Fat Head's Head Hunter IPA - Fat Heads Brewery & Saloon

mikey711

New Jersey

3.93/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

growler thanks to miketd in a recent trade.

A: Straw gold color with a ton of carbonation that provides a really nice white head about an inch an a half thick on top. Great clarity and lacing with lots of rising carbonation

S: Heavy pine note with some citrus and a fair bit of earthiness, but none of that gubna smell.

T: Very piney with bits of grapfruit and apricot. Definitely very earthy with the hops and a mild caramel note in the background

M: Nothing really too harsh, but also nothing hugely creamy. No heat but a little more body would be nice

D: A very tasty IPA growler indeed that i am happy to have tried, not as citrusy as i expected but still quite good.

Serving type: growler

06-29-2010 20:31:19 | More by mikey711

chcfan

California

4.53/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Growler into fluted imperial pint glass.

Stopped in the Cleveland Fat Heads over the weekend for beer and dinner. Headhunter has been far and away the most talked about Fat Heads beer, and with good reason. I had a glass at the bar, but the review is from the growler.

Headhunter strikes the perfect balance of aroma, hop flavor, and bitterness. It sports a wonderfully fruity and piney aroma. It goes down extremely smooth at 7%.

Talk about living up to the hype. Every time we visit Cleveland from here on out, I'm filling up this growler with Headhunter and coming home happy.

Serving type: growler

06-28-2010 23:06:24 | More by chcfan

cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

4.72/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Fresh growler from Fathead's in Pittsburgh.

A-pours a hazy golden honey color with a pretty tight creamy white head.

S-notes of malt but very faint, lots of hops! light pine, grassy herbal hops, hints of tangerine and grapefruit in the back.

T-the taste is so hoppy and nice. virtually no malt, awesome hop presence. piney up front, notes of caramel and brown sugar maltiness makes its only appearance. grassy hops in the middle with grapefruit taking over in the back with a nice present bitterness.

M-this is extremely smooth on the palate, nice carbontion holds a lighter medium body, dry in the back with a hint of crispness.

D-this is a huge hop lovers IPA, which I am. very tasty, nice balance of flavors that work really well together. by far fathead's best offering!

Serving type: growler

06-07-2010 00:10:36 | More by cpetrone84

FLYINGSCOOTER

Ohio

4.68/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A great IPA!
I usually buy in single bottles from a local beverage store largely being afraid of buying sixes to not like what i bought.
I had to get Headhunter IPA in a Growler (my first) and was offered a sample before i bought it. Being bold, I said no to the sample and bought the 64oz growler to be surprised.
I figured that this breweries brewmiester worked for Great Lakes for a bit, so it had to be good.
Good?!?!?! This was great and I highly recomend it.

Serving type: growler

07-18-2009 13:07:39 | More by FLYINGSCOOTER

surfcaster

North Carolina

4.71/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2 four packs brought to NC by a friend after having had one before and really liking it.

Out of the bottle in a tulip

A: Golden beauty with half inch head and light lacing

S: Huge nose that you get as soon as you pop the cap. Floral notes CITRUS

T: Up front bite from hops but on my palate more of the sharp citrus/grapefruit than the pine/resin. Explodes in the mouth then finishes lighter.

M: On the drier side to me

O: Absolutely loved it. Very similar to Lagunitas Sucks. 7.5% Alcohol is completely hidden and dangerous. Wish it was in NC.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 12:20:05 | More by surfcaster

rboinski

California

4.29/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.25

12 oz bottle from Ridglens poured into a wine tasting glass

Appearance: Pours a deep orange color with a 1" slightly offwhite head that dissipates over a few minutes into a 1/8" ring around the edge of the glass

Smell: The aroma does not burst from the glass, but what there is has a sweet, piney smell. There is a light citrus aroma but to be honest it is overwhelmed by the piney character in the smell, with a little bit of malt character lingering in the back.

Taste: The taste is predominantly pine just as with the nose, but there is no sweetness to the taste. There is a little bit of grapefruit and citrus zest character that becomes more prominent as it warms. Really nice balance between the malt and hop character. The bitterness hits fairly quickly and lingers on the palate, but does not overwhelm the subtle hop flavors in the beer.

Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel is very smooth, with perfect carbonation. I can't find any faults with it. It retains head well and lends to a nice creamy texture.

Overall: Really good west coast IPA but to be great I would have wanted the aromas and flavors to just burst out of the glass, which does not happen on this one. Awesome overall though and a beer worthy of it's reputation.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 15:00:19 | More by rboinski

williamjbauer

West Virginia

4.54/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Bottled served in a weizen glass

Clear amber copper with fluffy 3 finger khaki head with great retention and fluffy cloud sticky lacing on the sides. Aroma full of intense grapefruit, citrus, pineapple, lemon zest, and some piney resin, quite pungent!

