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

jminsc76

California

3.95/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours very little head atop a golden/orangish body.

Aromas of citrus, malts, vanilla, and an intense pine upon agitation. Quite good.

Flavors include grapefruit, a sweet malty flavor, and the aforementioned pine. Pairs incredibly well with the pulled pork sandwiches I am consuming.

Mouthfeel is thin but smooth.

Overall, this is a great non-West Coast IPA that offers intense flavors (though a little excessive on the maltiness) and a nice complexity to it that is probably well worth the Gold award it recently won.

Serving type: cask

05-21-2010 19:52:25 | More by jminsc76

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Fat Head's Brewery & Saloon on 8/10/09.

A - Clear amber/orange body with slim, creamy off-white head that disolved into a patchy film and left thin strands of lace around the glass.

S - Very similar hop character as the S.P.A. byt with more of a pronounced citrus oomph. Some piney accents also join the party. Hops are balanced by a sweet caramel malt backbone.

T - Opens with an assertive hop bite right off the bat with equal parts juicy citrus fruit and sharp, pungent pine notes. Sweet caramel malt evens the playing field a bit, but ultimately the hops dominate the flavor.

M - Medium bodied with an oily texture and lots of residual hop oils resulting in a mild syrupy mouthfeel overall. Finishes with an assertive hop bite that lingers for a while on the palate.

D - Solid IPA with plenty of hop character. This one features a nice hop profile ncluding Simcoe, Cascade and Columbus varieties. Nice, although I liked the Pack-a-Wallop S.P.A. better.

Serving type: on-tap

09-04-2009 02:18:02 | More by ffejherb

bigdeuce

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a strawberry copper color with a nice white head. Great lacing down the glass and very sticky. Smells outstanding on the nose. Apricots, resiny hops, strong grapefruit, and more hops. Very nice mouthfeel but very bitter. Maybe because I haven't had anything this hoppy in months, it caught me by surprise, but bitter and much lingering bitterness, but still a very good beer that is local, and I will jump at again.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 23:28:57 | More by bigdeuce

Hamburgers

California

3.99/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Pours clear dark orange with big fizzy white head. Big aroma of citrus fruit, mango and spice. Flavor much more predominate. Notes of citrus and yeast. Medium body with excellent carbonation. Extremely bitter finish. Very nicely balanced though lacking in complexity.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 06:05:17 | More by Hamburgers

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

On-tap at Pizza Plant.Cloudy grapefruit with a foaming white head. Lots of lace. Grapefruit aroma. Initially there is a strong hop bite, nay burn, then the mouth gets more used to the acidity. The flavour is pretty good grapefuit. 77IBU and you feel that. Hours later, acidic is still in my mouth.

Serving type: on-tap

11-13-2009 20:21:49 | More by northyorksammy

largadeer

California

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

Draft at The Bistro IPA festival. Golden amber, bright and clear, with a solid white cap that slowly settles to a collar. Very floral aroma, centennial hops are prominent but there's also a citrusy, herbal character, a little weed and cut grass. Little perceptible malt in the aroma, but it has a touch of bready sweetness on the palate beneath the huge hop flavors. Floral with orange and grapefruit, bitter herbs, a little toasted biscuit. Nice bitter grapefruit finish that lingers for a long time. Pretty damn good.

Serving type: on-tap

08-07-2010 18:46:23 | More by largadeer

clayrock81

Virginia

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

A real piney, citric hop nose that even hits grape-like aroma on top of a golden body w/ large head that dies quick and leaves lace ring. Very dry - first thing that hits me - as the citric hops are prevelant throughout entire drink yet it flows smooth, not haggard, and has a nice touch of sweetness to it as well. A well-balanced, solid IPA that a hop lover will love and so will fans of less hoppy, more malty beers as well...must say did not realize 7% until I saw this website b/c they hid it well.

Serving type: on-tap

11-19-2010 23:51:37 | More by clayrock81

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

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

EgadBananas

Louisiana

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

Clear golden in color, nice white puffy head. Nice lacing.

Aroma is nice with lots of pine and plenty citrus hops, and some malts.

Taste is bold, hoppy, citrus, a bit of booze and a not of backing malts.

Feel is crisp clean, light and creamy.

Drink ability is pretty good. Booze os noticeable, and its pretty intense so one out two does the trick.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2011 00:54:37 | More by EgadBananas

FosterJM

California

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

1463rd Review on BA
Bottle to Tulip
12oz

2012 Bottling

CA Gang Bang BIF

App- This poured out with high hopes for me. I watched it settle to a golden orange with a good amount of clarity and filtration. A 1/2 finger pure white head formed and was gone. No lace stuck around. No cling either.

