Beer: Victory Brewing Hop Devil
Brewery Location: Downingtown, PA
Beer Style: American IPA
Serving Style: Bottle
ABV: 6.7%
I am working my way through about six offerings from Victory Brewing right now, and I've heard and read some great things about this beer, so I was pretty excited to give it a try.
This beer pours a deep amber with one finger of white head. This is a deeper color than most other IPA's I've encountered. It does leave very good lacing on my pint glass. Hops are the only thing I smell on this beer, but that isn't really a good thing. The hop scent is rather muted and not as bold as I was expecting. I don't really pick up any other secondary scents as well. The taste is very sweet upfront with a bit of caramel before the hops take over and assert themselves, but the hops fizzle out rather quickly and leave a tea-bitterness for the rest of the beer. I am rather unsatisfied with each passing drink. The mouthfeel is rather thin, but there is quite a bit of astringency that normally isn't found on IPA's.
Overall, this was a big miss for me. I am a big hop-head, but this one fizzled out, wasn't well balanced, and the astringency wasn't expected either. This beer is so highly regarded by the masses, and I am wondering what I am missing here. I am going to try it again if I make it down to Jungle Jim's and see if it was just an off bottle.
Cheers!
Matt
5 comments:
I have a friend who is obsessed with this stuff. I had a bottle of it once at his place, and it didn't do much for me either. A bar close by (The Publick House in Brookline, MA) has Hop Devil on draught, as well as the Hop Wallop. I'm curious to see if it tastes much different or any better. Was this the one time you've had this beer?
Yea, it was my first and only time have this offering, that is why I am going to try it again and see if it was just me or the bottle.
Thanks for the "for real" review, bro. It doesn't mean I won't drink this brew, or enjoy it, but it can only be beneficial to have as many opinions available as possible. So give us the "PG" version of the deleted comment! Was it an angry Victory Brewing Co. employee, Touretteing at the mouth about your somewhat negative review? Censorship has to be worse than the beer in question.
No Elia, it was porno spam, so that is why I put the word verification box on there. It had nothing to do with the beer.
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