Sticking with IPA's - Victory HopDevil

This is my second run in with Victory HopDevil, almost exactly one year from the first. Back then it was maybe my 3rd or 4th IPA I'd ever had. Since then my palate has developed a bit more, especially with respect to the hop-centric beers. Being new to good beer drinking in general I usually have something new every time I drink. There are very few occasions when I will order a beer I've already had (usually happens with Sierra Nevada Pale Ale & Deschutes Black Butte Porter when I'm out at bars). So having already reviewed this on BA a year ago I decided to compare what I thought now to what I thought then. Interestingly enough, my description of the beer was almost exactly how I would describe it now, but my ratings have changed quite a bit.

Appearance - The first time I gave it a 4.5. I like the deep amber, nearly clear pour with a nice fluffy/pillowy head. This time the pour is the same, very nice, and I must say because I love the orangish/red/brown/amber type pours, this will still draw a 4.5 rating in my mind.

Smell - The first time I gave it a 4, noting that an exaggerated hoppiness is not present (at that time I was probably comparing it to Stone IPA), which was a plus to me for the style back then. Now I must downgrade the aroma to a 3.5. It is good, there is a bit of hops, along with a slight toasted aroma (is there really toasted malt in there or is it my imagination?) and caramel. But you have to show me a lot of hops to get a 4 or above now. I want to smell the dry hopping in an IPA, much different from what I wanted a year ago.

Taste - I gave it a 4 the first time, and this time I will still give it a 4, but for a different reason. The first time I liked that it was on the lower end of the hop-assault spectrum for an IPA. This time I still recognize that fact (going against what I normally prefer), but I also will realize that it is tasty enough to allow you to drink a few (kinda crosses over to drinkability).

Mouthfeel - Gave it a 4.5 the first time, and a 4.5 the second time. There is nothing wrong with the mouthfeel. It is lively but not overcarbonated. It slides over the tongue without too much abrasiveness.

Drinkability - Gave it a 3.5 the first time, but upgraded to 4.5 now. Back then I probably couldn't have stood more than 1 IPA at a time. Now I realize this is a very drinkable beer, and being use to hops, I could easily have a few of these.

The overall rating dropped from 4.1 to 4.0. This is a good beer though, the kind you want to keep a 6 pack of through the spring and summer (and winter too if you're not too busy with all the winter beers).