HopDevil Ale - Victory Brewing Company

IronLover

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Deep orange with a red hue, a slight haze and no head. Decent lacings on the glass. Big citrus and tropical aromas with a hint of sweet maltiness. Very smooth and mellow feel. More mellow than the bottled version. Low carbonation. Tropical citrus flavors overwhelm this IPA. Difficult to detect any malt character. Hop flavors taper from tropical fruit to pine at the finish. Very smooth and mellow with tons of hop punch and it went down pretty easy.

Serving type: cask

09-15-2010 17:39:12 | More by IronLover

glid02

Georgia

3.9/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cask at Trappeze in Athens.

Pours a slightly hazy copper color with a one-finger off-white head. The head recedes into a patchy layer on top leaving solid lacing.

Smells of moderately grainy caramel malts with good amounts of floral and light pine hop aromas.

Tastes very similar to how it smells. Mildly dry caramel malt flavors kick things off and are joined quickly by pine hop flavors. Midway through the sip the hop flavors turn more earthy as the spruce notes fade, carrying through to a moderately bitter ending.

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

Drinkability is also good. I finished my glass without a problem and could have another.

Overall I was expecting more of this beer after having Hop Wallop a few times but the hops were surprisingly faint. A nice beer but not worth seeking out.

Serving type: cask

08-16-2010 03:57:01 | More by glid02

rootbeerman

Virginia

4.47/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

had at Capital Ale House Midlothian

A: arrived in a pint glass with a finger and a half of off white head. dark amber/copper body. small amounts of lacing with a quarter finger of head that lingered til the end.

S: mostly malty, not much hops, have no idea how long the cask has been tapped. very light pine aroma.

T: lightly sweet, more malty than hoppy, pine and floral hops.

M: amazingly smooth, seems to linger long on palate. no carbonation. its cask ale.

D: very easy to drink, leaves me wondering why i waited so long to try a cask ale.

Serving type: cask

05-19-2010 00:40:11 | More by rootbeerman

FeDUBBELFIST

Pennsylvania

4.63/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Hand pumped into a pint glass.

A: Average head as expected. Light brown and frothy. Very bubbly. The medium brown body is a bit tawny and has tints of orange. Incredibly murky from the cask conditioning.

S & T: Beautiful aromatics and flavor. It's freshness is noticeable from the onset. The sweet grainy malts are present but know their place and keep a minimal profile making way for the heavy handed hops. Very floral and very piney, like fresh cut lumber, also grassy and mild grapefruit. Sour applesauce flavor. Light yeast notes of leaves, earth and fragrant hand soap. This brew really shines on cask.

M: The mouthfeel is exceptional and very restrained. Medium body is so smooth and creamy. The carbonation pleasantly soft; the finish bitter.

D: Nothing better than a well-done cask conditioned brew. There was only one thing that could tear me away from this treat. You guess what it was...

Serving type: cask

01-01-2010 16:45:32 | More by FeDUBBELFIST

donniecuffs

New Jersey

4.33/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

(i have tried this many times from the tap and the bottle, and the beer has never disappointed, yet never astounded me...until i had it from a cask...)

Poured a nice copper brown, with two fingers of off-white head and very good lacing. The smell was wonderfully balanced between maltiness/molasses and hop bitterness, with very subtle hints of grapefruit and pine. The flavor was much more intense, with a near-perfect split between malt and hops, dissolving to a dry finish. Creamy mouthfeel, with little carbonation likely the result of the cask. Very sessionable ipa.

Serving type: cask

10-13-2009 19:08:14 | More by donniecuffs

BirdFlu

New Jersey

4.2/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

served on cask at the victory brewpub in Downingtown, PA.. Ultra smooth and creamy.. the carbonation is totally mellowed out. Huge, big fluffy head is very nice gives you a beer moustache. Aroma is subtle but certainly hoppy. Fresh and a bit sweet. Taste is very creamy, hoppy but very mellow with a clean finish and malt sweetness apparent right behind the hop. Mouth is silky, not heavy at all. The creaminess is quite delightful. It drinks very smooth and is delicious. Becomes a bit filling (especially if drank with food) but is definitely awesome.

Serving type: cask

07-26-2009 18:46:30 | More by BirdFlu

runesead

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is for the version of HopDevil that was on cask at Victory.

