Terrapin Hopsecutioner - Terrapin Beer Company

wyatt13

Illinois

3.91/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Another gift from my buddy Chris, which he picked while home in SC over winter break - thanks Chris! Best by date of 5th week of April. Poured from 12 oz. bottle into tulip glass.

A - Pours a reddish-orange color with a two finger head of really small bubbles. Plenty of carbonation racing up the sides of the glass. Moderate lacing as I drink.

S - Lots of floral hop character with some bready malt aromas discernible as well.

T - Lots of orange and some dank, herby qualities. Malt-heavy finish with some hop bitterness and some alcoholic warmth.

M - Medium as expected.

O - To be honest, I was expecting more from this one. I hope that best by date was 2013...either way, solid and very balanced IPA.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 03:17:38 | More by wyatt13

AmitC

Indiana

3.58/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

An under-performing IPA.

Bought a six pack and now i will have to drink the other five. Not that i can't but it is not a pleasure to drink this. Very run of the mill stuff.

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a snifter. Less than half finger thick head that fades very fast. No head retention. Decent lacing. Some bubbles. Color is Orangish amber and with a lot of haze.

Note 2nd Bottle: Poured more roughly, has one finger thick head. Looks much better. Some retention.

One of the worst noses that i have had in a while. Not that it is bad, but it is non-existent. Have to dig in deep to get anything to enter. Bready crumby sweet malts. Some earthiness, very slight floral and orange peel. More sweet than expected.

Taste is nothing great as well. Does just fine in that hops are felt for a while and only for a while. Apparent dry hopping but one that is done with very faint hops - low on alpha and beta both - that fail to provide either a good nose or good bitterness. More balanced and malt based than what i like. No bitterness. Sweet dry finish. Malty dry hopped after taste.

Mouth feel :Medium feel. Moderate to slightly higher on carbonation. Drinks with ease but is not exciting at all.

May be i am drinking this one too late or very fresh as it has enjoy by date of 2nd week of March. Since it does not mention year it could be either 2012 in which case i am late to the party. In the case of 2013, which is more likely since i picked it from a store in Atlanta, GA, this is an average IPA at its best. Very misleading packaging.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 02:37:55 | More by AmitC

Cobrito

Georgia

4.15/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Well now that I've reviewed one of the big local IPAs (and trashed it), here is another one.

Slightly hazy copper, some head and lacing, but dissipates quickly. There is, however, something intriguing about the small amount of foam on top of the beer and the little web it forms, though; it's making me lick my lips even though the head and lacing are nothing special.

Smell: Hmm, this is wound very tightly for some reason; practically have to dip my nose into it to get much of anything. What's there is a combination fruity (orange?) and grassy that I like.

OK I like this quite a bit. The beer is disappearing fast. Something ragingly drinkable about this one. They've done a great job of blending everything together into a whole that's greater than the sum of its parts. Hard to tell the individual elements, but that's a good thing. It's very much a West Coast style, but not aggressive. Great fruity-hoppy-malty composite. Very professional work from Terrapin!

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 02:18:19 | More by Cobrito

Jeffo

Netherlands

3.4/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle from codysjb. Thanks for the beers man!

From a bottle into a snifter

APPEARANCE: Pours a one finger, looser looking, off-white head with good retention. Clear safety orange in color with lower levels of carbonation evident. Head fades to a full wisp and ring. A ring remains and leaves touches of lacing down the glass.

SMELL: Caramel and pale malts, toffee and some honeydew melon. A milder nose that reminds me of an ESB to some degree. Not quite as hop forward as expected.

TASTE: Pale malts, caramel notes, with floral flavors and grainy hops at the swallow. Pine and bitterness with caramel and grassy hops linger in the bold aftertaste. Quite piney and bitter after the swallow, with lots of floral and grassy hops as well. Decent stuff, though doesn't really match the nose.

PALATE: Medium body and medium levels of carbonation. Creamy enough on the palate, goes down smooth with a bit of a scratch and finishes slightly dry on the palate. Enough weight on this as well.

OVERALL: Not quite my style. Very hoppy for sure, but it's definitely on the grassy/piney side of the hop spectrum. The nose doesn't quite match what was to follow either. Still, this is a quality beer that I'd gladly drink again. Thanks again codysjb!

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 22:58:22 | More by Jeffo

Bernerdawg

Georgia

4.23/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a a clear copper with 2 inches of white head. Nice lacing and retention

Smell is fantastic. Raisins, pineapples, sliver of orange rind. Basket of overripe fruit. Malt and a vespery trace of alcohol. Octane of apple and pear.

Bitter up front but not maliciously so; kinda tame. A nice stroll through hopville. Finishes nicely with a slight sweetness

Smooth with no issues. Again middle of the road as far as carbonation is concerned. Slightly south of medium bodied.

