Second Fiddle
Fiddlehead Brewing Company in Shelburne, Vermont, United States 🇺🇸
IPA - Imperial New England / Hazy Regular|
Score
7.65
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Extensively dry-hopped double IPA. Second Fiddle is second in name only. It’s big, juicy and aromatic. Citrus, Tropical, Pine
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8.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Tap at Arvads, Waterbury. Colour is cloudy orange with small white head. Aromas and flavours: Fruits, citrus, pine, resiny, hops and malts.
Tried
from Draft
on 15 Feb 2016
at 12:33
8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Tallboy can shared at the 10th Annual Epic & Unusual Beer Tasting, 11/29/15. Hazy orange, large foamy off-white head, good retention. Aroma of earthy, piney hops, pale malt. The taste is earthy, piney hops, tropical fruit, pale malt. Medium bodied, Nice.
Tried
from Can
on 09 Dec 2015
at 12:41
8.5/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 9
Bottom of the can stamped \"06/12/15.\"
This was poured into a tulip.
The appearance was a hazy orange color with a one finger foamy white head that dissipated within less than about 45 seconds. Light stringy lacing slides into the beer.
The smell has a big burst of mango, pineapple, oranges and lemons subtly intertwining to produce a nice blend of tropical to citrus flavors.
The taste had big bittersweet burst of the previously mentioned flavors coating my taste buds extremely nicely to lead into a nice wet citrus to tropical aftertaste and quick finish.
On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium on the body with a decent sipping quality about it. Carbonation runs nicely as an DIPA allowing a decent harshness but nothing to take away from the bitterness.
Overall, as an DIPA, this is an awesome beer to partake in. I love being able to have this right around the corner from where I currently live.
This was poured into a tulip.
The appearance was a hazy orange color with a one finger foamy white head that dissipated within less than about 45 seconds. Light stringy lacing slides into the beer.
The smell has a big burst of mango, pineapple, oranges and lemons subtly intertwining to produce a nice blend of tropical to citrus flavors.
The taste had big bittersweet burst of the previously mentioned flavors coating my taste buds extremely nicely to lead into a nice wet citrus to tropical aftertaste and quick finish.
On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium on the body with a decent sipping quality about it. Carbonation runs nicely as an DIPA allowing a decent harshness but nothing to take away from the bitterness.
Overall, as an DIPA, this is an awesome beer to partake in. I love being able to have this right around the corner from where I currently live.
Tried
from Can
on 17 Jun 2015
at 17:08
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Can: Poured a bright orangey color ale with a nice large foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of fresh floral hops notes nice citrusy notes and no bitterness. Taste is also dominated by fresh citrusy hops notes with limited bitterness and light residual sugar notes. Light fruity notes could also be detected. Body is pretty full with good carbonation. Very well brewed but lacking a little something to be placed among the great VT IPA.
Tried
from Can
on 10 Jun 2015
at 15:23
5/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 4
Texture 4
Overall 4
2 draught tulips at Lord Hobo, 5/27/15
Not the prettiest IPA, with a very rapidly receding white head topping a hazy dark copper body.
Somewhat of a difficult nose. Obviously being fresh off the tap, the beer is quite cold and I don’t expect it to be pouring forth with aroma. But I only get a bit of light caramel, oranges, touches of mangoes. With warming, it does develop nicely, allowing juicy fruits to emerge and very dry citrics. No alcohol, flaws or resin, however.
The flavor caught me very off-guard, however. Incredibly light on the palate with plentiful hop flavor and quite light on the bitterness. Stunning execution on the attenuation; it’s taken as far as it can go without getting tannic/astringent. Juicy fruits, wintergreen, varied citrus fruits all collect on the palate, but the carbonation is surprisingly ample (despite what the appearance and aroma would suggest) and the palate is easily cleared on the finish, leaving lightly bready malts and touches of biscuit character. Spent the greater part of both glasses I had wondering how this stuff could be 8.2%. Drinks much lighter yet still deliciously flavorful. Crisp, dry, not over-bittered. I was skeptical at first, but I’m a full believer now. 7/3/8/5/19
Rerate fresh can drunk 6/21/17 at Ginger Man Boston.
