Victory Hop Devil

Price                                    1.99 per 12 ounce bottle
ABV                                      6.7%
IBU                                       N/A
Plato                                     N/A
Seasonal                                No

Commercial Description: Menacingly delicious, with the powerful, aromatic punch of whole flower American hops backed up by rich, German malts. HopDevil Ale offers a roller coaster ride of flavor, coasting to a smooth finish that satisfies fully.

This is another of the singles run from Total Wine and More in Greenville South Carolina. I got this bottle and was excited about it, the other beer sites had rated it pretty high. My only concern was that alot of reviewers had mentioned that it did not contain the bite normally associated with an extra hopped ale. Still most of them enjoyed the beer, so I was undaunted.

It pours a murky copper color, (if you do it right) not clear at all. It has a medium head that is slightly off white and has good retention. It smells of hops. The citrus notes are there and there is a little Christmas pine mingled in. I was hoping for a little more, I mean they do call it Hop Devil.
Don't get me wrong, it smells good, just not what I was expecting.

The taste is all hops but not bitter. I am not sure as to how you can get sweet mixed with hops, but that's the only way I can describe it. The sweet does go away as I wash it around in my head, its an odd aspect for this type of beer. The hop flavors are not overpowering, and there is some malt, its just different. It does have a very dry crisp flavor. I like it.

The finish is weak compared to what I am used to. It has a small amount of bite and is very smooth.  I guess the old saying is true, you will catch more flies with honey. A brewer would be out of his mind to make just the type of hoppy beer that I like, he would go broke quick, hell even I only buy a few at a time.

Well its not as strong as I would have expected but , is a very good brew. Don't expect any thing to write home about. It is well worth the money and is a good representation of an IPA.