Terrapin Oaked Big Hoppy Monster - Terrapin Beer Company

Evan

Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%

01-08-2013 22:39:08 | More by Evan

Jamison85

Indiana

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%

06-18-2013 01:51:22 | More by Jamison85

captainbearcat

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%

06-16-2013 23:22:08 | More by captainbearcat

megamass

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +2.3%

06-16-2013 05:53:03 | More by megamass

Casey3236

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%

06-15-2013 18:13:18 | More by Casey3236

bcsbeer

Florida

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%

06-14-2013 04:02:54 | More by bcsbeer

GeorgianBayPackr

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2.3%

06-14-2013 00:01:37 | More by GeorgianBayPackr

LostInTheFlood

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -23.3%

06-13-2013 20:22:49 | More by LostInTheFlood

djre4orm

Virginia

4/5  rDev +2.3%

06-13-2013 18:38:54 | More by djre4orm

1424IpA

California

3.25/5  rDev -16.9%

06-12-2013 01:45:36 | More by 1424IpA

Rau71

California

3.25/5  rDev -16.9%

06-12-2013 01:25:26 | More by Rau71

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.13/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle into a pint glass.

A: Pours a dark brown color. Somewhat typical of most amber ales, the head has a one finger offwhite shade with a wonderful creaminess to it. It fades away to a thin collar fairly quick, but leaves nice sheets of lacing down the glass.

S: This one is somewhat intriguing, to say the least. The first thing I note is aged piny hops along side a large caramel backbone. When given a chance to open up, the aroma shifts slightly toward vanilla, toffee, oak, and chocolate. Hints of booze also appear.

T: At first, mild hints of hops hit the palate...and when I mean mild, I mean nearly non-existent to my hop-discerning palate. The finish is fairly sweet vanilla mixed with some toffee. To me, the general flavor profile is hard to identify - it comes across as a weird, almost musty caramel sweetness. There's too much flavor muddling here for me to give a great score.

M: I like the creaminess of the texture a lot. It's a bit thin, and oaky tannins boost its drinkability at the cost of some softness. Carbonation is a touch low.

O: Not bad, just strange. The absolute closest comparison I can make to this is a 4-month old bottle of Nugget Nectar crossed with Oaked Arrogant Bastard. I wouldn't seek this out again, but I wouldn't refuse it, either.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2013 21:59:10 | More by ThisWangsChung

BigJim5021

Indiana

4/5  rDev +2.3%

06-07-2013 04:50:19 | More by BigJim5021

IdrinkGas

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%

06-07-2013 01:04:42 | More by IdrinkGas

calcnerd

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%

06-04-2013 01:43:03 | More by calcnerd

Marty91

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -10.5%

06-03-2013 15:04:14 | More by Marty91

metter98

New York

3.91/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

On-tap at Thirsty Monk, Asheville, NC

A: The beer is hazy dark amber in color. It poured with a quarter finger high beige head that died down and left a collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Sweet aromas of caramel malts are present in the nose along with hints of floral hops.
T: The taste has flavors of caramel malts, notes of oak and hints of floral hops.
M: It feels medium-bodied and a little sticky on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This is a nice IPA if you like the combination of stickiness and oak. It's not too difficult to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

06-02-2013 20:42:02 | More by metter98

smithj4

New York

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%

06-01-2013 19:15:21 | More by smithj4

Steelers42

Tennessee

4/5  rDev +2.3%

06-01-2013 14:11:15 | More by Steelers42

mntlover

Tennessee

3.44/5  rDev -12%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a hazy murky old copper color with a thumb sized tan head. Very pretty looking like dark murky beers. Head falls

Aroma is malty big chewy caramel malts, some nice deep sweetness to it. Hops smell old like they have been cellared , guess they have in oak more or less. As far as the oak goes only a light dry woody vanilla present which is fine. Little on the subdued side for a big hoppy monster but not bad.

Taste is like the nose I would say subdued also. Seems light at first watery caramel malts like hops kind of dry woody notes. but then kind of kicks in. Heavy sugar notes appear along with good does of vanilla coated hops for a weird finish. Not quite sure whats going on with this one?

Mouthfeel is medium carbonation on the flatter side of things.

Overall well it looks good, aside from that not sure if aging it in oak made it bland or what. Its not that its bad per say just kind of eh what were they going for here? Think I have enjoyed the rest of Terrapins brews much more then this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2013 03:23:24 | More by mntlover

kojevergas

California

3.13/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.25

2012 vintage. 12 fl oz brown glass bottle with cool label art and awesome branded green pressure cap acquired at illicit retail in Los Angeles and served into a Mitchells of Lancaster flared stem-tulip in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are high; I've heard great things about Terrapin and this is my first beer from them. Cost me $6.00. 9.1% ABV confirmed.

