Hoplanta - Red Brick Brewing Company

2378GCGTG

Texas

3.28/5  rDev -13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Unfiltered golden yellow 1 in white head with great lacing

Nose: Golden raisin with some light hops and some caramel

Taste: Light fruits and a clean malt, could be more here, with a spicey hop finish

Mouthfeel: Crisp and clean, definitely sessionable.

Overall: This is a good IPA, very drinkable

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2012 02:05:50 | More by 2378GCGTG

cjgator3

Florida

3.4/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle

A- Pours a slightly hazy golden amber color with a nice off-white head with good retention and lacing. 

S- The aroma is faint malt and citrusy hops. The aroma is surprisingly faint for an IPA. 

T- The taste is dominated by the citrusy hops, there is not much of a malt presence. 

M- The mouthfeel is light bodied with a high amount of carbonation.

O- Overall, I was a little disappointed with this IPA. It is lacking a bit compared to some of the better IPAs on the shelves.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 04:41:20 | More by cjgator3

mbischoff63

Georgia

3.93/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Growler filled at Hop City 3/25/12

(Appearance)Pour a copper color with very little haze or head retention which could be due this being a growler pour. 3.5

(Smell) More malt than hop in the nose, but still very nice. I will say Red Brick beers have a "house" aroma that is present in the majority of their beer. Not a bad aroma, but kind of a grain aroma (I think). Still a very nice and inviting smell. 3.5

(Taste) Very nice balance (Something along the line of my fav IPA Cigar City Jai Alai). The front of the tongue introduce with a very pleasent maltiness followed by a bitterness at mid-palate, finishing with a very nice blend of malt, citrus, and floral on the back. The bitterness lingers on the back of the palate, but is not overly offensive 4.0

(Mouthfeel) Balanced brilliantly... The malt adds such a wonderful body to this beer. But it is not chewy in any way, and the finish is dry. 4.5

(Overall) Red Brick's best beer. Hands down. It has way more character than a lot of other beers. Biggest flaw in my opinion is the nose... Could always use more dry hops, but that is consistent with most commercial IPAs 3.8 - 4

Serving type: growler

03-27-2012 23:11:28 | More by mbischoff63

AlCzerik

Georgia

3.75/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Living in GA I try anything that Red Brick or Sweetwater comes out with, this is a solid IPA that I would order again.

Appearance- Pours a copper color, I had this on draft and it had a decent head on it.

Taste- I tasted more hops that I did citrus which is always a plus for me.

Overall- Worth the try.

Serving type: on-tap

03-25-2012 21:10:23 | More by AlCzerik

Jadjunk

Georgia

3.68/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On Tap at Summit's Wayside Tavern in Snellville January 7, 2012. 16 Ounce Pour.

(Appearance) pours a hazy deep gold copper tone with a small head that subsides quickly. White spotty lacing is left behind. the appearance is pretty much spot on and a bit hazier than many other ipas. Good. 3.5

(Smell) A little malt character and an even more mild hop aroma. Very mild in potency. 3

(Taste) spicy hop balanced with a touch of pale malt and mildly roasted caramel. The balance is pretty nice, not too hoppy and not too malt heavy either, but has substance in each one. Theres a lingering malt finish, nothing alarming in intensity nor cloying flavors making this a quaffable beer, and Overall a pretty good beer. Certainly the best year round by the brewery available. 4

(Mouthfeel) very light crispness, good to highlight the small hop presence in this beer. Light/medium body, very low alcohol presence. Good compliment to the taste. 4

(Overall) A very good quality IPA. Malt heavier than most but worth trying. Get some. 3.5

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2012 00:24:17 | More by Jadjunk

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

4.58/5  rDev +21.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A-amber with a nice thick cream colored head. good lacing

S-smells really good. quality blend of citrus, herbs, and hops. creamy as well.

T-comes in with a great and bitter blend of citrus and hops. its very creamy and smooth! i'm impressed. the after-taste is mostly grainy tasting but stays creamy and smooth. this is actually a slightly complex and extremely well balanced IPA! the bitterness i subtle but great.

M-creamy medium to low carbonation with a creamy finish.

O-i'm really impressed with this beer. not sure if its super fresh or what but it tastes awesome. this is the kind of IPA that will reaffirm anyone's faith in hops. its a nice treat because i've been having a lot of disappointing IPAs lately. search this one out!

Serving type: on-tap

03-19-2012 20:00:04 | More by AdamBear

ThickNStout

Georgia

4.15/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Growler from Moondog Growlers (Marietta, GA). Served in a Southern Tier snifter. 

Pours a clear amber orange with 2.5 fingers of pillowy off white head. Nice consistant lacing the whole way down. 

