HopDevil Ale - Victory Brewing Company

MONKandTUCK

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Buffalo Wild Wings. Perfect pairing for wings and baseball.

A - A shade or two darker than orange. Has a fat white head. Nothing stunning, but clearly well-done.

A - Honey-like malt, a little toast. Lots of floral hops. Pine and Citrus follow. This beer could be an air-freshener, still it's not the blast I recall. Could be the moment. Could be the beer. I know I've been more blown away; not just by other beers, but also other samplings of HopDevil.

T - sweet and chewy, with some very strong citrus notes present. This never becomes as spicy as a recall. There've been times when I drank this beer and a 16oz was way too harsh and gritty to finish. This beer came out smoother, though the bitterness mounted as the glass finished.

This beer definitely throws a more interesting malt backbone than average. It's not as dry, but it's also not as sweet as many other hoppy beers. Picking a camp for it is hard to do. That's why I think the Vienna malt is such a good choice for basemalt... and hops up well to the blast of Centennial and Cascade.

M - thick, but occasionally creamy. It's not one to pound. take your time.

O -I often feel the venue matters a lot. Certain places get there hands on quality product, but don't handle it well. Had this one at Buffalo Wild Wings. I recall their Centennial IPA also waned over the course of months they offered it. Maybe it's me, maybe I am right. I dunno.

Regardless, this is an IPA that deserves to be counted among the national greats. Some may prefer others, but this has a deserved placed in the the pantheon. A little more rugged and a little thicker than average, this is a treat and a challenge in one package.

Serving type: growler

04-14-2012 05:32:34 | More by MONKandTUCK

JizackFH

New York

4.4/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - This beer pours a nice clear perfect copper color. It has a fluffy 2-finger off-white head on it. The head has excellent retention, and leaves a nice layer of sticky lace on the glass.

S - It smells of toasted malts, and also has a very nice hop character. There are notes of tropical fruits, as well as some citrus.

T - This starts off with a nice toasted malt background. There is a big burst of juicy bitter hops. I am also getting notes of caramel, fruit, some breadiness, and some citrus. The finish has a big hop bitterness that sticks to the palate and slowly fades.

M - It has a medium body and medium carbonation. It coats the mouth nicely and really lets you taste all of it. There is a big hop bitterness that sticks to the palate, which is a great thing for this style.

O - This has great drinkability. I really think it is a great example of an American IPA. I could easily drink a bunch of these, I'm on my third glass as I write this. Overall, I thought this was an awesome beer, and I will definitely drink it again. I recommend trying it if you haven't.

Serving type: growler

05-15-2011 08:09:56 | More by JizackFH

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.58/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Growler shared by Lunch. Thanks Paul!

The appearance is simply fantastic. The beer appears transparent and amber / orange in color, with nearly two inches of dense, creamy head that coats the glass with a thick sheet of lacing.

The aroma brings a balance of hops and malts, along with some toasted notes.

The flavor is tangy and bitter, with malt in the driver seat more so than hops. Very fresh, crisp and clean on the palate, as this growler was just filled. While I appreciate balance and realize that a beer doesn't have to be over the top to be a good brew, HopDevil just lacks the hop presence required by the style.

The feel is decent enough, but I find myself distracted by the hop to malt ratio.

Overall, a middle of the road offering. There are many better IPAs that are easily accessible.

Serving type: growler

04-01-2011 00:29:07 | More by Huhzubendah

Lunch

Maryland

3.45/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I received a fresh growler of this from the brewery as a gift. Served in my Victory HopDevil imperial nonic glass.

Pours darker than many IPAs with a nut brown with some ruby hues.

Aroma is mainly malts with some nut notes and some grassy and earthy hops.

This certainly not a hoppy IPA, but the taste is nice and it is extremely drinkable. There is some slight bitterness and hints of earthy hops, but the malt shine through. This is a balanced IPA, but I prefer my IPAs to be unbalanced with a massive amount of hops.

Serving type: growler

03-10-2011 00:52:33 | More by Lunch

goatgoat

California

3.88/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to mikereaser for the opportunity.