So the Overstable and Tejas Marron that I had from Fiddlehead earlier tonight on draught were both heavily ridden with and ruined by a dominant off note that was somewhat plasticy/popcorny and was either from heavily overworked yeast, yeast that needed changing out, or very, very stale/old/off hops. Whatever the case, I wanted to try a canned beer from them to see if it was present there as well and indeed it was, in full force. It was dry, scratchy and heavily plasticy exposing sharpness and booze and plentiful bitter hop acids. Lots of alcohol shows through, as well. Lowering the score to reflect this batch until whatever the F this is, is corrected.
Not the prettiest IPA, with a very rapidly receding white head topping a hazy dark copper body.
Somewhat of a difficult nose. Obviously being fresh off the tap, the beer is quite cold and I don’t expect it to be pouring forth with aroma. But I only get a bit of light caramel, oranges, touches of mangoes. With warming, it does develop nicely, allowing juicy fruits to emerge and very dry citrics. No alcohol, flaws or resin, however.
The flavor caught me very off-guard, however. Incredibly light on the palate with plentiful hop flavor and quite light on the bitterness. Stunning execution on the attenuation; it’s taken as far as it can go without getting tannic/astringent. Juicy fruits, wintergreen, varied citrus fruits all collect on the palate, but the carbonation is surprisingly ample (despite what the appearance and aroma would suggest) and the palate is easily cleared on the finish, leaving lightly bready malts and touches of biscuit character. Spent the greater part of both glasses I had wondering how this stuff could be 8.2%. Drinks much lighter yet still deliciously flavorful. Crisp, dry, not over-bittered. I was skeptical at first, but I’m a full believer now. 7/3/8/5/19
Rerate fresh can drunk 6/21/17 at Ginger Man Boston.
So the Overstable and Tejas Marron that I had from Fiddlehead earlier tonight on draught were both heavily ridden with and ruined by a dominant off note that was somewhat plasticy/popcorny and was either from heavily overworked yeast, yeast that needed changing out, or very, very stale/old/off hops. Whatever the case, I wanted to try a canned beer from them to see if it was present there as well and indeed it was, in full force. It was dry, scratchy and heavily plasticy exposing sharpness and booze and plentiful bitter hop acids. Lots of alcohol shows through, as well. Lowering the score to reflect this batch until whatever the F this is, is corrected.
Tried
from Draft
on 30 May 2015
at 16:31
8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Poured from a can dated 03/01/2015 courtesy of popery. Aroma is rather hoppy with a lot of tropical fruit including mango guava and melon. Some light citrus and moderate hop resin. Moderate stone fruit as well with some light cracker malt notes and a hint of caramel. Pours a slightly cloudy, but fairly clear golden copper with a large, moderately thick, slightly off white head that exhibits decent retention as it recedes. Moderate lacing and small legs. Flavor is slightly sweet with light cracker and biscuit notes as well as faint caramel and light toasted bread. Quite a bit of hop flavor including tropical fruit, citrus, stone fruit and lighter pine resin. Really nice, balanced fruity hop flavor with moderate bitterness. Light alcohol spice in the finish. Lots of tangerine, mango and peach. Mouthfeel is medium light bodied with medium carbonation. Low astringency and low alcohol warmth. Overall, this is a pretty delicious IPA that rides under the radar of other East Coast IPAs. Lots of nice fruit notes and citrus with some resin to balance it. The toasted bread malt notes work well with the hop profile.
Tried
from Can
on 04 May 2015
at 23:53
7.5/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7
Can - Pours gold white head. Nose/taste of citrus, pine, cracker malt - medium body.
Tried
from Can
on 21 Apr 2015
at 18:04
8.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
The beer is a bright and fairly pale orangey amber color. Fairly hazy liquid. The head is off white and sudsy. Very good retention with some lacing. The aroma is peaches and grapes with tangerine and pineapple. Lots of sweet fruitiness. Mild pine in the background. Light caramel, pretty mild malt character. Taste follows the aroma. It’s quite low on bitterness for the abv and general hoppiness of the beer. Lots of sweet hop fruitiness. Probably a bit low on bitterness for my taste. Finishes mildly dry. Light and smooth feel. Solid DIPA.
Tried
on 16 Apr 2015
at 22:53
8.5/10
Aroma is bursting with Vitamin C, flavor is pulpy and fleshy orange. Bitterness is suprisingly restrained.
Tried
on 01 Jan 2015
at 10:10
8.3/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Can courtesy of Thirstybird, thank you sir! Clear deep golden yellow color, fluffy white head with nice retention and lacing. Aroma of dank and earthy fruit. Taste is lightly bitter citrus. Nice.
Tried
from Can
on 03 Sep 2014
at 17:11