Terrapin Big Hoppy Monster
This mammoth imperial red ale leads with a tantalizing hop aroma that is quickly complemented by an enormous malt backbone. Finishing with a multitude of hoppy goodness, this “Monster Beer” is truly not for the faint at heart.
3.8
739 reviews
Athens, United States
Community reviews
From a 12 oz bottle shared at home. Pours a clear amber with a thick off white head that recedes leaving lots of lacing. Citrus hop nose. Flavors of grass and caramel. Moderate to sweet flavors. Slightly bitter finish
10/3/2010. From bottle. Hoppy aromas with pine, citrus, bread, caramel. A little buttery, but malty and hoppy flavors soon take over. Darn good!
Pours a very very dark red. Almost brown/copper color. Very thin white head that goes away fast.
Smells of raisins and other dark fruits with some sweet malt/caramel. Very little hop profile in the nose as malts dominate.
Taste is very malt forward. For something called Big Hoppy Monster the hops are nowhere near the malts on this. More raisins and sweet caramel in the taste. Almost a profile of more of a slightly hoppier Belgian than an American red.
Mouthfeel is a little bit low considering the sweetness of the brew. Carbonation levels are med-low.
Really kind of disappointed in this. It’s not bad, but I’d expect something with this name to be considerably hoppier than it is and not a fan of the dark fruit profile. I’ve got some other Terrapin brews that I hope I’ll like better.
Pours a light copper. super tasty. Aroma of caramel, pine, and hops. Hop heavy, but that goes without saying. Fruity malt in the front hop bite in the back. one of my favorites from Terrapin.
One finger head, fully diminishing, good lacing, red color, boozy, it is a decent beer but a bit on the boozy side.
Pours a clear copper on tap with thin lacy head and light lacing. Aroma of caramel malt and piney resinous hops. Taste is big on the malt, dark fruits and caramel, with a bitter hop bite at the end. Pretty good, but was honestly expecting more hops considering the name.
Fat på Lost Kangaroo, Bradenton, FL. Rödbrun öl med ett beige skum. Mycket maltighet men även humle med dragning åt citrushållet. I smaken finns maltighet, karamellsötma och en bra dos humle som innehåller både tallbar och citrustoner.
Jan 12, 2013. 12oz bottle gifted from digital_aura. Pours hazy caramel red hue with thin off white cap. Aroma of pine and hops. First sip is sweet caramel biscuit malts with accents of dark fruit up front. The hops follows to balance sweetness with a nice, strong bitter hop finish. Full bodied complex flavour with fruit appearing here and there amongst a well balanced malt and hop brew. Palate is simple and thin for the boldness in flavour and low carbonation allows full-bodied flavours to shine. Perfect as transitional beer from IPA to malts or stouts.
From Bottle. Pours a deep red color with a small head. Aroma is dark sweet fruit, hops and a wood or earthy aroma. Taste follows with a sweet malt and balanced hop bitter that masked the higher ABV. A warmer but good anytime.
[4583-20120704] Bottle. Smoked fruit skins and candied malt aroma. Hazy, dark amber brown body with a quick creamy off-white head. Smoked fruity cheese malt flavour is thick with booze. Full body. Tasty and fulfilling. (7/3/7/4/14) 3.5
(w/ jercraigs)
12 oz. bottle. Found in World Of Beer store in St. Petersburg, Florida. Pours a sunset red hue with small soapy head and lace. Aroma is pine and orange scents. Tastes initially balanced - malty sweet and bitter hops but finishes with a smooth fruity punch bitterness. Theres some awful medicinal tastes in the finish ad well though. Could use more action in the carbonation as this seems rather fault and watery. Still, an ok beer by the campfire.
12 oz bottles This was purchased for a business meeting on the Outer Banks. The ale poured deep amber with a small head. The amber was not clear. Nice bitterness with some old spruce flavors. This is strong ale with medium body and average carbonation. The alcohol was well balanced with the caramel malts. The slightly bitter finish was an excellent. Purchased another from Total Wine. Lowered score a bit.
Bottle->SA glass. Dafk hazy amber with lite off-white head. Aroma is hops and malt. Taste is heavy malt, with dark fruits and a base of hops. Smooth and good, if a touch sweet.
I was surprised to pick up a bit of smokiness in with the caramel sweet malt. Almost tastes like an overhopped scotch ale. Really enjoying this one a lot. I guess with a name like "hoppy monster" I wasn’t expecting as much balance with the malts but it is a pleasant surprise. Fabulous beer.
The aroma is quite nice, caramel, malt and oak. It pours very clear with a red tint, small head. The flavor has the wood and a very nice amber ale feel to it. Well balanced and very tasty.
Bold, robust red that hides the ABV well and presents a nice, round flavor profile. Fairly well balanced. Great nose. Don’t go in to this expecting a typical amber/red ale, though. This is much bigger and heavier.
