Death By Hops - Olde Hickory Brewery

metter98

New York

3.96/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A: The beer is clear light amber in color and has a slight amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a thin white head that died down, leaving lacing on the surface and a collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Moderate aromas of caramel hops are present in the nose along with notes of citrusy hops.
T: The taste is a little more citrusy compared to the smell and has a light to moderate amount of bitterness. Notes of tropical fruits are also detectable.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is rather well balanced considering the amounts of hops as it has nice hop aromas and flavors without being overly bitter.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2013 03:30:24 | More by metter98

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a hazy medium to dark orange with a creamy and dense white head. As the beer warms up the haze fades away to a bright, clear beer.

S - A little on the light side but has a nice amount of grapefruit, pineapple, mango, and some tangerine. The aroma has some resinous character to it and there's some light caramel in the background.

T - Hops from start to finish with more hops thrown on top in case there weren't enough to begin with! Juicy tropical fruit that follows the nose: grapefruit, tangerine, mango, and a little pineapple hits immediately up front with assertive sweet bitterness, dips a little in the middle to let some of the caramel malt come through, and then finishes with a strong grapefruit/floral, slightly resiny and extremely lingering finish.

M - Medium body, moderate carbonation in the beginning and and softens after a period of time.

O - The only reason this beer doesn't live up to its name is because I'm still breathing and very much alive! A solid D-IPA (although I would classify this in the IPA category despite what the label says and who am I to argue?). On a fresh palate and a cold bottle, the finishing bitterness is much more sharp and lingering; as the bottle warms the sharpness is more rounded, although it still finishes bitter, more resin starts to surface. One bottle of this will definitely trash your palate.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 22:10:44 | More by jzeilinger

Dope

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Best before 4/13

A: Pours a slightly hazy golden orange. Enormous fizzy tan head, which fizzes away pretty quickly. Nice head retention with an island of foam. Pretty solid fluffy tendrils of lacing too.

S: Lots of sweet caramel. Might have waited a little long to drink this one. There is some sweet citrus, tropical fruits and resin in there. Flowery, even. Honestly not bad, just not what I was expecting from a beer named "Death By Hops". I'll give it a reasonable score since it might be a bit past its prime.

T: Despite the modest aroma, surprisingly hoppy in the flavors. Lots of sweet, juicy fruits. Mainly oranges and grapefruits but hints of tropical fruit like mango and maybe even pineapple. Decent sharp bitterness towards the middle along with the sweet caramel malt. Moderate resin in the finish with some floral hops. Nice long lingering bitter and floral aftertaste.

M: High carbonation, medium bodied. A little too airy and sharp as a result.

O: Not bad, perhaps needs to be a little younger to get the full "death by hops" experience. Floral character is a little strong, primarily composing the finish. Not bad but nothing amazing at the same time.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 01:54:50 | More by Dope

blackie

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

bomber from Bruisin'

a: poured into a wide chalice, dbh is medium golden-amber in color, coated with a thin layer of carbonation and light retention

s: big tropical hop presence on the nose - grapefruit and mango, tangerine, pineapple - a veritable fruit punch - especially after warming a bit, lots of oily citrus rind, clean pale malts allow the cones to shine, very pungent - great start

m: carbonation around moderate, a little lively, with a body tending towards the lighter side of medium with a little weight

t: big acidic hops over a clean pale malt body, an upfront bitterness totally dominating the slight sugars, the hop flavors here are citrusy - but mostly the bitter rind and pulp rather than juicy, floral oils; greapefruit rind, the clean malt body and powerful bitterness keep my thirst moving, a bruising bitterness lingers deep into the finish

o: I tend to like a little more juice vs bitter pith and rind, but this is a great IPA - lots of aggressive hop character, good fruits, and a monster bitterness, none of the heavy caramel and grain sugar that hinders the drinkability of many dipas/ipas, absolutely no balance - but sometimes, that's what it's all about