I've had this before, drinking from a bottle, but enjoying this from a glass brings it to a more memorable level. The smell on this is quite good; although smooth and sufficiently bitter the taste takes a backseat to the nose. Would love to try this on tap, in Spring, and reevaluate. Will purchase again regardless.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 22:02:23 | More by Bernerdawg

nUgZ

North Carolina

4.19/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12 ounce bottle poured into a pint glass.

A: Pours a mostly clear orange color with a 1 finger head and nice lacing.

S: Mostly hops, both pine and citrus along with some faint malts. Pretty inviting smell.

T: This is a really tasty beer. Nice citrus and pine hops balanced very well with some sweet, bready malts.

M: Medium bodied with good carbontaion. Very easy to drink.

O: This is an excellent IPA with great balance and is extremely easy to drink. It hides the alcohol well and is quite refreshing. I will be buying more.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 01:15:43 | More by nUgZ

M_C_Hampton

Georgia

4.58/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: poured from a 12 oz bottle into a chalice, orange amber colored with a tight white head that dissipates leaving some lacing, cloudy, few bubbles

S: piney oils, grapefruit, orange, bready malt, big on hops

T: citrus fruit up front, big grapefruit, hop flavor lingers, sweeter finish than expected, pine trees, good hops to malt balance

M: good carbonation with a medium to full body, not at all oily, 7.3% ABV well hidden

O: this is a great IPA from my home state, one of the only things I like coming out of Athens, my only advice on improving this beer would be to move the brewery to Atlanta to get it away from U(sic)GA, THWG

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 02:41:14 | More by M_C_Hampton

CraftBeerTastic

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Ba Review #237
Served On: 11/16/2012
Glassware: Duvel Glass
Labeled ABV: 7.3%
Date/ Code: Week 3

This was from a case I found at Self Serve Beverage in York.

Look: Color was a super clear clemontine orange color. Carbonation bubbles were fairly steady. The head a white cap of tight white foam with nice lacing.

Smell: Super sweet aroma of mango and pine with some fresh-sliced orange mixed in.

Taste: The taste started off with a very sweet and resiny hop profile of tropical fruits and a nice floral freshness. The middle of the palate was sort of cleansed with the rush of a sweet alcohol note. The finish was a nice bitterness to add some balance. The aftertaste was of lingering fruits and fresh cut cucumber.

This was a very solid IPA with the hop profile of an Imperial. It had nice balance and was very enjoyable brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 19:03:26 | More by CraftBeerTastic

Mojo

Alabama

4.38/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This pours a very hazy amber with almost no head, and minimal lacing. The nose is just about all fruit. I pick up apples, raisins, oranges, lemon, and some pine. Taste is a sweetness upfront kind of orange flavored, but the finish delivers a powerful hop bomb. Mouthfeel is nice with not much of an aftertaste. There are better IPAs, but this one is not bad. Taste is the strong suit and that's what matters most.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2012 03:21:09 | More by Mojo

PeterIngemi

Massachusetts

2.98/5  rDev -23%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle I to a dfh snifter.... No bottle on date, but it says drink by the third week of January so I am assuming it must be closer to fresh then old. Although I have no idea how long of a code terrapin puts in these things.

A: pours a nice hazy orange amber with about half a finger if white head... Head dissapates quickly, leavs some lacing.

S: uh oh, the nose is very malty, there are some citrusy notes, but I'm not getting much hops here, I'm getting more caramel and bready malt aromas...

T: sadly not much different then the aroma, there is some citrus and light bitterness, but I am getting mainly bready and caramel malt flavors.

M: doesn't seem bad, medium body, with low medium carbonation, and what seems like it was meant to be a dry bitter finish.

O: I'm dissapointed, after all the good things I heard about terrapin, not that this is supposed to be their greatest release, but still. I feel as though this beer is past it's prime... And gas deffinatly lost mostly all it's hops.... Which leads me to two things.
1) terrapin puts much too long of a enjoy by code on their beer, with this supposedly having a good three months left of shelf life,
2) if this is a reasonable representation of the beers intended form then terrapin should deffinatly reformulate this one...
Either way it's too bad and I am dissapointed.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 00:31:33 | More by PeterIngemi

bamadog

Kentucky

3.68/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Picked up a growler of this at the Whole Foods for $8, when the price is that right, you can't go wrong. Review is from notes taken on 10/19/2012 and poured from the growler to a pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a hazy golden and coppery color; starts with a big and full, creamy 2 finger slightly off-white head that fades eventually to a thin and uneven foamy skim and lots of lacing holding tight to the glass; body is pretty clear with just a touch of haze, plenty of carbonation.

Smell: Plenty of hops, and they're citric, mostly lemon and perhaps a touch of bitter grapefruit; definitely a grainy malt bill behind it. Pretty good, and I remember the smell being decent out of the bottle, but I also remember being a touch disappointed with the taste.

