Heady Topper - The Alchemist

Verecund

North Carolina

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

From a five day old can on October 2, 2011.

Pours a very hazy tangerine orange with a huge, lasting, frothy head of three fingers. More or less what I expected given the fact that it's unfiltered.

I love this nose. Fresh orange, citrus, candied fruit, and light floral notes, with just a hint of juicy tropical fruit and pine. Almost a perfect combination of pungent fresh fruit, bitterness, and sweetness.

Opens with the orange and tropical fruit (especially mango) punch - the bitterness is really only moderate in character on the front of the palate, with just a tiny resinous bite. Some grapefruit and more pine makes its way on the mid-to-late palate, accompanied by a light honey sweetness. Very juicy, fruity, and wonderfully integrated, which is what I look for most in a DIPA. I appreciate that this isn't harshly bitter (though it's no slouch).

Medium-bodied with medium-low carbonation. I hoped for a little more carbonation, but that's not stopping me from working my way through the can.

Heady Topper lives up to its reputation, and I love that The Alchemist has devoted an entire facility to making and canning it. If I lived close, it'd be hard to justify buying much else at $12/4 pack. An elegant and supremely balanced DIPA.

Serving type: can

10-03-2011 01:13:53 | More by Verecund

sholland119

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +0.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Thanks to warriorsoul for the chance to try this one!

A-Pours a very cloudy orange with some honey notes,a forthy white head subsides quickly.

S-Smells great! Sweet and juicy pineapple, tangerine and apricot.

T-Stand up to the promise of the nose. Very solid malt backbone behind a huge variety of hoppy flavors. Sweet citrus dominates, with notes of oranges and pineapple, then a solid bite of grapefruit. Outstanding.

M-Medium bodied, good lingering bitterness.

O-Excellent. Up there with Abner and Elder as the best DIPAs I have had.

HV

Serving type: can

10-02-2011 19:09:10 | More by sholland119

srandycarter

California

4.2/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Says to drink from the can but I just can't.

A - VERY murky apricot. Off white head, leaves to ring fast. Some cling.

S - Hoppy, bitter. Mostly grapefruit.

T - Sweet malt tries to dominate but the grapefruit overcomes. A tiny remnant of the malt survives to the end.

M - Medium body, good carb, fairly clean, errs to the hops at end.

D - Not as kick ass as I was expecting, but a great beer!

Serving type: can

10-01-2011 06:23:17 | More by srandycarter

brew3crew

Ohio

4.6/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to spdkilz for this one

A-hazy yellow body with sediment floatimg around, white whispy head

S-nice grapefruit hops that is very inviting

T- follows the nose. Nice burst of grapefruitiness. Very smooth and delicious

M- medium body and so damn smooth

O- well worth the wait and the hype. This is a damn good beer

Serving type: can

10-01-2011 01:58:27 | More by brew3crew

DefenCorps

Oregon

4.45/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

So I was trying not to drink for a couple of weeks and then I get one of these as an extra from a very generous starrdogg. Thank you, Matt.

Pouring a hazy amber with a dense off-white head with excellent lacing and retention. Going in without reading reviews in a while, I expected this to be clearer and less hazy, but hey, I don't really mind. The nose is big, juicy and very hoppy. Juicy with candied orange, ripe oranges, ripe pineapple, moderate floral and lemon, a little honey. I can't pick up much malt here, as there's so much juicy hop sweetness that it hides any malt on the nose. Quite excellent.

While the nose is solid, the palate is outstanding. Incredibly juicy hop character with oranges, tangerines, Meyer lemons, a touch of orange and grapefruit pith. Along with it is a moderate tropical fruit character, especially on the finish, with some pineapple, mango and yellow peaches. Bitterness is moderate here, and the malt character is moderate with a little bit of honey and a touch of caramel. The finish is excellent, with a lingering tropical fruit character, moderate orange and a mild bitterness. Medium-light in body with soft carbonation, this beer is great. Pleasing resin character as well, this is very good. Excellent stuff, I would love to have this again. Thanks for the chance to try this beer, Matt!

