Beer Flash: Chris' "Off The Topper" IPA

Today's beer is another homebrew creation, this time from my colleague Chris. It's essentially a clone of the "Heady Topper" beer. You may recall a few years back, I reviewed the "Heady Topper," a double IPA from Vermont-based Alchemist Brewing Co. It's highly sought-after, much like Founder's "Kentucky Breakfast Stout" or Bell's "Hopslam." I was pleased that I was able to try both.

Here's what Chris had to say about the beer: it's a Northern Brewer kit beer (which means all the materials come in a kit) called "Off the Topper," in which he used 13 ounces of dry hops and 10 mL of liquid hops, and then uses a method called "hop stand," where the wort is chilled, hops are added, then re-chilled. From start to finish, Chris spent 9 weeks on this creation. His disclaimer to this beer is that he'd replace it if it wasn't carbonated enough. Luckily, it was fine! It's got the thickest foam I've ever seen - it's practically like an ice-cream float.

I like the fresh hop aroma to the beer. Taste-wise, it's got a noticeable hop profile, however danker than I remember the Heady Topper being. That being said, this is still refreshing and delicious, with a good balance to the malt and hops. Great work, Chris!