Pours a clear coppery amber. A goodly amount (~2 fingers) of off-white head falls leaving a good amount of lace. Obvious trails of bubbles make their way up through the brew.

Aroma is a smack of citrus hops when poured. Resinous. A little caramel malt in there as well. Pretty simple.

It takes less than half a second for the hop bitterness and flavor to dominate the initial sip. Flavor presents a stronger floral note than the aroma. Long lasting steady bitterness in the finish. The malt becomes more apparent through the course of a pint, while still . Due to warming or palate habituation to the bitter kick? Don't know, just know I like it.

Suitable body with lots of nice carbonation.

Serving type: growler

04-11-2009 19:57:06 | More by goatgoat

gellmeister

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Have had this IPA from both a bottle and a growler, since one of my friends lives right near the brewery in Downingtown, PA. This review was written during/after several glasses that I poured out of growler transported from Downingtown to State College, PA.

Lacy head, pours one to two fingers out of the growler - a bit more if you mistakenly pour too fast.

Orange amber color is nice, although I prefer unfiltered offerings and this one seems to be partially filtered.

Fruity/citrous overtones are present, in addition to the ever present hop scent, which makes this one of the better smelling beers that I consume on a regular basis.

Nice hoppy taste, but not overpowering, as in some IPA's or DIPA's. The citrous comes through only vaguely during consumption. This is clearly not a fruity wheat beer with hops added as an afterthought.

The aftertaste of this beer is most pleasing to my palate. It's not an overpowering hop flavor, but the hops are clearly evident long after you've put the glass down!

I could drink many glasses of this without batting an eye. I can't say that for a lot of other IPA's that I've tried. For an East Coast person that has limited access to West Coast IPA's, which are more numerous and generally higher in caliber, this beer is a winner. It ranks up there with Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA as my favorite "local" IPA. I also recommend Troegs Hopback Amber Ale.

Serving type: growler

04-09-2009 18:57:24 | More by gellmeister

LennyV

New York

3.8/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Growler purchase at halftime. Pours a burnt oragne color onto my Ommegang glass. Nice 2 finger creamy head, little to no lacing.

Smells of bitter citrus.

Taste starts off sweet and citrusy but is quickly followed by hop bitterness.

Carbonation is good with medium body.

This is a bit to bitter for myself. I prefer a little more sweetness balanced with hops. If you like hops then this beer id for you.

Serving type: growler

04-09-2009 01:49:03 | More by LennyV

Gilgemesh

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Note: I am changing the format of my reviews:

A- A deep amber with a slight reddish tint. The lacing is excellent with an off white head..

S- You really get the hops. Pungent and sweet..

T- Great hoppiness all the way through this. With subtle up front flavor strong middle tones and a nice finish.

M- Light carbonation and even a subtle pillowy feel as it moves through your mouth.

D- A very nice hoppy beer. We drank it while we built the new kegerator.

Packaging - Med brought this one over in a German style growler. I really like the German style. The sealable top and the new system over at Liberty, where they flush with CO2 before filling will make these last a good amount of time. Much better than the screw off caps.

Serving type: growler

05-18-2008 21:15:43 | More by Gilgemesh

ThatWineGuy

Ontario (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Biegaman for sharing this growler with me. I've enjoyed it now over three days although loathe to write a review since I've been struggling with a bad cold. The colour is copper to chestnut brown with a tan head that thins out but produces good lacing and lots of wispy film. Well carbonated. The nose is distinct pink grapefruit with a spicy citrus rind backdrop and maybe a hint of pine needles. The alcohol is well hidden with a sweet grapefruit taste, assertive hops, flashes of butterscotch. The mouthfeel throughout remains hoppy and crisp with a bitter-sweet lingering finish. This is a great beer drinking experience and one I'll hope to repeat often in the future.

Serving type: growler

10-14-2007 23:26:01 | More by ThatWineGuy

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Halloween 2007. Fresh growler fill via Consumer's Beverages on Elmwood, in Buffalo.

