HopDevil Ale - Victory Brewing Company

Lupe

New York

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

Pours a light amber color, slightly hazy, with an off-white foamy head, that turns into a thin layer, and laves nice lace. Aroma is all hops, floral and citrus. Medium bodied with a nice, smooth mouthfeel. Taste is very much like the aroma. Lots of hop flavor, citrus, grapefruit, and floral tastes. Malt is somewhere in the backround. Different hop flavors along with the toasted malt in the backround make this a nice balance of flavor, and not a shocking hop bitterness. Finishes slightly bitter with some spiciness. A very good IPA. Sit back and enjoy!

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2002 15:44:20 | More by Lupe

MJR

Missouri

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

Appearance: Pours a beautiful orange/reddish color with great clarity. A good-sized head stays pretty well and has a nice sheeting effect down the side of the glass.

Smell: Cascade hops and all the wonderful scents that come with them: pine, grapefruit, citrus... A touch of sweet malt too. Great aroma!

Taste: A skillful balance of sweet malt and hop bitterness and flavor. The cascade hops certainly make themself known. Lots of pine, grapefruit, a touch of pineapple, a bit of a flowery taste, and a bitterness that finishes out strong. I pick up on a touch of toffee throughout as well. Nice balance.

Mouthfeel: Very soft and rounded, with a smooth, medium thickness.

Drinkability: Good. Some American Pale Ales knock you over with hops...this one has just as much as the next one, but in a beautiful balance with the malt flavors.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2002 20:06:35 | More by MJR

Jarod

Pennsylvania

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

Not a huge hop fan as of yet, but slowly becoming one. This beer poured into the glass a bright amber/copper color. There were slight bubbles as you peered into the glass. The head seemed quiet thick and white. The lace clinged to the sides dragging the whole way down. The aroma was dominated by the hops. There were hints of citrus and sweet malt as well. The taste was big. Much like the aroma the hoppy taste was present. But through the hops you notice slight fruit like grapefruit. You also notice hints of a toasted malt. A good beer, a bit strong if you are just starting to review hoppy beers, but I would come back, and try more.

Serving type: on-tap

11-27-2002 10:05:48 | More by Jarod

maxpower

Missouri

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

Bright copper color, nice thick head, clings to the glass. Aroma of citrus and pine resin. This IPA is very balanced malty with a great hop bite, I like to keep a supply of this awesome brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2002 12:39:52 | More by maxpower

MaineBeerMan

Maine

4.6/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Beautiful clear copper color, with a big white head that a bit of lace on the glass. Aroma is all citrusy grapefruit hops with just a bit of a dry grass to it. The flavor is very nice lots of grapefruity hop citrus up front, some husk flavors and the slightest toasty malt hiding in the background. Clean crisp drying hop finish. Slick smooth mouthfeel with a mild carbonation makes this a very drinkable beer that leaves you wanting another. Thanks to NeroFiddled for providing this as part of a beer trade.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2002 17:21:57 | More by MaineBeerMan

HossMcGraw

Pennsylvania

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

After properly aquiring a taste for this beer, I needed to re-review this. It's like, the BOMB baby! I can't really do it justice by writing about it but I'm doing it anyway. It's very hopppy and bold. The hops quite obviously dominate, but a subtle yet noticeable spicy-sweetness is also pretty big on ye olde palate. It took me a few of these to realize how great it was,and your macro drinking ass may need to develop a taste for this as well. Impeccably brewed and unbelievably delicious, HopDevil is the beer you should be drinking.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2002 18:24:15 | More by HossMcGraw

RBorsato

Virginia

4.55/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Copper, amberish color with a light tan head. Huge grapefruity citrus hop aroma ! Hop flavors are very high with an assertive hop bitterness. Medium bodied (leans light) and smooth. I tasted little malt character but this beer was not overly bitter to me since the hop character is so citrusy pleasant.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2002 09:25:12 | More by RBorsato

QXSTER1

Pennsylvania

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

I've had Hop Devil numerous times in the bottle but never on cask. It's a different animal altogether. Even poured a lighter copper than the bottled version. Nose was of subtle hops but not overpowering and the head was a perfect white, dense, creamy wonder that stuck to the glass leaving tons of lace.
The taste at cask temperature seemed softer and more sophisticated. The hops were still featured but with more nuance and complexity. The firm malt background folded into the rounded citric character of the hops moreso than the bottled version. It was definitely like drinking a different beer with both being outstanding. The bottle version is an in your face hophead's delight while the cask was it's more profound cousin.

Serving type: cask

10-20-2002 06:21:02 | More by QXSTER1

tigerpaws

South Carolina

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

A hopheads delight! Poured a very dark coppery color with a nice head and decent lace as you drank it. Definant hoppy aroma but not overly so, just right IMO. Had a great but powerful hoppy taste but also smoothed out on the tongue with a nice malt taste. I would drink this beer over and over again...............CHEERS

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2002 14:02:31 | More by tigerpaws

LiamStLiam

New York

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

This beer lasts a *long* time.

