Heady Topper - The Alchemist

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.88/5  rDev +3.4%
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

dirtylou

Washington

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

16oz CANS, served in various goblets over christmas

Ah yes, Heady Ticker...Thanks @blackie for the CANS. I'm sorry folks, but I just couldn't get myself to drink this from a can, despite their wishes. That just doesn't make any sense to me - drank from some nice glassware with no issues! If they had told you to drink it out of a shoe, would you? Bright hop profile - oily, fragrant citrus, tropical, tangerine, pineapple. Really liked this - deserves most of the praise it receives.

Serving type: can

01-04-2013 03:05:24 | More by dirtylou

Bitterbill

Wyoming

4.13/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

16 oz can.

It pours a hazy orange with a 3 finger head of foam.(served slightly chilled)

The smell is nice; citrus and tropical fruit mostly, only a hint of malt.

The taste is nice as well. Nice citrus bitterness, mild taste of tropical fruit, some good malty notes for some balance. Everything is so smooth so it's very easy to drink; the 8% abv is *very* well hidden.

Smooth creamy mouthfeel, it's a satisfying brew for my palate. Very good stuff.

Serving type: can

12-20-2011 23:47:58 | More by Bitterbill

TurdFurgison

Ohio

4.63/5  rDev -1.9%
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

DefenCorps

Oregon

4.45/5  rDev -5.7%
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

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.73/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

16 oz can poured into a snifter. (Yes, I'm disobedient.)
8% ABV, Hard to "drink fresh" with no date. "Don't be a d-bag, recycle this can!"

Big thanks to Rochefort10NH for sending this my way! I knew this beer would be good but I should have taken his suggestion for 4 cans, not just 2. Oy.

A - Pouring slowly from the can (yeah, for review I find it necessary to disobey the can's blatant directions) Heady Topper is a fully cloudy, tainted golden apricot color. Head rises up but this beer certainly isn't heady. Low retention but delicate lace patches the glass.

S - It's hard to experience a better, fuller, hop-rich aroma. Bursting with American hop goodness, this Double IPA rocks out with bold pine sap and sticky lupulin gland resin. Citrus plays a part but certainly doesn't run the show here. Mild pineapple falls behind grapefruit and lemon zest.

T - Full-on hoppy-hoppy joy-joy, Heady Topper is laced with so much hop complexity; bold pine keeps the pace while grapefruit extraordinaire grips your teeth's enamel and doesn't let go. Sticky honey and pale malt almost becomes completely forgettable despite it's impeccable balance.

M - This can reads, "So drinkable, it's scary." I'd have to agree wholeheartedly. It could just be the explosive hop profile but, the alcohol percent isn't even perceived here. From the perfectly smooth mouthfeel to the grippingly bitter, freshly squeezed grapefruit juice-like finish, this chewy Double IPA is a pleasure to pass over the tongue.

O - I think the crude can drawing is trying to depict the back of this guy's head exploding with hops while a giant smile creeps from behind his beard. After I got my first whiff, I almost had to check the back one mine too! What a hop rush! While Heady Topper isn't the craziest beer our there, and they acknowledge it on the can, it's fantastic balanced makes it one of the greatest Double IPAs out there!

(Observation; though they exclaim, "DRINK FROM THE CAN!" the can clearly shows this guy drinking from a pint. Things that make you go, "hmm".)

Serving type: can

02-29-2012 02:36:17 | More by BeerFMAndy

FosterJM

California

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

898th Review on BA
Can to Taster (Only for App)
16 oz

2011

Thanks to Kzoobrew for this one.

App- A really good crisp orange with a good amount of clairity. A nice head was formed and left a touch of cling on even a taster glass.

Smell- A great bit of pine, guava and orange in the glass. A little bitter with some hop oils.

Taste- This was a very good DIPA. More of a mallt presence than I thought would present itself. It has a good bit of citrus behind it and was very crisp with a refreshing bite behind it. Still felt a bit awkward drinking such a choice beer out of a can but oh well.

Mouth- A medium bodied DIPA all the way with a paired medium/high carbonation level. Good citrus with a small malt backbone residual flavor. Nice tropical flavors with only a touch of earth.

Drink- Kevin, I can't say enough about this beer. Thank you so much for having an extra for me. I would love to have more of this beer for sure.

Serving type: can

10-29-2011 00:33:43 | More by FosterJM

smakawhat

Maryland

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

As per suggestion I tried this out of the can "briefly" and yup, knew it wouldn't work for me. Evaluated by pouring straight down the middle very slowly into a nonic pint glass, letting the head settle, then topping up later. At first about 4 oz was only poured in the nonic pint glass, with the can to be evaluated afterwards.

