About
The Alchemist is a family run brewery specializing in fresh, unfiltered IPA. John and Jen Kimmich originally opened The Alchemist as a 60 seat brew pub in the village of Waterbury in 2003. After eight years of success and growing popularity, they decided to open a small production brewery. Today The Alchemist currently operates two breweries in Vermont and distributes Heady Topper and Focal Banger throughout the state.
8.5/10
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Appearance 9
Aroma 8.5
Flavor 8.5
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Can, undated, from CLW. Thanks, Chris. Drunk 6/24/25.
Clear blonde-golden. Large, rocky, white head settles out at spotty cover.
Herbal nose with grassiness and some spice. Lots of honey-like malts to balance. Pinch of sourdough on the end. Quite hoppy!
Lovely texture, wow! Rich sourdough baguette coated with honey, with a strong, dried herb and grass character from the strong, spicy hops. You could certainly accuse it of being over-hopped, but they're noble hops, so it's pretty endearing. Rich and malty, spicy and clean.
Clear blonde-golden. Large, rocky, white head settles out at spotty cover.
Herbal nose with grassiness and some spice. Lots of honey-like malts to balance. Pinch of sourdough on the end. Quite hoppy!
Lovely texture, wow! Rich sourdough baguette coated with honey, with a strong, dried herb and grass character from the strong, spicy hops. You could certainly accuse it of being over-hopped, but they're noble hops, so it's pretty endearing. Rich and malty, spicy and clean.
Tried
from Can
at
The Alchemist
on 24 Jun 2025
at 22:17
7.3/10
—
Appearance 9
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 7
Overall 7
Can from trade with CLW--thanks, Chris! Clear, pale yellow, tons of sparkle, thick head with excellent retention and nice soapy lacing. Aroma is strong pale malts, light fruit, cracker. Taste is strong pale malts, vague fruit, cracker. Smooth, frothy texture, soft carbonation, super dry, crisp finish.
Tried
from Can
on 21 Jun 2025
at 01:37
8/10
Thanks Chris, floral, citrus, pine, soft bread. Balanced, crisp, flavorful.
Tried
from Can
on 19 Jun 2025
at 20:05
7.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 7
Overall 7
Can from the source. It pours murky blonde with a decent white head. The aroma is fresh, ripe stone fruits, juicy pineapple, peaches & cream, plum, candied lemon, weedy, dank, hop slurry, touch of spent grain and light rawness. The taste is dry, bitterness which builds, candied lemon, waxy peel, plum, pineapple, underlying sweetness, fragrant, floral, rather green, weedy, slightly raw, dank, floury bread, slightly chalky and peppery spice with a drying, bitter linger. Average body and moderate, fluffy carbonation. Decent enough hazy, but lacks the Alchemist wow in my opinion, particularly the flavour as opposed to aroma.
Tried
from Can
on 18 Jun 2025
at 17:38
9/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 9
23 February 2025. Can from J&B Craft Drinks. Canned: 5/11/2024.
Hazy ochre, stable, small, foamy, white head. Aroma of ripe tangerine, grapefruit, sweat, onion, hashish, sweaty cheese, old orange juice, biscuit, pine resin. Taste has sweetish tangerine, melon & grape quickly turning towards bitter grapefruit & orange peel in a peanutty, biscuity malt body with hints of dank cheese & onion. Very bitter finish of piney & resinous hops, grapefruity, tonic-like almost, with herbal, green & dank edges. Medium body, oily texture, soft carbonation. Impressive stuff, juiciness contained in a raw profile. Well worth its price on the aforementioned webshop.
Hazy ochre, stable, small, foamy, white head. Aroma of ripe tangerine, grapefruit, sweat, onion, hashish, sweaty cheese, old orange juice, biscuit, pine resin. Taste has sweetish tangerine, melon & grape quickly turning towards bitter grapefruit & orange peel in a peanutty, biscuity malt body with hints of dank cheese & onion. Very bitter finish of piney & resinous hops, grapefruity, tonic-like almost, with herbal, green & dank edges. Medium body, oily texture, soft carbonation. Impressive stuff, juiciness contained in a raw profile. Well worth its price on the aforementioned webshop.
Tried
on 12 Jun 2025
at 13:03
8.3/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
16 oz can. Aroma has bready malt under grapefruit and weak peach. Flavor has the grapefruit and a softer bread malt background. Almost no herb or pine here. Solid amount of juice character. Extremely easy to drink. A nice hop blend here!
Tried
from Can
at
The Alchemist
on 11 Jun 2025
at 22:03
8.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 9
Overall 9
Can from the brewery drunk 6/10/25.
Moderately hazy, tangerine-lemon-brass. Medium-sized, white head, good retention.
Soft pine and grapefruit turning to juicy peach and light white grape. Some honeydew melon in there, too, alongside soft, succulent, honey-like base malt. Light and fluffy, soft and juicy, yet very aromatic and intensely-well-expressed with no weirdness/alcohol/resin.
Fruity, juicy, with earth and mineral. Leathery white peach, mild pine backbone with light biscuit to play against the soft, honey-like pils malt. Ample bitterness, not overdone. Just a wonderfully-malted texture with appropriate attenuation. This series is such a joy!
Moderately hazy, tangerine-lemon-brass. Medium-sized, white head, good retention.
Soft pine and grapefruit turning to juicy peach and light white grape. Some honeydew melon in there, too, alongside soft, succulent, honey-like base malt. Light and fluffy, soft and juicy, yet very aromatic and intensely-well-expressed with no weirdness/alcohol/resin.
Fruity, juicy, with earth and mineral. Leathery white peach, mild pine backbone with light biscuit to play against the soft, honey-like pils malt. Ample bitterness, not overdone. Just a wonderfully-malted texture with appropriate attenuation. This series is such a joy!
Tried
from Can
on 10 Jun 2025
at 19:32
7.8/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 7
Overall 8
16 oz can. The aroma is grass and floral on top of malt. Kind of pungent. Flavor has baked bread and softer malt. The hops provide pine and soft florals. Pretty well balanced. Just the right amount of bitterness. Nice brew.
Tried
from Can
at
The Alchemist
on 01 Jun 2025
at 05:20
7.5/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
16 oz can from the source. Bread and hay aromas. Crisp with lemon and sourdough front to back. Medium length earthy finish. Low hop element with a lot of bread. Somewhat crisp in texture. Solid enough for the style.
Tried
from Can
at
The Alchemist
on 24 May 2025
at 23:39
8.1/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 8
Flavor 8.5
Texture 9
Overall 8
Can at the source. Aroma is mild orange and soft roast. Flavor is NOT typical Black IPA. Orange, lemon with mild roasted grains. Bitterness in the form of citrus peel.
Tried
from Can
at
The Alchemist
on 22 May 2025
at 19:11