Taste: Yeah, it's still not the best, but it's certainly not awful. It's got plenty of bitter hops, but it seems that the bitterness doesn't carry the flavor that the smell would make believe it does -- the citric aspect starts alright with some lemony aspect, but then it kind of fades and I'm left with a more or less, just plain bitter, slightly metallic tinge on the tongue.

Mouthfeel: Mouth is decent - carbonation keeps it alive and the body is fairly smooth and creamy; a nice thin, sticky coating is left all over the mouth, holding the bitterness well into the aftertaste.

Overall: Glad it's in the growler because it's cheaper than getting a six pack. It's not bad, it'd probably be a better lawnmower beer. I think a slightly sweeter grain bill and some more flavorful and robust hops would make a world of difference.

Serving type: growler

10-20-2012 02:25:18 | More by bamadog

ccrida

Oregon

3.5/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance is burnt gold with a very small white head leaving sticky lace.

Smell is over-ripe citrus fruit, a little skunky, leafy hops. Sweetish caramel malt and marmalade.

Taste is bitter and robustly hopped, countering the sweetness of the malt. Orange citrus and a little earthy. A little muddled behind the bitterness.

Mouthfeel is slick, oily. Medium-light bodied.

Drinkability is OK. It's clearly a strong, hoppy beer, but it lacks distinction. Easy to suck down for a hop head, it's a nice fix for me on vacation in the SE IPA wasteland, but I'll be happy to be back to the NW for a proper American IPA. In fairness of this critique, the hops taste a little stale, I'd be surprised if this is fresh and not a high turnover brew at the Orlando area grocery where I got it - unrefrigerated!

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 20:51:13 | More by ccrida

chugalug06

Colorado

3.93/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Clarity seems to be lacking... Head is nice, two-finger, and white. Fluffiness is apparent too. Brew is more yellow then orange, but looks fantastic.

Nice floral bouquet. Lots of rose, grapefruit, pineapple, and apple. Very soft and fluid.

Creamy flavors blend well together. Bitterness is apparent, but not sharp or abrasive. Very smooth and delicious. No heat. Very light and refreshing for a fall day. Tropical flavors are very relaxing and not over the top.

A great example of an "East Coast" IPA. Highly recommended for an easy drinking IPA.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 22:00:54 | More by chugalug06

metter98

New York

3.88/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Barcade, Jersey City, NJ

A: The beer is clear yellow in color and has a very light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a thin off white head that died down and left a large patch of bubbles on the surface.
S: There are light to moderate aromas of citrusy hops in the nose.
T: Like the smell, the taste has citrusy flavors from the hops and a light amount of bitterness. There are also some notes of honey.
M: It feels medium-bodied and a little crisp on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer isn't that difficult to drink. Although the bitterness and hop flavors aren't quite as strong as some of the other beers in the style, it still has a nice amount of hop flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

10-06-2012 12:25:54 | More by metter98

TrappistJohnMD

Mississippi

3.95/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours honey amber color with white head that lingers wells in Bell's tulip.

Smell is honey and caramel with pine and lemon citrus notes.

Taste is sweet honey and malts with some lemon sourness and nice bitterness in the finish.

Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied with average carbonation.

Overall this was complex and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 01:11:46 | More by TrappistJohnMD

duceswild

Maryland

3.83/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Received from sendbeer.

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass. Bottle has best by Month 1 Week 4.

Pours a golden amber with a small white head that leaves no lacing. Smell is of citrus, grapefruit, and some pint. Taste is piney with some citrus. I also get some caramel notes. Leaves a lingering hop note on the tongue. Mouthfeel has a smooth finish and moderate carbonation.

Overall I enjoyed this IPA and would drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 04:07:24 | More by duceswild

mooseo

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into tulip.

A - Bright orange copper with a small, bubbly white head.

S - Light but pleasant aroma of grapefruit, citrus, and sweet caramel malt.

T - Sharp, mildly bitter grapefruit and orange mixed with a earthy, woodsy malt flavor. Hints of pine and caramel.

M - Light-medium body, slick, crisp carbonation. Semi-dry.

O - A good balanced IPA. A little watery, but it's definitely flavorful and easy to drink. Alcohol is masked really well. While there are much better examples out there, this is worth the low price of admission and worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 01:52:28 | More by mooseo

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap in Atlanta.

A - Medium orange. Translucent. A thin layer of off-white head.

S - Bitter grapefruit and pine with a slight malt sweetness in the background.

T - A massive bitterness up front with grapefruit and pine flavours and a fairly big malt backbone that adds some bready and caramel flavours and a good balance.

M - Medium body. Creamy. Good resinous hop oils. Light carbonation.

