Heady Topper - The Alchemist

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gatch

Massachusetts

4.74/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

A: Hazy, golden yellow with a fluffy, white head. Gets lumpy with some head retention. Some good lace.

S: Massive, dry citrus. Pine sap, fresh hops, freshly cut grapefruit. Huge citrusy, American hops. Don't know what else to say other than...Breathtaking. Unbelievable. Brings a smile to your face. Begs you to take a sip.

T: H-O-P-S! Huge, dry, resiny, piney, citrusy, earthy hops. It's honestly just a heavy hop rush. But never too much. A beer like this isn't supposed to be this smooth and balanced. It's supposed to be too dry or too cloying. But it isn't!

M: Incredibly smooth and drinkable. Everything a beer and a DIPA should taste like. Just crazy.

O: The hype is absolutely real. I don't want to stop drinking this.

Serving type: can

05-22-2013 01:33:07 | More by Gatch

JordanPhraczek

Massachusetts

4.99/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Drank out of a can because it told me to, canned the day before. huge shoutout to bringing this to Boston after a depressing news release from alchemist.

A - would have gave it a 5 and actually had no standing to give a rating but just the mystique and the can itself deserves praise.

S - wow hop nectar and resin galore. I feel like music is playing in my head to the beat of this beer. Frank ocean to be precise.

T - not overly bitter just perfect piney hop taste. does it taste like I thought it would? even better somehow. the bottom of the can held the greatest depth of flavor but the beer is never bitter. Bravo.

M - frothy dry hop slime. almost feels oily its so hoppy but the carbonation adds a maturity to it.

O - thank god I finally tried this beer just enjoy it if you can. worth going to Vermont for.

Serving type: can

05-21-2013 22:30:01 | More by JordanPhraczek

Carpentiere

New Hampshire

4.99/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Wow. I kept reading the hype but finally got some of this. What an incredible beer. The aroma from the can is full....but not overpowering. The taste....is refreshing. So refreshing. The aftertaste is a wonderful complement. The ranking of this beer is not hype. I am half way through the can and know I would drive a far distance to load up on this.

Serving type: can

05-21-2013 21:53:47 | More by Carpentiere

CharlatanSin

Connecticut

4.9/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Review from notes accumulated while going through a case of HT over 4 weeks. First can was 4 days old, last can was right around a month. Mostly poured into tulips, but had a few straight from the can, too.

A: There's no two ways about it, guys -- the floaties in this beer are ugly. I don't care much about them, and I guess it gives the beer a rustic characteristic, but I've got to ding HT on the pure appearance score. Perfectly attractive beer otherwise. Nice golden amber with a big, puffy off-white head and lots of lacing.

S: The aroma of fresh HT is just wonderful. A complex and unique hop blend. Big pine, tropical fruit, citrus. A bit of caramel malt provides sweet balance. I'm almost having trouble describing it because it's basically perfect (to my own taste). A month in, the aroma is a bit less intense, but no less complicated or outstanding. I'd rank it a 5 after 4 days and a 5 after a month.

T/M: Incredibly juicy. More fruit-like and less pine compared to the nose. Tropical fruit is dominant -- pineapple, mango, what have you. Some of the more traditional citrus -- grapefruit mainly. Also getting a distinct apricot flavor, which somebody once told me was from the proprietary yeast but I'm not sure. Decent amount of caramel and biscuity malt to balance. Like the aroma, it gets a little less intense over a month but no less wonderful. Mouthfeel is slick. Carbonation's a little on the high side. Decently bitter but insanely drinkable. Not a hint of the ABV.

O: This is not going to be my highest rated beer, because of the appearance score, but I think it's my favorite. It's worth every bit of the hype. Make some good friends in Vermont, kids.

Serving type: can

05-20-2013 19:08:07 | More by CharlatanSin

KickbacksSteve

Florida

4.66/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

Drinking from a 16 ounce can, per the can's request. Thanks for this one Cheesemoose. No freshness date. I'm told that this is a "fresh" can. Still not sure why everyone isn't dating their beers. Popped the can, aroma is bursting out of the little hole, pine, grapefruit, packed full of hops, awesome aroma. Taste is resinous and flavorful. Mainly grapefruit but notes of grass and pine. Totally juiced with flavor. Even the burps taste good.