Nice looking can. As for the beer, really exceptional looking slowly decanting the beer punching it through the center of the glass. Head on the bottom forms the most perfect looking microscopic nitro looking bubbles, with the top filled with creamy off white foam. Body color is textbook almost pale amber with great orange hues. Slightly hazy guessing unfiltered but just enough to see through it. Head retention is massive, you couldn't drive a mac truck through this and it hangs for a long time.

Ripping this open, man the hops just escape. Smelling the can a real dry hop pine sense, and of course my lip hits the bottom and I taste aluminum. However, when pouring about five ounces, the nose brings a giant hop pine which is tolerable and not aggressive. Small malt and tiny sugars, dry hop smelling hops and pine but also a real burnt smelling and sense of smoke. Very unique.

Tasting out of the glass, a surprising turn. Citrus angle hits first of a smooth orange, finish resin pine comes creeping in with a slow calm bitterness. The citrus angle is quite a surprise from the nose. Tasting from the can the beer is more prickly and carbonated, but nowhere as good or enjoyable. Even a second whiff brings... nothing from the can. Aftertaste just lingers on and on and on. Feel is almost creamy matching the head appearance, lightly carbonated, with a good hint of malt balance. There is also no sense of alcohol booze on this whatsoever.

Overall a great example of the style and real enjoyable, too bad my chances of trying this again are going to be slim in this area. Except when I head to Vermont! May not be my ultimate favorite but it is one dam good beer.

Serving type: can

11-09-2011 00:15:29 | More by smakawhat

AgentZero

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev -5.7%
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

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.48/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

an affordable can at farmhouse tap in burlington. they say drink it from the can, but i poured it for more careful study. it looks lovely, hazy, definitely unfiltered. radiant hay color with thick white suds floating on top that leave some mean lacing as it drinks. smells like quite the hop bouquet. grapefruit and spruce are the most prominent hop esters im picking up, but there are many. it tastes like it smells, deep and complex, worthy of patient consumption. its fruity, in addition to citrus there is also nectarine and mandarin orange on my tongue. its got upbeat carbonation which keeps its oily medium taffy sticky body moving along. the aftertaste is long and bittersweet, as it should be. alcohol is well hidden in taste, but can certainly be felt. this is one hell of a big ipa, and i dont want to hear anymore debate about pliny/heady, because both are outstanding and distinct brews, and that should suffice for all of us.

Serving type: can

08-27-2012 23:29:11 | More by StonedTrippin

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.51/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Against the demands written on the can I poured it into two wine glasses and shared with Steve 28/4/13

A golden orange with a shitload of sediment but not many visible bubbles but a two finger head that hangs out long enough to leave a couple partial ring of lace

S tropical notes of mango, sweet orange, pineapple, grapefruit, and tangerine, lots of pine with just a little caramel giving some balance even though its pretty lopsided, some Flintstone vitamins as it warms, smells great

T even more pine and more rind then the fresh flesh I was smelling, other then that it mimics the smell and that's a good thing for sure

M has a nice weight to it, big bitter snap, a little grit left behind on the gums and a very strong and long finish of rind and pine

O gone in seconds, very drinkable, a great example of the style from start to finish, I want more

one of those beers where even your burps taste good after drinking it, I don't know if its the best in the World but its one of the best DIPA's I've encountered in recent memory and would go far out of my way to acquire more.

Serving type: can

04-29-2013 05:03:17 | More by wordemupg

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.85/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

16oz can, consumed therefrom.

A: Beautiful can. Great contrast between the brushed aluminum and the black design. Funny text, too. Perfect appearance.

S: The can doesn't quite amplify the aroma like a tulip would, but what scent wafts through the widemouth is pure hops candy. Tropical fruit, citrus, pine, and angel deodorant.

T: Hoppy heaven, plain and simple. Fresh, juicy, intense, delicious, complexly flavorful hops. Fruit, flowers, resin, and a clean finish. Truly delicious in every way.

M: Smooth, velvety carbonation fills out the clean, medium body. Lovely.

O: What a beer. While not quite as perfect an experience as it was on tap (HT was my first perfect 5 review), this can was still one of the greatest hop celebrations my mouth has ever known. If I lived closer to the cannery, I might not drink anything else. This beer is the real deal.

Cheers!

