Property of RedHook.com

“The generous addition of hops both during and at the end of the fermentation process (dry-hopping) gives our India Pale Ale its characteristic bitterness and piney citrus aroma and flavor.  The medium body, crisp finish, and moderate alcohol and IBU levels makes this one of America’s most drinkable and best-selling IPAs.”

First and foremost I want to say that the real reason I bought this beer was because of the mini bottles, which is especially odd since the name of this brew is Long Hammer. Yet, just looking at the bottles, they make you wanna saw “awwww” but you know in a manly way. Ahem.

Image Property of RedHook.com

This brew has a light, grassy smell almost more lager like. Although my nose has been stuffy the last week so I wouldn’t trust it to be the most accurate. Which typically affects the taste buds but this brew is an IPA so it has a bite no matter what.

The taste is hoppy, as an IPA should but on the scale of hoppiness it is a milder IPA. It has a nice smooth taste, creamy mouthfeel that leaves the tip of the tongue refreshed but the back of the tongue with a dry finish. The spice and hops tinge on the back of the tongue leaving a nice aftertaste. Overall, there is a bit more malts than I would expect in an IPA.

This beer is decent, could be a bit disappointing in the IPA department but overall a decent beer. I give this beer a 2.5 out of 5 bananas. It is middle of the road and light on the hops but has a nice drinkability that anyone who likes a bit of hops in their beer could enjoy. May be a good beer to start your explorations into the world of IPAs.

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New Brew Tuesday: Red Hook – Long Hammer IPA is a post from: Monkey Brewster

Image property of Left Hand Brewing

Type: Beer – English Style India Pale Ale
Name: Left Hand Brewing Company – 400 Pound Monkey
Price: $1.79 pint
Made: Longmont, CO
Alc/Vol: 6.8%

A 400 Pound Monkey? First off yay monkey, but a 400 pound one. Whew that is a lot of monkey poo to fling. @(^_^)@

Enough about poo, and onto the beer…

This beer has a nice clean smell, which means this monkey seperates business with pleasure. Wouldn’t want poo hands making the beer now would we. OK so I can’t really separate the two, so fling me.

Now I know a lot of casual beerers aren’t IPA fans. They are hoppy and have a bite to them. They let you know you are drinking a beer, and I like that about them. The problem? Left Hand Brewing realized that IPA’s are becoming more fashionable so when they decided to make their version of an IPA they wanted to do it with a twist.

I poured off a nice golden color into my chilled glass, one of the first things I noticed was that there wasn’t much lacing head. A nice lacing to the glass is said to be a good indicator of the quality of beer.

So what did it taste like? It has a nice malty and hoppy balance. It’s an IPA and it let’s you know that but on the other hand it still has a sweetness to it that gives it a well balanced taste. This isn’t an overly hoppy IPA, so if you are looking for a beer that bites back hard then this isn’t it. However it isn’t exactly a sissy beer either. There is a nice citrus taste that goes with this beer. So in the world of IPAs this is different, but it was what Left Hand Brewing set out to do, and I say they succeeded.

Because this one ain’t like them others.

I give this beer 4 and 1/2 out of 5 bananas and not just it has monkey in the name. It is a good beer and at a good price, you can’t help but like that. To even further prove it I got caught up watching a movie and left the last sip sitting there to warm up, and you know what? Still delicious! And while you are off enjoying a few of these delicious beers why don’t you sign up for my free Contest to win a Zaca recovery patch and save yourself from a hangover.

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New Brew Tuesday: Left Hand Brewing Co – 400 Pound Monkey is a post from: Monkey Brewster

Jockamo Sign from the Abita Gift Shop

Type: Beer – IPA
Name: Abita Brewing Co. – Jockamo IPA
Price: $1.99
Made: Abita Springs, LA
Alc/Vol: 6.5%

Hey Now!

“For more than two centuries, tribes of singing, chanting “Mardi Gras Indians” have appeared on the streets of New Orleans wearing elaborate, handcrafted “suits” of beads and feathers. The celebrate traditions and cultures as bold and beautiful as their costumes. Abita Jockamo is crafted the traditional way to create a bold and flavorful Indian Pale Ale that stops and shouts. When you hear the drums, join in the song. Iko! Iko! Jochamo fen an e’.”

