Heady Topper
The Alchemist

16oz tallboy, purchased cans from the brewery.

Beautiful blend of hops in the nose and on the palate, bitterness toys around with the taste buds but never surpassed any kind of overkill level. Piney, citrus rind, & dank flavors. A thing of greatness.

Glad to finally cross this famous beer off my list, but this first 4 pack purchase will be my last. Sure, it's good - but the flavors are so earthy I cant help but think of rain water. The aftertaste does linger and is probably my favorite part of the profile alongside how refreshing and smooth it feels. Trendsetter that deserves respect, but maybe not the price with how much competition it has these days.

 

I never thought I get the chance to try this one. Craft beer people are good people and I was gifted a can out of the blue. Still kind of of overwhelmed.

In any case, this isn't the best IPA or DIPA I've ever had. I drank from can per the admonition but I also poured some into one of the be hoppy glasses with the laser etching on the bottom that's supposed to do something with the carbonation or something. I don't know.

I don't mind bitter, but the bitter here is grapefruit going into a freshly mown lawn. Very earthy.

I'm still stoked that I had one though. Cheers.

 

I been drinking these since they were in rotation at brewpub in Waterbury. My Mom lived two miles down the road, so we’d go shoot pool and taste all of John’s creations. Now although I may prefer crushing cans of Focal, there’s nothing quite like a hand pulled Heady from the taproom in Stowe.

 

Might be the best I have ever had. Crisp, smooth and delicious

 

 

 

 

 

My GOAT for sure. There are all sorts of really good IPA’s out there, but the uniqueness of Heady just keeps it at the top for me. We get drops maybe 4-6 times per year in my area and it remains an instant purchase whenever I see it. Perfection

I shan't kick off the whole Heady vs. Pliny riff until the end and give Heady its due, which it richly deserves - this is a premiere beer, one of the best by any measure.

Though John Kimmich urges, "drink from the can!" - I couldn't resist of course - the result is a super pale yellow body that you can't see through, topped with 2x the head you'd expect, dense and inviting. That first sip is more of a hop laser than a hop grenade - wonderful but ever-so-slightly restrained astringency, lots of effervescence throughout, coats the tongue and back of mouth in a brief but lovely way. From the can you get all of that plus a lovely, concentrated nose and what feels like 30-40% more carbonation, which I reckon bolsters that nose. So satisfying that you'll start slow-drinking the last third of a can because you don't want it to end...because at 8%/16 oz., you know a second one is gonna leave a mark.

Easily one of the best 5 beers I've ever had.

And now my bias - offered either Heady or Pliny, I'd reach for Pliny the Elder probably 7-8 times out of 10 - partly because I love the West Coast style, mostly because PtE is an unending piney/hoppy assault on the taste buds. That said, during the one month Heady Topper is stocked out here in the Bay Area, I pillage like a Viking. Buy this on sight, without hesitation - it really is that damn good.

Dank, pine, grapefruit, lemon, chives, malts, and gooseberry notes. Hints of orange, and herbs. Metallic undertones. Very bitter and dank, but smooth. A bit sweet. Dank aroma.

Velvety smooth. Full body. Gold colour. Extremely well-balanced. 2 month old.

Can looks pretty cool, I guess, and white foam jumps out when you crack it, so I guess I'll rate appearance on that
Sike, poured into a glass for the review, after having one from the can.
Slightly hazy yellow, none of the dreaded floaties, huge white head that sticks around forever, thick bands of lace all the way down
BIG red grapefruit, red currant and other assorted berries, tropical notes, enough pine and dank on the aroma to make it interesting
Grapefruit, berries, pine, toasty malt, a bit of doughiness, nice bitterness throughout
Might not necessarily look or taste like a NEIPA, but it does feel like one. Soft, fluffy mouthfeel, lower carbonation, medium to medium-heavy body.
It's really good, but not something I'd go out of my way for.

I just found some down here in VA this week. The multitude of cascading hops tastes from sip to finish is unmatched. I hadn't had one in over 15 years, and it still tastes just as special.

Found a four-pack at Whole Foods Market in Los Altos during SF Beer Week. 1 pint cans marked “canned on: 02-05-26 PROTECT FREE SPEECH”.

Serving: drank one directly from the can as suggested, one from a 14.5 oz Rastal Teku, and one from a Spiegelau IPA glass.

Smell: Bright citrus and pine aromas upon opening the can. More complex aromas emerge after pouring; orange and grapefruit citrus, tropical fruit, hop spice, and weedy dank.

Taste: Piney, resinous opening opens into lemon rind, then orange and grapefruit, followed by juicy tropical fruit. Plenty of spicy hop bitterness and malt body balance everything well. Sweeter fruit and riper dank notes emerge when poured into a glass.

Mouthfeel: Medium body, lush and creamy smooth, with crisp effervescent carbonation.

Overall: Sublimely balanced, bursting with hoppy goodness.

Drank in a can, so no real aroma or look. Maybe not the most unique ipa, but absolutely flawless in execution