Appearance: Good head retention, perfect carbonation, beautiful amber color

Smell: Tangy and floral, hoppy to the nose

Taste: subdued hoppiness filled with wood notes and a floral blossoming.

Mouthfeel: Lingering notes of hops and slight maltiness, a good aftertaste that progresses well.

Drinkability: I downed this beer faster than I do with other beers. Perfect temperature, a fantastic beer, and a taste that does not get old.

Serving type: cask

07-14-2009 00:50:43 | More by runesead

soulgrowl

United Kingdom (England)

3.95/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Brick red with an ambery sheen and a smallish beige head, difficult to judge from the English hand-pump pour. Very malty in the nose with lots of toasted grain as well as ripe fruits like cherries and apples that synthesize into a pie-like character. Citric hops combine with dark sugars and an unexpected vanilla note to produce hints of cola. Tastes as it smells, lovely, bready, nutty, and bitter with fruity pear, grape, and grapefruit undertones, a hearty almond flavor and a sharp hop bite. However, it's not so sharp that it cuts through the malts - it mostly just perforates them. A bit thick on the palate, which tips the scales in favor of malty sweetness - this would probably be better served another way so that the carbonation makes more of an impact. Still, a very good quaffer.

Serving type: cask

07-04-2009 08:35:47 | More by soulgrowl

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.35/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On cask through the handpump at the Brick Store Pub. Pours a dark amber that is a bit hazy. The beer has a wonderful head, especially for cask ale, huge and creamy and off white that leaves some nice lacing. Smells bitter with leafy hops and a rich bitter earthiness, and a touch of grainy sourness. The taste exhibits a nice deep bitterness and an earthy richness as well as a hoppy, creamy finish which is unique to the cask in my estimation. Nice mouthfeel, creamy and dry with a slight graininess. Absolutely delicious, and even better on cask.

Serving type: cask

02-21-2009 03:57:29 | More by Georgiabeer

Cyberkedi

Georgia

4.08/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy dark amber, barely transparent, with a thick beige head. Decent aroma is hoppy and has evergreen and yeasty tones. Flavor is fiercely hoppy with a considerable yeasty overtone, not too much bitterness, and even a sweet hint. Texture is smooth and lively, leaving a satisfying finish.

Serving type: cask

02-01-2009 00:14:56 | More by Cyberkedi

LilBeerDoctor

New York

3.33/5  rDev -19%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Reviewed on 7/10/08. On cask at Blind Tiger. Pours a cloudy brown with a bubbly white head. Aroma is very fruity with citrus hops lingering in the background. Also smells like red grape juice. Flavor is less fruity initially as the aroma with more hop bitterness. A very odd IPA- I got roasted malts, soda, apples, raisin, and alcohol. I've never had this beer before, but it seems that it's quite different on cask. Interesting and not really at all like an IPA.
7/3/7/3/14 (3.4/5)

Serving type: cask

12-20-2008 18:16:30 | More by LilBeerDoctor

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.7/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I am partial to this beer because it is a local favorite of mine. Pours a nice dark amber color with a thick, foamy white head that settles into a slight lacing. Aroma is dominated by citrus and earthy hops with slight roasted malt hints. Very well-balanced quaffable IPA with a nice malt backbone to counter the bitterness from the hops.

Serving type: cask

12-02-2008 08:26:16 | More by corby112

bonbini26

New Jersey

4.58/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Had on Cask @ the Ginger Man in NYC 08-31-08

This beer was actually my 1st introduction to craft beer, and i thought it was terrible!!...my feelings have changed greatly since then. I love this beer on tap and bottle, but from a cask it is a totally different experience. The hops finish so clean and fresh at the end in a more subtle way, not as overpowering from a bottle. Tea/citrus flavors come through on the nose and 1st taste. Very balanced and easy drinking, could drink this all night. Fans of this beer will not be disappointed if you never had it on cask

Serving type: cask

09-01-2008 19:02:44 | More by bonbini26

rodcom

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I am fortunate I live about 3 miles from Victory so I have had this beer served three different ways - cask, tap and bottle. The cask is my favorite style though this beer is great which every way it is served. Nice brown color to it with that hop smell that makes you know you are about to have a great IPA. Flavor is solid hops from the beginning to the end. Despite high ABV you don't know it till you get up after drinking a couple of them.