Serving type: can

05-20-2013 03:58:53 | More by KickbacksSteve

Omnium

Pennsylvania

4.58/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Can > 2xIPA Glass

A - Pours an off color amber, 2 finger white head, minor lacing. Lots of yeast floating around.
S - Very dank hop aromas, some pine & spruce, citrus peels, grapefruit, white grape juice.
T - Those dank hops are intense, lots of white grape flavor, pine, spruce and earthy tones, tart apple, and a little sweet malt.
M - Full and well carbonated, easily drinkable.
O - While I'm not on par with the appearance, everything else is solid about this beer, though its not my favorite, nor do I think its worth all the hype. Compared to Pliny, its a no-contest situation, its thoroughly better. This actually delivers, lots of good aroma and the taste is solid, love the big grape flavor in this. Its a shame Alchemy is being too hipster to expand and make other things, or even distribute more.

Serving type: can

05-19-2013 23:29:30 | More by Omnium

Beer-A-Lot

Virginia

4.46/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Had an unexpected opportunity to buy this from someone so jumped on it. Never thought I'd get a chance.

Drank 1/3 from can, then rest from pint.

A - Cloudy, nice full head. Very foamy head with lots of lacing.

S - An amazing aroma, with tons of citrus/grapefruit/lemony and herbal smells. You could find yourself just sniffing the can or glass for . . . minutes. But then you have to drink.

T - Without a doubt, the least hoppy and bitter DIPA I've ever had. Extremely smooth. Not too carbonated. While this isn't my favorite style, if this were the only IPA I ever drank, it probably would be a favorite style. Almost tastes like a sparkling beverage that's been spiked. But better.

M - Rich, creamy, and very smooth.

O - I can understand why people rave about this beer. I found myself saying several time, "Mmm, this is quite good. I'm really impressed" I rarely say that about IPAs. I'll happily drink this again. And again.

Serving type: can

05-18-2013 15:59:24 | More by Beer-A-Lot

JonRogers

Massachusetts

4.84/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

I didn't see the beer in a glass as I drank it from the can as recommended, but I imagine it is beautiful judging from the smell. I also drank it a little on the cold side... to thirsty to wait. Taste is fruitful and as smooth as in Imp IPA gets. Hoppy as hell in the best way. Again, very smooth. I drink IPA's 90% of the time and I cant say I have had a better beer.

Serving type: can

05-18-2013 02:56:27 | More by JonRogers

thegoon55

South Carolina

4.91/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Heady is the real deal.

A- standard golden color, big white head disappears into little lacing.

S- wow. Grapefruit bomb. I love.

T- massive grapefruit notes, pipe, little bit of bitter hops. Lovely.

M- medium perfect body medium carbonation

O- understand why this is the number one beer in the world. Is it the best or my favorite beer? No. But there is nothing wrong with it.

Serving type: can

05-17-2013 00:50:09 | More by thegoon55

skyout

Massachusetts

4.53/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Very smooth on the mouthfeel with excellent golden color. Very complex flavors, including a slight metallic taste which is common to IPA's of this type. Overall, excellent in all categories. The brewer encourages one to drink from the can, which isn't typical, but definitely adds to the experience.

Serving type: can

05-16-2013 23:07:05 | More by skyout

weonfire

Kentucky

4.65/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

A - Golden/Amber, hazy, 2+ inches big thick fluffy head, light patchy lacing, light carbonation rising, large amount of yeast.

S - Huge citrus, lemon, orange, lovely grapefruit, carmel

T - Dry grapefruit, lemon, citrus, tropical fruit, pine. finish: bitter (8/10), med/high acidity

M - Creamy, super frothy, full body, certainly a piney grapefruit lingerer, excellent carbonation

O - Phenomenal grapefruit, just about perfect IPA mouth. zero booze, love the pine. my only preference happens to be a sweeter opposes to drier IIPA.

