Heady Topper - The Alchemist

jrallen34

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle into my Narke tulip...Medium copper, not bright or sparkly enough for me. Tope head pretty good, looks good, nice retention and lacing...Aroma is really malty, lots of caramel, great to balance out the hops and alcohol. Hop presence is huge though, really good...The taste is also really malty, very different and unique for a dipa, but great to mask the hops and make it drinkable. Hops are more there in the feel.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2010 02:33:44 | More by jrallen34

Dreadnaught33

District of Columbia

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

This is a great beer, and a gold mine for hop heads! Thanks to TCassel1 (Todd) for the trade for this!

A: Dark Orange with lots of sediment floating around, which I like (unfiltered is great IMO). Small ring of head and some lacing cap it off.

S: AWESOME Smell, huge hops and bready malts to boot. Tropical fruit, pine, citrus all appear.

T: Awesome flavor, really great. Huge hop to malt ratio- Dry biscuit with floral and citrus hops presiding. Really tasty juicy center with dry finish and bitters. Great, complex flavor that just falls short of a 5.

M: Great feel, man its great. Says pub level on the bottle, and thats how it feels. Low carb, smooth and huge palate of flavor.

D: Insanely drinkable, wish I could live at the pub and get this on draft!! Great stuff.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2010 22:14:48 | More by Dreadnaught33

AgentZero

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Alex for sharing this one, again. He had shared one with me before, but I was drunk and kept falling asleep and don't feel like a review based on that experience would do this justice.

A - Copper colored beer with a nice, foamy head that dissipated to a solid cap, and left a bit of intricate lace.

S - Purly on the nose, this one blows you away. Huge hop aroma, with citrus, grass, pine, floral, and some awesome tropical notes. Not sure how they packed so much into this nose, but it is great.

T - Great tropical fruit, citrus, and floral taste with some bittering on the end. There is a strong carmel malt base to this beer. The taste is great, although not quite as good as the nose.

M - Medium bodied and crisp, it got a little sugary for me at the end, but still quite good.

D - One of the top DIPAs I've ever had. It really lived up to the hype and was a pleasure to drink.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2010 07:14:16 | More by AgentZero

Deuane

Pennsylvania

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

Thanks to Kelp for hooking me up with a few bottles of this Vermont jewel! I have had this beer some years ago on tap at The Alchemist but that was before my reviewing days. Let's see how they did trying to capture the hop magic of this one in a bottle.

A-Hazy bronzed copper with a large off-white head that reduced to a thin ring and left spotty lace. Head revived nicely with a bit of swirling.

S-Impressive tropical fruit blast of mango and pineapple with support of spicy orange rind. A light touch of caramel malt sweetness adds moderate support and balance to the intense hop bill.

T-Huge tropical fruit hoppiness with a pleasant spicy bite following. A fairly robust but non intrusive malt bill of caramel and biscuit sweetness. Pineapple, mango grapefruit and orange peel bitterness strike out and assaults the palate. Absolutely delicious.

M-Medium bodied fairly sharp and crisp with long lasting hop bitterness. Hop astringency becomes quite present with warming offering up a drying finish.

D-Not the hoppiest, the biggest, the most bitter or the most spectacular IPA but in the end the hop and malt bill work wonders on the palate and makes for one mighty fine drinking brew. Thank you John Kimmich for producing such an impressive beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2010 02:27:54 | More by Deuane

gford217

Georgia

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

Many thanks to a very generous BA for the opportunity to try this one, 22oz bomber.

Pours a bright, clear amber with a big pillowy white head with a rocky bottom fed by a steady stream of bubbles Retention is good and leaves a soapy collection of big bubbles on top with good lacing.

Aroma is wonderful and typical of a top-tier west coast DIPA. Tons of juicy citrus with oranges and pineapples mixed with a thick resinous pine aroma. Bit of biscuity malt in the background.

Flavor is just as good with an initial astringent citrus bitterness, pithy grapefruit, that flows into a more juicy citrus backbone with the oranges and pineapples coming back in. The finish is bitter and resinous, sticky with pine hops.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and well carbonated with a wonderful stickiness clinging to the palate after each sip.

