Full disclosure, I've never had Utopias. My mantra is that I would try anything once, and that's true, but I'ver never bothered to seek it out in 20+ years, and I won't do so in the future. If I come across it great, if not, no worries. Back to this beer. I'm a fan of 120 in as much as I drink about one bottle per 9-12 months. I really enjoy it when I drink it, but that's as far as it goes. Deep copper body - and admittedly after an aggressive pour - the head is great. White, high and a little...
Notes on beers in the style
American Double / Imperial IPA
120 Minute IPA
Stone
26th Anniversary
12 oz pour, J K O'Donnel's, Fort Wayne, IN. Happy to stumble across this purely by chance on a random Tuesday afternoon. Great clarity on the mid-orange pour. Some lace, light film on the surface. As expected. The nose has a surprising, stinky cheese note which I wasn’t anticipating. The hop aroma here is a little odd. Lightly oily in the mouth, a little slick, but again approriate. Tastes are dank, but not at all aggressive. Bitter, quite green. Clean and a lingering sweetness evens things...
Sweetwater 420 Imperial IPA
So, I wonder if this is some re-incarnation of an earlier Dank Tank or some other special release. It feels like it may be. I know there’s this, but internally I wonder … 60 IBUs screams the can. 12 oz, part of a six-pack. Pour is a clouded, burnt-orange body with the type of head, sticky lace and half-decent retention that one would associate with the style. In short, the appearance is stylistically sound. Nose is strong. It travels a good distance from the pour even when relatively cold....
Ogden Double IPA
The last 12 oz can from a six pack bought in Wyoming. This feels like a throwback beer. Very reminiscent of on older style, west coast DIPA with plenty of fruit notes finishing out a clean, big ‘ole DIPA. It’s refreshing in that sense. Lovely orange body sits underneath a sticky, white head. Lace has that tacky feel to it. Nice. Nose brings all of the tropical elements and a touch of dank character. Incredibly drinkable and light for the style, and for the ABV. In short, it’s well made. This...
Seeing Double IPA
I've known this beer for many, many years and usually I've enjoyed it immensely, but this is the first time I've had it in the bottle and seems like a very different experience than all of my previous draught encounters. The color looks fine, but there are a HUGE amount of yeasties in the pour. Bottle-conditioned in the extreme, apparently! Really nice, mid-golden color once the beer clears and I can actually see what's going on. A nice sized head and some very good lace and retention when...
17th Anniversary Götterdämmerung IPA
Oh good, another Stone DIPA. They don't make many of those! The usual Stone presentation. Very pale yellow pour, almost macro lager like in terms of the color. Average white head, some lace but very little retention. Low level hop aroma in the nose. There is undoubtably a strong and intense bitterness about this, with even a little aspirin element being present, but to be honest it also has a fence amount of bright, sweetish fruit about it. Interesting combo. 102 IBU's? Whatever, we're close...
16th Anniversary
Bottled conditioned, August 2012. OK, the last Stone Anniversary beer that I thought was any good was 13. That beer was superb. 14 and 15 I disliked strongly, and I thought that 14 was simply a bad beer. That brings us to 16. Well, there are some conflicting signs (for me), right off the bat. Lemon, I like; Stone doing a DIPA ought to be a solid platform; Rye is generally an element that I don't care for in beer. Very attractive pour. The clarity and color are both outstanding, and the head is...
Mongo
22 oz bottle. $7.99 from Ansley Wine Merchants, Atlanta, GA, USA. Heard a lot of buzz about this beer in the last couple of weeks as LA/Port has recently made it to GA. For some reason (not sure why) I was under the impression that this was going to be largely a draught offering, so I was a little surprised to find it in bottles. Pour is an attractive hazy marmalade color with a large, three finger head but doesn't quite give the magnificent and sticky lace that such a good head should bring,...
