Topcutter
Bale Breaker Brewing Company
Beer Geek Stats:
| Print Shelf Talker
- Style:
- IPA - American
Ranked #118 - ABV:
- 6.8%
- Score:
- 93
Ranked #2,510 - Avg:
- 4.17 | pDev: 8.39%
- Reviews:
- 109
- Ratings:
- From:
- Bale Breaker Brewing Company
- Washington, United States
- Avail:
- Year-round
- Wants
- 52
- Gots
- 116
SCORE
93
Outstanding
93
Outstanding
Notes:
Our flagship IPA is a well-balanced yet aggressive West Coast IPA that showcases Yakima Valley hops at their finest. Late additions of Simcoe, Citra, Loral, and Mosaic give this beer its complex citrus, fruity, and floral aroma and flavor. Named for a unique piece of farm equipment that removes hop vines from the trellis during the annual hop harvest, Topcutter IPA delivers loads of hoppiness all year long.
Reviews: 109
| Ratings: 472
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Reviews by DenverHopHead:
DenverHopHead from Colorado
3.85/5 rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Jul 04, 2019
3.85/5 rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Jul 04, 2019
More User Reviews:
daveski from Oregon
4.39/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Was in Yakima last weekend visiting the wife's grandparents. They live in Moxee, less than two miles from the Brewery. Her grandpa and I hopped in his truck and went down for a few pints and then some.
Appearance –This is an unfiltered IPA. Pours a beautiful amber and golden color. First glance, and you know you’re about to enjoy a delightful beer.
Smell – Solid aroma. Citrus, pine and some floral. Slight hint of malt sweetness.
Taste – Like the smell, very solid. The balance between the hops and the malt sweetness is near perfect.
Mouthfeel – Excellent mouthfeel. I think the fact that the beer is unfiltered really adds to the taste/mouthfeel. It gives the beer a little body.
Overall – I am an IPA-fanatic and this one is up there as one of the better West Coast IPA’s I’ve had. Adding this beer and the brewery to a list of my favorites.
Jul 12, 2013
4.39/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Was in Yakima last weekend visiting the wife's grandparents. They live in Moxee, less than two miles from the Brewery. Her grandpa and I hopped in his truck and went down for a few pints and then some.
Appearance –This is an unfiltered IPA. Pours a beautiful amber and golden color. First glance, and you know you’re about to enjoy a delightful beer.
Smell – Solid aroma. Citrus, pine and some floral. Slight hint of malt sweetness.
Taste – Like the smell, very solid. The balance between the hops and the malt sweetness is near perfect.
Mouthfeel – Excellent mouthfeel. I think the fact that the beer is unfiltered really adds to the taste/mouthfeel. It gives the beer a little body.
Overall – I am an IPA-fanatic and this one is up there as one of the better West Coast IPA’s I’ve had. Adding this beer and the brewery to a list of my favorites.
Jul 12, 2013
mudbug from Oregon
4.11/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
From the freshness dated (25 days old) 12 oz CAN into a Samuel Smith's perfect pint glass results in a slightly hazed burnished orange body capped by a 1/2 thick white head that recedes into a thin cap of foam that leaves sticky lacing as the level drops.
Aroma is pungent grapefruit rind, pine tree and biscuit with a slight fresh cut grass in there too.
Taste is upfront grapefruit rind bitter then mellows a bit with a slight cracker sweetness. citrusy sour lingers on the tongue.Other people get a dry crisp finish, but I don't, aftertaste is quite long and juicy and quite enjoyable.
Carbonation is lively, making this fairly bold IPA refreshing.
Thanks to Zestd from Idaho for bringing this treat out to the coast!
Prost!
Aug 08, 2015
4.11/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
From the freshness dated (25 days old) 12 oz CAN into a Samuel Smith's perfect pint glass results in a slightly hazed burnished orange body capped by a 1/2 thick white head that recedes into a thin cap of foam that leaves sticky lacing as the level drops.
Aroma is pungent grapefruit rind, pine tree and biscuit with a slight fresh cut grass in there too.
Taste is upfront grapefruit rind bitter then mellows a bit with a slight cracker sweetness. citrusy sour lingers on the tongue.Other people get a dry crisp finish, but I don't, aftertaste is quite long and juicy and quite enjoyable.
Carbonation is lively, making this fairly bold IPA refreshing.
Thanks to Zestd from Idaho for bringing this treat out to the coast!
Prost!
Aug 08, 2015
biboergosum from Canada (AB)
4.16/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
12oz can, courtesy of the Idaho Pour Authority in Sandpoint. I was encouraged to seek this one out before traveling to NoDo, and was pleasantly surprised to find it readily available in grocery stores as well as on-tap locally.
This beer pours a clear, bright medium copper amber colour, with three fingers of puffy, rocky, and densely foamy off-white head, which leaves some decent layered cloudy lace around the glass as it lazily recedes.