One of the best DIPAs I've had in recent memory and possibly the best east coast DIPA I've ever tasted. Super drinkable but with tons of hop character and bitterness. Really superb beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2010 02:11:00 | More by gford217

Sean9689

Illinois

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

22oz bomber poured into snifter. Thanks goes to Alex for this one, you be da man. Been looking forward to this tick for a while.

A - Pours a reddish/copper color, cream-colored head, lots of lacing and a nice cap on top with bubbles here and there.

S - Tropical fruits, dankness, grapefruit, bitter/hoppy, some pine. Really excellent nose. Anything with tropical notes, I'm a huge fan of. This one fit the bill.

T - Pretty much right on target with the nose (although the nose is better). Lots if pine, hops/bitterness but yet very smooth, slight malty backbone, nice citrus profile, and a bitter finish.

M - Light, good carbination, crisp, refreshing, piney finish.

D - Okay, so this beer has been hyped up and down for a long while. East vs. West, this one stands up to the best DIPA's out there. So easy to drink is ridiculous. World-class, as far as I'm concerned.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2010 00:08:25 | More by Sean9689

bmwats

Louisiana

4.22/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 500 ml bottle into a Heady Topper becker.

A: Cloudy dark amber color. Slight head. No real lacing to speak of.

S: A little malt, very piny.

T: Very piny...the hops pretty much rule the day here. Very subtle sweet note.

M: Pucker-inducing hoppiness. Lingers throughout, very dry.

D: Definitely of the sipping variety.

Atmosphere is pretty solid. Decent appearance, nose is not complex for full. Flavor, the same... not complex, but if you like hops, this is it. Overall, this is a great quaff.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2010 02:32:08 | More by bmwats

TurdFurgison

Ohio

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

I got 2 bottles of this courtesy of Kelp, thanks a ton Jeremy. I had a preview at the Kuhnhenn Winter Solstice too, so I was really looking forward to opening these.

It pours a light golden orange with thick foam and spotty laceing, just a little haze. The aroma is heavy with citrus and tropical fruit, grapefruit + papaya + that type of thing. Honestly I would guess Deadnaught in a blind smell test.

Nice and abrasive taste, a little sweet in the middle, just about the perfect amount of malt. This deserves all of its reviews, wow it's good. A little burn but it feels hops-based rather than alcohol-based.

Light body, very dry in the mouth, I can't praise it enough. I love this beer, so glad I have another.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2010 23:00:13 | More by TurdFurgison

ThirstyBird

Germany

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

Thanks to ubrewidrink and jedwards for the opportunity to try this bad boy.
Appears a cloudy deep honey color with a nice off white head that falls to a skim and stays. Mild lacing.

The smell is of grapefruit, topical fruit. A juicy fruity nose with some nice rich malt lingering in the mix.

The taste is really wonderful. This is a great DIPA. It's wet and juicy, tropical fruit, mild bitterness. Really damn good.

I loved the mouthfeel of this brew. Light/medium in body it is wet and refreshing...and it's 8%!

So this is a delectable brew and should be sought out if you are into IPAs at all.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2010 19:22:10 | More by ThirstyBird

Chaney

District of Columbia

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

Special thanks to Dreadnaught33 (aka. Jonathan) for bringing this beer to a tasting. I was really looking forward to this!

A: Poured a mildly cloudy, golden color, w/tons of little floaties present due to the unfiltered nature of the brew. There was a one finger, cloud-white head that didn't stick around for long.

S: VERY strong smell of peach (ala. "Sculpin"), with tons of apricot, mango, and orange notes also. Not much bitterness yet, but tons of yumminess from the tropics.

T: Now this really reminded me of "Sculpin" in it's citrus makeup. Still, the peach taste dominated the very fabric of this liquid! As I got into the session, it got very bitter, but the awesome candy and fruit sugar made it all worth while.

M: Very low carbonation, but I honestly didn't mind that. This was almost like an alcoholic fruit juice with hop bitterness. Still, it was fairly thick in texture, and the lacing was extremely low.

D: Believe the hype! Even though I still prefer the foamy and bubbly nature of "Sculpin", this one was a worthy competitor. Very distinctive in a very competitive category.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2010 10:29:17 | More by Chaney

therobot

Minnesota

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

Courtesy of mmtroop1218, much appreciated.

Joint review with pintglassjon.

