Hop Wallop - Victory Brewing Company

Segelstrom

Pennsylvania

3.99/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - poured into tumbler with a nice head that was reasonably well maintained. Cloudy hazy golden beer.

S - hoppy & citricy

T - Hoppy & citricy. sure wish this site had spell check. I just went brain dead

M - just the right amount of carbonation

O - worth buying again

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 23:18:55 | More by Segelstrom

smooth_aleing

Pennsylvania

4.31/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured into pint glass from 12oz bottle.

A= Rich, dark amber. Very nice lacing, stays throughout rim and lip of glass. Excellent one/two finger head upon pour, dies down to a clean layer of froth.

S= Pine, pine, pine. Very nice and strong woodsy smell.

T= Truly worthy of the hop, a potent punch of hops, with lingering bitterness. Very slight alcohol aftertaste, though not enough to be overwhelming. Underlying notes of honey and citrus.

M= Lingering bitterness throughout the tongue, with very good carbonation. Nice frothy tingle, heavily acerbic, which I like.

0= An excellent DBL IPA. Refreshing and crisp, yet challenging to the palate with a potent hop kick. Definitely will drink again.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 18:39:24 | More by smooth_aleing

merc7186

New York

4.16/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle into pint glass.

A: Golden Straw/Mild Amber Hue, Passes Most Light, White Head, Great Lacing

S: Bready, Piney, Mildly Malty

T: Piney, Bittering Hops, Mildly Bready

M: Great Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Semi Drying, Mildly Bitter

Overall, a big pine bomb with some malty finish

...and to the guy from NY that gave it a bad rating recently (4/6/13)....its (bleeping) Hop Wallop, not Hop Balanced, you cant ding a beer for being too hoppy with a name like hop wallop, idiot.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 00:20:30 | More by merc7186

JMScowcroft

Vermont

3.91/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Victory Brewing Company - Hop Wallop - 12fl oz bottle

Look - Pours hazy golden with a tiny of amber (basically orange). Medium, foamy head that sits for a bit. Good lacing. Moderate carbonation. Nice label.

Smell - Remarkably sweet bready caramel malts with faint citrus (and some pine) hops. Not DIPA in the aroma, not what I expected at all. I was concerned at this point.

Taste - Carbonated sweet malt rush immediately pushed aside by citrus (grapefruit) bitter hops. Smooth and pretty crisp but more like a pale ale.

Mouthfeel - Sweet but dry feel. A little boozy but pretty drinkable.

Overall - Not bad, worth a drink at least once. Smooth but a little boozy. More of a boozed up pale ale than a DIPA IMO. Would not get this one again but unique in a sense.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 21:38:06 | More by JMScowcroft

billybob

Massachusetts

4.31/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

pours a bright gold color not much head but some lace sticking on the way down the glass. strong aroma of sweet pine and some fruit and alcohol. slam bam hops front to finish with the alcohol coming in at the end but it has a very smooth creamy medium body mouthfeel . overall i would buy again but i would limit it to a couple at any one time.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 21:06:30 | More by billybob

Roman5150

Michigan

3.63/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Bottle purchased from Total Beverage in Murfreesboro, TN

Appearance: Very orange, pretty clear. Large 2 finger white fluffy head.

Aroma: Not the best aroma, smells sort of like bread and hops, but not very pleasant.

Taste: For a really hoppy pale ale, it doesn't seem to have the overly aggressive hop bite I was looking for. Not a huge pale ale fan, but for the style this is very good. Bitter aftertaste you would expect, i would compare this to a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale but with added flavor due to the extra hops.

Mouthfeel: A little too carbonated, but satisfying finish. Pretty dry.

Overall: One of the better Pale Ale's i've had, but I haven't had that many to reference. More of an IPA guy. This packs a lot of bitter piney hoppiness into a standard pale ale. I'll probably re-review this after I spend some quality time with some more Pale Ale's.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 23:09:38 | More by Roman5150

tviz33

New York

3.7/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 12 oz bottle in to a tulip.

