Heady Topper - The Alchemist

macrosmatic

Florida

4.4/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to ActonBrewer for this one. Reviewed from notes. Drank from the can (as instructed).

A: I did pour a little bit into a pint glass to see what it looked like. Light yellowish color. It looked hazy, even with the small pour.

S: Pine and citrus hops predominate a really nice aroma profile. On a side note, I did feel a little self-conscious trying to smell through the opening in the can.

T: Flavor follows the nose well. Citrus hops predominate.

M: A bit on the heavy side for an IIPA. Also is somewhat less bitter than I expected.

O: Really good IIPA. Couldn't tell you the last time I had a beer out of a can, but I can promise you it wasn't anywhere close to this tasty! Would definitely like to have again.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 00:10:37 | More by macrosmatic

jibbyvonjibb

California

4/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Copper color. Large fluffy white head. Sediment floating.

S: Grapefruit. Tropical fruit. Some pine.

T: Nice balance. Fruity flavors and some maltiness balance bitterness. Finishes quite dry.

M: Medium body. Medium carbonation.

O: Quite good. About as good as IPA's get. And actually drinkable!

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2012 03:02:54 | More by jibbyvonjibb

dgugliuzza

Illinois

4.88/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured from can into a snifter

This beer has a massive pour: Half beer, half head in the glass. Sticky white head that wants to last forever. Lacing clings to the sides of the glass. Burnt orange body.

The smell is an explosion of citrus and piney hops. Grapefruit, pineapple, mango and pine resin. Earthy, bitter hops follow the initial floral/tropical sweetness. What a well balanced, well crafted aroma.

The first sip yields a burst of citrus and piney hops just as the nose promised. Each flavor is distinct and well placed. Grapefruit and pine up front followed by earthy, bitter hops and sweetness. Tropical flavors are mixed in as well. Finishes bittersweet. Outstanding.

Medium soft mouthfeel with excellent creaminess. Carbonation is spot on. Assertive, but not overly done. Amazing drinkability.

Heady Topper blew my mind just like the dude on the can. This is right up there with all the best DIPAs. I would seek this out whenever possible.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2012 00:40:34 | More by dgugliuzza

zac16125

South Carolina

4.63/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

1pt can poured into a snifter (sorry, I could not drink this straight out of the can, no matter how much persuasion is written on it.  I have one more and maybe I will.  It just seems wrong though)
No born on date 

Big thanks to nutter for sending this one over in a trade

A: Pours out a yellowish amber, think apple cider colored, with 1.5 fingers width of sea foam white head, with decent retention but after a min or two dissipates down to a thin film. There is just an absurd amount of sedimentation suspended in the glass.  Some may find it gross, but I actually don't mind it.  That how I know it's made from the good stuff!  Leaves a fair amount of lacing, but could be more, especially compared to some others in the style.  

S: Very aromatic.  Holy hell the citrus notes are out of this world! Peach, orange, lemon, grapefruit, apricot, mango.  There are also some accompanying piney hops, and some floral notes.  I get almost no malt presence (and I like it!), just a faint subtle sweetness.  Malts be damned.  I may have found a beer that smells better than Hopslam (maybe).

T: The citrus hop bouquet is not quite there in the taste.  Don't get me wrong, this is still a hop bomb, but the citrus profile is not to the degree that the nose implies.  The biggest hop presence in the taste is a biting piney hop bitterness.  On the citrus side I do get orange, lemon zest, grapefruit, and peach.  Unlike the nose, there is a malt presence, which acts to balance things out nicely.  Some sweetness comes out as it warms.  Really good, but not quite as good as the nose.

M/D: So very smooth, which to me is one of the big things that separates the great DIPAs from the just good ones.  It has a very subtle carbonation, which I appreciate and prefer.  There is an impressive drying quality that acts to wipe the palate clean quickly after each sip. Does a great job of masking the ABV.  Drinkability is very high as well, this pint went down way too easily and fast. Just about perfect for the style in this area.

