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Russian River Happy Hops


 Percentile 
81
overall
Brewed by Russian River Brewing
Style: Golden Ale/Blond Ale

Santa Rosa, California USA

bottling
unknown

on tap
common

Regional Distribution
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 Ratings  Average  Score  ABV  Style Pctl  Serve in 
483.46/5.03.38/5.05.46%97.7English pint, Shaker
View Statistics  P 

Commercial Description:
Hopped-Up Blonde Ale, 5.4%ABV
Not really a Blonde Ale, not a Pale Ale, not an IPA. Happy Hops is a light colored refreshing ale with a pronounced hop character.

You may also see a special version of this beer once a year called Happy Hops Harvest, which is brewed with fresh "wet" hops grown locally. Available year round
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 doubleo (1096), San Diego, California, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/58/103/517/20

Jul 3, 2008  
Apparently, this brew is their Aud Blonde but with more hops, yum! On-tap at the brewpub. Pours bright, light orange/amber with a thinnish white head, good spider web lace. Smells mellow hoppy and smooth grassy. Tastes hoppy but not too bitter, just nice floral and tasty hoppy. A touch of lingering grassy bitterness as well as some malty sweetness. Medium body, good carbonation.

 SamGamgee (1394), Santa Cruz (La Selva), California, USA
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/104/514/20
Mar 22, 2009  
Draught at the brewpub. Clear light gold with a creamy head. Bready, honey-like malt aroma with ample spicy hops as well. Solid bready malt flavor, light bitterness, and an oily, resiny hop flavor. Medium-light body with smooth carbonation. Almost seemed less hoppy than the aud blonde at first because of the added malt balance, but the green, oily hop flavor definitely lets you know that they didn’t skimp on them. Quite nice, but not quite as refreshing as aud blonde for the lighter beer option.


 BrotherGrendel (545), San Diego (La Jolla), California, USA
3.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/57/103/513/20
Mar 21, 2009  
On tap. Murky golden hue. Aroma is grainy malts with a subtle pine resin edge. Flavor is surprisingly grainy with a strong Pilsner character with an additional grassy-piney hop presence, some light fruits and citrus, finishes fairly dry and bitter. Light-medium body with a watery texture. Hoppy beer more like an APA than a blonde, wort-like malt is more dominant than expected, interesting but not amazing.


 marcus (1821), Sacramento, California, USA
3.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/56/103/514/20
Mar 18, 2009  
On tap at the brewery. This blonde ale poured with a modest off-white head and a floral aroma. There is a carbonated and sweet caramel malt base with a long bitter finish.


 dalekliz (546), San Diego, California, USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/103/515/20
Mar 14, 2009  
On tap at O’Brien’s Russian River night. Pours a clear dark gold with a small white ring. Crisp aroma of citrus and pine hops, with a bit of malt. Taste is big and bitter, of lemon hops, pine, and a bit of a bite. Lingering bitterness. Tasty.


 SDalkoholic (1186), Chula Vista, California, USA
3.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/57/103/514/20
Mar 10, 2009  
On tap @ Toronado: Crisp clear blonde ale with miniature formation of head. Aroma is equipped with a hoppy citrus based scent. The flavor is bitter and metallic like with notice of honey, flower, hibiscus, orange peel, pollen and sort of tastes like a juiced up version of American pale ale. Clean and refreshing while at the same time interesting.


 Vac (2389), San Diego, California, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/104/515/20
Mar 6, 2009  
Pours with a golden body topped by a medium thick head with a good amount of lacing. It’s hoppy and bitter with notes of pine and grapefruit as well as grassy notes and a light malt sweetness. Light to medium bodied and smooth.


 Beardface (977), Eugene, Oregon, USA
3.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/104/57/104/514/20
Mar 4, 2009  
Extremely interesting take on the style, with the hops being very prominent both at the front of the beer and in the finish. Very bitter and tasty.


 carruthm (1107), Seattle, Washington, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/58/104/516/20
Feb 24, 2009  
on tap at toronado san diego for RR fest. loads of hops mixed with this typical blonde schematic. Nice balance.



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