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

MbpBugeye

Ohio

4.28/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Growler split with Ryan011235. A long review using two different glasses, Ryan's famed "E&J Cask and Cream" antique shop find glass and an over-sized snifter, carefully chosen to not be "his" snifter.

Appearance
The beer is a very light, pale gold, I'll even go as far as calling it a rustic shade of yellow. Average sized head from a rough pour from a new growler. Not much lacing and retention is but a thin skim of white bubbles.

Smell
Yeah, this aroma is about perfect. Really making up for the looks here. Its very bright and citrusy. There's not much in the way of malts, at least until the glass becomes over-swirled and room-temperatured. What malts are there are lightly toasted and crackery. Nice floral smells of orange blossom, candied tangerine, mango, pineapple. Lots of really pithy, fleshy citrus. Pine is there, but serves as a second layer to this hop-bomb aroma.

Taste
Bitterness starts stronger then the beer becomes sweetened once you have a few more sips. Lots of that dense, pithy citrus flesh with fresh pine bough and a green sapling type of woodiness. Light crackery malts show up late to the party, and become stronger once the beer warms. I think this one is best served pretty chilled. Keep this at refrigerator temp. There is a strong lingering bitterness.

Mouthfeel
Reasonable carbonation that dies off with all the swirling and smelling I did. The aroma was the best part of this though! The body is dry, dry and keeps a long, bitter finish going. It really keeps the palate ready for another pour from the growler.

Overallability
This is a kick ass IPA for sure. The Pliny of Ohio? It certainly follows that style of IPA, more that Columbus IPA or Two Hearted. I think I do prefer this over Elder too. It's by leaps and bounds better than what Cleveland beer drinkers used to have as their standard, go to, local IPA.

Serving type: growler

03-17-2011 21:36:37 | More by MbpBugeye

fastsrt

New York

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

16 ounce draft

A: light gold, slightly hazy, stiff white head,

S: lots of hops, floral, citrus,

T: nice I like the way the hops work together, awsome ipa from a great small brewery,

M: lots of carbonation, dry.

D: I like this one its only a half hour from where I grew up so I like the fact that I feel as if it can stand up to some of the best Ipa's i have had

Serving type: on-tap

03-14-2011 23:50:16 | More by fastsrt

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.38/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Growler shared by Thorpe429. Thanks Mike!

The beer appears transparent and orange in color with a finger of white head that leaves some decent lacing on the glass.

The aroma has a pleasant citrus scent, along with some floral and tropical fruit notes.

Very tasty stuff. Really easy to drink, Fresh hop presence throughout, with various flavors melding together nicely. The beer finishes with a tangy bitterness and lingers on the palate. Alcohol presence is muted, but this beer will sneak up on you if you're not careful. I would happily drink this again.

Serving type: growler

03-12-2011 18:37:36 | More by Huhzubendah

mdfb79

New York

4/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From 03/05/11 notes. Growled shared by Thorpe429; thanks Mike.

a - Pours a murky orange color with one inch of fluffy white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of citrus hops, oranges, fruity malts, and some light pine hops. Oranges jump out the most and it's pretty nice.

t - Tastes of citrus hops, oranges, bitter pine hops, and fruity malts. Some slight bitterness up front.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation.

d - A pretty nice IPA. Lots of oranges in the smell and taste. Would have again.

Serving type: growler

03-08-2011 16:19:25 | More by mdfb79

HosP

Indiana

4.18/5  rDev -5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Got a bottle thanks to thebouch. 12 oz. bottle poured into HBG pint glass.

A- Pours slightly hazy orange color. Thin head with little lacing on glass.

S- Lots of fruits in the nose of this. Piney, citrusy aroma in the middle. Can't detect really any malts, just fruity, hoppy goodness.

T- Juicy fruit flavor up front. Grapefruit flavor, maybe some mango. Caramel malts come through more in the flavor than the nose. Piney, resin taste follows behind everything leaving some bitterness at the end.

M- Medium body, moderate carbonation.

D- Wasn't expecting that much flavor coming out of this IPA. Great balance of flavors all the way through. One of the better regular IPA's I've had. Thanks for this treat!

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2011 08:01:50 | More by HosP

CaptCleveland

Ohio

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

Pint draft at North Olmsted brewery.

Thick white head atop yellow-orange elixir, belgian lace throughout.

Fruity, floral scent at first wiff, then over powered by dank, resinous, piney hops.

Smooth, buttery, bitter hops from front to back. Subtle malt backbone gives it up to a lingering bitter end. Overall nicely balanced.

Easy to down a few and an nice representation of the West Coast style IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

03-05-2011 03:20:10 | More by CaptCleveland

donManguno

Georgia

4.18/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed blind. Sent to me by Sitarist, and I wasn't even his target! Thanks Sitarist!

