Top of the Hill Rams Head IPA

Brewed by Top of the Hill Restaurant & Brewery
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Chapel Hill, North Carolina USA

On-tap at Top of the Hill Brewpub. Appearance: Pours a clear, dark copper body with a foamy, lush white head. Smell: Pale and caramel malts with an effusive citrusy, piney hop scent. Taste: Pale malts with a medium caramel sweetness. Citrus and, to a lesser degree, earthy pine hop flavors. Medium bitterness. Finishes clean. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. Drinkability: A fine IPA, definitely worth a try.

12 oz can. Smelled like an ipa, and looked not that bad, but the flavor just wasn’t there. Defenetly would never buy this again. The hops did not bite and punch like I expected. No thanks, unless free.

Alright beer the name confused me cause i was looking for rams head ipa and it didnt show up. Nice hoppyness that my girlfriend says looks like pee from a bladder infection.

12oz can, thanks to Colin for this one. My can is labeled Ram’s Head India Pale Ale. Clear caramel copper with a 1 1/2 finger creamy off-white head, fair retention. A tthin sheet of lacing does cover the lower half of my glass. Aroma of citrus and floral hops, and a fair amount of scorched caramel (almost to the point of being toffee) sweetness. There are also some light buttery and earthy elements. Though the flavor is sweet, bitter flower petals, earth, and some citrus help keep it far from cloying. Bitter earthy finish (5-6 out of 10 on the bck corners of my tongue for bitterness). Low carbonation with a medium body. Between the two I had tonight, I’d have to say that the pale lager is a better beer from this brewery.

Can, labeled as Ram’s Head IPA. Dark reddish-copper body. The foamy, cream colored head settles quickly to a thin film. Foam sheet lacing coats the glass well. The aroma shows intensely sweet caramelized sugar malts with moderate floral and citrus hops. As the nose suggests, the flavor is too sweet. Caramel dominates the earthy, slightly peppery hops to the point that the beer is almost unrecognizable as an IPA. Medium statured, sticky, sweet palate. This one is poorly done. Just too much darn malt and not nearly enough hop character.

Pours a very pretty red orange with a nice thick two finger creamy tan head. The aroma wasn’t quite as nice as I had hoped. Piney, earhty herbal hops, more English, sweet caramel notes, basement smell. The flavor is very waxy and bitter, dry on the palate, piney earthy hops, resiny feel, caramel. Interesting but not exceptional.

The place is just up the road however the Ram’s Head in a can is below average. The aluminum could have ruined the taste.

Name: IPA
Date: 04/12/2003
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewfest, Hickory, NC

light amber, mild hop aroma, medium hop flavor, letdown after the exceptional pale ale, short bitter finish

Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 5/10; Flavor: 5/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 10/20
Rating: 2.6/5.0
Score: *4
-------- /> Name: Rams Head IPA
Date: 06/07/2007
Mode: Can
Source: Ale Atlanta

clear amber, dense white head, light malt aroma with an astrengent edge, rich sweet caramel malt flavor, nice citrus hops balance well with the sweet malt,
-------- /> Name: Rams Head IPA
Date: 02/02/2008
Mode: draft
Source: brewpub
Score: 2.9 to 3.1

clear dark copper, wispy dirty white head, lots of lace, sweet crystal malt aroma with lots of citrus and floral hops, sweet caramel and crystal malt flavor, lots of balancing citrus and earthy hops, touch of fruity citrus sweetness, nice long bitter finish,

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 12/20
Rating: 3.1/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: *4