Tröegs Hopback Amber Ale - Tröegs Brewing Company

andersony17

Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bottle from the Anthology Sampler Case

A - Cool bottle and cap, amber color with small amount of lacing with a moderate lasting foam head

S - Pine tree smell.

T - Nice natural feel with low carbonation, good flavor, not over hoppy.

M - A somewhat thick feel, with small amount of tangy bitterness

O - Worth a try, not exactly my style but good quality and wouldn't turn down.

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2012 05:23:52 | More by andersony17

grannaniwa

Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Deep amber color, as promised. Nice head, not a lot of nose. Maybe malty aromas? A very small touch of hop aromas if I focus.

Very round and full flavor. Slightly high alcohol feels like it comes through on the mouthfeel. Tons of malt character, and a sweet and bitter taste left after swallow. This is a much bigger beer than I remembered from the first time I drank it, when I would have put it closer to the Sam Adams Boston Ale. That first time was also from a bottle, not a glass, so that may have affected the experience.

I think with this balance of flavors, I would actually prefer a more easy-going beer for casual drinking. At this intensity, it isn’t a perfect match for me.

"55 IBUs. Malts: Pilsner, Munich. Hops: Cascade, Williamette, Nugget. HopBack Hops: Whole Leaf Nugget, Mt Hood. Yeast: Ale. Each batch of HopBack Amber Ale flows through a bed of whole flower hops creating a fresh aroma, spicy taste, and rich caramel note that defines our signature beer.”

Overall: B+, would be happy to try again

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 02:31:59 | More by grannaniwa

Infamous7100

Ohio

3.98/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

P: Pours a pristine carmel to burnt reddish brown. A thin, tan head reisdes for a nice duration. Some lasting lacing as well.
S: nice blend of malts and pines notes here, neither over-powering the other.
T: starts off sweet with toffee and carmel notes, but finishes dry with a nice piney and slightly spicy finsh. Pleasant, I gotta say.
M: Creamy, deceptivley thick, but not filling. Great hang.
O: Very pleased with this brew. Great balance, great flavor. At 6%, it packs a bit of a punch, but its so tasty, you could have a few.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 22:29:26 | More by Infamous7100

JoEBoBpr

Missouri

4.3/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a pint glass from a 12oz bottle.

Pours a perfect amber color. with a 0.5 inch off-white head that struggles to stay up and has some nice dense bubbles. There are some thicker ones spread around as well. The head slowly recedes to a nice thin mat.

Grainy malty aroma comes up quick with some nice fresh baked bread notes and some slight citrusy hops. There is a hint of grassy hop on the back end that gives the beer some attractiveness.

The taste is another story. Tons of grainy malt and bread notes are quickly overtaken by some delicious and grassy earth tone hops. Citrus notes and dank pine. Slight notes of cannabis are perceived as well. Very delicious. Especially when these fresh grassy and citrusy hop notes are followed once again by some nice grain and bread-like notes. Amazing. Great earthy and dry bitter finish. As the beer warms there is a very nice spice to it. I can tell the hops play a bit into this with the pine notes getting a bit more lively. There is also a nice caramel and slightly sweet malt flavor that livens up. Very good stuff.

One of the top Amber Ales out there. Very close to Hop Head Red but different.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 05:09:22 | More by JoEBoBpr

hopfacebrew

Colorado

4.43/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Another brew from my trade with Hudak, thanks man! Poured to pint glass the beer is a brilliant clear amber color. Nice 2 finger head with good retention and lacing. The aroma is a mix of caramel sweetness and fruity hop character. Apples and pears are in the mix along with a hint of citrus tone. The flavor follows suit and is a very enjoyable blend of caramel malt sweetness and fruity hop flavors, same as found in the nose. Medium bitterness. Finishes crisp and clean with a lingering fruity hop resin on the tongue. Very nice. Medium bodied with good carbonation. Overall, this is a fantastic beer, well representing the style in a hop-forward fashion. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2012 15:09:20 | More by hopfacebrew

Scrapss

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: deep amber hue. suspended bubbles, suspended solids. Thin collar, 1/16" thick.

S: Taste of fresh hops. Citrusy, resins. Refreshing. Invigorating. Fresh citrus hop meets malt in a very bold way.

T: Has that fresh hop & amber goodness. Malt, lemongrass. Quite bitter. Dry. Don't get me wrong, I like dry beer, but for this style it's just a hair too crisp and dry.

