Red Hook's Long Hammer IPA

Extreme temperature changes and long hot storage conditions are a couple of reasons that can cause beer to go bad. In fact, a term often applied to spoiled beer is skunk beer. This is what the English had to deal with when trying to supply their fellow soldiers and countrymen residing in India with a decent beer back in the 1700s prior to the modern conveniences of refrigeration and pasteurization. So the story goes that the style of IPA or India Pale Ale is one that was created out of necessity. By generously increasing the amount of alcohol and hops, the beer was protected from bacteria as the hops act as a natural antibiotic and preservative. George Hodgson, the brewer credited with this solution naturally became a hero and a legend. The style was firmly established after a fateful shipwreck caused the casks on board to be distributed locally where the export ales were an immediate hit. There are many different varieties of this bitter beer found today that include American and English IPA, Double IPA, Triple IPA, Belgian IPA, and Black IPA.

 Joe: Our latest beer is Long Hammer IPA from the Red Hook Brewery located in Woodinville, Washington. Much to my absolutely no surprise whatsoever, Woodinville is located in the Seattle Metro area. I picture the Seattle metro area covering the entire state. The IPA is 6.2 APV beer with medium carbonation.  It has a light gold color. As mentioned above, IPAs are noted for their hoppy bitter taste. This IPA does not disappoint on that end. It also has a slight hint of a piney flavor that accents the bitter taste. Saying that though, the flavor was not as complex as I would have liked. It was sort of a one-note flavor. I give this beer 2.5 stars and my lowest score so far but it did make me want to try more IPAs so I give it credit for that.

Goes great with grilled burgers!

Justin: I find that I am enjoying IPAs more and more each time I try them. They are much more bitter than a regular pale ale which is the signature characteristic of this style. But within the bitterness is a vast array of flavorful tones. I found that Red Hook’s Long-Hammer IPA was fairly crisp with some nice light pine and citrus flavors. This is a great starter IPA as the bitterness is not too overwhelming. I give it 3 solid stars and look forward to trying more complex IPAs in the future.

*Disclaimer: Please be advised that although it has been awhile since the blog has been updated, the beer samplings have continued.