16th Anniversary Wood Aged
When this came out, rumor had it that this was exactly the same beer as the 15th anniversary. I have no idea about the validity of that statement, and it wound up in the BA db as a different beer anyway, so here goes. The bottle has silver foil on the 22 oz neck. An aggressive pour produces a slightly hazed, mid-orange body and gives a lovely, dense, creamy white head. Looks a little like a latte floating on top of the beer. Nose has a little soapiness (which I like), but it never gets strong....
Sierra Nevada Hoptimum
Additional notes 08/22/23 (pictured) Draught, JK O’Donnell’s, Fort Wayne, IN. 12oz pour, presumably 2023 vintage. Now sporting an 11% ABV (as opposed to 10.4% in the bottled 2011 vintage) and a ‘Triple IPA’ moniker (yawn), it’s been around a dozen years since I’ve either tasted or seen this. Nice copper body, and with a more aggressive pour this would generate enough head and lace to be acceptable at this ABV. This does feel ‘hoppier’ than in years past, but also exhibits most of the...
Terrapin Hoptaneous Combustion
$9.99 for the 22 oz, foiled and boxed bomber. Bottle #2002. Pour is a rather attractive golden color with some nice clarity. Head is tall, frothy and sticky. Retention is average, wish it was better to complete the visual package. Nose is a typical, fruity hop bomb with some alcohol and largely in line for the style. If this were a blind tasting I don't think I would pick up any smoke at all, but knowing that there is some present the beer does reveal a hint - no more, but enough to let me...
Steelhead Double India Pale Ale
12 oz single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pour is a rich, clouded, honey orange hue with an inordinate number of yest floaties. The combination of the color, floaties and general muddy appearance does nothing for the beer and frankly makes it appear somewhat "soup-like". This is not a good sign in my book. Head is strong though, and leaves lots of sticky lace. Nose and tastes both give similarly muddled impressions. Hop bitterness and edge is lacking, and it is replaced by a large,...
Sweetwater Dank Tank Border Hopper
22 oz bottle, usual Dank Tank presentation. The usual nonsense written on the bottle (pointless) and this one comes with a similar (if not identical) green color as Wet Dream. Very attractive clarity on the mid-orange body. Good lace, nice retention and some sticky lace. Nose and taste are pretty restrained for a beer of this style. there is a lot of sweetness amongst a few typical resinous, west coast notes. The sweetness remains the dominating factor amid the clean cleans. The beer is...
Thomas Creek Up The Creek
12 oz single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. This bottle has been in the cellar for several months. I have had a few really NASTY experiences with Thomas Creek, so I approach this beer with a little trepidation to say the least. However, several people have told me that their experiences have been similar, but Up the Creek made them think again. Off the top, the beer contradicts its "Extreme IPA" moniker in many ways (see below), so if you are looking for a classic, American DIPA look...
The Oracle
12 oz single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. 9901 dot-matrixed at the bottom of the rear label. Typical of the style, there is a clouded, hazy orange body with a very sticky collection of head and lace at the top of the glass. Carbonation is pretty high for the type of beer we are dealing with here. The nose is very strong, with a nice, citrusy based hop smell. However, this is NOT a West Coast, resiny aroma, it's a little gentler than that, The tastes reflect a lot of sugary, sweet light...
Hop Crisis
11 oz pour at Deckard's. Their menu says 10.8% (new vintage with a different ABV perhaps?). Golden hazed body with relatively low carbonation. Bone white head that is small but well retained and tight. Lace is very pretty. West Coast Pine resin nose. Tastes are simply not as aggressive as the nose might suggest. Relatively subdued for the style, the nose and the ABV. Plenty of lightly warming alcohol and some lovely, peach/grapefruit sting in the middle and back end. Lingering aniseed in the...
