Style: IPA (Hop Devil), Double IPA (Hop Wallop)
Served in: Pint Glasses
Size: 12oz bottles
ABV: 6.7% (Hop Devil), 8.5% (Hop Wallop)
Appearance - The color difference here is huge. Hop Devil is a dark honey amber color, while the Hop Wallop is a more golden blonde with a hint of orange hue. The Devil produces a larger head, but neither are particularly large.
Smell - HD has a dark, malty hop aroma with some heavy citrus. HW has a light, lemony citrus smell with mild hops and some faint flower notes.
Taste - Immediately HD delivers and menacing dose of malt and hops. The citrus in the smell is refreshing, and gives way to bitter hops and deep caramel and earthy malt flavors. The finish is long, with a lingering hop/malt mixture in the back of your mouth. HW starts out with intense, fruity hops and a yeasty background, followed by a short finish of bitterness and spice. A pine flavor is present behind the hops, and there isn't a trace of the hefty 8.5% ABV. Both display marvelous balance, and will easily satisfy any hophead's cravings.
Mouthfeel - The HD has a fairly heavy body, with a smooth mouthfeel and mild carbonation. HW is surprisingly light-medium in body, having a light texture and heavy carbonation.
Overall - I must be honest, I am a Victory nut. What really made me a fan of their brews though are these two outstanding beers- each proving a heavy hitter in their respective styles. The dark caramel malt and citrus hops unify to make Hop Devil a flavor bomb rivaled by few. It really hits all my weaknesses, and deserves a 97 in my book (try it on cask at Victory's brewery- it's basically the perfect beer). Hop Wallop exemplifies a superior Double IPA, with extreme hops, fruit, yeast, spice, and a complete lack of alcohol flavor (great but dangerous!). There are few DIPAs that can boast such a balanced profile, and the Wallop gets 94 points from me. If you can, stop by the Victory brewery for some great food and fantastic beers, and get that growler filled with one of these two gems!
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