O: Overall, one of the best example I have tried of one of my favorite styles.  I still think fresh Hopslam is the epitome of the DIPA style, and this one doesn't knock the king off it's thrown, but I think it's fair to say its my #2.  Blows Pliny the Elder out of the water if you ask me, and that's saying something.  Definitely a beer all hop heads need to try. For the next one, I think I will drink it out of the can.  And I can't wait.  

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 22:01:36 | More by zac16125

LiquidBread219

Indiana

4.9/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A- Deep golden in color, very hazy nice foamy white head that sticks around for awhile a lot of lacing nice looking beer.

S - Lots of hops. Lots of pines, some floral and citrus notes as well. The slightest scent of sweet malt.

T - Tastes great and amazingly balanced. Sweet malty caramel flavor followed by very piney and again slightly floral and citrus hops. Nice refreshing bitter finish but not overpowering at all. I must say it has lived up to the hype.

M - Medium-bodied, nice carbonation.

O - Overall, I've been trying to get this beer for a long time I am a "Hophead" and I'm glad I got to try this one. It is a wonderful DIPA and has lived up to the hype I will try to get this one again.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 23:23:17 | More by LiquidBread219

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

4.6/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Can (thanks Stephen): Poured a cloudy light yellow color ale with large chunks of protein floating around and a large foamy head with good retention. Aroma of super intense pine hops notes with some citrus and resin notes. Taste is also a super intense mix of pine, resin and light citrus undertones hops with a dry malt backbone that is hard to distinguish from the hops attack. The floral aromas are huge end very enjoyable. Body is full with great carbonation. I must admit the hype is totally justified for this one, truly one of the great IIPA.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2012 18:20:29 | More by Phyl21ca

steve8robin

Massachusetts

4.9/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Got some of these on a recent beer trip to VT. Glad In did too, man is this one killer IPA. Official review now. PT sized can...

A: A murky golden color with a 1 inch white fluffy head that fades quickly to a small lace atop the brew. Very good.

S: Awesome! A hop heads wet dream. Some piney citrus upfront quickly blended with some tropical fruit scents some more grapefruit citrus on the end. Such a well blend of hop varieties. Awesome!

T: Starts off with a mouthful of bubbles and piney malt which is quickly drowned by a hop flavor that ramps up quickly and overtakes the taste. A beautiful grapefruit / pineapple blend with a piney bitterness which sticks with you on your palate. Man, such a well blended IPA. One of the best blends of hop flavors I've had in an IPA.

M: Medium body with a hard carbonation. A creamy bitter finish. Very good.

O: All in all, yep, this is one of the best IPA's I've had. If you like an IPA that blends all flavors exceptionally well, than this will blow your mind. If you like an IPA that is just bitter and nothing else, this is satisfy, but not blow you away. A must try for the hop lover!

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2012 02:38:46 | More by steve8robin

ales4baldo

California

4.75/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to MBAcoach for sending this my way.

P-Like the scientist on the can and nice long story on the beer and how it should be drank on the back.

A-Well this beer pours a cloudy and foggy orange peel. Keeps about a finger of head. Not much.

S-No lie, this beer smells like straight up sweet hops, pure and simple. Just imagine a bunch of hops in your hands and shoving your nose into it.

T-Sweet man. Very sweet. Nice hops and well, more hops. Has a sweet malt presence that seems to stick. Grapefruit and green grapes along with pineapple.

M-This is a more full bodied IPA. Not too full though or heavy. Really smooth man. Great flavor. Has a quick dry finish.

O-Very impressed with these beer. Man, i think it might be better than the Pliny, I dont know though, thank god i got more to figure out this crazyness.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 04:47:28 | More by ales4baldo

flannelman808

California

4.45/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

no date on the can...

A: Yellow/amber with lots of little uniformly sized particles floating around. Thick off-white seafoam head forms and retains quite well. Good lacing also.

S: Recently fallen pine needle dominates as well as a resinous punch of a cannibisian nature. Subtle biscuit cookie shows as an afterthought.