**Edit 06 Dec 2011**

I'm getting a chance to revisit this right after drinking a Pliny, and boy, is it still glorious. It looks cloudy and ugly, though, so I'm docking the appearance down by 0.5. can is fresher, so the nose is more pungent and more dank, hiding the caramel sweetness. I'm upping the nose to a 4.5. The palate is just a hair too sweet, and the more I drink, the less I enjoy it, and I'm dropping the taste to 4.5. Just a touch boozy, too. Still, a fantastic DIPA.

Serving type: can

10-01-2011 00:36:35 | More by DefenCorps

miromanyth

North Carolina

4.63/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A: Pours in the typical DIPA fashion with a nice creamy haze.

S: Absolutely incredible! Smells like "freshness". Tons of tropical fruits, grass, citrus. Smells like a garden of delights! This is easily one of the best smelling beers I've ever had!

T: The beer follows the powerful aroma, with just a touch more grassiness. Not terribly sweet - a bit dry and truly "heady". So much going on in this one!

M: Creamy and zippy on the tongue.

O: I like this better than Hopslam. Yeah I said it. But for real, a beer available in cans all the time with this much going on? What more could you ask for???!!

Serving type: can

09-30-2011 02:55:20 | More by miromanyth

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

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

4.8/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

16oz can served in a can.

L - I have no idea what this beer looks like so I gave it a 4.

S - tropical fruits and pine.

T - tropical fruits and pine resin, you can tell there's a malt backbone holding things together but the hops are dominating.

F - medium bodied with mild carbonation for a smooth feel.

O - an excellent example of the style, very well done.

Serving type: can

09-29-2011 20:37:48 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

inlimbo77

Delaware

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

16oz can poured into Deschutes snifter glass. No canning date, but they just started doing it so it's pretty darn fresh!

A: Pours a reddish orange color. Barely any head, but whats there is white. Swirl gets a small off white froth. Some mild lacing and alcohol feet. Good carbo bubbles rolling from bottom of glass.

S: Great nose on this one. I get some pine, some fruit (grapefruit), some cat pee, and some mild breadiness. With the swirl, you get a lot of CP astringency and overripe peachy smells.

T: You get an immediate hop assault on the tip of the tongue. I like it. In the middle of the tongue you get those fruity hop notes and that astringency. Nice crisp finish. A little alcohol warmth in back if throat, but you don't taste the booze in the sip.

M: It's a medium bodied DIPA. Good mouth coat and bitterness.

O: A beer for sure bordering on A+. Still love Furious and Abrasive more, but this runs right up there with them as the King of the Cans.

Serving type: can

09-29-2011 18:50:42 | More by inlimbo77

indiapaleale

Massachusetts

4.47/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Here we go...

Pour - when poured into a glass Head Topper is an apricot color with about a half inch of white bubbly head that fades fairly quickly but leaves some nice lacing. Its slightly hazy with some sediment settlling at the bottom of the glass. When you drink it straight from the can (I'm not crazy, read the can) it's all just a mystery - a deliciously hoppy mystery.

Aroma - pungent, citrusy, floral, sinus-clearing and downright heavenly. One of the best smelling IPAs we've come across - so fresh and so clean. Lots of grapefruit and pine in the nose. Wow. I think you can get a contact buzz off this...

Taste - one sip and you know you've stumbled upon something special. This is fresh times a thousand. Big flavors of grapefruit and hop resins abound. My mouth is puckering within seconds and my tongue is starting to succumb voluntarily to the 120 IBUs this is hop-forward beauty is packing. I'm completely surrendering to this beer. It really hits all the marks perfectly for the style and makes me wonder what I'm going to do after my last can is gone. Like hops? Like style perfection, freshness and in your face goodness? This is for you.

Overall - fantastic! One of the best big, hoppy IPAs that we've ever tasted. Big, floral aroma with tons of chewy, piny, citrusy flavor and smooth finish that keeps you wondering if you might just be able to finish one more can. The strength, 8% ABV, is hardly noticeable with this amazingly smooth and drinkable delight. When you focus all of your attention on brewing just ONE amazing beer its hard to expect anything less than greatness and this embodies just that.

