Highland Devil’s Britches IPA - Highland Brewing

BigTrubble

North Carolina

4.65/5  rDev +28.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

You can’t go wrong with Highland Brewing Co. beers so I bought a six pack of 12 oz. bottles to try this beer. Devil’s Britches was released Mid January and I am excited to get my hands on it.
It pours a deep weathered copper. One finger of thick frothy head that is there throughout even resting on the bottom of the empty glass. Good lacing around the glass that hangs around.
The smell of this beer is amazing lots of sweet citrus fruit and floral undertones over a sweet malty backbone. As it warms the herbal scents really come out.
The taste up front is pure citrusy bitter hops that hit the tongue followed closely by the savory sweet malts. The flavor of this beer is very well balanced, awesome hoppiness that is well balanced by the toasted biscuity malt bill.
The mouth-feel of this IPA is slightly viscous compared to most with a smooth silky mouth feel. Just the right amount of carbonation to tickle the tongue and prepare the taste buds for the onslaught of flavor.
Overall Highland Brewing Company’s Devil’s Britches is and excellent beer. I could drink this beer every day and never grow tired. Not merely a hopped up red ale, but actually an amazing take on a style that is so popular and often underwhelming. Devil’s Britches is well balanced with an excellent malt bill that holds up to the Apollo bittering and finishing hops and Calypso dry-hopping. Highland describes it as a red IPA and a twist on the great American IPA which is a statement that it truly stands up to and surpasses. I have been very impressed by Highland’s beers and am happy to see Highland releasing new beers. I can’t wait to see what they brew next.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 02:03:09 | More by BigTrubble

Romaniac

4.48/5  rDev +24.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bought a 6 pack in late January (Cary, NC.)

Appearance: Copper in color. Slight visible carbonation. 1/2 finger head.

Aroma: Moderate floral, citrusy hops, and caramel.

Flavor: Moderate hop flavor at first, slight sweetness noted, ending very well balanced.

Mouthfeel: Very smooth. Moderate carbonation, crisp and leaving you wanting more.

Overall: This is truly a well made IPA, not too thick, not too bitter. If you like tasty beers, this is a must try. Best IPA I have had from NC.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 03:37:07 | More by Romaniac

suspect

New York

4.21/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a Dogfish Head Snifter. Thanks to Bulbman for the hookup.

A: Pours pure amber, crystal clear. Mostly aggressive pour leads to a thick, rocky off white one-finger head that fades reluctantly. Leaves sticky slug trails along the sides with bubbles clinging for dear life all the way down. Very nice looking beer.

S: Very nice up front hop presence. Brings the yin of the citrus (grapefruit, but one on the sweeter side) and some crushed pear and then brings the yang of the pine resin - almost like the smell left on your fingers from carrying your Christmas Tree to the curb once it has served its purpose. Malt background is nicely present and unique from other IPAs I've had. They eschewed the typical IPA malts for an Ashburne Mild malt and it really stands on its own nicely. Picking up some floral notes and a bit of the breadiness from either the yeast or the malts on the end of the nose.

T: I must have a very fresh bottle because the hops are beautifully blended with the malts. The Apollo hops do not overpower on the bitterness but slide nicely in towards the back of the tongue. There is a nice fruity flavor that hits in the middle and the bittering hops round out the tast. Good mix of flavors.

M: Sharp biting finish yet smooth and coating. Medium bodied beer.

O: An excellent take on the IPA and this one is most excellent. I would definitely buy this beer in quantity.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 05:01:40 | More by suspect

