Thoroughbred Red
Hops Grillhouse & Brewery

 

 

About 4 oz. served into a tasting glass. From notes.

A: Pours a cola color with a thin khaki film. This is a red ale?

S: I note some toasted caramel and a touch of citrusy hops. It suffers from the same problem the others beers in the flight did, the aroma was dreadfully weak. What was here was acceptable, though.

T: Actually, this one seemed pretty roasty in its flavor. The roasted, toasted, burnt-to-a-crisp malts are followed up by touches of fruit esters and a very mild hop finish. Not bad.

M: It's thin, easy to drink, and with a dry finish. It feels a bit insubstantial, though (it's not a light lager, so it can't get away with it)

O: A drinkable brew without flaws. Though it's pretty bland regardless. I at least liked it enough to where I'd get it again on a future trip.

 

On tap at the brewpub poured into a pint glass. Pours a semi-assertive amber hue with a nice white head. Again, the aroma on this beer was pretty mild like everything else they brew here. However, I could pick up a bit of grapefruit, caramel, toast. The flavor has some slight notes of peat and grass, caramel. The finish is slightly rubbery. The description described an infusion of Pacific NW hops. I don't quite taste it and it was most subdued in the nose.

From notes. Had on tap on 3/19/10 at the Hops in Alexandria, VA. part of a 6 beer sampler.

a - Pours a copper/red color with almost on head. Light carbonation evident.

s - Malts, maybe a little hops. Not much else.

t - I thought it was a little sour to be honest. A bit of malts and hops, maybe a hint of caramel?

m - Medium body with light carbonation.

d - Better than the lighter beers in the sampler, the only thing offputting was the taste. A little bit sour, perhaps it was starting to go.

A: deep red, a little cloudy , the head will retain well,medium carbonation.

S: a raisin/malt hint,smells refreshing.

T: a Hint of Hop / caramel taste, the beer is well balanced.

D: drinks well. I like it. goes well with pretty much every thing on the menu.

A ruby-red body that isn't seethru (unlike other brews offered here) with decent head and a little head retention. A minimal hoppy smell, but the beer goes down smooth and fullsh with a good caramel taste and the hops complement the beer throughout. The best beer Hops offers, and pretty much the only real good beer they make.

I had this beer at the now closed Maple Grove, MN location. This had an amber color, without much of a head. A pleasant slight hop aroma. The flavor was somewhat sweet with hints of malt and hop. A medium mouthfeel and this beer was very drinklable. It was my favorite of all the beers served at Hops.

This was tasted as part of a 5 beer flite that was offered on this visit.

This was the most popular beer in the line-up as per the server.

Pour was of a medium amber capped with a slightly pinkish head. Body was medium all the way, not to light, no chance to offend either. Flavor was good, malty, and sweet, hops came in and provided a nice balance in the finish.

A well made clean beer, light for the amber style but very drinkable.