Terrapin Big Hoppy Monster

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

Pours a crystal clear maroon with a modest tan head. Leaves plenty of lacing with substantial retention. Malt is the overriding aroma, with a huge dose of burnt brown sugar and a hint of booze. There are some subdued hop notes that manifest as herbal tinges. Taste isn’t really true to this beer’s name. Malt is clearly the dominant flavor, with hops playing a minor role. The burnt character comes out in the flavor as well as the aroma. The hops come out in the finish as a bitter, tannic, tea-like note. This beer is way overcarbonated, and not hoppy enough. Alcohol comes out with warmth and makes this the second (of two) Terrapin beers that I find overrated.

bottle (2007).....pours a dark reddish brown, very lively and cola like, a beige head that disappears abruptly.....chewy caramel malt take precedence over the hops as this has been sitting in the fridge for awhile.....flavors follow a similar path but the sugary malt gives way to a liight bitter finish in the end...i had this on tap while down in asheville and preferred it off the tap a little more.

Very dark for a double IPA. Pours dark red/brown with a soft khaki head. Big roasted malts, with a bit of that frosted flakes cereal taste to the toasted malts. Hops were floral and bold, citrusy and spicy. Thanks to Ughsmash for this brew.

2007 bottle...thanks to BigMilly8. Pour is deep mahogany with a thin head. Getting more malt in the aroma than hops, contrasting their description, but it is pretty light and pleasant....lots of caramel malts and dark fruit in the aroma. Flavor is damn good...lots of dark fruit (plums and raisins dominate) Lots of alcohol on the flavor as well with some bittering hops and some smooth malt in the finish...pretty complex beer overall! Was slightly worried this would be a complete hop bomb, and it wasn’t, which was a great thing! Palate is pretty oily, and pleasant. I’ve been pretty impressed with the Terrapin beers I’ve had so far, and this one didn’t disappoint. Great variation from a traditional IPA/IIPA!

2007 bottle. Pours red, clear, with small off-white head. Aroma is malty--caramel, faint alcohol. Flavor is fairly hoppy--citrus and pine, and malty--sugar and caramel, grassy hop aftertaste.

2005 bottle. Wow, what an amazingly deep ruby color. If it had a decent head, this would be a real beauty. The aroma is subtle, but of bourbon soaked oak and brown sugar. The palate is medium and soft, finishing with lots of heat in the back. Flavor is a mildly sweet, mildly bitter, best alcohol finish I’ve had. i was expecting a huge hop bomb. Maybe mine was a little too old for the hops to stick around. Probably over it’s peak. Still, very impressive and above all else, delicious.

This stuff is GREAT. Aroma hops. Taste Hops. Finish Hops. Not quite a Double Dog but brought out the hop monster in me. Color was superior, body was nice and full. Try this beer.

Vintage, 2007. Bottle courtesy of Tilley4. Pours a deep garnet with a rusty, beige head that leaves patchy, iodine colored lace sliding down the sides of the snifter. A swirl of the glass awakens a robust aroma of burnt sugar, prunes, caramel, hop resin and alcohol. You can almost get a contact buzz off of just the nose, alone. Medium-bodied and oily with soft carbonation and a woody, resinous, and moderately bitter finish. The flavor follows the nose, with a dry woodiness thrown into the mix. Having not read any of the reviews for this beer, I was expecting a typical, bright and hoppy IIPA. What I got struck me more like a fresh Old Ale. This is a solid and flavorful brew, but if you are looking for a huge, citric hop bomb, look elsewhere. If you’re looking for an interesting variation-on-the-theme, I’d definitely recommend this one. Thanks again for sending this one, Sam!