Heavy Seas - Big DIPA (2009-2011) - Heavy Seas Beer

barczar

Kentucky

3.65/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pours a slightly hazy amber with a quarter inch fleeting cream head that leaves minimal lacing.

Sweet caramel malt, booze, muted citrus, and hints of dark fruit form the initial aroma. Floral notes accompany oak, bruised cherry, figs, and dates. There's a significant caramel malt backbone.

Flavor is boozy. Fairly oaky and resiny at the finish. Deep caramel notes accompany slight fruit character and toasted malt. Citrus is muted by bitterness.

Body is moderate to slightly full, with moderate carbonation and significant alcohol warmth.

Very boozy brew. The hoppiness is overtaken by oak and alcohol. Decent caramel malt base, but doubt this will improve with time. Somewhat cloying. Glad I bought a point and not a 17 dollar bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2013 22:06:30 | More by barczar

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.71/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

On tap at the ale house. Snifter

Beige head. Copper amber in color. Lots of lace.

Flavor is of big juicy hops. Pine with some floral notes. Grapefruit citrus. Fairly tropical. Some hop resin stickiness. A little bit of caramel sweetness.

Mouthfeel is better and sticky. Medium bodied.

Overall, a solid dipa. This must be a new batch because it says it is retired. I like this one.

Serving type: on-tap

03-24-2013 23:02:05 | More by mothman

DoubleSimcoe

New York

4.03/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The Big DIPA! On tap at Shorty's, Hell's Kitchen NYC.

Appearance: Served in a 14-oz snifter, the DIPA comes well-poured, with a perfect, very frothy and bubbly one-finger head. Shiny soapy bubbles! Color is a deep amber, opaque, almost brown. Hearty. Thick lacing left behind.

Smell: Fruity, sweet, sugary. Citrus and booze. A tad of rusty metal at the end. Lemon juice. Some tropics (canned pineapple juice) and mellow bitterness (pomelo sprinkled with sugar).

Taste: Super sweet right away, ton of raw sugar. Coconut. Then some rum and booze. This makes me feel like being at a Caribbean beach. Caramel, malt around the back. "Oatmeal with brown sugar", the wife said. This would be a great hair of the dog, or a boozy cure for hangovers. Boiling orange juice and watermelon bubbles at the end.

Mouthfeel: Full body, carbonation and flavor. Heavy and big indeed! Citrusy, malty.

Overall: I like this one a lot, even more so than the classic Loose Cannon. Huge and boozy, and so not for everyone. Not terribly drinkable, but if you like malty big DIPA's, try this! The only real blemish I can find here is the booziness and heat of it all. I recommend consuming it chilled. When warm, it burns!

Serving type: on-tap

07-08-2011 17:56:49 | More by DoubleSimcoe

tbrown4

Maryland

4.22/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this last night at Max's. This is my first of the year for Big DIPA. I don't think I've had it since the 2009 batch actually.

A - Bright copper, slightly hazy, fine bubbled cream colored head, retains at the edges. Moderate lacing

S - Unidimensional hops, slight citrus sweet

T - Huge grassy earthy hops up front. Tart citrus middle, clean creamy finish. This delivers on all fronts. Quite tasty.

M - Medium in body

O - This is a very good double IPA. It's better than I remember. It doesn't have much in the nose, but the flavor profile is superbly balanced. There's not a hint of alcohol anywhere. Aside from the merely above average aroma, this is a very good representation of the style. I plan to buy some bottles this year and would seek this out again on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

05-18-2011 10:43:36 | More by tbrown4

warnerry

Michigan

3.1/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Notes from last summer

Pour is coppery brown with minimal head. head does leave some lacing behind.

Smell is mostly caramel malts and alcohol, not much in the way of hop presence.

Hops come through more on the taste, but still seem to play second fiddle to the high amount of malt. Some lingering hop bitterness. Tastes a bit more like a barleywine.

Medium, slightly oily, mouthfeel with low carbonation.

Alcohol is a bit too up front, and hops are not nearly dominant enough for this to stand out as a great DIPA. Definitely a sipper as well. Didn't particularly enjoy this, and wouldn't seek it out again.

Serving type: on-tap

02-19-2011 01:33:45 | More by warnerry

beersensei305

Florida

2.75/5  rDev -25.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured in a tulip glass at WOB

A- Amber colored in the glass, with a decent white head that fades rather fast

S- hops, citrus and caramel malts

T- As expected citrus upfront with malts,big hop bitternes with a distinct booze bit.