Taste is a citrus lovefest with sweet grapefruit, apricot, lemon, orange peel at the forefront. I get a touch of pine but not much. The malt backbone masterfully balances the complex citrus bitter hop notes and the whole arrangement is bold but never off putting.

Medium to light body, moderate carbonation.

Even the wife said, I can see myself getting used to this, I really enjoyed this IPA, will seek it out and hop to try this one on tap sometime!

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 20:16:45 | More by williamjbauer

pmarlowe

California

4.29/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Teku glass.

A: Pours an almost amber golden color with two fingers of fluffy head. Very good retention and generous lacing.

S: Mostly pine but some floral hoppy notes, with a strong undertone of caramel.

T: Pine-forward hopiness with generous caramel malt backbone, decently well integrated, finishing with a moderate bitterness and pretty dry.

M: Medium body and light, soft carbonation. Hides the ABV well.

O: Very tasty and highly drinkable. I would love to have regular access to this.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 04:14:26 | More by pmarlowe

dtivp

West Virginia

4.24/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours a hazy golden amber with a two finger frothy white head that fades slowly leaving moderate lacing.

Aroma of citrus, grass and floral hops.

Taste follows the nose with grapefruit and a very strong floral hp domination with hints of pine.

Mouth Feel is medium body, moderate carbonation, crisp, dry and a strong bitterness all the way thru.

Overall this is an excellent IPA , I'm not a big IPA fan, but this is a very enjoyable beer that I highly recommend.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 01:11:38 | More by dtivp

Hendry

Vermont

4.64/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Pours a slighty clear amber-ish color with a soapy white head. Lacing relatively average in the tulip glass, but there are more important attributes to IPA than lacing.

The nose is snappy, lots of grapefruit rind and pith,herbal and piney, rich aroma. Taste is heavy on the grapefruit but in a good balanced way, also there is a sort of savory rather than sweet vibe going on overall. I'd say the taste pretty well matches the nose, which is rock solid.

A hefty medium for the body with the carbonation pretty lively but not overly aggressive. The hops are pretty chewy and the bitter aftertaste is one of a quality IPA that is quite drinkable but by no means light in any respect.

Very solid IPA worthy of the award winning status and favorable ratings, definitely worth a try if you can get this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 04:16:12 | More by Hendry

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.61/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

a beautiful clean copper/amber in color with 2 fingers of frothy off-white head, lots of visible carbonation and excellent lacing. the smell is wonderful, tons of cascade/centennial west coast piney hops, a really nice caramel profile, grapefruit scent is very present. a wonderful sweet malty experience with blasts of grapefruit citrus and piney/floral hops.. this tastes sooo fresh it's ridiculous. medium body with moderate carbonation.. creamy on the lips, but goes down nice and easy making it an extremely refreshing ipa.

i love this beer. definitely worth the trade i did (1 2011 DFH WWS for 4pk of this and 2 white rajah). everything about this beer is excellent from its appearance down to the way it tingles your palate is damn close to perfection.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 20:27:23 | More by facundoCNB

UncleBart91

Indiana

4.79/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

On tap at Friday's in Terre Haute IN. Never had tried it, and took the recommendation of the bartender. Turn out to be, in my opinion, an ideal IPA

Appearance: Deep golden with a perfect foam

Smell: Slight citrus, almost piney earth smell

Taste: Great citrus taste with the perfect amount of bitterness, ideal for your typical hop head

Mouthfeel: Piney, crisp, and sharp

Overall: GREAT IPA, TRYING TO FIND IN 6 PACK!!!! Definitely recommend to my fellow IPA drinkers!

Serving type: on-tap

05-09-2013 18:47:46 | More by UncleBart91

LtColFrankSlade

Texas

4.53/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

A - Gold with large white head

S - Deeply complex floral/pine/grapefruit

T - Bitter with some well balanced maltiness. Amazingly awesome. Great aftertaste

M - Spot on perfect!

One of the absolute best IPAs I've ever had. More like Stone IPA, better than Sculpin.

Serving type: bottle

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 03:54:10 | More by LtColFrankSlade

ThickNStout

Georgia

3.75/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle from Delock's Discount Liquors (Munster, IN). 8.99/ 4 pack. No bottling date. Served in a Burnt Hickory snifter.

Pours hazy deep amber with notable turbidity and about one finger of pale thick head that leave lacing aplenty.

Smells of citrus and piney hops with an obvious sweet bready malt note behind them.

Tastes of bold bitter dank hops. Citrus rind, wet grass, dank garlic/onion, grapefruit and a little bready malt back there too. Really nice blend. Very bitter but plenty of flavor goin on.

Slick, medium body with moderate carbonation. Long bitter citrus peel finish.

