Focal Banger
- 🍺 Style: American IPA (New England IPA)
- 📊 ABV & IBU: 7.0% ABV – 90 IBU
- 🌑 Appearance: Pale golden, slightly hazy, dense and lasting white head
- 👃 Aroma: Burst of Citra & Mosaic hops, citrus (orange, grapefruit), light tropical fruits, resinous pine, floral/herbal touch
- 👅 Flavor: Hop-forward, citrus zest, resinous notes, tropical hint; subtle malty backbone
- 🔥 Finish: Dry, resinous, lingering on pine and citrus peel
- 🏅 Reception: Regarded as a global benchmark of the style
- ⭐ UNTAPPD Rating: 4.4 / 5 (-> here)
Focal Banger (The Alchemist) – A Global Reference
Introduction
Focal Banger is a renowned American IPA brewed by The Alchemist (Vermont, USA). It is an American IPA in the New England style (hazy IPA) with 7.0% ABV. The beer shows 90 IBUs and features an intense hop profile using only American Citra and Mosaic hops. Its recipe also includes English pale ale malts to provide a subtle malty backbone. Focal Banger is packaged in 16 oz cans, unfiltered and unpasteurized, with the brewer recommending drinking it directly from the can to best preserve the hop aromas.
Sensory Profile
Color and Appearance
Focal Banger displays a bright golden-yellow body, slightly hazy (unfiltered). It forms a generous and lasting white head. Critics often describe it as “pale gold” or “shining golden.”
Aroma
The nose is dominated by fresh hops. Strong citrus notes (orange, grapefruit) blend with resinous and pine touches. Light tropical fruits (papaya, banana) emerge in the background. Some tasters also detect a faint herbal or earthy character (“grass, pine, earth”) along with a subtle floral hint. Overall, the bouquet is intensely hoppy, vibrant, and “packed with fruit.”
Taste and Bitterness
On the palate, Focal Banger fully confirms its hop-forward profile. The flavor is dominated by a strong hop presence: ripe citrus (orange, grapefruit, pink grapefruit), spicy resinous notes (pine), and a subtle tropical touch (light mango/papaya). The bitterness is sharp and pronounced (90 IBU) yet generally considered well-balanced: immediately noticeable (grapefruit, orange peel, resin) without overwhelming the fruity aromatics. Many tasters highlight a particularly dry and resinous finish, where pine and citrus bitterness lingers on the palate.
Body and Texture
The beer has a medium body for an IPA. The texture is often described as creamy, “soft,” or slightly oily, despite moderate carbonation. It delivers a smooth and “tight” mouthfeel, with a rather silky body. This roundness comes from the English base malt and the wort’s haze. The low carbonation enhances the creamy impression. Overall, the balance is well-managed: neither too thin nor too heavy, with a clean, crisp finish that leaves a slight freshness on the palate.
Finish
The finish is dry and hop-driven, extending the hop flavors on the palate. It delivers a lingering bitterness of pine and grapefruit rind, supported by a subtle malty backbone that provides just enough residual sugar to balance the roundness without adding excessive sweetness. Fruity notes fade slightly toward the end, leaving impressions of orange zest and resinous pine. The “clean malty” finish is relatively short, reminiscent of a classic American IPA.
Summary
Focal Banger delivers an intensely hoppy and fruity profile (citrus, light tropical notes, pine resin) with a firm bitterness and a smooth, creamy texture. This profile is typical of North American New England–style IPAs, combining fresh fruitiness with resinous bitterness.
Identity, Recipe, and Positioning
Focal Banger was launched as the second year-round beer brewed by The Alchemist, alongside the iconic Heady Topper. It is intended as the quintessence of the “old-school” modern American IPA. The recipe highlights the purity of Citra and Mosaic hops: no fruit extracts or exotic spices, but a classic blend of citrus and resin aromas with a moderately malty body. The English malt provides a light biscuity base, yet hops dominate the beer, which is why the brewer instructs drinkers not to pour it, but to drink it directly from the can to capture all the hop aromatic compounds.
In the landscape of American IPAs, Focal Banger stands out for its combination of pronounced bitterness and vibrant fruit flavors. Compared to Heady Topper, which is stronger (8% ABV) and spicier, Focal Banger is “lighter” in alcohol (7%) and slightly less heavy, yet perceived by many as more “juicy” and fruit-forward. Some enthusiasts even describe it as “more tropical” and both simpler and smoother to drink than Heady Topper. In short, it is a highly balanced and meticulously crafted IPA: one expert noted it was “perfectly hopped and well balanced with the addition of English malts.”
On a qualitative level, Focal Banger holds a premium position in the IPA world. It is often cited as a benchmark of the style, thanks to the exceptional quality of its hopping and the freshness of the product. The brewer emphasizes both freshness and the “invigorating” character of the hops, stating that the beer is “at its best when it is young, fresh, and hazy.”
Expert Reviews and Critical Reception
Focal Banger has been met with highly enthusiastic reception from both experts and beer enthusiasts. On BeerAdvocate, it holds the maximum score of 100 (World-Class) with thousands of positive reviews. A specialized blogger described it as “one of the best beers” he had ever tried, rating it 4.8/5 and praising its “tropical profile” and outstanding balance. Critics consistently highlight the hop’s aromatic power: one review, for instance, noted a nose “completely saturated with hops,” with a flavor “fully in line with that strong pine aroma, followed by moderate bitterness on the palate” and a “very clean malty finish.”
Several enthusiasts believe that Focal Banger even surpasses the famous Heady Topper. On BeerAdvocate, some users rate Focal Banger just as highly—or even higher—finding it “smoother” and more distinctive than Heady. Other reviewers highlight its “creamy mouthfeel” and perfectly integrated bitterness, making it a highly enjoyable experience from start to finish.
Reviews converge on its high drinkability despite the marked bitterness: medium carbonation, dense yet not heavy texture, and medium body all make this beer pleasant and easy to drink for a 7% IPA. Overall, it is described as an “exemplary American IPA” that “delivers everything you expect from an IPA.”
On Untappd, Focal Banger has over 174,000 ratings with an average score of 4.4/5, reflecting its worldwide popularity. Many enthusiasts consider it a classic of the style and a must-try for any IPA lover, praising its unique aromatic profile and its prominent place in the pantheon of American craft beers.
Reputation Among Enthusiasts
Among craft beer drinkers, Focal Banger enjoys a strong reputation as a cult beer. Although less publicized than Heady Topper, it is often sought after for its consistent quality and year-round availability. Its image is that of a “demanding” beer that must be consumed fresh, yet rewards with an exceptional aromatic bouquet. As shown by the occasional sell-outs when cans are released, it has also become a “coveted” beer and can sometimes be difficult to find outside its home state. However, no real global marketing strategy is promoted by the brewer—its reputation relies primarily on product quality and word of mouth among enthusiasts.
In summary, Focal Banger has built a very positive image among consumers: it is a highly rated IPA, valued for its aromatic complexity and balance, that has risen to the status of a benchmark within the catalog of American craft IPAs.
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