Serving type: can

05-15-2013 02:07:28 | More by weonfire

RyanCave

Virginia

4.7/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Poured into a tulip

Appearance: Pours beautiful pale with a red/orange hue. In my opinion the best color for an IPA, the word majestic comes to mind..

Smell: As soon as I cracked it open it was like some smacked me in the face with a pine tree. Incredible amounts of pine. Reminded me of sitting in the forest.

Taste: lots of pine, not too bitter, balanced well in my opinion. Starts piney sweet with some orange with a small bitter aftertaste

Mouthfeel: Nothing remarkable, what you'd expect from an Imperial IPA

Overall: This is probably one of the best DIPA's I've had, perfectly balanced, and a beautiful experience. I'm in the process of securing a case from a friend of mine now.

Thanks to SammyJaxxxx for hooking me up, you're the man!

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 03:51:11 | More by RyanCave

LambicPentameter

Kansas

4.63/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Managed to get 2 cans of this thanks to the kindness of another BA. This is a quick review based on drinking the first one straight outta the can, as directed by said can. I'll review again out of a glass with the next one. No discernible freshness or 'drink by' date to be found.

Appearance - Can't really rate this in fairness, since I drank it straight out of the can. I do like the image of hops literally blowing a guy's mind, but alas I cannot judge the beer's appearance. That being said, I have to score it something, so I'll dock it just a little bit from the overall.

Smell - I will be interested to see how this one smells in a glass, because even out of the mouth of a can, it's intoxicating. Pine, grapefruit, citrus zest, herbal.

Taste - Delicious and balanced. Grapefruit, pineapple and more resinous pine characteristics. Bitterness is almost absent, until the beer is gone, and there is an lingering essence of hop bitters. Refreshing in spite of it's high gravity and pronounced hop presence.

Mouthfeel - Medium-bodied with pronounced but not overpowering carbonation. Finish is clean, with lingering but faint bitterness.

Overall a highly drinkable and flavorful beer. I was admittedly skeptical given the level of praise surrounding this beer, but I was pleasantly surprised. The beer was pretty damn close to the hype that preceded it.

Serving type: can

05-14-2013 01:14:41 | More by LambicPentameter

ClintBEERME

Maine

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

I wish this beer was a fruit or a vitamin. I wish it was a soap. I wish it was my girlfriend. I wish it was my job. I wish I needed it to live. I wish it wasn't so hard to come across. I want a swimming pool full of Heady Topper that I can freeze in the winter and skate on. I would move to Vermont for this beer. If there is a better beer regularly available on this planet, please by all means let me know of it.

Serving type: can

05-12-2013 22:54:50 | More by ClintBEERME

Zbyler

Connecticut

4.85/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Got to try this for the first time last night at an Allagash tasting event at Decicco's in Brewster.

A- Considering I drank it right from the can (as it so boldly suggests right on the rim) I cannot comment on the appearance. The can is large and silver with a quirky drawing of a mad scientist on the front. It also says "Don't be a D-bag, recycle this can" on the back which I found amusing.

S- Great nose on this beer. Huge citrus hop aroma, grapefruit, orange, pineapple, mango, pine, all mixed together for a lovely bouquet of smells.

T- WOW. Even better than the smell leads on! Fantastic resinous hop flavors, citrus notes, lots of tart grapefruit and pineapple in there as well. Moderately bitter finish, extremely refreshing as well.

M- Amazing mouthfeel on this beer. Moderately carbonated, thick, resinous, oily feel on the tongue.

O- I have had many of the top 250 beers in the recent months and in most cases they did not live up to the hype. This is not one of those cases. Amazing from when you first pop the top to when you take your last sip. Absolutely outstanding beer and it deserves its #1 rating hands down. I had one when I first got to the tasting and then went beer shopping and had to stop and have another on the way out because it makes you crave its deliciousness. Easily my favorite beer that I have had to date.

Serving type: can

05-11-2013 15:25:52 | More by Zbyler

Stevedore

Wisconsin

4.53/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

16oz can with about the first 1/4 drank out of the can, the rest poured into a FFF teku glass and consumed today 5/10/13. Thanks to shagens for the opportunity to drink this 1.5-2 week old Heady.