Smell- Its your typical hop/malt bomb. Its got the best of both worlds in the glass and needs a bit more to it. Opens with thick full hops and then a bombardment of pine on the 2nd pull. A bit of orange zest and grapefruit zest battle it out on this.

Taste- I will say this profile is not my favorite with the duality of the bitter and the piney. This was a good beer with nice citrus and hops and somewhat tepidly balanced out by a little piney note as it warmed. The 7% was very well hidden on this as well.

Mouth- A lighter medium body with a medium carbonation level. Wouldve liked to see this one more bubbly and light. A bit too much residual pine.

Drink- It was pretty good. I am not sure I would award a medal to it. But being from CA we are spoiled by IPA's.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 21:32:44 | More by FosterJM

Sean9689

Illinois

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

Pours a golden yellow, white head, thin collar. Nose is pine, grass, light citrus. Flavor is mostly pine with a nice hoppy kick. Smooth and easy to drink, more citrus then the nose. Light body, good carbonation, nice bitter bite on the end.

A nice IPA but not sure I would consider this world class. Easy drinking, refreshing, and good. I really don't have many bad things to say about this beer but I'm not blown away. Good, not great.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 15:26:02 | More by Sean9689

kawilliams81

Illinois

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

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a AleSmith snifter.

A- Pours a hazy dark orange with a 1 finger off-white head. Small bubbles and blotches remain on the glass.

S- Big floral notes and lots of fresh hop aromas.

T- Light caramel and some toast flavors, grassy and pine hop bitterness.

M- Medium body and carbonation. Dry finish from bitterness.

O- Good IPA with big floral, pine and grass hop bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 19:31:25 | More by kawilliams81

ChadQuest

Illinois

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

Clear light golden yellow color with a thick soft cap.
Aroma is clean light citrus with a faint biscuit note and no sweet or malt notes.
The flavors are the tangerine and grapefruit with some flowery notes, really light and clean all around. This is how IPAs are supposed to be. Clean and almost mute backbone.
Mouthfeel is medium-light for being 7.5 abv.

This would be a great IPA to have hanging around.

3/C = Average

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 06:31:25 | More by ChadQuest

StonedTrippin

Colorado

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

a very very good ipa. clear and quite pale in color, a little darker than golden, call it bronze, with an inch or so of white suds. the nose is very fruity hops, citra maybe, pineapple and lemon attack the nostrils. flavor is more grapefruit than lemon, with equal parts tropical fruit. the hops taste just picked to me, full of resins and oils that i just love in an ipa. alcohol is strong, and can be tasted a bit in the finish, my only real critique of an otherwise near flawless brew. nice lighter medium body keeps it sessionable, and the carbonation is very bright, aiding in a clean crisp finish that gets more and more bitter as the beer warms up. perfect with a chilli chese burger stacked hugh with frito chips. god i want another. one of the more fruity and citrusy india pales in recent memory. this should make its way out to colorado, id be a regular on it.

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2012 23:46:37 | More by StonedTrippin

jorg2619

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I am happy that I was able to grab a growler of headhunter on my way out of fat heads.

Headhunter pours a light light amber almost apple juice colored and has a standard good amount of head with a decent amount of lacing. It has a fresh clean look which is ok. The first whiffs from my Chimay bell are pine and subtle citrus. I found the smell complex and very appealing begging me to drink some. Hop bitter stings the end of my tongue delightfully. This beer is all hops. I taste pine, and grapefruit bitter citrus, intermingling with resin and earthy hop flavors. My god this is a great tasting straight up IPA!!! The mouthfeel is also awesome not to thick and very approachable. Overall I am happy with this beer and would advocate anybody living in Western Pa or Ohio if only to find Head Hunter.

Serving type: growler

04-02-2011 20:09:57 | More by jorg2619

damndirtyape

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From notes at a beer tasting. 12oz bottle poured into a Reidel beer glass. No date on bottle, but person who brought them to the tasting stated that they had just arrived in the local bottle store.

Appearance: Mostly clear coppery amber with just the barest hint of haze. Impressive off-white head on pouring with lots of lacing the whole way down the glass. Nice looking beer.

Smell: Quite strong in aromatic hops. Grapefruit, papaya, orange zest, maybe a hint of pine as well. Deep and nice aroma with some malt sweetness under it all.

Taste: Tastes much like it smells. Hoppy fruit and citrus flavors up front, then transition into a solid malt middle. The finish is strongly bitter and has some bite to it, and definitely can linger quite a bit as it warms up.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and nicely thick, with just right carbonation.