2XIPA
12 oz single, Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Hazed, orange pour with a bone-white head. Not much lace. Unusually light in color for a DIPA with almost a Hefe (or a least a wheat beer) look about it. Nose has sweet, sugary citrus which is replicated in the taste. Not especially bitter, and frankly a pretty reserved and low hop presence in this beer for the style. This is NOT a complex or complicated beer by any stretch of the imagination, and for me that's the appeal. Simple, tasty stuff. Pretty...
110K+OT Batch #3 – The Other West Coast IPA (2010)
Purchased as a 750 mL at Big Z beverages in New York. Delighted to find this at the time, but also seems silly that paperwork (apparently) has prevented us from getting this in GA. Shared this one at The Brick Store recently. Hazy, orange amber pour with some nice, sticky lace. Nose and tastes are essentially a malt bomb which may confuse those people looking for a West Coast style DIPA. I have no problem with a DIPA taking on some significant malt character, but in this case the beer seems...
Terrapin Hopzilla
#12 in the Side Project series. Drunk twice; once on-tap at Leon's, Decatur, GA, USA on the night of the Terrapin takeover, and once from the bottle. This review is from the bottle version purchased at Green's, Buford Highway, Atlanta, GA, USA. Usual 22 oz presentation with the gold foil. Pour is a hazed, light orange affair with a big head that produces some excellent lace. Retention is OK. Looks nice. Nose and tastes replicate a west Coast style DIPA quite nicely with huge grapefruit, pine...
IPA2 (Double India Pale Ale)
16 oz bottle presentation, the usual Sprecher, bulky "stubbies" which I really enjoy. As soon as I tasted this beer I knew that if I read a few reviews at the lower end the criticisms would be that "this doesn't really taste like an American DIPA", and to be fair those reviewers are correct - that why I LIKE this beer! If you were to review this beer in a stylistic manner it would score very badly, but to me it drinks really well and is fantastically tasty, however if you are looking for a...
Stone 14th Anniversary Emperial IPA
22 oz bottle, usual Stone presentation. Arbor Place Beverage, Douglasville, GA, USA. OK, off the top I think the name is tacky. There, got that out of the way, now back to the beer. Very light haze on the mid-orange pour. The body looks a bit like a cask pour. Not much lace as the beer forms a light, thin film on the surface which has some good retention. The nose is very odd - it literally smells like cheese to me. Like a slightly overripe soft cheese - perhaps French. The tastes are a...
Big Barrel Double IPA
22 oz bomber, courtesy of BitterBill - thanks, Bill! My first beer from Karl Strauss - excited to try it. Pour is very standard for the style, with a high, fluffy and rocky head atop a slightly murky, mid-orange/brown body. Nose and tastes reflect a very distinct fruitiness that seems like a combination of a number of things; grapefruit dominates, but you also get several other soft, tropical notes. Well hidden alcohol. One criticism for me is that the beer is a little muddled in the tastes....
Exit 16
750 mL capped bottle, thanks go out to lackenhauser for the chance to try this. Pour is a cloudy, orange color with a nice head. Some decent retention and some sticky lace. Very good, and solid for the style. Nose offers a typical, west coast, hop-resin astringency. Not something that I care for necessarily, but definitely true to the style. The beer does not stray much from the style with massive, astringent hops, slightly dry in the finish and plenty of grapefruit and oily, resin notes. In...
Wild Dog Double Pale Ale
Massive thanks go out to BEERchitect for the chance to finally try this beer! 750 mL, corked & caged bottle, from September 2004, this was bottle #1466. Thick, heavy green glass with dimpled bottom. Substantial bottle. Pretty much exactly as I anticipated to be honest. The beer pours with a large amount of cloudiness and a significant amount of yeasty, floaties. Some carbonation seems to have dropped off (only a small pop on opening and it drinks with little life), but the head and retention...
