Hops Alligator Ale
Hops Grillhouse & Brewery

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From:
Hops Grillhouse & Brewery
 
United States
Style:
English Brown Ale
ABV:
Not listed
Score:
78
Avg:
3.22 | pDev: 12.73%
Reviews:
20
Ratings:
26
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Aug 29, 2016
Added:
Mar 04, 2002
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Ratings by Crosling:
Photo of Crosling
Reviewed by Crosling from Colorado

3.31/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Thanks to the Hops Grillhouse and Brewery for serving a minor. Deep brown in color with hints of ruby when held up to the light. Poor head retention with little to no lacing. Served way too cold.

The aroma was very bad! Not much to speak of. No hop presense in the aroma. Barely anything.

Very low hop presense which is the low point of the beer but a full malt body makes up for it. Hints of chocolate, alcohol, roasted coffee and roasted malts. A really "sweet" porter. Smooth finish but a little too smooth. Needed more of a hop bite on the tongue.
Dec 23, 2003
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.42 by RaginBowener from Virginia

Aug 29, 2016
 
Rated: 3.42 by Dave1999 from North Carolina

Oct 10, 2015
 
Rated: 2.75 by stinkydaddy from Tennessee

Jul 04, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by LXIXME from New Mexico

Feb 24, 2013
 
Rated: 3.25 by t0rin0 from California

Oct 14, 2012
Photo of Thorpe429
Reviewed by Thorpe429 from Illinois

2.13/5  rDev -33.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2
On tap at the Alexandria, Virginia location.

Pours a moderate shade of brown with a thin off-white head plus a bit of a cap and collar as it settles. The nose doesn't start out too bad. There's some chocolate and roast character before a metallic presence starts to overwhelm all but the chocolate. The taste is similar. It starts out with a decent enough chocolate malt presence before being hit hard with a fairly-harsh metallic presence. Mouthfeel is overwhelmed by this. Probably the best beer I had at Hops, though it still was jot very good.
Dec 20, 2010
Photo of erosier
Reviewed by erosier from Connecticut

4/5  rDev +24.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Had at the Newington, CT Location

L: Pours a nice brown with black and red tints to it and a medium sized and medium bodied tan colored head that laces a bit on the way down.
S: Smells of sweet toasted malts, dark roasted malts, hints of caramel and chocolate with a slight hop finish at the end of the nose.
T: Tastes of sweet toasted and caramelized malts then a nice burnt malt with a little more chocolate than the nose let on and the finish is a nice sweet yet earthy hop finish.
M: Very smooth, fresh, perfect amount of carbonation.
D: Very drinkable, I think this is one of their best beers.
Aug 21, 2009
Photo of twiggamortis420
Reviewed by twiggamortis420 from Texas

3.28/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Menu says this is a porter. Filled a bit high on a pint glass, but the beer is a pretty, dark brown color with ruby highlights.

Light nose, but it is served a bit on the cold side. Hints of expresso, raspberries, earth and figs.

Roasty, bitter and unsweetened chocolate flavors. Medium bodied and well carbonated. A bit too much chocolate malt and not enough hops, but all in all not a bad brew. Fresh tasting and passes the "could order another" test.
Sep 10, 2008
Photo of Jredner
Reviewed by Jredner from Florida

3/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
It may be the frozen mug the beertender schlupped this in without asking, but I get a very subdued aroma. Mild roastiness and caramel malts. Dark red/brown (mahagony) color with a quickly fading tan head. Caramel malt dominates the fore..mild hop bitterness and a bit nutty like a brown ale. Similar palate to a brown ale as well. Tasty, but thin with little range. They call it a porter, but it obviously isn't.
Feb 19, 2006
Photo of oelergud
Reviewed by oelergud from Virginia

3.83/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Deep ruby body with a medium tan head. Good lace and decent retention, head is easily brought back through agitation.
Light toffee and caramel in the nose with some notes of nuts and faint mild hops.
Dark chocolate flavors dominate the taste. Caramel and toffee comes afterwards. Aftertaste is subdued at first but comes back in full force with strong hops and roasted coffee bean flavors.
Decent body, little coating with a dry finish.
Interesting and pleasant. Good drinkability.

