Terrapin Oaked Big Hoppy Monster - Terrapin Beer Company

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Barleys tonight. I had waited a long time to be able to try this one, so while we ate downstairs, I made sure to go up for me beer on this evening. Served straight from the tap into my pint glass, this one was consumed on 11/28/2008.

The pour was very nice, A rich looking dark brown with a nearly completely opaque look to it. Nice head of maybe an inch formed on the top and hung around for the entire session, only dropping down slightly as I finished the last half. Nice side glass presence as well.

The aroma was loaded with hops. Deep, rich, resin filled pine hops were the dominant note here for a good long while. Nice sweet malts buried underneath here started to show through with a candy like sweetness after a little while. Nice hints of vanilla as it hit room temperture. The flavor though, I could not have asked for better here. Rich and very hopped big red ale right out of the gate, this one really needed to warm up though, so I sat it aside for about twenty minutes. By the time I came out, WOW. This one blew the doors off of what I was expecting. Rich hoppy notes, swirled inside of candied sugar and a huge vanilla and oak flavor. Just enormous depth to the profile here. Unrelenting hops just kept pushing the envelope as the vanilal and oak chips just tore through your plate. Rich medium bodied feel was everything i thought it would be and more. A bit strong, but never the less, very much a nice sipper,

When all was said and done, this was easily one of my favorite beers of late. I would love to and , and plan on having this one again very soon. Solid from top to bottom.

Serving type: on-tap

11-29-2008 02:40:05 | More by mikesgroove

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.65/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Murky-looking, brown body with some orangey-amber hints at the edges and topped by a thin, whitish head.

Smell: Rich caramel malts scented with vanilla and citrusy grapefruit rinds and, oh yes, there's plenty of pungent oak character to go around.

Taste: Earthy, toasty malts with a full caramel sweetness. Touch of vanilla. It's right about this time the oak starts rolling in, drying out the flavor and practically soaking up any remaining sweetness like a doggone sponge. This leaves the tongue wide open for the assault of citrusy hops and their full bitterness. Finishes bitter and exceptionally dry.

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: Some oak jobs I love and some, well... I found this top by a bit over-the-top. Personally, I would be much happier to have just the plain ole', regular BHM.

Serving type: on-tap

01-09-2009 19:05:58 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Arrives at the bar with a dark amber color and a perky head that webs as it declines

Smell: Caramel and oak, with a hoppy undertone

Taste: Opens with a bit of caramel and brown sugar but quickly moves in a woody, bitter direction; after the swallow, the oaky flavors are a bit over the top, with a fruity bitterness underneath; just a hint of residual sweetness

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation; the woody flavors dry out the mouth; some warmth

Drinkability: Pretty nice and very different but the wood is a bit too dominating for my palate

Serving type: on-tap

02-09-2009 23:05:25 | More by brentk56

oberon

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Great to finally have this oaked.Poured into a standard pint a clear rich amber with a thinner slightly off white head atop that lasted well.Toastiness and brownsugar notes slightly out weigh the resiny hops,faint toast from the oak is there as well.A mix of caramel and brown sugar sweetness mixed with piney hops,again the oak is subdued wich might be a good thing.It's solid, not amazing by any strech but just a good oak aged hopped up "big" amber.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 22:22:00 | More by oberon

MasterSki

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle from Wine World in Destin. Served in a tulip.

A - Light tan foam settles to wisps and a thin collar, leaving minimal lace. Transparent amber-chocolate color. Some visible bubble streams.

S - Oak and piney and earthy hop notes, with a crystal malt imparting red fruits, cotton candy, and perhaps a touch of milk chocolate. Oak dominates, and it's a bit heavy-handed and sharp. Otherwise it's a balanced imperial red ale.

T - The taste has more balance, with a nice mixture of chocolate, caramel, red fruits, and and earthy hops. Oaky vanilla is present but less overwhelming, and mingles with the hops to provide herbal and woody bitterness. Alcohol is quite well-hidden.