Good stuff here. I would definately get this pretty regularly if I could buy it in Georgia. Worth a try for sure if you like dank bitter IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 18:45:42 | More by ThickNStout

LarryK

New York

3.76/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Gifted to me by a friend following a trip to Pittsburgh; excited to try given high ranking + non-availability in New York. Fat Head’s markets this as a west coast-style IPA, and while some of the hallmark WCIPA flavors are present, this strikes me as more of a Midwestern, Two-Hearted-style drinker.

Appearance: Light orange

Smell: Slight citrus, but not overwhelmingly so. Citrus is offset by more earthy tones.

Taste: Fat Head’s brews Head Hunter with Columbus, Simcoe and Centennial, and as mentioned, the Centennial really rises to the forefront for me, evoking Two-Hearted. The Simcoe provides a nice counter-balance to the Centennial, but in concert with Columbus gives off a considerably more piney/grassy/earthy taste than the citrusy west coast-style Fat Head’s claims to have been going for.

Mouthfeel: Sharp, piney, resinous

Overall: A very good Midwestern IPA. I’d love to try this on tap one day.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 15:09:36 | More by LarryK

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

4.2/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Received in trade from cpetrone84, thanks for the opportunity.
Pours a clear deep golden color with a decent white head that slowly dissipates to a ring on top. Smells of citrus, pine, resin, dankness, and a hint of green onion with a solid bread and light caramel to back it up. The flavor sweet enough to remind you that this is beer with hints of brown bread and light sugar and a boatload of dank hoppy goodness. Resinous pine with hints of garlic and green onion and a light bit of citrus with a moderate level of hop bitterness. Medium body with a moderate level of carbonation and a sweet resinous mouthfeel. This is a really nice IPA, I'm glad I got to try it.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 00:49:15 | More by johnnnniee

twiggamortis420

Texas

4.35/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12 oz bottle courtesy of mgbickel pours a hazed gold color with a large, sticky cap of off-white head. Awesome lacing.

You can smell this bitch just pouring it into the glass from a foot away! Citric hops galore with maybe a kiss or two of pine and tropical fruit. No malt is getting past this lupulin bomb.

Good balance of bittering and flavoring hops with a light, biscuity malt backdrop. Pretty west-coasty, and I could imagine it would be even better straight from the bright tank. It really does have a smoothness to it that is rare for a bitter IPA, it flows flawlessly from floral/citric hop flavor to a crackery malt then finishes nicely bitter. When the beer is gone before the review is finished...thats when you know it is good!

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 23:50:38 | More by twiggamortis420

stewart124

Ohio

4.39/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into my new DFH IPA glass.

Orangish yellow with a thin head. Nice lacing as this goes down. Piney nose.

Sharp bitterness but a very nice malt character throughout blends beautifully. Big carbonation really makes this shine. Great citrus notes, tropical fruit, and piney resin notes. Lingering background bitterness but nothing that makes this unpalatable. Drinkability is very high on this IPA.

Delicious but everyone knows this. Finishes very dry and it would be easy to put away a few of these.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 01:09:10 | More by stewart124

barczar

Kentucky

4.23/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Aggressive pour yields a chill hazed light copper body with a frothy 2 inch cream head that slowly dissipates, leaving spotty lacing.

Onion, pine, resin, and citrus dominate the initial aroma. There's a slightly bready malt backbone underlying notes of grapefruit, lime, and tangerine.

Flavor initially brings instant memories of sweettarts, becoming resiny and fairly bitter at the finish. Grapefruit, melon, papaya, pineapple, and mango are party of the fruit salad of hop flavoring. Slightly sweet initially, but bitterness dominates in the end. Grassy tones emerge in the aftertaste. Bready malt is an afterthought.

Body is moderate and slightly creamy, with moderate carbonation and slight alcohol warmth.

Yummy hop flavoring, and just enough bitterness to not totally overwhelm. Fairly complex.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 21:37:05 | More by barczar

basickness

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

best ipa ive ever had - better then the elder, zombiedust, etc... i love it. ive had it on tap and in bottle. i live in pittsburgh, where we have a fatheads, but i say definitely worth the pain to get it. it is 100% over the top and aggressive. not for fair weather ipa fans.

Serving type: on-tap

04-20-2013 14:02:13 | More by basickness

emyers

Illinois

4.04/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle poured into a Dogfish Head IPA glass.

Appearance: Pours a crystal clear gold color with a two inch white head.

Smell: Bursting with citrus and grapefruit along with some floral hop notes and just a hint of mango. Excellent.

Taste: Keeps the same hop profile as the aroma with citrus and floral hops. A bit of grassiness as well. Bittering hops come through in a big way. Honestly, the bitterness overpowers the hop flavor a bit - The citrus seems muted compared to the aroma. I think a little more malt backbone would benefit this beer - there's really nothing to hold up to the bitterness. Still a very solid IPA.

