Hop Wallop - Victory Brewing Company

smiga

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a .5l cylinder. fresh.

A: 3 finger head quickly settles, but laces very well. Very hazy. hazy gold.

S: Pine. Lots of citrus with tropical fruit and floral aromas. Grapefruit, sweet mango, a bit of tangerine. A bit of alcohol, sweet esters, and sweet malt. Pungent. Almost too strong aroma, a little bit of spring woods floor.

T: Best part of the brew. Hoppy, bitter, biting. Bracing. Tingly. Feels good on the palate. Active. (reminds me of Dales PA my favorite APA, but stronger, more alcoholic) The floral mates well with the malt. malt-hops mesh together wonderfully. The amount of malt is just about perfect for my preference.

M: Body is medium to full, tingly, good palate feel, but carb on the light side, texture dry but still refreshing. Nothing too harsh, a little alcohoic for me. A sipping beer. ...very drinkable.

O: Great beer for hop heads. I prefer something lighter. Packs a wallop of flavor a alcoholic back bone. A strong beer. Hop heads will love it. Great with raw oysters, sushi, any kind of fish, or sausages.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 01:24:33 | More by smiga

lordofstarside

Nevada

4.13/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Bomber to snifter, enjoy by 9/13 date

Pours a straw gold with two and a half fingers of foam. A couple minutes now and it's died down to a finger with some good lacing. Moderate carbonation and a good deal of transparency. A little darker color and a bit more clarity would have this one perfect. Smells of strong citrusy hops, grapefruit, and a splash of alcohol melding with a sweet malt. Tastes a little short of the hop, focuses on the fruit flavors coming together with the malt. Not what I'm used to with a double ipa but it's pretty interesting, very tasty. Feel is a nice crisp medium body, sticky, and pretty drinkable. Overall this stuff is different but good. I should have opted for the six pack instead of bomber

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 03:18:59 | More by lordofstarside

KFBR392

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: A strong orange color, a bit darker then a traditional IPA. About a finger worth of head on the pour and awesome carbonation presence throughout. Thick lacing all over the edges of my glass as I enjoyed this brew. Enjoyed out of my small tulip glass.

Smell: Heavy, sticky hops. Just pull you into this brew. The hops are so heavy they take over the aroma, but are really great. A subtle attack on the nostrils.

Taste: The powerful hops come off as a simply wonderful fruity blast. Accents of dark fruits, tangerines, grapefruit, pine, and spicy darkness make this brew a real treat. A honey like sweetness takes over in the aftertaste with a lot of grapefruit and hop dryness. Makes you think about this brew for a long time.

Mouthfeel: Really smooth more the hop impact that is being given. Sweet, oh so very sweet.

Overall: In my opinion, Victory's best product. An elite IPA. Enough said, go get some.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 04:44:49 | More by KFBR392

Naters333

Illinois

3.69/5  rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into my tulip from 12 oz bottle with best by June 2, 2013 on the bottle.

A-Pours a very clear deep golden color. Almost a rich honey color. Very clear. Hardly any carbonation. Very nice 2 inch off white head, that leaves great lacing as I drink.

S- Not very strong with the hops. The smell is not a wallop as far as hops go. Slight hops, sweet, citrus, lemon. Alcohol.

T- Bitter, biscuit, lemon, major biscuit malt on the aftertaste. Crisp. Oranges. Almost nectarines.

M- Very nice. About medium body for the style. Strong. The 8.5 really comes through. I know some people say its smooth, which I agree with, but I can really taste the alcohol.

O- I really enjoyed the 5 others in the six pack. I waited to review this beer on the final one, and I was a bit let down. Overall, a decent representation of the style, but I prefer Victory's ranch DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 07:39:13 | More by Naters333

Chickenhawk9932

Pennsylvania

4.29/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Pours a pale gold with a thick off white head. Very good retention with some real nice lacing.

In the nose is big citrus - lemon, orange, grapefruit and apricot - backed by some nice delicate floral notes.