M - Exceptionally smooth, medium body, pleasant moderate carbonation, and a dry, toasty finish. Perhaps a hint of warmth, but otherwise quite nice. Probably my favorite element of this beer.

D - Enjoyable stuff, although it's verging on brown ale in malt profile. I also expected more hop aroma from a beer called Big Hoppy Monster - the bitterness is there, but it's not at all what I was expecting. Still, quite drinkable and fairly unique.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 04:18:27 | More by MasterSki

Gavage

New Jersey

3.55/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: reddish in color with a short 1/2" head. Some moderate lace appears.

Smell: malt sweetness and some caramel is all that can be detected.

Taste: caramel, earthy tones, oak, some vanilla, a bit of fruitiness, and a hearty biting bitterness.

Mouthfeel: medium-heavy in body. Smooth from start to finish. Long lasting aftertaste.

Overall: definite slow sipping beer. Bold flavors too.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2012 11:09:06 | More by Gavage

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

I picked this one up because I remember the original Hoppy Monster being pretty darn good.

This version is okay. Firm sweet tone dominates with some nice typical amber character showing through. But it all seems kind of a clogged mess in that the boundaries of things seem muddled and it strikes me as a bit of a one dimensional thing.

I have no idea why the original Hoppy Monster is now retired and this has taken its place. Seems silly to me.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 03:36:33 | More by RblWthACoz

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.79/5  rDev -3.3%
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

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.41/5  rDev -13%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Draft at The Pour House in Westmont, NJ.

Pours a hazy dark copper color with amber/mahogany edges and a 1.5 finger off-white head that slowly settles into a lasting ring.  Splotches of lace left behind.

Aroma reminds me of an old ale.  Some toasted, earthy oak along with subtle vanilla followed by caramel malt and earthy floral hop notes.  Oak becomes more prominent as it warms giving off a slight toothpick character.  Caramel malt sweetness, toffee and rye overpower the hops.  Subtle resinous piney character but not what I was expecting for a hoppy beer.

Medium bodied with a nice oak barrel presence that's decently integrated into the base beer.  It's strong but doesn't completely overpower the other flavors.  Virgin oak/toothpick flavor with a little bit of spicy rye.  Again, the hops are there but are overpowered by the strong barrel and malt profile.  Hints of caramel, toffee, spicy rue and cocoa followed floral and slightly earthy hop bitterness.  A bit dry but the malts have sweetness for balance.  Abv well masked and decently drinkable but overpowering wood flavors hurt a bit.  Also, way too malty for the style in my opinion.  Not bad but the barrel character is too dominant and the hops are overpowered.

Serving type: on-tap

03-03-2013 01:44:04 | More by corby112

glid02

Georgia

4.47/5  rDev +14%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Tried this at the Brick Store in Atlanta.

Pours a cloudy dark copper color with a one-finger tan head. The head sticks around for a while before dissipating into a patchy layer of bubbles on top and a thick ring around the glass. Lacing is pretty sticky.

Smells mostly of floral hops. I was surprised how big the aroma was, I was expecting it to be toned down more from the barrel. There are also piney hop aromas to go along with earthy malt undertones that grow more pungent as the beer warms.

Tastes very good. After the smell I was prepared for the amount of hoppiness found in the un-aged version, but I was surprised that it was much more toned down. Earthy malt flavors dominate, with almost equal amounts of piney hop flavors. Bitterness at the end is pretty solid.

Mouthfeel is good. It's a bit thicker than the normal version with more subdued carbonation. Very smooth.

Drinkability is great. I would've had a few more of these had I not had a few others on my must-try list. Definitely give this one a shot if you see it around.

Serving type: on-tap

11-10-2008 01:28:17 | More by glid02

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.35/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at the Brick Store Pub. Pours a dark chestnut with a nice cap that leaves some lacing. Nice citrusy hop aromas come through on the nose as well as lightly sweet malt and just a hint of oak. Nicely balanced and not overdone. The taste reflectss the same components and is equally balanced, which is nice beacause ocassionally this brewery overoaks some of their beers. Not this one, a very deft hand with the oak here. Just right, a nice beer, nicely enhanced.