It smells of bready, crackery pale malt, acrid underripe orange and white grapefruit pith, a certain flinty chalkiness, faint uric acid astringencies, and further herbal, leafy, and grassy hops. The taste is grainy, lightly biscuity pale malt, sassy lime, red grapefruit, and lemon citrus rind, a still heady chalky stoniness, equal and balancing dank pine and tropical fruit measures, and a wee twinge of metallic warming alcohol.
The carbonation is quite genial in its lightly-rendered and yet playful frothiness, the body a pleasant enough middleweight, and more or less smooth, the hops turning cheek to show the fruity, rather than intrusively bitter side of themselves, right here, right now. It finishes on a strong drying spree, the flinty, piney, and citrusy notes predominating.
Woweeee, what a good IPA! The minor hype surrounding this one for me is more than justified, especially as it toes the line between the West coast and Northeast versions of the style, for reasons already elucidated here. Quite tasty, easy to drink for the near 7 points of booze, and very worthy of showing off to all your hop-crazy, brew nerd peers, indeed.
Aug 07, 2015
4.16/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
12oz can, courtesy of the Idaho Pour Authority in Sandpoint. I was encouraged to seek this one out before traveling to NoDo, and was pleasantly surprised to find it readily available in grocery stores as well as on-tap locally.
This beer pours a clear, bright medium copper amber colour, with three fingers of puffy, rocky, and densely foamy off-white head, which leaves some decent layered cloudy lace around the glass as it lazily recedes.
It smells of bready, crackery pale malt, acrid underripe orange and white grapefruit pith, a certain flinty chalkiness, faint uric acid astringencies, and further herbal, leafy, and grassy hops. The taste is grainy, lightly biscuity pale malt, sassy lime, red grapefruit, and lemon citrus rind, a still heady chalky stoniness, equal and balancing dank pine and tropical fruit measures, and a wee twinge of metallic warming alcohol.
The carbonation is quite genial in its lightly-rendered and yet playful frothiness, the body a pleasant enough middleweight, and more or less smooth, the hops turning cheek to show the fruity, rather than intrusively bitter side of themselves, right here, right now. It finishes on a strong drying spree, the flinty, piney, and citrusy notes predominating.
Woweeee, what a good IPA! The minor hype surrounding this one for me is more than justified, especially as it toes the line between the West coast and Northeast versions of the style, for reasons already elucidated here. Quite tasty, easy to drink for the near 7 points of booze, and very worthy of showing off to all your hop-crazy, brew nerd peers, indeed.
Aug 07, 2015
garymuchow from Minnesota
3.86/5 rDev -7.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75
Many thanks to beertunes for this.
Pretty much classic in presentation, aroma and taste. Nice mix of citrus, grass and some additional fruit in hop aroma and taste. Clear and strong bitterness middle through very long finish. Firm malt backing, some in aroma and more in taste.
White head and amber towards gold color and slightly cloudy. Very nice mouthfeel with fullness, softness and smoothness.
A touch of hop excess in the taste and aroma(hop oil, skunk) and I'm becoming intolerant of that, knowing that an increasing number of good breweries can make highly hopped beers without it. I like the other flavors and balance.
Jul 19, 2015
3.86/5 rDev -7.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75
Many thanks to beertunes for this.
Pretty much classic in presentation, aroma and taste. Nice mix of citrus, grass and some additional fruit in hop aroma and taste. Clear and strong bitterness middle through very long finish. Firm malt backing, some in aroma and more in taste.
White head and amber towards gold color and slightly cloudy. Very nice mouthfeel with fullness, softness and smoothness.
A touch of hop excess in the taste and aroma(hop oil, skunk) and I'm becoming intolerant of that, knowing that an increasing number of good breweries can make highly hopped beers without it. I like the other flavors and balance.
Jul 19, 2015
arc0042 from Alabama
4.98/5 rDev +19.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
To put it simply, this is what an IPA should be in every sense...
I live in Washington, a virtual mecca of hoppy beer, and this is pretty much the only beer I buy any more. I am lucky enough to be able to find this canned within the last week most of the time, and it has absolutely ruined my appreciation for other beers. On to the beer...
When you pop the top of the can, everybody within 5 feet of you is going to get a whiff of the Yakima Valley. The hops are loud and nose piercing. There are no dominant notes to the hops, but you will gather notes of peaches and citrus fruit. The hop stench is prominent, funky, and resinous. It smells like you are standing in a cold room at a hop yard packed with 1,500 bales of various types of recently harvested hops.
The malt bill is very laid back, what I would describe as clean. I don't pick up as much of the malt as other people seem to, it is just a nice, solid and plain canvas laid down for the hops. It is sufficient, though. There are some typical caramel notes, but not overwhelming.
The color of this beer is golden. Looks excellent.
If you can get this fresh, you are going to be drinking some of the best beer in the world. Just what you would expect from a brewery nestled in the middle of the most dense hop production in the world. This beer keeps me spoiled.
Aug 29, 2016
4.98/5 rDev +19.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
To put it simply, this is what an IPA should be in every sense...
I live in Washington, a virtual mecca of hoppy beer, and this is pretty much the only beer I buy any more. I am lucky enough to be able to find this canned within the last week most of the time, and it has absolutely ruined my appreciation for other beers. On to the beer...
