Zilla
Stark Brewing Company
- From:
- Stark Brewing Company
- New Hampshire, United States
- Style:
- Imperial IPA
Ranked #2,458 - ABV:
- 8.5%
- Score:
- 88
Ranked #21,030 - Avg:
- 3.91 | pDev: 9.72%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 8
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Dec 02, 2022
- Added:
- Sep 18, 2009
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 1
SCORE
88
Very Good
88
Very Good
Formerly known as Milly's Hopzilla
Zilla is an DIPA that was made with a monstrous amount of hops. Four different American varieties were used which include Chinook, Columbus, Cascade and Centennial. To create a complex aroma and flavor, hops were added as the wort entered the kettle, numerous times throughout the boil and twice during fermentation (dry-hopping). While being a very bitter beer, it is pleasingly well-balanced and ends with a smooth finish.
121+ IBU
Zilla is an DIPA that was made with a monstrous amount of hops. Four different American varieties were used which include Chinook, Columbus, Cascade and Centennial. To create a complex aroma and flavor, hops were added as the wort entered the kettle, numerous times throughout the boil and twice during fermentation (dry-hopping). While being a very bitter beer, it is pleasingly well-balanced and ends with a smooth finish.
121+ IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by BeerAndGasMasks from Virginia
3.84/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.84/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
From the Green can, it pours a hazy brownish color with a light tan head which lasts. Lacing Citrus hits the nose, along with malts. In the mouth, it is bitter, with some pineapple and caramel malt flavor. .
Nov 03, 2020
Reviewed by jdhilt from New Hampshire
3.91/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.91/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a five+ finger white head that fades very slowly leaving a good lace. Hazy amber color. Medium carbonation and medium-bodied. Grapefruit hop nose and flavor is grapefruit hops and some caramel. Higher ABV, 8.5% is hidden. $3.40 for a 16oz (label says 12oz) silver can from Bert's Better Beers Hooksett, NH.
Nov 16, 2019
Reviewed by TheManiacalOne from Rhode Island
3.98/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.98/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Poured from a 12oz can into a US tumbler pint glass.
A: The beer is a deep gold color with a short off-white head that fades quickly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.
S: The aroma contains caramelized malts, earthy hops and some citrus.
T: The taste starts out with a strong but not over-powering burst of earthy hops bitterness. Then some mildly sweet flavors of caramel and citrus come in. The malt character is hearty and brings a good balance. The after-taste is slightly hoppy and slightly sweet.
M: Crisp and a little smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is dry and slightly sticky.
O: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, good kick, good representation of style, this is a solid 2IPA to drink for a while.
Sep 10, 2017A: The beer is a deep gold color with a short off-white head that fades quickly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.
S: The aroma contains caramelized malts, earthy hops and some citrus.
T: The taste starts out with a strong but not over-powering burst of earthy hops bitterness. Then some mildly sweet flavors of caramel and citrus come in. The malt character is hearty and brings a good balance. The after-taste is slightly hoppy and slightly sweet.
M: Crisp and a little smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is dry and slightly sticky.
O: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, good kick, good representation of style, this is a solid 2IPA to drink for a while.
Reviewed by GarthDanielson from Virginia
3.77/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.77/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured on-tap and served in a tumbler pint, the beer is a hazy, copper-ruby coloring with a thin, filmy, off-white head. Aromas of fresh hops, citrus blend, and a tangy caramel backbone. The flavors are well blended, with a dry, peppery hopping on the forward tongue followed quickly by a roast caramel backbone. Citrus goes by the wayside, with a maltbomb of caramel in the flavor, and some roasted qualities. The aftertaste is tangy and slightly bitter, riding a smooth, rich body. The finish is slightly cloying, with a roasty, bitter linger. Tasty and strong...very decent.
Jul 24, 2012
Reviewed by xensure from Massachusetts
4.54/5 rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.54/5 rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Served from the tap in to a pint tumbler.
A - Looking through a golden copper beer to a copper mash ton across the bar is a great sight. The beer sits clear with a very small head and lacing across the glass as the beer is sipped.
S - The shinook and casscade hops are right in your face, but surprisingly for such a hopy beer the malt comes through in the nose which makes for a beautiful aroma.
T/M - Hops, hops, and more hops. Hopzilla holds true to its name. The four types of hopes used kick you in the taste-buds, but the beer is not just bitter, the hops are well crafted. Each type of hops used gives a distinct flavor and not just bitterness. The beer finishes extremely well balanced with enough malty sugars to make the 121+ IBUs actually pleasant to drink. Also at 8.1% ABV you don't get any boozeiness on the palate, but it does warm with every sip.
O - One of, if not the best hyper-hop beer I have ever had. Honestly I wouldn't even say it is competing with the other great IPAs out there because it just gives a different feel than those. For only $2 a pint, during happy hour, I highly recommend this beer to anyone going to Milly's Tavern.
Jan 17, 2012A - Looking through a golden copper beer to a copper mash ton across the bar is a great sight. The beer sits clear with a very small head and lacing across the glass as the beer is sipped.
S - The shinook and casscade hops are right in your face, but surprisingly for such a hopy beer the malt comes through in the nose which makes for a beautiful aroma.
T/M - Hops, hops, and more hops. Hopzilla holds true to its name. The four types of hopes used kick you in the taste-buds, but the beer is not just bitter, the hops are well crafted. Each type of hops used gives a distinct flavor and not just bitterness. The beer finishes extremely well balanced with enough malty sugars to make the 121+ IBUs actually pleasant to drink. Also at 8.1% ABV you don't get any boozeiness on the palate, but it does warm with every sip.
