Hop Head Red by Green Flash Brewing Company

Brewery Name and Location: Green Flash Brewing Company of San Diego, California, USA

Name of Brew: Hop Head Red

Style of Brew: Red Ale

Purchase Info: $9.99 for a six pack of bottles.

ABV: 6%

Ingredient Info: Caramel malt. Amarillo Dry Hopped. Other varieties not listed.

Nutritional Info:

Vessel Used for Tasting: Big Glass Mug.

Aroma/Olfactory: Unexpectedly weak nose of caramel malts, grass/ hay and metallic.

Visuals/Appearance: Moderately cloudy reddish brown with a small but lasting khaki head and thick, spotty lacing.

Taste/Flavor: Up front there is a sweet, malty caramel which is soon overpowered but the lengthy, bitter finish.

Palate/Tactile: Very, very smooth and somewhat flat. There is a balance between the sticky maltiness and the resinous hoppyness in the mouthfeel that make it very drinkable.

Tasting Backstory: It would be a great session red if it were not a bit expensive. My expectations coming into this tasting were that it would be overpowering but it is not. It is a well balanced and there is excellent interplay between the hop and malt profiles. This is one of the best red ales that I have sampled. It is quite difficult to make a balanced ale that is also distinct AND highly drinkable, usually it is one or the other. I say that from a drinking perspective and not a brewing perspective. Maybe it is super easy to do but since it is not done very often so … this stands out.

Rating: 8/10

Value Rating: 6.5/10