A. A nice deep tangerine, an TON of Sea-Monkeys seriously swimming all over the place and thick, can't see through the glass. Very light, quickly dissipating head.

S. Prominent citrus, mainly grapefruit, and a little pine. Slight malt odor.

T. Taste follows the smell almost exactly. Great, refreshing level of citrus bitterness and lingers mid tongue with the pine. Great depth of hop flavors. Moderate level of dry malt sweetness, is present but not overwhelming.

M. Light carbonation, slightly in the thin side.

D. Very high, extremely pleasant to drink. Refreshing, enjoyable, a wonderful example of style. Could sit and down these all night, unfortunately geographically impossible.

Overall, great beer and would seek out again.

Thanks again mmtroop1218.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2010 05:19:02 | More by therobot

glid02

Georgia

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

Bottle shared by Joe - thanks!

Pours a slightly hazy but bright copper color with a one-finger slightly off-white head. The head recedes into a wispy layer on top leaving decent lacing.

Smells great - huge citrus and tropical fruit hop aromas backed by sweet pale malt. As it warms the pale malt aromas intensify a bit and hints of floral and herbal hops join in as well.

Tastes similar to how it smells although not quite as robust. Pale malt flavors kick things off and are quickly overtaken by loads of tropical fruit hops. Shortly thereafter hints of deep citrus and herbal hop flavors join in, drying out the flavor profile slightly. The tropical fruit hops come back to carry through to a moderately bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a nice thickness with smooth carbonation.

Drinkability is very good. I finished my glass quickly and could easily have another.

Overall I can't think of a better DIPA that's made on the East coast and it rivals the big boys made out West. A very nice beer that's well worth a shot.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2010 01:50:45 | More by glid02

renaud112

New Hampshire

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

My favorite beer hands down. My buddy and I compare every double ipa we have to this one ( and regular ipas to their holy cow) and we've found nothing that surpasses either of them. Hopefully their bottle run was a sneak preview. If they truly start canning, everyone outside of new england is in for a treat.

Serving type: on-tap

12-23-2010 00:07:01 | More by renaud112

Murchmac

California

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

Thanks to masterhomebrewer to try this beer. I really wanted to compare it to PtY

Pours an orangey amber with yellow highlights and a white head.

Piney and citrusy, smells not overwhelming but pleasant.

Taste follows the nose, almost really fresh sweet taste that hangs in your mouth,

Not resinous like a good DIPA should be, and really really light and thin.

Although pleasant was like drinking hop water. It was good but not worth trading the farm away. PtY is a lot better.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2010 22:42:11 | More by Murchmac

nickd717

California

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

22oz bottle, huge thanks to nathanjohnson.

Pours clear copper with a two-finger white head and excellent lacing.

The aroma is really awesome. Huge floral and citrusy hop punch with sweet caramel malt. Clean and intense.

The flavor is deinitely east coast style, but probably the best in that style I've had. Sweet caramel malt balanced by a huge flavorful and bitter hop burst. Floral notes, grapefruit, and orange. Tasty as hell.

The mouthfeel is nice, medium-bodied with big hop resins and a long enamel-ripping finish.

Nice beer overall. Awesome for an east coast style DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2010 18:07:48 | More by nickd717

Sideswipe

California

4.7/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Finally, the legendary Heady Topper arrives in California. Sent to me courtesy of rowingbrewer. Huge thanks Mark!

Bomber poured into my Alpine pint glass (A receptacle worthy of this hoppy rarity). A hard pour produces a finger and a half of fluffy white head which recedes gradually. Decent lacing. The beer is a hazy orange, amber color.

Smell is of pure hoppy goodness. Citrus peel and pine. Heavy on the pine.

Taste follows the nose. Grapefruit rind and piney bitterness threaten to erode the enamel from my teeth. Mid pallet the beer balances almost perfectly with a malty sweetness, before plunging into a chasm of piney, hoppy bitterness. Finish is dry and leaves me craving more.

Feel is full, a bit viscous, and perfectly carbonated.

Drinkability is exceedingly high, given the well hidden ABV and the incredible taste of this beer.

