Tröegs Hopback Amber Ale - Tröegs Brewing Company

nrpellegrini

Maryland

2.7/5  rDev -33.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Bottle poured to pint glass.

A: clear brown color, white half finger head that stays a bit
S: hoppy, slight caramel scent, lots of malts
T: hoppy, bitter, generic solid amber
M: initial hoppy bite, fades to smooth feel, bland aftertaste
D: so-so

Not a big fan of hoppy ambers, this had a lot bold flavors, nice beer, but I won't be getting it again.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2008 23:45:54 | More by nrpellegrini

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

2.8/5  rDev -30.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a clean amber color with an off white head. Aromas of hops and a bit earthy. Tastes of hops, but a watery taste. A small dry, bitter end. A decent hop, a light body, but expecting a bit more in body, but it is still very nice. I do respect this because it is the Nugget Nectars daddy.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2007 17:13:05 | More by OWSLEY069

jegross2

Illinois

2.83/5  rDev -30%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Reviewing the Hop Back Amber Ale from Tröegs Brewing Company.
Score: 73

I got this bottle as part of n00b BIF. Bottled 11/26/11, batch #111102. Served in a Half Acre tulip and enjoyed on 03/03/12.

Appearance: Pours a dark, translucent amber color with two fingers of frothy cream colored head that settles into a super thin layer atop the glass. Yellow-orange highlights atop the glass. Above average lacing, excellent retention. 4/5

Smell: Caramel malt, sweet barley grain and spice. Light notes of citrus. Not much else. 3/5

Taste: Huge notes of super malty caramel. Barley grain. Tastes like a "light" barleywine. A little stainless steel sweetness. Virtually devoid of hops. A little bitter. Stale caramel malt finish/linger. 2.5/5

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with medium-minus carbonation. Oily mouthfeel. Malty finish, slightly bitter. 3/5

Overall: Probably past its prime. Not impressed in the least with this beer. Hopefully Nugget Nectar tastes a thousand times better.

Recommendation: Skip this brew unless you love super malty/grainy beers like the Central Waters Kosmyk Charlie Y2K Catastrophe Ale.

Pairings: Tacos.

Cost: $8.99 for a six pack.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 06:35:31 | More by jegross2

MikeTaz

Pennsylvania

2.85/5  rDev -29.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle poured into a Sam Adams glass.

Poured a transparent reddish brown. Clear with a nice head that clung to the glass.

Aroma was hoppy but not strong.

At first taste I noticed the hops and not much else. Second and third sips revealed caramel under notes and light carbonation. Hits the back of the throat nicely.

Overall, not a particularly impressive beer but a decent drink if you're looking for something in the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2009 22:08:08 | More by MikeTaz

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

2.9/5  rDev -28.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Picked this up on my trip to Philly last month.

Poured from a 12oz. bottle, bottled 08-26-10.

Appearance: A burnt orange body which said color is lightly reflected in the head. Very good lacing with a strong 4 finger head that settles to 2. Body is rather clear. Nice looking.

Smell: Some good hops, tangerine & peaches with some malt mixed in. Juicy and nice.

Taste: What the heck? Where's the flavor? Hot really hoppy, not much fruit, not much of anything really. Flavor seems like an afterthought and what there is available is too brief to latch onto. Mild bitterness in the finish and aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Not much better i'm afraid. Low carbonation & smooth body but it feels too lifeless and inert.

Drinkability: More or less. I found it kind of boring and after half a glass, i was pretty much done.

Overall: Not sure what happened as it looked and smelt good but everything fell flat after.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2010 01:22:18 | More by papat444

Chadbrew

Delaware

2.93/5  rDev -27.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Appearance - Reddish gold and mostly clear with a thin head and OK lacing.

Aroma - Sweet syrupy and oh yeah... there are some hops too, but not as much as I though there would be.

Taste - Bitter and dry with some sweetness in the finish. Not bad but not exactly great either.

Mouthfeel - Thin to medium, mostly thin though.