farrago

New Jersey

4.2/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Hits you with two fingers of highly whipped up and loose foam, quite delicate and dimples easily, sort of eggshell white in hue, leaves a lot of thinner yet sticky streaks of lacing. Bright amber red in color, immaculately transparent with a few scattered beads of active bubbles. The nose is peppery with a saline quality too, dried grapefruit and orange pith, rye, pine tar, gets more floral as it warms, same for the cocoa powder and apricot to peach fruit scents, complexity sort of sneaks up on you. Medium-bodied, tight weave to the carbonation, lively with erect posture. On the dry side yet there’s tang in the orange, grapefruit citrus and great support from the pine, pepper, black tea leaves, forest scrub accents. Has moderate malt backbone, mostly powdered chocolate, not that sweet, more texturally softening. Really grips the palate, sticky and resinous, even factoring in that carbonation. The fruit is mainly apricot, pineapple and peach with a hint of red cherry. Long aftertaste, hoppy bite refuses to let go. Pushes the hoppiness card but doesn’t overplay its hand, nicely balanced.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 01:46:47 | More by farrago

rangerred

Tennessee

4.18/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a pint glass out of a growler from Libation Station in Johnson City, TN.

Pours a clear dark reddish-brown with a thick off-white head. Really good head retention and lacing.

The aroma is full of pine and earth along with a noticeable roasty character. Also toffee and caramel all working in perfect harmony with the hops. A really nice balance and definitely more British than American.

The taste has more in the way of hops than the aroma with tons of pine along with a little bit of Earthyness and dank. Just a tiny amount of citrus in this one. Nice malt character with caramel and toffee and just a little bit of roast. Very assertive long lasting bitterness along with a full and creamy mouthfeel.

Overall, while this is only 6% it feels like a much bigger beer with the substantial mouthfeel. A great IPA and one of the best beers I have had from Highland.

Serving type: growler

02-03-2013 22:22:57 | More by rangerred

BeerZack

North Carolina

4.14/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark copper color with nice off-white head that laces the glass. Smell is definitely hop forward, spicy, almost grassy, but very fresh with a noticeable sweet caramel maltiness right underneath with whiffs of burnt toffee. Flavor is similar to the aroma. To my delight the layered maltiness does not overpower the hops at all, but lends the beer an interesting balance. I like it.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 02:11:24 | More by BeerZack

shand

Florida

4.11/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Devil's Britches pours out a stunning crystal-clear red. The aroma is fantastic, there's a big pine and earth presence on the nose, along with some citrus hops and sweet caramel malts. The taste doesn't quite live up to the nose, offering a tasty yet less intense than expected piney/herbal hop along with some citrus notes and a quick hit of sweet malts. Aftertaste is minimal. The mouthfeel is on the light side, with a higher level of carbonation. Now, one thing I do like that doesn't effect the review is that I do rather enjoy that this is released as a late-Winter seasonal, giving a much needed couple of months until their fantastic Spring beer comes out.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 04:50:12 | More by shand

tdm168

North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

A - dark amber with a big, pillowy, white head that has decent retention

S - herbal, spicy hop aroma with a bit of a peppery spiciness

T - light caramel, big spicy hops, peppery spice, some faint herbal notes, intensely bitter finish

M - medium bodied, smooth, well carbonated though crisp

This is a decent IPA. It had a different flavor profile than I was expecting, but I was basing that idea on their Kashmir IPA. This spicy hop character is intense and welcomed. This is a solid, balanced beer with great drinkability. I recommend it to any hop head or Highland fan.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 03:32:49 | More by tdm168

thagr81us

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thanks goes out to one of our regulars that visits a shop I work at part-time for bringing a sixer of this for us! Served from bottle into a shaker. Poured a slightly hazy red-orange with a one finger slightly off-white head that subsided to a minimal amount very slowly. Maintained nice lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, earth, earth hop, citrus, citrus hop, and marijuana. The flavor was of sweet malt, marijuana, citrus, citrus hop, and earth. It had a light feel on the palate with high carbonation. Overall this was a good brew. When I saw the sixer of this come in I was rather intrigued as I had never heard of this one before at all. Fortunately what I found was definitely a really good representation of the style. Nice citrus notes going on here with a little bit of nug going on as well. It was really well balanced and quite easy to drink. Definitely worth your time to do so yourself.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 13:51:01 | More by thagr81us

mattkoon

South Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

devil's britches ipa pours a reddish brown with white head. the smell is very hoppy. its pungent. the taste is very bitter with a strong dose of hops. there isnt much citrus at the finsh but i do feel like there is a hint of sweetness. over all a strong ipa. i like this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 12:34:36 | More by mattkoon

chinchill

South Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle of Devil's Britches, dated Jan. 2013, poured into a snifter.

