Big Hoppy
Lawson's Finest Liquids

Big HoppyBig Hoppy
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From:
Lawson's Finest Liquids
 
Vermont, United States
Style:
Black IPA
Ranked #37
ABV:
7.5%
Score:
90
Ranked #9,301
Avg:
4.03 | pDev: 9.43%
Reviews:
87
Ratings:
307
Status:
Active
Rated:
May 29, 2023
Added:
Feb 06, 2009
Wants:
  30
Gots:
  15
This dark and devious brew reflects a resinous and sticky fusion of intense bitterness, big roasted barley flavors, and powerful dank aromas. Made with HUGE additions of five hop varieties and seven malts to create a bold flavor profile.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by patrick802:
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Rated by patrick802 from Vermont

4.25/5  rDev +5.5%

May 04, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of GregDBoston
Rated by GregDBoston from Massachusetts

3.82/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Not as big as it thinks it is. Skip it. Get a milk stout or a swartzbier instead.
May 29, 2023
 
Rated: 4.75 by oneeye from Pennsylvania

Mar 04, 2023
Photo of StoutElk_92
Reviewed by StoutElk_92 from Massachusetts

4.73/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
16 oz. can dated 08/23/22

Pours dark maroon black with a creamy thick light tan khaki colored foam head. Smells like chocolate, dark roast coffee, dark caramel, blackstrap molasses, charred brown sugar, toasted toffee, vanilla, roasted malt, dark fruit, tropical stone fruit, plum, nectarine, peach, mango, grapefruit, orange citrus, berries, raisin, fig, dates, with dank herbal earthy grassy resinous pine. Tastes like bold smoky dark roast espresso black coffee, baking chocolate, blackstrap molasses, burnt caramel, charred brown sugar, toasted toffee, hint of vanilla, roasted malts, dark fruit, plum, nectarine, peach, mango, grapefruit, orange citrus, lemon, berries, raisin, fig, dates, with dank earthy herbal grassy resinous pine. Feels medium bodied, creamy with smooth moderate carbonation. Overall a really great black IPA.
Feb 27, 2023
Photo of Ozzylizard
Reviewed by Ozzylizard from Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Big Hoppy from Lawson’s. 16 oz can. Purchased from Franklin Beer, Franklin, PA on 09/02/23 for $4.50 (Including tax) - $ 0.282/oz. In reefer at store, stored at 34 degrees at home. Reviewed 21/02/23 (Review 3046). Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Stamped on bottom of can “CANNED ON 08/30/22“. Served at 47.3 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature was 54.3 degrees.
Appearance – 4.5
First pour – Amber Brown (SRM 18), clear.
Body – Brown (SRM 20), opaque. Under direct light, same, but many particles of precipitate are present. When rear lite, opaque, and xanthic at the bottom edge.
Head – Huge (Maximum SEVEN cm, aggressive center pour), khaki, high density, receding to an jagged 1.1 – 3.0 cm crown, and a heaped rocky cap. As the head recedes, two rings of torn curtain lacing remain on the side of the glass.
Lacing – Excellent! Thick cords of high density khaki lacing loop around the glass, sometimes melding. Bubble size varies from mostly tiny to a few small.
Aroma – 4 – Distinctly resinous hops. Roasted malt inputs some weak aroma. No yeast.
Flavor – 4 – Begins lightly sweet and malty and hoppy, well balanced. No ethanol (7.5 % ABV as marked on label) aroma or taste. Weak gastric warming begins. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl.
Palate – 3.5 – Medium, creamy, lively carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 4 Very good! Easy to drink and flavorful. Good palate and excellent visual presentation, particularly the lacing.
Feb 21, 2023
Photo of Rug
Reviewed by Rug from Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Canned 9/6/22

It’s always cool to see new-to-me Lawson’s stuff end up in my local store when I’m not even really looking for it, and it’s even cooler that this one is a Black IPA. A style that has mostly fallen out of fashion, but one I love to try new examples of. So let’s see what their spin on it is like

Pours a very dark brown with 3 fingers of creamy tan head that slowly fades to a cap and leaves nice lacing

The nose displays a really nice balance here; roasty, hoppy, and malty all in one. I’m picking up on aromas of cocoa powder, medium roast coffee, resinous hops, pine sap, brown sugar, dark toast, light grapefruit, and vanilla

It keeps up in taste for the most part, but some of the sweetness I was digging in the aroma has faded into the background. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting milk chocolate, charred malt, medium roast coffee, resinous hops, molasses, light smoke, and raisin. The swallow brings notes of dark roast coffee, charred malt, cocoa powder, herbal hops, datk toast, smoke, and light grapefruit

A medium body pairs with gentle carbonation, resulting in a creamy beer with a bite. Finishes mostly dry and roasty

