Thundercone Fresh Hop Ale
McMenamins Inc.
- From:
- McMenamins Inc.
- Oregon, United States
- Style:
- American Pale Ale
Ranked #884 - ABV:
- 6.19%
- Score:
- 85
Ranked #27,912 - Avg:
- 3.76 | pDev: 10.64%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 10
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Oct 05, 2025
- Added:
- Sep 24, 2010
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 3
SCORE
85
Very Good
85
Very Good
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Rated by solok from California
3.31/5 rDev -12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
3.31/5 rDev -12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Hazy. Nice floral, vegetal notes. Negligible bitterness.
Oct 05, 2025
Reviewed by sharpski from Oregon
3.5/5 rDev -6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.5/5 rDev -6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
2015 Vintage uses fresh Simcoes from Sodbuster Farms. The simcoes didn't seem like they were used to great effect, with only an average FH expression compared to other Simcoe FH beers I tasted this year.
Dec 21, 2015
Reviewed by mr-jj from Washington
3.14/5 rDev -16.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25
3.14/5 rDev -16.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25
On tap at McMenamins Mill Creek in a pint glass.
Orange-amber color with a thin white head. Minimal lacing. Mild fresh hop aroma - weedy, grassy and floral. Flavor was okay, the grassy hop flavor and malt are pretty balanced. Very mildly bitter finish that fades quickly. Medium body with weak carbonation. Overall, its a decent beer that is very drinkable, but nothing special.
Nov 07, 2014Orange-amber color with a thin white head. Minimal lacing. Mild fresh hop aroma - weedy, grassy and floral. Flavor was okay, the grassy hop flavor and malt are pretty balanced. Very mildly bitter finish that fades quickly. Medium body with weak carbonation. Overall, its a decent beer that is very drinkable, but nothing special.
Reviewed by John_M from Washington
3.25/5 rDev -13.6%
3.25/5 rDev -13.6%
On tap at Edgefield the other day.
Really a pretty weak effort, even by McM standards. The is pretty malty, with not much of any hoppy bitterness on the finish. As for the fresh hop character, there's no sign of it at all on the palate, and to say that's pretty subtle on the nose would be an understatement.
Not awful, by any stretch, but there are so many other good pale ales avaiable on the maket these days, there is no reason for this to be around. If I happen to be at a McM establishment, and have to drink McM beers, then I'll go for pretty much anything else avaiable, rather than this. Give me a McM IPA or Hammerhead ale any day of the week over this weak effort.
Oct 02, 2014Really a pretty weak effort, even by McM standards. The is pretty malty, with not much of any hoppy bitterness on the finish. As for the fresh hop character, there's no sign of it at all on the palate, and to say that's pretty subtle on the nose would be an understatement.
Not awful, by any stretch, but there are so many other good pale ales avaiable on the maket these days, there is no reason for this to be around. If I happen to be at a McM establishment, and have to drink McM beers, then I'll go for pretty much anything else avaiable, rather than this. Give me a McM IPA or Hammerhead ale any day of the week over this weak effort.
Reviewed by mactrail from Washington
4.09/5 rDev +8.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.09/5 rDev +8.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
On tap at the Roseburg Station, Oregon location. The 2013 edition is fresh/green cone Cascades. Dark amber color with a thin but persistent foam in the nonic. IBUs listed at 56.
Rich and malty with a tangy edge. It's truly hoppy but really not very bitter. There is a fruity hop taste that must be from the leafy hop freshness. I like the resiny tang on top of that. Just a touch of citrus peel. So aromatic in flavor along with the flowery aroma. This must be my favorite beer ever from McMenamins. I hope they pay attention to beers like this-- they make so many but many seem a little flavor-challenged.
Sep 22, 2013Rich and malty with a tangy edge. It's truly hoppy but really not very bitter. There is a fruity hop taste that must be from the leafy hop freshness. I like the resiny tang on top of that. Just a touch of citrus peel. So aromatic in flavor along with the flowery aroma. This must be my favorite beer ever from McMenamins. I hope they pay attention to beers like this-- they make so many but many seem a little flavor-challenged.
Reviewed by mudbug from Oregon
4.26/5 rDev +13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.26/5 rDev +13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
On Tap at the Lincoln City Brewery, It doesn't get any fresher than this!