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 00:07:32 | More by blackie

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.63/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

an opaque copper/orange pour with a finger of white head and some great lacing left behind. smells of pine, almonds, grapefruit.. first time i've ever smelled that almond in a beer, hmm. the flavor is a tangy grapefruit with some oddball grain notes.. hmm, i can definitely taste a nutty malt profile, there is a very earthy bitterness coming out of this beer - honestly, i'm not feeling the flavor profile as much as i did the smell. the citrus aspect i nice, but the bitter earthy hops does not work with this at all.
medium body, low carbonation.

this started off as an awesome looking/smelling beer and escalated to a lot of sad face. the flavor is just off - weir nuttyness with bittering hops, citrus tone overall. it just doesn't blend. i still appreciate it in a way though, because of the bitterness and the citrus combination, but after each sip i realize NO THIS IS WRONG.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 09:25:01 | More by facundoCNB

shrek806

New York

3.76/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured this beer into a wide mouth DFH glass.

The beer pours a golden amber with a thin white lacing. The smell is under bearing with a slight citrus background. The bitterness hits you right up front and subsides throughout the swallow. The mouthfeel is rather pleasant with a minor alcohol finish. Overall this is my first beer ever from both the state of North Carolina and Olde Hickory. I believe this brewery is heading in the right direction. This is a solid IPA. A little too bitter with not enough floral and fruity notes for my taste, but I certainly wouldn't pour this beer down the drain.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 04:45:06 | More by shrek806

cjgator3

Florida

4.26/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

22oz bottle

A- Pours a golden amber color with an off-white head.

S- The aroma is fresh citrusy hops aplenty with some malt in the background.

T- The taste like the aroma is deliciously hoppy with a perfect amount of lingering bitterness from the hops in the finish. Very nice!

M- The mouthfeel is between light-medium bodied with a good amount of aroma.

O- Overall, Death by Hops is a very satisfying IPA that I really enjoyed!

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 03:40:19 | More by cjgator3

hooliganlife

Missouri

3.8/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

best by 12/13

pours a slightly deeper gold, inch or so of thick white head. very light retention and some lacing.

sweet and malty up front. lingering bitter hop, resin and pine.

pretty heavy malt with hints of caramel. very bitter through out. loads of pine and white grapefruit. very straight forward. would maybe like a hint more hop complexity.

full body, some chew to it. resin oil on the lips and gums.

pretty good overall, a little one sided but nothing off putting. solid stuff. like the 7% ABV a lot, making this far more drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 20:05:23 | More by hooliganlife

tharper

North Carolina

3.88/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

22 oz bomber poured into pint glass.

A: Murky golden pour - 1.5 inch rocky head - head lingers to 1/4 inch minimum
S: Piney hops, slight citrus - hop bomb
T: Malt body overpowered by hop flavor as is the style for an American DIPA. Bitterness is well maintained and shows care in brewing process to avoid pucker. Slight resiney character but appears to be mostly pellet hop additions late in boil with some apparent dry hop or hopback post-fermentation additions.
M: Slightly slick but bitterness is well maintained - carbonation is very appropriate for style and presentation.

O: Well, they call it death by hops, so it lives up to the name. I would prefer a bit more malt diversity to add a bit more complexity. Overall this is exactly what it should be if the point was to produce a highly hopped IPA bordering on the Double IPA territory. If you like super hop smelly IPAs, then this is for you. Great rep from a small East Coast brewery.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 03:09:14 | More by tharper

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a lightly hazy deep copper in color with some orange highlights and some light to moderate amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a two finger tall sudsy off-white head that slowly reduces to a couple of medium sized thick patches of large bubbles, a thin film covering the entire surface of the beer, and a thick ring at the edges of the glass. Significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of bready malts with a touch of caramel sweetness followed by strong aromas of citrus/grapefruit hops and just a touch of pine hops.

T: Upfront there are light to moderate flavors of bready malts with some slightly stronger flavors of caramel sweetness. Then the hop flavors really come out - strong flavors of citrus/grapefruit with just a hint of pine. Moderate amounts of bitterness in the finish which lingers but not for too long.

