Long Hammer IPA

Though I have not been overly impressed with Red Hook’s selection of beers, I decided to give Long Hammer IPA a try, as I am always on the lookout for the next great IPA.

Long Hammer IPA, from Red Hook Ale Brewery in Portsmouth, NH, boasts a 6.5% ABV. At around 8 dollars for a six-pack, it stacks up comparably to many other microbrewed IPA offerings. Long Hammer poured a medium-gold, sprouting a thick, fluffy head with robust retention and respectable lacing. The nose was of dandelions, iron, and cellared wood. Upon tasting this offering, an immediate dark rye flavor hits the tongue, followed by hints of leather, grapefruit pith, and other dark citrus notes. A solid bitter body gives way to a glue-like nuance and flavors of citrus pulp, especially of grapefruit or under-ripe orange, in that it tasted of a dry citrus, and not a juicy one. The finish is long and comfortably bitter.

Long Hammer IPA is an interesting character. Most IPAs I’ve had tend to be brighter than this offering, which is not a bad thing. As a matter of opinion, I think I prefer a brighter IPA, but this was an interesting journey. The dark side of IPA is explored here, and it feels gritty and natural, reminiscent of a walk through history to drink a beer with a true cowboy or railway worker. In that sense, the name Long Hammer seems to fit this Red Hook offering. In my history with Red Hook, this IPA is head and shoulders above their other stuff, and it makes me wonder if I shouldn’t give some of their other offerings another chance.