hits instantly but is soon dulled by the citrus and caramel flavors. I love it!

M - Goes down silky smooth and the end of every drink leaves you with a dry mouth feeling that makes you want the next sip.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2009 02:16:19 | More by mwa423

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.68/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appears amber with a copper tint and a huge billowing head with trickled lace surrounding my pint. This is one balanced brew in my opinion the aroma is balanced between sweet caramel malt and floral eathy pine scented hops, so balanced it's just about the perfect beer. This is one reason why Troegs has done what it has, and with it's oatmeal stout truly one PA's finest micros out there I must say. The taste is also truly balanced with a trace of the hops adding a bittering quality with the malt waves following blending perfectly to form a hopback amber ale. Medium to light bodied very good beer with no off tones to it everything here is like butter, what can I say. The drinkability level is unlike any other amber ale out there it's perfect, I love this beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2003 15:04:01 | More by WVbeergeek