M- Medium bodied & sticky

D- I find this beer to be very unbalanced, there is a strong hop bit with a malty character that that does not smooth it out and the after taste is a tad sweet... it just doesn't work for me.

Serving type: on-tap

01-04-2011 21:45:34 | More by beersensei305

Tucquan

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had this on 2010-04-19 at the Depot Grill in Lynchburg, VA (from tasting notes)

A - Clear amber with a short white head.

S - Citrus, sweet malt, pine.

T - Some grapefruit bitterness and bread. Not very complex.

M - Light body and medium-high carbonation give a clean feel.

D - Refreshing. Light.

Serving type: on-tap

12-28-2010 18:41:33 | More by Tucquan

ElGordo

Oregon

3.88/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled on tap at Beggars Banquet in East Lansing. Poured into a sniffer, the body is a deep amber with some reddish highlights, topped by a creamy, off white head that leaves some pretty lacing. Aroma of sweet amber malt and a ton of fruity hops. Notes of light honey and booze come through as well.
Palate is big on sweet malt and fruity hops, with lots of fruit esters and honey sweetness. Finish is fairly boozy, but not overwhelming. Body is thick and syrupy, as one would expect from a strong double IPA. Very nice, although the balance definitely tilts towards the sweet side.

Serving type: on-tap

08-11-2010 02:29:11 | More by ElGordo

ne0m00re

Ohio

3.93/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

05/17/10- Mad Mex
A: Ruby orange, creamy nice lace, film, and collar.
S: Sweet caramel malt, bright and slightly piney/citrusy hops, figs.
T: Caramel, fig malty backbone with surprisingly piney, bright hops that linger like citrus.
M: Syrupy, creamy, frothy, good.
D: Decent.

Serving type: on-tap

08-10-2010 20:43:50 | More by ne0m00re

zhooker

New York

3.38/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a goblet off the tap. Light and relatively clear, a few shades lighter than amber. A moderately creamy head, with some pretty lacing decorating the glass as I drink.

Not a lot of nose on this one. I swirled and swirled again, but alas all that arose was a very light, floral hop scent -- just like any old IPA.

Some lighter citrus and malt tones dance around the front of the tongue, and per usual the hops reside in the back. This is not an overwhelming hop flavor -- subtle, building with each sip. The commercial description of the beer touts its "balanced" flavor. Balance is hard to judge. "Are the flavors here light and boring, or is it just well-balanced?" After a glass of this DIPA, I unfortunately feel like the flavors here aren't really strong enough to make "balance" anything really impressive. Frankly, it's a little bland.

That being said, it has a nice mouthfeel. It's clean, and there is only a little chalkiness from all the hops, which appears after you drink about half the glass.

This beer is definitely drinkable, but lacks any defining characteristic that makes it particularly pleasurable or special. There is something to be said for its 10.6% ABV -- it hides its bigness well. Sadly, it's just not good enough to be memorable.

Serving type: on-tap

06-03-2010 04:32:14 | More by zhooker

IronLover

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured a rusty clear amber red with a thin head and very ligjt lacings. Nice sweet floral aroma. Not a lot of body. Sweet malty hoppy flavors, but nothing spectacular. The 11% ABV is notable and tends to override the hop character. Easy to drink, but if there are other IPSs on tap (which there are this evening) then I'd try something else.

Serving type: on-tap

05-23-2010 23:05:34 | More by IronLover

david18

New York

3.75/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had a pint of this at the amsterdamale house on the upper west side of manhattan.This was quite a good double ipa. Color was a coppery red. Aroma was piney but not as strong as I'd like it to be. The flavor had great balance of hops, malt and alcohol.

Serving type: on-tap

05-23-2010 22:07:38 | More by david18

Cyberkedi

Georgia

4.22/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a luscious clear honey golden with a fine-bubbled white head. Rich, hoppy aroma has an undertone of honey and a hint of evergreen. Fiercely hoppy, evergreen flavor is quite bitter but pleasantly so. Smooth, fizzy, edgy texture leaves behind a nice tingle.

Serving type: on-tap

05-16-2010 21:35:01 | More by Cyberkedi

garuda

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Clear amber in color, small white head with little retention and little lacing.

S - Faint, but consists of caramelly malts up front with some citrus hops on the back.

T - Starts off with big caramelly malts again, and the grapefruit hops don't come in until late palate, with lingering bitterness in the aftertaste. It's a good taste, but way too much malt content for what I like in a DIPA.

M - Full body, low carbonation. Nice and smooth across the palate with lingering bitterness through the aftertaste. Par for the course.