GUBNA Imperial IPA
Resisted the temptation to buy a $15+ four pack of this for a few weeks and went with a single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. 12 oz can, the usual OB presentation. Can cracks with a somewhat disappointing (but expected) lack of pop, but given the ABV this is acceptable. Pretty nice looking golden body with some frothy, loose white head. Even a little lace. lowish carbonation on the pour. Nose is a light hoppy, musty aroma but not an especially aggressive one. Reminds me of a relatively...
1000 IBU
375 mL bottle, corked (synthetic) & caged. Green glass, thick dimpled champagne-style bottom. Green's on Buford, around $10 for the bottle (I think). Pour gives a murky brown color with a LOT of yeast floaties. Drab and dull in the mid-brown color. Quite unattractive, especially with the cascading floaties and the dirty dishwater appearance. Looks like a nasty, home-brewed, unfiltered Dubbel. Smell is surprisingly non-hop based. Quite neutral without much hint of the tastes to come. Some...
Gemini (Imperial IPA)
22 oz bottle with a stick on label rather than the usual ST, screen printed presentation. Thanks to the wife for bringing this back from SC just a few days before ST hit GA - typical. Pour is an obvious orange color, but the two things that strike me as particularly prevalent are the light cloudiness and the fact that the beer seems quite thin in appearance. Nose and tastes are typical for the style with a combination of grapefruit, syrupy alcohol and sweet sugary notes. This is not any easy...
Hoppe (Imperial Extra Pale Ale)
The wife was kind enough to cart this back from Hilton Head, SC for me, just a few days before ST hit GA - typical! 22 oz bottle in the usual screen printed ST style. Pour is a beautiful, golden clear body with a smashing white head that gives some nice sticky lace - decent retention considering the ABV of the beer. Looks nice, especially the depth of color. Nose is plenty of sweet alcohol (and not much else) and this is exactly how the taste manifests itself. This is not a subtle beer, but...
Boy King Double IPA
OK, here we go with the much vaunted Boy King from COAST. I got really lucky as my wife was in Hilton Head when the Boy King was tapped at The Lodge - one growler = $19. Growler opens with a pleasing "phhssst" which gives me confidence - you never know how well the growler was filled or how it will hold up over a couple of days. This one seems perfect. The nose up front is really quite strong with a hop-laden tangerine citrus coming to the fore. The aroma is pretty interesting because as the...
Abita Select Double IPA
On tap at Taco Mac, Douglasville, GA, USA. Part of the Abita Select series that we now see in Atlanta. Pour gives a golden body with a touch of chill-haze and some significant head,. The head retention is good and he lace that it produces is not insignificant. Good looking, but for some reason reminds me of a nitro pour - odd. Sweet nose and tastes which reflect the style pretty well. Plenty of sweetness to back up the aggressive hops, this beer is surprisingly simple but good. Large hop...
Hop Czar
On tap at the newly re-named place that used to be The Grange and The Angel and is now called The Marlay House. Pour is a solid looking, strong orange body with a small amount of head but excellent, sticky lace. Nose and tastes reveal plenty of fresh, citrus hop character and not much else. Decent sweetness accompanies the hop-fix and malts hold it together nicely. A good example of how the hops can be amped up without causing a palate meltdown. As balanced as a DIPA can ever hope to beer, the...
Founders Double Trouble
12 oz, stubbie single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA. One of the few Founder's beers currently in GA that I have not had before their recent arrival. Pour is a very surprising golden hue which s extremely attractive. Much lighter than I was expecting with a very good-looking, white, rocky head and lace. The head and retention are especially pleasing when you consider the ABV. Talking of the alcohol it's nowhere to be seen. Extraordinarily well hidden and I would have NEVER guessed this is as high...
Smuttynose Big A IPA (Big Beer Series)
I've been waiting to try this for many years, and after the initial influx of Smuttynose to Georgia this finally came into the seasonal rotation a few days ago. $4.99 for the bomber from Green's on Ponce, Atlanta, GA, USA. This beer essentially "does what it says on the can". The pour is a classic, American DIPA orange body with good clarity and plenty of thick, high, white, fluffy head. Lacing is extremely good considering the ABV. Nose and tastes give that oily, sinus clearing, hop-resin...