Note - When you look at a can of Heady Topper it might be hard not to notice that the can actually reads along the top, "DRINK FROM THE CAN". The back of the can explains the reasoning behind this and I can honestly say that it tastes fantastic poured into a glass or straight from the can. This is an absolutely amazing beer any way you enjoy it.

Serving type: can

09-29-2011 00:28:30 | More by indiapaleale

ktrillionaire

Florida

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

Ridiculously huge thanks to G311 for the brew; spreadin' love - that's just how G311 do thangs.

HT pours... well, it pours not at all; I am following Alchemist's wishes and taking it straight outta the can... the can looks good, ergo the appearance is nice. And the aroma is f'n sick. Sick. Nuts. Insane. Ridiculous. I was gonna pour it in a glass - the Alchemist's instructions be damned - but as soon as I cracked the can - HFS - JFC - WTF - this is hop Godliness. It smells like wet Cascade, and it tastes like it too (though I've not actually ingested wet Cascade directly); if you don't know what that is like, try smoking some triple Kush, while drinking grapefruit juice, in a lumberyard, hovering over a tropical fruit salad - then add a superbly balanced pungency, and you are imagining a brew half as good as this is. There is also a big sturdy malt, but it is not the star, so why speak of it? Suffice it to say that the malt contribution is nearly perfect, exceeded only by the hop contribution. Big, sticky, and definitely hype-worthy; I hope to have some more cans of this REALLL soon.

Cheers again VG - you know I am not a hop-whore, but this one is out of this world.

Serving type: can

09-28-2011 20:37:39 | More by ktrillionaire

Gosox8787

New Hampshire

4.93/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Presentation: 16 oz. can chilled from the second batch. Huge thanks to Phingdong for giving me this can for nothing. It was definitely appreciated. Poured into my Sam Adams pint glass (I know it says to drink from the can, but I didn't).

Appearance: Bright orange in color. Pours a nice creamy beige head that has nice retention. Very cloudy. I love the unfiltered look of this beer.

Aroma: Pineappple, mango,citrus and bursts of pine. The hop notes are bright and aromatic. Flawless really. Nice balance of sweetness and bitterness. Really bold and really pleasant all around.

Taste: Big tropical fruits upfront. A wave of citrus and pine follows after. Incredibly flavorful. Some candied hop notes as well. A rather substantial malt backdrop, but the hops really are the star. Nice balance of sweet and bitter. Near perfect.

Mouthfeel: Creamy and sticky, medium bodied. Low carbonation, but it almost works well here as it allows you to drink faster.

Overall, a near perfect DIPA. That's really nothing bad I can say about it. It was even better on a fresh palate. Another great IPA from Vermont that's affordable and so damn tasty.

Serving type: can

09-28-2011 12:44:56 | More by Gosox8787

KevSal

California

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

got this guy this morning thanks to gueshue3, thanks buddy! I've been thinking abou this alll day at work.

16oz can into a SN imperial pint glass (love this guy for 16oz cans) leaving the last sip in the can. can says "drink from can" around the lip, I first thought it was a shot at surly but gueshue informed me it's because of sediment (hence the leftover in the can, thanks for the tip)

a- nice 2 inch off white head. very dark hazy orange hue. looking good!. good thing I left the floaties in the can.

s- ohh man this one smells delicious. Very reminiscent of the first six-pack of the year of SN celebration ale. rich hops aroma. screams west coast to me. nice maltiness behind the hops.

t- taste follows closely with the nose. not overly bitter with a fantastic hop flavor! seriously this guy feels likes celebrations big brother. nice maltiness mid palate, perfect amount if sweet. very crisp with fantastic balance.

m- medium bodied on the thinner side of dipas but very juicy. not overly carbonated ( maybe less than usual dipas) but it helps to coat the mouth.

o- the drinkability on this guy is Insane!! it gies down super easy, and at 8% could get you buzzed mighty fast. I could seriously drink this all day long. the beauty of this beer is it's balance, and I believe thats why it's been getting attention. back of can says it the best "not intended to be the biggest or most bitter, it is mean to give you wave after wave of hoppy goodness" and it indeed delivers.

this is what I was hopin SN hoptimum was going to be like, a bigger badder celebration which is exactly what this guy is. deserves the attention. I never thought I'd get a chance at this guy. thanks gueshue for the chance!