Serving type: cask

05-05-2008 12:36:52 | More by rodcom

rgb2807

New York

4.53/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This beer is a different animal when you get it cask, and I guess that holds true for a lot of beers, but I have never tried a cask beer that I had a lot experience with from the bottle.

The hops come through in a much more subtle way. They are not as overpowering as with a bottle. (I still love bottled/tap hop devil though) And its room temperature serving makes its citrusy flavors come through a lot more.

This is a very sophisticated ale, after drinking the cask, it makes the bottled stuff taste better too because I am way more aware of all of the flavors interacting instead of just hop flavor.

Serving type: cask

03-28-2008 18:35:47 | More by rgb2807

tpd975

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Wow very nice. I enjoyed the Victory Hop Devil on cask at the Hop Devil Bar in NYC. How fitting.

A: Nice orangish gold color with little to no head. Little to no lacing noted.

S: Nice hoppy aroma. Tons of grapefruit with mild touches of nutty toffee malt.

T: In the bottle it took a bit for the hops to kick in. On cask I tasted wonderful grapefruit hops right from the start. There was a wonderful malt backbone to even things out making this one enjoyable brew.

M: Medium bodied and ultra crisp on the palate.

D: Nice drinkable brew, on cask this one is down right sessionable.

Overall: Nice aggressive IPA. Perfect balance between hop and malt. If your a hophead you will enjoy this one no matter if its on cask or in the bottle.

Serving type: cask

03-27-2008 19:54:30 | More by tpd975

Hojaminbag

Colorado

4.47/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On cask at the Victory Brew-pub in Downingtown, PA.

A nice dark red with a finger of nice, off-white head. Decent lacing.

Hoppy smell, very flowerly.

Very balanced taste. Up front is a large, floral taste with some malt backbone. Finishes very dry with a nice hop flavor.

Good mouthfeel, very light.

Greeat drinkability, a beer you can drink all night.

Serving type: cask

03-01-2008 05:56:34 | More by Hojaminbag

tgbljb

Pennsylvania

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

Enjoyed on cask at the brewpub.
Served as a medium amber colored beer with white creamy head. Perfect lacing.
Smell has a more restrained hop character than the bottled version.
Taste also has the hops more restrained. They seeem to be more flavorful than bitter, and this presents with a very different, and enjoyable,beer.
Finish is also less bitter.
An excellent beer. The cask version, in my opion, is even more enjoyable than the bottle.

Serving type: cask

01-06-2008 20:15:36 | More by tgbljb

letsgopens

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Sampled on cask at Victory Brewery, this classic IPA pours a semi-translucent orange bronze with some thin yellow/gold highlights. Some frothy head but little to no carbonation of course being cask conditioned. Good walls of thin lace stick to the glass.

Lots of citrus and caramel malt in the nose, not to mention some deep floral hops. Pine and spice are accompanied with sweet honey and lighter toffee. Very nice as always.

Smooth and bold with and initially sweetness consisting of caramel malt and citrus. Then comes the hops; bitter and herbal but with a mellowing sweet maltiness. The hops linger well and finish with a spicy floral note.

Buttery and smooth in texture with that familiar mellow cask feel. Velvety and clean with no real carbonation. The texture and bitterness really linger past the finish as well. A classic brew from Victory that lends itself really well to the cask conditioning.

Serving type: cask

12-28-2007 01:50:06 | More by letsgopens

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on cask at Victory Brewing Co.

A - Hazy orange body with traces of red, copper and rust. Large, two-finger creamy white head that fully diminished. Beautiful lacing decorated the glass as I drank. This beer looked absolutely amazing when it was served!

S - Moderate bready maltiness in the nose with a fairly heavy perfumy hop aroma and some cask wood. Not quite as hoppy in the nose as I had anticipated.

T - Initial flavor was moderately bitter, followed by an average finish. Much better on cask that in the bottle! Overall, not as hoppy as I was expecting. Hops are definitely more floral than citrus.

