Humulus Session
The Bruery

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From:
The Bruery
 
California, United States
Style:
American Pale Ale
ABV:
4.5%
Score:
90
Avg:
4.13 | pDev: 6.3%
Reviews:
16
Ratings:
19
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Mar 14, 2016
Added:
Nov 04, 2010
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by largadeer:
Photo of largadeer
Reviewed by largadeer from California

4.35/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
Clear and very pale gold. The small head retains very well.

Very bright hoppy nose. Tropical fruit and citrus. Light on the malt. Smells wonderful.

The palate is very light with a dominant citrus hop character. Amply bitter, dry, extremely clean. Hop flavor is largely grapefruit with undertones of tropical fruit. A great session ale indeed, this packs a ton of aroma and flavor into a light, quaffable body.
Nov 22, 2010
More User Ratings:
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

4.36/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
That's how you make a session beer look sweet, bright yellow pour, big inch plus white virgin type head. Hoppiness pervades the aroma, all parts pine, tropical and citrus. Das it mane.

Super sessionable and a super cracker dry finish. Kept it simple, low abv, low malt, lots of hops.
Mar 14, 2016
 
Rated: 4.25 by t0rin0 from California

Mar 02, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by John11486 from California

Feb 15, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by jerz from California

Nov 16, 2011
Photo of mikesgroove
Reviewed by mikesgroove from South Carolina

4.45/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
i have to give an enormous thanks to the kind ba who sent this growler out to me along with a few other new bruery treats. enjoyed on easter among family and friends.

One of the best pours from a pale ale you could possibly ask for. Seriously. Big head of white foam on top that barely falls back down to earth. Wonderful clear amber color that really just looks the part perfectly. Lots of carbonation creeping up the glass throughout And a really nice coating of spider like webbing.

Aroma is lighter then I would have thought. Nice light grains, a touch of piney hops. As it warms a bit of citrus starts to come though, but again, lighter then I would have thought. Crisp, clean, the first sip has a biting touch to it as the pine and citrus start to roll through. Nice grains come in mid palate and then it rolls right back into a nice and dry bitter finish. Clean aftertaste leaves you to come back and look for a bit more.

Light, airy and well carbonated. I had no issue at all with going forward with this one. The feel matched the overall experience very nicely. Session able, very nice and clean and easy drinking. Again had really no issue at all with putting this one away.
Apr 28, 2011
Photo of Beerandraiderfan
Reviewed by Beerandraiderfan from Nevada

4.38/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
First beer of the RS initiation party.

Bright yellow pour, frothy white head, great lace, retention, this looks perfect. Great hoppy aroma, floral, pine all up in this, slightly tropical as well, maybe citra hops as part of this beer.

Great sessionable pale ale here, massive hopping, adequate bitterness, plenty dry on the palate. Not much beyond the hops here. A great beer for doing stuff outside. Not heavy, packs tons of hop flavor, tons of dry hopping, light body.
Apr 26, 2011
Photo of mothman
Reviewed by mothman from Minnesota

3.85/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Bruery Humulus Session

Pours 1 finger of white head. Good retention and lace. Color is a clear pale yellow.

Aroma: Fairly hoppy. Grassy and floral. Has a light bready malt profile.

Taste: Dry, grassy hops with a slight amount of floral notes. Bready with biscuit malts.

Mouthfeel: Bitter and dry. Light bodied with a medium amount of carbonation. Ends hoppy.

Overall, Easy drinking pale. Nice and hoppy. I like it. Not overly complex but it really didn't need to be.
Jan 16, 2011
Photo of thagr81us
Reviewed by thagr81us from South Carolina

3.98/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Served from tap into a Bruery sampler imperial pint at the Reserve Society Party. Poured a hazy straw yellow with a one finger pure white head. Maintained nice lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, citrus hops, and slight citrus. The flavor was of sweet malt and citrus hops. It had a light feel on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall this was a pretty good brew. Had a very nicely balanced flavor going on here. The aroma was not as good as the flavor, but still quite nice. This is a MUST try given the opportunity.
Jan 10, 2011
Photo of beagle75
Reviewed by beagle75 from Iowa

4.32/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
Poured from a growler into a tulip pint glass.