Serving type: can

09-27-2011 04:47:17 | More by KevSal

Viciousknishs

Virginia

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

A- pours a medium amber color with a finger of off white long lasting head.

S- huge dank rediculous hop aromas. Big woody floral pine hop aromas blend with a high alpha hop oil aroma. Big cat piss and a note of lemon zest. Finishes with the tiniest touch of honey and malt sweetness.

T- a touch of cracker pale malt flavor hits the palate at first. Huge hop flavor of wood, pine sap, yellow grapefruit and fresh hop oil. Smooth round bitterness with a touch of alchohol on the finish.

MF- slick oily mouthfeel with a medium body and soft fine carbonation.

D- very drinkable and rediculously hoppy. Don't think I'll be able to taste much after this :)

Overall a great east coast DIPA.

Serving type: can

09-26-2011 22:32:22 | More by Viciousknishs

LIQUORBARREL

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

TheDudeRules was kind enough to share a can.

Crack the can and the fun begins..bam aroma immediately..oh ya this Ipa smells like hops and citrus.

Pours the expected orangey haze with a pleasant light sticky white head.

The taste is something down the alley from Surly Abrasive. Mouthfeel seemed a little bit creamy with plenty of hops and citrus. Nice finish with out crazy lingering bitterness.

Can Art work is neato to boot.

Serving type: can

09-26-2011 16:44:28 | More by LIQUORBARREL

PhunkLover

North Carolina

3.93/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks Spence. Pint Can. Super haxzy orange ameber with a medium sized white head. Nose is full of hop resin, some sweetness, citrus. Flavor is similarly super resinous, sweet, mild bitterness. Pretty tasty, alcohol slightly noticeable. This is a very good beer and if you like super resinous double ipa's than this is probably your thing. To me, it was a little too sweet and green and lacked complexity.

Serving type: can

09-26-2011 14:52:26 | More by PhunkLover

doopiedoopiedoo

Netherlands

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

This beauty was given to me by Jeffo from Tendermorsel from some other guy. Thank you all!

It says drink from can but I choose to ignore that because I wanted to see this beauty.

Poured into my Saranac pint glass.

Good thing I didn't drink this from the can because I would have missed out on the orange appricot hazy coloring a good finger and a half head of a white head. Good retention and lacing.

Smells like IPA heaven. Very floral and fruity with a nice hoppy presence.

The flavors are in balance. Nothing is overpowering but everything is there. Malts, fruity flavors and plenty of hop but none of that in your face bitterness. This one is all about balance.

With a great medium to full bodied mouthfeel this one has plenty of carbonation. Flavors linger for a while and leave you wanting more.

This might very well be my favorite IPA so far. Balance, balance, balance. This one gives all aspects of the beer it's own moment. I love it and would like to have one of these at least once a week.

Serving type: can

09-26-2011 14:46:23 | More by doopiedoopiedoo

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.68/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

16oz can poured into a Pint Glass. Thanks to RSchaeffer for the 4 pack.

A - Pours a dark orange with a one finger, cream-colored head. The head fades to a thin layer and good lacing is left on the glass.

S - Pine dominates up front, then some nice citrus tones follow - Orange, lemon, and some tropical fruit.

T - Citrus hits you first, the the pine follows.

D - Creamy and smooth, heavier in the mouth. A bit bitter and sweet.

O - A very nice DIPA. Fruit heavy, but very enjoyable.