Serving type: on-tap

08-16-2012 14:32:14 | More by TheSevenDuffs

Guilly

3.05/5  rDev -21.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle into a glass.

A - No head. Copper but less amber than Great Divide Rumble. Regular IPA colour, dark golden.

S - Pine and citrus notes, smells like a prototypical ipa. Not as Nutty as the Rumble.

T - Smooth but less kick and not as bitter as regular IPA. Taste like a red ale (Ricard's Red). Taste like Dales Pale Ale.

B - Medium Body. Smooth.

O - Smooth IPA but not as much as a regular hoppy IPA. Would be refreshing on a hot day.

3.0

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 02:36:36 | More by Guilly

mscudder

Georgia

3.25/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Terrapin pint.

A - A pale light orange with a big white head. Retention is fair and lacing is above average.

S - Sweet malts, some soft grapes and a bit of booze. Too subtle in my opinion, could be more robust.

T - Sweet and almost empty malts. Some citrus and warm booze is the primary taste here. A bit of hop bitterness i present with a dry finish. I simply feel bigger malts would make this a bitter beer.

M - Light bodied, which really hurts this brew. Carbonation is a light crisp but needs more.'

O - Tastes better than its components but nothing near most IPAs I enjoy on a regular basis.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2012 08:19:04 | More by mscudder

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.68/5  rDev +20.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I think that this one came to me care of my local IP trader, tone77. Watch my progression today as I go from a single on up.

From the bottle: "Hear ye, hear ye ... All hopheads shall herewith rejoice! Terrapin hath recruited ye olde HOPSECUTIONER to execute the exact hop profile for this killer IPA. YOU MAY LOSE YOUR HOPHEAD OVER THIS ONE!"

That last part really makes me sad as I just took receipt of my knitted hophead from wiresiren and I would hate to lose it! In fact, that may be my headgear for GTMW 2012 in a couple of weeks.

My pour netted me a massively thick, foamy tawny head that extended above the rim of the glass, resembling the top of an ice cream cone. Color was a deep amber with NE-quality clarity. Nose was redolent with minty hops. Mouthfeel was medium and the taste was like spearmint or peppermint, really intense and cooling! Yum! The finish was dry, cool, minty, just the way I really prefer an AIPA. The sticky lacing that was left behind was going to require a jackhammer to remove. More, please!

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 18:26:28 | More by woodychandler

vfgccp

New York

3.9/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Nice orange gold body. Creamy white head with mixed bubble structure, nice lace and retention.

S - Herbal thyme, sweet malt, and red grapes. Kiss of booze warms things up a bit.

T - Sweet honey, malt, grapefruit citrus, and green parsley. Some of the warm booze from the nose is in there too. Nice residual bitterness on the backend.

M - Smooth, medium body. Nice carbonation.

O - A solid IPA. Nice balance, good drinkability, and a nice hop character.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 17:09:48 | More by vfgccp

deadonhisfeet

Kentucky

3.68/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up this bottle in North Carolina. Poured into a New Belgium snifter. The beer pours dark amber with a nice head and decent retention and lacing. The nose is faint and floral with hints of citrus and a little alcohol sweetness.

Interesting flavor here. Instead of going for an assertive hop bitterness, you get a caramel-like sweetness and a moderate hop addition, yet the finish is plenty dry. I get flavors of honey, lemon, grapefruit, and some ginger. The body is medium, the mouthfeel is quite firm and a little creamy on the front of the palate.

Overall, this is a good IPA. It's not what I would consider top-shelf, but it is certainly better than average. Given the abundance of IPAs on the market, that is saying something.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 00:41:13 | More by deadonhisfeet

Megahertz

Missouri

3.7/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle, best by first week of Nov.

A - Deep copper with only a slight haze - relatively clear. Modest off white head falls quickly. Carbonation appears relatively high.

S - Faint lemon. Quite modest.

T - Complex graininess in the front to mid with very crisp bitterness on the tail. Hops are slightly resiny at the finish, but it is very dry.

M - Light bodied with brisk carbonation.

O - Better than the sum of its parts, it is quite drinkable and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 01:38:00 | More by Megahertz

Dudeletter

Georgia

4.48/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

F**k you in the Face
This category goes out to my friend Michael Kraus. He said that he likes a beer where the quality that people want in it (the sweetness, hops, bitterness, etc) is so strong it fucks you in the face. This one has a clear winner. Terrapin’s Hopsecutioner

Terrapin Hopsecutioner
.
This beer is nothing if not hoppy. Of the many breweries in the country, Terrapin handles hops some of the best. Of the many breweries in the south, Terrapin is one of the most known and respected. The beer is incredibly hoppy, but still drinkable. It is truly a triumph to Spike and the Terrapin crew.

Serving type: on-tap

06-27-2012 15:35:29 | More by Dudeletter