M - Medium body with a very creamy texture and virtually no carbonation. This brew felt amazing in the mouth. Cleaner, more creamy mouthfeel and not quite as bitter as the bottled version. Not very sticky for an IPA, but very creamy.

D - Fantastic cask offering from Victory! I could drink one or two of these on every visit to Victory. This is an all-around fantastic IPA that is so much better on cask.

Serving type: cask

11-20-2007 02:19:26 | More by ffejherb

Deuane

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer has been around a long time, being one of the first BIG IPA's out there. It is no longer as BIG as it use to be as tons have breweries have made brews far bigger than this old gaurd. Due to all of this it has been a long time since I have had a HopDevil. Being on cask though at the Zeno's real ale fest gave me good reason to revisit this old friend, and I am glad I did!

A--light orange copper with a thick white head

S--Lovely floral hop kick. A true sniffer.

T--Great, fresh hop flavor with a really solid malt bill. A well balanced beer.

M--Rich and full bodied. Offers up a nice hop bite aftertaste.

D--Forgot how good this beer is...and on cask it is even better. This beer may not be the biggest bad boy on the block anymore but it still a very solid performer. A truly, a well made beer.

Serving type: cask

10-29-2007 13:30:34 | More by Deuane

Atricapilla

Pennsylvania

4.83/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I really thought this was a kick ass ale...It is what is says: hoppy. It has a nice amber color with a small, slightly creamy head. The head was a bit more constructed in the cask bier I had as opposed to the bottled versions. The aroma and taste were thoroughly dominated by hops, hops, and more hops. Goes down well and leaves a lingering hop aftertaste.

Serving type: cask

10-18-2007 05:08:36 | More by Atricapilla

akorsak

Pennsylvania

4.58/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A pint glass hand-pulled at the brewery in Downingtown, PA.

A: The ale is a brilliant amber color, the color that all good beer should aspire to, dark and mysterious but light enough to allow you to peer through it as you ponder its greatness. Capping off this magnificence is a billowy white head, full of dense bubbles that lasts nicely through the pint.

S: The nose has the big bite of HopDevil mixed with a creamy maltiness. The hops are still big and bold though, make no mistake about it.

T: The taste nicely combines the big hops with a subtlety that comes from the cask. The hop body is still big and American, grapefruit with an earthy undertone, but it was relaxed a bit, taking on a softer more concentrated body. The creamy head atop the beer is a sweetness that matches the grainy biscuit body nicely. The hops deliver a long biting finish that remains bitter long after the sip is a memory.

M: The cask has smoothed out the beer, mellowing the hops and accentuating the malts. The effect is a great drink, smooth and bitter.

D: HopDevil on cask was a revelation, robust and delicious. If you love HopDevil from a bottle, you'll flip for the cask.

Serving type: cask

08-17-2007 00:54:23 | More by akorsak

MmmIPA

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Ive had this beer countless times out of the bottle and had it two times from a cask.
4 pumps from the hand tap and the beer was in all of its amber glory.The awesome smell of hop,mabey cascades,the smell is more potent in the cask then bottle IMO.The head stood there for a minute of so,the beer was oh so creamy and at perfect temp. The malt was perfect complimenting the hops.This beer is no way over the top but it is a awesome interpitation of the style and im glad that It is a year round beer.The only fault to the beer is its abv. it will hit ya after a couple.The hops tasted so vibrant then the malt came in to knock them down a bit.A all around great beer.

Serving type: cask

08-07-2007 14:25:45 | More by MmmIPA

goindownsouth

South Carolina

4.93/5  rDev +20%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Hazy and orange if not copper in colour. Hihly retentive head, as should be the case with an offering like this. Aromas thick with grapefruit and sweet malty balance intertwined with a solid bready, yeasty goodness. Hardly shy on the palate, this one is smooth on the tongue with fantastic flavors of citrus and breadiness that cannot be beat. Spicy finish with a balancing malty sweetness. Perhaps the creme de la creme of beers: balanced, aromatic, flavorful, and not too high in alcohol. Certainly, IMHO, far better on cask than in bottle or on tap elsewhere than the brewpub itself. For its style, it is the best, hands down. Granted, it can be "big" for a person who is not a hop lover... that, however, is not my problem.

Zum wohl!

Serving type: cask

07-23-2007 02:21:15 | More by goindownsouth