Serving type: on-tap

01-20-2009 14:51:52 | More by Georgiabeer

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.65/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Shared this one at a tasting while Mississipping was in town! Served from growler into a Mikkeller taster flute. Poured a deep red-orange with a half finger off-white head that subsided to a minimal amount quickly. Maintained nice lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, sweet alcohol, caramel, citrus, citrus hop, and oak. The flavor was of sweet malt, oak, caramel, citrus, citrus hop, caramel hop, and sweet alcohol. It had a light feel on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall this was a pretty decent brew. If you would have not have told me this one was oak aged, I would have definitely been able to figure it out based on my first sip. The oak in this one was so strong on the flavor it wasn’t even funny. I’m sure it covered up some subtle flavors, but I do know this is what Terrapin was aiming for when they did this brew. The aroma was quite nice with the citrus going on and really kept it interesting. Glad I finally got the opportunity to try this and hope I get to try more of Terrapin’s specially treated brews out there.

Serving type: growler

12-31-2012 13:36:26 | More by thagr81us

Cyberkedi

Georgia

4.35/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours an appetizing, translucent mahogany with a fine-bubbled, slightly reddish tan head. Aroma is richly hoppy and has undertones of spice and wood. Flavor is strongly hoppy but not bitter with a definite oaky undertone and hints of cinnamon candy. Smooth, lively texture leaves a woody, slightly smoky aftertaste. Recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

04-11-2009 23:22:51 | More by Cyberkedi

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Terrapin Oak Aged Big Hoppy Monster
Terrapin Beer Company

Pours a murky brown with a nice creamy head and excellent lacing, pretty much a wall of lace. Aromas of sweet vanilla, malt, and some earthy floral hops. In the taste, very sweet upfront with mild dark fruit notes. Vanilla comes through with a lot of barrel influence. Bourbon/rum flavors come through big with alittle pine and dry oak. Roasted malts and barrel char play nicely with the smooth richness of the feel. In the finish, oaky and boozy, very creamy full bodied feel. Overall, they should call this the Big Vanilla Monster, because the hops have died down for the most part and the barrel is doing the talking.

Serving type: on-tap

01-05-2012 21:46:31 | More by Stinkypuss

gford217

Georgia

4.4/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at the Brick Store.

Pours a dark cola brown with hints of red around the edges. The head small, tan and short-lived leaving generous lacing along the sides.

The aroma is dominated by floral hops, even more so than the regular BHM, which is interesting to me. I get hints of the oak and the caramel malts, but the pine scents are just massive in the this one.

The caramel malts are more prevalent in the taste, though the floral pine hops are still the star of the show. The oak comes through as well and the flavors really meld together well.

The mouthfeel is predictably smooth given the oak but with good carbonation and some sticky pine resin bitterness in the finish.

I'm probably biased as BHM is my favorite Terrapin brew, but I really, really like this beer and I was floored at how much the floral hops showed throw even with the oak aging. A fantastic beer.

Serving type: on-tap

11-07-2008 18:51:56 | More by gford217

kylehay2004

Florida

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: single finger tan head on a on a maroon mahagony body. Nice lacing.

S: some nice cirtrus and candy flavored on a background oak with nice malt backbone.

T: Tart and tangy related tHe citrus and candy flavors with oak malt and bourbon in the finish.

M: medium body and moderate carbonation.

Overall: I honestly don't recall the regular hoppy monster to compare but this is a typical oak barrel aged beer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-21-2012 00:09:18 | More by kylehay2004

tpd975

Florida

4.3/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had been waiting for this one to hit and while I was out doing xmas shopping I stopped my the Mellow Mushroom to see if it was on tap.

Lucky for me it was, the rest is history.

A: Pours a unique shade of brown, deep and rusty would be how I describe it. Nice tight head which showed great retention. Thick, thick lace my friend.