Drinkability - Not too bad, I won't be going out of my way to get it. I've been told by others that this beer was pretty good so maybe a fresher representation would warrant an edit.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2005 11:09:58 | More by Chadbrew

7ways

Georgia

2.95/5  rDev -27%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Boy, I really expected more from this beer. Maybe that's why I'm not rating it very high, but the flavors speak for themselves.

Poured a nice coppery red with a one finger head, and the lacing was watery but consistent. Smelled like pine air freshener with a hint of sweetness. More pine in the taste with an artificial citrus twang. Not seeing the "spicy taste and rich caramel note" advertised on the bottle. More like cardboard actually. Based on that description it sounds pretty bad, but it's not because all of the flavors are so muted. Mouthfeel is decent, and it goes down well without leaving a bad aftertaste, but too bland for my smoker's palate.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2008 02:20:01 | More by 7ways

Soonami

Pennsylvania

2.98/5  rDev -26.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Had this casked at Local 44 in West Philly

A-the beer looked night poured from the cask, a nice coppery amber, with a thin pale white foam

S- The beer smelled great, a lot of sweet citrus and a little piney resin

T- The beer was almost completely flat and as such, the lack of carbonation removed some of the acidity that is normally there to balance the malt and the hops. Without the carbonation, the malt was a little over sweet and the hops tasted a little soapy. Overall, the beer tasted stale, although the hop flavor made it bearable.

M- Medium-bodied, but a little slick and sticky

D- I would probably not have this beer again on cask, it was disappointing. I could barely finish my beer. I love this beer out of the bottle, but perhaps because I had it in the bottle, I was expecting something else.

Serving type: cask

02-08-2009 16:13:37 | More by Soonami

nowise

Ohio

3/5  rDev -25.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Maybe I am missing something here but this beer does not impress me.

The color looks nice and average, a pale reddish color.

The smell, well it doesn't smell bad. But it doesn't have a strong smell either. I get a faint floral hop smell but not what I expected from a beer with "hop" in the name.

It tastes... what does it taste like? I get a little hops up front, a little malt going down but that's about it. Nothing really stands out.

As for mouthfeel, average again. Its light on the palate and the alcohol is hidden. Average amount of carbonation as well.

Drinkability must be the strongest suit, mostly because it is unoffensive. Goes down smooth with no bitter or bite. Unfortunately, that is just not my style at all. I prefer a little bold in my beer.

Overall, I used the word "average" a lot because I can't think of any other word to describe. The born on date is 8/12/08 so I know it is fresh. I guess this just isn't the beer for me.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2008 22:07:27 | More by nowise

fromage

Ohio

3.03/5  rDev -25%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Ok, but not my favorite from Troegs. Seemed mighty imbalanced and uncomplex.

Looks good coming out of the bottle. Copper with a good deal of little bubbling, amber at the fringe. Medium tan head that faded to a lasting table. Nice lacing.

Spicy, peppery, grassy hops with just a tiny bit of citrus. Pretty good smell, but I don't get any fruit and just a bit of sweetness.

Taste a definite dissapointment. Bite is minimal with an insipid caramel afterbite. Aftertaste is slightly cloying and I occasionally got astringent hints.

Mouthfeel is medium and a bit sticky for me.

Easy to drink but too light for me, both in hoppiness and in body. Probably an ok session, and probably much better on tap.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2006 21:06:40 | More by fromage

JDV

Texas

3.05/5  rDev -24.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

bottle courtesy of kmweaver. Thanks!
Rich amber pour with a small offwhite head and a balanced nose of hops and malt. Found it a bit watery and slightly thin, but with a decent balanced flavor and what seemed to be some alcohol peeking through. Nice and drinkable, but not quite what I was expecting.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2008 03:22:04 | More by JDV

Tinfoilrcr

New Jersey

3.08/5  rDev -23.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

The beer has a nice rich amber color, that is also very crisp. There is a nice white foam head of about 1/2 an inch that stick around with some lacing.

The Troegs is hoppier than most amber I have had, to the point where many of the other flavors are pushed to the background. The beer finishes well with a nice crispness.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2010 00:03:45 | More by Tinfoilrcr

brewski09

Ohio

3.13/5  rDev -22.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz. bottle into pint glass (6 pack).

