Fiddlehead Brewing Company Mastermind

Mastermind

 

Fiddlehead Brewing Company in Shelburne, Vermont, United States 🇺🇸

  IPA - Imperial New England / Hazy Rotating
Score
7.79
ABV: 8.1% IBU: 90 Ticks: 36
American Double IPA with tropical fruit notes. Straw colored with a hazy glow. Pineapple and Cantaloupe are dominant characteristics. This beer finishes with a slight tartness.

Every year we change the can design to signify a new fundraising year. 25% of all sales of Mastermind are donated to the University of Vermont Children's Hospital!
 

Sign up to add a tick or review

Join Us


     Show


7.5
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

I have been mostly happy with the IPAs I’ve had from Fiddlehead and now I have Mastermind to sample. Pint can purchased from the folks at Halftime in NY. A snifter ready to go, I tip the open can inside of the glass. A pale, hazy yellow-gold liquid with a thin skim of icy white foam. I smell mostly tropical and a bit of hoppiness. The drink is surprisingly bitter, something I do not complain about, a bit of pineapple, grapefruit, a little mango sweetness and dry crackers. A firm presence, quite full in sensation. Tasty but I’ve had others from the brewery that I appreciate more.

Tried from Can on 08 Oct 2025 at 22:39


8
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

16 oz can from Wegmans, 1/1/25. First rating of 2025, and running head first into the sad death of Rate Beer, coming rather soon. As for the beer, it is hazy yellowish, with a thin white foam of head that coats the glass in heavy lace. Pineapple, grapefruit, orange zest. Juicy, with a rind-style bitterness. Pretty good stuff. 4---

Tried from Can on 01 Jan 2025 at 21:06


7.9
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

On tap at the brewery. Pours hazy yellow. Pineapple, guava, orange, bubblegum, tangerine. Soft body. Good.

Tried from Draft on 27 May 2024 at 22:49


7.5
Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7.5 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7.5

Can shared in the train thanks to Maurice. No glass. Soft pine, sweet malts, oats, citrus zest, dried stone fruits, orange, caramel. Solid medium sweet and bitter. Oily over medium bodied. Not really a NEIPA. Solid stuff.

Tried from Can on 13 Jan 2024 at 22:40


7.8
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Can sourced from J&B Craft Drinks and drunk at home (08/11/2023) - New 🇺🇸 VT brewery ✅ pineapple prominence on the nose upon open and taste follows, sweet shop pineapple cubes, some grapefruit, satsuma and lemony citrus coming in, nice juiciness, sweet malty backbone, solid hoppy finish. Great, nice first impression.

Tried from Can on 11 Nov 2023 at 08:30


7.5
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8

Can (8/3/23) pour from The Beer Store, Salem. A cloudy orange-yellow with nice sparkle, finger-plus width head with good retention and nice lacing. Aroma is orange marmalade, citrus, stone fruit, grass. Taste is initial nonspecific fruit followed by later citrus, cereal. A bit to the lighter, thinner side for style and ABV, frothy, smooth texture, soft carbonation and dry finish with light bitterness. Aroma bests taste and on the thin side.

Tried from Can on 23 Oct 2023 at 01:19


8.4
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 9.5

Can at home from J and B Craft Drinks, 13th October 23. Pours a hazy orange. Aroma is juicy oranges, candied fruits and marmalade. Taste is grapefruit, juicy oranges, marmalade, pithy rind, good bitterness, love it

Tried from Can on 13 Oct 2023 at 16:32


8.1
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

Pours a nice hazy pale yellow from a can. Grapes, lemon, light peach syrup aroma and flavor, pleasantly dry. Very good beer.

Tried from Can on 26 May 2023 at 23:45


7.4
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8.5

Pretty excited when my free drink ticket was allowed to be used for a DIPA. My feet were killing me after running the half marathon and nothing like some high abv to dull my senses. Nose is rich tropical fruits. Tatses of mango, pineapple, floral, grass and malty. Abv is present and biting.

Tried on 08 May 2023 at 20:44


7.9
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

16 ounce can. Hazy, straw gold color. Large, frothy white head is enduring. Some spotty lacing. Fragrant citrus aroma. Notes of lemon zest, lime juice and white grape must. Flavor upfront is tart and juicy. Perhaps a hint of fresh sown hay. Then, sweetened grapefruit juice and lime. All of these flavors are supported by a sturdy biscuit malt backbone. Finishes with warming alcohol, lemony notes and a hint of orange jelly rings.

Tried from Can on 13 Oct 2022 at 04:36