T: Pine and grapefruit pith wash over the palate as well as that resinous quality aforementioned in the aroma. This is quite bitter I must say, and evokes a nice tingly sensation on the middle of the tongue which sort of amplifies that quality. Sticky tobacco leaf tar like flavors creep into the finish in an interesting sort of way. Great stouts often carry "layers" of flavor and usually they revolve around chocolate. This carries layers of hop driven complexity. Overall I find it to revolve around herbaceous flavors. Not much citrus and what's there resembles more pith than zest. Overall this is bitter however there is a sort of burnt sugar cookie quality which provides some sweet balancing notes. This is not quite as dry as pliny overall.

M: Despite the prickle, this is very sticky on the back-palate contributing to a nice long finish.

O: Really a very good beer, and I would love to try more of it at the freshest stage possible. All the same, however old this was it's very good, but lets be honest, it's not deserving of a 100 rating.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 09:06:40 | More by flannelman808

Digimaika2

Ontario (Canada)

4.83/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a fresh 4-pack at the Healthy Living Market in Burlington, Vt. Definitely one of the more beautiful cans I've ever purchased.

A: Pours a slightly hazy bronze-copper colour with a marshmallow-like creamy foam head. Decent retention and very good lacing down the glass.

S: Amazing. Damp earthy moss funkyness, lumberyard pine, a big grapefruit and mango element, and creamy walnut. Incredibly smooth and well integrated aromas.

T: Buttered biscuit-like malt serves as the backbone, with an earthy pine bitterness and tart grapefruit and sweet mango upfront. An earthy damp wood and mushroom-like elements are present. The taste screams fresh. Smooth, creamy, and very well balanced. Alcohol pretty much undetectable.

M: Full body with a moderate carbonation. Quite oily (welcoming) with a slightly resiny and grainy texture.

D: One of the best IPA's I've ever tasted. What else can I say?

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2012 02:49:19 | More by Digimaika2

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

4.98/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A christmas present from duffextra cold.

I'm not a fan of the unfiltered IPA look but that said, this is a fine lookin' beer. Golden amber color with some floaties swirling about in the haze. Dense head never really diminishes and rides down the glass depositing layer upon layer of foamy rings like my glass is wearing a rugby shirt. As always, bonus points for cans. Super extra bonus points for a tallboy.

Aroma is every wonderful C hop aroma smushed into one glorious beer. Like motorboating a bag of hops. Grapefruit! Pine! Passion fruit! Grass! Yowza! Gadzooks! Spongecake malt underneath. So, so fresh.

Tastes like grapefruit soaked spongecake. Creamy unfiltered mouthfeel is also prickly with hop resin. Chewy.

So hoppy I tried filling my empty glass with water to make a small beer. It didn't work.

I honestly can't think of a way to make this beer any better. I guess filtering out the floaties wouldn't hurt. Hope the brewpub is up and running again soon.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 14:08:15 | More by donkeyrunner

jegross2

Illinois

4.58/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Reviewing the Heady Topper from The Alchemist.
Score (Can): 96
Score (Duvel tulip): 92

2011 can, courtesy as an extra from FrankenBrew (BeerAdvocate trade)! Been wanting to try this forever. It's rumored to taste/smell different from a can, so I'm doing this brew half-and-half. The half I drank out a glass was from a Duvel tulip.

Appearance (Can): Silver colored can with black artwork etched on the front. The can has a thrice repeated warning around the upper edge that reads, in all caps, "DRINK FROM THE CAN!" I don't like it when beer tells me what to do. Whatever, I'll do what I want!

Appearance (Duvel tulip): Pours a super hazy orange-amber color with a finger of super foamy cream-colored head that sticks around for a couple of minutes until it settles into a ring around the glass and thin clump in the middle. Decent lacing. 4/5

Smell (Can): Huge citrus and floral aromas. LOTS of intense, fresh tropical fruits -- oranges, grapefruits, pineapple and mangoes. Fresh grass clippings and dank resin. The nose is absolutely packed with bright, floral hops. Let's be honest -- it's like a sunshine of citrus-hops. This is hands down the best IPA, potentially the best beer, I have ever smelled in my life. I wish I could buy an air-freshener that smelled just like this! 5/5

Smell (Duvel tulip): A lot of the intensity of the citrus-hops aromas is lost when you pour this out of the can -- even into the infamously aromatic tulip glass! The aroma is a lot earthier, mellower and maltier. Reminds me a lot of Zombie Dust. Still getting zesty oranges and some lemons with big whiffs. You need to smell with much more effort to get the deliciousness once its poured. This one is absolutely better from the can -- no joke! 4/5

