Mastermind
Fiddlehead Brewing Company


Beer Geek Stats
| Print Shelf Talker
- From:
- Fiddlehead Brewing Company
- Vermont, United States
- Style:
- IPA - New England
Ranked #94 - ABV:
- 8.1%
- Score:
- 98
Ranked #368 - Avg:
- 4.43 | pDev: 8.35%
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Apr 15, 2022
- Added:
- Sep 06, 2013
- Wants:
- 391
- Gots:
- 266
SCORE
98
World-Class
98
World-Class


Notes:
"Tropical fruit notes.Straw colored with a hazy glow. Pineapple and Cantaloupe are dominant characteristics. This beer finishes with a slight tartness.
"
"
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
4.86/5 rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
by MichaelInMA from Massachusetts
On the first smell and taste, I thought this was a fruit beer. The tap just said, "Fiddlehead IPA". It did not match their IPA or any regular IPA. I had to look it up on BA. However, it did match this one which is a New England IPA. I guess that is close enough. The bartender did not know what they had. He thought it was a plain IPA.
It is hazy to the point of being opaque. It was white under the light at the bar. I marked down look because there was no head. Being a high alcohol beer, you did not notice the alcohol. Smell, taste, and feel made up for lack of head.
Apr 15, 2022
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
by MichaelInMA from Massachusetts
On the first smell and taste, I thought this was a fruit beer. The tap just said, "Fiddlehead IPA". It did not match their IPA or any regular IPA. I had to look it up on BA. However, it did match this one which is a New England IPA. I guess that is close enough. The bartender did not know what they had. He thought it was a plain IPA.
It is hazy to the point of being opaque. It was white under the light at the bar. I marked down look because there was no head. Being a high alcohol beer, you did not notice the alcohol. Smell, taste, and feel made up for lack of head.
Apr 15, 2022
4.25 by gelasin from California on Nov 12, 2021
4.2/5 rDev -5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
by malrubius from Vermont
Can. Very pale opaque like a witbier with lasting dense head and lace. Lemon custard aroma. Medium sweet with medium-light citrus grapefruit dry finish. Medium-heavy very soft body. Excellent for style, but not my favorite style by a longshot.
Nov 10, 2021
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
by malrubius from Vermont
Can. Very pale opaque like a witbier with lasting dense head and lace. Lemon custard aroma. Medium sweet with medium-light citrus grapefruit dry finish. Medium-heavy very soft body. Excellent for style, but not my favorite style by a longshot.
Nov 10, 2021
4.5 by doctorgary from New York on Apr 21, 2021
3.8 by crobinso from Colorado on Apr 04, 2021
4.69/5 rDev +5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
by ajcuster89 from Indiana
Batch 1 (the black and white can on this page) was one of those magical beers where you'll never forget what you were doing when you drank it. Popped into FH on a whim and split a case with a friend. If I had known how good it would be I would have bought their stock. An incredible beer. Don't know why subsequent batches haven't tasted that magical to me since, but Batch 1 was one for the ages. I'll keep coming back.
Mar 25, 2021
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
by ajcuster89 from Indiana
Batch 1 (the black and white can on this page) was one of those magical beers where you'll never forget what you were doing when you drank it. Popped into FH on a whim and split a case with a friend. If I had known how good it would be I would have bought their stock. An incredible beer. Don't know why subsequent batches haven't tasted that magical to me since, but Batch 1 was one for the ages. I'll keep coming back.