A stiff pour would conjure an average level of tanned white head. This would eventually fade in the middle, part strictly to the sides and then, after a good run, give out entirely around the halfway point of the pint. One element never compromised, however, is the colour; a toasted copper that glows ruby when examined at different angles, it is lovely-looking from each and every angle I inspect it.

The aroma is a fleshy concoction of zesty, eyebrow raising hops. Although C-hop dominated (meaning it boasts dynamic, domineering scents of pink grapefruit and pineapple), the bouquet also consists of rotting flowers, bubblegum, pine serum and a long list of other freshly squeezed citrus fruits. Despite all this the aroma is, believe or not, surprisingly balanced by a biscuity, toffee-like maltiness.

Hop Devil is liquid hop candy. Plain and simple. As well as overtones of spruce and pine, the flavour contains notes of grapefruit, pineapple, tangerine, lime, lychee and so on and so on and scooby-dooby doo. It is a citrus convention. But chaperoning all this are the aforementioned malts, which, if you care to notice, are bready and sweet (doubt you can though as the finish has an enduring mintiness).

Although almost 7%, the extra alcohol is, for the most part, unnoticed (and in any case the beer remains incredibly quaffable). It has a smoothing, toasty, biscuity maltiness as well as a leafy earthiness, the two infused and enlivened by well-integrated acidity. The bitterness seems to clamp onto the tongue for a long, rewarding aftertaste and really rams those pine-y, citrusy notes in.

Victory's Hop Devil was one of the first American IPAs I tried (and consequently one of the first beers to turn me onto bombastic hoppiness). It has been around for some time and remains a wonderful IPA, arguably still among the best the East Coast has to offer in the style. Right down the checklist, it fits all the criteria. It is, without doubt, a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer.

Serving type: growler

10-13-2007 05:01:40 | More by biegaman

Rudgers73

New York

4.05/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass from my D'saur BBQ growler.

A- Bright amber/orange. Nice thick foamy head. Lacing left when settled. Moderate carbonation.

S- Hops. That's it... Well, there are some sweet notes hidden in the back. Sticky sweet, brown sugar notes. If you eat something really spicy you can smell it better.

T- Nice and hoppy all the way through. Starts out sweet and then turns right into an aggressively hopped taste. Bitter aftertaste. Definite pine taste to the hops.

M- Dry. The carbonation is almost undetectable through the dryness from the hops.

D- It was good with my tacos tonight. Good anytime. Not quite a session beer with the 6.7% abv.

I've had this beer and the storm king stout from victory so far. They seem to have a common theme of going overboard for a really bold and memorable product. Good job so far.

Serving type: growler

11-01-2006 23:47:45 | More by Rudgers73

czechsaaz

Washington

3.1/5  rDev -24.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Nice grassy hop nose with hints of citrys. But the hops overpower any other aromatics. I get no malt or yeast character through it. It's a pleasant smell, but I want more complexity.

Nice amber color with incredible clarity. A little rising carbonation with a big frothy head that fades quickly to a thin solid layer.

Flavor is powerfully hop bitter. Then comes a grassy hop flavor and then more hop aftertaste. It isn't until the long ligering effects of aftertaste that I can pick up some malt profile. Basically, this is a throw handfuls of hops in a batch beer. Which makes it not to my liking. There's more to beer than straight alpha acid.

Decent body with a nice carbonation level. So bitter though that it feels dry and a little astringent.

I'm not really impressed. For me this falls into the category of beers that have no finesse, only hops. Maybe with the right insanely spicy food this would work better but for straight drinking it is completely one dimenstional.

Serving type: growler

09-15-2006 04:51:18 | More by czechsaaz

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

3.79/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: It has a nice deep hazy orange color to it. It has a nice off-white head that dies down slowly and leaves some lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitely give out hints of citrus, floral hops, some pine, sweet bready malts and some caramel.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has some citrus, floral notes, a bit of pine and sweet bready/caramelly malts to balance it out.