When you pop the top of the can, everybody within 5 feet of you is going to get a whiff of the Yakima Valley. The hops are loud and nose piercing. There are no dominant notes to the hops, but you will gather notes of peaches and citrus fruit. The hop stench is prominent, funky, and resinous. It smells like you are standing in a cold room at a hop yard packed with 1,500 bales of various types of recently harvested hops.
The malt bill is very laid back, what I would describe as clean. I don't pick up as much of the malt as other people seem to, it is just a nice, solid and plain canvas laid down for the hops. It is sufficient, though. There are some typical caramel notes, but not overwhelming.
The color of this beer is golden. Looks excellent.
If you can get this fresh, you are going to be drinking some of the best beer in the world. Just what you would expect from a brewery nestled in the middle of the most dense hop production in the world. This beer keeps me spoiled.
Aug 29, 2016
tiltednotion from Washington
4.77/5 rDev +14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
This is my go to IPA, it smells and taste amazing! Mouthfeel is nothing special but it's not a double so it makes sense.
Mar 26, 2015
4.77/5 rDev +14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
This is my go to IPA, it smells and taste amazing! Mouthfeel is nothing special but it's not a double so it makes sense.
Mar 26, 2015
brenn79 from Idaho
4.14/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
12 oz can- Pours clear golden with a medium head that holds nicely. Aroma is spicy hops, dank and resinous, with a sweet malt backbone. The taste is pine resin, woodsy, dank, medium level bitterness that lingers leaving a drying finish. This is one of those beers that i always try to keep in the fridge, great everyday IPA.
Jun 05, 2017
4.14/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
12 oz can- Pours clear golden with a medium head that holds nicely. Aroma is spicy hops, dank and resinous, with a sweet malt backbone. The taste is pine resin, woodsy, dank, medium level bitterness that lingers leaving a drying finish. This is one of those beers that i always try to keep in the fridge, great everyday IPA.
Jun 05, 2017
timothy509 from Washington
5/5 rDev +19.9%
This is probably my favorite IPA. I've had Topcutter in the can and on tap. Delicious, hop forward, beautiful in a glass. Big pine and grapefruit flavors. Balanced and refreshing. It helped to be literally looking at the fields where the hops are growing while drinking this. What an experience.
Sep 19, 2014
5/5 rDev +19.9%
This is probably my favorite IPA. I've had Topcutter in the can and on tap. Delicious, hop forward, beautiful in a glass. Big pine and grapefruit flavors. Balanced and refreshing. It helped to be literally looking at the fields where the hops are growing while drinking this. What an experience.
Sep 19, 2014
ovaltine from Indiana
4.34/5 rDev +4.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Exceptionally well-executed IPA, IMHO. Golden orange-ish color, slightly hazy, just shy of pure-white head.
The Citra/Mosaic/Simcoe hop combo smells delicious - huge orange, grapefruit, and pineapple aromas. The taste amplifies these aromas, to the point that the citrus flavors have an astringency that my favorite IPA's feature. Just an outstanding example of the style.
Mar 14, 2017
4.34/5 rDev +4.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Exceptionally well-executed IPA, IMHO. Golden orange-ish color, slightly hazy, just shy of pure-white head.
The Citra/Mosaic/Simcoe hop combo smells delicious - huge orange, grapefruit, and pineapple aromas. The taste amplifies these aromas, to the point that the citrus flavors have an astringency that my favorite IPA's feature. Just an outstanding example of the style.
Mar 14, 2017
kitch from Hong Kong
4.17/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
A 12 fl oz can with a packaged on date of June 2017. Poured into a Holy Mountain tulip glass.
Appearance: A clear dark-ish golden orange colour with a one finger white head that had decent retention and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Citrusy grapefruit and orange followed by hints of caramel, grass and pine.
Taste: Grassy, grapefruit and orange with hints of honey, caramel and floral.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Very nice and easy to drink. I feel this could be my everyday IPA if I could find it easily.
Aug 28, 2017
4.17/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
A 12 fl oz can with a packaged on date of June 2017. Poured into a Holy Mountain tulip glass.
Appearance: A clear dark-ish golden orange colour with a one finger white head that had decent retention and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Citrusy grapefruit and orange followed by hints of caramel, grass and pine.
Taste: Grassy, grapefruit and orange with hints of honey, caramel and floral.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Very nice and easy to drink. I feel this could be my everyday IPA if I could find it easily.
Aug 28, 2017
BigAl18 from Minnesota
3.85/5 rDev -7.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Jun 03, 2015
3.85/5 rDev -7.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Jun 03, 2015
bondjedi from Washington
4.29/5 rDev +2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Jun 30, 2016
4.29/5 rDev +2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Jun 30, 2016
GoBeerGo from New Hampshire
4.16/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Mar 08, 2016
4.16/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Mar 08, 2016
stratusjeans from Washington
3.97/5 rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Jun 11, 2017
3.97/5 rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Jun 11, 2017
Topcutter from Bale Breaker Brewing Company
Beer rating:
93 out of
100 with
472 ratings
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