Trade from cpferris - thanks Chad. The name of this beer appears to be a not so subtle dig at Stone, presumably--funny (point for wittiness?). Pours a beautiful clear, medium-dark copper-gold with a thin, creamy, off-white head. Aroma is filled with sweet malt and alcohol alongside dark resinous hops with some citrus notes--not a highly aromatic hops profile here. The flavor is very sweet with alcohol coupled with a thick, dense bitterness profile with flavors of lemon zest and orange peel with pine resin in the background with an edge of spice amidst a bit of a darker malt profile. The alcohol is out of balance here. The bitterness is thick and strong which helps to combat this, but without huge aromatics the finish comes across as somewhat harsh as it sticks around with some warmth. A fun, interesting beer overall that’s a real delight to try--a fun "import" but not a substitute for the genuine San Diego article.

Bottle from STFUN, thanks Josh! BIg head....(duh) suits the name. Cloudy orange/red in color. Good lacing. Good aroma of bitter/citrus hops. Thick in texture, low carbonation. Taste is nicely balanced hop bomb. I like the malty touch. Lots of citrus hops. Slight trace of the eleven percent alcohol but still a good DIPA. thanks josh

12oz Bottle Another beer I’ve been looking forward to from hoppymeal, thanks Derek! Big Head pours fairly clear polished copper. Tiny, barely noticeable, particles are suspended throughout the body. Creating the slight haze that is there. A standard pour created a ruddy, pillowy off white head of two fingers that fell to a thick one finger cap and left big chunky lacing on its way down the glass. Big Head is a really great looking IPA. This is a big hoppy brew with the alcohol to match. Apricot and bitter grapefruit are all surrounded by a steady pine needle hoppiness. There’s not much malt in the nose and that’s just fine with me. The alcohol isn’t very noticeable in the smell but I do get the fumes tickling my nose and can feel them in the back of the throat. The label doesn’t lie, be prepared for a lot of hops. Flavor follows in the tracks of the nose. A quick flash of apricot upfront is taken over by both sugary sweet grapefruit and down and dirty bitter unsweetened grapefruit. The alcohol is present but only with a little heat in the back of the throat. This beer is hoppy from start to finish and had a great sweet quality on the finish that shows up just enough to let you know it’s there and keep the hops from running rampant. This beer is incredibly silky with just a bit of stick on the backend. There is a surprising silkiness for such a big beer. The bitterness wasn’t huge at first but now that I’m half way through the glass I realize how much of a tongue wrecker this one really is. This is just the way I like it. Good drinkability for such a huge beer. Nothing is too the point of being overbearing and it’s a joy to drink. The bitterness will take its toll over time though. Another good beer from Bell’s and one I’m glad to have had the opportunity to try. I wouldn’t mind seeing this in their regular rotation. Thanks for the taste Derek! 5/19/08

Bottle. I wonder if these are the beers the CA hop heads calll the chronic. Amber body with a white head. Grapefruit, citrus, floral hop resin and a big etoh bite. A dam good IIPA.

Bottle courtesy of Greg Koch at our stop at the Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens on 08/03/2008 on day three of RBSG. Clear copper amber body with a small off-white head. Big citrus hop aroma. Huge citrus and resin flavor possibly simcoe. Medium body with moderate carbonation.