O - One of, if not the best hyper-hop beer I have ever had. Honestly I wouldn't even say it is competing with the other great IPAs out there because it just gives a different feel than those. For only $2 a pint, during happy hour, I highly recommend this beer to anyone going to Milly's Tavern.
Reviewed by johnnnniee from New Hampshire
4/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap at the source.
Pours a deep clear copper color with a decent white head that's leaves a fair amount of sticky lace on its journey down the glass. Smells of hops, no really. Dank resinous pine mixed with grapefruit and other light citrus. Malt, uhm yeah, I'm sure there's some malt in there but I can't find it. Taste is an explosion of pine and resin moderated only slightly with citrus ala grapefruit and apricot. Malt, yeah there's a hint of bread and caramel but its hard to find. Medium body and carbonation level with a dank sticky resinous mouthfeel. I really liked this dipa, its actually really good which surprised me a little.
Oct 23, 2011Pours a deep clear copper color with a decent white head that's leaves a fair amount of sticky lace on its journey down the glass. Smells of hops, no really. Dank resinous pine mixed with grapefruit and other light citrus. Malt, uhm yeah, I'm sure there's some malt in there but I can't find it. Taste is an explosion of pine and resin moderated only slightly with citrus ala grapefruit and apricot. Malt, yeah there's a hint of bread and caramel but its hard to find. Medium body and carbonation level with a dank sticky resinous mouthfeel. I really liked this dipa, its actually really good which surprised me a little.
Reviewed by jwc215 from Arizona
4.59/5 rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.59/5 rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Thanks to jcwattsrugger for bringing this back and sharing!
Pours caramel amber with a head that lasts awhile beofre becoming a patch. Thin lines of lacing stick.
The smell is of hops galore! Very pleasant, too! Pine with citric/tropical fruits - grapefruit, pineapple, mango, etc. With caramel, slight bread and hint of peppery spice.
The taste is of tropical/citrus fruits - nicely hopped with a caramel kiss balancing it out in the finish.
The body is medium to full and exceptionally creamy and smooth. Alcohol dangerously disguised. This is a hop lover's dream!
Oct 06, 2009Pours caramel amber with a head that lasts awhile beofre becoming a patch. Thin lines of lacing stick.
The smell is of hops galore! Very pleasant, too! Pine with citric/tropical fruits - grapefruit, pineapple, mango, etc. With caramel, slight bread and hint of peppery spice.
The taste is of tropical/citrus fruits - nicely hopped with a caramel kiss balancing it out in the finish.
The body is medium to full and exceptionally creamy and smooth. Alcohol dangerously disguised. This is a hop lover's dream!
Reviewed by Bierman9 from New Hampshire
4.4/5 rDev +12.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.4/5 rDev +12.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
01APR20 - Have been drinking a LOT of this lately, so I have to revisit my review....
Color is still a rich, deep copper hue, though it's now rather clear. It's light on internal carbo, and the head is off-white, thin and fine, with solid lacing. Aroma is still rindy and pithy, with a hint of malty sweetness. Very smooth on the tongue, with a medium to medium-plus body.
Flavor has some semi-sweet, toasty caramel malts leading off. Has great citrus and piney, resiny hoppage. It's a lot more balanced now, though the hoppy bitterness is still the leading character, and it lasts long and hard. Prosit!!
4.40/5 rDev +11.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.50
*** *** ***
Well, having finished packing for my departure later tonight (18SEP09) to the Fatherland, Alewife and I set off for lunch at Milly's. Knowing I won't find anything in the way of super hoppy biers in Germany, I just had to try this new DIPA.
Kelly served me a pint of a lovely, deep copper hued liquid. It had just a touch of haze to it, and was topped by a frothy, off-white layer of foam which lasted quite well. Lacing was also top-shelf. Aroma was ripe and in your face. Lots of rindy citrus was hitting the nostrils. Body was medium, solidly, and the bier was pretty smooth traveling over the tongue.
Flavor was heavy on the hops, of course. Minimal malt, with only a touch of toasty sweetness present. After that it was citrus, rindy notes, pithiness and pine coating the palate. The lupulins lingered long into the night; I can still taste them now, an hour after leaving the pub. Could have more sweetness, but if you're looking for bushels of bitterness, Hopzilla does it.
Prosit!!
4.20/5 rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4
1164
Sep 19, 2009Color is still a rich, deep copper hue, though it's now rather clear. It's light on internal carbo, and the head is off-white, thin and fine, with solid lacing. Aroma is still rindy and pithy, with a hint of malty sweetness. Very smooth on the tongue, with a medium to medium-plus body.
Flavor has some semi-sweet, toasty caramel malts leading off. Has great citrus and piney, resiny hoppage. It's a lot more balanced now, though the hoppy bitterness is still the leading character, and it lasts long and hard. Prosit!!
4.40/5 rDev +11.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.50
*** *** ***
Well, having finished packing for my departure later tonight (18SEP09) to the Fatherland, Alewife and I set off for lunch at Milly's. Knowing I won't find anything in the way of super hoppy biers in Germany, I just had to try this new DIPA.
Kelly served me a pint of a lovely, deep copper hued liquid. It had just a touch of haze to it, and was topped by a frothy, off-white layer of foam which lasted quite well. Lacing was also top-shelf. Aroma was ripe and in your face. Lots of rindy citrus was hitting the nostrils. Body was medium, solidly, and the bier was pretty smooth traveling over the tongue.
Flavor was heavy on the hops, of course. Minimal malt, with only a touch of toasty sweetness present. After that it was citrus, rindy notes, pithiness and pine coating the palate. The lupulins lingered long into the night; I can still taste them now, an hour after leaving the pub. Could have more sweetness, but if you're looking for bushels of bitterness, Hopzilla does it.
Prosit!!
4.20/5 rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4
1164
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