Review a Brew: Heady Topper – Can or No Can?

As close to crawling inside a can as I’ll get…

If you’ve been reading this blog, you know the strong feelings I have for Heady Topper, the Double IPA from The Alchemist in Waterbury, VT.  The two of us have had a borderline-romantic relationship as I’ve sipped and savored my way through the stash I picked up at their cannery two weeks ago.  But it hasn’t been all rainbows and roses (despite any flowery hop-notes in the flavor profile).  No, like any good partner, Heady has challenged my pre-existing beliefs about beer.  You see, when I started learning more and more about craft beer a few years ago, I came across one steadfast rule: always pour your beer.  Always.  So much of a beer’s flavor is in the aroma and, I was told, waiting to be released with a hearty pour and a thick head.  Moreover, I learned, you should really have the proper type of glassware.  Tall and thin glasses for bubbly hefeweizens, bulbous snifters for pungent IPAs, etc.

But, lo and behold, plastered in big, bold letters across the top of every can of Heady Topper is the command, DRINK FROM THE CAN!  So I trusted the brewers (they sure as hell know their beer a lot better than I do) and kept my first couple Headys in their cans and far away from my glassware cabinet.  And I can’t argue with the results.  Heady from the can was extraordinary.  But I eventually became curious.  Wouldn’t it benefit from a bit of aroma-inducing head?  Would different flavors emerge?  What the hell color is this beer anyway?

So I decided to do a side-by-side comparison.  I poured a little over half of a can into one of my favorite tulip glasses and kept the rest safely inside.  Here’s what I found.  

Review a Brew: Hill Farmstead Abner and Edward (with a guest review from Audrey)

Like I mentioned in my last post, I plan on spreading all of my Vermont related content over a couple of pieces.  To start us off, let’s talk Hill Farmstead.  The small brewery, located in Greensboro, VT (unfortunately we weren’t able to make it up there) has grown quite the reputation in the craft beer community, and as they don’t distribute out of state, I was on the lookout for their beer from the moment we got to Vermont.  I finally struck gold when we got to the Farmhouse Tap and Grill in Burlington saw that they had their pale ale, Edward and their Double IPA, Abner on tap (named after ancestors of the family, apparently).  We headed to their downstairs bar, grabbed a spot in front of the fireplace, and ordered one of each.

Abner (left) and Edward (right) at Farmhouse Grill and Tap in Burlington

Now, I somehow convinced my girlfriend that taking notes and reviewing beer was way more fun than just cozy-ing up by the fire and drinking it (still not sure how I managed that), so below you’ll find my thoughts on Abner followed by Audrey’s on Edward in an Official Hop Hub Featured Review.  If she asks, that’s totally a big deal.  

Who Needs The Beach? Spending Spring Break Drinking Beer in Vermont

While I created this blog to focus specifically on craft beer in Boston, the beer culture here has really come to involve New England as a whole.  So when my girlfriend suggested we spend a couple of nights drinking beer and eating cheese at a bed and breakfast in Vergennes, Vermont (a special shout-out to the Strong House Inn and Mary’s delicious banana pancakes), I jumped at the opportunity.  I don’t think too many boyfriends could get away with spending their Spring Break driving around snowy Vermont looking for rare IPAs, but I guess I’m one of the lucky ones, so a big thanks to her (and look out for her upcoming guest review)!

Ok, let’s get to the beer.  I’m going to spread all of the hoppy details across a couple of reviews and features over the next couple of days, but here are a few things that I learned.

1. It is entirely possible (and enjoyable, and recommended) to drink only beer from Vermont while traveling in the state.  Really, as much as I love beer from other parts of the country, you’re in a state that’s crazy for craft beer.  Take advantage of it.
2. The Alchemist’s Heady Topper Double IPA is every bit as good as they say it is (it currently holds the top spot on BeerAdvocate and has a 100 rating on ratebeer).  Hype has become a big factor in craft beer, and a lot of the time I think that it’s a little overblown or based more on rarity than quality.  But I have to say, popping open a fresh Heady we had picked up hours earlier at the cannery in Waterbury while sitting in front of the fireplace in our room was one of the best drinking experiences of my life.  I’ll give it a full review in a later post, but for now I’ll say this: I wouldn’t have been surprised if I had found full hop flowers stuck between my teeth after finishing the can.