Alchemist Drop in Colorado

Agreed. I have drank a lot of Heady and a lot of NEIPA's and while Heady might have helped inspire the NEIPA movement I refuse to call it an NEIPA; the same is true of Focal Banger.

 

The whole "New England IPA" term started with Heady (and Lawson's + Maine), so I don't really see how it could lose that status. It's the others that changed and went in other directions. At the time it came out people swore up and down that Heady must have contained juice.
It's kinda like how most "West Coast" IPA's (a la Green Flash, Stone, and SN) were copper and closer to 90 Minute than say...Palate Jack or Hoparillo. The world changed around them.

 

I would take your money on that bet. Aloine Nelson was hazy and juicy before anyone in the ne was doing that shit.
On topic, thanks to all the unemployed people who bought up all the heady yesterday. Get a j9b.

 

Not sure if this is /s or not but a lot of people are working from home right now with increased flexibility. If this was /s then ignore me.

 

No sarcasm. I just wanted one fucking can man. Dudes were walking away with cases according to some of the employees at the stops I made.

 

Yeah, after I wrote that I realized I should have been more specific. I meant more like they were the first brewery to make hazy/juicy/NEIPAs their main thing, though I don't think they were called that back then. I could definitely be wrong about that, but I don't really consider Heady, Sip of Sunshine, and most of Maine to be NEIPAs as we think of them today. I have no doubt that homebrewers and various breweries brewed something close to a NEIPA over the years though.

 

I think Heady was the beer to usher in the age of turbidity. I remember guys saying they wouldn’t even taste the beer after seeing all the crap that came out of the can with the beer. They also seemed to usher in hop bursting and large dry hopping. There are aspects from both coasts in heady, and I think that makes it so unique now as well.

 

I got an extra can I could part with if you want to pick it up in the South Broadway area. Also, I might check with Wallaby's in Denver. They posted getting some in yesterday and it currently has a single like on Facebook. When I got there more than an hour later, there was plenty left. If anyone still had some, I think it would be them.

 

Shhhhhh

 

I got a four pack of each, happy to sell you a can of each at cost or just give em to ya.

 

Nabbed a 4 pack in castle rock. Thanks to all the offers guys. Its been years since I have been this stoked for a drop.

 

I got a 4-pack of Heady at Davidson's yesterday. It tastes more or less how I remember (I've had it maybe 5-6 times), although I've never had one this young before. Pretty crazy that they pulled that off.
It doesn't taste as sweet and purely fruity as Juicy Bits or (especially) Lupulin Burst, but the bitterness and hop character is definitely way different from what was coming out of San Diego and Portland in the mid to late 00's. I've always like the slight toasty note about it.
It's amusing to look through all of the FB posts where people seem to either love it or think it's the most overrated thing in the universe. I think you could literally change the name of the beer and they'd be word-for-word the same as comments about Westvleteren, Pliny the Younger, or whatever the latest candy/coffee stout is.

 

And it's better than I remembered.

 

Definitely lives up to the hype, IMO. One of the most perfect hoppy beers out there.

 

I think the other thing they (Alchemist) did earlier on than most breweries was make an IPA with not California ale yeast or some similar strain. In other words they were using English strains earlier on when all of the IPAs (especially WC IPAs) were using less expressive yeast. So I think they were innovative in the yeast and emphasis on dry hop with less bittering, which makes a more fruity aromatic beer like what we are accustomed to with the east coast style. Then it got taken to a new level by breweries like Trillium and Treehouse.

Also for the record. I love Heady Topper so much. I think if you get past the notion that it is going to be a NE IPA and also accept that this doesn't mean it's a WC IPA, it allows you to appreciate it kind of as it's own thing. And it is a lovely experience every time for me. Grassy, citrusy, a little bit bitter. So good.

 

Lagunitas used English ale strains as well. Fermentation temps can be manipulated to allow ester production, but I do agree Heady ushered yeast esters into the IPA game for certain.

 

I had an interesting revelation yesterday. I actually think Heady tastes a lot like an imperial/double version of Boulder's Hazed and Infused. They both have that same dry hop toasty flavor combo, only Heady is (obviously) way kicked up. I'm oversimplifying, but it hits the same flavor points for me.

Anyone have any insight whether we'll be getting more or does "limited distribution" really mean this was a one-time thing? Focal can still die in a fire, but I can see myself buying more Heady if it's there to be had.

 

I would imagine as things go back to normal and breweries open up we will be seeing things return to the way they were. I haven't seen any outer range drops in the last couple weeks. I've really enjoyed going in to Lukas or Davidsons and grabbing some Cerebral and Outer range but I suspect it's coming to an end.

 

Heady is good and for two or three years, it was quite easy for me to trade/buy it from an East Coaster as we headed for Dark Lord Day. Haven't traded for/bought it now for about four years. Kinda like PtE: definitely a good to great beer, but too much damn work for this old man to seek it out anymore. I can find great IPAs/DIPAs with no work (Myrcenary, Juicy Banger, Bout Damn Time, Odd 13's offerings, etc, etc). If I stumble across PtE, yeah, I get a bottle or two but don't seek it out anymore. The past two years I have looked for/gotten PtY when it's hit, however. It's great that at least one of the tappings of that has been on my days off!