A- An overly aggressive poured left me with a huge, rocky, three-finger head that even went over the sides. There's tons of super sticky lacing. The body of this brew is a semi-transparent golden orange.

S- I'm not overly impressed with the aroma here. Biscuity malts and something part floral, part citrus, part puke. I'm not sure what's going on.

T- It doesn't taste like puke, thank God. However, it is still not my favorite DIPA. There's some sort of disconnect between the hops and malt. Anyway, this beer is very bitter, and doesn't have the malt profile to balance it.

M- Medium bodied and well-carbonated. Not a bad feel.

O- I expected a lot out of this beer, but was pretty disappointed. It's definitely not a drain pour, but I won't be seeking this again anytime soon.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 04:45:23 | More by tviz33

BlurryVisi0n

New York

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

Served in a snifter glass.

Appearance: A nice cloudy amber with small bubbles on the frame, head subtle considering the pour but rose to about half an inch coming off-white in color.

Smell: Rich hops that come off very floral. Strong scent in the beginning but disapears from the nostrils pretty quickly. Doesn't stop you from inhaling this brew.

Taste: Bitter wet hops, very floral. It is quite addicting with an after caramel feel. Lightly spicy in a weird kind of way but it heavy floral finish offsets it just right.

Mouth: If you ask me incredible smooth, with medium carbonation.

Overall: I have been drinking Hop Wallop for a couple of years and to think I haven't written a beer review is absurd. It isn't that hard to find and believe me it delivers. Drink up and enjoy....Salud!

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 05:48:20 | More by BlurryVisi0n

MattyG85

Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Surly Darkness chalice.

Appearance: Pours a bright and slightly hazy golden orange with a moderate amount of bubbles. About two solid fingers of white head which slowly fade into a thin creamy layer. Leaves a good amount of lacing.

Smell: A big zesty hop forward aroma with lots of tropical citrus esters. Big citrus fruit esters upfront with hints of oranges, grapefruit, pineapple, mango, tangerine, peach, and lemon zest. Earthy, herbal hops with hints of pine and grass. Soft bready malt background with hints of biscuit, grain, cracker, caramel, and yeast. Aroma is very citrus hop forward with a dry bitter smell. Pretty good.

Taste: Follows the nose well with a big juicy tropical citrus hop taste. Citrus hops upfront with a big taste of juicy orange, grapefruit, mango, pineapple, tangerine, peach, melon, and lemon zest. Also some floral, herbal earthy hops with notes of pine and grass. Solid bready malt backing with notes of soft biscuit, wheat grains, caramel, cracker, and yeast. Not a overwhelmingly bitter taste but nicely juicy and drying.

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Very juicy and somewhat chewy. Pretty drying finish. Alcohol is hidden well.

Overall: A really solid Double IPA. Big citrus flavor with a nicely smooth dry bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 06:31:29 | More by MattyG85

57md

Pennsylvania

3.91/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Pours a light orange with a half finger of head that dissipates quickly, but leaves some lace behind on the glass. The nose is mildly citrusy. The hop profile is strong, but it presents itself as more of a dry bitterness than the sharp, tingly bitterness of most DIPAs.

Halfway through the glass, I caught a hint of malty sweetness, but there is not much going on here beyond a load of hop flavor. The lack of complexity diminishes the drinking experience, but it was still a worthwhile effort.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 21:53:44 | More by 57md

Omnium

Pennsylvania

4.24/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bottle > chilled pint glass
A - Pours a really really nice clear gold color, 2 finger fluffy white head with great, thick lacing.
S - Resiny hops, very earthy and floral characteristics, some citrus and pine are hidden underneath, caramel malt
T - Bold, mildly sweet and lot of bitter hop bite, definitely get some sweeter malt as well as citrus and the earthy flavors
M - A little sticky, but a dry bitterness from the hops hangs on to your palate.
O - This is just another solid beer from Victory, who doesnt get enough recognition for their solid efforts, even from myself. Good flavors in this double IPA, very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 22:48:33 | More by Omnium

YieldToNothing

New York

4.55/5  rDev +11%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

poured from a bottle into a rogue pint glass

this is an awesome dipa. the smell isn't in your face and the taste does not make you submit to a bitter hopbomb.
definitely not the nest example of this style, but its one i would feed to others in a heartbeat.

excellent beer
(noob)

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 04:18:47 | More by YieldToNothing

cozmohollis

Delaware

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

Appearance: Hazy, rich, golden amber color with a thick creamy white head and a bit
of lace.