Mouthfeel: It has a low/medium carbonation with a nice overall balance and feel.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with good flavors and aromas.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 21:36:19 | More by SebD

MarkQ617

Massachusetts

4.65/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this poured into a pint glass. Awesome beer to have in the Spring or Fall months, but really any time of year. Super crisp, outstanding flavor of hops and citrus (especially big on the hops as the name would lead you to believe). Really nice copper color with a whitish foam head. Just enough boozy flavor to let you know it's there without getting into the range of an imperial or anyhting like that. One of the best offerings I've had from Victory, very nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 17:02:42 | More by MarkQ617

Alextricity

Michigan

4.2/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

*March 23rd review from RateBeer*

First off, this bottle says best by March 18th 2013, so it’s about a week past its prime.

Appearance: Pretty clear beer with some small particles floating around. Two fingers worth of head that stays at about one through the glass. Very nice lacing.

Aroma: The aroma is of spice and malt with hops there, but definitely in the background and more subtle (I presume because of the age of this beer).

Taste: The taste is... interesting. Truth be told, it tastes like V8 juice to me as far as the "spice" is concerned, but without any vegetable notes (thank God). Sweet through the front of each sip, with a slightly bitter, spicy finish. Really, I get a LOT of peppery notes in HopDevil, and I don’t mind. The mouthfeel is smooth, and a slight coating is left in the mouth on each sip.

HopDevil’s a very good beer, and this one’s not even fresh. I would try this again out of a fresher bottle.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 00:58:29 | More by Alextricity

dar482

New York

4.41/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

The color is a dark amber red.

If you can get this nitro, please do. The head is fluffy pillowy white.

The aroma has a pine bigness, sweetness from malt.

It starts off with mild to strong on fruits and sweet flavors. The hops finish nicely, but leaves a bit of a bitter aftertaste. There is a big pine and red grapefruit flavor because of the crystal malt gentle sweetneess.

The mouth feel is so smooth and low on carbonation. The nitro really makes this beer roll around the mouth well.

This is almost a mix of an amber ale and IPA.

One of the better IPAs I had have.

Serving type: nitro-tap

05-20-2013 06:55:38 | More by dar482

Roman5150

Michigan

4.34/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottl into snifter

Appearance: dark amber/mahogany, thick white head

Smell: you can smell the bitterness, earthy floral hops, minor fruity notes, pineapple and citrus

Taste: very smooth, less bitter than the nose and name would imply. Extremely well balanced, very resinous earthy hay undertones with a sharp citrus backbone. Alcohol and malt are pretty well disguised by hops. One of the more balanced ipas ive had.

Mouthfeel: not much carbonation

Overall: a very well balanced ipa with loads of hops but not super bitter like i expected. Truy an amazing beer, will be buying again. Highly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 01:20:42 | More by Roman5150

DenverHopHead

Colorado

4.44/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Yes sir! Victory is so underrated...at least out here in the Western part of the country. First Storm King surprised me and now the Hop Devil! This beast looks a lot like Hop Rod Rye from Bear Republic...a dark rye, amber looking brew. The nose is decent, nothing spectacular. Now, this tastes like a perfect late Fall IPA! I'm thinking a Hop Devil or 2 at Halloween would be perfect in Denver! Bravo, an East Coast IPA challenging the West, good stuff!

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 21:05:38 | More by DenverHopHead

Vox

Florida

3.65/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A: lovely coppery red. Off white head with nice retention. Lacing leaves a great sponge patterned lacing.

S: stale, bread, slightly skunky with a hint of pine, honey and floral undertones.

T: Wonderful hop bitterness quickly followed by pine and finished with a bread floral aftertaste.

M: smooth, nicely carbonated.

O: Enjoyable IPA.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 02:25:48 | More by Vox

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

4.64/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Victory Hop Devil IPA has a thick, spongy, khaki head, a semi-clear, orange appearance, a few streaming bubbles, and a good amount of sporadic lacing left behind. The aroma is of hop oil, flowers, some pine, and sweet, white bread. Taste is of all those, plus citrus rind, sugar, citrus juice of some sort, hearty (but, not harsh) bitterness, and no alcohol. Mouthfeel is medium, soft, and oily, and Victory Hop Devil IPA finishes mostly dry, refreshing, sweet, and quite drinkable. This is a super IPA, and I say it's one not to miss.