D - Alcohol is very well hidden, I'll give it that. Good mouthfeel, but its not what I want in a DIPA. It needs the hops to come in stronger and earlier to give it that DIPA balance.

Serving type: on-tap

04-25-2010 11:47:28 | More by garuda

metter98

New York

3.6/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: It's clear and amber in color and there's a thin layer of bubbles floating on the surface.
S: There's only a faint to moderate smell of hops.
T: The taste is rather malty, and has less hop flavors than I had expected given their presence in the aroma. The hop bitterness comes across a little more in the finish.
M: It feels medium bodied and crisp on the palate.
D: It's relatively easy to drink and the alcohol is well masked. I'm not sure if I would have this again because the smell and taste didn't stand out that much.

Serving type: on-tap

04-16-2010 17:38:48 | More by metter98

sholland119

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Teresa's Next Door.

A-Pours a clear amber with a generous amount of off white head and good lacing.

S-Heavy malt, as malty as any DIPA I have come across with the possible exception of Unearthly. Nice citrus hops come through as well.

T-As expected, a really strong malty caramel sweetness with a strong citrus and piney hop finish. Lots of flavor here.

M-A bit heavy and viscous for the style. Again no surprise given the ABV and huge malt but it is a wearying brew to finish.

D-High ABV and heavy body make this a one and done for me.

HV

Serving type: on-tap

10-22-2009 14:48:12 | More by sholland119

GJ40

North Carolina

3.58/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Sampled on tap at Doherty's in Pawtucket, RI.

A golden ale with a slight haze and a moderate off-white head. The aroma isn't especially strong but it has a nice blend of floral and fruity hops. The flavor is dominated by rich hop oils that overshadow any malt or bitterness that might be underneath. I found it a bit harsh but interesting. It's got a silky consistency with a nice low carbonation. Big DIPA is a good beer but it's not outstanding.

Serving type: on-tap

09-02-2009 12:06:55 | More by GJ40

tpd975

Florida

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

Sampled at Mellow Mushroom Brandon.

A: Poured a nice orange hue with a touch of haze. Nice tall creamy head that exhibited pretty good retention and some lace.

S: Nice sweet malt aromas. Mostly caramel but a touch of darkened brown sugar as well. The middle is very fruity and sweet. Hints of sweet pine as well.

T: Nice sweet toasted malt, bold caramel, light toffee. Apples in the middle pretty sweet with lots of citrus and sweet tangerine. The finish has a touch of citrus and grass. Did I mention it was pretty sweet?

M: On the fuller side of medium, great carbonation from the tap really carries the sweetness.

D: One glass is enough. A good DIPA, but not great.

Serving type: on-tap

09-01-2009 15:43:14 | More by tpd975

thain709

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - A deep amber body with orange highlights...a fluffy white head about 1 finger tall...faded pretty quickly and left some sticky lacing

S - Wow this has a sweet nose...the sweetness overpowers the hops on the nose...very little hop presence

T - Follows the nose here...WAY too sweet...I can not even say this beer is balanced...in a ratio aspect I would say 80% malts (caramel) and 20% hops (grapefruit and pine)...the sweetness again is overpowering the hops allowing no real bitterness to shine through

M - Medium bodied...very very syrupy

D - I was pretty excited to try Big DIPA because Loose Cannon is amazing...but it let me down on the account of the sweetness...it really gets to you and you have to watch out for that 10% because it sneaks up on you...I will still support Clipper City and their Heavy Seas line up

Serving type: on-tap

08-11-2009 20:51:12 | More by thain709

thespaceman

Connecticut

3.85/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured off tap at Prime 16 in New Haven

Appearance: Pours a deep amber in color, billowing white head with good lacing and retention all around.

Aroma: Crisp and resinous hop oil, grapefruit and a pinch of lemon are apparent, the malt spice is deep and pretty aromatic.

Taste: Balance of hop and malt is right on cue, residual hop oils pair with a large malt backbone, citrus and a bit of syrupy aftertaste from the malt aren't overwhelming but blend nicer then alot of other DIPAs Ive tried.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, medium carbonation yet the backbone of this holds it firm on the tongue.

Drinkability: Overall a pleasantly good DIPA, the alcohol doesn't kill you and its fairly balanced between hops and malt. This was good on tap but I wonder if the bomber does this any justice.

Serving type: on-tap

08-10-2009 22:48:17 | More by thespaceman

LittleDon

Texas

3.83/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Copper, slightly hazy, with a dense off-white head. Pine and citrus aroma with a hint of malt sweetness. Lots of alcohol along with the hop bitterness, a profile more like barley wine. Could have been better balanced. Strong hop finish that lasts on the back of the tounge.

