Focal Banger | The Alchemist Brewery and Visitors Center
Brewed by:
The Alchemist Brewery and Visitors Center
Vermont, United States
alchemistbeer.com
Style: New England IPA
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 7.00%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
An American IPA, hopped judiciously with Citra and Mosaic.
Added by koopa on 07-06-2010
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 3,802 | Reviews: 493
4.83/5 rDev +5.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.64/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75
3.73/5 rDev -18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.6/5 rDev +0.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.75/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.52/5 rDev -1.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.45/5 rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Very hoppy without malt sweetness; bitter (in a very good way). Dank smell and taste on the backside. My favorite beer that the Alchemist makes.
144 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Very hoppy without malt sweetness; bitter (in a very good way). Dank smell and taste on the backside. My favorite beer that the Alchemist makes.
144 characters
4.5/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.59/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
4.68/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
4.75/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.34/5 rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
The lightly hazy golden amber colored beer pours out into a Duvel glass with a 1” fluffy white head that slowly recedes to eventually become a thin irregular island of foam on the surface and a ring around the glass while leaving scattered patches, some rings and a web of lacing on the sides of the glass. Sipping creates some small patches and legs of lacing.
The aromas are light but filled with mango. tropical fruits and a bit of grapefruit, some resin and just a hint of crackery malt.
The flavors are much as expected from the nose with the mango, tropical fruits and touch of grapefruit solidly backed up by the resin. The crackery malt sweetness is just enough to control the bitterness so that it is definitely there but does not dominate the fruit flavors.
The mouthfeel is medium bodied and both smooth and slightly crisp with the persistent finely bubbled but moderate carbonation. The moderately long finish begins as the malt sweetness and fruit flavors begin to fade away to let the long, dry, resinous light bitterness spend a long time closing out the show as it too slowly fades away.
Overall this is both drinkable and enjoyable. As should be the case with an IPA the focus is on the hops and this one includes some nice fruit favors along with both grapefruit and resinous bitterness. Definitely worth trying if you find some. That all said I don’t think I’ll be driving a long distance to have it again but I'd certainly be happy to have more if I find it in this area again..
1,514 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
The lightly hazy golden amber colored beer pours out into a Duvel glass with a 1” fluffy white head that slowly recedes to eventually become a thin irregular island of foam on the surface and a ring around the glass while leaving scattered patches, some rings and a web of lacing on the sides of the glass. Sipping creates some small patches and legs of lacing.
The aromas are light but filled with mango. tropical fruits and a bit of grapefruit, some resin and just a hint of crackery malt.
The flavors are much as expected from the nose with the mango, tropical fruits and touch of grapefruit solidly backed up by the resin. The crackery malt sweetness is just enough to control the bitterness so that it is definitely there but does not dominate the fruit flavors.
The mouthfeel is medium bodied and both smooth and slightly crisp with the persistent finely bubbled but moderate carbonation. The moderately long finish begins as the malt sweetness and fruit flavors begin to fade away to let the long, dry, resinous light bitterness spend a long time closing out the show as it too slowly fades away.
Overall this is both drinkable and enjoyable. As should be the case with an IPA the focus is on the hops and this one includes some nice fruit favors along with both grapefruit and resinous bitterness. Definitely worth trying if you find some. That all said I don’t think I’ll be driving a long distance to have it again but I'd certainly be happy to have more if I find it in this area again..
1,514 characters
4.81/5 rDev +5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
A-Pours a nice slightly hazy golden color with a nice head and lacing
A-Aroma has generous amounts of wonderful hoppy and resin hints
T-The taste follows the nose with a very nice hoppy and resin flavor
M-A medium bodied well carbonated beer
O- A very nice IPA
260 characters
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
A-Pours a nice slightly hazy golden color with a nice head and lacing
A-Aroma has generous amounts of wonderful hoppy and resin hints
T-The taste follows the nose with a very nice hoppy and resin flavor
M-A medium bodied well carbonated beer
O- A very nice IPA
260 characters
3.98/5 rDev -13.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.25/5 rDev -7.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3.76/5 rDev -17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Transparent golden in body with white giant head that stays. Aroma of dank ness, grass, pine, mint, citrus. Tastes of grass, pine, citrus, rind. Medium bodied with medium carbonation.
183 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Transparent golden in body with white giant head that stays. Aroma of dank ness, grass, pine, mint, citrus. Tastes of grass, pine, citrus, rind. Medium bodied with medium carbonation.
183 characters
4.5/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.52/5 rDev -1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Pours into a stemmed glass a lighter golden color with a billowing almost two finger rocky white head that takes it's time settling into a soapy mass leaving multiple chunks of lave behind.Mango,orange, and juicy papaya aromas,a hint of grapefruit rind to give it just a small amount of bitterness.Starts out juicy and bright on the palate with big orange and tangerine-like flavors then comes a mild grapefruit-like sharpness and a resin quality in a long lingering finish,just a fantastic hop profile.I thought this would be just a juicy NEIPA wich is not a bad thing but the hop profile was much more complex then that.Worth it's lofty status.
646 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Pours into a stemmed glass a lighter golden color with a billowing almost two finger rocky white head that takes it's time settling into a soapy mass leaving multiple chunks of lave behind.Mango,orange, and juicy papaya aromas,a hint of grapefruit rind to give it just a small amount of bitterness.Starts out juicy and bright on the palate with big orange and tangerine-like flavors then comes a mild grapefruit-like sharpness and a resin quality in a long lingering finish,just a fantastic hop profile.I thought this would be just a juicy NEIPA wich is not a bad thing but the hop profile was much more complex then that.Worth it's lofty status.
646 characters
Focal Banger from The Alchemist Brewery and Visitors Center
Beer rating:
4.58 out of
5 with
3,802 ratings
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