Heady Topper - The Alchemist

DaveHS

California

4.9/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

One of only a few 4 packs left at a Burlington area grocery store. The beer guy said it would be gone soon, as the first order of 160 cases disappeared in less than 4 days.

A-Not sure. They reccomend drinking it out of the can. I don't entirely trust that advice, but since there's a whole 4 pack, I'll give it a shot. (Edit: I poured out a little bit just so I could give a rating. Rusty orange with a thin, bone white head. No lacing.

S-As soon as I pop the top, bold, vibrant hop aromas. I can smell them from a few feet away. Resinous pine needles, spruce, grass clippings, tangerine skins,skunky weed,grapefruit juice...I could go on. There's plenty going on here.

T/M-Reminds me a lot of Russian River Blind Pig. From the first sip it's clear this beer is in the same echelon as the best IPAs the West Coast has to offer. The malt profile is thin and bready, acting as a skeleton for the muscular, assertive hops. Leans towards the piny side of the spectrum, with some undertones of dry bitterness and fresh cut flowers. The finish is dry without coating the palate.

O-Really great. Top notch. If they can start producing enough of this to get it outside of Vermont it could become formidable competition for Pliny or any of the other highly regarded West Coast hoppy beers.

Serving type: can

11-26-2011 05:37:24 | More by DaveHS

whoneeds8

Texas

4.49/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bought from a Charity Auction with the proceeds going to "Open the Taps": A grassroots organization of Texas craft beer consumers.

Even though the can says to drink out of the can, which I did with the first can, I poured this one into a duvel tulip glass so that I can see what it looks like. Now I know why they want you to drink it out of the can . . . it is a murky nasty yellow. It's just not an appealing looking beer. With that, it does pour out with a good three finger white head with good retention and great lacing.

The scent is amazing. I have a bad nose and often can get any scent off a beer. After pouring I set this glass down next to the computer, walked away, and then when I came back I could smell the aroma of green hops. If my nose can catch a scent without putting my nose in the glass, it gets a 5.

If we're grading this off the style . . . then I have to say this, I don't know if this is an true Double / Imperial IPA. I would expect the best of the style would have to be a well put together hop bomb. This isn't a hop bomb by any measure . . . but it IS well put together. There is the hop punch, but it's well balanced by orange flavor and pine. The bitterness finishes the flavors very well.

The mouthfeel is well carbonated. I would have to say I'd like the body to be just a tad heavier. There is a noticeable alcohol burn for only 8%.

Overall, this was well worth the extra money I spent for three reasons: this is a high quality brew, the rarity of it in Texas, and for the GREAT things orgainizations like Open the Taps has done for Texas Craft Beer Consumers during this Legislature session. PROSIT, Ya'll!!!

Serving type: can

05-26-2013 02:20:10 | More by whoneeds8

linnymtu

Michigan

4.75/5  rDev +0.4%

05-26-2013 01:48:18 | More by linnymtu

NW2285

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev -4.9%

05-26-2013 00:11:36 | More by NW2285

mynie

Indiana

4.55/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Excellent in a manner I don't need to explicate, since everyone else has already done that. It's not, however, the beer beer I've ever had, nor even the best recent-vintage IPA. The hop profile is wonderfully vareigated and citrusy, but also gets a bit unpleasantly heavy in the back end. The malt is totally subordinate to the hops--as is customary for this new style of IPA--but in order for this to work the hop profile must balance itself perfectly. Heady's doesn't. It comes close, and the beer is still a joy, but it's not quite perfect.

In sum, very good. Excellent, probably. But Zombie Dust beats it by a mile.

Serving type: can

05-25-2013 22:38:54 | More by mynie

JJSmash

Connecticut

5/5  rDev +5.7%

05-25-2013 21:44:11 | More by JJSmash

jealmanzar

New York

5/5  rDev +5.7%

05-25-2013 18:54:18 | More by jealmanzar

ajzy

Wisconsin

4.5/5  rDev -4.9%

05-25-2013 16:45:17 | More by ajzy

mriley1984

Vermont

4.98/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Absolutely love me some Topper. This is by far one of the best beers that I have had. The only other beer in my opinion is the triple play ipa from Lawsons. They upped their production so its pretty easy to get. Still sells out the day of delivery though..

Serving type: can

05-25-2013 16:18:59 | More by mriley1984

Billpare

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +5.7%

05-25-2013 14:00:01 | More by Billpare

sbxx

Illinois

4.48/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Canned 5/15
Big thanks to wyatt13 for sharing a can!

Appearance - Hazy, light yellow. Nice and fresh. Light head that disappears fairly quick. Didn't pour much in the glass. Just enough for a quick look. Drink from the can!!!

Smell - Big. Lots of pine. Background grapefruit, and a little bit of orange peel.

Taste - Massive hops, as expected. More of the citrus comes through in the taste. Astringent pine as well. Big bitter aftertaste that lingers. Packs one hell of a wallop too. Halfway thru the can, I was already buzzed.

Mouthfeel - Heavy body (for a DIPA), medium carbonation, semi-dry, semi-sticky finish

Overall - A damn fine beer, yes. #1 beer ever? No. My first impression was that this is the beer that Surly Abrasive tries to be. It tastes very natural, very raw and overall, very nice. If you love hops, you'll love this. Keep your expectations in check though. It's simply an awesome DIPA. Nothing more, nothing less. Don't compare it to Pliny. Two totally different beers, in my opinion. And both are great!

