Second Fiddle
Fiddlehead Brewing Company

Second FiddleSecond Fiddle
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Fiddlehead Brewing Company
 
Vermont, United States
Style:
Imperial IPA
Ranked #24
ABV:
8.2%
Score:
98
Ranked #329
Avg:
4.44 | pDev: 7.43%
Reviews:
354
Ratings:
2,427
Status:
Active
Rated:
Sunday at 09:53 PM
Added:
Jul 22, 2013
Wants:
  479
Gots:
  611
Extensively dry-hopped, Second Fiddle is second in name only. Big, juicy and aromatic.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by PrimScrewhead:
Photo of PrimScrewhead
Rated by PrimScrewhead from Rhode Island

5/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Feb 02, 2015
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.46 by Monkeyknife from Missouri

Sunday at 09:53 PM
Photo of lordofthewiens
Reviewed by lordofthewiens from New Mexico

4.37/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
The beer is a gold color, slight haze, Thick white head, persistent, with a good amount of sticky lace.
Aroma of citrus and pine.
Taste of grapefruit and lemon up front, followed by pine. The pine lingers on my palate for a time.
Nicely hopped.
A seriously good beer.
Sunday at 05:03 PM
Photo of BuxMontBeerLover
Reviewed by BuxMontBeerLover from Pennsylvania

4.29/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Purchased at Pennridge Beverage, Perkasie, PA. $16.50/4pk 16oz cans

Pours a mostly translucent straw yellow color. A frothy, white colored, long lasting head on the initial pour. Moderate lacing left on the sides of the glass.

Wonderful aromas of grapefruit and pine.

A very hoppy, delicious DIPA. Intense flavors of resiny-pine, bitter hops, grapefruit, lemon with a malty backbone. More of a west coast style IPA in my opinion. The ABV is well hidden but is slightly noticeable.

Medium carbonation, thinner consistency.

A top-notch IPA. I’ve enjoyed Fiddlehead IPA numerous times on tap at our local restaurant and this DIPA from Fiddlehead is a super up version of that brew. Highly recommended…cheers!
Saturday at 09:08 PM
 
Rated: 4.01 by Bitterbill from Wyoming

Saturday at 01:41 PM
 
Photo of BEERchitect
Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky

4.24/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
With a thick haze draping over the beer landscape, Fiddlehead Brewing isn't letting the fog get to their heads. Doling out a classic, bitter American IPA shows that they aren't playing second fiddle to anyone. Or are they...

Hitting the glass with a deep golden pour, the moderately hazy Second Fiddle builds a foamy white froth and an aromatic display of citrus, tropical fruit, aromatic spruce and fine herb. As its rounded malt sweetness coats the tongue, notions of honey, light toast and faint caramel all come to mind.

But the hops soon steal the show as the ale washes the middle palate bringing with them a bold citrusy taste of pink grapefruit and orange peel with a hint of lemon. Additional tropical flavors of mango and dried pineapple add a secondary fruitiness before the hops develop into a bitter, resinous and herbal taste to close.

Medium-full, rounded and bold, the imperial IPA finishes on the bitter side of bitter-sweet and on the drier side of malty-dry. A alcohol spice of curacao and gin warms the throat deep into an aftertaste of verbena, tea leaf, pine, citrus peel and pepper.
Mar 07, 2024
Photo of Jw13
Reviewed by Jw13 from Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Pours a light amber with slight haze and a firm head. Smell is of grapefruit and hops. Taste follows, with a nice amount of bitterness to offset the malt. In the past, I've gotten an off-putting amount of alcohol flavor from this beer, but that wasn't present in the can I'm reviewing. Overall a very nice and easy drinking DIPA.
Mar 05, 2024
 
Rated: 4.65 by DrBass from Maryland

Mar 02, 2024
 
Rated: 4.55 by Hockey_Fan from Maryland

Feb 25, 2024
 
Rated: 4.14 by FrancisM12 from New Jersey

Feb 10, 2024
Photo of LarryV
Reviewed by LarryV from Massachusetts

4.62/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Pours a semi-opaque amber color - this is not a hazy beer. Big aromas of hops and grapefruit when popping the can open. Pours with a fluffy head that fades to a ring after a few minutes. Big, hoppy flavor perfectly balanced with a substantial malt backbone that avoids being too sweet. ABV is well hidden and this is an easy drinker. I would describe it as leaning towards a west coast style IPA, it's definitely one of my favorite beers.
Feb 03, 2024
Photo of FRANKHAZE
Rated by FRANKHAZE from Florida

4.52/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Amazing IPA. Perfectly balanced, mouthfeel on point. Flavorful AF.
Feb 02, 2024
 
Rated: 4.71 by Beergod420 from Michigan

Jan 29, 2024
 
Rated: 4.29 by craigbelly from Iowa

Dec 30, 2023
Photo of vette2006c5r
Reviewed by vette2006c5r from Minnesota

3.82/5  rDev -14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Second fiddle pies a brighter copper color, with a medium sized lacing head. The aroma is a little earthy, a little sweet. The flavor is a little earthy, but yet a sweetness balances it out. Good feel. Overall a strong IPA, nice flavors with a good balance.
Dec 17, 2023
 
Rated: 4.42 by Neelbeer from New York

Nov 18, 2023
 
Rated: 4.48 by Mcb99d from Massachusetts

Oct 30, 2023
Second Fiddle from Fiddlehead Brewing Company
Beer rating: 98 out of 100 with 2427 ratings