M: Slightly heavier than medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Light amounts of dryness in the finish.

O: Definitely one of the better DIPAs I have had from NC - a really nice smell with lots of grapefruit citrus and not a bitter bomb which I appreciate - love the taste of the hops but I don't want a beer so bitter it is not enjoyable. Pretty easy to drink and the alcohol is well hidden.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 03:05:11 | More by dbrauneis

rangerred

Tennessee

3.98/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass out of a 22oz bomber.

Pours a slightly hazy medium orange with a rocky white two finger head. Tons of lacing and amazing head retention.

Aroma is full of citrus hops, orange and pineapple. There is also a healthy dose of caramel and biscuit malt that nicely balances out the hops. Quite a pleasant, if not common, aroma.

The flavor is a little lighter on the citrus with some pine coming through. Lots of caramel and biscuit paired with a moderate bitterness. A really nice lingering hoppyness combines with a slight stickyness in the finish.

Overall, a really good IPA but it is definitely not a IIPA; not sure why is is labeled that here. Nice balance between malt and hops and something I would drink a lot of if it were available locally.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 02:04:59 | More by rangerred

nUgZ

North Carolina

4.23/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 ounce bomber poured into a pint glass.

A: Pours a somewhat hazy golden color with a 2 finger head and nice lacing.

S: Lots of citrus and floral hops and maybe a touch of alcohol.

T: Citrus, floral, and piney hops along with some malts in the background. This is a hop bomb.

M: Medium bodied with good carbonation.

O: This is a very good IPA. Super hoppy and easy to drink. I will be buying this one again.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 23:36:52 | More by nUgZ

Hopstuff

3.68/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This is a good beer. Seriously though I do wake up some morning having dreamed about this one. I am still impressed every time I drink something from these folks, thinking yes, maybe they still are the best NC brewery!?!? This effort from Old Hickory makes my mouth OK, what you got, but then delivering a perfectly planned suicide of hopness that makes we go....emmm, yes please. If you have not tried this brewery, you must. They are seriously on their way to a great run as a down home brew pub turned stand up brewery. This is a good effort by them which could stand on its on in a a fight between Brad Pitt in Troy and those special effects 300 tried to pull off as a Troy on acid.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 04:29:41 | More by Hopstuff

begforme4484

Connecticut

3.23/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Picked up a bottle at Tasty Beverage Company in Raleigh, NC. Enjoy by 3/2013 on the label.

Pours a light amber with golden edges. Had a ton of off-white/tan head with a medium aggression pour. Tons of bubbles rushing up through the standard pint glass.

The smell is somewhat lacking in pungency for a DIPA. A good bit of doughy bready malt with a piney and dirty hop aroma lingering in there as well.

A somewhat astringent bite at first which goes away into a piney, earthy, bitter hop front. The bready malt mixes in well with the hops. An oily hop resin after taste remains on the tongue.

Medium bodied with plenty of carbonation. A bit oily from the resin, but not too bad.

The beer definitely doesn't drink like a DIPA. If it were considered a single IPA, it would fit that description much better.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 02:26:02 | More by begforme4484

FanofHefe

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bomber, labeled best by Jan 2013, that pours a slightly hazy golden body with a one-finger bubbly white head. The head dissipates quickly and leaves a bit of lacing.

Piney hops dominate the aroma. Not a very complex aroma overall. After the pine hops, there is a light amount of grapefruit notes, but not much else. I expect this might have more "punch" if very fresh, since the label notes significant dry hopping.

The taste picks up where the aroma left off and adds some decent caramel malt taste to a solid pine and grapefruit hop flavor. The blend of the hops and malt flavors works pretty well in this brew.

Medium mouthfeel with a bit of oily hop texture. A very nice IPA, but not sure it rises to the level of a DIPA as labeled. Solid overall.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2012 01:29:25 | More by FanofHefe

jtd1969

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Golden amber with good lacing

S - Lot's of citrus(grapefruit), pine and sweetiness (malts)

T - Caramel, sweet malt, earthy, herbal hops that linger...