A: Clear, pale golden color with one finger of rocky white foam head. Moderate lacing remains on the glass.

S: Lightly toasted bread, pilsner malt, faint fruity esters, and (last but certainly not least) abundant pine and grapefruit citrus.

T: Begins off-dry, with cracker, hay, and bright citrus/grassy hop aromatics that outshine the malt flavors early. Bready flavor surges in the middle, moving into fine balance with the hops. The mildly bitter finish sees the flavors of the hops fade suddenly, leaving clean malt to linger on the palate.

M: Thin viscosity, wet and refreshing on the palate, with moderate carbonation.

D: An extra-pale ale with West Coast hop character, the Bruery's Humulus Session is drinkable by design. Hop-heads may regard this beer as existing in the shadow of the excellent elder sibling, Humulus Lager, but in fact it is a fine example of a different style and approach. Reminiscent of Stone's San Diego session ale collaboration or Green Flash's Citra session ale, this beer is a strong rendition of what is hopefully an emerging new tradition. Probably best enjoyed by itself, or with the lightest of sweet or acidic snacks, so as not to drown out the aromatic hop flavors showcased here.
Dec 22, 2010
Photo of DoubleJ
Reviewed by DoubleJ from Wisconsin

4.11/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
On-tap at the source, on to the beer:

This is great to look at. Pale gold in color with tons of bubbles running around in the body. The frothy head on top sticks around all the way down and leaves creamy lacing on the glass. At first, the nose is raw and sharp, warming up allow more subtle aromas to come out. Grass and bitter grapefruit rind at first, then a warmer temperature allows tangerine and orange to crawl out.

I'll admit that the first one-thirds of my glass, I wasn't sure if I liked this. It reminded me of chewing on a hop; extremely bitter with a little resin. Again, warming it up allowed for a change in experience. Tangerine sweetens things up, a dash of crackery malt and vague tropical fruit adds to it. Light-medium bodied, but it seems more full than that. Very clean overall.

Another humulus success by The Bruery.
Dec 18, 2010
Photo of FosterJM
Reviewed by FosterJM from California

4.3/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
116th review on BA
Draft @ The Bruery

App- A very pretty golden yellow with a nice on finger head on the top of it.

Smell- A bit yeasty with a decent amount of citrus to it. Just a touch of pine. I really was digging on this.

Taste- It was a tasty brew right after having some empanadas tonight. It had the flavors of being a bit floral with some earthiness to it and to me after reviewing was a bit suprised it was a pale ale.

Mouth- A mix of light/med bodied that lends itself to being very crisp.

Drink- I liked it. I was a bit suprised by it. Sometimes The Bruery sneaks one it thats a big hit.
Dec 18, 2010
Photo of teamizm
Reviewed by teamizm from California

3.99/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Grabbed a growler of this.

Pours a straw colored with a huge head that dissipates into a half inch laced head. Beautiful bubbles flow up.

Smell is awesome on this one. Citrus, floral, and light hops. The citrus reminded me of the citrus notes I got from KRBC Citra (just not as intense).

Taste like a Belgian IPA - pale Belgian malts, with a very nice hop notes and the citrus is apparent in the taste as well.

This is one crisp beer, wish I was drinking this in the LA heat in August instead of the 40 or so degree weather we have right now. A great BBQ beer.

Very drinkable, went through a couple of pints watching a basketball game and I feel fine. I know some (without mentioning names) would argue this isn't a session beer, but it's the lowest ABV beer I've had in some time.
Dec 01, 2010
Photo of nickd717
Reviewed by nickd717 from California

4.3/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
On tap at the Bruery Provisions and the Bruery.

Pours a clear bright golden color with a two-finger, lasting white head sitting on top. Good lacing.

The nose on this one is excellent - big hoppy notes, floral and citrusy mainly, with a touch of pine and sweet malt.

The flavor features slightly sweet pale malt that gives way to a big hop roundhouse kick to the face. Grapefruit, pine, floral aspects, and tropical fruits comprise a complex hop profile. Not amazing, but very tasty, especially for the ABV.

Medium-light bodied but not at all thin, with a crisp, clean finish and a slightly resinous yet light mouthfeel.