Served cold, straight from the fridge. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a half finger light khaki colour head. Nice thickness, nice cream. Pretty good retention for the high ABV - about 4 minutes. Body colour is a dark murky caramel amber. Nontransparent; quasitranslucent. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Not looking great for an Imperial Red. I'd expect a cleaner brighter amber or red hue. Light even lacing clings to the sides of the glass as the head recedes. It's not ideal, but I'm optimistic.

Sm: Hm. Caramel and biscuit malt. Oak, sure. Light vanilla from the oak. Amber malts. Floral hops. Some bready grains. Not as hoppy as anticipated, but that isn't a bad thing per se. It comes off more like a nicely hopped barleywine than an imperial red. Some tropical fruits come through as it warms - turning me off a bit; I'm not a big fan of tropical fruit hop character - especially in an imperial red. Syrupy and sweet. I'm growing more and more suspicious of this as an alleged imperial red. It's really not to style, and even apart from style conventions it seems like a bit of a mess. Still, there's a lot of interesting things going on here; they just don't seem to be working together in a cohesive, focused way. No yeast character or alcohol comes through.

T: Brown sugar, vinous character, heavy residual sugars with accompanying unwelcome sweetness. Some cream. Toasted malt and light vague toffee reminiscent of an over-aged barleywine or scotch ale. Hop character is shockingly timid, with generic floral hops the only note of interest. Some amber malts, but not enough to bring this into amber or imperial red territory. Oak is quite backgrounded, and the vanilla it provides comes off artificial. This is quite a mess; not at all focused or balanced. Maybe deliberately aging this imperial red - oak or not - was a poor idea. The flavour cuts out abruptly on the finish, leaving a weak aftertaste. Lacks subtlety and complexity. Poorly put together. Not a big fan of this one.

Mf: Way too thin on the finish. Smooth and wet throughout. Weak. Lacks body. Poor thickness. Poor presence on the palate. Doesn't suit the flavour profile well. Bad execution.

Dr: The problem here might simply be the premise. Aging an imperial red could well just be a shit idea. As my introduction to Terrapin, this beer hugely disappoints me. I'm content to just assert that it's the aging that ruined it, not Terrapin's brewing per se. After all, I'm sure My Bloody Valentine and Nugget Nectar would taste just as unflattering if aged in oak for an extended period of time. Best consumed when in the mood for a hoppy English barleywine, not an imperial red. Drinkable for the high ABV, but very disappointing. I definitely wouldn't get this again. Not sure what they were thinking.

I may sound a bit too critical throughout my review. Overall, it's an above average beer. I just had high hopes given the brewery's reputation.

C+

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2013 04:14:51 | More by kojevergas

jgran737

Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

2012 Bottle poured into a DFH Snifter

A: About a one finger head that quickly dissipated. Dark and rich in color, pretty much what you'd expect from a barrel aged ale. No lacing to speak of.

S: Really need to let this guy warm up to pick out those smells. A very nice oak smell right off the bat that overpowers the other smells until it warms up. Once it got a little warmer, I was able to pick out some malt and a little bit of hops, however, just doesn't bring much to the table in this category.

T: Exactly what you'd expect. Oak / Malt immediately followed by a slight hop presence. Not much burn, but this bottle has sat around for awhile. Overall it's a very sweet brew.

M: Not much to speak of. Medium body, small burn, with a pretty spot-on carbonation for this brew.

O: I wouldn't go out of my way to buy it and definitely wouldn't pick up a case of it, but it was a nice change of pace and I'd probably consider getting a pint if I saw it on tap somewhere. Not Terrapin's best offering, but not their worst either.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2013 03:47:14 | More by jgran737

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.79/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

2012 12oz bottle into a snifter. Deep ruby with a finger of rich and frothy light mocha head. Robust look that leaves sticky swathes of lace down the sides of the glass. The aroma is an even mix of green citrus, oak and toasted grains. The taste is more strong citrus backed by a combination of sticky caramel and toast. Oak is throughout, leaving this dry and a bit tannic in the finish along with a good bit of lingering bitterness. Mouthfeel is fuller bodied with a prickly carbonation that then gets more creamy and slick feeling underneath. Alcohol is moderate, adding a sweet spiciness to the proceedings. Not bad. I get the feeling that this might have been a little better fresh.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 16:23:11 | More by Kegatron

rhhjr

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%

05-23-2013 00:36:43 | More by rhhjr

mikeincharleston

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +2.3%

05-20-2013 23:49:47 | More by mikeincharleston