M - medium bodied. Lots of hops, good carbonation

O - very good IPA, I can see why this is their "main beer". I would love to have this beer on tap all the time if I was a bar! A Great drinkable IPA!

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 00:16:35 | More by jtd1969

Penguin3200

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle from Justin! Pours bright golden copper with minimal head and little lacing. Nose is just spectacular with big dank and floral notes. Piney and resinous which hits the palate, and then a melon fruit takes over. Ends resinous and bitter.

Very nice and glad to get to try this one.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2012 01:38:38 | More by Penguin3200

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Old Hickory Brewery Death By Hops India Pale Ale, Brewed and Bottled by Olde Hickory Brewing, Hickory, North Carolina. 7% ABV.

Light haze. Golden hue, large white, lasting head.

Bracing bitterness hits the nose, waves of pine and citrus wash over, hit after hit of hoppy goodness. Nice.

Tastin' it: Bittersweet and resiny. Juicy, hoppy, and yum. Hopped up and ready to go. Medium body and mouthfeel, leaves plenty of room for hops to do their dance. Plenty of lemon, lime, spots of pepper. Stays just short of astringent. Well, it gets a little in their, in the back of the throat.

Easy drinker, for the hopheads among us (raises hand). Top notch IPA all the way. Hey, what does the label say?

"Death by Hops double IPA is the winner of Olde Hickory's first Pro-Am event. This beer was designed by Alex Buerekholtz, award winning homebrewer & proprietor of Hops and Vines, Asheville, NC. DbH is brewed with 3 row barley, hopped with 5 different West Coast ops, then twice dry hopped. The net results an amazing aroma of ripe juicy fruit mixed with a bouquet of spring flowers. Death by Hops makes an impact you won't forget! Cheers!"

That sounds about right. But I wouldn't have picked it as a double IPA. Most go above 7%, and with a name like this, you'd expect a bit of punishment. This one is mighty hoppy, but doesn't push it too far, doesn't take it over the edge. Nothing wrong with that.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 07:10:52 | More by feloniousmonk

prototypic

Ohio

4.08/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Death By Hops pours a lighter caramel brown color. It’s slightly hazy. Looks like an orange stained gold color when held to light. Looks good. It’s topped with an off-white head that stands nearly two fingers tall. It’s very slow to recede. Holds steady as a surface covering for quite a while. Lacing was very sticky and thick. Quite impressive.

The nose is good. It could use just a little more strength, but it’s still good. The malt base seems reserved. I like that. There’s a hint of sweet caramel. Not much. Perhaps a bit of bready scent. That’s about it. Hops smell lively and delicious! Grapefruit and orange scents are easily noted. There’s perhaps a touch of pine that follows. Alcohol is blended well and doesn’t come through all that strong. I’m surprised it’s characterized as a DIPA. I digress. Smells good.

The flavor is a little better than the nose, but not quite enough to warrant a score bump. The malt base tastes like a mix of caramel and bread flavors. The caramel flavor is light and restrained. It adds a touch of sweetness, but it’s not overly strong. The hop flavor is really nice. It’s mostly citrus grapefruit and orange. It definitely has a bitter kick, but it’s not palate wrecking. The hops definitely take center stage and are the focal point here. Alcohol is there, but isn’t anywhere close to warm or hot. Finishes hoppy and bitter.

The body is medium. Carbonation seems light and restrained. It’s relatively smooth and easy drinking. I probably won’t finish off the growler, but it’s tempting. It is quite good.

Death By Hops is a nice release from Olde Hickory Brewery. The hops hog the spotlight and really amp up the flavor. That’s my style for an American IPA. This one’s definitely worth picking up. I’m still not sure about the DIPA classification on here. That’s a bit peculiar, but…whatever.