S: Nice sweet malty aromas. Hints of sweet pine and a touch of grass. Nothing overthetop.

T: Ahh this is where this one wins. What a great brew. Nice candy caramel sweetness. I had a See's sucker earlier in the day and this one is just as sweet and good. The hops are there, but they are all about the pine. Sweet resinous pine dominates the middle. Hints of vanilla poke through, with just a touch of the wood. This one sweety malty hoppy concoction. The finish is sugary sweet with notes of vanilla laden pine showing thru. I am not a fan of the regular big hoppy monster, a bit of time in the wood transformed this one.

M: Rather full bodied for the style. The carbonation is understated which makes it feel even thicker. The head says it is well carbonated but this one carries it well.

D: Had two pints before hitting the door. Will revisit this one again before they blow out the keg. My only wish is this one showed a bit more of the wood. That being said, it is my favorite Terrapin brew to date.

Serving type: on-tap

11-29-2008 05:15:17 | More by tpd975

tdm168

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - dark amber with a thin, off white head that has good retention

S - woody, earthy, alcohol, caramel, faint candy sugar

T - oaky, bready, caramel, juicy fruit, herbal, citrusy

M - medium bodied, smooth, well carbonated

This was a nice amber ale. Normally, I would have appreciated the oak touches here. I'm only disappointed because I love the regular Big Hoppy Monster. The oak here takes a bit away from the lucious malt flavors that I get from the original. On it's own it's a great beer, but in comparison to the original it leaves me wanting more. No matter the comparisons, it's definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 14:48:26 | More by tdm168

billab914

Virginia

3.9/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into my Ithaca glass. It poured a murky mahogany color with a creamy, off white head to it. Decent retention and good lacing as I drank it.

The aroma does show the oak presence in it with some dry, woody notes. The oak blends very well with the sweeter caramel and light fruit flavors I'm getting out of the malts. The hoppiness seems little more reserved than I remember from the base beer, but the oak and malts area nice combination.

The taste shows a stronger oak presence up front with more of the dry, woody flavors to it. Again, I'm getting a very rich maltiness to it with notes of caramel and dark fruits. The hoppiness adds a little citrus rind to it, but for the most part continues to play more of a backseat role to the oak and malts.

The mouthfeel is on the heavier side of the style with carbonation being moderate. Overall, it was a pretty good beer. I liked that the oak complimented rather that dominated the flavors. The malty flavors were very good as well. Everything came together pretty well in it.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 00:40:57 | More by billab914

maximum12

Minnesota

2.8/5  rDev -28.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Thanks again to AtlCarl as I work my way through all the beer that landed, with a resounding noise heard for blocks around, on my porch not long ago. 12 oz. bottle.

Pour is a clear light red that turns to mild murk as the last bit is poured from the bottle. Much like it's namesake sans oak, this is a beer dominated by malt (Big Malty Monster?) - my pharynx is filled to overflowing with sweet, sweet toffee. Neither hops nor oak appear on radar.

Oak Aged Big Hoppy Monster, once tasted, definitely needs a moniker change. Caramel malts flap in your face like a loose feather boa covered in sickly sweet honey. Oak is barely visible over the shoulder of the malts, & a tiny bite of vanilla appears. Hops? None. Heavy. After a few sips I feel like I've ingested three Krispy Kremes in less than a minute. Stomach, expanding.

Just like the original, this is a heavy, filing, brutal beast of a beer that gets points knocked off for false advertising.; I couldn't do more than six ounces, nor would I want to. This monster doesn't even frighten to mediocrity; sub-par.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 02:52:34 | More by maximum12

argock

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz brown bottle into a Duvel tulip. Vintage: 2012 on side of label. 4-pack purchased at Wine Warehouse (Charlottesville, VA) for $14.29.

A: Very clear orange-amber with 1/2-to-1 finger of off-white head with decent retention and only rare spots of lacing.