Smells of citris and piney hops. Quite nice. 

Great smooth grapefruity hops hit up front. Bitter but not abrasively so. Sweet biscuit-like flavors in the middle. The aftertaste is mildly bitter piney hops. Very enjoyable flavors rest on the tongue for quite a while. 

Medium bodied with good carbonation. Very mildly resinous. 

This is a really nice IPA. Smooth and very drinkable. It's taken me too long to give it a try. Red Brick has really been stepping up their game over the past year or so. If you're a fan of the Sweetwater IPA, you should check out Hoplanta.

Serving type: growler

02-18-2012 03:12:32 | More by ThickNStout

busterwhite

Georgia

3.45/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark orange with a 1 finger head and slight lacing. Hazy with some sediment.

Smells of pine and bitter citrus.

Taste of sharp bitterness up front, pine and grapefruit rind. No real balance from the malt, bitter finish and aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is a little thin.

Overall this is bitter start to finish. Like chewing on grapefruit rind. Not balanced and not very complex.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 02:02:52 | More by busterwhite

Tilley4

Tennessee

4/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked this new arrival up today as Red Brick is solid and I've never seen their IPA round these parts...

Pleasant nose of grapefruit hoppiness and bready malts... Smells fairly balanced with a slight edge given to the hops... Nice aromas...

Brew shines here with a nice does of the malts that are quickly walloped by a big does of bitter citrusy hop presence... Very similar in nature to Sweetwater IPA which is one of my favorites... No booze present at all...

Awesome drinkability on this... I plan on enjoying several of these today... Nice drinking IPA that hits all the right spots... Well done...

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 20:08:03 | More by Tilley4

inlimbo77

Delaware

3.48/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle served in a Portsmouth pint glass. Best by date reads 2/9/12, so this might have a little time on it.

A: Pours a yellowy orange color with a finger of bright white tight bubbled head. Lots of yeasty fragments in the brew and some hop haze. There are some carbo bubbles from the bottom of the glass. Sticky lacing.

S: I don't get much from the nose. I get some fruity hop presence and some sweet malts below the head. That is pretty much it.

T: The tip of the tongue immediately gets coated in a smooth hop bitterness. It's mostly pine that I get. In the middle of the mout you get some spiciness along with the malts. It's different, not bad just different than I have had before. The finish is crisp and dry.

M: Medium bodied with a solid mouth coating.

O: I'd go B or B- (appearance wasn't that great) on this one. It's a nice little offering but nothing TOO special.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 23:10:21 | More by inlimbo77

lnashsig

Texas

3.8/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Many thanks to ahlthe3rd (Hugh) for the chance to taste this one. Always down to taste something new and hoppy! "Hoppier than a bullfrog with a stubbed toe". Awesome. Poured from bottle into my Victory tulip. Pours a super cloudy yellow/orange color. Lacing on this is phenomenal- all over the glass. Smell- citrus grassy hops, nice blood orange and grapefruit aroma, tropical mango/papaya. Really nice aroma here and great appearance. Taste- not what I was expecting from the aroma at all. A blast of bitterness is there, but it almost is mingled with a peppery/smoke flavor? A bit of astringency and possibly some plastic flavors on the end, but not a huge detractor to the beer. Super grassy hops here, it really dominates the flavor. This is a pretty interesting and unique beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 02:13:19 | More by lnashsig

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.8/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle - $1.69 at Olde Crabapple Bottle Shoppe in Alpharetta, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours a gently hazed, light copper-hued body with a growing, lasting, off-white head. Quality lacework on the descent.

Smell: Strongly floral hops, but also an infusion of citrus and a mite bit earthy over a basic, simplistic base of bready malts.

Taste: Lightly bready malts with a small, small nibble of golden syrup sweetness. Notably floral hops with sips of lemon and white grapefruit juices and a light telltale earthiness. Moderately bitter. Juicy, floral on the bitter finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Medium carbonation.

Overall: Not quite as expressive as Sweetwater's IPA, but it's fairly decent.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 21:56:53 | More by ChainGangGuy

mmmmmbeeer

Georgia

4.22/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle -- No bottling date but, being this was just released, this can't be more than a couple weeks old.

A -- Honey amber color..a bit cloudy. 2 finger head with decent head residue floating after it sits. Moderate lacing

S -- Very sweet citrus...grapefruit...smells like a solid IPA

T -- Not near as sweet as the smell. This beer is full of hoppy bitterness! Very much on the piney side. I'm not sensing a whole lot of malt...I think they were aiming for an unbalanced hop bomb and they succeeded.

