Lawson’s Finest Liquids Big Hoppy, a 7.5% Black IPA
| Appearance | Opaque black with a foamy tan head. |
| Aroma | Huge fresh hop aroma – citrusy and piney, with hints of roasted malts. (I’m in love. I seriously can not stop smelling this beer.) |
| Taste | The perfect balance of hops and malts; citrusy, piney, malty, roasty, earthy; bitter chocolate, smoke and coffee at the end; becomes even more complex as it warms up. |
| Mouthfeel | Medium bodied, lingering bitterness, great carbonation. |
| Overall | I absolutely adore the balance of intense hop and malt flavor. I can honestly say this is the best black IPA I’ve ever had, without a doubt. Next time I’m in Vermont, the Warren Store will be my first stop… So I can buy more Lawson’s. |
“Straight from the Green Mountains to your head,” Lawson’s Finest Liquids makes deliciously wonderful beers in Warren, Vermont. Lawson’s sets themselves apart from others with their unique styles and line of hoppy ales.
You’ll always find something different on tap at each restaurant and in bottles at the Warren Store in Warren, Vermont. Their small batch system allows them to constantly create custom craft new beers, as well as traditional styles.
Big Hoppy, or Big Hapi, is an homage to the great Red Sox hitter David Ortiz, or Big Papi. The beer is a dark and devious hoppy black ale that boasts a perfect balance of smooth roastiness and sticky, dank hoppiness. This India Black Ale is made with huge additions of five hop varieties and seven malts, creating a bold flavor profile.
When I first arrived in Middlebury, a native Vermonter and fellow craft beer lover recommended that I seek out this beer. I sent out my wonderfully awesome husband to the Warren Store at precisely the time they were expected to receive their shipment of Big Hoppy to pick up a few bottles. This beer completely lives up to the hype.
Wayne weighs in…
Looks can be deceiving, indeed. This brew is pitch black and completely opaque, with a creamy light tan head. All the hallmarks of a malty stoutish beer with subdued hop characteristics, but when I approached this beer it was hops and hops. In aroma, it is reminiscent of the crisp IPAs of the west coast. The taste begins with piney, citrusy hops but then flows into layers of the dark maltiness more expected from the look of it. It’s everything awesome about hops on top of everything awesome about malts and it works wonderfully. Delicious.”
Wanna pick this one up? Lawson’s beers can be found from the Mad River Valley to Montpelier, Waterbury, and Burlington, Vermont.
Check out… this Lawson’s blog to see what’s new with the brewery!
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And as always, toast our check-in on Untappd, and let us know what YOU think!