Draft at Fermentation. Deep amber pour with a small white head. Aroma is strong malt, resinous hops, booze and green vegetables. Flavor is a huge mess of hot alcohol, astringent hops, and overly sugar sweet caramel malt. Hated this.
Bottle to snifter (thanks Bunker). Looks solid; a semi-transparent brandish-brown with off-white lacing. Smells hot and malty. Tastes like it smells with some hops. Average on the palate. Alright.
On tap in a sniffer , dark mahogany brown. Nose is sweet hops with vanilla bean. Taste is all sweet citrus, and tropical fruit. Finish is sweet and delicious. Quaff Score 9 / 10
Draught. Pours a very dark amber with a moderate head. Though this isn’t the aged version, it smells like its been aged in bourbon barrels. Almost chocolatey taste.
12oz bottle poured into snifter glass. Hazy dark-reddish brown color with very minimal tan head. Aroma of heavy caramel malt, dark fruit and pine/citrus hops. Taste is more caramel malt, some chocolate and ends with the heavy pine hops. Medium and smooth palate. Much sweeter and hop-subtle then expected but it works!
2012-07-03. Dark red-brown body, nice foamy tan head and lace. Modest aroma, muted leafy green hops over sweet caramel accented malt. 7+ Flavour is similar, fairly sweet with mild leafy hops in the background, very light citrus and bitterness in the finish, but overall impression is on the sweet side. Subtle fruit accents. The hops seems to be cumulative, growing slowly but steadily as you drink your way through the glass. Very smooth average plus palate. 3+ I found the hops more subtle than I expected, which I initially attributed to it being an older bottle but I see that other ratings have had similar assessments. Enjoyable either way, just not quite what I was expecting. Bottle via trade with josefiak
16th May 2010
Cloudy dark brown beer. Nice creamy tan head. Nose of old chocolate malt. Palate is soft and a little dry. Soft chocolatey malt, tasting a lot less aged than it smells. The malty goodness turns quite creamy. Some hop comes through and provides a semblance of balance. Finishes soft and semi dry with minerals and hop bitterness and sting. Another easy drinking beer from Terrapin.
Very malty aroma. Sweet flavor with a little hoppy finish. Excellent beer highly drinkable. Greatly impressed.
Bottle. Poured a very murky amber with small tan head. Aromas are heavily burnt caramel for an overall intense sweetness. Almost too much, but the delicious funky hops made it tameable. Other scents of peach, mint, and apple. Taste is malty caramel sugar with bitter hops on the tongue. Unique but good double from Terrapin. Very drinkable for 8.3% alcohol.
Pours darker than most "supposed" Imperial IPAs. Tastes mostly of caramel, roots, yeast and hops but the hops are sincerely subdued for the style. Huh. I wrote "bitter graham cracker" in my notes.
Bottle. Poured a muddy brown, with a khaki head, and a ton of floaters. Smell is very malt-forward. I am picking up whiskey, caramel, marshmallows, brown sugar, raisins, alcohol, and some pine. Taste is much the same, with tocuhes of caramel, raisins, alcohol, and a big bitter finish. I was kind of put-off by the sweetness at first, but as it begins to warm it is becoming a lot more smooth. Mouthfeel is creamy with lively carbonation. Overall, very sweet, but with heavy bitterness. Not bad.
Very Malt Heavy ale combined with a very complex flavor. We’ve got Rum Raisin, Brown Sugar, Maple, Caramel, Floral Hops, Figs and Spices. Very creamy and smooth to drink. Not the big hoppy monster it so proudly claims to be, but it’s easy to overlook because this is easily one of the tastiest beers I have ever had!
Originally reviewed: 11/25/08. I’ve been looking forward to giving this seasonal a try! Pours a deep crimson with a tiny head. What little is there dissipates to an even thinner sheet. Some spotty lacing. Smells of cherries, watermelon, alcohol, and some citrus. Very smooth creamy mouthfeel masks the alcohol content quite well making this very drinkable. Nice and balanced taste. Some sweet malt, but a nice crisp smack of bitterness at the end. This is a great red ale, and a sure thing for the season. Pick some up if you can.
Whoa. Nose on this one is really interesting - smells a lot like a wee heavy with a hint of hops. Lots of malt, caramel sweetness, and dark pitted fruits with a grassy hop finish. Not was I was expecting from an Imperial Red Ale named "hoppy monster"
It pours out a murky dark amber/red with an initial blast of off white foam that settles down quickly. Taste follows the nose - sweet, malty and full of dark fruit. Finish is a touch boozy with some crisp bitter hops to help clear the palate.
It’s a full bodied beer that is thick and sticky with light carbonation. Overall, not what I expected but a nice meer.