Terrapin Big Hoppy Monster

Brewed by Terrapin Beer Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Athens, Georgia USA

bottle from 2008 12oz four pack. pour is deep red color with small off-white head that goes away quickly. raspberry, caramel and molasses in the aroma. slick medium palate with just a hint of carbonation. sweet and strong malt taste are followed by dark fruits then a spice and rye long finish. tough one to rate - definitely interesting, but not always a joy to drink. each sip seems to bring something different.

Bottle from World Of Beer. Poured clear dark brown color with an average frothy off-white head that lasted with excellent lacing. Moderate to heavy sour citrus hoppy and light malt aroma. Medium body with a slick texture and flat carbonation. Moderate to heavy bittersweet flavor with a moderate to heavy bittersweet finish of medium to long duration. Very good balanced brew.

Bottle, fresh. Pours a deep dark amber/red with a fair tan head which faded to a slight ring. Big sweetness and citrus/pine/slight tropical fruit hop combo hit your nose first, caramelly malt and some chocolate hints. Flavor is citrus and pine hops, sweet caramel malts, brown sugar, tinge of chocolate again, lifting hop bitterness at the finish. Alcohol shows up a little in the nose and chest. Mildly astringent and some hop acidity? Not heavily carbed, but its works well. Big feeling body, and despite the abundant sweetness it isn’t syrupy or cloying.

On tap at Mellow Mushroom. This one is a zinger. Pours a dark brownish red. Nice beige head. Very dark. Flavor kicks you in the mouth with giant hops. Sweet and brown sugary. Finishes with me wanting another one....so I had one. Really liked this.

Malodorous pine sap is olfactory of astringent tasting things to come. Darker than nearly all excessive IPAs and appears thick. Initial plowing impression is mouth coating soapy smooth lubricate. Quite nasty and repulsive to the pale lager aficionado. Some darker roasty backgrounds among the quite hoppy immature grapefruit rinds. Appalling bitter therapeutic finish, creepy. Seems less than 8%! However, this is all on style. Dig it. S6L3F1T3O5

BB date 2008. Pours a clear orange-red with fair khaki head, that fades rapidly. Sweet earthy hoppiness for the aroma, but not over-the-top. First sip unleashes a very hoppy, but balanced, punch of flavor. Medium body has a syrupy slick feel. A fiery mixture of alcohol and hops in the finish. Liked this one a good deal.

Pours a deep copper with a short-lived tan head that leaves bit of lacing. The aroma has a big pine hops kick up front but immediately gives way to a big sweet caramel malt backbone. Interesting nose. The taste is just as interesting and complex as the aroma. The floral hops and sweet caramel malts fight for dominance in the taste - pine and caramel in a death match for the benefit of my tongue...nice. Great taste. The mouthfeel is sticky with hops and the malt sweetness with good carbonation. I love this stuff.

Thanks to decaturstevo for sending along this one. I would never have guessed this was a IIPA, if not for the name and description here. Seems almost like a barleywine or red ale, especially since the hops have faded. This doesn;t mean it isnt good; in fact, I liked the complexity it’s showing. Pours a deep ruby color with minimal head and lacing. Aroma is still hoppy, even after a year, but also shows a lot of yeast and malt. Flavor is very similar to a bitter barleywine, candy sugar, hops, yeast, malt, spice, maybe a touch of dark fruit. Little astringent, but that was only real gripe. That aside, this one is a very nice brew and another great offering from Terrapin.