Star Spangled Ale
Hops Grillhouse & Brewery

 

I got two glasses of this seasonal ale at the Hops in Bradenton, Fla., for $2! Whatta deal, even if the beer isn't that great.

It is very, very pale yellow with hardly any head. The smell is light, too. The picture of the beer in their menu looked a lot darker.

Hops says it uses a bit of honey in this beer and I believe I can taste it. Honey doesn't add sweetness to beer. Instead, it adds dryness and alcohol. The beer tastes better than it looks. There is a bit of malt flavor and hop bitterness. It went well with the chili I was eating.

I shouldn't be too harsh on this beer. It is a summer seasonal, after all, and is meant for drinking on a hot day, of which there are plenty here in Florida.

As an aside, I believe two 12 oz. drafts of this beer gave me a headache that lasted more than 6 hours. YMMV.

Manchester, CT for Independance weekend. The staff was talking it up which should have warned me. A sparking orange, very clear, no head with a ring of foam that didn't lace. NO smell. NONE. I can safely say for the first time that I smelled something with less smell than tap water. Light hopping and some sweetness on the tongue, would be a refreshing light beer outside on hot days perhaps. A bit too thin though but it is drinkable, it's not offensive for sure.

Clear, pale yellow body with a minimal white head and little lacing. The smell is small and of mild hops and malt. This beer is a bit thin and watery. Very little distinquishing flavor; mostly macro-like taste is the impression that is brought forward. Not one of Hops' best efforts.

According to the bartender, this is the same beer as their normal seasonal "Beat the Heat Summer Wheat", only double-filtered. In other words, they are trying to cash in on patriotism AND cater to the A-B crowd that has trouble with things like flavor or character in their beer. Anyway, the beer is light and sweet but that's about all.

Draft at Stuart, FL....Pale, clear yellow, no head. Nothing to really note on the smell side. Very bland, watery, highly carbonated, nearly tasteless brew. Bubbles dominated the senses. Very close to a budlight. Pretty dissapointing beer, although I didn't expect much. Easy to drink, but why make your featured beer so bland ? Why even bother to make beer, if you make it taste like everything else.