A: Clear coppery yellow, a vigorous pour into my Sam Adams perfect pint glass produces a one finger head that subsides rather quickly leaving a single ring where it crested. Very little lacing as the glass empties.

S: When I opened this bottle I was blasted by a very fresh hop smell, and it brought a wide smile to my face. Fresh citrusy hops, grapefruit and orange with some pine in the background. Sweet malt body, surprisingly strong for such a pale beer. This is an IPA for sure, could it be a double?

T: Piney hops on a sweet malt base. Some citrus here, but pine dominates in the hop flavor profile. Long lasting residual bitterness keeps drawing me in for another sip. and another. This one is flirting with the the IPA/DIPA line.

M: Medium bodied, and the carbonation is just enough to excite the palate without being distracting.

D: This is wonderful, just my kind of IPA. A huge hop blast with enough malt to back it up! I could toss back quite a few of these without thinking twice.

The reveal: Fat Head's Head Hunter IPA! Damn, at 7.5% this beer could be trouble! I don't think this was a want, but it should have been!

Bottled: Feb. 24, 2011
Reviewed: March 3, 2011

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2011 23:51:10 | More by donManguno

kzoobrew

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks again to brew3crew and urbancaver for the bottle.

No date information available. 7.5% 87 IBUs

Clear yellow orange body leans towards the lighter side of the style but that cannot be held against it.Three finger soft frothy head works its way back slowly. Very solid lacing coats the walls of the glass.

The aroma is pleasant though I find myself slightly disappointed. There is a nice blend of resinous pine and citrus aromas though the intensity is lacking.

The flavor is very much hop forward. Juicy grapefruit, citrus pith and pine coat the tongue. The sweet and bitter hop flavors are presented with a fair amount of balance. The pithy flavor does become a bit much though not overpowering. The malt profile is sturdy but subtle providing an excellent base to layer the hops upon. Slight caramel flavor provides some sweetness underneath, thankfully it is held in check.

Medium bodied IPA. Carobnation levels are spot on for an IPA. The finish is not quite as dry as I would prefer but still with in the acceptable range for the style.

Nice IPA, certainly glad to have had the opportunity to enjoy. While the aroma certainly put me off slightly the only other complaints I have are simply personal preference. Rather easy drinking, would no be opposed to having this available to me as an everyday option. Good IPA that falls just short of the next level.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2011 00:43:26 | More by kzoobrew

kaseydad

California

3.15/5  rDev -28.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Yellow, golden pour with a bright white head that clings to the glass. Minor grapefruit smell with malt in the background. I'm also getting an old sock type smell. Hmmm. Unusual bitter taste which doesn't improve much at all. Metallic tasting. Not too pleasant. Very thin mouthfeel. This wasn't the greatest beer but it was unusual for an IPA. If you're looking for a different experience in an IPA...this is your huckleberry.

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2011 21:26:25 | More by kaseydad

buschbeer

Ohio

4.38/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle
Served in a nonic glass

A - It pours a clear amber color. A half inch of off-white head is perched on top.

S - I get some citrus aroma with a hint of caramel malt in there.

T - It has a more pine than citrus taste, but the citrus comes through. It actually makes a nice balance between the two flavors.

M - Perfect for the style

D - My buddy gave me a 12 pack when I visited him. Let's just say that it didn't last long. This and Columbus IPA are the two best Ohio IPA's that I have had.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2011 00:32:14 | More by buschbeer

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Fat Heads in Cleveland.

Pours a nice gold to light copper color with a nice white head and a good amount of lacing. Nice retention as well. The nose brought forward a large amount of hops ranging from citrus to floral to tropical. Altogether a really nice package from a mixed back of hops. I can't recall them at the moment, but there was a sign on the wall that seemed to indicate the hops used in this one. The flavor hit the spot as well with a nice hop character coming through as the dominant character and a good, brisk finish. A bit of alcohol in the finish, though not too much. Terribly drinkable. I wish this were available locally and weren't quite as high in ABV.

Serving type: on-tap

02-25-2011 14:46:55 | More by Thorpe429

Morey

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured fresh from my newly acquired Fatheads growler, this beer pours a yellowish-oranged color with an ever so slight haze to it. One finger white head has settled to a thin lace after about 5 minutes or so. Moderate head retention.

The aroma is very citrus forward with orange zest and there's also a bit of grapefruit coming through.

Taste is more of the same. A very citrus forward Ipa. There's bit of a lingering hop bitterness, but nothing unpleasant.

Medium body with a good carbonation level.

I'm splitting a growler with my brother-in-law, but on a good day, I could put this down myself.

