Terrapin Hopzilla
I’ve been lucky enough to have had some excellent beers from Terrapin Beer Company — from their Rye Squared to the hard-to-find Coffe Oatmeal Imperial Stout. The company also has a slew of hop-forward beers that show that the brewery knows how to work with some lupulin.
This 10.3% ABV Imperial IPA, in the form of the monstrous Terrapin Hopzilla, is just more evidence that these guys know what they are doing. It’s obviously a very large beer, but it’s not something that’s going to completely destroy your palate. Instead the beer focuses on the citrusy fruit side of the hop flower and not necessarily the biting bitterness (oh, don’t worry there’s still plenty of bite), all the while presenting a well balanced and crafted beer.
Appearance
Hopzilla pours amber in color with a smallish, off-white head of foam that showed decent resiliency considering the higher alcohol content, as well as light lacing.
Aroma
Pine resin, grapefruit, pineapple and orange dominate the aroma while subtle caramel lingers in the background. The beer certainly packs a “hoppy” punch for the nose to enjoy.
Taste
For as hop-forward as this beer smells, it’s decidedly not hoppy in the traditional sense of a beer like this. Oh, don’t get me wrong, there’s a ton of tropical fruits that demand your attention from start to finish, but none of the otherwise expected bitterness. Bready, caramel malt and a moderate sweetness accompany the pineapple, orange and tangerine through to a dry finish that packs a heady alcohol presence that also warms the chest softly. For as big as this beer is, it’s nicely balanced.
Overall
Hopzilla is a great beer. It’s well balanced for the style and packed with a large amount of hoppy goodness. I’d still grab a bottle of that stout I mentioned above first, but would be equally happy if I were stuck with this Imperial IPA.
Rating: 4.25/5