Mar 25, 2021
4.33 by Jkolls from Ohio on Feb 10, 2021
4.5 by XmnwildX12 from Minnesota on Jan 25, 2021
5 by Johng19751 from Indiana on Dec 07, 2020
4.34 by tubeman from New York on Nov 15, 2020
4.3 by Paddy-loves-beer from Pennsylvania on Oct 16, 2020
4.69/5 rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75
by rmp5458 from Pennsylvania
Pours a milky yellow green in the glass. Smells like sour cantaloupe, but in a fresh way. Taste follows suit. Extremely enjoyable and crushable DIPA
Oct 15, 2020
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75
by rmp5458 from Pennsylvania
Pours a milky yellow green in the glass. Smells like sour cantaloupe, but in a fresh way. Taste follows suit. Extremely enjoyable and crushable DIPA
Oct 15, 2020
4 by jheimbigner from Washington on Sep 03, 2020
4.21 by DucksFan16 from Tennessee on Sep 01, 2020
4.25 by IanX from New York on Aug 17, 2020
4.27 by Bilco from Pennsylvania on Aug 15, 2020
4 by pepesylvia from Pennsylvania on May 01, 2020
4.54 by ccryder from New York on Apr 13, 2020
5 by estruntz from Maryland on Apr 12, 2020
4.5 by smartassboiler from Illinois on Mar 22, 2020
3.94 by broadway848 from New York on Mar 22, 2020
4.66 by Dharms from Pennsylvania on Mar 10, 2020
4.46 by Hopelessly0 from California on Feb 18, 2020
4.51 by spersichilli from California on Feb 12, 2020
4.49/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
by BillRoth from Maryland
Picked up a pack at FBC. Excellent creamy full bodied IPA. Usual hazy quality and flavors, but considerably more rounded balanced and drinkable than many NEIPAs. Also melon came across nicely within usual tropical fruit suspects. Which is saying something when compared to other Vermont beers I was drinking that week. Standout.
Feb 04, 2020
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
by BillRoth from Maryland
Picked up a pack at FBC. Excellent creamy full bodied IPA. Usual hazy quality and flavors, but considerably more rounded balanced and drinkable than many NEIPAs. Also melon came across nicely within usual tropical fruit suspects. Which is saying something when compared to other Vermont beers I was drinking that week. Standout.
Feb 04, 2020
4.25 by Greeny87 from Pennsylvania on Jan 24, 2020
4.07 by KevinL from Michigan on Jan 05, 2020
4.5 by BradMaurer on Dec 31, 2019
5 by WolverineFan1243 from Colorado on Nov 22, 2019
4.2 by Wesmaze from New York on Nov 06, 2019
4.27 by Wizzle32 from Pennsylvania on Nov 05, 2019
4.34 by Wheels2532 from Pennsylvania on Nov 05, 2019
4.33 by lsthwy from Massachusetts on Sep 30, 2019
4.25/5 rDev -4.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
by Vidblain from Minnesota
Draft pour at Fiddlehead - drank on 7/12/2019. A bit boozy and sharp - certainly not soft like your contemporary NE IPAs. A bit yeasty. Still, super tasty.
Sep 30, 2019
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
by Vidblain from Minnesota
Draft pour at Fiddlehead - drank on 7/12/2019. A bit boozy and sharp - certainly not soft like your contemporary NE IPAs. A bit yeasty. Still, super tasty.
Sep 30, 2019
4.03/5 rDev -9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
by soze47 from Massachusetts
One week old can poured into a wide jar glass. Remarkable light in color - an extremely hazy golden haze.
Very pineapple on the nose - almost a bit like the aroma you get from snapping the stem off of a fruit before skinning and chopping. Some more citrus and rind characters pop out as it warms.
Very fruity - melon, orange juice, and a slightly underripe pineapple. Semi-dry - not a bitter finish at all.
Good beer - really juicy and a very good example of a ne ipa that still has a bit of a linger to offset sweetness. But something nuanced is lacking - it could use a bit more yeast dryness.
Sep 22, 2019
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
by soze47 from Massachusetts
One week old can poured into a wide jar glass. Remarkable light in color - an extremely hazy golden haze.
Very pineapple on the nose - almost a bit like the aroma you get from snapping the stem off of a fruit before skinning and chopping. Some more citrus and rind characters pop out as it warms.
Very fruity - melon, orange juice, and a slightly underripe pineapple. Semi-dry - not a bitter finish at all.
Good beer - really juicy and a very good example of a ne ipa that still has a bit of a linger to offset sweetness. But something nuanced is lacking - it could use a bit more yeast dryness.
Sep 22, 2019
3.43 by thewimperoo from Illinois on Sep 20, 2019
4.56 by lewith from South Carolina on Sep 19, 2019
4.09 by RRB328 from Massachusetts on Sep 14, 2019
4.21 by smithj4 from New York on Sep 14, 2019
4.39 by metter98 from New York on Sep 14, 2019
Mastermind from Fiddlehead Brewing Company
Beer rating:
98 out of
100 with
1476 ratings