A. The beer pours nicely into the cold and slightly wet pint glass with a nice, mild color expected of amber ales. The head is about 3/4 of an inch thick and just off white in color. The head appears creamy, but does not hang around completely. lacing is mild to moderate on this beer.

S. Smelled moderately of hops, but less than expected from the name of "Hopback" and all the hype that people have put into this beer for its hops. With that said, the hops are present and mellow. Definitely some mild caramel/crystal malt tones in this beer with the floral hop qualities. Nice to the nose.

T. The taste seemed somehow slightly out of balance for me. The maltyness didn't quite offset the bitterness and the hop aroma didn't follow through with flavor. Still, this is a drinkable beer that is much better than many on the market. I would generally characterize this beer as mild for hop lovers.

M. The mouthfeel was pretty decent, except the beer seemed somehow dry from the bitterness. Maybe just too astringent for the residual sugars in the beer. The beer seemed a little thin to me, which is why I don't normally drink amber ales.

D. This was a drinkable beer in the average category to me. I waited until after I had consumed almost the whole 6-pack over several sessions to review this beer. Maybe it just wasn't as good of a batch, but I wouldn't seek this beer out actively again. could be a good selection on a warmer humid day.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2010 13:21:40 | More by brewski09

OakedCanuck

Washington

3.13/5  rDev -22.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into pint

A - Pours a crystal clear amber. white to off-white head that dissipated quickly.

S - Caramel malts, some citric orange and tangerine. Sweet smelling

T - Not as bitter as I expected or citrusy. A bready sweet malt was the main flavour with some lemon and orange on the back. It tasted 'reversed' as what you'd expect from an amber

M - Slightly thin and sticky.

D - good enough to drink but the malts might wear on you after a while

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2011 20:42:50 | More by OakedCanuck

WVRadar

West Virginia

3.13/5  rDev -22.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Very clear deep amber, with about 1/2 inch head, which quickly dissipated. Very little lacing. Aroma and initial taste were above average, but I didn't care much for the finish. Mouthfeel was a little oily, with soft carbonation. Initial taste was better than the finish, one was enough for me.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2011 19:27:45 | More by WVRadar

BellsFan

Michigan

3.13/5  rDev -22.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a deep amber into a pilsner glass (yes I know it's the wrong type of glass but that is all that's available at my friends house). Minimal off white foam, less than one finger. Considerable laseing on the glass.

Not so aromatic especially for a hop back beer. Perhaps my sample is old. There is no bottling date.

Tasting notes: Carmel, toasty, molasses.

Full body complents the molasses, somewhat tart

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 22:22:17 | More by BellsFan

david18

New York

3.13/5  rDev -22.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I had a cask of this at the Amsterdam Ale House in Manhattan's Upper West Side. I'm surprised I've never reviewed this beer before. It's not my favorite but the cask version was pretty interesting.

Appearance is a medium amber/red. Carbonation was rather low but it was served from a cask. Very cloudy as well, but, again...

Aroma was balanced, featuring the hops, malt as well as the yeast. Not bad, not overwhelming.

Flavor was also well balanced but not outstanding in any way. I enjoyed it but wasn't inclined to order a second.

Worth trying but, again, not outstanding.

Serving type: cask

06-25-2012 19:34:06 | More by david18

vtblackdog

Vermont

3.15/5  rDev -22%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance is a clear darkish amber and one finger head that falls quickly.

Smell has strong caramel notes upfront. The hops are much weaker than expected.

The taste is more malty than anything else. For some reason I expected some degree of hoppiness, but I'm not getting much hop at all.

Medium carbonation on the mouthfeel and a bit creamy.

Overall a drinkable beer but I was expecting it to be a bit more crisp and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2011 01:06:42 | More by vtblackdog

tigg924

Massachusetts

3.23/5  rDev -20%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: clear, medium carbonation, caramel amber, quarter inch head

Smell: I get grapefruit and hops

Taste: hops, citrus, and some soapy taste

Mouthfeel: bitter, dry, and light

Drinkability: This is a decent red that should appeal to hop heads. I would have this again, but will not seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2009 16:19:24 | More by tigg924

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.23/5  rDev -20%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I love it when brewers release variety packs. Variety is the spice of life, I say! #1 of the Troegs Anthology. Poured into a beer mug.

