Monster Beer Tour Hop Selection IPA 2016 - Vic Secret
Terrapin Beer Company

 

Pours an opaque amber producing 3 fingers of eggshell white, lasting, frothy head that leaves rings, streaks & blotches of sticky lacing. Fades to a thin collar ring & off center, dense island cap. Aroma is a balance of earthy herbal, grass & tropical fruit hops mixed with sweet caramel malt in a background hint of resinous pine. Taste is fronted by sweet caramel malt, something honey or candy like or perhaps treacle like, thin tropical fruit & floral/herbal hops backed by resinous pine. An almost balanced bittersweet finish, gravitating to a more bitter than sweet aftertaste which becomes intensely bitter with time. Alcohol while negligible in the nose is prominent in the mouth. Mouthfeel is moderate-heavy bodied with moderate carbonation, juicy, oily & a little chewy with a little spicy prickle in the finish, with an astringent aftertaste. The hop profile matches what would be expected from a single hop offering of the Vic Secret variety - delicate. A little disappointing in the shadow of the previous Monster Beer Tour offerings.

A: Dark, burnt orange color, 1 inch off white head,

S: Earthy, piney hops, with a good dose of carmaely malts and a bit of the spicy rye that is classic terrapin

T: I get those earthy piney hops up front then then malts really come in with those caramel notes and that big dose of spicy rye. Taste really reminds me of a calmed down version of rye cubed.

M: Full, really has a great presence while sipping it down.

O: A really malt heavy IPA. I tend to like a lot of malt presence so this is not a bad thing for me. I mentioned that it reminds me of rye cubed but rye cubed was almost too much. This makes for a much nicer beer with everything toned down a bit.

A 12oz bottle, Vintage 2016

L - Copper, low clarity, 2 fingers of head and TONS of sticky lace left all over the glass. This is an IPA

S -Pineapple, oranges, citrus. Now a very big nose

T - Love this hop! Well balanced with fruit and bitterness. Citrus, pineapple.

F - well carbonated, medium body

O - An excellent brew, and a great hop

 

 

 

 

Pours a clear, copper color. 1/2 inch head of an off-white color. Great retention and great lacing. Smells of citrus hops, piney hops, sweet malt, tea, slight caramel malt, slight alcohol, slight yeast, and a hint of resin. Fits the style of an American Double / Imperial IPA. Mouth feel is smooth and clean, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of sweet malt, citrus hops, hint of earthiness, piney hops, slight alcohol, tea, and slight yeast. Overall, good appearance, citrus dominant but still well blended in body and aroma.

 

 

 

 

 

Pours a crystal clear golden hue with a white head. This was a well done beer but I'm just not a fan of the Vic Secret hop. It's pretty earthy and the malt takes over the hop a little too much for me. Still glad I was able to try.

 

Vic Secret...what Vic Secret? As a homebrewer that's brewed with Vic Secret, I can't find a single characteristic of that hop in this beer. This taste just like many of Terrapin's IPA offerings in that it is WAY too malt forward and there is absolutely no detection of the hops they proudly claim to have used on the label, just dull boring bittering hops with no hint of flavor or aroma hops at all. If you like the other English IPAs Terrapin offers, then you'll love this...but if you're looking for a modern American IPA, pass this bottle by and keep looking!!!

Not mind blowing, but definitely preferable to last year's Ella

 

12oz bottle from Sherlock's (Marietta, GA). 11.98/ 4 pack. Vintage 2016, released 03/16. Served in a Terrapin goblet.

Pours golden amber with almost two fingers of pale head. Fair retention- a thin layer and narrow collar that leaves wide swaths of lace.

Smells of pineapple, melon rind, citrus and floral. OK but the floral notes seem to compete with what could have been a delightful fruity blend.

Tastes floral with pineapple core, citrus peel, cracker, plant stems and a little alcohol. It's a shame that the fruity hop flavor is even more vague and covered up than in the aroma.

Medium, slightly slick body with moderate carbonation. The floral bitterness remains at the forefront in the finish along with a little fruit flesh and some bread.

There must be something far from neutral in the malt bill and/or yeast because this release of Hop Selection is very much reminiscent of last year's. The advertised pineapple- incidentally the reason I changed my mind and decided to try this after being thoroughly disappointed last year- is vague and earthy rather than juicy and inviting. Vic Secret might be a great hop but this isn't the IPA I'd use to sell it.