Taste (Can): A lot more mellow and subdued than the aroma would have you believe. Very earthy, dank hop bitterness. Orange pulp and lemon hit up front too, almost like a mellowed out Zombie Dust. Malty, bittersweet citrus builds on the mid-palate as the beer layers. Alas, it's not the front or midpalate that defines this beer -- it's the finish. The finish is zesty, bitter oranges and hops, and BOY does it linger! 4.5/5

Taste (Duvel tulip): Like the aroma, a lot of the intensity of the flavors are lost when you pour this from the can. The lingering orange-citrus bitterness largely disappears, and turns into a very average IPA-like finish. Since aroma makes up a main component of taste, this is not too surprising. A lot of the bright citrus flavors are lost and replaced by dank, earthy tones. When poured from the can, Heady Topper turns into an earthier Daisy Cutter with mid-palate flavor. 4/5

Mouthfeel (Can): Medium bodied, medium carbonation. It feels a little under-carbonated at first, preventing the citrusy bitterness from popping on the tongue, but the trade-off of a heavy lingering flavor on the tongue for the finish is absolutely worth it. Finish is a little oily, a little stick, and bittersweet. 4.5/5

Mouthfeel (Duvel tulip): No difference, other than a slightly maltier finish.

Overall: This one should ABSOLUTELY be enjoyed from the can. From what I read, a lot of the volatiles that make this beer so special quickly escape from the glass, whereas the can maximizes their presence through lower exposure and retention. Who would have thought that drinking from the can could be so wonderful? Maybe those tailgaters have it right after all! If I could get consistent access to this beer, it would be my go to non-stout brew.

Recommendation: This is an absolutely must-seek out double IPA. Just make sure to drink it from the can. I wish I could pour it back in and undo the mistake I made, questioning the wisdom of the can.

Food Pairings: Kuma's Corner hamburgers. Spicy food would be pretty great with this too.

Cost: $12 for a four pack.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 21:43:18 | More by jegross2

Tucquan

Pennsylvania

4.7/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this on 2011-11-20 in Columbia, PA. This was canned four days ago. Had this again on 2012-02-04.

A - Per the instructions, I smelled and drank most of this beer directly from the can. I poured the last 4 ozs into a nonic glass. The color is amber-orange with a 1/2-finger off-white head. It's somewhat hazy with some small floaties. There isn't much lace but there are alcohol legs.

S - Orgasmic. Lots of pineapple, pine and fresh-crushed hop buds, sticky and oily. Not much malt. A tropical hop lover's dream.

T - Big, marvellous flavor, much like the smells. Huge fresh pineapple and orange flesh, big oily resinous hop buds, pine, moderate pale malt and very light caramel sweetness but the fresh pineapple sweetness is more dominant. The bitterness is orange zest and comes in more towards the finish. This fantastic taste lingers but doesn't assault the tongue. Balanced. Remarkable.

M - Light-medium body and medium carbonation. A bit creamy and dries out nicely.

O - This is flat-out a great beer; hovering at the very top of my IPA/DIPA favorites. One remarkable thing about this brew was my wife's reaction, who isn't a fan of bitter hop bombs. She too loved the smell. Her comment on the taste is that it was really good and for the first time, she can appreciate what I like about hop-centric brews, my favorite style of beer.

Notes: A ton of thanks to matador677 for hooking me up with this taste treat.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2011 22:28:51 | More by Tucquan

baconbourbon

Florida

4.9/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance: Beautiful golden body with a sizable head and great lacing.
Smell: Waves of citrus hops with flowery hints. Excellent.
Taste: Citrusy with a dry and slightly bitter finish. Extremely drinkable.
Mouthfeel: Very smooth and a bit creamy.
Overall: Not as good as when I had it on tap at the Alchemist, but pretty damn close. Everything about this beer is essentially perfect.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2011 02:53:32 | More by baconbourbon

tjkinate

Texas

4.43/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Tasty brew and my first form The Alchemist.