I found his brew to be eerily reminiscent of, dare I say it?, Alpine's Exponential Hoppiness, which I dearly love. For me, this beer totally lived up to the hype. Glad I had he opportunity and hope I'll be able to enjoy this again. Very highly recommended!

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2010 05:42:05 | More by Sideswipe

squaremile

Oregon

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

So excited that I got my hands on this. Pours a dark amber/orange with a frothy head and bubbles of all sizes. Good retention and some lacing. Smell is excellent, dominated by pink grapefruit, powerdy pine, and vines. Beautiful. Taste accomplishes what the bottle said was the goal: amazing complexity. Reminds me a bit of Mikkeller Ten in that you can find almost every hop flavor in the taste. Waves of different hops flow and ends with a biscuity malt finish, then hops linger for days in the aftertaste. Moderate bitterness but intense hoppiness. Mouthfeel is very smooth and medium-light bodied. Drinkability is ridiculous and I could have glass after glass, zero etoh.

I have had almost every major IIPA in the world, this is easily in the top tier, and deserves all the hype. By far the best IIPA not made on the west coast, and blows 99% of those away. Awesome awesome beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2010 05:34:24 | More by squaremile

craytonic

District of Columbia

4.18/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle shared with the dirty south crew!

Appearance: Big craggy, chunky head with some good lacing and good retention. Pour is a orange-copper

Smell: Big wet hops, pine resin and grapefruit with a bit of caremel/malt sweetness behind it.

Taste: Big wet hops again, very nice grapefruit with pineapple with a caramel/malt backdrop.

Mouthfeel: I have to ding it here, a bit thin and slightly lower carbonation than I would have liked.

Drinkability: Very drinkable at a respectable 8%. I enjoyed this one but it doesn't hold up to the better batches of COAST boy king.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2010 23:44:48 | More by craytonic

BarrytheBear

Wisconsin

4.93/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Bottle received in a trade with DNICE55. Thank you, David.

Marmalade orange with a tiny white collar, small infrequent bubbles, and loads of suspended particles.

Nose is extremely juicy and lush with some bitterness evident and a tropical complex smell that is all over the place. So varied and delicious and incredibly enticing.

Sweet malt kiss up of front segues into a boatload of tropical fruits and long, drawn out bitterness that leaves a dry chalky finish that meets with a secondary wave of fruits.

Low end carbonation works very well. Drinks so softly and smoothly.

Really exquisite and delicious. Quite a treat and a DIPA that I would love to have the opportunity to drink more often. An instantaneous favorite in the style. Just awesome.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2010 23:38:05 | More by BarrytheBear

PittBeerGirl

Pennsylvania

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

HUGE thanks to Brian for sending this my way!

A-Body is a nearly transparent light amber hue. Bubbles can be seen all over the place. Pours with a perfect two finger or so foamy white head with perfect retention. Lacing left all the way down the glass.

S- Nose is awesome. Perfect. Citrus hops and white grapefruit everywhere. A faint sweet malt backbone can be detected as well. Very rich and citrusy.

T- Complex for an IPA and different hop impressions emerge with each sip. Citrus initially, then a touch of herbal and grassy, then a touch of pine and spicy at the end. The citrus is very bright initially then fades off the grassy and herbal remain contantly in the background. The pine is very mild and much more resiny than bright. A really big hop bitterness lingers on and on-citrus and pine resin with a big spicy hop overlay.

M-Medium to high carbonation and a slightly smooth and oily light to medium weight body.

D- Fantastic DIPA overall-complex and certainly in my top five-its a bit to bitter to take the #1 spot for me. Its certainly a hop bomb. Reminds me of my experience with PtY-although that was almsot 2 yrs ago. I hope the Alchemist keeps releasing this because it is a must try DIPA!

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2010 22:03:55 | More by PittBeerGirl

sisuspeed

New Hampshire

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

Pours a slightly hazy copper-orange with a fingers worth of white foamy head on top. Leaves waves of lacing down the pint glass.

Mmmm... I get a nice wave of hops before I even bring the glass up to my nose. Lots of grapefruit citrus and pine. Smells very aromatic and fresh. Beautiful nose.

Sticky hop juice on the tongue with some grapefruit citrus and sweet caramel malts in the background. Lots of bitterness up front that continues throughout. Pine-laden hops.

