Big Hoppy Monster - Terrapin Brewing Company

Big Hoppy Monster

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Athens , GA

Overall: 7.50/10 by 2 dudes

Standard Deviation: 0.5 or 6.67%

Trend: 7.50/10 over past 5 reviews

Style: American Amber/Red Ale

ABV: 8.75%

IBU: 73

Season: August

Have Another: 100%

370 beers rated with a 7.94 average
  • 7.00/10 have another
  • A: 7.0 | T: 7.0 | L: 7.0 | M: 7.0 | O: 7.0
  • sDev: 6.67% Color: Medium Amber
  • Aroma: Piney resins and a little roasty. One would expect a beer called "hoppy monster" to be a bigger hop bomb.

    1st Taste: Very good mix of dark fruits, grapefruit, sweet malt, and molasses.

    Overall: I started off a little disappointed by the aroma, but the big complex taste came to the rescuse. It an interesting beer that I would be hard pressed to easily categorize the style. There's a high abv that's not completely masked, but it doesn't bite. Like the thick and creany feel. My one knock would be that it's slightly sweeter than I'd prefer. But lot's of personality here and mostly in the proper mix.
  • 621 characters
  • Reviewed: Thursday, March 04, 2010 at 22:22:45
  • Tasted: Thursday, March 04, 2010
  • $0.00 for 12 oz. bottle
1,466 beers rated with a 7.84 average
  • 8.00/10 have another
  • A: 8.0 | T: 8.0 | L: 8.0 | M: 8.0 | O: 8.0
  • sDev: 6.67% Color: Dark Amber
  • Pours with a slight chill haze while the foam is thick, tan, somewhat frothy, and as thick as my beer pour. Retention is really good with lacing that trails the liquid back to status quo while it is somewhat thick and sticky.

    Aroma wasn't the big blast of hops I was expecting from the name. More sweet and toffee malt with resinous and citrus/piney hop scent. Brown sugar too.

    Taste is bigger than the aroma but still not "big" like the name suggests. Malt is sweet and toffee again while the hops is citrus and pine (very faint). A lingering of sweet through to the after taste. Dark fruits and spice seem to be part of the middle to the end giving a level of complexity.

    Medium bodied but expected more while the carbonation was good and a tad prickly.

    The alcohol is well hidden, surprising you with a kick. The layers and level of complexity are also surprising. It took me about half the beer before I really started liking it an noticing everything within the confines of my pint glass. Enjoy!
  • 1,023 characters
  • Reviewed: Thursday, March 04, 2010 at 22:18:59
  • Tasted: Thursday, March 04, 2010
  • $0.00 for 12 oz. bottle
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    over 670 ratings
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Malts
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Hops
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