A biscuity malt hits the back of the mouth as bitter citrus explodes across the mouth tart lemon and grapefruit test the palates limits and end with slight sweet apricot and orange linger that fades into a dry scotch like finish. An excellent DIPA with subtle delicate complexity.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 00:26:45 | More by Chickenhawk9932

gr0g

New Jersey

3.7/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Clear and light amber in color, looking very much like the Headwaters Pale Ale I just had prior to this. Some fine particulate matter ("floaties"). A three-finger head with good retention is quite impressive, but it leaves only a smattering of lace behind. Nose is very straightforward with floral and citrus notes from the hops. Pleasant lemon/orange aromas are unfortunately too subdued. According to earlier taste notes, this isn't the first time I've encountered a weak aroma with this beer. It could be that I've never gotten it fresh, but the aroma is quite tame.

Taste features plenty of hop bitterness, as expected, with tropical fruit (orange, mango) coming through. Not as super-bright and grassy as other DIPAs (90 Minute and Burton Baton from Dogfish come to mind). Malt backbone is quite assertive, more so than with any other DIPA I've tried. A big toffee malt profile is held in check, but just barely. Finishes dry with a touch of alcohol. Carbonation is moderately soft, perhaps a bit prickly. At 8.5% ABV this is certainly not a session beer, but the drinkability is quite good for the style.

While not outstanding, Hop Wallop is a well done DIPA that comes across as a higher gravity but otherwise straightforward IPA. The aroma, often an important characteristic of IPAs, is disappointing, though. Worth a try, at least.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 01:41:50 | More by gr0g

CopperMtnPlowboy

Ohio

4.86/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Poured a dark golden color with 1/4" head.

Smells like a real beer, clean, crisp and hoppy. Almost no sweetness detected - a good thing.

Taste is superb. I get the name as a play on words - but it's true. The hops wallop the taste buds. Not too bitter as some hoppy beers, but just right. I get a little pine, and some citrus. Barely a hint of the malt and it's hard to believe its 8.5% ABV.

This is a very smooth beer, goes down crisp and refreshing.

Hard to imagine a beer much better. Now if they'd just out it in a can so I can add it to my craft beer can collection...

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 01:40:16 | More by CopperMtnPlowboy

BierStein711

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Good example of the style!

From the bottle! Head inside the bottle was three fingers in size. Off-white was the head's color.

Carbonation was mild.

Smells: Pine, herb, and hemp.

Taste: Wood, pine, hemp, grapefruit, dark fruits, fuggles, and a few other notes.

Mouthfeel: Dry and refreshing!

Overall, this is a smooth beer worth your time. I'd have a six pack.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 14:03:18 | More by BierStein711

zac16125

South Carolina

3.66/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into a snifter
no born on date

A: Pours pours slightly hazy, golden yellow with a head thats just a touch off white in color. Good retention and leaves a good amount of lacing.

S: Aroma is very citrus, almost tart citrus at times. Along with some sweet bready malts. Lots of grapefruit, and some tangerine.

T: A fair amount of bitterness, piney and grapefruit. Not a lot else going on, mostly just a non specific bitterness. A touch herbaceous.

M/D: Medium bodied, carbonation on the heavier side, probably a touch high for my liking. Carbonation combined with the bitterness give it a biting quality. Drinkability is moderate.

O: Overall, not bad, but pretty average. I enjoyed it, but with as many good IPA and DIPAs that are readily available, I dont think its something Id purchase again.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 01:25:08 | More by zac16125

hopandbarley28

Pennsylvania

4.39/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

App: hazy golden color, soapy head with sticky lacing hanging to the side of the glass

Ar: flowers, grass and spice hit you right off the bat. Noble hop aroma and big German pils/pale malt aroma. A little grapefruit and a little pine. Very nice

T: crisp and clean tasting with a huge bite of bitterness. Awesome malt flavor... That crisp malt that you find in German pilsners helps balance out the big hop character. The hop flavor is big citrus bitterness and a little spicy and piney. Some heat from the high abv comes through after a few sips

M: nice spicy bitterness hangs around. But it's crisp and clean in an awesome way

Overall this is a must try for ipa lovers. It hits the spot, while remaining drinkable and satisfying my hop fix. I'll have another

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 15:46:23 | More by hopandbarley28

ujsplace

Pennsylvania

4.41/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured into an oversized wine glass.