Morey's Bottom Line: A very good IPA for sure. Reminds me a bit of Two Hearted with the big citrus flavor and aroma. If Fathead's bottled this bad boy, I'd pick some up for sure.

Serving type: growler

02-20-2011 02:19:50 | More by Morey

womencantsail

California

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

Thanks for sharing this one, Bobby.

A: The beer pours a clear golden-orange color with a nice big white head and some moderate lacing.

S: Smells really quite nice. Plenty of pine that is very resinous along with a big grapefruit aroma and plenty of citrus in general. There's a touch of grassy hop smell and not really much malt at all.

T: Unfortunately, the flavor falls off a little bit. Certainly a lot of pine and grapefruit, as well as a solid bitterness. There's more malt presence on the palate and just a bit of a step backward in terms of the hop intensity.

M: The body is medium with a lively carbonation and a nice dry and slightly bitter finish.

D: I really want to give this beer a better score, but the flavor just let me down after what was a very nice nose.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2011 05:25:09 | More by womencantsail

NorCalYeti

California

3.23/5  rDev -26.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

interesting copper-pink color, sulfur smell in the nose, clear color, little to no lace, short finish, metallic taste, stinky, short medium-length finish, little less than average overall finish. wouldn't seek out this beer, there are much better examples to choose from.

Serving type: on-tap

02-15-2011 05:17:03 | More by NorCalYeti

alkemy

Ohio

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

Out of the 12oz. bottle...

A - Cloudy yellow pour with a few chunks...I think I "disturbed" the yeast on the bottom a bit too much. Nice fluffy white head doesn't hold up real well.

S - Grassy and doughy. Quite a bit of lemon and a touch of pineapple. There seems to be a cheesy sharpness to the aroma.

T - Apples and white grapes first, then that cheese note that I can't really place comes in. A hint of bubblegum before you really get hit with pepper towards the back end.

M - Lightish medium body with a good deal of carbonation. Really matched the flavor well and was probably my favorite part of the beer.

D - Pretty easy to drink. The lively feel really helps here. Alcohol wore on me a bit as I got through this one.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2011 18:07:01 | More by alkemy

jale

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to Turd fergison(Eric the great) for not one but a 4-pack of this fine brew.

A: Pours a honey color with a finger of white head.

S: initial pine hop aroma followed by nice citrus hops. Just a hint of malt.

T: WOW.. A nano second of sweet malt followed by pine, some tangerine then grapefruit in the finish. The smell leads you to think this is just huge hops, yet the flavor is much more complex.

M: Medium body with perfect carbonation.

D: Will drink several more.

Thanks again Eric. I owe you.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2011 00:51:15 | More by jale

injuredreserve

Louisiana

4.33/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to thegrogbog for this awesome beer

A: Golden Copper with nice fizzy small bubble head.

S: Very Piney hop notes up front with citrus undertones. Oranges??

T: Caramel malt, citrus/orange hops with nice bitter linger.

M: medium body with moderate carbonation.

D: Goes down easy, and leaves you wanting for more.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2011 01:08:07 | More by injuredreserve

brew3crew

Ohio

4.15/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A-almost a pale yellow orange with white lacing
S-piney and citrus hops straight away. Not much else in the nose.
T-tastes a lot like it smells. nice mix of pine and citrus hops
M-medium body with a nice hops aftertaste
D-nicely drinkable. Very smooth and nixe

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2011 02:57:48 | More by brew3crew

Urbancaver

Ohio

3.73/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a crisp yellowish orange. Sme nice solid head tht dissipates quickly. Nice lacing. Smells great. Lots of piney hops on the nose. Taste is a bit overly bitter. The mouthfeel is a bit lacking due to the bitterness but the drinkability is decent for how hoppy it is. Overall, worth trying but i wouldn't drink it regularly

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2011 02:48:26 | More by Urbancaver

Mississipping

Mississippi

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

Split a bottle at the Jackie O's release, and then ended up with a couple bottles afterwards ... thanks Paul! Back at home ... time for a proper review. 12oz bottle poured into a Jackie O's snifter.

A: Pours a completely clear, bright orangish-copper color with a very small eggshell head that recedes quickly, leaving a thick ring and decent lacing.

S: WOW! Piney, citrusy, hoppy, grassy. Grapefruit dominates with sweet mandarin and apricot just behind. Hops are a little subdued, making them equally as present as the other characteristics, with a slight grassy touch in background, which is very nice. This smells fantastic and really packs a punch!

T: Much like this smell, citrusy up front with an initial bite from the grapefruit, then sweeter fruit sneaks in perfectly. Quite hoppy and piney on the finish, which really lingers. Just a bit of booze, but it's not overwhelming and creates a nice complementary warmth that adds to the beer well.