M -- Resinous

O -- I typically don't review beers that I drink but I thought giving a local brew a little bit of love for something that was surprisingly good was in order. While Terrapin and Sweetwater put out quality IPAs, I think that Red Brick has upped the ante a bit by releasing something that, to me, is much more in the West Coast vein of IPAs....in-your-face hops with little regard for balance.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 01:00:00 | More by mmmmmbeeer

Cyberkedi

Georgia

4.4/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Comes out of the tap an opaque, cloudy honey golden with a fairly thick pale honey head. In fact, it looks a lot like honey, real honey fresh from the hive. Hoppy aroma has a sweet honey-like overtone and a nice evergreen note. Flavor - woo wee, seriously hoppy, very evergreen, with a sweet undertone and just a little bitterness. Full-bodied texture is quite rough and fizzy, leaving behind a hoppy, tingly, slightly honey-sweet finish. Recommended!

Serving type: on-tap

12-09-2011 23:20:53 | More by Cyberkedi

ccarney2

Georgia

4.1/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance - Deep orange color that pours about a finger of an off white head. Kind of a hazy/mildly cloudy body, but has a beautiful almost "glow" when held up to a light. There are lots of small carbonation bubbles rising to the surface that maintains a decent head all the way to the bottom of the glass. Moderate lacing.

Smell - The hops are definitely showcased here, and it works. I didn't expect too much from this in state offering, but as soon as I took the first smell that all changed. This beer has a wonderful hop aroma that compliments the malt character rather than overpowering it. Sweet citrus smell up front that kind of fades to more of a piney funky nose.

Taste - Short window of sweet malts mixed with orange up front, but quickly fades into a more bitter but kind of mellow flavor. I really wished the great citrus shined for a little longer, because towards the end of the flavor it just sort of drops off and turns to nothing but bitter. Still good in my opinion though.

Mouthfeel - Fairly highly carbonated for the style, not to the extent of being excessive though. Nice mouthfeel, sticks around your tongue for a while.

Overall - I was definitely happy to have picked this up in a mixed 6-pack. It is a beer that I haven't really heard any hype about, but it impressed me a good bit. Very nice IPA with a good blend of fruity citrus and a nice bitter finish.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2011 05:43:03 | More by ccarney2

elgiacomo

Georgia

3.58/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle, fresh release (but date code is missing from bottle). Served at around 45F.

Pours murky orange/amber with lots of bits of floaties flying around. Two finger off-white long-lasting head that is quite dense and foamy and leaves some super sticky rings and spots of lacing.

Aroma is primarily floral and grassy with some notes of apricot, citrus and pine, bread and caramel malts underneath. Good but not great strength.

Flavor is orange and grapefruit citrus, apricots, resinous hops and some pine, fairly hefty caramel malt backbone, a bit of sweetness but finishes mostly dry with good bitterness. Minimal alcohol.

Mouthfeel is medium-plus bodied, creamy, good to strong carbonation.

Very solid IPA from Red Brick. Quite hoppy but balanced with a good malt backbone.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2011 23:29:41 | More by elgiacomo

rajendra82

Georgia

3.75/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The orange amber colored body was typical of many IPAs. The carbonation fizzle was brief, and the head that formed was two finger thick, with large craggy foam. The aroma was hoppy, but lacked that oomph to punch you in the nostrils. It was a rather mild floral and grapefruit hop smell. The taste was also mildly bitter with a grassy or metallic tang to it. The malts provided a honey like sweetness to counter the bitterness. The body was a touch shy of medium thick, and there was some stickiness in the mouthfeel. Seems like a by the numbers IPA. Not bad at all, but could use some additional boldness to bolster character.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2011 05:13:10 | More by rajendra82

Thur123

Georgia

3.98/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A new locally brewed IPA, picked up at FPBS in Athens. Bottle states: "Hoppier than a bullfrog with a stubbed toe."

The smell is piney and bitter fruit hop aromas. The malt is not too present in the nose. The yeast floats around in tiny clusters evenly throughout the body of this brew.

The flavor is better than expected given Red Bricks 16 year history, but they have made a bunch of changes in the right direction lately (IMO). This tastes like a much dryer and more pine bitter IPA than say Sweetwater or Terrapin offerings. It finishes crisp and only slightly bitter compared to it's up front resin and sharp grapefruit flavor due to a clean and somewhat sweet malt base.

The mouthfeel is fine, neither too thick or heavy.

Overall I'm happy this offering is around. A locally made fresh IPA that offers a different take on the style is needed in GA and I believe it would hold up elsewhere as well. It's a bit on the bitter side when I think IPA, but it's also a nice change.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2011 07:55:55 | More by Thur123