Mouthfeel: Extremely dry, very crisp. Bitterness lingers on the palate big time.

Overall: A very good IPA that could be truly incredible with something to hold the bittering hops in check.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 01:15:20 | More by emyers

larryi86

Delaware

4.51/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to tommyguz for this one!
12 oz bottle poured into a DFH IPA Glass

A- A clear golden copper with a four finger white head.

S- Pine, resin, grapefruit, mango, some spices, very hoppy.

T- Piney, grapefruit, citrus, some pineapple, resin, very, very hoppy, light malt backbone.

M- Smooth, crisp, medium body.

O- A great IPA that I would love to have again, so hoppy that it tastes like a DIPA. Really hope this comes to MD or DE soon, really good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 01:34:13 | More by larryi86

MNishCT77

District of Columbia

4.28/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at the Fat Head's Pittsburgh location, served in a typical British-style pint glass, drank 4/9/13 over one hour.

A: 4.5 - amber-brown coloration, good clarity for style (impressed that it's unfiltered!), white one finger head lingers for a while eventually dissipating into glass lacing, moderate alcohol legs

S: 4.5 - lives up to advertisement...lots of grapefruit, pineapple, pine cone, etc....really great smelling mix of West and East Coast qualities in the aroma

T: 4 - as excited I was after the fantastic smell, there is a huge slap of bitterness on the anterior tongue that I personally find unpleasant, especially because it lingers (this is also my major complaint with Bell's Hopslam); very dry with minor bready/biscuity malt flavors subtly admixed with alcohol notes

M: 4.5 - full-bodied, creamy, mild-to-moderate carbonation --> excellent for style

O: 4.5 - I was really looking forward to drinking this beer after hearing and reading all the hype surrounding it, and, albeit I enjoyed it, it didn't live up to expectations; however, I think that this is really personal taste more than anything; as I drink more IPAs and imperial IPAs, I realize that my favorite aspect is probably the big hop aroma and flavors with minimal bitterness; this is definitely a bitter IPA really tasting those 87 IBUs, and there was a more tropical DIPA on tap (IBUsive) that I preferred (see that review too if you'd like); suffice it to say, if you like Bell's Hopslam, you'll like this one too and don't let my bitterness hold you back

Serving type: on-tap

04-10-2013 02:59:32 | More by MNishCT77

Groomsy

Kentucky

4.35/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a tulip.

Beautiful dark gold color that is crystal clear and topped by a frothy, unrelenting 3-finger head of froth that leaves sticky walls of lacing all over the glass. Classic-looking IPA. Excellent stuff.

Tons of tropical fruit out front – pineapple, mango, orange zest and citrus peel, namely grapefruit. Also a big whiff of piney/resiny/floral bitterness. Hops are absolutely front and center in this brew. If you're not a hophead stay away. There is just enough caramel/bready malt to keep this from being a hoppy mess. No alcohol noticeable. Truly beautiful boquet, very bright and refreshing.

Big fruity hop flavor on the front of the tongue – think mixed fruit cups. The pineapple, mango, and grapefruit just explode on the front of the tongue. A slight malt sweetness balances on the middle of the tongue with bready and caramel flavors to prepare for the next hop onslaught. Some well-measured floral, dank/resinous and piney bitterness cuts in on the finish and finishes dry without a hint of alcohol. Definitely not a training wheels IPA, but this is very refreshing. A hophead's dream for a “normal” IPA.

Refreshing mouthfeel with soft carbonation and a medium body that just right for this beer. Dry, sticky finish from all of the hops.

Absolutely wonderful. World-class is a correct designation, though I may be biased since this is from my home state. But for the style of the American IPA, this is about as good as it gets before getting into DIPA territory. Totally worth seeking out. Excellent stuff, refreshing, and powerful all at the same time.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 01:17:36 | More by Groomsy

sleuthdog

Illinois

4.26/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured into Bruery tulip

Thanks out to rpbuckeye for this one

Pour: Hazy cloudy orange with a gigantic four finger puffy, fluffy off white head on an overly aggressive pour. Lacing all over the glass as the head recedes. Soft pillow remains in the center of the glass.

Smell: Grapefruit, mango, pineapple, orange peel, with a real nice sweet bready malt backbone.

Taste: Grapefruit, pineapple, orange zest up front. There is the bready malt sweetness mid palate and a bitter pine bite in the aftertaste. Not to simplify this at all but that sums it up.

Mouthfeel: Light in the feel with a fruity easy drinking taste. Carbonation seems at medium.

Overall: This would be one hell of a refreshing hot summer day treat. So refreshing and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 02:10:43 | More by sleuthdog