M: Medium bodied and moderately carbonated. Bubbly on the tongue with a subtle drying effect. The mouthfeel is pretty spot on, like the rest of this beer.

D: Despite the 7.5%, this is very, very drinkable. Well balanced, flavorful, delicious. This is up there on my all time favorite IPA's, and I really hope I have a chance to try this again. If you have the opportunity to pick up a bottle or two, definitely do ... this can certainly compete with the more hyped DIPAs. Very highly recommended!

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2011 02:20:33 | More by Mississipping

yeahnatenelson

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance -- Pours a faintly hazed orange hue with a slim but stiff beige head. Moderate lacing.

Smell -- Lots of juicy citrus evoking tangerines, grapefruit, and apricot, along with pine resin and dank, leafy vegetation. Caramel baseline really makes those juicy citron notes sing.

Taste -- Again, massive fruity/juicy hop notes propelled by a gentle caramel malt base in the forefront. Toward mid-palate the resinous hops crescendos. Lingering flavor of caramel and resin.

Mouthfeel -- Medium-bodied, mild prickly carbonation. Feels pretty damn good.

Drinkability -- I had heard good things about Head Hunter, but this really exceeded my hopes. Bright juicy notes and caramel malting paired with resounding pine bitterness. I'd put this up against any of the top-rated IPA's. Good show, Fat Heads!

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2011 03:37:41 | More by yeahnatenelson

Hophead101

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

blind beer #1 from sitarist in round 4 of Blind Beer BIF

an aggressive pour into my chalice glass produced a gorgeous, super clear light orange colored beer. golden highlights made the color of this beer truly appealing. it also produced a great frothy off white head which seemed to last forever. once it did dissipate, it left a nice collar of froth.

bringing the glass to my nose provided an instant burst of hops, hops and more hops. almost resiny hop oil smell. mostly pine in scent, but some citrus is hidden in the background as well.

taste is really nice - really nice. blast of hops (kind of assumed that would be the case). hoppy bitterness was abundant. there was some lingering citrus but mostly pine in the hops. there is some nice malty earthiness hanging in the background as well, giving it a nice balance, but this beer is all about hops.

nice mouthfeel - a bit light in body at first sip, but quickly transitioned into a nice medium body. this beer is very drinkable as well.

I am psyched to have tried this beer - didn't realize they had this in bottles. GREAT first beer to start round 4.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2011 03:19:14 | More by Hophead101

fastpass17

New York

4/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz Bottle Thanks, Mike.

A: Amber to light orange, nice two finger head, carbonation is firm it coats the glass.

S: Hop dominates, with citrus, pine, grapefruit, nice malt sweetness near the end.

T: Starts with a sharp hop bite that opens towards the middle of the drink, clean malt, wonderful bouquet of hops, very tasty.

M: Stings at first sip then opens, refreshing, and zesty.

D: One or two glasses with spicy food or sharp cheese would be really nice.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2011 03:30:27 | More by fastpass17

KAP1356

Pennsylvania

4.65/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Really psyched to try this in bottle since I have it pretty much every other week on tap. New bottles purchased in the Pittsburgh store. 12 oz. bottle poured into a Founder's pint glass....

A - Pours a pretty clear golden-yellow color. A nice fizzy eggshell white head forms, about 1 finger thick and quickly recedes to a top of the same color. Slight yeast spots here and there. Really nice lacing.

S - Good. Lord. DANK! Just a wallop of hops right in your face. Pineapple, grapefruit, some tangerine too. Really very nice. Slight piney-ness in there as well.

T - Wish this got to more people because I think this would very quickly climb the ranks of amazing IPA's. Just a TKO of hops, piney and citrusy, up front. Some grapefruit, melon, tangerine and some other juicy fruits. Actually juicy really is a perfect word for this one.

M - Light, medium-light if that is such a thing. Nice bite from the carbonation adds nicely to the overall feel. Oily and ever so slightly resiny at the end of the palate.

D - Just a great beer and a near perfect example of the American IPA. Really hope this one gets out to more people so they get to experience it.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2011 00:47:40 | More by KAP1356

mistakebythelake

Ohio

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

Picked up a couple four packs while up visiting the old stomping grounds on the westside of Cleveland.

Pours a beautiful golden orange into my Bell's tulip. A lot of nice lacing and head on this beauty. A true pine smell to his West Coast style IPA. I also get a light citrus smell after the pine has dissipated. A crisp and mildly bitter hop bomb with a great finish. Not too malty and and not too sweet. A highly drinkable IPA and now I know why it has been receiving the numerous awards and recognitions.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2011 02:46:58 | More by mistakebythelake