M : starts off malt-big, then thin, disappears all too quickly into an overly dry, lemon grass and grapefruit-skin abyss. I still feel that on a breath after a quaff. Very dry and piney.

I really like this brew as I do all fresh hop tasting varieties, but for the style, I was expecting much more malt and lingering sugars. I was not expecting this much of a fresh-hop style finish.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 05:27:33 | More by Scrapss

rlee1390

Indiana

3.9/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A-Clear amber one finger head that does last long.

S-Great mix of malt and hops.

T-Starts with the malt profile of an Amber Ale but with a well balanced hop finish.

M-Light to medium bodied but low in carbonation.

O-Having this and SA Tasman Red IPA, this beer is able to balance the hops and malt well. They are not in conflict but rather work together.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 21:47:45 | More by rlee1390

Agold

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer pours with a short head that recedes very quickly. Leaves a few spots of lacing. The color is somewhere between dark orange and brown. Aroma is kind of dull. There are some nice floral notes, and some pleasant caramel, but it is kind of just dull and unremarkable. The caramel is much nicer in the flavor, with a bit of nice spicy hop profile. There is also a nice mild grapefruit citrus note. Mouthfeel is medium-light and is a bit light on carbonation. I do really like this beer. Very drinkable and enjoyable, but nothing super special.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 05:11:07 | More by Agold

TheBrewo

Michigan

3.53/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

We pour a beer of dark, reddish amber. It holds a one finger tan head that recedes quickly. This leaves big bubbles around the glass that appear sticky and spotty. The beer is highly translucent, with no sediment or haze, and the carbonation appears average. The aroma opens with raw honey earthiness. Malts are pale with a light toast, becoming more molasses-like with warmth. The hops are piney, and hide a dirty mineral quality. There are some spic plastic phenols on the back, with some lemon freshness. As we sip, spicy and seedy malts balance immediately with earthy, mineral hops. The grain predominates through the middle. It is simple, and a bit steely and corny. The finish is with those plastics from the nose, and booze. There is a faint cutting sweetness from bitter pineapple, affording a final freshness. The aftertaste breathes of earth and flowers, hop bitterness, spice of alcohols, and steely yeast. The body is medium and the carbonation is medium. There beer is thickly coating, with a final dryness and grit to the hard palate. There is nice froth and cream with each sip. The abv is appropriate, and the beer drinks easily, and is refreshing.

Overall, what we enjoyed best about this brew was how malty, strong, and filling it was. The end of the flavoring, however, became a bit muddled, making the finish bite more than desired. The hops could have been more forward, which could have balanced the deepness of the malts and the bittering phenols.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 20:33:46 | More by TheBrewo

3HovsepiansBrews

California

4.1/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Red/amber with off-white head

S - Tea/heral notes, sweet caramel, mango, pear

T - Herbal/tea flavors, peach, mango, toasted caramel, lemongrass, and a lingering bitter hop finish

M - Medium body with light carbonation and a crisp finish

O - Really refreshing. Great taste, great smell, and low abv make this a great beer to drink. You definitely want to drink a few of these in a session.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 02:28:18 | More by 3HovsepiansBrews

keeganfrank

Ohio

4.55/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Golden brown ale with a foamy head. Aromas of light citrus, caramel and bread. Creamy, fruit-mostly apple-flavor up front and mild citrus bitterness in the aftertaste. It's perfectly balanced between creamy and thin. This is a great beer! It's very unique and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 19:34:44 | More by keeganfrank

NardiByNature

Massachusetts

4.47/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

First review in a style I haven't paid particular attention to. Fresh sixer acquired from the O in Oakland, Pittsburgh, PA. Having enjoyed the Troegenator here in August, looking forward to another one from this brewery with a good reputation in the area.

Appearance: Big fizzy head settles down into creamy but uneven covering. Fountain drink soda-like carbonation gives way to tiny ale bubbles; what you get is a very clear and a ruby amber. Circular lacing looks great in this short and stout pint glass - I didn't expect this. Sometimes tree-trunk cross-section-like lacing is worthy of a pic if you drink from the glass without rotating it.

Smell: Big delicious whiff of candy – it must be that caramel that “defines [their] signiture beer”. Hopps. Apple juice. Actually, a lot of caramel apple blasting through as I drink this down a bit and the beer warms.

