Terrapin Big Hoppy Monster

Brewed by Terrapin Beer Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Athens, Georgia USA

Serve in Shaker, Snifter

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On-tap at Summit’s Wayside tavern in Sandy Springs. Pours a reddish-brown with a very thin tan head that quickly dissipates. Smell is all about the hops. Enormous citrusy hops, aroma reeks of sweet grapefruit. Taste is remarkably balanced. The rich caramel malt makes a nice lightly sticky bed for those floral, cirusy hops. Orange peel and grapefruit hoppy flavors. Even with a nice malty body, it’s incredibly smooth for a big beer. Bitter aftertaste lingers for minutes after each sip. Not to belabor the point but this is a really smooth beer for 8% ABV. Very easy going down. These Terrapin guys seem to know what they’re doing, huh?

This is a big beer, very hoppy,(DUH!) enjoyable. I found this by accident. I didn’t expect to find a big beer like this in Georgia due to their beer laws. I took this to my aunt’s house and my cousins who haven’t discovered beers like this really enjoyed it and it was a welcomed treat in Nebraska too!

complimets of someone via a trade, thanks! pours very dark red with a creamy beige head, smells very malty, the hops are very subdued, but there. taste has a bit more hops, and a very nice malt profile, very smooth, sweet and fantastic. excellent body and finish, full and creamy, some bitterness and drying, not overly sweet. good stuff, must be great fresh!

Bottle. Thanks to JIMBOWOOD!! Pours a deep red caramel color, with a big frothy head with amazing lacing. Aroma of sweet malts and strong citrusy hops. Flavor is strong of hops,(lives up to it’s name!) creamy citrus finish. Medium to full mouthfeel. This beer is amazing.

Bottle from Capone’s, best before date says "Vintage08BB", whatever that means. Huge sweet caramel nose with a heavy hop blanket. A little underlying toffee. Light nuttiness, exotic fruit and citrus. Clear and vibrant ruby pour with a creamy tan head. Taste is extreme hoppy, firm bitterness with a mix of cookie dough and citric acid. A little toffee and chocolate, crystal malt is there but thankfully very restrained, the malt here is very springy and pliable, allows the extremely juicy hops to soar over the top. Surprisingly, there’s some good balance here, more evident in the rich mid-body and finish. Chewy medium body, velvety and creamy, a really rewarding and multifaceted texture. Really hard to describe what’s gnawing at me here, but this is somewhat unique and craaaazy tasty. Even the hop burps are delicious.

Huge thanks to emacgee for this beauty. 12oz bottle from 2007. Aroma has notes of caramel, malt, licorice, raisin and other dark dried fruit, ripe fruit, brandy, and faded hops. Pours a deep red amber with a small khaki head that mostly diminished. Flavor is sweet and sticky raisin and other dark dried fruit, malt, licorice, caramel, ripe fruit. Nice spicy bitter finish. Palate is full bodied and oily soft. Just a fantastic beer that has aged very well. Has all the character of an aged barley wine. Just lovely. Would like to try it fresh but would also like another one of these beauties.

Excellent color, very pleasing to the nose. Very thick "fruit punch" like palate with a dry residual hoppy finish. Excellent beer.

UPDATED: DEC 4, 2006 12 oz bottle via TURDFERGUSON (thanks!). Pours a dark dark amber with a large tan head. Wonderful aroma of caramel, toffee, and some orange and grapefruit hops. Mmm, taste just like it smells and finishes with a nice balance between the malts and hops. Is there some rye in here too? Probably not but i swear there is something in there similar to rye. Medium bodied, medium carbonation, very nice aftertaste. Alcohol hides very well. Pretty malty though for a hop monster ;) but nonetheless this is a fine fine beer.

This beer wasn’t at all what I was expecting. It should have ben called Big Malty Monster. It’s marked 2006 so I guess the hops have mellowed since then. I did thoroughly enjoy this beer though. I loved the rich malt component. This is a complex beer, and I taste something new in every one that I drink.

I know this is an Imperial, but its still one of the best IPAs I’ve tasted...I’m not a fan of the style, so that’s saying a lot! My pint had a head of about one inch...aromas include huge hops, robust malts, and some faint hints of cherry. Flavor reflects the smell, and went down very smoothly for a higher gravity brew. Excellent.