A hazy orange colored brew that boasts a massively thick creamy head that leaves a lot of nice sticky lacing around the glass and plenty of clumps floating on top.

Not surprisingly, the nose is decidedly hoppy with plenty of pine, citrus and a faint malt sweetness.

Tastes deliciously thick with hops...resinous pine, big citrus flavors - grapefruit, orange and some biscuit malt that keeps things in check. Incredible.

Thick and chewy, slick and creamy.

I absolutely love this brew. One of my favorite styles and being a double IPA, it makes it that much bolder and more flavorful.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 01:30:09 | More by ujsplace

--Dom--

Missouri

4.21/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a snifter. Pours a hazy orange with a one finger off white head, nice lacing. Smells of sweet caramel and pine as well as citrus.

Taste is not as sweet as it smells. Piney hopiness up front builds to a warm climax of bitter grapefruit, STRONG bitter. The strong bitter grapefruit dominates the back end and stays after the finish. Hop wallop is a pretty accurate name for this one. I get other citrus notes in there as well but predominately grapefruit. Don't over chill this one, I'd recommend it a little on the warmer side than usual. Slight maltiness is present but the hop is so consistent throughout you really have to want to taste it to notice it. Like I said, I definitely like it more as it warms. It's strong to boot, I'm feeling the effects after only drinking a 3rd of so of it.

Mouthfeel is pretty heavy carbonation up front, slightly sticky finish. Overall I really like it. I can't see myself having this more than a few times a year but it is definitely worth grabbing a six pack of. A word of caution: I do not see this being something a novice palate would appreciate, definitely not the beer to introduce someone to DIPA's with. That being said, hop fans, you wouldn't want to miss this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 05:35:06 | More by --Dom--

rangerred

Tennessee

4.54/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a hazy dark orange with a pretty solid one finger white head. Really great head retention and decent lacing.

Aroma is very herbal with a bit of citrus thrown in. There is a very lemon/lime quality about it. A really good bready base with a little bit of biscuit thrown it. A really nice malt/hop balance and a change up from the all-too-typical tropical fruit aroma of IIPA's.

Lots more of the herbal citrus on the taste. It is definitely lemon and lime and also some floral characters. I would best describe it as just "herby" and I really think Simcoe hops figure in prominently as they have a very unique aroma and flavor. Assertive bitterness throughout that is wonderful. Lots of bread from the malt with a touch of biscuit. Nearly perfect balance between malt and hop. Mouthfeel is full with a slightly sticky finish. Abv is extremely well hidden and there is no way one would guess this is 8.5%

Overall, another amazing beer from Victory. I have been nothing but impressed by every beer I have had from this brewery. I desperately wish they would distribute to East Tennessee.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 02:27:03 | More by rangerred

AmitC

Indiana

4.45/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

One of the better double IPAs.

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into snifter. Pale yellow to slight golden color. Some haze, but otherwise very clear. Two finger thick off white colored head that stays as a thin layer and persists well. Excellent lacing on the sides with each sip and by head. No bubbles seen. Very calm appearance.

Aroma is full of herbal, ground and earthy hops. A very slight malt backbone gives a tinge of sweetness, which is about to be dispelled. Some minor alcohol. Excellent aroma.

Taste is full of bitterness. Hops have some bitterness, that is more than a lot of other IPAs. Some malt in the middle with hops at the either side. Leaves a very clear dry finish dominated by bitterness. A very good aftertaste that invites for more hops or anything for that matter.

Almost light to medium feel. A little oily towards the end. No apparent astringency, except for hoppy bitterness. Low on carbonation. The carbonation generated tinge is lacking which is good.

Excellent stuff. Buy it.