Taste and mouth: The taste is great – lead off with the big red caramel apple in the nose and then some toasted barly, caramel, burnt sugar and a nice hop bite at the back to settle it down. A lingering resiny bitterness in the mouth but it's crisp and effervescent. I like that.

Crisp, refreshing, and very drinkable. I’d very much enjoy a sixer or a couple pints while watching the playoffs this weekend. This is a style I don’t see much about and, given its broad definition, I bet there’s a lot of room for variation and innovation amongst amber ales. Not too flashy but it's an A for sure. This is a brew is called HopBack but, really, it’ll make you give it up for the malts.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 08:09:21 | More by NardiByNature

Hopdaemon39

Massachusetts

4.55/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Pours a pretty clear amber/orange color with a creamy one finger head, solid retention and lacing. It smells like citrusy hops and maybe a little bit like raspberry. The taste is superbly balanced- medium bodied with overtones of hops and a clean dry finish. The mouthfeel is perfect for this style- well carbonated and very refreshing. Especially for the price, this is a fantastic beer. I plan on drinking it more frequently.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 23:46:23 | More by Hopdaemon39

tlazaroff

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The bouquet comes though as a boozy kind of candied caramel, with mild notes of citrus hops. I didn't check production date, but I'm guessing this particular bottle was a month or two old by the hop character. I'm sure they are more pronounced when fresh. Still, I can say this beer smells quite "fresh".

Pours out a perfect amber gradient from light on the edges of the glass to a nice dark hue in the center. Visible carbonation due to etching within the glassware, but somewhat hazy. The head was a slightly off-white foamy type but dissipated quickly - it left some nice lacing though.

On the first sip, I pick up the bitterness and bright hop characters right away. At first, I thought the balance fell more towards the hoppy side. On the mid-palate and finish, the malt really shines through and I felt the balance shifted to a maltier perspective. On subsequent sips, I get more malt than hops. Beautiful combinations of flavors here like caramel and orange, backed by a nice biscuit note. The alcohol is completely hidden in the taste, unlike the smell, this is quite delicious.

Hopback Amber holds a nice moderate level of carbonation and body, making it easy to drink and quite delightful.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 17:27:19 | More by tlazaroff

Lawl3ss

Texas

4.05/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Lightly chilled 12 oz. bottle poured aggressively into a tulip pint. Bottling date 9.16.11.

Look- Massive white-with-a-hint-of-peach head with on this one, 3 fingers easily. Leaves a nice cobweb of lacing. Beer itself is a clear rosy dark amber.

Smell- Jeezum Crow! I get candied pear and mandarin orange with a whiff of lemongrass and fresh bread. Don't even consider drinking this out of the bottle- the pungent bouquet is incredible.

Taste- Light amber maple candy (the real stuff) and lemongrass duke it off, balancing exceptionally well. Touches of navel orange here and there. Finish feels like toasted sourdough bread, with an aftertaste of orange peel. Almost a letdown after the smell, but still delectable. Malt is quite present, and together with the mild sweetness and a light buttery diacetyl presence it gives me an overall impression of caramelcorn or candied nuts.

Mouthfeel- Medium-bodied and slick, with carbonation that reveals itself consistently throughout the sip. Alcohol is subtle. Tart towards the end, and moderately drying and acidic. A hint too acidic for my liking, in fact- the only bad thing I can say about this brew.

Overall- A solid flagship ale, it's one of the beers I tried early on that convinced me craft was the way to go. I've since found others I like more (Including this one's big brother, Nugget Nectar, which is sadly still a seasonal.) but this is always a great fallback. Hopefully Troegs is around for a long, long time to continue showing everyone how it's done.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 07:34:17 | More by Lawl3ss

HopNelius

New York

4.3/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served out of the bottle and into a pint glass.
Appearance-Amber color, 1 finger head not too heavy on carbonation.
Smell-Heavy hop and citurs aroma coming through, may be some nugget in there.
Taste-Hops, malt, hops, with a nice finish, notes of grassiness, and citurs, fresh grass and grapefruit.
Mouthfeel-fantastic
Overall-fantastic beer, well balanced but still very hoppy. First time having this one but will reach for it again and again. I am familiar with the process of using a hop back and that is why I picked it up and I was not disapointed.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2012 02:02:04 | More by HopNelius

NiceTaps

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

There's a bartender at my local pub that knows how to draft a brew and he did this nicely.

A- great amber ale color with a head that does not quite make a full finger. Great lacing on the pint glass, however.

