Alchemist Heady Topper

Brewed by The Alchemist
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Waterbury, Vermont USA

Serve in Shaker, Snifter

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Can. Wow. This was promised as "the best grapefruit juice you’ve ever tasted"....and I don’t think that’s far off. Pours a very, very hazy orange-yellow that basically looks like a slushy with all the unfiltered floaties. Has a sweet pineapple scent but definitely has a lot of grapefruit in the taste. The alcohol content is definitely hidden. This is easily one of the best beers I’ve ever had.

From can. Does pour cloudy as advertised (unfiltered) let’s give points to the cool can! Aroma of hops still pours through the can opening. wonderful hop bitterness with citrus notes and sweetness smooth drinkable double IPA with sweet bitterness finish leaves you wanting more!

4oz poured into glass to get a view of the appearance. The rest tasted from the can as per instructions. A: Cloudy straw color. My previous can had some floaters in it, but this is devoid of the blobs. N: Missing the hop blast I’d hoped for. Grapefruit, pineapple, pine. This falls really short of the high water mark of Sculpin, IMO. T: Bitter hop goodness. Plenty of earth and pine with pineapple, mango, and pineapple laced through. This is well balanced and the 8% is muted if not non-existent altogether. Definitely finishes bone dry. Mouthfeel: Expands across the palate. No complaints here. Overall: Definitely enjoyable, and a beer I’ll be glad to have time and time again. I just wish I got more than a whisper of hop on the nose.

16 oz can. I poured half into a pint glass and drank the other half from the can ala the instructions. Not sure when this was canned, but it comes from the late March release to a few Massachusetts beer shops. A - Super hazy dark yellow body. Lets just a bit of light through. Some floating sediment and yeast. Soapy off-white four finger high head forms after a quick pour. Settles down to a dirty cap with plenty of lacing and retention. Leaves behind a slick coating with each sip. S - Super juicy grapefruit with some peach, mango, and orange. Just a hint of some biscuity and bready malts. Simply perfect. T - Orange juice. A touch of sour grapefruit and light floral and grass. Not getting much of a malt backbone. Just some faint buttery biscuit notes that work really well with the intense orange and grapefruit notes. Really clean and refreshing with a pleasant but quick bitterness on the finish. Medium moth feel with low carbonation. Alcohol is not noticeable at all. Taste is identical from the can... O - This is unbelievably easy drinking, I’m afraid this four pack isn’t going to last very long. Which sucks since the inflated shop price was $18. I don’t think its one of the best beers in the world, but it is really high up when it comes to DIPA’s.

Have had from can, and on tap at Alchemist before it was destroyed by Irene. Aroma- Intense piney, floral the instant you open the can, and it continues throughout the drinking. Appearance- typically drink from a can, but when poured, it is a rich, hazy gold. Taste- A full bodied hoppy bitterness tempered by slight citrusy sweetness which allows the beer to have a smoothness one would think impossible from such a high IBU brew. Palate- a medium bodied brew with lively carbonation. As said, is quite smooth, but finishes bitter, with the hops back to the forefront. Overall- A fantastic Double IPA that is surprisingly easy to drink, but does not sacrifice an ounce of flavor for that.

Several cans, from the can. Aroma is a burst of juicy fruity hops; pinneaples, mangos and oranges. Some wet grass and resinous hops which tends to fade as the beer gets older. Taste: I’d say it is the best tasting double IPA I’ve ever had. Flavors are very coherent with the aroma. Definitly hops at its best. The perfect level of bitterness with a sharp citrus touch. Balance and drinkability is through the roof and alcohol is very well hidden. The ultimate beach beverage.

I gotta say, wow, great pour, heady topper indeed, literally huge. Taste is awesome, bitter, sweet, fruity, and sticky as hell. Dark murky orange color. One of the best, if not the best dipas I have come across. Had from a 16 oz can. Definitely a keeper.

Half from the can: as soon as you crack it, you get blasted by piney citrus hops. Very drinkable from the can.. I could have kept going, but I had to give it a look...poured into tulip: cloudy golden, excessive sediment despite careful pour. Aroma remains true. Full bodied, full flavored,some carbonated kick, a hint of alcohol burn. Nice big bitterness throughout and lasts intO next drink. Floral, grapefruit, evergreen... Sweet sour bitter. A resounding winner.

Can. Pours a cloudy straw gold with thick head. The aroma is piney, citrusy hops with a similar flavor. The aftertaste is resinous and very bitter which detracts from this beer in my opinion. I would prefer the citrus aroma and flavor with less bitter aftertaste.

Going to try to rate this as instructed on can. Aroma has citrus, bright dry hops, and some tropics but it is a bitch to get a nose full through this little opening and swirling the can is going to result in me spilling it somehow. Mouth feel is medium and there is good carbonation. Flavor is a big old hoppy blast, citrus, grapefruit, medium bitterness, and a kick of pines.

I can’t do this anymore.... Getting a glass.

Pour is surprisingly hazy, amber in color, and has a bit of sediment. Nose is so much more punchy in a proper glass really opening up the tropical fruit and grapefruit. Flavor is actually less intense somehow in the glass with the bitterness and resins less concentrated. I left a good bit in the can and going back to compare it there is really a noticeable difference even sipped back to back. Bottom line this is a fantastic beer regardless of what vessel it comes in!