(pics by Mel Casano)
The Brewery: The Alchemist (Waterbury, VT)
The Brew: Heady Topper (DIPA)
Availability: Cans, draft
ABV: 8.0% // IBUs: 120
Rating: 10/10
Location: The Alchemist Cannery / Home
The Story? If you've been reading of late, you've seen the slathering of posts around my Vermont beer trip - Hill Farmstead, Rock Art, Prohibition Pig, Farmhouse Bar & Grill, Fiddlehead, and so on. This final post is what launched the whole trip in the first place.
I was introduced to Heady Topper by a musician friend in Ithaca who grew up and is now back in Vermont. He generously gifted me three cans of HT early this year after a show. It had been on my radar with all the hype around the sought after Double IPA, so I was more than obliged .
Even on first sip back in February, I was completely hooked. Can #1 I split with my partner - poured into a glass to see all its rustic, unfiltered glory. The second I traded to my friend Maciej in exchange for a sixer of homebrews, so he could experience Heady Topper before moving back to Poland. The final can I shared with my partner's sister and brother-in-law, who took us on our first Vermont excursion with several years back.
For those out of the loop, the only way to obtain a significant amount of glorious Heady Topper, is to get it direct from the cannery. They can on Monday and Wednesday and are typically sell out in a day or two. So, we planned our vacation around being at The Alchemist in time for their 11:00AM opening on Monday.
There was a line when we arrived at 10:40 as expected, but they opened early and moved patrons through very effectively. Their retail shop is set up conveniently where you enter, check out their merch and the story of Heady Topper, enjoy a sample of Heady Topper right off the line, check out their modest canning/brewing operation, and buy up to 1 case of HT cans per person - all cold and ready to be enjoyed. The Alchemist is likely the cleanest, most effectively run, small craft beer operation on the patron side that I've encountered so far. We were in and out in about 15 minutes with everything we'd hoped for.
(behind the scenes)
The Beer? At the cannery, I had my first draft experience of the beer. Incredible, dank, fresh hop power with fluffy head and beautiful unfiltered gold color.
When not on tap, I would recommending heading the instruction to "Drink from the can!" as this baby is unfiltered and you can stir things up pouring it.
Popping open a can, it's big, bright, and fresh, with a supreme balance of velvety smooth mouthfeel, sweet start, and dense hop bitterness and hop hotness that is truly unmatched. Orange, grapefruit, pine, and resin flavors swirl around in glorious harmony. The hops are BIG, but don't destroy your palate in the way some 100+ IBU brews do.
The 8% ABV peaks through with a slight touch of booze on the finish along with a delicious hop spice. This is full, hop-head glory that isn't the most bitter, the most brutal, but... it is one of the best. This is close to my 10th can and each time is as good as the first. The fact that The Alchemist found success on balance being the key in their ultra-hopped version of one of the biggest big-beer styles out there is impressive. Believe the hype.
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