Terrapin Big Hoppy Monster

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

Tap and bottle. The 2006 version is superb. I’ve heard sadly that they are no longer shipping it. So my case will have to last me a year. Brown/red color with a perfect thick head, wonderful balance and counterbalance between the sweek nutty maltiness and the the huge hop flavors. It’s like a baby Dreadnought. Wholly satisfying. Buy it, try it, enjoy it.

Pours a nice dark translucent brown. Nice brown sugar and nuttiness acompany a floral hoppiness. The flavor is wonderful. It is a great balance between bitter floral hops and nice caramelly malty sweetness. Not exactely a DIPA, but the bottle is right on. This is an uber hoppy malty red ale. Very very nice, and thanks to Matt(Beercellar2) for the try.

Pours a dark amber with a light tan head. You get a very strong hoppy aroma that you would expect from maybe a double IPA. This is were the name comes from I guess. Very hoppy in the taste as well with a slight grapefruit and citrus taste. Not extremely overwhelming in the hops in the taste as you would probably expect, but still very hoppy. I’ve had hoppier beers than this one. I’ve had this one many times and always seem to enjoy it.

12 oz bottle. Hazed burgundy with a small tan head and a ring of lace. Dough, orange and building caramel. Taste takes off from the nose with fruity malt sweetness that subdues grapefruit pith. Hops slowly emerge in the aftertaste with green grass. Light carb, sticky, body a bit light for a IIPA but it works. Well controlled and highly approachable.

2006 bottled. Great malty monster as much as the hoppiness, very similar to a mild barley wine... I swear! Great color and very enjoyable. One of the best Terrapin’s I’ve ever had. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2006 bottle on 5/15/07 Still a great beer, and even better when available here in SC, but me opinion has changed a bit this time. I think I would change my flavor to a lower 6/7, palate to a 2/3!, and overall down one. These last few have been a bit on the funky side as they approach their "best before date". The hops hide in the background until the linger, and still barley make themselves known. Def. not a double IPA, in my honest opinion, & I’ve had better Terrapins too. Good, but overrated.... even by me.

Thanks to Zuchinnicat. Clear red-amber body with a uniform, silky light tan head. Aroma of toasty sweet malt, biscuits and bread crusts with a faded hop profile. Dry, grainy malt flavor with lots of toasty qualities and a medium-high bitter finish. The hops clearly faded out on this one unfortunately. Unlike a mature Dreadnaught or YuleSmith, this didn’t really hold up.

12 oz. bottle, 2006. Pours a slightly hazy deep red-orange with ample fluffy crown. Decent to fair retention with mild lacing. Aroma is more complex than floral and herbal hops, there is a heavy scent of sweet malt and a slight hint of citrus. There’s also something else, though, that I can’t put my finger on... The flavour is pretty heavy on the hops, with a good bit of bitterness to go along with, but it is not nearly as hoppy as some of the other Imperial IPAs I’ve had before. There is a very strong malt backbone, just as the label claims. The taste also contains hints of citrus, especially grapefruit and lemon, and some caramel sweetness. Overall this is a very well-balanced beer, IMHO. It is totally worth more than a single try, especially since there is virtually no EtOH burn detected - it’s hidden very well. One of Terp’s best brews, hands-down. Too bad it’s a seasonal. 12 oz. bottle - 2007 vintage. Aroma dominated by intense citrus and floral hop notes, along with roasted malt and a hint of caramel and toffee. Pours a deep red-orange with a thick fluffy off-white crown, 2-3 fingers worth, with excellent retention and ample lacing. Flavour is initially very acidic with hops, easily giving way to a huge malt backbone with lots of roasty and sweet undertones. Finishes semi-dry with malt giving way to herbal and citrus hop notes. Excellent mouthfeel, above a medium body, yet creamy and moderately carbonated. 2007 is more malty and roasty than 2006 - it also has a more aggressive hop finish. An improvement upon 2006, but I look forward to cellaring a couple and re-tasting it next year.

12oz bottle via trade with CaptainCougar. 2006 bottle. Aroma: Medium sweet maltiness with notes of bread and toffee. Nice hop profile with a strong floral burst and notes of soap, citrus, and earthiness. Appearance: Dark red in color bordering on brown and clear. Light khaki head was full and foamy with good retention. Nice lacing. Flavor: Malt comes out big with bread, yeast, toasted nuts, and toffee. Hops are nice with some pine, citrus, perfumey floral, and a subtle earthiness into the finish. Bitterness is medium-strong and works well with the rest of the beer. Finish is slightly sweet. Palate: Medium-full bodied. Medium carbonation. Light alcohol warming in back of mouth. Overall: Surprisingly malty for a beer of this name. Well balanced and very tasty. I’m liking this brewery more and more.