Serving type: can

09-26-2011 02:57:29 | More by HuskyinPDX

nandemo1

Virginia

4.85/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I'm following the instructions on the can to bypass the glass. Appearance the last time I poured it was a light copper that was a little hazy. Head was decent despite low carbonation. By the way, I love this giant can, especially that they worked in the term "d-bag" on the back.

Smell and taste are both heavily sweet citrus, I feel like I'm drinking grapefruit juice the way my mouth puckers. There is some pineyness to it and a long lasting bitterness.

Mouthfeel is smooth and creamy with lower than normal carbonation.

This is a very drinkable DIPA. One of the best

Serving type: can

09-26-2011 02:26:08 | More by nandemo1

drumenigma

Massachusetts

4.55/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

16 oz. can poured into a pint glass. Color is hazy and golden.

Lot's of citrus and grapefruit aroma and flavor. There are some definite earthy notes as well. When I poured the beer it was about cellar temp. Getting some definite resin feel on the mouth. Not overly carbonated and the abv is not too pronounced.

Serving type: can

09-26-2011 00:14:23 | More by drumenigma

muttyd

Massachusetts

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

16 oz. can poured into a Portsmouth Brewery tulip. Deep golden, almost amber body with a fluffy white head that fades into a faint ring. Lots of floaties and other things dancing around in my glass.

Aroma is big on the grapefruit / tropical fruit characteristics. Some floral / grassy notes cut through the fruity sweet aroma as it warms up. Flavor assaults (but in a good way) the palate with even more tropical fruit, citrus, and floral hop oilyness. Big chewy malty flavor in there as well to balance it all out. Some warming alcohol is noticeable in the finish. Light, less carbonated body, but for some reason it works for this beer. Leaves a sticky coating in the mouth.

Love this beer, glad I got 2 four-packs of this.

Serving type: can

09-25-2011 23:02:41 | More by muttyd

nataku00

California

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

Fresh can poured into a tulip glass (even if the can tells you to drink it straight out of the can, maybe for the next one). Thanks to AshleyMiller for the fast trade. Beer pours a dark bronze, very very hazy with lots of particles suspended in the beer making it so that you cannot see through the glass. Initial finger of off white bubbly head, mostly small and medium bubbles, recedes to a nice collar of bubbles and wispy film across the surface. Lots of gentle carbonation visible near the edge of the glass, floating slowly up.

Cold out of the fridge, it wasn't too impressive an aroma. It improved a little after it warmed up closer to room temperature. Nose is a good amount of sweet grapefruit, bitter grapefruit peel, with some sweet orange and floral hops as well. Good strong malt presence to balance it out, toasted grains, caramel, toasted bread.

Nice balanced flavor profile over all. Grapefruit and orange peel and pith bitterness initially, but not so strong as to kill your tongue, some lighter floral and pine hop notes as it sits on your tongue. Then midtongue, the malt balance really comes through, good amount of toasted grain and bread and caramel sweetness to complement the hop flavors and bitterness. A fairly dry finish with light lingering citrus and floral hop flavors. Alcohol is non existent in the flavor.

Medium body with light carbonation contributing to a smooth velvety liquid that somehow coats your tongue while in the mouth, but still finishes cleanly so your tongue is ready to taste the next sip. Very easy to drink as the bitterness is not overwhelming at all, but still very much there. Excellent imperial IPA, though the weaker than expected aromatics knocks it down a small tick for me.

Serving type: can

09-25-2011 22:40:56 | More by nataku00

slentz

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Aberration for this can. Shared and reviewed with Kiddynamite920. Poured into two tulips at 50 degrees.