A nice golden slightly hazed body topped by a cap of foam about a half inch high that stays around for quite a while.
Aroma is fresh cut grass, pine, fresh baked bread. maybe a hint of tropical fruit
Taste is incredibly clean with a nice bitter hop bite upfront followed by light cracker and a touch of sweetness, very well balanced and easy to put down quick. The cascades really shine here, and if you are a big Cascade fan this is for you.
Just a stand-out nice APA.The freshness of the hopping is quite evident and the whole thing just comes together seamlessly.
I enjoyed this quite a bit.
Bravo!
Sep 21, 2013A nice golden slightly hazed body topped by a cap of foam about a half inch high that stays around for quite a while.
Aroma is fresh cut grass, pine, fresh baked bread. maybe a hint of tropical fruit
Taste is incredibly clean with a nice bitter hop bite upfront followed by light cracker and a touch of sweetness, very well balanced and easy to put down quick. The cascades really shine here, and if you are a big Cascade fan this is for you.
Just a stand-out nice APA.The freshness of the hopping is quite evident and the whole thing just comes together seamlessly.
I enjoyed this quite a bit.
Bravo!
Reviewed by constantine_272 from Oregon
3.8/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.8/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Thundercone, 2013 edition.
A: Hazy gold in color. White thin silky head that left sticky foam webs and dots on the glass.
S: Floral and grassy with dried straw. A little bit of fresh cut juniper. A little lemon.
T: Orange pith bitterness starts off and it melts to a richer ruby grapefruit flavor. Mild dry leafiness finishes it off. Woodiness rounds it out.
M: A little flat. Could stand from a little more carbonation. Medium body. Slight dry finish with low leafy aftertaste.
O: Not as good as I remember it last year. It had more dry bitterness and less subtle depth if flavor than I hoped for a fresh hop beer. Still a pretty tasty hoppy offering. Maybe next year.
Sep 14, 2013A: Hazy gold in color. White thin silky head that left sticky foam webs and dots on the glass.
S: Floral and grassy with dried straw. A little bit of fresh cut juniper. A little lemon.
T: Orange pith bitterness starts off and it melts to a richer ruby grapefruit flavor. Mild dry leafiness finishes it off. Woodiness rounds it out.
M: A little flat. Could stand from a little more carbonation. Medium body. Slight dry finish with low leafy aftertaste.
O: Not as good as I remember it last year. It had more dry bitterness and less subtle depth if flavor than I hoped for a fresh hop beer. Still a pretty tasty hoppy offering. Maybe next year.
Reviewed by Reidrover from Oregon
4.2/5 rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.2/5 rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pint at Thompsons Brewpub in Salem. $4.00 Darker yellow/light orange coloured beer, slightly hazy with a small off white head. Nice spic we hop aromas WEll balanced taste with the caramel malts almost dominating the spicy fresh hop. Good mouthfeel,semi thick and smoooth Excellent Fresh hop ale here
Oct 20, 2012
Reviewed by flagmantho from Washington
3.7/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.7/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
I had this on-tap in a pint glass at the McMenamin's in Mill Creek, WA. The waitress even gave me a Thundercone sticker!
Appearance: rich orange hue with a pretty thick haze. Head is a thin layer of frothy ivory foam.
Smell: moderately sweet malt with a lightly citrusy fruity hop character. Good, but a bit on the subtle side for me.
Taste: good citrusy hop flavor right off the bat. Toasty malt provides a nice background, though there is plenty enough bitterness at the end. Not bad.
Mouthfeel: medium light body with a light carbonation and OK creaminess. Decent.
Overall: a decent pale ale overall, but kind of low-key for the "fresh hop" style.
Sep 23, 2012Appearance: rich orange hue with a pretty thick haze. Head is a thin layer of frothy ivory foam.
Smell: moderately sweet malt with a lightly citrusy fruity hop character. Good, but a bit on the subtle side for me.
Taste: good citrusy hop flavor right off the bat. Toasty malt provides a nice background, though there is plenty enough bitterness at the end. Not bad.
Mouthfeel: medium light body with a light carbonation and OK creaminess. Decent.
Overall: a decent pale ale overall, but kind of low-key for the "fresh hop" style.
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