Heady Topper - The Alchemist

jegross2

Illinois

4.58/5  rDev -3.2%
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 -0.6%
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 +3.6%
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 -6.3%
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 -2.1%
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 -6.3%
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 -7.4%
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 -5.9%
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, 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 +2.1%
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 -5.5%
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 -7.4%
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 -11.2%
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 -4.9%
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 -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

kwjd

Ontario (Canada)

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

Thanks Sammy for getting this bottle into Ontario! Pours a bright orange colour with thick white head. Lots of lacing coats the side of my glass. Some hop floaties in the beer, which I think just adds to this. I can smell the hops before I even lift the glass off the table. Lots of resiny pine and citrus hops in the aroma. Very nice bitterness, but there seems to be a malt balance as well. This is certainly one of my favourites.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2011 16:34:37 | More by kwjd

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Very impressive DIPA. The hop aromas, very C-hop, are very satisfying and very fresh as if I am at the brewery now , as if hand bottled. Great lacing and head. Unfiltered look and taste, a full mouthfull. A little astringent. Grea carbonation. Bottle from Fred.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2011 15:51:35 | More by northyorksammy

sherm1016

Wisconsin

4.38/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle in trade with Glouglouburp. Thanks! Pours a hazy amber color with a big white head and nice lacing. Aroma is citrus, grapefruit hops. Medium on the palate with average carbonation. Excellent citrus hop flavor with a nice malt balance and a nice bitter hop finish. Very similar to some west coast DIPAs I have had the pleasure to try. A very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2011 00:49:08 | More by sherm1016

grub

Ontario (Canada)

4.28/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

got this one in a trade with freud. huge thanks man!

22oz bottle. bottled 11/30/2010. sampled 12/11/2010.

pours hazy orangey amber with a big fluffy off-white head. haze is likely due to pouring the entire bottle including the dregs. the head drops slowly and leaves tons of lace as it falls.

aroma is great. there be hops in there! candied grapefruit and orange. pine. layers of tangerine, apricot, and perhaps even some pineapple. light alcohol. white bread, cracker, and a bit of biscuit. caramel. touch of butterscotch hiding in the background.

taste is good. citrus and pine with a solid malt backbone. grapefruit and orange. bit of tangerine. resiny pine. whole wheat bread and biscuit. bit of cracker. light alcohol. just above medium bitterness level. caramel with a bit of the butterscotch that i noticed in the aroma. the other hoppy layers from the aroma are still present, but at a more subdued level. herbal and earthy hop layers start to appear here, giving it a bit of an english dimension to an otherwise american brew.

mouthfeel is great. just above medium body with a nice dry hoppy finish. medium carbonation level.

drinkability is great. the bitterness never overpowers the solid malt footing. the alcohol is almost unnoticed until a little warmth starts to grow in my stomach around mid-glass. nice hoppy depth. i enjoy the balance of this one - certainly not a palate shredder, and not as in-your-face as some, but it's got much more repeatability as a result. good stuff!

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2011 17:54:26 | More by grub

maximum12

Minnesota

3.85/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Big thanks to baconsausage for shipping this towards the Arctic Circle along with a slate of other great beers. The IPA fiend in me has really been looking forward to this one. 22 oz. bottle split into two pint glasses, with the floaties & several ounces left for later potential rumination.

Pour is wide-mouth orange, clear without the hop poop left in the bottom of the bottle. Smell is startlingly bitter, citrus, pine, & touches of raw onion.

Heady Topper is perhaps the oiliest IPA that's crossed my mucous barrier. Bitterness street-sweeps the senses, separating into grapefruit, citrus, & a knifeful of onion. Strangely reminiscent of Gubna. Definite tang in the back-end, astringent, before the bitterness throttles the life out of everything else in the finish. Strangely, it affects my tongue more than anything else. Bizarre.

Very drying, invitingly sippable, this is a very good beer, but not sure what all the hoopla is about. Not to say I'd ever turn one down!

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2011 03:20:31 | More by maximum12

PeprSprYoFace

California

4.95/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Wow. Thanks to Sideswipe for giving me this beer for free. Shared with my roomate pipmeister here on BA.

Pours a golden orange color. Some hop floaties are floating around but that doesnt bother me. What bothers me is this beers head is terrible for an IPA. Usually their awesome sticky lookin heads. Not great lacing.

Wow. Amasizing citrucy hops even after being a month and a half old. How did this smell when it was days old? Can't wait to try it then. Mango, orange, lemon, grass. Awesome.

Taste is so well balanced. Reminds me of a hopslam in balance but this is better for sure. I'm gunna have to open one of the fresh hopslams I just got in a trade to compare. Tons and I mean tons of hop flavor. Citrucy goodness. The malt backbone complements it perfectly.

Mouthfeel is perfect. Perfect carb and maltiness.

I could have drank a couple bombers of this. I shouldn't have shared it. Lol. But it was shared with another beer lover that deserved to try it. I am for sure in debt to Sideswipe and will have to give him something amazing. Thanks again man

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2011 05:13:52 | More by PeprSprYoFace

mjyoung

California

4.43/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Split w/ bbb099. Thanks to scottfrie for this one! Consumed on 12/17/10.

A: Poured a nice copper color with a nice, thick, off-white head (roughly one finger). Left very fine lacing on the edge of the glass.

S: Overwhelmingly smells of fresh, citrus-y hops with a hint of sweetness running behind it, presumably from the malt.

T: Very fresh. The taste closely follows the nose, but in the best possible way. The malt and hop tastes make quite the combination. A little bit of herbal/grassy taste comes through with a bitter finish.

