Hopback Summer Lightning
Hop Back Brewery plc

Hopback Summer LightningHopback Summer Lightning
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From:
Hop Back Brewery plc
 
England, United Kingdom
Style:
English Bitter
Ranked #80
ABV:
5%
Score:
82
Ranked #24,610
Avg:
3.63 | pDev: 15.7%
Reviews:
159
Ratings:
188
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jun 27, 2023
Added:
Sep 11, 2002
Wants:
  15
Gots:
  3
No description / notes.
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Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.94 by shelby415 from Oregon

Jun 27, 2023
 
Rated: 3.5 by Dethark from England

Jun 20, 2023
 
Rated: 3.09 by stephenlee93 from England

Feb 03, 2023
Photo of Offa
Reviewed by Offa from California

5/5  rDev +37.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Cask at Wyndham Arms, Salisbury.
Deep gold. Creamy white head slowly thins to thin ring.
Aroma crushed green grass and bread dough.
Taste and feel- a bit different. Very full body and creamy rounded mouthfeel. Hint of oiliness. Lots of rich fruity grain. Full sweetness with zesty spicy hop bitterness which just dominates finish with hint of fruit gums. Outstanding. Unusual and hard to pin down. Fills the same voids in the senses and mouth as Pliny the Elder. Flavor profile is different but mouthfeel, body, and both the amount and the balance of bitterness and sweetness are reminiscent of Pliny, without the high ABV.
Jul 23, 2022
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

2.5/5  rDev -31.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
My notes from February 2002, cask in England: "Unbelievably high rating at the Great British Beer Festival. I still find the use of extremely bitter hops totally out of hand. Probably the first pint of my life that I was unable to finish. Undrinkable. If you guys like it, fine. I just don't. Sorry." Since then, I've probably had thousands of beer that are far more bitter - and liked them. Maybe the thin body of this one in combination with distinct bittering hops was off-putting for me? Will re-rate when / if I can find it again.
May 20, 2022
Photo of vinicole
Reviewed by vinicole from England

3.59/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Bottle. Clear gold. Thin head.
Smells of rustic English hops with gentle malt in the background.
Sweet straw like characteristics upon tasting. Some citrus notes with a certain dryness to finish. Balanced.
Light in carbonation and body.
Summer in name and nature. I'm sure my review would be much better if drunk from the cask.
May 20, 2022
 
Rated: 3.92 by steverx8 from England

Dec 17, 2021
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.53/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
First had this beer right when I was getting into 'craft' beers in the mid/late 90s.

In the days before dry hopping, there was a process called a "hop back" (namesake here) that was a sink/vessel that you would run boiled wort is run on its way to the fermentation tanks (not losing the hop oils in/from the boil). Its been essentially rendered obsolete with the advent of dry hopping (although I could see it being a marketing angle: we use BOTH a hop back and dry hopping).

500 ml bottle pours a yellow liquid, 1/2" white head. A mild hop bitterness in the nose, is this using some Burton yeast and/or water?

Taste is relatively easy going, reminds me of a fuggle/noble hopped Red Hook from back in those days, slightly less malty than that one was/is(?). Has a nice levity to the beer, not heavy, don't need Chicago pours of this, easily domeable solo. The 500ml bottle format was pricey for the times per oz. Light grass and hay backdrop, but other than that, not at all going into saison territory, its just a bitter esb with a smidge more bittering hops than normal for that side of the pond.
No astringency yet dry.
Sep 16, 2020
Photo of JonnoWillsteed
Reviewed by JonnoWillsteed from England

3.42/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
S- Light, some fruity notes, hints of apple.
L- Pale golden and clear. Thin white head clears swiftly to lacing.
T- Quite bitter/dry, builds further with some solid tasting flavours then rising beneath.
M- It looks pretty anoemic but it has more flavour than expected. It tastes pretty clean and light for 5.0%.
O- Well balanced, very sessionable. Indeed the clean and dry profile would make this a good beer for a refreshing summer's evening.
BBE: March-2020. 500ml bottle, from Waitrose, Marylebone, London W1 at £1.29

The lable refers, front and rear, to this as a 'Golden Ale' instead of 'English Bitter' as in the header info above. It certainly doesn't look like a bitter, though there is significant cross-over in the flavour.
This lable is marked 'Summer Lightning - Golden Ale. 5.0%'. The front lable is in the shape of a shield without the rather cheesy photo of a lightning bolt, there's a more 'trad' logo of a man's head instead.
p.s. I'm constantly surprised how I can just go from one branch of a supermarket, to another of the same chain - a single borough apart, as little as a mile - and find beers that are still new to me.
May 18, 2019
 
Rated: 3.91 by travelguy from Ohio

Jun 09, 2018
Photo of Justhead
Reviewed by Justhead from Papua New Guinea

4.44/5  rDev +22.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
I always drink this in pubs when I see it ... even if I rate it average there's something of the essence beyond simple grading ...

On tap ... New Inn, Chippenham Wiltshire uk
Nov 16, 2016
 
Rated: 3.94 by 6thstreetbrewpub from District of Columbia

Sep 15, 2016
 
Rated: 3.74 by johnlatona from New Jersey

Jul 20, 2016
Photo of DJ-Hophead
Reviewed by DJ-Hophead from England

3.93/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
500 ml bottle, Morissons supermarket, Bristol - Pours clear golden with medium white foamy head. Medium carbonation. Nice lacing. Smell - malty,grassy notes. Taste - sweetish, light hops, malts notes, crisp light bitter finish. Haven't tasted this for quite a while but still a nice easy drinking, refreshing ale.
Jun 26, 2016
Photo of Photoglyph
Reviewed by Photoglyph from Missouri

4.36/5  rDev +20.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
First tried this several years ago, have not been able to find it the last few years. I was quite impressed with it the first (and subsequent) time(s) I tried it. The head is quite sculpted as it settles down, nothing like the microbrew beers I like so much here in the states. I think the golden color is perfect and the taste is exceptional as well. Think it helps that 'Summer Lightning' was the title of song by the British Prog rock group, Camel in the eighties.
Nov 25, 2015
Photo of papat444
Rated by papat444 from Canada (QC)

3.5/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Flashback #402
Aug 19, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by Stengelfoot from California

Jul 27, 2015
Photo of LagerCognoscenti
Reviewed by LagerCognoscenti from England

3.85/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
On cask at Three Hammers pub. Mill Hill, Engkand.

Golden blonde appearance. Decent lacing.

Mild hoppy aroma with lemon hints.

Taste is of honey sweetness with lemony notes and lasting dry bitter finish. Very fresh and hoppy for an English ale.

Overall, a very good session beer in a pub. More hoppy than most English bitters and has the drink ability and refreshment level of a Pilsner.

79/100
Jun 21, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by 31Sam13 from New Hampshire

Mar 14, 2015
 
Rated: 3.25 by buzzy from Pennsylvania

Dec 02, 2014
Hopback Summer Lightning from Hop Back Brewery plc
Beer rating: 82 out of 100 with 188 ratings