Reviewed By: Herr RickStyle: American IPA
State/Country: Pennsylvania
ABV: 6.7%
Serving Type: 12 oz Bottle
Look: 9.5
Deep copper, slightly hazy, with medium a head, and good lacing
Smell: 8.5
Pine, citrus, and sweet malt
Taste: 8.5
Up Front: Sweet malt, and tropical fruit
Finish: Hops, then an assertive hop bitterness
Mouthfeel: 8.5
Medium body and carbonation
Drinkability: 8.5
Refreshing easy to drink
Overall Score: 8.7
Value: 10
Cost/12 oz serving: $1.43
Overall Impression:
Hop Devil is a damn fine beer. This beer may not go over too well with Newbeez due to the bitter finish. Hop Headz will definitely enjoy it though!
SEE COMMENTS for much more on this beer
Posts
I remember when Hop Devil first hit the scene many years ago. It was a beer that almost defied description. It was classified as an IPA, yet it used all German Malts. It was also VERY hoppy, and at 6.7% abv, it was a super strong for an IPA. Had I reviewed the beer back then, it would have scored a 9.8 or even a perfect 10
ReplyDeleteThe beer also attained cult status very quickly. It was nicknamed, "The Coors of the East", NOT due to taste comparisons, but rather to the huge demand for the beer in the west. There were numerous stories of store owners purchasing vans and driving all the way to Texan to fill them up with Hop Devil, and drive back to California. It was crazy!
Hop Devil seemed to have inspired amped up IPA's all across the country, and even a new genre of beer in Southern California, called "San Diego Strong Ale", which has since become known as Imperial IPA or Double IPA.
Now, many years later, Hop Devil is pretty much an average to above average example in a sea of IPA's, but it's influence cannot be denied.
--Herr Rick