Serving type: growler

08-11-2012 03:37:32 | More by prototypic

fields336

North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle dated best by Nov 12
A: dark orange copper color, slight chill haze small 1 finger head but I may have overchilled it
S: sweet, tooti-fruity, orange, mango, peach, pine, earthy, flowery
T: pine, sweet mango, orange, pineapple, caramel, bread,earthy, tobacco Pretty tasty

M: medium bodied with a dry finish bitter but drinkable

O: a pretty good IPA, I wouldn't call it a double

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 00:02:39 | More by fields336

TheHopMonster

New York

4.5/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured a hazy orange, fast rising bubbles and a decent white foamy head. Pretty good retention with consistent webbing throughout.

Powerful aromas of pine, cedar, grass, citrus fruit, and earth. A mild sweetness coming from the crystal caramel malt.

Excellent hoppiness up front with strong bitterness throughout. Sweet towards the back and then the dryness follows inviting you to take another sip. The hop selection is amazing I can pick out the grapefruit cascade hop, and the intensely floral centennial hop.

Leaves mouth feeling dry and fruity.

Overall this was an amazing IPA and I have two more bottles of this so I'm excited to break into those at some point

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 17:00:29 | More by TheHopMonster

akorsak

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A bomber, from Appalachian Vintners, my preferred store in AVL.

A: The double IPA is a darker golden orange color, the browner hues adding to the darkness. An eggshell white head, sizeable on first pour, leaves plenty of lace behind - a foamy legacy.

S: Sharp grapefruit, biting and abrasive. Indeed a slow death by hops. The nose is very oily, the bitterness of the hops leading to a black peppercorn scent. Pine needles pop up too, just for good measure. The intensity of the hops lends to a very thick nose, bitter but engrossing. Caramel is there, the malts balancing things out to a small degree.

T: The double IPA starts out with a twist - caramel and breads lendy a starchy feel. The oily hops follow quickly, jumping into the void with a viney vegetal feel and plenty of bitterness. The grapefruit and pine flavors, strong up front, somehow manage to intensify as the ale warms, getting stronger and oilier, resiny even. That's a lot of adjectives to describe te beer but they are accurate. Surprising especially because the nose, while aromatic, isn't nearly as fragrant as the body. Deadly indeed.

M: Oily and resiny, the hops are powerful strong. Balanced to a degree too, aiding the drinkability. Too bad that was my only bottle.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 16:54:00 | More by akorsak

Teleweizen2

New Jersey

3.93/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - pours an orangey amber color. Thick bubbly white foam leaves decent lacing. Doesn't last long.

S - intense aroma like walking into a green house. Lots of floral and grassy notes. Stone and citrus fruit notes cut through with notes of apricot and pink grapefruit.

T - caramel malt sweetness upfront. As the beer warms on the tounge biting citric bitterness comes forth. Notes of pine and bitter orange peel dominate the palate. The piney bitter notes last well past the finish and keeps on going.

M - medium bodied. Creamy texture. High carbonation.

O - excellent beer. Touch on the sweet side for me but I love the piney notes on the tounge and the floral and apricot notes of the nose. Good showing from Olde hickory.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 01:51:08 | More by Teleweizen2

Jamesthebrit

Michigan

3.78/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Golden brown color with large orange head.
S: Floral scent with hints of honey.
T: Tastes a little different than other imperial IPAs. If I had to put it down to something I would say there is a little more dirt taste. Otherwise the spicy floral notes are not as preminante as in other IPAs again this beer being more gritty. Certainly not bad.
M: Good here. Initially a little too bubbly but sits pretty good.

Overall not a bad IPA. Sits good but the grittiness of the taste brought it down a little.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 16:58:20 | More by Jamesthebrit

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From BeerAdvocate magazine Issue #58 (November 2011):

LOOK: Hazed peach

SMELL: Herbal, minty, papaya, mango, doughy, alcohol

TASTE: Hoppy, tobacco, herbal, leafy, earthy, grassy, pulling, astringent, stone fruit, earthy, woody

We're not dead yet, actually just getting our hop fix. Excessive hopping is noticed. The palate does not get devastated by the bitterness, but it does get taken over by the massive amount of hop flavor, so much so that you should not expect to taste much after knocking this one back. A worthy hop bomb.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2012 03:55:48 | More by BeerAdvocate