DuganA IPA
Passed on this at Hop City in the bomber, and went with a pint at Taco Mac on the East-West Connector, Austell, GA, USA instead. Pour is a mid-brown with a nice rocky, creamy head that has pretty good lace, retention and "stickability". Looks good. Nose and tastes reveal some pretty strong west-coast style, grapefruit astringency with an additional fair amount of residual sugar and bitterness. Resinous feel about the beer as one would expect. Alcohol is there too. As usual for the style, the...
Heavy Seas – Big DIPA
22 oz bottle form Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Let me say right off the top that I love sweeter beers and beers that are malt based, BUT....this is a disaster in terms of sweetness and taste. The look is strong. A really nice clarity to the orange amber body and surprisingly good head, retention and lace considering the style. Rather well carbonated as well and a decent mouthfeel. The nose reveals a solvent like, paint-stripper, alcoholic assault which does not bode well. Sinus clearing and NOT...
Hop-a-lot-amus
12 oz single. A hazed and murky orange brown body results from an aggressive pour. Small head with decent retention forms quickly to leave some decent lace. Looks OK but body and color is not really attractive. Nose and tastes are a largish, fragrant hop based assault with decent malts but ultimately even out to be just a bit "blah". Frankly we've seen it all before with these over-hopped, off balance DIPA's and this is just another that's gonna get lost in the mix for me. Lots of pine and...
A Little Sumpin’ Extra! Ale
22 oz bomber from Green's, Atlanta, GA, USA. What I like about Lagunitas is their simple adherence to style and the great value that one usual gets, especially in the bomber size. Pour is a bright, golden, clear body with a high, bubbly head. The head leaves some superb, sticky lace which is exactly what I am looking for in a big 'ol American DIPA. For me the sticky nature of the lace is a VERY important feature of an American DIPA. Nose gives plenty of sinus clearing, sweetened grapefuit,...
Squall IPA
Thanks go out to mikey711 for the chance to try this one. 750 mL bottle, capped and bottled on 04/16/09 according to the yellow, dot-matrix style stamp on the neck. Impressive looking pour with a very high, bone-white, two finger head sitting atop a golden-orange, clear body. Head retention is super and the lace substantial and sticky. Nose is a combo of some resinous hops with some sinus clearing, sweet alcohol. Like the regular 90 min, this is a pretty sweet beer. To be honest it treads a...
15th Anniversary Wood Aged
22 oz bottle, $7.95 from the relatively unlikely location of Cheers, Carrollton, GA, USA. Bottled on Jun 19, 2009. Black foil on the neck with a white cap. This should be interesting - a style that I am not crazy about, with the additional element of wood aging that I generally don't enjoy, from a brewery that I have enjoyed in the past, but lately has put out a couple of beers that I have been less than impressed with! We'll see. Pour is mid-amber, perfectly clear body with an amazingly high...
Harpoon Leviathan – Imperial IPA
On-tap, Taco Mac Metropolis, Atlanta, GA, USA. 16 oz pour. Solid orange color, tight head with some good retention and lace. Looks as it should. Big whiff of (what appears at first) to be a "West Coast" style hop profile. This does get toned down a little as the beer warms. This is repeated in the tastes and the beer drinks as though it's out of California to me. There's some residual sugary notes too, but to be honest this beer is what it is - a large DIPA with nothing much else going on....
X-IPA (Extreme)
Big "ups" go out to Grant (gford217) for the chance to try this one. Part of my BA March Madness 2009 "winnings". 22oz bottle, black wax and my first Flossmoor experience. On opening there is a small amount of dense gushing. Poured into the Young's 20 oz pint glass, we get a butterscotch orange hazed beer, with that soapy, spotty, large bubbled head that is typical of the style and the ABV. Some nice lace. Nose is big on resinous hops but they seem to be quite sweet and less aggressive than...