S- that average head packs a lot of hoppy citus, grapefruit aroma. The aroma really filled the glass as I emptied the beer.

T- MALTY/HOPPY/MALTY/HOPPY....etc. Full.

M- A nice hoppy finish with a full complex feel and taste. No alcohol burn.

O- I'm ready for more. I love a 6.0 that drinks like 4.5.

Serving type: on-tap

01-07-2012 03:42:32 | More by NiceTaps

tsauce2

Indiana

4.15/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

P: 12 fl oz bottle in to a DFH snifter.

A: SRM is deep amber. Clear filtered. Head is off white, soapy, 1 in, dissipates to the outsides of the beer. Medium carbonation. Medium lacing.

S: Fresh and mellow hop scent, but still big on the nose. Light maltiness. Mild caramel sweetness.

T: Big smooth hop flavor, that mixes with some malitness and a light caramel sweetness. Aftertaste is light hops, and a touch of caramel and brown sugar sweetness.

M: Medium body. Hops create a very well balanced feel, which is excentuated by the malt base and caramel/brown sugar sweetness that gives a very nice complimenting feel to the hops. Wet finish.

O: Troegs says this is their signature beer; it is fantastic. Great balance of hops, which are very hoppy but smooth and mellow. Great balance with hops and malt. The touch of sweetness gives a great point of contrast to the hops. Will buy this whenever I see it.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 05:32:05 | More by tsauce2

stephenjmoore

Maryland

4.33/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Light amber color with a thick off-white head, good lacing.

S- Fresh hops with some caramel malt aroma. Some grapefruit notes from the hops.

T- Fresh hops throughout, balanced by a medium malt presence. Very well balanced.

M- Smooth with medium carbonation, a beer that is easy to drink.

O- Simple but unique. The combination of caramel malts with a heavy hop presence is delicious.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 02:58:03 | More by stephenjmoore

JCaweinstein

Ohio

3.93/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a deep amber color, it's got a lot of carbonation and a nice one finger creamy white head with very good retention.
At first the aromas were popping out of the glass but shortly after pouring began to fade and rather quickly at that. I smell hops which are lemony and muted as well as caramel.
There's a roastiness about this beer that I taste up front with an undertone of lemons. It finishes with caramel and bitterness. There are some different tastes here which are very enjoyable.
This beer is nicely carbonated and fresh tasting followed by a smoothness that coats the mouth and it finishes with both malt and hop flavors.
A very nice year round offering. This is the first time that I have tried Hop Back and I will certainly reccomend it to friends.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2011 05:20:34 | More by JCaweinstein

y2jrock60

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- A beautiful red-amber color with a head that laces nicely.

S- There's a hint of citrus upfront followed by a heavy pine aroma.

T- Thick upfront with a shock of bitterness that mellows out into sweet malt flavors with a hint of roasted malt. The finish smooths out with a mild lingering pine hop bitterness.

M- Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

D- This brew is definitely delicious and has you begging for more. It's a nice change of pace from your basic IPA and Pale Ales.

This is basically Nugget Nectar's little brother.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 05:56:54 | More by y2jrock60

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

JerseyKirk

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: red amber. Small creamy white head.

S: resiny piney hop. Nugget definitely used.

T: malty slight sweet. Not complex but easily sessionable.

M: thin and sweet/dry finish.

O: great session amber. Would drink again. Really love this beer. Precursor to Nugget Nectar!

Serving type: on-tap

12-22-2011 00:19:26 | More by JerseyKirk

mterrence5

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

So I had this on Tap before and now I found it at a local store. Decided to try the bottle. It had a smoother taste which could be due to the freshness or quality of the keg I was drinking out of. This was bottled on 11/28/11.

Red/Amber color. Clear. Bubbley head. Very bitter citrus smell.

Sweet to the taste. Immediately you get a nice hoppy bite, not too strong, slighty citrus malt taste. Smooth dry finish. The bite on the hops didn't seem as prominant, its smoothed out by the sweet malt flavor. Still a bit of a bitter hop after tast but I really enjoy this beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2011 17:11:24 | More by mterrence5

Brewsky29

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer pours a orange to amber in color with quarter inch of head with minimal lacing.

Smells of sweet caramel malt and flowery hops.

The taste is similar to the nose mostly caramel malt, brown sugar, and nice slightly hoppy finish.

There is almost no carbonation and its smooth.

Overall its a nice beer, and I would have again.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2011 20:41:57 | More by Brewsky29