(IMO) This one stands out to me as being similar: 8-Bit Pale Ale http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/16333/78937
I agree with them being pretty close to each other. I had a growler of Abner on Sunday followed by a can of HT later that evening and I have a tough time picking a favorite. Not that this helps the OP very much, but it makes the drive to VT a bit better knowing you can get both.
I'd had to say Double Sunshine (I actually think it's a little better). I know that doesn't really help since DS is harder to get. Sorry!
Deviant tastes absolutely nothing like Heady. I love DD, but it's far off. Spot on. Double Sunshine is like a more pungent Heady.
In my opinion reviewing is a waste of time. I don't care about the reviews others write and I assume no one cares about the reviews I would write.
Deviant Dale's is my everyday go to. Especially when my wife says I can have only 1 beer. 16 oz + 8% ABV = loophole biatchez. PS...I love GUBNA, but be prepared for the Summit hop profile!
get ready for the onion bomb . i don't think deviant dale's is anything like heady topper, but i do think they're both very good. i do think deviant dale's should be more bitter though, much like dale's itself. it's still a very worthy buy for the delicious hop flavor, but i wish it were a touch less sweet / more bitter.
I remember something about this making me think of a mild HT: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/26932/74248/
Mmmm. I must like cat pee. It's good to know that it will be accessilble year round from now on. Here kitty, kitty...
Haha!! I always double check that I am ONLY talking about aroma when I use the phrase "cat pee" when referring to beer!
Nothing that I know of. I have a monthly routine weekend one - Heady weekend two - Lawson's Double Sunshine (gotta plan ahead for this one) weekend three- Heady weekend 4 - Hill Farmstead DIPA I'd really like to introduce something else - but these are my current addictions.
I'd like to swap some fresh Heady for fresh Abrasive when it comes out this year, but a December to March trade from Vermont to Minnesota = trading for a 4 pack of popsicles.
I was entertaining the family on Father's Day, and my brother and his brood came out for the party. We didn't really talk about beer beforehand because he sort of stopped drinking it a while ago due to an allergy, so I just got what I like. He's not adverse to having one every now and then, so I poured a fairly fresh Flower Power for him and said something along the lines of 'prepare to be amazed'. Well, he takes a sip and says, "pretty nice- that's kind of like what my buddy John brought me down from Vermont, but not quite as good." D'oh! Obviously he was talking about Heady Topper- and here's the kicker: he had an extra can in his fridge at home, but didn't know it was sought-after or he would've brought it for me. Anyway, it would seem that my brother would agree with you, at least.
Closest I've had is Sixpoint Resin. It's really not the same overall but there's at least something similar about it.
HT is unique, and I haven't had another DIPA that was quite the same, and I've had some really good ones too. Alchemist just hit the right combo and balance, and they're consistent as hell. I think Lagunitas Sucks to be very similar to Pliny, and I can't wait till it's round again.
Drinking a fresh Lawsons Chinooker'd IPA that I picked up this weekend. I think this is the closest thing I have had to Heady. I had Heady and Double Sunshine this weekend and the Chinooker'd is as close as it gets.
An imperial version of Finestkind? Maaaaaybe? I read something interesting recently about the yeast they use in Heady, and it sounds like they spent years dialing in exactly what they wanted out of the yeast before we got to the Heady that we have today. Sidenote, I love Big A but if Smutty released an "imperial Finestkind" I think I'd love them forever.
I really think that Ithaca Flower power has a very similar flavor profile, just not quite as thick/strong.
Abner and HT are my favorite DIPAs, though I really don't find them to be nearly identical. Sure, there are some similarities, but definitely different beasts. All I can say is good luck in finding a viable heady substitute!
You mean I've been checking this site for your beer reviews every day for the last two years for nothing? Dammit.
I'm just gonna call it. I've had a lot of hoppy beers (not as many as most of you probably, but still) and Heady is pretty unique.
IMHO... Nothing comes close to the trinity of Heady Topper, Lawson's Double Sunshine, and several offerings from Hill Farmstead. (Considering moving to Northern VT because of that...) However, those are about as easy to obtain as hen's teeth, at least in upstate NY. In a pinch, I agree with Beercup, in that Ithaca Flower Power has a similar hop profile. Also found Cigar City's Jai Alai IPA (Tampa, FL) while on vacation and that has a similar hop profile. Similar, but not the same.
