HOPIQ FACEOFF
64%
Overall similarity
HOPIQ TAKE
Pliny if you want the West Coast Double IPA that defined the style, Heady Topper if you want the East Coast answer that invented what became NEIPA. Both are 8% ABV Double IPAs from small US breweries that acquired mythical status by being exceptionally good and exceptionally hard to get. But they represent two different paradigms. Pliny (Russian River, Santa Rosa, since 2000) is bright, dry, resinous, deeply piney — the classical West Coast Double IPA at its highest expression: hop-forward with a lean malt bill that lets the bitterness carry. Heady Topper (The Alchemist, Vermont, since 2003) is opaque, unfiltered, wildly fruity — mango, grapefruit, tropical — the beer that showed the industry that IPA could go hazy and juicy. Neither is objectively better; they're solutions to different taste questions. Fresh Pliny is a religious experience for a certain West Coast type; fresh Heady is the same for a certain East Coast one.
See what fits your taste
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WHEN TO CHOOSE WHICH
Pick Pliny the Elder when…
- →You want the West Coast reference — pine, resin, dry bitter
- →You appreciate hop-driven clarity and restraint over impact
- →You are drinking one carefully, savouring the balance
Pick Heady Topper when…
- →You want the fruit-forward hazy that started the NEIPA revolution
- →You want a Double IPA that hides its alcohol softly
- →You want the beer that Vermont pilgrimages exist for
SIDE BY SIDE
| Pliny the Elder | Heady Topper | |
| ABV | 8.0% | 8.0% |
| Bitterness | Very bitter | Very bitter |
| Colour | Pale gold, SRM 9 | Hazy pale gold, SRM 5 |
| Style | Double IPA | Double IPA |
| Origin | United States | United States |
WHAT IT TASTES OF
Both beers
STRUCTURE — HOW IT'S BUILT
TASTING NOTES
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why is Pliny so hard to find?
Russian River deliberately keeps distribution tight — no East Coast shipping, limited allocations even in California — because the beer is designed to be drunk fresh. Hop character degrades over weeks; Russian River would rather ship less and keep it fresh than expand and let stale kegs land in bars. It's an inventory-management philosophy that doubles as a marketing halo.
Do you really have to drink Heady Topper from the can?
The Alchemist prints 'Drink from the can' on every one. The stated reason: hop aroma volatiles concentrate in the smaller opening and reach your nose more intensely than from a glass. Practical reason: many drinkers agree it does smell more intense that way — but a glass shows off the haze and colour, so a lot of people ignore the instruction. Both work; the can-first thing is real advice, not just marketing.