This one is great, probably one of the best examples of the style that I’ve tried, even at 4 months old. I’d love to try it fresh some time
Jan 10, 2023
Photo of JohnniEMc
Reviewed by JohnniEMc from Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
It may not quite be black coffee brown, but it's close. The head is a lovely tan that seems to be enduring. The pint can now emptied into a clear glass Imperial pint mug, a malty aroma may be had. But, this doesn't have the roasted aspect of a porter/stout. Instead, it has a great hoppy profile, like a good IPA. There is the roasted malt inclusion in the taste, but some bitter earthy hops are at least its match. This one hits with that roasted malt and hoppy bitterness up front and runs it all the way through. At the finish, it drys out a bit, transitioning the bitterness from earthy and resinous to piney. Tired of fruit infused or imitating IPAs, or those muddled by oats and wheat? Here's a great answer. With all the roasted malt, this maintains a stoutlike full body. There's decent glass lacing to stare at whilst simply enjoying a return to a hoppy IPA with a solid barley malt backbone.
Jan 02, 2023
Photo of Amendm
Reviewed by Amendm from Rhode Island

4.02/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A moderate pour produced a fat finger of tan creamy foam with long retention and thick rings of lacing. Deep dark semi-opaque brown, almost black.

Bold smell of bready roasted malt and piney hops greets the nose, some citrus hops also with faint burnt grains and coffee.

Semi-dry with high hoppy/roasty bitterness. As in the smell roasted malt and pine lead with more citrus and added chocolate. Graininess is backed off, replaced by the perception of caramel sweetness. The finish is dry with elevated bitterness, pine and faint burnt grain linger a long while.

Medium-full body with lots of carbonation. Well balanced for the style, as big as this one is. Alcohol is noticeable and warming, true to style.
Dec 21, 2022
Photo of Bluerabbitbell
Reviewed by Bluerabbitbell from Pennsylvania

4.32/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
12/11/22 16 oz can from Rt. 19 Beer.

FINALLY, got a hold of some Big Hoppy.

Black opaque with thin head and lacing.

Bready, pear aroma with a pear tart note.

First impression aside from taste was how smooth this is! Taste is sweet orange piney bitterness....an oxymoron? Saline, roasty, grapefruit rind finish. Milk chocolate sweetness.

Certainly a wonderfully complex Black IPA! I could drink this again and again!
Dec 11, 2022
Photo of izraelc
Reviewed by izraelc from New York

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours almost black. Tan foam. Hoppy aroma. Big bitter hop body. Fades to a lightly sweet finish. A little chocolate and coffee in there. Compliments the hops well. A must try if you like hop forward dark beer.
Dec 04, 2022
 
Rated: 4.12 by chrishiker1409 from New York

Nov 30, 2022
 
Rated: 4 by Patches826 from Massachusetts

Nov 28, 2022
Photo of FBarber
Reviewed by FBarber from Illinois

4.22/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours a shiny, pitch black color. Brownish around the edges. Completely opaque. Huge, billowy, frothy khaki colored head. Lovely looking beer. Aroma has notes of roasted malts, creamy malt notes, with pine, hints of citrus and floral notes.

Taste follows the nose with notes of roasted malts, there is a bit of creaminess from the malts, then the hops hit - pine, wood, floral notes, some light citrus, and a big bitter finish. It's a robust and assertive black IPA and it is delicious. Feel is light to medium bodied, smooth, robust. Moderate carbonation.

Overall it's a great black IPA.
Nov 24, 2022
 
Rated: 4.75 by SmashAdams from New Jersey

Nov 18, 2022
 
Rated: 4.5 by DBosco from Massachusetts

Nov 15, 2022
 
Rated: 4.25 by freewill35 from Indiana

Nov 14, 2022
Photo of dfillius
Reviewed by dfillius from Iowa

4.77/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Quite possibly the best black IPA I’ve had. Appearance is just perfect. Creamy head with perfect retention. Aroma is bright, dank and west coast ipa-centric. Flavor is mostly hops with some slight malt roastiness. Only downside of the whole thing is that the roast notes are a touch too pronounced. But this is quibbling, because it is a darn solid beer and true to style through and through.
Nov 13, 2022
 
Rated: 4.05 by cdub70085 from Connecticut

Nov 08, 2022
Photo of DrOfGolf
Reviewed by DrOfGolf from Delaware

4.21/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Poured out a very dark blackish-brown color with a small tan head. The taste was one that I felt very good about and definitely it's a beer that I'll be looking for again.
Nov 04, 2022
 
Rated: 4.27 by PaleAleWalt from New York

Oct 31, 2022
Big Hoppy from Lawson's Finest Liquids
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 307 ratings