A: A strong pour down the center of the glass produces a 1.5 finger white head that slowly dissipates. Very hazy with loads of sediment in the glass. The second pour is considerably lighter than the first. In addition the first pour produces a much nicer head than the second. 4.0

S: Smell is of hops, slight spicy citrus fruit, grapefruit, carmaley malts, slight must, a little lemon rind, ...smells is quite refreshing. 4.5

T: Taste is of slight bittering hops, slight maltiness really looking for more here. Citrus fruits, orange, little grapefruit, but more pineapple sweetness. Aftertaste is of straight onion. It is good but something is definitely missing. 4.1

M: Good carbonation, super oily, mouthfeel is actually pretty damn good here 4.5

O: Overall this beer is good but its lacking in taste department. Strong onion flavor dominates. Pretty smooth but seems to be a little one dimensional. Super stoked to try this though. 4.0

Serving type: can

09-25-2011 21:55:19 | More by slentz

Jeffo

Netherlands

4.85/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Funny story about this beer. At BOREFTS a couple nights ago, an American gentlemen asked me what American brews I'd really love to try. After thinking for a few seconds, Heady Topper jumped straight into my head. Love me some big IPAs, and this was the most recent well-regarded example on the market. Not one hour later I meet tendermorsel at the festival and he pulls two cans for us out of his backpack! The Secret really does work. Thanks for sending these over GoGriz, and thanks for doing the dirty work tendermorsel.

From a 500ml can into a snifter

APPEARANCE: Pours a relatively small, one finger, medium looking, off-white head with good retention. Burnt orange in color, clear, with medium carbonation evident. Head fades to a wisp and ring, sticking to the sides of the glass. A splotchy wisp and ring remain leaving touches of lacing down the sides of the glass. Quite pretty.

SMELL: This is the shit. Big nose jumps out of the can and fills the room on the pour. Pale malts, caramel and honeydew melon, with some nice pineapple aromas. Citrus lemon and grapefruit all over the place as well. Bold, hoppy nose.

TASTE: Just great. Pale malts, pineapple, with some sweet caramel and honeydew melon up front. Very flavorful. Finishes with lots of hops; lemon citrus notes and loads of grapefruit at the swallow. Big, bold and persistent aftertaste of grapefruit and sweet, fruity melon, with a good dose of bitterness as well. Very well balanced and flavorful. Some biting hops linger nicely on the palate.

PALATE: Medium body and medium carbonation. Creamy on the palate and quite oily slick as well. Goes down fine and finishes somewhat mouth-coating. Is definitely creamy and silky in the mouth, but needs to be a touch fuller for top marks.

OVERALL: This beer is excellent. This rivals Surly Abrasive, both of which beat out the competition for no.1 spot. Piles of wonderful hoppy aroma and flavor that isn’t dominated by that certain overarching bitterness that so many big IPAs suffer from. This is all flavor, and wonderful flavor at that. The can employs me to drink this beer immediately because they are always making more. Good times! This is a perpetual wants list beer, as it totally lives up to its reputation. Thanks heaps GoGriz and tendermorsel for bringing us a couple cans of this gem. Wholeheartedly recommended.

Serving type: can

09-25-2011 20:14:55 | More by Jeffo

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

4.78/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to both Mtardiff & BearsonAcid for providing this one. In one week I went from never having this beer to clutching 6 cans in my hand. This is the last of the six and needless to say, I’ll be getting more…. Somehow. Great beer. In fact, this review is being done with ½ the can in a glass and ½ being consumed out of the can. After all, that’s what the brewer tells you to do. (drink it from the can)

A finger of off white foam forms and settles rather quickly. The beer appears to be a slightly hazy almost dirty amber color. Dirty used as in dirty blonde. Doesn’t mean really dirty.. just a more brownish tone to is. Some very light lacing.

The aroma is fantastic, bright and fresh. Lots of citrus notes with some light malt notes just below the surface. Some grassy tones as well.

Flavor is also really nice. It’s a good thing when a beer lives up to the hype. Despite the big hop notes, it’s really well balanced. Up front lots of fruit and some sweetness. Tangerine and a moment of mango. Some grass notes and quite a bit of thick resin. Citrus comes in mid palate and a nice bitterness takes over from there. Smooth, yet bitter finish.

Almost a honey like mouth feel, medium bodied and a bit oily. Sticks in your mouth.

Just a well built beer. Keep cranking out those cans. I love this. Next trip to VT, I’ll be picking up a case.

Serving type: can

09-25-2011 17:45:25 | More by Reagan1984