Excellent session beer. I could drink this all day if I weren't a ticker, and all the beer noobs I was there with agreed.
Nov 29, 2010
Photo of Gobzilla
Reviewed by Gobzilla from California

4.1/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
poured a slightlt hazy translucent golden orange in color with yellow highlights that had a finger worth of head and left good frothy lacing sticking to the glass. The aroma was pretty piney hoppy alongside caramel malts and citrus notes. It did however have grassy earthy character as well. The flavor was also pretty big on the piney hops but was not over hoppy or bitter and had help from the citrus grapefruit to amplify the bitterness factor just a tad alongside a good malt backbone to balance out this sessionable beer. The brew was light to medium on body with a good amount of carbonation which had a piney, hoppy, citrusy, thin, and slight crisp finish. Very drinkable beer that could easily be enjoyed poolside on a hot summer socal day. Definitely worth a try.
Nov 29, 2010
Photo of Overlord
Reviewed by Overlord from California

4.17/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours a bright golden yellow. Even with a fairly small pour, 2 inches of white sudsy head.

Smells intensely floral, with some light (LIGHT) citrus and pine notes. Maybe a whiff of pineapple. Good smelling beer, great hop bouquet.

Unfortunately, doesn't taste quite as good, but still a good tasting brew. Light pine, some florally bitterness, and a hint of citrus ... where'd all the citrus in the nose go? A bit of grainy tropics on the aftertaste.

Nice. Light. Could use a bit more body, as the mouthfeel is way effervescent.
Nov 21, 2010
Photo of jminsc76
Reviewed by jminsc76 from Texas

4.12/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap at the Bruery.

Pours a white soapy head on top of a purely yellow body. Looks like Budweiser that actually contains life (i.e., could actually be classified as...da da da da dum...beer). Nooo WAYYYY!!!

Aromas form an intense conglomeration of hops, citrus, pine, and higly floral notes. My friend, standing several feet away and sipping his 3 French Hens on cask, exclaims, "dude, I can smell that beer from here when you swirl the glass". The bouquet exhibits an almost lemonade-y quality, and is quite pleasant.

The flavors are similar to the aromas (pine and lemons mostly). Also, plenty of hop bite that snaps, crackles, and pops the palate like a pro. I can only imagine how well this would pair with some fish tacos and other slightly spicy cantina food. Italian food? Not so much as a good lager, methinks.

Mouthfeel is estery and cleanses the palate with each sip.

Overall, the flavors are not my ultimate preference. What has been done has been done well, though, with the general drinkability relying heavily on what it can do for the appropriate food pairing.
Nov 07, 2010
Photo of brokensail
Reviewed by brokensail from California

4.45/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
On-tap at the Bruery

A: The pour is a somewhat cloudy golden orange color with a finger or two worth of dense white head.

S: The nose is fairly hoppy with plenty of citrus and pine notes coming through right away. Some pineapple/fruit notes start to hit the nose and there is a subtle grassiness.

T: Again, great citrus characteristics to the beer. Less tropical fruit than the nose leads on, but plenty of intensely bitter pine and a moderate grass character.

M: The body is medium with a medium to high carbonation and a great bitter finish.

D: Probably the second best of the Humulus Series (after the Lager). The lighter base for the beer really allows the hops to shine.
Nov 06, 2010
Photo of Halcyondays
Reviewed by Halcyondays from California

3.57/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
On-tap at The Bruery,

A: Pours a translucent to almost opaque gold with a finger of white head. Solid lacing and retention.

S: Great tropical fruit nose, almost like a mini Sculpin. Grapefruit, pineapple, very enjoyable. Lots of hop character for 4.5%.

T: Bitter white grapefruit, some lemon rind. The complexity of hop character that I found in the nose is not here. Overall the hop profile is enjoyable, but the carbonic acid makes a play which is hardly ever good.

M: Bitter long aftertaste, dry, light-bodied. Resiny.

D: An interesting effort, out of balance at points due to the big hop flavours and miniscule malt character. For a session beer I'd prefer something a little lighter in hops, but this is the Humulus series, so I knew what I was getting coming in.
Nov 06, 2010
Humulus Session from The Bruery
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 19 ratings