I got to a 20-count at times.

Fills your mouth.

But not very heavy.

I had seen it before. Nice packaging, Tried it because I saw it on this site.

I will buy it again.

Adding to the review eight months later: I have bought this beer several times since my original review, and I continue to find it a good change of pace. It is a very full beer, you have to pay attention when you drink it, but it's worth the attention.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2002 20:22:00 | More by LiamStLiam

mickstepp

Ohio

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

Wow! The hops just explode on the palate. Lovely reddish brown color. Nice creamy head but doesn't last long. Leaves a decent lace. I love the pungent hoppy aroma and the faint citrusy notes. Exceptional finish, you get a nice hop burn long after the last sip has gone down. One of the 5 best American Pale Ales I have ever had. Oddly, it's not that easy to find in neighboring Ohio. I hope I can track down Victory's other offerings.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2002 11:07:48 | More by mickstepp

HopheadEd

Pennsylvania

4.72/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Originally, I did not want to review this ale, as everyone before me has done an excellent job. But with a screen name like mine, I thought I must. Cloudy, amber color, which in my opinion is the true color of beer. The head is white, frothy and lasts throughout the pint. The lace rings a perfectly spaced layer until the bottom. Your first smell is pure heaven, as there is no better aroma then that of hops. Strong but not overwhealming. The taste is so well balanced you don't know which comes first, though I know it's the hops. Nice malt taste is there, mellow, bringing up the rear as it were, again balancing the hops. Don't let the name fool you, it's hoppy, but not to the point where you are scraping your tongue. Absolutely one of my favorite beers, and a standard in the fridge all year, especially in the summer.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2002 19:35:53 | More by HopheadEd

boblinneman

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Two words to describe Hopdevil COMPLEX yet BALANCED!
Its hard for me to give a perfect rating, but this beer really does have it all. Its a rollercoaster ride for your tastebuds. Victory does not over hop this IPA to make a name for themselves, (ex. 90minuteIPA or Ruination) they just made the perfect beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2002 20:37:13 | More by boblinneman

doho95fu

California

4.8/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

The appearance is amber with a nice head and lacing. The beers smells sweet with hops and a hint of the malt. The initial taste is strong with the hops, but the overall beer takes away most of the shock. Although I am a hophead and it may shock people who do not enjoy strong hops flavor. The taste, as I said, is hoppy, but some sweet additions seem to tone it down. The beer is very drinkable and I was glad I was in Philly this weekend to try it.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2002 08:07:00 | More by doho95fu

zakery

Ohio

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

Pours a clear amber with a fluffy off-white head.

The smell is bold and a little fruity. It has an under-tone of blackberry jam and an over-tone of citrus.

It provides a medium bodied mouthfeel with moderate carbonation.

The taste is hoppy and the malt is there but takes the backseat in this brew. I can taste fresh citrus and it provides a medium to medium-high bitterness with a slightly dry finish. There is none of the berries in the taste, but has a mellow. little sweet and smooth feel to it.

Not for the faint of heart or macro-drinker, this brew is great for good-beer-lovers that want a little edge and have a thing for layered tastes of hops.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2002 15:30:44 | More by zakery

allboutbierge

Austria

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

My beer buddy and I picked a couple of these beers up at D's Six Pack and Hotdog in Regent Square, PA. We found that that beverage starts off with a ruby brown color that lasts throught the glass. The head dies quickly, but lace remains around the edge the whole way down. The hops are dominating in the aftertaste, but do not overwhelm the beer. This IPA leaves a tangy aftertaste, which is almost similiar to a grapefruit. On a side note, the carbination in this beer is barely noticable. It still dances on ones tonge, but either of us have felt the urge to burb while enjoying this quality IPA. We will contine to taste test beers and report throught the night.

5KD

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2002 19:01:36 | More by allboutbierge

JeffreyG

Minnesota

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

I just finished a sixer of this brew, and I liked it more as each bottle went down. I like hoppy beers, but not really to the point where I consider myself a hophead. At first the hops are a little shocking (even though you have to expect them from a beer called HopDevil), but once you get over the initial pop this turns out to be a fairly balanced beer. This is exactly what a great beer should be: Interesting flavor that has such depth that you discover something new each time you try it. And keeps you looking forward to the next one.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2002 07:00:12 | More by JeffreyG

ZAP

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is an excellent IPA..right up there with, but not better than, Bell's Two Hearted Ale....It pours a rich, deep copper with a litte white lace..the nose is a wondefull mix of floral and spicy hops...the taste is bitter grapefruit style hops along with some decent malt to balance...I'd love to see the bittering units on this as it is very high I'm sure...but at the same time it is relatively balanced....Definitely west coast style..some great hop flavor to this....a very good/borderline great IPA...I love this Brewery...they rock!!!

