Heady Topper gone bad?

could it be that they're using different hops thus, changing the hop flavor of this beer. could it be as simple as that?

. I think this video will help.

 

My though is that perhaps since the sale of Heady Topper is now largely at places out of their control, perhaps one of the locations I bought my beer from in Waterbury did not store it correctly.

 

Extremely unlikely. The Alchemist has their 'Authorized Heady Topper Retailer' program where each retailer understands it needs to be kept cold etc... Matteo delivers each case cold, it's kept cold at the stores. I've bought Heady all over the 25 mile radius where it is sold and it's always been nice and cold.

 

The color difference between those two beers in the video SCREAMS oxidation to me. Darkening beer is a big indicator of oxidation.

 

That's cuz the 2nd can is almost a year old.

 

we get a case of HT a month (at least) and have noticed that the recent batches have been not as good as i remember. maybe i am just tired of HT (i will cry on the inside because it's my most favorite ever)? we had a bunch of people over this weekend and they mentioned it wasn't as good as it was before either. that's my .02

 

Were you listening to The Dude's story, Donny?

 

I agree having had heady a handful of times over the past year, the last four pack that I had scared me...I thought that either I broke my palate or something was off. The easy way I thought to confirm the issue was to have the Double Sunshine sitting in my fridge the next day and then have a fresh Calcutta Cutter the day after that. Both the DS and the CC were fantastic and I had another one of the heady's from the four pack with the same result. As has been stated the first time I had heady and several times after the resin/grassy notes were way more prominent and almost progessively separated (as in several unique hop characteristics could be detected individually) throughout the sip. interesting...
btw haha even a "bad" heady is flippin delicious!

 

I had a 4 pack from this last truck sale. All 4 cans were perfectly fine.

 

Same experience here. Had some cans beginning of April that were so good I commented to all of my 3 friends on Untappd that it seems to be getting better over time. I grabbed a couple more 4 packs last week, and the first several cans were very mediocre. I wondered if it just seemed weaker comparatively since I also had growlers of S&S5, Abner, etc., or if my opinion was being influenced by the talk on here. I don't think either of those could account for the difference I noticed. Still, "bad" never crossed my mind.

 

One time, in Band Camp, I drank a Heady Topper. And it was good.

A couple of cases of Heady in my frig, both older and new. In my humble Band Camp opinion, tastes the same and as good as ever.

 

Had it HT for the first time in months and though it was great. What the heck is it with the colors on the bases of the cans, I think they are just messing with us. All four cans in my four packs had different colors.

 

This is exactly what I experienced drinking Heady on tap at Arvad's (between Reservoir & Pro Pig) in Waterbury and then from a can this weekend.
Unfortunately, that yeast and all it's flavor makes Heady Topper what it is so I doubt I'll be drinking any more of this batch.

 

And to confuse matters my buddy who I mentioned in an earlier post said he thought HT was as awesome as the first time this time. But looking at all the above I think they have a few minor QC issues to deal with.

 

I've been following this thread...I've had a lot of cans over the last year from several different batches. I had a case that I worked on for about four months and the beers tasted as good at the end as they did when they were a week old, the best.

A friend of mine brought me a new 4 pack that he got in Waterbury on Wednesday. I just opened a can. I hate to say it but I agree, this can is just not what I know Heady to be. Very subdued aroma and flavor.

 

Flashy, Jen posted the the dabs of color come from the can manufacturer. The different colors denote which actual machine made the can. If some cans fail or have issues, the manufacturer can then easily track it back to the specific machine. Has nothing to do with The Alchemist.

 

My friends and I visit Waterbury a few times a year and we always grab some heady. We just got back June 12th and we each tried a can of heady and all agreed it does not taste the same. There isn't that fresh grapefruit in your face explosion... It's still fantastic! We just came to terms that it's not the mind blower it once was. #buylotsofcases

 

Heady is Heady, the only thing that screws up the flavor is...other beer or poor food choices, of which I'm guilty of BOTH...
I say; never drink a heady after a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Nah...never.
It does not go well with other DIPAs imo...except Sip Of Sunshine. Who knows.
If a retailer mishandled the cans...people would know. It's a very small distribution area in a tiny state.

 

I think what we are all starting to realize and notice is pallet change. But in a more rapid pace. The more I have come to drink mainly "big" beers and DIPAS I have noticed that my taste changes constantly!

Do yourself a favor. Pick a few of your favorite DIPAs or IPAS out and choose an order to drink them in, including a Heady.

Then take the same beers the next day and change up the order including heady. Guarantee you will find some less appealing then you did the day before. The order, since so many of these popular aggressive beers are so strong can truly dictate what your experience is. We are so obsessed with such complex, high profile beers that when we change out pallet even the slightest bit its hard for us to get that same experience again, and it kind of bums us out.

In my opinion I don't know if Heady has ever tasted as good as it did that first time I had a taster of it years back when they opened. Time changes out thoughts and perceptions. As does the order and the beers we choose to drink.

Have fun with it, chances are it's not the brewery.