Style Rate: 4.5
Personal Rate: 4.5

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 00:00:31 | More by AmitC

GiantMidget

Pennsylvania

4.56/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bought at Wegmans in Collegeville PA.

High expectations on this one and it most definitely delivered.

Poured hastily into a tulip glass. The lemon pine evident immediately, heavy on the citrus and very pleasant. Golden haziness in the glass.
1 inch head with lacing that remains throughout, even the headiness stays around for awhile.

And the hops nail my tongue with dryness as soon as I sip. This tremendous hoppiness remains in every swig and stays in the back of the tongue all the while.
Bit of bread, malt characteristics and best off all, for a high ABV I find it untraceable.

I could sit and drink this one anytime and I would invest in a case, I'm impressed, Victory, being only about 45 minutes from me, has outdone themselves.
I look forward to having this on tap when I visit the brewery next time.

The mouthfeel is a bit heavy on the carbonation but the dry hop slam manages to make that irrelevant.

Hop heads, try this double, it's worth it.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 02:38:21 | More by GiantMidget

ColdWaffles

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a standard pint from a 12 oz bottle.

Appearance: Nice light golden color with a substantial white head. Dies after a few minutes, but leaves an excellent lacing.

Smell: Hops, grass, pine. Nothing remarkable, but very evident.

Taste: This tastes last a remarkable session IPA, but it's actually a Double IPA with a higher ABV. If this wouldn't get me trashed very quickly, this would be a favorite session IPA of mine. Regardless, this is excellent and highly recommended. Nice hop flavor with great richness and a good pine flavor. Light citrus notes on the end, and a little alcohol, but not much.

Mouthfeel: Not particularly heavy with appropriate hop levels. Great lightly bitter "grassy" aftertaste.

This is a pretty excellent ale and one of the best beers I've had from Victory.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 01:22:39 | More by ColdWaffles

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Beer is a slightly-cloudy golden colour with a large white head. Good lace.

Smell is hoppy but not strong. Grassy, citrus, some pine.

Taste is like the nose- hop focused but not all that intense. Citrus, a soapy flavour, some pine. A bit of caramel malt but very light. Alcohol is well-hidden.

Medium bodied, moderately carbonated, somewhat oily.

Overall, not bad, but despite its strength, this comes across as more of an IPA than a DIPA to me. Close but does not pack the punch that I expected.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 17:26:23 | More by jrenihan

tronester

Oklahoma

3.88/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

A light golden in color, with a thin off-white head. A mild earthy and citrus aroma. Taste begins with a huge malt blast up front, followed by some resinous hops, then some citrus. Mouthfeel was super rich, but low carbonation. Overall a good DIPA, though I prefer them to typically be a bit drier than Hop Wallop is.

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2012 23:50:22 | More by tronester

AdamPenna

New York

3.55/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Big melon scent from the first pour's blast. Not much of the piney, citrusy smell I like in an IPA, but eccentric enough to keep me interested. Straw/amber color. Fine, fluffy head. Tastes melony, citrusy, bitter-y, and some pine. Not hoptastic but a very pleasant bitter experience. Some oiliness, dryness, too, in the finish. An admirable mouthfeel. I have to be careful with this because it's 1) delicious and 2) 8.5% ABV. Lacing lasts and rings the glass--a thing I like perhaps more than I should. Served in a Greenport Harbor Brewing pintglass.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 20:00:14 | More by AdamPenna

JamesMN

Minnesota

4.3/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Clear golden with some visible effervescence slowly ascending towards a finger of bright white foamy head that laces well.

Aroma: Orange citrus and some pine. Not much of a malt presence.

Taste: Piney hops hit the palate first along with a nice moderate bitterness (I'm guessing 75-80 IBUs). Real good barley flavor and a hint of toffee. Finishes with a little citrus and an earthy character. A real nice balance without being too hop forward or a malt bomb. It's expertly done because there is a good amount of bitterness throughout but the malt flavor still comes through. Don't taste any of the 8.5% ABV but get a nice warming in the back of the throat. Comparable to DFH 90 Min.