Poured out of the can for one tasting and left in the can for the other. I preferred in the can, probably why the brewery recommends this.

A: 2 fingered, soapy, slightly off white head that exhibited good retention. Murky orange body with a deep orange core.

S: Wow, those hops are strong. Lots of floral, pine, grapefruit, lemon, and grassy notes. Sweet malts were also evident. I usually can't identify so many different smells!

T: Quite hoppy, with loads of grapefruit. Not as sweet as the smell led me to believe. However, the rest of the scents were evident in the tasting and were well balanced. Delicious.

M: Medium light, crisp yet silky.

O: A great brew, what else can I say.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2011 22:36:31 | More by tjkinate

beerandcycling88

Washington

4.63/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Review from tasting notes.

A Pours a hazy copper color with a pretty good white head.

S Lots of pine and resin with a bit of grapefruit. Malt really not noticable.

T By far the best part, lots of pine and grapefruit and other citrus type fruits. There is just enough of a bready malt presence to provide some balance.

M Nice medium body that's easy to drink.

Overall this is an amazing IPA that I think is one of the best of the style and actually lived up to the hype. I wish this was easier to get here in WA

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2011 02:17:48 | More by beerandcycling88

abrand

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Huge thanks to hooliganlife for hooking me up with this. 16 ounce can poured into New Belgium globe glass

This pours a deep copper color with a nice retaining head that lines the glass. The pour is very hazy but appealing. Smells of huge citrus fruits including oranges, pineapples and melons. Some earthy smells come through with pine needles. Nice hop presence as well on the nose. Taste is very sweet up front with a delicious hop finish that balances on the palate. Very enjoyable tasting beer. Mouthfeel is medium bodied. Overall this is amazing. Very drinkable DIPA with 8% and the taste is amazing. Thanks again Scotty!

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2011 02:29:18 | More by abrand

ike4tay45

Ohio

4.38/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Was able to score 3 bottles in trade. This is a late review as I enjoyed the beer a while back.

A: Pours a hazy golden amber color with a 1.5 finger head disapating quickly leaving behind some really nice lacing.

S: Fresh squeezed citrus juices and sweet pineapple in the nose.

T: Grapefruit, pineapple, and a little bit of a sweet malt flavor, fruits became more pronounced as it warmed.

M: Medium carbonation. clean, crisp, smooth.

Overall: Cant wait to get my hands on a couple more cans.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2011 00:37:17 | More by ike4tay45

BeerResearcher

Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Shared a 22oz bottle with a very generous friend.
Served in Delirium goblets.
Pours a hazy pale orange color with a fluffy, but fading white head. Lots of sticky and patchy lacing rims the glass.
A big whiff of pine and wild flowers blast out of the gate. A resinous hop aroma rises and pulls a dry malty smell, along with some perfumy citrus and a little mellow rum.
The tastes follow the aromas very closely. Very hoppy, with bright orange zestiness, yet held in check by a solid caramel malt with some honey sweetness.
So flavorful, yet so drinkable!

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2011 20:59:20 | More by BeerResearcher

HopStoopid120

Connecticut

4.83/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Review from notes. Consumed on 12/12/10.

Pours a very surprisingly dull, murky, tan leathery, apricot/peach golden color. This is quite different than I remember it on tap. In the past it was the clarity of this beer that had me so impressed before I even brought it to my nose. Two fingers of bright white creamy head sit atop this monster. The lace starts to appear as the head dissipates, sparatic rocky all over my tulip. Thin streams of bubble trickle to the top, showing its moderate carbonation.

Hops, hops, hops. Tons of fruit, mainly grapefruit. This beer is DANK. Somehow it actually smells sticky. Hint of malt sweetness is buried in there. Maybe slightly herbal. I'm impressed.

Follows the nose. Great hop bitterness and crazy fruitiness. The bitterness lingers after every sip. There is a sweetness the starts to show as it warms, almost caramel like.

Medium to full bodied. A slight prickle on te tounge. Light carbonation, but just enough to keep you drinking.