Smell: Bright citrusy hops with a tropical scent of lemon, grapefruit, and
passion fruit.

Taste: Sharp piney citrus notes. Light on the malt flavors.

Mouthfeel: A medium body with light carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: A good double IPA thats more on the hops end. The lighter body makes it a
good, year-round double IPA.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 03:01:51 | More by cozmohollis

Hendry

Vermont

3.98/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

This is certainly a hoppy ale, and the appearance/aroma are quite good. The problem for me is that my Vermont/Colorado hophead friends have steered me towards the high end of New England & West Coast micros brews, and after getting spoiled to Heady Topper (fresh shipment comes tomorrow!) and Maine Brewing Company MO,Lagunitas Sucks, the vast majority of the hopped up $9-$12 six pack brews just don't deliver the goods in the way of quality, or complex flavors.

If you are looking for the subtle grapefruit/mango/peach tones, this might disappoint at $12 for the six pack price, however if you are looking for a reasonably complex DIPA with lots of hoppy flavor, it is worth a try. Does Hop Wallop REALLY meet the rating of "EXCEPTIONAL?" That clearly will depend on your personal taste.

Decent effort for a widely available DIPA: judging by the visibility of Hop Devil in supermarkets, Victory Brewing Co. is ringing the cash register, and more power to them in the highly competitive beer market (yet takes them out of that small batch micro brew classification).

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 03:05:45 | More by Hendry

lynchmob9

California

4.6/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

A: golden amber, great thick, frothy head, great retention.
S: love the nose. Caramel-covered red delicious apple, brown sugar melted & combined with maple syrup, Mellon.
T: beautifully balanced. Hops are there but not in-your-face. Malt to balance w/o being sweet. Light on the palate. Refreshing for high alcohol DIPA.
O: amazing beer...glad I tried it.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 22:57:32 | More by lynchmob9

MattSweatshirt

Texas

3.46/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Comes out a fairly clear golden color with a white head. A little lace there.

Apparently they give this a year long shelf life and I don’t know how in the hell they can do that. At 4 months this smells like it is gone. Mostly floral hops, some light mostly orange fruit(no peach) fruitiness. Alcohol peeks through a tad.

Nice and smooth drinking. Lots of bittneress still hanging around which is nice. The flavor is sort of a letdown though. Some alcohol warmth coming through.

I’ve been kind of letdown by these Victory IPA’s. The hoppy pilsner is delicious though.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 05:41:23 | More by MattSweatshirt

DrinkMoreBigBeers

Michigan

3.81/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

There seems to be a date on the bottle but it's to smeared to read. Maybe an Old bottle.

A - This beer poured out a hazzy (hops?) orange, with a white one finger head that dissipated rather fast.

S - There is a sweet caramel malty aroma at first with a little hop pine in the background. Hmmm, I wonder how old this is? The hops I do smell seem to be old. Not detecting alcohol.

T - There is a nice hop bitterness of pine, grass, that ends with a big bitter bite. Plenty of alcohol heat and some residual grain in the aftertaste. Also a sweetness that comes through the more you get into it.

M - The feel is so soft and creamy in the mouth, medium bodied and a bite from the hops that takes over with the alcohol. This is a really nice feeling beer.

O - This is an interesting beer for a double IPA, with a hop profile I may not be use to. This is definitely a sipper with some heat from the alcohol burn and a bitter bite from the hops. You will have to take your time with this one. The hops used in this one may not be my favorite, with more pine and grassy notes.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 23:01:07 | More by DrinkMoreBigBeers

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