Serving type: can

05-25-2013 04:39:23 | More by sbxx

jkeefe1800

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev -10.1%

05-25-2013 04:31:49 | More by jkeefe1800

EricDu

New Hampshire

5/5  rDev +5.7%

05-25-2013 04:19:15 | More by EricDu

Rizalini

Nevada

4.91/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Received in a trade from Jeremy6566. Thanks for letting me get my first taste of Heady, greatly appreciated. Poured a little from the can just to see what it looks like, and consumed the rest from the can as advised.

A - Pours a very hazy golden yellow color with 1 finger of white head that hangs around for a while.

S - Smell is pure hoppy goodness! The majority of the hop smell is of the tropical fruit variety... mango, passionfruit.

T/M - The taste of citrus is very dominant on the first taste. On second taste, I get the mango and papaya. Get combination of flavors, and a great resinous hop flavor left on my tongue. Medium mouthfeel, really good carbonation.

O - Winner winner, chicken dinner! This beer is the real deal for any hop head out there. This brew hits all the right notes with me, and I have a hard time finding any flaws with it. Great smell, amazing taste, no alcohol burn. If I could only have 1 IPA to drink for the rest of my life, this would be the one. Cheers to you Jeremy, for without you this awesome expierence would not be possible.

Serving type: can

05-25-2013 03:16:47 | More by Rizalini

Gmanofleisure

New York

4.75/5  rDev +0.4%

05-25-2013 01:37:23 | More by Gmanofleisure

MJSJr

Ohio

4.75/5  rDev +0.4%

05-24-2013 21:58:04 | More by MJSJr

tittymcj

Connecticut

4.95/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Picked up a few cases from the brewery this morning. Had first can with my dad this afternoon.

A: Tall, aluminum can, perfectly sized for an adult male hand. Good graphics, and distinctive black pull tab with large mouth opening. Drank from can, as demanded by can.

S: Hop smell upon opening is intoxicating. You can smell it from feet away, literally. Very citrusy, very heavy, almost overbearing.

T: Extreme hoppiness is a shock to your mouth on first sip. Gives way to a more mellow hop flavor after a few seconds. Tons of citrus and bitterness, offset slightly by some malty bread notes.

M: Thick, due to the hop overload. Pleasant though, as the coating it leaves has a beautiful aftertaste.

O: 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. Great beer.

Serving type: can

05-24-2013 20:10:38 | More by tittymcj

rumorsofsurf

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev -10.1%

05-24-2013 16:15:42 | More by rumorsofsurf

smitty5245

California

4.75/5  rDev +0.4%

05-24-2013 15:07:45 | More by smitty5245

dar482

New York

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

I had this recently out of two cans, unfortunately one was absolutely flat with no carbonation. The beer in general has a lovely little bubbled good amount of carbonation. It is actually one of the highlights of this mindblowing beer.

Poured part of it into a glass as it comes in a super hazy unfiltered yellow gold color.

The aroma has a huge brilliant aroma. The best I've smelled from a beer. Pineapple, tropical fruits, mango, grapefruit papaya, almost like a fruit juice, but also this sticky candy sweetness and pine aroma. It's gooey, huge sweetness. It's so darn juicy, no Double IPA has pushed towards how good the aroma is in this.

Your initial hit on your tongue is just a bouquet of fruits and freshness. It's just shocking how much hop and fruity flavors this IPA packs. You get smooth grapefruit, peach, pine bitterness.

it is so smooth after that hit, but then after that, there's a bitter aftertaste that stays in your mouth. This is not meant non-hop heads. It has just huge strong bitterness that is very dry and astringent.

The mouthfeel is where this beer stands out. It's almost like an IPA was mixed with unfiltered fruit juice. There is a round mouthfeel that never cuts thin like other Double IPAs.

It is the best IPA/double IPA I've ever had. What stands out is the perfection of hop bomb/drinkability that this beer has. It pushes towards what a hop head wants, but just completes it with this perfect mouthfeel. No Double IPAs will be able to complete with this complete roundness of mouthfeel and flavor, at least so far.

(I'm literally having Double Trouble right now, which is a world class beer, and I'm just sitting here disappointed and picking apart how good Heady Topper is compared to it.)

Serving type: can

05-24-2013 05:10:49 | More by dar482

SwG237

New York

4.75/5  rDev +0.4%

05-24-2013 03:48:54 | More by SwG237

barnzy78

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

16oz can, poured into a glass for the purposes of reviewing in comparison to other DIPAs, even though they say to drink it from the can.
Cloudy, cloudy tangerine body with a thin, white head that fades to a layer of foam atop the ale, leaving a little lace on its way down. Super fresh aroma, with orange rind, grapefruit, juicy fruit gum, mango. Taste is super fresh again here, with loads of mango, orange rind, mandarin, bitter grapefruit juice, grassy, a little nutty as it warms. Creamy and smooth medium-full body, lower carbonation, finishes bitter but not overly - more like grapefruit juice. Insanely balanced and drinkable. I'll need to get a hold of this again....for my wife. First ever IPA or DIPA she liked! I'll have to try it directly from the can next time.

Serving type: can

05-24-2013 03:16:03 | More by barnzy78

GBallHead

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev -4.9%

05-24-2013 00:30:07 | More by GBallHead

Lurkerson

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +5.7%

05-23-2013 19:57:13 | More by Lurkerson

Boston_Steve

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev -10.1%

05-23-2013 19:15:47 | More by Boston_Steve