-Oelergud
Feb 18, 2006
Photo of SaCkErZ9
Reviewed by SaCkErZ9 from South Carolina

2.74/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
At the Hops Brewery and Rest. in Charlotte, NC, this beer is classified as a porter (as listed on their menu) so I am rating it based on a porter. With that said:
The appearance was one of the best things about this beer. There was a nice head that lasted throughout the drinking and their was minimal lacing.
The smell was not much to boast about. Very little in the way of hops of malt, just a beer smell.
The taste, as often happens, reflected the smell; not much.
A nice mouthfeel. Very smooth with a bit of a sticky feeling.
An average beer overall. I have definitely had better porters, but I would have this one again.
Aug 17, 2005
Photo of twi1609372
Reviewed by twi1609372 from Florida

3.35/5  rDev +4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
i was a bit suprised by this one. It had a bit of an unusual taste. but it was pretty good. went down pretty easy, not much to complain about. not as complex a malt as some of their others, but definetly more than the average mainstreal beer. enjoy!!
Mar 08, 2005
Photo of TastyTaste
Reviewed by TastyTaste from Minnesota

2.82/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3
Another average offering from Hops. Taste was ok, not a lot going on, pretty smooth drinking, though. A little coffee in the flavor, somewhat of a muted, watered-down flavor. Could use more of....everything. Doesn't challenge the pallette, or make you have anything mroe than a "Hey, it's not that bad" attitude.
Jun 17, 2004
Photo of GCBrewingCo
Reviewed by GCBrewingCo from North Carolina

3.68/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Note...This beer is listed as a porter on their literature. It reads:
"A rich mahogany-colored porter with a surprisingly smooth finish. Malt: Pale Ale, Dark Chocolate, Carapils, Caramel
Hops: Willametter, Cascade"

The beer arrived a dark brownish-black with ruby highlights and a very persistent head. The aroma is chocolate malt and the flavor is chocolate and coffee. The finish is dry chocolate and the beer is medium bodied.

This is the best beer they had on tap at the time of my visit.

(Sampled at the Charleston location)
Dec 19, 2003
Photo of OldFrothingSlosh
Reviewed by OldFrothingSlosh from Pennsylvania

3.01/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
A lovely deep, dark brown in color, with a thick tannish-colored head that really laced the glass nicely. Aromas a veiled...tough to pick out. Some notes of roasted chocolate and nuts. Slightly sweet aroma noted as well. Initially, this was way, way too cold to drink. The flavors were almost non-existent. Once it warmed up, the roasted nuttiness and dark bittering chocolate take hold. Tasted almost like a porter. Finished with a slightly bittering aftertaste. Highly-carbonated and somewhat on the thin side. Not as creamy as expected. Average drinkability. Probably the best Hops beer for me.
Sep 14, 2003
Photo of SetarconeX
Reviewed by SetarconeX from Florida

2.88/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 1 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
A wonderfully dark brew, and nice and thick to boot. It did, however, have a massive problem. It had an overwhelming metallic stink of copper, which bled over into the taste. This should have been a tasty brew, and indeed was drinkable if I held my nose, but the coppery scent all but ruined the beer. Hey, at least I had proof it was really made in those giant copper vats.

Had this one in Gainesville Fl, and I expect it's a local problem. If you're at a different Hops, by all means order it. Just be aware it may not always be great.
Sep 07, 2003
Photo of Running4beer
Reviewed by Running4beer from Massachusetts

3.38/5  rDev +5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Dark brown in color with a thin off white lace. Not strong in the aroma area but could pick up some chocolate malt. Pretty good flavor IMO, caramel, chocolate and a nutty taste in there. Smooth mouthfeel and the flavors make this a tasty and easily drinkable brew. This was a pretty good brew IMO.
Aug 13, 2003
Photo of AtLagerHeads
Reviewed by AtLagerHeads from Ohio

3.23/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
A nice beer with a good look. A very rich mahogany tone meets the drinker and leaves a very great lace from a minimal head. From what I could tell the head was slightly off-white and a bit creamy. A very smooth mouthfeel sense is given off and the slightly smoky taste is very pleasant and reminds of a light porter. I liked the grain sense, but was not fond of the slightly sour start. Gave off a malt nose.
Apr 03, 2003
Photo of tigerpaws
Reviewed by tigerpaws from South Carolina

3.28/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
IMO this is HOPS best brew. Nice deep reddish color and very nice malty aroma. Could use a little more hops but is very drinkable and try the nachos with it they are great.......CHEERS
Aug 14, 2002
Hops Alligator Ale from Hops Grillhouse & Brewery
Beer rating: 78 out of 100 with 26 ratings