LongShot Double IPA
12 oz bottle as part of the 2009 mixed sixer with the cranberry wit and the traditional bock. In a nutshell, VERY, VERY disappointed, but at the same time not all that surprised. Once certain beers start getting some momentum and hype it can quickly get out of control and that's what's happened here. Pour is a solid, bronzed orange body with a lot of haze and really good head. The lace it leaves is solid too. Looks good, but that's the beers' best attribute by a mile. A somewhat awkward...
Sweetwater Double IPA
Dank Tank #3 sampled at The Porter, Little Five, Atlanta, GA, USA yesterday afternoon. Small, Wellington style glass pour, perhaps eight ounce. Golden hazed body, on the lighter side of things in terms of the shade. Small head, but it produces plenty of sticky lace with some decent retention. Great light floral, hoppy nose with a sweetness in the nostrils. Exactly the same in the taste. Super hoppy burps, but a real light touch (for a change) from an American DIPA. NO huge...
Double Wide I.P.A.
Thanks go out to stopbarking for the chance to crack this, 750 mL corked and caged, champagne style, dimple bottomed bottle. Batch D8240. VERY complicated beer for me to review. I'm really not at all sure where I stand on this one but here goes... Opening the bottle causes a pretty big pop and significant gun smoke. This is generally a good sign, although a little surprising for a double IPA (despite the bottle conditioning). Pour is dark orange, well carbonated affair with great lace and...
Pliny The Younger
Well, it took a LONG time to get this; I've been admiring this beer from afar for several years and today I got the chance to finally try it. Huge thanks to Grant for the opportunity to crack this one as a shared growler with many of the usual suspects at The Brick Store, Decatur, GA, USA. Pour is a typical mid-orange beer with a nice head and lace and some good clarity in the body. NOT perfectly clear, but still lacks much haze to speak of. Soapy lace created - a good sign. The nose is a...
Abrasive Ale
Many thanks go out to Grant for the opportunity to try this one at one of the usual Friday afternoon Brick Store gatherings (NOT at the tasting on 1/10, the day before with about three or four of us present). 64oz growler, one of the last from Surly. At the time of tasting this was still called, "16 Grit". Pour is a hazed, light copper/orange body with plenty of white, sticky lace. Nose is HUGE and is ALL tangerines, clementines, oranges, lemons and other citrus fruits. More "orangey" than any...
Kuhnhenn DRIPA (Double Rice IPA)
Thanks to kp for sharing this one. Flat looking pour which lacks any hed to speak of and there is no retention or lace to speak of. Very light colored pour with a light, golden orange note. The nose is by FAR the most interesting element to this brew. As others noted at the tasting, there was a VERY distinct, rich and bright tangerine nose to this beer. Very pronounced almost to the point of me wodering if there was an orange essence added! After the nose we just get another American double...
Hop 15
22 oz bottle from a recent trade. Apparently $5.99 from "Vendome". Very typical (but good) example of the style. Over the years I've become increasingly tired of these beers (meaning this style) with their unrelenting hop bitterness and high alcohol content which has quite literally impeded their drinkability, BUT from time to time, I feel like going back to revisit them. It's REALLY important for me to go back to a solid version, because otherwise I will get frustrated quickly. Luckily this...
Ale To The Chief
22oz bottle, gold foil on the neck. Cloudy orange beer. Mid-level carbonation with a small amount of lace and a spotty, thin head. Aroma is that of sweetish hops, perhaps even floral in their nature. It is not really aggressive. A typically relatively unbalanced American DIPA. There is a nasty, dry and sweet combo in the hop presence, and a lack of malty backbone to hold the thing together. Disappointing and not very good. Sharp, harsh and wandering bitterness in the finish. One and done here....