Mouthfeel: Just above medium in body but never syrupy or sticky like some DIPAs can be. Real easy drinking but more of something you try to savor. Smooth feel despite the bitterness.

Final Thoughts: Pleasantly surprised by this one. A very good (East Coast) IPA. Would I drink it again? Yeah, and since it's a seasonal I'll check it out every year.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 07:29:01 | More by JamesMN

EricLander

3.75/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Good quality beer here. As a general preference, I enjoy piney and bitter hops - and that's precisely why I chose this beer when making my last run.

Based on the date on the bottle, this was bottled up in September - so I'm drinking it a couple months later. Poured, there was a very tall two finger head - not expected.

The aroma was certainly hoppy - but not nearly as strong as I would've thought. Not exactly the wallop I expected. Taste wise though, particularly for a beer of this ABV, it's incredibly smooth. Appearance is decent - but nothing spectacular. A little more golden than I would've expected.

All in all a solid choice for a hoppy ale.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 03:37:15 | More by EricLander

jtierney89

New Jersey

3.3/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

rather clear blonde color with a nice 2 finger head. very piney hop nose. citrus and a bit of detectable alcohol.

Smooth slick mouthfeel. Big bitterness, hop resin, well blended piney earthy and floral hop flavors with a slight citric twang. Bitterness lingers and grows with each sip. Malt body is there just enough to hold hops together for a true hop wallop. Pretty good, alot drier than hop devil and not as good in my opinion but still a pretty good brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 00:24:59 | More by jtierney89

hoppytobehere

Colorado

3.6/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22 oz. bomber. "Enjoy by Sep (looks like Sop) 10, 2013" So this beer was bottled on Sep 10, 2012. Over 2 months old.

A: Dark golden color, clear body. Not a ton of head, but retention on it is excellent. Also, very nice lacing. Lookin' good!

S: Floral hops, sugar, white bread. Nothing too pungent.

T: Hops dominate, some notes of citrus and sweet candy. But the bitterness could be balanced a lot better. Not much malt.

M: Carbonation levels are fine, medium-bodied. Hop oils make this one a little syrupy, but that's to be expected.

O: Not a bad IIPA by any means, but I see some room for improvement.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 03:23:15 | More by hoppytobehere

Mic-Lee

4.68/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Nice golden color is mildly cloudy. Decent lacing, medium head.

S: Off the charts amazingly awesome. Smells so good, I had my nose in it for a minute before I even took a sip. Strong hops, fresh herbs plucked straight from the garden. As good as any IPA I've ever smelled.

T: Warm aromatic hops all over the place. Very mild bitterness (my preference). Alcohol is virtually non-present, and at 8.2% that's pretty impressive. Floral, piney, herbal. Terrific hop-forward flavors.

M: Pretty standard, not overly carbonated. I think for brews this well-balanced and flavorful it pays not to carbonate too much. Probably the right amount for the beer, but mouthfeel isn't a standout characteristic for this one.

O: I'm very impressed. Luckily, I found a place nearby that sells this out of the coldbox for $5.99. I will be picking this one up frequently from this point forward. A new favorite. Thanks, Victory!

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 03:33:57 | More by Mic-Lee

M_C_Hampton

Georgia

4.33/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A: poured from 12 oz bottle into a chalice, golden orange amber with a small tight white head that slowly dissipates leaving good lacing, cloudy, some small bubbling

S: citrus hop notes, lots of lemon, odd wheat beer like ester (similar to banana), fresh delicious and complex, slight pine

T: sweeter at the beginning fading into a hop blast, dry hoppy finish, sweet beginning is surprising, mostly malt up front but changes to dry piney citrus hops

M: mouthfeel is near perfect, excellent carbonation, good coating of the palate, dry hop finish, alcohol well hidden

O: a very well crafted double IPA with few flaws, it was odd that the hops only dominated the aftertaste of this beer, also the sweet fruit ester made it a bit strange albeit interesting, a good beer to enjoy if you are a fan of the DIPA syle but want something besides hops, hops, and more hops

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 04:02:47 | More by M_C_Hampton