This brew is amazing. I could drink it all day everyday. The only real draw back to this was the color, it just wasn't what I remembered from it on tap. Still amazing though. Glad I was able to drink and share several of these bottles last winter. Now I'm just waiting for those cans... Now that's a game changer. Damn.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2011 14:13:32 | More by HopStoopid120

Buggies

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice dark copper/orange with a thin fizzy head. Nice ring of lacing leaves blotchy chunks on the glass.

Smells great. Dominated by big booming aroma of pine. A little earthy with citrus coming through.

Tastes even more amazing. Once again the earthy pine flavors are up front. The citrus gives it a little sweetness. Nice bitter snap at the end.

What I really like about this beer is that the body is just right. Its pretty light focusing mostly on the hops. It's quite easy to drink due to the lightness of the body. You could drink a bunch of these and not feel full or have your mouth all tied up by stickiness.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2011 01:15:42 | More by Buggies

Rampage1

Arizona

4.38/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Look forward to this being canned.

Appearance: This one has a nice deep, hazy golden color to it with little traces of hops throughout the pour. Nice pure white head follows. I noticed that after having one of the bottles for over a week what originally was some slight residual hops in the bottle turned into a heavy amount of hops in the bottom of the bottle.

Smell: This has all the great tropical smells to it -- mainly citrus- orange rind with some pineapple,grapefruit and a little mango. No pine notes here which is fine by me. I'm all about the Tropical citrus smells in my IPA's. I can tell you from having this once before that this beers smells change completely in a weeks time. Kind of has this funky- strong smell now after it being another week old. Unique in the smell. Drink em up now guys!

Taste: Its like drinking orange juice with a nice bitter finish. I like that there is not a ton of malt to the taste yet it still has enough to keep the bitterness somewhat in check. There is a slight biscuit flavor on the end of the taste as well.

Mouthfeel: Nice amount of carbonation to keep the hop flavors swirling around on the palate to deliver the great,fresh flavor to be had in this beer.

Drinkability: Great beer and am very happy to have got to try it. I will be seeking this one out when it hits in cans which now looks like it will be a while. IPA's are my favorite and this is another to add to the list.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2011 20:05:58 | More by Rampage1

tarheels86

California

4.2/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz, thanks to ygtbsm94.

A- The pour is a clear, light amber orange with a thin, white head.

N- Massive fruity hops, big fresh Centennial and Cascade pellets, fresh grapefruit, pineapple, fresh pine, caramel. Really just a super dank hop nose.

T- Astringent, dry, resinous, loads of nutty bitterness piling on.

P- Dry, bitter, biting palate.

Sort of one dimensional.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2011 17:39:49 | More by tarheels86

callmemickey

Pennsylvania

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

Bottle consumed a few months back.

A: Golden orange body with a pillowy off-white head that sticks around for a bit before leaving solid lacing down the sides of the glass.

S: Beautifully bitter grapefruit, orange, pine, and resinous oil. Thick and layered. Easily could get lost for minutes just exploring the aroma.

T: Ever so slightly a fall off from the nose. The Hops didn't quite "pop" with the same intensity as in the aroma. Still, the was quite complex, delicious, and top notch.

M: Creamy smoothness. Medium bodied with appropriate carbonation. One of the really nice things was with all of the bitterness, it managed to not be prickly or raw.

O: A very nice dIPA that deserves to be up with the big boys. I'd imagine super-fresh on tap would take this a notch higher.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2011 13:23:53 | More by callmemickey

Lunch

Maryland

4.35/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Thanks to Thorpe429 for supplying the bottle. Sampled just a couple weeks after bottling and poured into a Darkness snifter (being a glassware fanatic, I was quite envious when I noticed that Mike possessed the official Heady Topper glass, bastard, but very cool)

Really excited to try this and very generous of Mike to share the bottle.

Beers pours a traditional light light golden color that was a slightly hazy. A little lighter than expected and I likened it to a lightly paler and more hazy PtE.

Smell was all hops with no real malt to speak of...very nice.

Taste was certainly delicious and it lives up to its name, but I may have played it up a bit more in mind than I should have. Some nice bitterness and citrus flavors.

Mouthfeel was spot on with nice carbonation and this is certainly a beer that I could sit and drink all day.

Thanks again Mike!

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2011 20:21:01 | More by Lunch