- Brewery: Green Flash Brewing Co.
- Country: USA
- Style: American IPA / American Amber Ale
- ABV: 7.0 %
- Size: 355 ml
- Bought from: Online, 4 euros?
- Beer Advocate
- RateBeer
Well hopped amber ales have become somewhat of a favorite for me, as I love the idea of huge hoppy flavor combined with a strong caramelly maltiness, so I when I got my hands on a bottle I became really excited. Green Flash are a unfamiliar brewery to me, but I’ve heard great things about them. Luckily I also have bottles of their West Coast IPA, Imperial IPA, Barleywine and Double Stout at home, so I will really get to try out a variety of their brews. Hop Head Red is a Red India Pale Ale, brewed with a dose of Dark Crystal malt and a small hint of Chocolate malt for color, and hopped with Columbus, Nugget and Amarillo, to an IBU of 70. Hop Head Red underwent a recipe change last summer, moving from amber ale to ipa territory (more bitterness, dry hops and alcohol). Couldn’t find any information about when the beer had been bottled, but hopefully it is fresh! Had my last exam for the spring today, so will celebrate the start of the summer. Cheers!
[easyreview title=”Green Flash Hop Head Red” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer pours with a clear deep amber, almost brown, color, and a large fluffy cream-colored head is formed, that collapses slowly leaving tons of draping along the glass. A nice appearance!” cat1rating=”4″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The aroma is mostly floral and fruity (faint citrus and pineapple) from the hops, and there is slight sweetness present as well. The aroma isn’t very strong, but still pleasant.” cat2rating=”4″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The flavor begins with a bready and caramelly maltiness, with the slightest hints of dark fruits. The malty flavors are next joined by a resiny and earthy hoppiness, that goes quite well with the malt backbone. The fruitiness from the aroma is completely gone, and there are just hints of the floral tones present as well. The aftertaste is bitter, but feels a lot less than 70 ibu, and the finish is slightly sweet. The flavors are well balanced, and nothing is overpowering.” cat3rating=”4″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The beer has a medium body and medium carbonation level, making it quite easy to drink, and the bitterness is well balanced against the malt. The beer leaves a slightly oily feel in the mouth though.” cat4rating=”3.5″ summary=”Overall, a great beer, but it didn’t feel really fresh. The aroma was surprisingly weak (though the little of it that was left was really nice), and the hoppiness in the flavor wasn’t as prominent as I expected either. This still very drinkable though, and I look forward to trying the other Green Flash beers I have in stock. It’s nice to have a hoppy beer that has some great malt tones as well. Wish I could have tried the earlier recipe as well, as somehow I feel the old version, with lower bitterness, would have worked a little better.”]