I’ve been to New Orleans before, and that was a party. It wasn’t even during Mardi Gras, it was in the middle of December a year after Katrina devastated the area, and you know what Bourbon St. looked like on that Sunday afternoon? A party that’s what, so if the average Joe gets down on a Sunday, I’m all about these Jockamo Indians boogieing down during Mardi Gras.

But enough about partying Mardi Gras Indians, on to the beer…

The scent is faint and light, almost non existent, but as I was trying to sniff out some scent I did notice the nice dark amber color. The light aroma could be why the initial taste is such a shock. While it fades away to a mild bitter finish the first thing that hits you is the strong malty-hops flavoring. While the flavor is strong, it is light for an IPA – if that makes any sense. It seems that the malty taste is stronger than the hops, which from an IPA you wouldn’t expect.

The finish of this beer left a dry mouth feel which seemed to make it pair perfectly with the apple I was eating (I know, I didn’t have any bananas at the time). The sweet juicy apple almost complimented the light bitter dry beer which makes me think that this beer would go well with a fruit salad.

This beer was OK, I liked it but I didn’t love it nor did I want to fling it. It was drinkable, not your typical IPA but that wasn’t a bad thing. I give this beer 3 bananas, I almost want to give it an extra half banana because it got me to learn about the history of the song Iko Iko (Dixie Cups and James Crawford) and because making Jockamo an Indian Pale Ale was just a little too clever not to give me a sly smile. Yet most people won’t catch all that while sitting down at the bar and ordering something new, but then again you never know…Hey Now!

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New Brew Tuesday: Abita – Jockamo IPA is a post from: Monkey Brewster

The Legend of ‘Hop’ Wallop

“So Horace ‘Hop’ Wallop headed west a broken man. For in the city of Blues a Miss LuLu Bell Lager had left him thirty for more. Drawn by wild tales of riches to be had in the gold mines, Hop pressed on westward. His last nickle spent on a prospecting pan Hop’s hunger got the best of him. Two fist fulls of barely and three of some wild and Wayward hops tossed in a pan with some clear water was to be his meal but sleep overcame him and he later awoke to a bubbling cacophonous concoction overjoyed with the beautiful ale he had made, Hop realized the secret of the green gold he had discovered in those fresh hops. Celebrated far and wide Hop Wallop lives on this vivid ale with his words, ‘Hoppyness is Happiness’. Enjoy!”

That is one mouthful of a story to place on a beer bottle! I’m not sure how true the story is but one look at that lovable face of ‘Hop’ and you just can’t help but want to believe it. I believe this may be my first double IPA, now I’m not to sure what the difference between an IPA and a double IPA but I assume it means double to hoppy bitter taste.

This beer didn’t let me down, it has a good strong IPA taste. Was it double what your average IPA is? Well I don’t know, but it sure was hoppy. No not hoppy as in my friend @BouncyMcTigger likes to bounce, hop and skip (it’s really just bouncing, she would best leave the hopping to rabbits). The aftertaste lingers with that rich bitter taste and there isn’t a strong taste of alcohol even though it has 8.5%.

I could picture myself drinking this beer on a regular occurrence, which is why I give this beer 4 out of 5 bananas. Are you an IPA drinker, because if so I’d recommend you picking up a bottle with that lovable guy ‘Hop’ Wallop on it.

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New Brew Tuesday: Victory – Hop Wallop is a post from: Monkey Brewster

Acme California IPA

Type: Beer

Name: Acme – California IPA

Price: $1.99

Made: Fort Bragg, CA

Alc/Vol: 6.5%

First off, let me say any beer with a picture of a pin up girl on it earns at least one banana in my book. This is a good IPA taste but if you aren’t an IPA fan then this isn’t the beer for you. India Pale Ale’s seem to be all-the-rave among craft-beer brewers. This is for good reason because of the true beer taste, it’s has as described by wikipedia, “hoppy, bitter and sometimes malty flavor.”

As for the beer itself, I would highly recommend it as long as Bud Light doesn’t constitute a ‘quality’ beer for you. Not, that Bud Wheat crap isn’t a full flavored beer either. Now as for a California IPA I can’t say how it ranks side by side with a StoneBrew but if I had to go off memory I would say it’s a close match. I am giving this beer a 3.5 out of 5 on the banana scale. What’s your take on this IPA?

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New Brew Tuesday: Acme – California IPA is a post from: Monkey Brewster