Serving type: can

11-06-2011 15:09:46 | More by woosterbill

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

4.8/5  rDev +1.7%
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

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

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

A - Wow they were right about one thing if you pour the can it's full of tons of hop floaties. Color is a hazy amber brown with a 1/2 inch of thick bubbly head.

S - Straight up 5 here and I don't understand how you could give it a rating any lower on the smell. It was like fresh squeezed hop juice with very strong mostly noted grapefruit like hop dankness. Man this stuff smells good!

T - As expected it drinks freaking amazing. Hops are strong almost acidic or piney but the caramel like malts keep it from going overboard. I also love how well it hides the ABV it's almost non existent. Summed up perfect!

M - It has a medium bodied and drinks with the best of em.

Overall I could completely see the hype behind this beer being worth it but not worth trading away too much for it. Thanks again for the can Rick!

Serving type: can

05-29-2012 19:14:11 | More by DrDemento456

Deuane

Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev -4%
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

Jwale73

Rhode Island

4.25/5  rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

16oz. can served in my ST tulip (just couldn't bring myself to drink it out of the can). Pours a semi-hazy burnt orange with a rocky, one inch, cream-colored head embedded with tiny craters. Head eventually settles into a soapy skim with a thin, bubbly band around the edges. Some swaths and spots of lacing are revealed during the tasting. Love the nose on this beer - grassy, sweet citrus, earthy rind and a slight peppery quality towards the back; incredibly well-balanced. Taste follows nose - earthy bitterness presents up-front and sweet citrus and a suggestion of apricot follows. Finish leaves a slight residual bitterness between quaffs. Mouthfeel is medium-light with a pleasant, even carbonation that is lively without being prickly. There's also a slightly oily texture. The more I drink this beer, the more I like it. Hopefully it will make it to Southern Vermont so I can get a bit more regular access. This beer is nothing short of fantastic - the balance is top notch, the alcohol is well-hidden and it is just so easy drinking. In my opinion, can tops bottle on this brew.

Serving type: can

09-16-2011 01:23:15 | More by Jwale73

tone77

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Many thanks to woodychandler for coming through big time with this beer. Poured from a 16 oz. can. Has an orange/brownish color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is alive with hops and citrus. Taste is also very good, hoppy, citrus and tropical fruits abound, bitter but not overly so, a well constructed beer. Feels full bodied in the mouth and overall was a pleasure to drink, worth seeking out.

Serving type: can

05-29-2012 23:28:10 | More by tone77

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

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

1/2 OF A 16OZ CAN poured into a regular pint glass, while drinking the other half out the CAN. Excited to see this in Philly. I bought it with ease. Purchased a single at Capone's and a 4-pack from the bottle shop at Local 44. Props to Origlio for pulling in a great brewery, it's about time you guys found some new blood.

A silver can, the liquid dispersed in the pint shows a golden orange glaze that haze some hazy within the liquid. Floating particles seen throughout suspended. Not much of a head or even a cap, just a small white ring around the collar.

Smell is pretty bold with a lot of citrus and high dry hopping scent. The funny thing is there is a weird scent that I cant describe that's either a distinct hop variety (im thinking summit) or a odd malt type. Kinda reminds me of the Ephraim scent. The scent while not my thing, is lingering.

Taste on the other hand is right up there with the big boys. Out of the CAN, the finish is a bit crisper, while the glass version comes off smother. Either way, a whole lot of dry hopping with citrus, grapefruit, mango, with a sharp pine taste as well. Bitter, but not over the top. Some grassy taste lingers on the tounge with warming.

Feel is pretty much medium, but it really drinks easy as hell, goes down without a burn and not a alarming overly bitter aftertaste. Carbonation is there and not overly done. After the CAN was done, my mouth is not attacked and wrecked, this is the sign of a great DIPA, one that you can drink a few of. I don't know what else to say, this is tasty beer.

Serving type: can

04-19-2012 04:49:40 | More by onix1agr

Bierman9

New Hampshire

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

My last bier of the night (16APR09) with dinner... The Holey Moley having kicked, this was the one to satisfy my hop habit...

Listed at 8.20% now, my 12oz flute was filled with a flat, dull, apricot-colored liquid. It was a bit cloudy, with a creamy tan head and good stick. Nose was quite fruity, with citrus and hints of tropical action weighing in. Solid mouthfeel here; body was easily medium, and it felt quite good on the tongue.

Topper had a touch of toasty malt at the outset, with subtle caramel, then segues into lots of citrus and rindy-ness. Some grapefruity resins coat the palate, and last quite well in the finish. Not as robust in the hop department as Holey Moley, but quite tasty nonetheless. Prosit!!