Pours clear, dark reddish-brown in color, with a thin off-white head. Nonetheless, this has good head retention and lacing.

Appropriately hoppy IPA aroma is primarily herbal but also floral and with a bit of pine and a faint hint of citrus. A secondary malt presence adds some hints of baked bread and caramel. A well crafted mix which, happily, carries over to the taste. The flavor is very well balanced, although hops partially dominate the biscuity malt component, as should be the case in an IPA. The flavor is more earthy than suggested by the aroma, but not all objectionable.

M: Medium+ body with a smooth mouthfeel and a markedly dry finish.

Overall: An excellent, satisfying and moderately distinctive IPA.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 00:31:33 | More by chinchill

Ryan011235

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured into an Allagash glass on 3/27/13

Burnt tobacco; quite clear with a head just shy of two fingers. Thin, smooth retention and tightly speckled, sandy lace. Thick rings of lace further down.

Herbal and piney hop aroma with floral bleed. Full biscuit aroma sets the backdrop for the zesty hops. The taste is spicy with pine resin and brash herbal hits. The malts are full without being obtrusive. Bitterness is moderate throughout and rough on the finish. The finish is also a little dusty. Medium-full for the style with a resin-sticky feel is offset by fairly smooth, puffy carbonation.

I've had several of these and the Devil's Britches fit just fine.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 02:32:15 | More by Ryan011235

silverking

Florida

3.76/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

It pours a clear red with a tan head. Head retention is good with some very nice lacing. The aroma is, well, strange. Very earthy/woodsy. It smells like the forest after a big rainstorm. It tastes grassy with a slight bitterness. It's a lot lighter than I expected. The finish shows some grapefruit. The mouthfeel is light and dry, but the carbonation is low enough to make it all work. Strange, but good.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 00:13:15 | More by silverking

Onenote81

North Carolina

3.76/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Stopped in to Finnegan's Wake here in town, and saw this one on tap. A new one for me. Came out a rusty amber, rather than a pale orange that characterizes many IPAs. Small beige head on top. Excellent lacing as I sip this one.

Fresh floral aroma with mild citrus and faint piney notes. Moderate body, really easy to drink. Carbonation is spot on. Slightly dry on the finish. Nice bitter snap right away that lingers a bit on the palate. Semi-sweet grapefruit, bitter rind, touches of candied malt.

This one isn't gonna melt your face with bitterness, and that's just fine with me. Where there's surely a place for that type, this one brings the bitterness, but in a toned down way that makes this a fine easy-drinking ale. Nice work, Highland.

Serving type: on-tap

04-10-2013 18:53:59 | More by Onenote81

avalon07

South Carolina

3.75/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a copper color and a clear consistency. There was a small amount of foamy head that quickly dissipated. Pretty good lacing.

S: A very underplayed aroma of hops, pine, and some malt.

T: Tasted of malt, light hops (less than you might expect from an IPA), pine, and a little tinge of citrus. Like the aroma, the flavor was very mild. Almost seemed more like an English IPA than an American version.

M: A well-carbonated beer with a prickly finish. Light- to medium-bodied.