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2002 23:00:52 | More by ZAP

Realale

Missouri

4.25/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Absolutely beautiful, full rich copper-red color. Nice head that stuck around through most of the glass. Nose is not as hoppy as I expected from an American IPA, let alone one called Hop Devil. There is a significant sweet malty note on the nose as well. Beautifully integrated on the palate - impeccable balance. The bitterness is more prominent on the palate than on the nose and contributes significantly to a very long finish. Disappears quickly. Top notch American IPA. A touch more hop on the nose, and it would seriously challenge Bell's Two-Hearted Ale as my favorite within the style.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2002 01:00:00 | More by Realale

garymuchow

Minnesota

4.03/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Maybe I'm an underdog kind of guy, but this didn't please me as much as I had hoped, not that it's not a good beer, because it is, but I'm not sure that it's astoundingly better than several others that can be found. Hop aroma,with a soft citrus element, backed with other hop qualities (like mild grassiness). Thin to medium head with medium length. Clear amber to copper color. Hops through and through, although not explosive and they tend to be stronger in the middle to finish with a long lingering pleasing bitterness to close. Malt offers some balancing. Softer mouthfeel in both body and carbonation, although adequate carbonation noted.
I'd like to try one of Nero's cask conditioned versions.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2002 07:05:19 | More by garymuchow

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

It's amazing what cask conditioning can do! I'll assume everyone is familiar with the standard Hop Devil (if not, check out the standard reviews first). The color remains the same, but the head holds to the end of the glass and gives a solid wall of lace. The cask version also has a much lighter nose - I guess that's mainly because the limited carbonation brings it up less. Smooth hop & malt aroma. It has a light silky mouthfeel. The flavor expresses a soft malt of light, sweet biscuity caramel, and a more balanced grassy hop flavor and bitterness. So English! A totally different beer! You wouldn't think the bottled version could do this. Similar, in many ways, to Young's Dirty Dick. I'm sure that the standard draft or bottled version would stand up to some spicy fries, but the cask version gets a little lost. Absolutely worth trying. No wonder it did so well at the 2002 GBBF!

Serving type: cask

08-23-2002 17:11:12 | More by NeroFiddled

Jon

Illinois

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

This is one of the best, most balanced IPAs I've tasted. Hop Devil pours a nice copper color. Its sticky head lasts and lasts, leaving an incredible trail of Brussels lace behind. Wow. The smell is of hops and a bit of citrus. The big hops flavor is backed up perfectly with a big malt profile, which makes for an incredibly balanced IPA. I really can't believe how good this is. This beer certainly lives up to its reputation.

Transparent copper with a sticky cream-hued head. Nice retention and even better lacing. Nose inludes notes of sappy pine, citrus and some residual malt sweetness. Taste is abundantly hoppy with characteristic notes of mild grapefruit and pine needles backed by a substantial, sweet caramel malt profile. Smooth mouthfeel and excellent balance with an emphasis on hops make this an enjoyable, highly drinkable IPA. West Coast style from a great East Coast brewery. Great stuff.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2002 19:55:09 | More by Jon

marc77

California

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

Deep copper / red in hue w/ a moderate, sticky, head that leaves sparse lace. Buttery malt, caramel, toffee sweetness & biscuit notes are accompanied by a pungent citrusy and floral hop nose. Overall the aroma is a nice balance of malt notes & aromatic hops. Flavorwise the balance is striking-- The malt profile is quite rich & is comprised of nutty, caramelly, and fruity melaniodins only acheivable by continental malt. Malt is balanced by assertive, but clean hop bitterness. HopDevil is a big and flavorful IPA and not nearly as bitter as the name woud imply. Hop flavor is citrusy and herbal. Full bodied for style. Finishes w/ bittersweet residual sweetness & hop bitterness. Quite a rich IPA-- beautifully heavy with malt character. Very tasty.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2002 06:56:13 | More by marc77

Wildman

Ohio

4.68/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Well I finally got to try this. The supply of Victory's recently dried up in Columbus. But my favorite beer supplier came through. This beer poured a lovely reddish copper color and formed a nice off white head that left some nice lace. The aroma was of malt and citrus-grapefruit. The flavor was of malt, caramel and hops. The finish is sweet and astrigent. Also the alcohol makes it's presence known in the finish. A great beer. Now the big decision, which do I get at the store, Victory's or Stones? Definately different characters which makes the decision even harder. Definiately worth the wait and harassing I gave my stores.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2002 17:34:44 | More by Wildman

Jason

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A bit dryer and crisper than on-tap, the clarity is a shade clearer but still hazy with a frothy sticky head. Quite aromatic with lots of semi-coarse hop, lightly toasted grain alcoholic esters. The flavour is a mirror image of the aroma with lots of hops in the bitterness and flavour. I prefer it on draft though, probably because I usually drink it our of a 32oz mug at Bukowski’s Tavern.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2002 11:39:48 | More by Jason