HopDevil
Victory Brewing Company - Downingtown

HopDevilHopDevil
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From:
Victory Brewing Company - Downingtown
 
Pennsylvania, United States
Style:
American IPA
Ranked #614
ABV:
6.7%
Score:
90
Ranked #8,178
Avg:
4.05 | pDev: 11.6%
Reviews:
2,601
Ratings:
7,626
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 30, 2023
Added:
Jul 27, 2001
Wants:
  315
Gots:
  1,668
Bold, spicy and menacingly delicious, this American-hopped IPA offers an aromatic punch and follows through with a lasting, full-bodied finish
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Phatz:
Photo of Phatz
Reviewed by Phatz from Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
The is a very bold beer, to be adored, praised, (worshiped? - maybe ,maybe not) by all the Hop Heads out there. I, however, am not one of those people. I have never been a big fan of the Alpha Acidy, green bitter, super hoppy flavor. As a BA advocating beer, of all styles, I realize I need to broaden my horizons to include IPAs as well as Stouts etc. So I am evaluating this beer based on a combination of personal taste and what the style is supposed to be.

Appearance: Poured (appropriately) into my Victory pint glass; it pours an amber/copper with a 2 finger tight white head.

Smell: Citrus, hops, a slightly soapy characteristic, then a nice sweet malty base.

Taste: The spiciness I like. It is incredibly hoppy and green. I think that is exactly what this beer is going for though. Underneath all that bitterness is a small nice sweetness in a malt base. I like the alcohol peeping through. (like a spiced grass tea, in vodka) Very dry bitey aftertaste. The aftertaste is so pronounced, that 5 minutes later you can still feel the hops on you tongue and 10 minutes later you still taste hops in the back of your throat. I guess that’s a good thing if you love the flavor of hops on your tongue, so I am giving this a 3.5 for taste. If you are not a fan of the burn-y, prickly, sudsy hop flavor then; well... that’s obvious ... don't drink a beer called 'Hop' Devil.

Mouthfeel: Working very hard, I could almost get past the biting hops to notice the nice smooth medium body mouthfeel. I really did not gain much in the experience from the mouthfeel though because I wanted to get the stuff swallowed and off my aching tongue as quickly as possible. Oh yeah, being open minded about hoppy beers, forgot. Anyway a nice mouthfeel - 4.0

Drinkability: Knowing that I am not a huge personal fan of this style I am trying to be generous, but I certainly would not want more than one of these. A bit of sharp cheddar cheese along with the beer made this a just barely enjoyable (that’s a positive) way to consume 6.7 % ABV of alcohol. Clearly, this is a beer made for the Hop Heads. Enjoy.

Hope this is helpful.
Cheers!

---
EDIT
I have been broadening my horizons and expanding my palate into the world of hops in the last several moths. I have come back to this beer and now find what used to be overwhelming, quite refreshing. Maybe I should start over again but I have found that now I really like Hop Devil.
---
Dec 22, 2005
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.98 by not2quick from Missouri

Dec 30, 2023
 
Rated: 2.62 by Jcreason569 from Washington

Nov 11, 2023
Photo of Greymane
Rated by Greymane from France

3.56/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Not as good as I remembered it from back in '08.
Nov 02, 2023
Photo of papawag
Reviewed by papawag from Maryland

3.13/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
From a fresh tapped sixtel keg. ...Tastes like an experiment. If there was a target, they missed it. Has a lot of good in it, but the combination doesn't work. Sort of like an Oktoberfest or Marzan trying to be a high gravity/bubbly IPA. But it looks luscious, creamy head, nice nose, but then goes South.
Sep 18, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by MadMadMike from France

May 28, 2023
 
Rated: 4.63 by Spade from Pennsylvania

May 07, 2023
Photo of TurboMon_911
Reviewed by TurboMon_911 from New Jersey

4.38/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Poured a semi-lucid copper color from a 12 oz. bottle (Best by Feb. 15 23) into a standard pint glass with a creamy barley colored finger high head that clings to the glass as it recedes. Aroma is mainly malty with overtones of cereal grain and grapefruit. Taste is bitter throughout but very well balanced with the malty sweetness and spicy alcohol flavor on the follow through. The bitterness lingers with creamy thickness in the mouth for this medium to full bodied brew. There is even a nice carbonation tingle on the tongue. It's been so long since I've had one of these that I had forgotten how good they are. This is an iconic ale that lives up to the hype.
Feb 26, 2023
 
Rated: 4.06 by Slyde180 from Texas

Jan 28, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by Samnem from Pennsylvania

Jan 09, 2023
 
Rated: 4.35 by Jcal2023 from Pennsylvania

Dec 22, 2022
 
Rated: 2.95 by sbradley41 from Pennsylvania

Oct 02, 2022
 
Rated: 4.56 by JoeDKSki

Jul 21, 2022
 
Rated: 3.52 by Dkloubec from Illinois

Jul 16, 2022
Photo of DrOfGolf
Reviewed by DrOfGolf from Delaware

4.05/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Pours out an amber color with a nice thick head. The taste is somewhat fruity and truly different. Some notes of fruit, like blackberry or blueberry with a hoppy finish. All in all a great tasting beer.
Jun 26, 2022
Photo of ThePold
Rated by ThePold from Virginia

3.73/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Maybe I'm drinking from a mis tapped keg, but this was too malty and dark for me. Wanted a hop bomb, got a malt grenade
Apr 15, 2022
 
Rated: 3.62 by DVMin98 from North Carolina

Mar 22, 2022
 
Rated: 4 by BeerMe8 from Florida

Mar 20, 2022
Photo of tekstr1der
Reviewed by tekstr1der from New Hampshire

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Tasty traditional IPA from Victory, this might be my favorite from the brewer. Great balance of hop bite and malt backbone. Would look for this fresh again.
Mar 06, 2022
 
Rated: 3.5 by TMoney2591 from Illinois

Feb 21, 2022
HopDevil from Victory Brewing Company - Downingtown
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 7626 ratings