Mouthfeel is resiny and sticky. Good carbonation and a substantial body. You can feel the hops in this one.

Drinkability is exceptional. This beer goes down so easy. Packed with a good helping of hops and lots of citrus. The nose is very aromatic. An enjoyable drink all around and the ABV is unnoticeable. I might be in the minority, but I think I actually enjoy this more out of the bottle than on tap, even though a fresh pint is still excellent. I'm really hoping this comes to cans soon, because this really is one of the best DIPA's out there.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2010 03:53:22 | More by sisuspeed

abuliarose

New Hampshire

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

Poured into a Heady Topper pint glass, revealing hazy caramel body under a few fingers of thick white head. Some lacing. Smells deliciously hoppy with an unctuous meaty caramel malt backbone. Lots of sweet honey floral smell. Holding up well post-release.

Tastes almost as bitter as having it fresh on tap. The hop punch-to-the-jaw has started to fade a little already but it still tastes like biting into a grapefruit rind covered in burnt caramel. Lots of fresh citrus hop bitterness with a clean and juicy finish. A little meaty. Very flavorful. Mouthfeel is big and smooth, medium-bodied with a creamy soft carbonation that plumps up each sip. Very flavorful and very very drinkable. So well-balanced.

Very impressed at how this held up post-release. Wish I could have a case of it to go through over the winter holiday.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2010 03:43:30 | More by abuliarose

circlenine

Connecticut

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

Poured from a bottle on 12/18/10 (bottle was acquired at the Dec. 4th Heady release).

Note: I have consumed a few of these Heady Toppers since their bottling and even two weeks later it still holds up as it did on day one.

A: Pours a burnt orange/apricot color with approximately 1 1/2 finger head. The frothy goodness was sustained for more than two minutes, then it started to slowly dissipate with a modest lacing.

S: Hoppy to the core! Smells of fresh hops and citrus. Enough said, start drinking!

T: Phenomenal. As soon as this beer hits your lips you begin to taste the exact taste your nose was smelling as you lifted the glass to your mouth. Hops and citrus, grapefruit to be most exact. Wonderful after taste that lingers long enough, but doesn't bother your next sip.

M: Not overly carbonated, expected more of a bite considering the amount of head on the pour.

D: Awesome. It's both a blessing and a shame that I share my bombers with my wife. This is one I would have loved to enjoy all by lonesome. (And just because the room is dark and I'm listening to the Doors, it doesn't mean I'm an alcoholic.)

Comments: This beer lived up to expectations when I had it off the tap on release day and it continues live up to the hype two weeks later. I'm willing to bet the 12/31 drink by date is simply a suggestion... tempted I am to drink this beer even later just to see how it holds up. Can this Heady be Topped?

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2010 02:04:19 | More by circlenine

mountsnow1010

Vermont

4.58/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A hazy gold with a frothy head and nice lacing
S grassy hempy pineapple just begins to describe it
T smells like it tastes and a solid bitterness
M crisP and clean
D three or so would be great

Short review from iPhone but this beer is so delicious

Epic

Serving type: on-tap

12-18-2010 23:25:59 | More by mountsnow1010

phingdong

New Hampshire

4.97/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Had on tap the day of the 600 bottle release

Pours a nice, murky orange tone with a thick frothy head. Great lacing with a nice sticky look as it slides down the glass.

The smell of this beer is unreal. I can smell it from a few feet away. Mango, citrus, grapefruit, dank hops, maybe a bit of pine. I couldn't help but to keep constantly smelling the beer. The aroma is so inviting and begs you to take a sip. This is the best smelling beer I have encountered to date.

The taste is similar to the smell. Maybe not quite as powerful but it goes hand and hand with the experience. Delicious citrus hops, tropical fruit, bitter hops. Very complex. As soon as I take a sip, I want another. When the beer is gone, I want more. Just one more taste...

Mouthfeel is crisp, sticky, and a bit dry but perfect for this beer.

Drinkability is off the charts for me. I want to keep drinking this until I am no longer able. At 8%, it could get me in trouble.

Such an amazing beer. It has temporarily hurt other beers for me, as all I want is another Heady Topper. Currently my favorite beer. Another trip to The Alchemist is in order.

Serving type: on-tap

12-18-2010 05:08:08 | More by phingdong