The flagship beers of Mayflower Brewing Company in Plymouth, MA are all very traditional British styles. They even have straightforward style-descriptive names. In the age of flashy labels and crazy, occasionally offensive beer names, this is actually kind of refreshing. Mayflower takes a few more liberties with their seasonal beers, making beers that complement the drastically different seasons in New England. Mayflower’s Spring seasonal is a hoppy amber ale named Spring Hop. This brew combines the medium color and malt flavors of a traditional red/amber ale with extensive late additions of four varieties of American hops. When done correctly this combination of malt body with hop aroma and flavor can result in a nicely balanced and complex beer.
Mayflower Spring Hop pours a deep brownish-red, clear, with a moderate white head. There is significant lacing on the glass as you drink. The smell is all American hops with citrus and tropical fruit scents dominating the nose. The hops are very strong in the initial flavor contributing notes of grapefruit, peach, mango and lemon. The malts are also well represented, adding some tastes of caramel, grain and a little brown sugar. The beer is well balanced, medium bodied, and goes down smoothly. At 5.3% ABV it is very drinkable. Mayflower Spring Hop finishes clean with a balanced aftertaste combining a touch of malt sweetness with a little tang from the hops. This is a great Spring beer, easy to drink but still full flavored and complex. Hoppy Boston score: 4.5/5
Previous Mayflower Reviews:
Hoppy Boston 
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