RJT

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 17:29:45 | More by RonaldTheriot

damndirtyape

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

On tap at Rosewood Grill, Hudson, OH. Served in a Shaker Pint Glass.

Appearance: Slightly hazy copper. Plenty of thick sheets of lacing and lots of persistent strands. Thin foam across the top (off white, slightly orangish) that lasted the whole way down the glass.

Smell: Herbal, slightly cheesy smell, odd, but this went away as it warmed up and the beer approaches room temp. At that point, the smell moves over to floral and citrus.

Taste: Very hoppy through and through. Bitter up front taste, moving into buttery caramel malt sweetness middle, and then more of a bitter finish. Bitterness had aspects of pine and grapefruit.

Mouthfeel: Nicely thick, good carbonation to counter it. Hop oils sticking to the teeth.

Overall / Drinkability: A good AIPA, but not a great one. The aroma makes wonder if this one had been in the keg a bit too long (it had been awhile since they changed out the keg). By itself nice, but not wow. Went well with food (walleye) and okay drinkability, but without food, I think I would have stopped at one.

Serving type: on-tap

05-03-2013 01:49:51 | More by damndirtyape

trxxpaxxs

New York

3.73/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A: Pours a wonderful translucent orange/red with one full finger of off-white head. The foam take a bit to settle, leaving massive lacing along the glass and a nice bubble cake on the top of the beer.

S: The nose is a mix of malt and pine hops. I think this beer might be a bit old. I'm getting a touch of grass and dirt in here as well.

T: It starts out sweet and malty with a bit of pine hops coming on a second or so later. As the beer moves into the middle I get butter, and dirt. This beer is definitely old. Too bad.

M: Medium bodied beer. It has some heft, it's coats the palate, and it lingers for awhile after the beer is gone.

O: I wish this beer wasn't an old bottle. I have had this beer many times in the past and my rating will not do it justice in the long run. It's a solid IPA with big hoppy feels ans a rounded out malt bill. An east coast IPA standard.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 20:21:12 | More by trxxpaxxs

u2carew

Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz longneck

A) Pours with a two finger head that is off white in color. Slowly settles to a big bubble lacing at the edge of the glass. A clear bronze body.
S) Pleasant, sweet floral aroma. Hints of caramel and butterscotch.
T) Bold hop bite from the beginning lasting to the finish. A well balanced mix of hops and malts. Peppery. Hints of spruce. Mellow caramel notes.
M) medium body. Clean. Crisp. Mellow hop tannins in the finish.
O) A delicious IPA.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 00:11:30 | More by u2carew

JG-90

New Jersey

4.15/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

Bottle poured into glass give a large fluffy/bubbly head that is slightly off-white in color. The beer is a dull orange-brown color and is very hazy. Head slowly recedes to leave a small film on top with moderate-heavy lacing.

The smell is not very strong and has light and sweet malts, bread, and floral hops. Taste is similar to the nose but with a large addition of spicy hops. Starts with malt and white bread, then floral hops, followed by a rush of spicyness. Ends with spice and grapefruit. Very crisp finish. Mouthfeel is medium body and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 22:23:41 | More by JG-90

pixieskid

France

3.48/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Have had this several times over the years but it had been a while and I happened to find it available on tap in the Philly airport last week. So, consider I was in PA, just arrived in the states, figured this would satisfy my IPA needs.

Poured a rusty copper color, thin white head.

Nose; floral hops, bready malts, that's about it.

Taste; way too much malt character. Overpowered what little hoping there was. Now, I know this was served in an airport (thankfully in a Sam Adams perfect pint by my request) but wow, this beer is not at all what I remember. Could have been a freshness issue but I don't really think so considering I was in it's home state and from what I would guess, international airports serving local beer should be running through the stuff fairly often so the keg couldn't have been that old.

Mouthfeel; clean but a bit slick.

Overall; it worked in a pinch but the last time I was in the Philly airport, I had a much more enjoyable layover beer in Yard's IPA...

Serving type: on-tap

04-16-2013 06:50:15 | More by pixieskid