O: A little on the tame side as IPAs go, but still worth a shot. Drinkable, but there are certainly other IPAs I would go for first.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 17:47:01 | More by avalon07

bcsbeer

Florida

3.73/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 3.5

Poured dark amber almost brown. Big light tan head with good retention and lacing. Picking up on the hops in the nose. The taste favors the sweet malts, biscuit, caramel followed up with some floral hops. Mouthfeel was thick and creamy with good carbonation. After taste was a little soapy. This was very malty for a IPA . Based on the taste and appearance I would have put this in the American amber/ Red ale style.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 03:42:57 | More by bcsbeer

alk3kenny

Georgia

3.71/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Devil's britches is called an IPA upon reading the label it is a "red" IPA which makes the appearance make so much more sense. It is a reddish amber color smells nicely of clean hops. Smells much like a lower abv ipa should none of the caramel malts or sweetness on the nose like in a normal red. Lowered the smell score because of that because while I like the smell I like to review on style and it doesn't meet what I would expect of the style. Taste is hoppy, clean, pleasant, some malt coming through but again not really tasting any of the "color" if you will. I could easily drink a bunch of these so a very sessionable IPA. The mouthfeel is nice some hop bitterness goes down easy. Overall I would probably buy the again if going to a cookout and wanted to share a good IPA with friends that were a little less then extreme hop heads.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 02:30:51 | More by alk3kenny

aubuc1

Florida

3.68/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

12 oz bottle poured into imperial pint glass.

Pours a reddish light brown with a thick cream/light beige head.

Smell is classic piney/ citrus with a hint of biscuit.

Taste is a crisp, bitter with significant biscuit.

Mouthfeel is right on. Not too thick or thin.

Overall this is a good red ale. Not sure why they call it an ipa.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 21:42:44 | More by aubuc1

Apellonious

North Carolina

3.66/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

12 0z bottle out of a sixer from Teeter.

A - Pours a dark brownish red with orange backlights. Sticky half finger head. Lace hangs on the glass.

S - Smells of grapefruit and hops. Saltwater. Grass.

T - An interesting mix of some brownish ale malts flavors up front, which disappear quick (real quick) to make way for some tangy hop bitterness with a salty aftertaste.

M - A touch on the thin, watery side, but it doesn't detract from the beer.

O - Hops heads who like a salt burn rejoice.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 01:51:24 | More by Apellonious

MacQ32

South Carolina

3.66/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A - Poured into a Weyerbacher tulip glass. Aggressively carbonated, nearly 3 fingers of caramel/cream colored thick (not bubbly) head. Body is amber/red and seemingly a bit murky. Lacing is quite good (spotty but very thick on the glass). Retention is absolutely fantastic.

S - Light caramel malts, refreshing apa type aroma (think apples), earthy/grassy hops, slightly biscuity. Pretty mild aroma.

T - Decent piney/floral hops initially, apples and mostly pears are dead on and quickly mediate the hops (with some sweeter caramel malt), making this a lighter ipa, probably ideal gateway IPA, light bitterness lingers after the fruits subside. Finish is very mildly bitter, and minimally dry.

M - Well carbonated visually, certainly carbonated on the palate as well but not overly carbonated as it may look. Very refreshing, really really easy to drink, decent lawnmower beer.

O - Definitely more of a mild flavor profile but a really good APA/IPA type brew. Very smooth, very refreshing, fantastic lacing and retention, ideal for those who dont love hop bombs as I do.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 17:12:32 | More by MacQ32

oberon

North Carolina

3.64/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured into a nonic a clear rich amber with a fluffy one finger off white head that left multiple chunks of head behind as it settles into a frothy mass.Biscuit malts and some leafy herbal hops in the nose,pretty pedestrian but not bad.Earthy hops dominate the flavor profile with some caramel/biscuit malts,more of a big earthy red ale than a red ipa.Not bad but not something that is on par with other Highland offerings in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 21:08:46 | More by oberon

zac16125

South Carolina

3.64/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Draft into pint glass

A: dark amber, small white head, minimal lacing

S: malty, hints of hop bitterness, grass an off almost moldy aroma (although not as bad as that sounds)

T: pretty tasty, good balance of malts and piney hop bitter, much better than the nose. High bitterness level is nice

M/D: medium body, appropriate carbonation, good drink ability

O: I liked it. Nothing spectacular but I'd drink again. Rating would be high if not for the off aroma