Serving type: on-tap

08-03-2009 02:05:46 | More by LittleDon

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I had this at Brewhouse Grille in Camp Hill on tap. Served chilled in a pint.

A - Gently hazed copper w/ thin white cap. The carbonation is visible, the bead is fine. A nice light haziness like iced tea w/ lemon squeezed in. Lots of tiny bubbles rise upward and the head is about 1/4 inch which revives slightly when swirled in the glass.

S - Pleasant citrus aroma w/ a mild caramel scent and juicy grapefruit nose. Somewhat floral w/ a high amount of alcohol and orange notes

M - A crisp carbonation upfront leads to a full bitter texture and bit of alcohol w/ sting of hops leading into a sweet candy-like malt texture and the warmth of alcohol follows the hop acidity. There is smooth sweet malt which gives a residual syrupy texture

T - A fruity citrus hop juiciness w/ the flavor of grapefruit rind and orange pepper/peel taste. A green taste of fresh herbs w/ orange juice acid in the taste leads to a pine flavor whichhas sweet leafy notes. The malt is sweet like many east coast IIPA's but cushions the intensely bitter hop profile and adds a candy-like sweet tip to the warmth of alcohol. The taste is highly alcoholic as you may have seen in other reviews but the taste isn't as detrimental in this aspect as its drinkability

D - An DIPA that really doesn't hide the high 10.6% abv at all. It is sweeter than I prefer and is not one I would return to most likely except perhaps to compare to the bottle. The alcohol gets a bit medicinal after one serving, I would rather have a dry tasting IIPA with milder abv personally.

Serving type: on-tap

07-29-2009 14:09:49 | More by Slatetank

klewis

Ohio

4.55/5  rDev +22.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at the Catskeller, Cincinnati, OH - 7/22/09

A: Pours a slightly chilled-hazed copper with a moderate foamy head. Long sustain and tons of lacing.

S: Great hop aroma with apricot, citrus, and floral notes.

T: Hoppy, yet superbly balnaced. More apricot with earthy and piney hop flavors.

M: Full-bodied with light-moderate carbonation. Sticky and viscous.

D: A solid DIPA. Smooth and way too easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

07-23-2009 13:08:52 | More by klewis

Chodite

Maryland

4.75/5  rDev +28%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Had this first on tap at the Clipper City brewery and most recently got a few first-run 22oz bottles.

I'm a big Imperial / Double IPA fan so I've been patiently waiting for this release. The benchmark for this style (IMO) is Maharaja from Avery Brewing Co.

I'm happy to report the new Clipper City Big DIPA is on that same level. Appearance is a tad lighter than most double IPAs, but everything else is certainly up there.

Smells like a pine forest. Lots and lots of hops here obviously and it comes through in the smell.

Tastes more smooth and balanced in the 22oz bottle conditioned version than fresh on tap. And for a double IPA, a nice balance is certainly a good thing. I'll have to re-visit the draft version now that it's likely mellowed out a bit. But the bottle version is heavenly.

Obviously at 10.6% ABV, drinkability isn't way up there. But considering how delicious this beer tastes, I really wish I could throw a few back in one sitting.

Great job by Clipper City Brewing with this one. Home run, no question. And for the price ($5.99 here for a 22oz bomber) - easily the best bang for your buck when it comes to the style.

Keep up the good work fellas!!

- Brad
http://www.BeerInBaltimore.com

Serving type: on-tap

07-10-2009 00:08:56 | More by Chodite

BlurryVisi0n

New York

3.53/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Served in a snifter glass. Fresh 2013 batch.

Appearance: Looks simple but good, transparent amber with very little bubbles on the body. Head originally off-white, rose to maybe 1/4", looking pretty good so far.

Smell: Hoppy and with light pine scent, light leaving you pretty quick.

Taste: Real bitter and a little light, the bitterness disapears quickly that's where I am going at. Heavy alcohol feel, missing the true floral feel I believe any IPA should have.

Mouth: Smooth, but heavy alcohol almost woody after taste. Medium felling a notch light.

Overall: This beer tries to be great I am not saying it isn't good but it could use some tweaking. It is probably the most mellow DIPA I have had period and I am not looking for easy when it comes to DIPAs. I want complexity, I want pure the pure taste of hops and grapefruit. Heavy Seas, you make great beers time to reinvent yourselves. Salud!

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 06:18:19 | More by BlurryVisi0n