Aroma: Holy smokes. Soon as I pop the can: tons of sweet honey, toffee, caramel and biscuits.. followed by quite a bit of tropical fruit- mango, papaya with a bit of grapefruit. Big, big whiffs of tropical fruits. If it drinks anywhere as good as it smells, it's a winner. (5)

Colour: Can't tell when it's in the can, but once I pour it into the teku, it looks good. Burnt orange, like the University of Texas' school colours. Pours with a nice thick 2cm white head that slowly fades into a bubbly collar that persists. There are bits of lacing that doesn't really stick around, but otherwise a good looking DIPA. At the end of the drink, I poured out the last ounce of the can to see what the floaties looked like- and its nasty. I see why they recommend drinking it out of the can. (4)

Flavour: I get a big malt kick up front, with caramel, toffee, honey and sweet bread. But that only sets the stage for a nice-sized blast of tropical fruit which quickly fades away into a bitter citrus finish which is also accompanied by a mellow backend that balances the hoppiness. (4.5)

Mouthfeel: Definitely not lacking in the department. Thicker side of medium body, excellent carbonation, resinous and coats the palate pretty well with the bitter finish- which is mostly citrus and a bit of tropical fruit. I don't feel any heat at all drinking this. (4.5)

Overall: I think the hoppiness quotient is where it needs to be- which balances out the sweet maltiness that predominated the older can. It does come together in a better way which I definitely appreciate. It's hoppy as hell though in a very non-subtle manner, though not as much as Abrasive is. Pliny is hoppy in a more subtle way- mainly in the aroma and flavour (intense grapefruit and citrus), but not so much the bitter aftertaste like Heady gets that starts burning off my palate. Very excellent DIPA, just a bit behind Pliny and Abrasive in my book. (4.5)

Serving type: can

05-11-2013 03:00:59 | More by Stevedore

mjtiernan

New York

4.65/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

16oz can - Started drinking right from the can and then poured into an oversized stemmed tulip.

A: Orange color with medium haze. Solid finger of white head on top. Quite a bit of spotty lacing.

S: Tons of citrus and sweet-smelling tropical fruit. Such a nice mixture of hop aromas. Couldn’t be more inviting.

T: First few sips from the can were very flavorful, but I preferred drinking it from a glass. Mostly citrus (grapefruit) and tropical fruit (mango). Some residual sweetness and finishing with a nice bitterness, but not too strong. The bitterness does linger on your tongue for a while. Just awesome.

M: Starts sweet and then finishes dry and biting. Hop oils coat your mouth. Medium carb.

O: To be honest, I didn’t want to bother with this review. Just wanted to drink the beer. I was afraid that I wasn’t going to love this, but no worries....it’s delicious.

Serving type: can

05-10-2013 02:06:02 | More by mjtiernan

schnarr84

Alberta (Canada)

4.75/5  rDev +0.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

pint can half poured into sam adams perfect glass and half in can.
cant believe i finally get to try this. only about 4 weeks old too.

Tons of sediment when poured. no shit, with the amount of hops in this im sure their filter room is working overtime.

SIck aroma. crazy hop flavor. literally tastes like the hop storage room at the brewery i work at smells like. great mouthfeel, feels like such a light beer. almost a different experience drinking straight from the can. same mouthfeel but a bigger hop blast. this beer is obviously insanely hyped and for good reason. i could drink a case. even at 8% it feels like a sessionable ipa

Serving type: can

05-09-2013 06:53:20 | More by schnarr84

MRsojourner

Massachusetts

4.23/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

the look outside of the can is super hazy....but what do you expect with this many hops! the foamy light head persisted till the end of the glass.
the smell is citrus and a strange musty aroma.
the taste is not that bitter at all....it's like super hop orange juice that is very drinkable. it keeps you coming back. very easy to drink given the abv level and hop usage. very glad I got to try this and will drink it out of the can next time to see if there is any difference given there recommendation.

Serving type: can

05-09-2013 00:52:44 | More by MRsojourner