Serving type: on-tap

04-16-2013 23:31:21 | More by zac16125

Jadjunk

Georgia

3.59/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

"'Lordy, that's as red as the devil's britches,' exclaimed a local rancher, awed by the vibrant fall canopy ablaze on what is known today as Devil's Britches trail. Highland Brewing commemorates the history of the Great Smoky Mountains and Devil's Britches trail with a rich, red IPA. Ashburne Mild malt produces a toasted and biscuity flavor, and Extra Special malt renders an alluring red hue. Apollo hops provide aggressive bitterness (70 IBU), while dry-hopping with Calypso hops yields complex fruity and floral aromas with hints of pear and apple. This devishly delicious ale is Highland;s twist on the great American IPA." Brewed in the style of a Red IPA. The newest seasonal beer by Highland Brewing Company.

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle to a pint glass. Served north of 49º Fahrenheit.

(Appearance) Pours a toasted caramel cream head of a creamy froth consistency over a red-tinged copper body with moderate relaxed carbonation and high clarity. Lacing is light and curtained- retention is very good. Very pleasing appearance. 4.25

(Smell) Aroma is relatively clean with a light bready malt base. A mild citrus hop aroma tries to pair, but doesn't quite match the intensity. Potency overall is somewhat muted- none of the aromas really come forward to define this beer. 3.25

(Taste) Toasty caramel biscuit malts with a mellow bready sweetness. Hops are equally softened- some peppery, earthy characters and a touch of spice, but nothing is taking the reins. I don't personally find the bitterness too much. Balance is right on for the flavors involved, but collectively they're very light throughout. The toasted caramel is probably the most unique part of this IPA- I haven't had many IPAs with a toasted grain front like this one presents. The drinkability is incredibly high, as neither the malt nor the hop character trash the palate like heavier-bodied IPAs do. It's a good, session beer but likely won't meet the demands of the adventurous IPA bunch that go for a maltier or hoppier IPA. 3.5

(Mouthfeel) Mouthfeel is very smooth with a slight thickness and a mellow buzzy carbonation. Body is light+ for the style, light/medium overall. Alcohol presence is very low, concealed by the little alpha bitterness that is perceptible to the tongue. The texture is very nice for this style, it helps keep the flavor and texture relatively uncomplicated, but it could be even more relaxed to go with the texture. Ingredients for a very sessionable IPA are all here, it just won't be to everybody's IPA expectations. Based on the recipe, the mouthfeel is good. 4

(Overall) Devil's Britches hits the mark for those who want an IPA that doesn't neutralize the taste buds or fill you up after one drink. Highland has a tendency to craft light, drinkable IPAs, and this one isn't all that exciting, but is enjoyable enough to drink a few in a row. Feel free to give it a try. 3.75

Highland Brewing Company's
Devil's Britches India Pale Ale
3.59/5.00

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 01:14:14 | More by Jadjunk

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.56/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours copper colored with a thumb of cream colored head. Good head retention & above average lacing

S: Some biscuitty notes, piney & leafy hops, also herbal hops

T: Herbal & woody hops, & touch of breadyness up front. Pine & orange rind as this warms, plus more woody hops. Finishes with woody & herbal hops, plus a bit of dryness & biscuitty malt, plus some citrussy & piney hops showing up at the end of the party

MF: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation, alright balance

This is a serviceable AIPA/red ale, but nothing to get excited about & a step below most of the other Highland beers I've tried. The Lowes I was in had Bells Twi hearted for about 60 cents more a sixer. That would've been a far better purchase...

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 03:04:34 | More by russpowell

zeledonia

Minnesota

3.56/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Tasted 10 April 2013.

Pours a medium-deep amber, slightly rusty. Mostly clear, with a column of bubbles rising up. One finger of off-white head, okay retention and lacing.

Smell is a malty medium-hopped herbal IPA with a shade of pine.

Taste is grainy, dominated by a moderate to high liquid, flowing bitterness.

Mouthfeel is the high point. Medium-bodied, persistent, but with a flare of carbonation that livens the whole thing up.

A decent IPA, balanced, and heavier on the acids than the aromatics.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 06:41:41 | More by zeledonia