4
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

1120

Serving type: on-tap

04-20-2009 14:29:08 | More by Bierman9

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.65/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A: Pours a hazy dark straw yellow in color with some hints of golden yellow and very light amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a finger tall dense and creamy off-white head that slowly reduces to a mottled thick film covering the entire surface of the beer and a thick ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Huge aromas of citrus and tropical hops - lots of citrus/grapefruit along with pineapple, mango, and peach tropical aromas. The smell of this beer makes me want to drink it, and want more and more of it.

T: Just like the smell, the taste of this beer is completely dominated by the hops. Moderate to strong flavors of grapefruit/citrus, pineapple, mango, and peach hops with a light amount of bitterness that does not linger. Upfront there is a light amount of malt sweetness.

M: Light to medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Extremely smooth and creamy.

O: Poured half the can into a glass for my review and drank the other half from the can as recommended on the can. This is definitely a world class DIPA, great aroma and great flavor...and it comes in a can to top it off. This beer is super easy to drink but I think it could really sneak up on you because the alcohol is very well hidden. Delicious!

Serving type: can

09-28-2012 22:18:10 | More by dbrauneis

oline73

Maryland

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

Poured from a can into a standard pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a cloudy amber with a finger of fluffy white head that fades to a ring around the edge of the glass.

Smell: Just amazing. Herbal and citrus hops smack you in the face. Some pineapple and pine tree in there as well. Super fresh.

Taste: Just like the smell, thank God. Bitter hops throughout, but there is a decent amount of malt to back it up. Lots of grapefruit and apricot with more mild herbal and pine notes. Bitter finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with carbonation on the mild side and an extremely dry finish.

Overall: I wouldn't change a thing. You're damn right I'm going to have it again.

Serving type: can

09-22-2011 23:08:58 | More by oline73

billab914

Virginia

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

16 oz can. I had the first few sips from the can and then decided to pour this one into a glass to do get a proper score on appearance. I'll drink any future ones right from the can, I promise.

It poured an orange amber color with a thin but sticky white head barely covering the top of the beer. The head faded a little but left some great lacing as it did.

The aroma is bright and juicy with some notes of peach, pineapple and grapefruit coming out in it. I love the juicy, tropical fruit notes in it. Fantastic hoppy aroma overall.

The taste sows more of the bright, juicy, tropical fruit notes to it up front. Towards the finish some of the bitter, citrus rind and grapefruit flavors start to mix in and linger through the finish. Great range of hoppy flavors to it.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with carbonation being moderate. Overall it was a fantastic beer, I loved the bright, juicy hoppiness. It had a great range of flavors to it and was very drinkable. Great beer overall.

Serving type: can

11-06-2011 21:39:03 | More by billab914

maximum12

Minnesota

3.85/5  rDev -18.4%
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

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.98/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter despite the can's instructions. I love the "Don't be a D-bag, recycle this can!" on the back.

3.5 A: Lightly hazed dark orange color. Small particulates throughout. Two and a half fingers of white frothy/creamy hybrid head. Retention is good and some lacing is left.

4.5 S: Nice nose on this. Incredibly floral with orange and mango citrus. Can't really pick up in terms of malts other than a light neutral sweetness and a touch of breadiness.

4.0 T: Surprisingly sweet and bitter at the same time. Pithy grapefruit with orange, papaya, and mango citrus. Malts and yeast give a hearty dose of breadiness and graham cracker.

4.0 M: Medium body. Good moderate carbonation. Reasonably creamy with a light bitter aftertaste.

4.0 D: Solid brew, though I'm not huge on bready DIPAs. Still, I'd have no problem putting down a few of these.

Serving type: can

10-20-2011 23:01:01 | More by DavoleBomb

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

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

16oz can - thanks to zuma for this

Appearance - Hazy amber colour with a large size frothy off white coloured head. It's hard to make out the amount of carbonation and there is some good lacing. The head lasted for over 5 minutes before it was gone.

Smell - Malts, caramel, hops, grapefruit, lemons, tangerines

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and the taste is made up of caramel and malts mixed with hops. It also has a wack of citrus flavours - lemons, grapefruits, and tangerines. Juice and zest. It ends with a sweet and bitter hop aftertaste.

Overall - It reminded me of a pliny meets rad racer taste wise. It's got a lot of lemony citrus flavour that almost makes it seem more like an IPA than a DIPA. I consider this the pliny of the east - worth seeking out.

Serving type: can

04-05-2012 02:31:31 | More by spinrsx