Closest beer to Heady Topper

HDNR close to Heady... what? HDNR has a waaaaay more noticeable malt presence (I tried it at 10 days old, BTW).

Anyway, Double Sunshine is definitely the most similar IPA I've had to Heady Topper. Focal Banger is also pretty close. Other than those 2 phenomenal IPA's, nothing else is in the same realm. Pliny the Elder is great, but is completely distinct from Heady. If anything, HDNR is stylistically similar to Pliny.

 

Will just have to keep trying more beers til we get the answer!

 

I was scanning the thread in hopes that someone wouldn't beat me to this! It's my favorite go-to IPA, But I thought Heady had a depth that Hop Nosh, and every other IPA I've had couldn't touch!

 

I agree. I've had the pleasure of drinking Kane's Overhead only while at the Newark airport. This is my favorite DIPA.

 

Other Half All Green Everything is definitely the closest thing to Heady that I've tried.

 

If I thought I could buy another that was equal to HT I'd have a fridge full. But there's not, there's other great beers, but HT is still at the top of my list.

 

Though it's a pale ale, HopHands has a very similar hop profile. They even look alike.

 

Abrasive and Abner are the only beers I've tasted that have the same hop profile, smooth bitterness and creamy mouthfeel.

 

So much this. AGE from the can is freakishly close to Heady, even with the vastly different ABV. Abner is close too, but they are just different enough to call them "close" but not too similar. Did Abner and Heady side by side on Thanksgiving, and frankly Abner was better imo. Next time AGE is canned, I am driving to Brooklyn for some.

 

I like this post because it seems to me that people always want to compare a beer to Heady - which of course is a huge compliment to Heady. I can remember being in VT and most of the locals - who were probably tired of all the Heady talk - kept talking up Second Fiddle and SOS. To me while both excellent - they fall short of Heady. 2nd Fiddle being closer. Over the years I've heard this question many times and until recently my answer was while there are many other outstanding DIPA's and IPA's out there Heady was clearly the best. In the last year however I have been blown away by many brews but 3 really made me tingle. Tesseract from Grimm Ales - Julius from Treehouse and Epiphany from Foundation all belong in the same sentence as Heady. What a great time to be a hop head. Cheers

 

Anybody think Haze specifically from Treehouse was very close to Heady? Had it last year in growler and cans and was having flashbacks to Heady.

 

I don't actually. Haze is fantastic, but its juicyness(and all TH beers really) puts it in its own category I think.

 

Treehouse's Very Green was incredible.

 

Foothills October 2015 IPA of the Month was extremely similar to Heady

 

Grimm stuff, like tesseract, cloudbursting... is similar in juiciness and easier to come by.

 

I have no doubt that heady is a great dipa,(never had it), but I have had Pliny and Kern citra, and from looking at all the opinions of people on what beers are closest, I must come to the conclusion that its ALL hype. My opinion is find a relatively local dipa that YOU like, and enjoy!

 

Not the same but second fiddle is pretty close

 

Hoptimum really?

 

How can you call it hype when you've never had it?

 

There are plenty IMO. The best match I have found is Todd the Axe Man from Surly. Abrasive Ale is good, but not as close in taste as Todd is. Other close matches include Sip of Sunshine, Hop Drop n' Roll, and Abner.