Holy Cow
The Alchemist
- From:
- The Alchemist
- Vermont, United States
- Style:
- American IPA
Ranked #167 - ABV:
- 5.1%
- Score:
- 93
Ranked #4,249 - Avg:
- 4.18 | pDev: 7.89%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 79
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Nov 20, 2021
- Added:
- Dec 23, 2003
- Wants:
- 93
- Gots:
- 43
SCORE
93
Outstanding
93
Outstanding
Holy Cow is an old favorite being revisited. When we opened our doors for business at the old pub, this was one of the initial offerings. Back then, I was testing the waters to see how people would respond to a truly hoppy IPA. Funny, right?
We soon started to refer to it as a Session IPA, as most of my other IPAs came in above 7% ABV. Through the years, Holy Cow went through countless changes before settling into a groove near the end. In that spirit, I am wiping the slate clean for this new recipe.
The malt bill is the same, but the hops are most defiantly different. Columbus and Amarillo are now joined by Huell Melon, a new and unique hop from Germany. So sit back, relax, and get into a little sesh with Holy Cow. Enjoy..
We soon started to refer to it as a Session IPA, as most of my other IPAs came in above 7% ABV. Through the years, Holy Cow went through countless changes before settling into a groove near the end. In that spirit, I am wiping the slate clean for this new recipe.
The malt bill is the same, but the hops are most defiantly different. Columbus and Amarillo are now joined by Huell Melon, a new and unique hop from Germany. So sit back, relax, and get into a little sesh with Holy Cow. Enjoy..
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by RookieNumbers from Massachusetts
4.5/5 rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.5/5 rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Holy cow surprised me to say the least. Drank from the can, this beer is low in ABV at 5% but it still has that delicious IPA flavor. One of the better IPA’s I’ve tasted and I do say with confidence it is neck and neck with the Heady Topper.
Nov 07, 2019
Reviewed by 5toutman75 from Illinois
4.47/5 rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
4.47/5 rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
I love the Hop bite on this. So much flavor for a 5.2% abv beer. Sure I’ll almost always pick a DIPA over a lower abv beer, but this is top in its class. Don’t pass it up.
Sep 14, 2019
Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky
4.27/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.27/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Pushing forward and throwing back, the brewers at The Alchemist get a little retrospective with an old school IPA recipe that's gone under a few revisions for a modern hop loving audience. Huell Melon hops join Columbus and Amarillo for a taste that's old but new again.
I can hear Harry Carey now as "Holy Cow" rolls off of the label and into the glass. Reasonably hazy and with silten matter floating in the later subsequent pours, the honey gold beer just radiates with a bold hop perfume that's redolent with orchard and tropical fruit, laced with citrus and herb. Sweeter with a straight forward honey and light caramel maltiness, its basic grain profile is standard of West Coast IPA.
But as the ale rolls across the middle palate its focus shifts toward the hops. Peach, grapefruit, tangerine, honeydew and lychee offer a branch ripe fruit profile with the juiciness of sun kissed varieties for a succulent hop display before the flavors dive head first into a bitter, grassy and herbal taste late on the palate. Chive, fresh grass clippings and gripping pine resins ensure a West Coast type of bitterness in throwback fashion.
Medium bodied but drying beautifully on the finish, the bold resinous bitterness is a far departure from the New England styled trends of hop bombs as the moderate strength beer has a bold hop impact in a long, grassy and bitter aftertaste.
Sep 03, 2019I can hear Harry Carey now as "Holy Cow" rolls off of the label and into the glass. Reasonably hazy and with silten matter floating in the later subsequent pours, the honey gold beer just radiates with a bold hop perfume that's redolent with orchard and tropical fruit, laced with citrus and herb. Sweeter with a straight forward honey and light caramel maltiness, its basic grain profile is standard of West Coast IPA.
But as the ale rolls across the middle palate its focus shifts toward the hops. Peach, grapefruit, tangerine, honeydew and lychee offer a branch ripe fruit profile with the juiciness of sun kissed varieties for a succulent hop display before the flavors dive head first into a bitter, grassy and herbal taste late on the palate. Chive, fresh grass clippings and gripping pine resins ensure a West Coast type of bitterness in throwback fashion.
Medium bodied but drying beautifully on the finish, the bold resinous bitterness is a far departure from the New England styled trends of hop bombs as the moderate strength beer has a bold hop impact in a long, grassy and bitter aftertaste.
Reviewed by ChipChaight from New York
4.24/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.24/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Can from the brewery in Stowe, VT. Smells and tastes like fresh cut grass soaked in pine resin with candied citrus, has a dank and nicely bitter pine finish, this beer is light and crisp. A low ABV beer with huge hop flavor, holy cow indeed.
Jul 28, 2019
Reviewed by scotorum from Massachusetts
4.13/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
4.13/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
ALCHEMIST HOLY COW IPA 5/30/19
Bought at the brewery 5/26. No canning date seen.
Poured from the 16 oz. can into an Alchemist stemmed tulip.
a: Translucent dark gold with an inch thick white head which receded to thin surface foam and spotty lacing.
s; Mainly pine resin
t: Follows the nose with a moderate hop bite over a dry finish with lingering bitterness. Occasionally the pineyness is so powerful it borders on catty or perhaps more appropriately, cowey.
m; Medium, good body and carbonation tingle.
o; Holy cow this is an exceptionally hoppy west coast-style session IPA, No shortage of flavor here but the bitterness seems at times a bit too much, if that's possible. At other times it's just stunningly hoppy for a session IPA. Reminiscent of past IPA glories before NEIPAs, albeit those with much higher ABVs, like Victory's Dirt Wolf and Green Flash's Palate Wrecker. Yes Holy Cow is that hoppy!
May 31, 2019Bought at the brewery 5/26. No canning date seen.
Poured from the 16 oz. can into an Alchemist stemmed tulip.
a: Translucent dark gold with an inch thick white head which receded to thin surface foam and spotty lacing.
s; Mainly pine resin
t: Follows the nose with a moderate hop bite over a dry finish with lingering bitterness. Occasionally the pineyness is so powerful it borders on catty or perhaps more appropriately, cowey.
m; Medium, good body and carbonation tingle.
o; Holy cow this is an exceptionally hoppy west coast-style session IPA, No shortage of flavor here but the bitterness seems at times a bit too much, if that's possible. At other times it's just stunningly hoppy for a session IPA. Reminiscent of past IPA glories before NEIPAs, albeit those with much higher ABVs, like Victory's Dirt Wolf and Green Flash's Palate Wrecker. Yes Holy Cow is that hoppy!
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