Hop Stalker Fresh Hop IPA
Fat Head's Brewery & Saloon

The best stuff from an amazing brewer. I like their other IPAs but this one is the best. Great hops and mouthfeel is amazing. Scent is citrus with perfect bitter finish.

Pours a gorgeous golden/amber. Has that great glow that you see from Fat Head’s. About a finger and a half of thick white head leaving behind great lacing. Big aromas of pine, citrus, lemon, and cracker. Taste is DANK and beautiful. Pine and citrus with a great bitter finish. Great mouthfeel, very crisp and perfect carbonation. This is exactly my type of beer I may be a bit biased but I find it world class and worthy of it’s BA rating

Pours a medium gold, almost amber; completely translucent with a nice glow. 2 finger bubbly white head dissipates to a nice ring leaving plenty on lacing. Aroma is dank and piney hop, earthy tones and some citrus. Taste follows suit, very dank and piney plenty of bitterness on the finish. Good carbonation, awesome velvety mouthfeel but crisp as well. Excellent, will seek out in the future.

 

 

 

 

 

the reviews don't lie, man - it's a serious winner. born on 9/20, consumed 10/30, so thanks to my local peeps for getting it to philly & me in a hurry.
L: from the can, and it's a nice looking can. around the top: "deliciously dank fresh hop ipa"... truth in advertising.
S: aroma is a little sneaky. pine, lime, herbal. very inviting
T: whoa - big west coast flavor, man. and i like it. citrus, then pine banging upside your head, followed by a nice old school bitterness.
F: feels fine but who really cares. I'm still reeling from the hop explosion going off in my mouth...
O: run, don't walk. Hats off to Fat Head!

Absolutely gorgeous golden color, “like looking through clear glass” clear with a sudsy pearl white head that provides beautiful lacing and bubbles throughout the drink, little bubble streams constantly rising.

There’s an herbal aroma on the nose that is intriguing, as well as some fresh citrus and pine. O. M. G. We are squarely in WCIPA territory, and I am VERY glad to be visiting.

I’m wondering if there’s actually whole cone hops somewhere in the can, because the “fresh hop” component of this beer is bruisingly evident on the taste - that earthy flavor is up front, followed immediately by the fresh citrus, and then a HOWITZER of a wallop of fresh pine.

This is Bitter’s big brother, and I’m the president of the fan club. The drying mouthfeel is the perfect finish to this decidedly old school fresh hop WCIPA. World-class, IMHO.

 

12oz can purchased at a local bottle shop, with no born on date (c'mon Fat Head's! update - upon investigation, the brewery puts the born on date on the cardboard packaging, I had thrown that away for this beer) poured into a pint glass at 42 degrees F:
L - pale yellow with a snow white head that lingered. moderate lacing
S - dank and bitterly floral, you can smell the wet hopping, very fresh
T - I just love wet hops. That fresh taste and the feel of hops almost exploding in your mouth. This one doesn't disappoint and overflows with dank pine flavor
F - carbonation on the nose with a medium mouthfeel
O - a very good, dank, drinkable beer, dank and bitter, just the way I like them

 

Always looking for Fresh Hop IPA's and this one doesn't disappoint. Bottled on 9/21/20 according to the box packaging 4 x 12 oz. cans ($16.00). Pours clear, bright golden with a thin light head and nice lacing. Smell is a little subdued but hints a t the hoppy pine that will follow on the tongue. Dankness dominates the taste from tip to finish and then lingers at the back of the throat. Mouthfeel is perfect. IMO, fresh hop ales don't need to be balanced nor necessarily refreshing. They are nice to have to showcase hops, and again, Hop Stalker does not disappoint.

From an undated 12oz can. Assuming fresh (~1 month) given the style and when it showed up at my local. (Review edited slightly 10/24/21-can dated 10/6/21)

Pours a translucent amber with about a finger and a half of off-white head. Excellent retention and lacing.

Smells of dank pine, fresh cut grass and resin with some floral notes in the background.

Taste follows. Bitter pine with a touch of malty sweetness.

Mouthfeel is sticky but highly drinkable. Decent bitter aftertaste. Medium carbonation.

Overall, very good. Not my favorite fresh hop beer, but one worth revisiting.

12oz CANNED 09/21/20 (2 weeks ago) poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass at fridge temp 7% ABV 77 IBU. The beer pours mostly bright light honey amber in color with very light khaki head. The head recedes to a thin cap and leaves a little lacing. The aroma is moderate in strength featuring pine, resin & dank earthy notes. The taste is pungent dank bitterness laid over a backbone of barely sweet pale malt that finishes with pine, over ripe tropical fruit and earth. Moderately high bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with average carbonation and a dry finish. Overall, excellent. I had high expectations and I was not disappointed. Very pungent wet hop presence with an emphasis on earthy & dank flavor.

 

Sample was a crowler fresh from the Fat Heads beer hall. Crisp, bitter and clean fresh hopped IPA Some might say one note but I’d prefer focused. The beer has a good bitterness that will please fans of old school IPAs. Malt is there as a balance, but no more than that. Linger on a gulp and the malt briefly shows itself.. Yellow-copper color with minimal lacing. Nose is minimal in comparison to many tropical/citrus IPA noses. May not be your thing, but it nestled in my happy zone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On tap at The Belgian Cafe in Philadelphia.

Pours a clear amber with fluffy head.

Smell is piney and citrusy with some floralality and fruitiness.

Taste is a little bit dank and sweet before launching into a powerful, piney bitterness balanced by citrusy fruitiness. Long, lingering finish but terrific balance.

Mouthfeel is medium and sticky, with good carbonation.

Overall, a superb west coast IPA.

It’s a good beer but a bit too piney for me personally.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice resinous bite, good grapefruit and caramel with a bit of biscuit. Medium mouthfeel, good carbonation, nice resinous and leafy bite on the backend. Another solid IPA from Fat Head's.