A: Typical dark-amber-that-borders-on-copper color I would expect from an amber ale. Also features a fluffy one-finger off white head with decent retention/lacing.

S: Nothing too groundbreaking here. Piny hops alongside a malty base.

T: The opening is fairly hoppy, the middle has a solid amber malt base, and the finish is of piny hops, too. Not bad, but it should be known I'm not a fan of the malt profile in most amber ales, and this isn't an exception. While it's slightly lacking in balance, it is crisp and refreshing.

M: I really liked how this felt sliding down the tongue. It starts smooth and creamy, but not overly syrupy. The finish is a resiny pine affair that I dig. Medium carbonation.

O: Generally, I don't really like amber ales too much, but I would have no trouble drinking this one again. But I likely wouldn't get a six-pack of this. Even still, it's an impressive stab at the style to a non-fan like myself.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 22:30:24 | More by ThisWangsChung

callmemickey

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Copper/amber body... good carbonation.. medium off-white head which disappears shortly after forming.. good lacing...

S: Floral/grassy hops... some citrus hop character as well... nice spice but little malt backbone

T: Not quite there... decent hop forward taste which is met with a bland malt base... no bitterness in the finish

M: Medium bodied and slightly resiny but simultaneously watery thin in places

D: Taste just isnt there to carry this beer for me.

Serving type: on-tap

03-23-2008 02:29:43 | More by callmemickey

KeefD

Minnesota

3.25/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Picked up a single bottle of this in Brooklyn. Pours a lovely amber color bordering on orange with a small white head that was gone rather quickly. Nice hop aroma, a bit piney. Taste is a little on the weaker side for me. A bit watery for an IPA. There's a decent bitterness lying beneath the cracker/biscuit like malt, a bit of toastiness. Nothing really special, and I think the thin, watery mouthfeel makes the taste a little less pleasing. This is the first beer I've had by this brewery, and I have to say that I wasn't impressed.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2009 01:31:47 | More by KeefD

mjc410

Virginia

3.3/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A light pour into my Sam Smith pint raises a very slight head that rapidly recedes to a thin, light tan glass ring. The beer's color is a deep copper. The nose is full of herbal and lightly grassy hops, balanced by a nice caramel scent. Not very strong, though. The taste is grassy, a bit nutty, bread-like, and perhaps just a bit toasted. This beer is an easy drinker, to be sure. The mouth is medium, with low carbonation. A good sessioner, if perhaps a little too strong.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2006 18:28:24 | More by mjc410

avalon07

South Carolina

3.3/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a rust color and a somewhat clear consistency. There was a quarter inch of head and some decent lacing.

S: A little bit of hops, a little bit of malt and some sugar (caramel?).

T: Slightly hoppy and sugary, but little else. Kind of thin and watery in my opinion.

M: An average amount of carbonation and a slick finish. Medium-bodied.

D: This is one of those beers where I fail to see what the big deal is. Not a bad beer as such, but taste-wise a little underwhelming.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2008 14:49:55 | More by avalon07

BeerNinja007

New Hampshire

3.3/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Got this in a mix pack I picked up at Wegmans in Cicero NY. Date stamped on the bottle is smudged, but I think it says Nov 10 and I'm too lazy to check a different bottle to confirm. Poured the cold 12oz bottle into a chilled pint glass.

Clear dark copper brew with a tan head that settles to a single layer and leaves decent lace. The smell has mild notes of candied cherries and mixed hop, but it's really the thick semi-sweet malty backbone, spot-on for the style, that dominates the nose. The taste is much the same but a mixed/muddy hop is more pronounced. Mouthfeel is moderately thick, finishes dry, adequate carbonation. Decent red ale but nothing great.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2010 21:36:32 | More by BeerNinja007