This weekend I was itching to pick up a case of "everyday" beer.  For me, there are beers for all types of occasions.  Some beer is meant to be enjoyed in small quantities (depending on hammered I want to get), while others are for special occasions such as reviews or sampling.  So I walked into the beer distributor (yeah, Pennsylvania has "distributors", you can’t buy beer in grocery stores or gas stations) and picked up a sampler case from Redhook Ale Brewery.  Having enjoyed their ESB beer on tap, I decided to give this a try.  Lets see if this IPA is stand out amongst the other beers in the sampler pack.

In my post reviewing Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, I mentioned that I’m not a big fan of IPA’s.  While that still rings true, I think I’m warming up to them a little more.  I still can only drink them in smaller quantities, but sometimes that’s for the best.  Anyway, the other beers in this sampler pack were Red Hook’s ESB, Blonde Ale, and Copperhook.  I haven’t tried the Copperhook yet, but the name alone makes me think of a metallic taste.  I’m sure it’s in reference to its color or something, but whatever.  Perhaps I can give that one a review next as it’s their seasonal beer for spring.  

Long Hammer pours with a nearly non-existent head with a golden-yellow color which is somewhat lighter in comparison the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.  The smell is pretty much pure hops, which would have made me gag like a chick on a Blacks on Blondes video a year ago when I wouldn’t go near a pale ale.  As far as taste goes, the first sip I took I experience what I like to call "Hop Rape".  What this means is that you get that instant hop bite that can be quite overwhelming and surprising, hence the term.  Luckily, this dies down significantly as the beer sits.  It then becomes smoother and more drinkable without the flavor of chewing a handful of hops.  The taste resembles something along the lines of pure hops and pine.  Drinking pine may not sound like a whole lot of fun, but thats what you have to expect when drinking pale ales.

To some folks, the "Hop Rape" factor is very appealing, but after it dies down they seem to lose interest.  For myself, it’s the exact opposite.  I enjoyed Long Hammer’s ability to "calm itself down" in a sense, but if you’re a real hop head it may lose its appeal in this regard. 

Taste: Average

Smell: Average

Drinkability: Average

Final Words:

So is this a hit or miss for Red Hook?  I think it’s a little bit of both.  It’s a pretty much a run of the mill IPA, but it’s an easy one to try for starters even with a 6.5% ABV.  I doubt I’ll be buying more of these in the near future, but as of right now I certainly don’t mind Long Hammer taking up room in my fridge.  I’d recommend this beer to a person that’s wants to "break in" to the world of craft brews, but nothing above that. Just as it states in the ratings above, this beer is pretty much average all around. .  Although that may not be such a bad thing for an everyday beer.
 

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