Sidetrail
Kettlehead Brewing Company
- From:
- Kettlehead Brewing Company
- New Hampshire, United States
- Style:
- Hazy Imperial IPA
Ranked #1,151 - ABV:
- 8.3%
- Score:
- 92
Ranked #7,525 - Avg:
- 4.22 | pDev: 4.98%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 9
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Feb 02, 2026
- Added:
- Dec 30, 2022
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 1
SCORE
92
Outstanding
92
Outstanding
Collaboration with Trillium Brewing Co.
Sidetrail is a NE DIPA that we brewed in collaboration with our friends Trillium Brewing Company. Big thanks to JC (@mrtrillium) for coming to our brewery to make this awesome DIPA. This beer has a nice sunshine straw haze. We decided to brew this with a new hop named ZAPPA, and its Neomexicanus sister Sabro, while rounding it off with some amazing Citra. Super smooth, with a pillowy mouthfeel, sends to a tropical bouquet of Pineapple, Mango, Orange Marmalade, and Coconut Cream….all juice, all day my friends. Sidetrail finishes with a complex bitterness that lingers, but in a good way, this will not disappoint! With over 8lbs per barrel in the dry hop, we pushed the limits of what we know about hoppy beers and the results are amazing.
Sidetrail is a NE DIPA that we brewed in collaboration with our friends Trillium Brewing Company. Big thanks to JC (@mrtrillium) for coming to our brewery to make this awesome DIPA. This beer has a nice sunshine straw haze. We decided to brew this with a new hop named ZAPPA, and its Neomexicanus sister Sabro, while rounding it off with some amazing Citra. Super smooth, with a pillowy mouthfeel, sends to a tropical bouquet of Pineapple, Mango, Orange Marmalade, and Coconut Cream….all juice, all day my friends. Sidetrail finishes with a complex bitterness that lingers, but in a good way, this will not disappoint! With over 8lbs per barrel in the dry hop, we pushed the limits of what we know about hoppy beers and the results are amazing.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho
4/5 rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
16oz can from Tavour . Hazy yellow pour, long lasting fluffy white head, sticky lacing. Zesty, citrus aroma, pineapple. Taste enters with a big, tangy, dank bite, grapefruit, pineapple, floral, with a slow developing dryness. Finishes rather quickly after that. It's a real mouthful , chewy, flavorful, bright.
Feb 02, 2026
Reviewed by tocuse from Virginia
4.46/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.46/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Collaboration with Trillium Brewing, very hazy golden orange body, fluffy white lacing, aroma smacks you up the nose immediately upon opening, strong tangerine and orange citrus, some mango and pineapple, juicy layered citrus and tropical fruit boom the tastebuds, a bit of peppery spices, right there between sweet and bitter, very enjoyable.
Jan 10, 2025
Reviewed by CHickman from New York
4.1/5 rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.1/5 rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours opaque gold/orange color with a huge white foamy head that dissipated very, very slowly and left good lacing on the glass. Smells of tangerine, orange peel, grapefruit, lemon zest, peppery spices like coriander and mint, plus some faint biscuit notes. Flavor was very much like the nose, with tangerine, lime, orange peel, grapefruit, lemon zest, peppery spices like coriander, tea leaf and mint, biscuit, hints of yeast and nice floral accents which seem like dry hopping. This was very smooth and went down easy.
May 24, 2024
Reviewed by WillieThreebiers from Connecticut
4.07/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.07/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Pours a cloudy golden orange with two fingers of foamy head that slowly settles to a thin cap with plenty of lacing. Aroma of pineapple and tropical fruit. Taste follows nose.
May 14, 2024
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York
4.06/5 rDev -3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.06/5 rDev -3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Can purchased at Fattey Beer Company in Rochester, NY.
This one pours a fairly hazy golden yellow color, with a small head, and lots of of lacing.
This smells primarily of mango and typical juicy hop aromas, with some light wheatiness and floral.
You’ve tasted this sort of thing many times before, but that doesn’t diminish that it’s executed pretty well. It’s got the mango and pineapple juicy hop thing, with some floral and soft creamy bitterness on the back end.
This is medium bodied, creamy, and easy drinking for the elevated ABV.
This doesn’t exactly stand out from the pack, but it’s hard for this style to do that at this point.
May 03, 2024This one pours a fairly hazy golden yellow color, with a small head, and lots of of lacing.
This smells primarily of mango and typical juicy hop aromas, with some light wheatiness and floral.
You’ve tasted this sort of thing many times before, but that doesn’t diminish that it’s executed pretty well. It’s got the mango and pineapple juicy hop thing, with some floral and soft creamy bitterness on the back end.
This is medium bodied, creamy, and easy drinking for the elevated ABV.
This doesn’t exactly stand out from the pack, but it’s hard for this style to do that at this point.
Reviewed by brewme from Massachusetts
4.25/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Picked up a four pack of cans at Bradford's in Plymouth for about sixteen dollars. My third brew from Kettlhead, 68th from Trillium. Canned on date on 4/6/24. Good, not great.
Apr 22, 2024
Rated by Jaccident from Massachusetts
4.19/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.19/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Not bad thought it would be somewhat better from these 2 breweries.
Apr 20, 2024
Reviewed by PSanger from Connecticut
4.01/5 rDev -5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.01/5 rDev -5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
With this beer being a collab between two stand out breweries, my hopes were sky high.
Taste is fruit artificial candy, tropical notes.
The feel is medium which is great considering the alc content.
This is a good, but not amazing beer.
Apr 14, 2024Taste is fruit artificial candy, tropical notes.
The feel is medium which is great considering the alc content.
This is a good, but not amazing beer.
Reviewed by mickyge from Massachusetts
4.19/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.19/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Collaboration between Kettlehead and Trillium
Poured from a can dated 3/15/24. Hey Buddy
Cloudy bright straw color, white soapy head that quickly dissipates thin cap slight lacing
Aromas of mango, pineapple, orange and coconut, candy and floral
Taste is juicy layered citrus and tropical fruit, a bit of a fruity cereal taste, pretty neutral between sweet and bitter
Mouthfeel is soft and creamy low carbonation and thick feeling , finished on the dry side
Overall it’s a nice drinking beer, creamy soft and tasty with juicy floral notes
Mar 28, 2024Poured from a can dated 3/15/24. Hey Buddy
Cloudy bright straw color, white soapy head that quickly dissipates thin cap slight lacing
Aromas of mango, pineapple, orange and coconut, candy and floral
Taste is juicy layered citrus and tropical fruit, a bit of a fruity cereal taste, pretty neutral between sweet and bitter
Mouthfeel is soft and creamy low carbonation and thick feeling , finished on the dry side
Overall it’s a nice drinking beer, creamy soft and tasty with juicy floral notes
Reviewed by brewandbbq from New Hampshire
4.3/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.3/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
16oz undated can.
Pours cloudy gold with an inch-plus head of dense white. Persistent retention with plenty of spongy. Candied mango, peach, and orange in the nose. Medium bodied with a soft, chewy mouthfeel. Pithy, juicy tropicals on the palate with minimal malt and a balancing bitterness. Unripe peach, apricots, papaya, honeydew. Finishes a bit sweet with lingering pungent citrus.
Dec 30, 2022Pours cloudy gold with an inch-plus head of dense white. Persistent retention with plenty of spongy. Candied mango, peach, and orange in the nose. Medium bodied with a soft, chewy mouthfeel. Pithy, juicy tropicals on the palate with minimal malt and a balancing bitterness. Unripe peach, apricots, papaya, honeydew. Finishes a bit sweet with lingering pungent citrus.
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