M: Very good, the level of carbonation was nice and it sat on the tongue quite nicely. It was ever-so-slightly dry, but all that did was enhance the flavor.

D: Very good. I finished my half of the bottle more quickly than I meant to, and I was disappointed that there wasn't any more. A very fine beer, and it's a shame that I probably won't get my hands on another anytime soon.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2011 23:38:36 | More by mjyoung

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I've had Heady Topper many times at either the pub or the VT Brewers Fest. None of those occasions really allowed me to do a review. Recently, a friend moved to VT and got me a special release bottle of this wonderful beer.

Heady Topper pours a hazy copper color with a one-finger wide, creamy white head on top. The foam dissolves slowly to a thin sheet on the beer leaving behind a fair amount of lines of lace on the glass. Unfortunately, the bottle had many 'floaties' in it that hung in suspension for quite a while.

The strong hoppy aroma has notes of pine and grapefruit citrus with a little grass mixed in. A little bit of pepper and apricot is also present.

Each sip of this medium bodied beer is dry with moderate carbonation. The flavor begins with lots of pine, grass and grapefruit citrus. In the background pale malt and light fruit (apricot) help balance out the hops. Once gone the pine and grapefruit linger on the palate.

This is one of my favorite beers from New England that I wish I could get more often. But then, I'd be too spoiled.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2011 22:02:13 | More by WanderingFool

Urbancaver

Ohio

4.4/5  rDev -7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

At Kuhnhenn winter solstice (thanks to whomever shared this!)

Appearance- Copper and orange. Clear crisp and a really nice head. Definitely a solid looking DIPA.

Smell- lots of great hops on the nose. Pine, grapefruit, a hint of citrus. The pine was a bit too much I think but otherwise a very pleasant aroma.

Taste- nice malt backbone supporting a great hop profile. Very tasty with all the different citrus and pine flavours coming off the hops but falls short I think of Pliny and Hopslam. Smells better than it tastes I think

Mouthfeel- decent carbonation, about the right thickness I think. Would be better on cask

Drinkability- a bit of bitterness and the overly pine nose turns me off to this one a bit

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2011 15:47:17 | More by Urbancaver

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.88/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Thank you, thank you, thank you profusely to akorsak for sharing this great beer with me last night 1/9/11. Poured slightly cool into a cervoise glass.

The beer pours clear and golden with a skosh toward amber with a fairly large amount of ecru cap which rises and retains well. The lace clings amply with a tight bead. Carbonation is visibly moving gradually at a moderate pace upward. The beer is very attractive and exemplifies the color of Imperial Ipa's I tend to enjoy. The aroma is intense, a plethora of aromas - pine and strong pineapple greet my nostrils instantly. The smell of herbs, mild sweet grass and elements of citrus which could be tangelo and mellow mango. The floral elements work with a juicy grapefruity scent and lots of tropical notes join the fray so fresh smelling, so intense it is just jammed with beautiful hop aroma. The feel is smooth and very moderately carbonated which is nice as it doesn't push the bitterness to the forefront. There is lots of juicy and resinous texture with slightly sweet finish -not quite oily and not tangy just fits the style perfectly showcasing the depth of hop presence.

A wondeful taste experience - the exceptionally smooth citric bitterness blends with a juicy lightly tangy tropical quality and slightly sweet malt cushions the impact ever so slightly and not intruding at all. the juicy grapefruity and piney flavor is there in abundance it does have a mild mango aspect too with subtle acidic taste and mild resinous edge. I like that the fruity, semi-sweet passionfruit and honey like malt and green grassiness compliment each other so well. It has pineapple without all the acidity and tangy light astringency of grapefruit without going over the line with pithy rind notes. The citrus is like sweet less bitter lemon, maybe meyer lemon with a clementines juicy quality. I sipped on this and was dreading swallowing the last drops since it had such a delicious array of hop flavors I didn't want it to end.

Thanks Adam, really it brought a little sunshine to a cold winter's eve - the wonderful big IPA is a treat. You have to monitor yourself because the hops are so juicy you might forget you are drinking an alcoholic beverage. It is supremely drinkable and met every expectation, I just dind't have any idea how good it could be. I consider this possibly one of the best of the style, it is very near a perfect Imperial Ipa to me. Mr Korsak, thanks again for sharing this Heady topper with me.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2011 17:48:35 | More by Slatetank

scray24

Colorado

4.72/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Enjoyed last night as the first in a multi beer tasting in a small (8-10oz) snifter, split with multiple friends, last couple ounces left in the bottle still had some hop flakes and yeasty dregs in it.

A: Clear copper to a burnt orange, beautiful and as perfect as I could see for an IPA. Head settled to less than a quarter inch of whitish foam but left nice lacing on the glass.
S: Have to say this one topped all others I've had, including PtE, as the nose (even ~1.5m old) reached out of the glass and crossed the room. Huge piney nose with notes of grapefruit and other citrusy hops with underlying earthy notes.
T: Damn good DIPA... phenomenal balance of just enough malt to counter the hop bitterness but not so much its cloying or overly astringent/bitter. Hop contribution to flavor is more of the same with citrusy notes taking the front stage and the piney/earthy ones slightly subdued. Taste is exceptional but isn't quite as strong/phenomenal as the smell.
M: Carbonation is a little on the low end (intentionally - note on the bottle indicating carbonation at pub draft levels) but is damn near perfect for this style and brew. Makes for easy drinking and keeps you wanting for more.
D: Could have kept this whole thing for myself and then some and would definitely be a standard stock in the fridge f it was available.

Highly recommend! If you didn't know better it would definitely comes across as a top notch "west coast" DIPA - Excellent work by a top notch brewer/brewery!

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2011 17:52:50 | More by scray24