Overall / Drinkability: Quite drinkable - I found this one quite enjoyable and probably could have had another, which makes this one a bit dangerous. Definitely an above average AIPA - great aroma and taste, although the finish is a bit powerful at times.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 13:46:07 | More by damndirtyape

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

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

CharlatanSin

Connecticut

4.05/5  rDev -8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a tulip. Thanks for the trade, maximumu13!

A- Pours a mostly clear (maybe a little haze) light-ish orange amber, with a big puffy off-white head. Excellent appearance.

S- Big pine hops dominate. Resinous. A little citrus. Not much of a malt component.

T/M- This is one bitter IPA. I like the bitterness, but it might not be for everybody. Pine is the dominant hop flavor again. Earthy. Woody, almost. Very clean. Not much malt presence. Astringent. Drying. Mouthfeel and carbonation are both medium. Long, bitter finish.

O- Like I said, this is a super bitter IPA, so if you like the bitterness you'll like it, and if not, you won't. The earthy, almost woody flavor is interesting and not something you see in the style every day. I'd say it's not as complex as the best of the best, but it's a very nice IPA.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 02:56:40 | More by CharlatanSin

pixieskid

France

4.08/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served in my moeder lambic tulip/snifter hybrid.

Pours a translucent orange hue with one inch white head.

Nose; citrus, pine resign, and nice fruitiness (tangerines).

Taste; herbal hops upfront, a touch of mint, leads into a strong piney bitterness with notes of floral hops in the finish. As it warms up, it becomes somewhat overly bitter and less balanced/refreshing as originally poured. A lingering vegetal note is present, which is my only complaint...

Mouthfeel; slick yet somewhat crisp, a bit syrupy.

Overall; pretty solid stuff, now that I think of it, it's actually quite similar to Jai Alai...lucky inhabitants of Ohio ;-)

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 17:41:34 | More by pixieskid

JohnnyMc

Ohio

4.09/5  rDev -7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

My first beer from Fat Head's.

Pours out a nice orange with almost a slightly greenish tint and a decent amount of white head.

The aroma is full of citrus and fruity hops along with a dank hop aroma.

Taste is dominated by hops that taste almost fresh squeezed and it has a very in your face approach. The fruit is very juicy and there is a subtle malt background.

Very refreshing and easy to drink. A great summer IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

07-09-2012 02:05:47 | More by JohnnyMc

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

nlmartin

Ohio

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

The beer was served in a snifter.

A- The body of the beer was a coppery orange coloration. The head was a thick biege coloration. The head simply could not stand up to the mustache test but few do.

S- The flavor is a hop heads delight. A great combination of grapefruit, citrus pith and zest, pineapple and mango, nice juicy sweetness that peaks into dankness. Very nicely executed!

T- A nearly perfect reproduction of the aroma. Bitter hops provide grapefruit and citrus notes, plenty of citrus zest, a very brief juicy pineapple sweetness that is swallowed into pine resinous bitterness.

M- The body of the beer is medium with moderate carbonation. The hops are very resinous and stick to my mouth.

O- This beer was a joy to drink from begining to end. At $10. a four pack this beer will be my go to hop fix for some time to go. Nicely done.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2012 08:32:17 | More by nlmartin

prototypic

Ohio

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

Head Hunter pours a really attractive gold color. It’s mostly clear. Backlighting gives it a slight orange tint. It’s capped with an off-white head that rises to about a finger in height. It holds steady for quite a while before falling to a surface covering. Lacing was rather sticky and thick. Looks good!

The nose is very impressive! Strong citric hop notes roll right out of the glass. They smell like grapefruit, light, orange, and pineapple. Smells delicious! There are some light malty notes in the background. Smells like a mix of caramel and toasted malts. They’re very much a secondary factor though. Hops are very much front and center in this one. It smells a little sweet and sugary. Alcohol is there, but doesn’t come through too strong. Excellent!

The flavor is very impressive, but is a step below the nose. The malt base is a mix of toasted and caramel varieties. The caramel, while sweet, isn’t too much of a factor. The toasted malts seem a tad strong for my taste though. Small gripe. The hops are definitely strong and full of citrus deliciousness. Grapefruit, orange, and pineapple flavors are all noted. It’s definitely bitter, but doesn’t completely wreck the palate. Alcohol is blended well and isn’t all that noticeable. Finishes with a really nice mix of citrus flavors and light bitterness.

The body is on the lighter side of medium. Carbonation is light and soft. It’s smooth and feels nice for the style. It goes down easy, that’s for sure. I could easily handle two or three bottles in a sitting. Good stuff.

Head Hunter is a really impressive release from Fat Heads Brewery & Saloon. It’s not perfect, but it is an excellent American IPA. Personally, I’d prefer just a little less toasted malt flavor. It’s a small complaint, but less would be more there. Very good stuff in any event. Definitely worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 02:04:41 | More by prototypic