S: Caramel-toffee, tropical fruity and citrus hops, and strong but mellow oak aroma

T: The flavor is exceedingly smooth with the oak pretty dominant throughout. It is a non-vanilla oakiness which is not a problem as the caramel and bready maltiness is solid throughout. The hops qualities are mostly providing a low-moderate bitterness with only a little of the fruity and pine character from the aroma. The alcohol is not easy to feel -- except in your belly.

M: Very smooth and creamy with medium-body and low carbonation. Superb feel.

O: A really surprising beer as I remember BHM being pretty bitter and hoppy and this beer is neither of those -- very smooth and unassuming with great malt backbone and a nice oak current throughout.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 04:35:44 | More by argock

clayrock81

Virginia

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a darkish brown with good two finger white head and lace down the glass on top of a very hoppy aroma mixed with oakey and slight sweet caramel and sugary malts. Taste is more of the same, as is mouthfeel, as a sturdy, heavy but easy passing beer goes over my tongue with a mix of grapefruit like hops, sugary sweetness, touch of oakiness and a dry, sturdy finish. Hops flavor profile is mostly like a wet, grape variety, and the malts are caramel and other sweetness and the beer is not too complex but has a good amount of depth. The dry finish is a great complement to a good beer and this is a very enjoyable sipper.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 20:59:44 | More by clayrock81

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

2012 Vintage recently purchased but unfortunately less than fresh.

A - A huge amber colour with a golden orange glow along the bottom. A thin layer of tan coloured head formed on the pour and slowly receded to a ring around the edges of the glass.

S - Huge caramel and oak aromas with some lighter floral and toffee notes. Fairly sweet overall, as expected.

T - Oak/woody flavours are dominant with a huge sweet caramel, toffee and brown sugar presence. Some floral notes in the background with almost no bitterness present from the hops. Tannic with a somewhat noticeable alcohol presence.

M - Medium body with moderate carbonation. Slightly too much carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 14:23:41 | More by TheSevenDuffs

Chaney

District of Columbia

3.83/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Huge fan of Big Hoppy Monster, so I've been wanting to try this one for a while.

Served in a Port City snifter.

A: Poured an extremely dark, blood red color. Seriously, this was almost black. Not much head.... just a few bubbles.

S: Seriously, this was pretty faint. Just a bit of melted cherry lollipop and some oak.

T: The taste was actually pretty good. Pretty complex, with it's caramel component and it's rich, candy-coasted booze. The oak top the hops out of "Hoppy Monster" though.

M: Kinda boozy, but I didn't mind it. Splotchy lacing and tamped down sweetness.

O: Not bad, but I pretty the hops from it's little sister.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 02:09:13 | More by Chaney

CrellMoset

Virginia

4.03/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Charlie Mopps, Atlanta, GA. Served in a traditional American pint glass.

Appearance: Deep clear brown with hints of red, a foamy one-finger head with amazing retention, and thick, sticky, huge, three-dimensional lacing. Great start!

Aroma: Malty ... check ... hoppy ... check ... oaky ... check. Very thick and sweet, with a nice citrus/herbal one-two punch (Centennial, perhaps?), brown sugar, lots of other caramelized sugar notes, and a good dose woodiness without the obligatory vanilla presence.

Taste: Very nice, mellower than fresh Big Hoppy normally is, with many of the citrusy/leafy notes having faded. There's still layers upon layers of brown sugar and molasses, some toasted astringencies, and a nice helping of vanilla and faint but earthy wood notes. It's very "green" tasting, probably due to a combination of the faded hop notes and the earthy wood notes. Very yum.

Mouthfeel: Despite the faded hop notes, it still leaves a nice "hop burn." Other than that, it's largely very smooth, with soft carbonation that leaves a nice even-feeling body.

Drinkability: About as drinkable as the regular Big Hoppy, with a nice added tasty bonus. Abv% is still up there, but it's also well-hidden, and it's about as tasty and aromatic as the original too - the barrel aging adds precisely what you'd imagine it would. So it's nice, but not amazing.

Serving type: on-tap

11-23-2008 05:10:43 | More by CrellMoset