Hardcore IPA
=== Updated Review 11/10 === 12 oz bottle, directly from Scotland sent by James from the brewery. Batch 71 BB: 27-04-11 Immediately it is plain to see that the color is TOTALLY different from two years ago. So much so, that it would be pretty much impossible to identify the two experiences as the same beer. This one is hazed and muddy brown in color. with a frothy head initially that fades quite quickly. Body lacks clarity and is not especially attractive. As before, the main characteristivcs...
Butte Creek
Organic Revolution XI Imperial IPA
On tap, $5.75 for the 16oz pour, Taco Mac, midtown, Atlanta, GA, USA. Served too cold. Cloudy, deep orange pour with a small head (partially because of the pour which was not aggressive), but still yields some good lace. The lack of clarity is not that attractive. The nose on the beer is as expected with a full blown blast of hops but it seems controlled. Similarly, in the taste we have a big hop presence but the whole thing is tempered with malt and the beer is memorable as sweet rather than...
Terrapin Oak Aged Rye Squared
On tap, Brick Store, Decatur, GA, USA. Happened to share the first pint of this with pghlee when it was tapped at the Brick Store for the first time. I *think* that this is similar (if not the same) to a version that was tasted at the Atlanta Cask tasting in Jan '08; I didn't care for it much then, nor do I care for it now. The pour is an orange brown, with a lot of chill haze and murkiness. Head is not relevant and the lace is scant. In a nutshell there is just WAY too much going on here. To...
Unearthly (Imperial India Pale Ale)
22oz bomber (partially) into the Terrapin 22oz snifter - a nice combo! Picked this one up at State Line. Pour is a mid to dark orange with a nice head from the aggressive pour (I thought the aggression would be a good idea because with the ABV the head was likely to be limited). It does fade quickly to leave some decent lace and some spotty, creamy film. Nose has the requisite pine and grapefruit notes. Tastes are typical for the style. Grapefruit is there, but the bitterness is really quite...
Struise Mikkeller (Elliot Brew)
11.2oz bottle from State Line Liquors. The ratebeer, SM No.12 edition (if that matters). Rust colored, hazy pour with nice head, and very impressive, sticky lace. Aroma is sweeter than expected, and does not reveal as much hop character as I expected. Smooth in the mouth, and not too hoppy or edgy at all. Quite a bit of sweetened grapefruit, but also a decent drop of aspirin/herbal content. In that respect, a little reminiscent of a more balanced Masala Mama. Quite sweet in the finish....
Ølfabrikken 100 Gram India Pale Ale
$7.99 bomber at Dukes Package, Marietta, GA, USA. Murky, light brown pour into the US pint glass. Lack of clarity, and a turbid brown color rather than the orange end of the spectrum. Decent head, but lace fades quickly. Average looking. Sweetened grapefruit in the nose. Very sweet. Plenty of unrefined sugar upfront and this does not fade and as a result it tends to leave a sugar deposit in the mouth, on the tongue and the teeth. Some bitterness in the finish (the hops are obviously there),...
Decadent Imperial IPA
Thanks to russpowell for this opportunity. 650 mL bottle, with a red wax-dipped neck. Nice presentation. Pour is VERY good looking. GREAT clarity, super head and some lace but with a delicious looking, dark copper colored body - really nice presentation. More sticky lace would have scored it a 5. Frankly at this ABV it's a miracle that it has any at all. Aroma threatens some sweetness with plenty of alcohol. Despite the 10%, this drinks well under that number with a very nice mouthfeel - I was...
Bell’s Hopslam Ale
Original notes 02/17/2008 (Pictured Jan 2021) Thanks to brickstoredave (via Robert AKA Georgiabeer) for the opportunity to crack one of these on a quiet Friday afternoon at The Brick Store, Decatur, GA, USA. 12 oz single. Pour is a fairly typical, mid-orange affair with a surprisingly good head and lace for the (apparently) large ABV (more of that later). Typically cloudy appearance for the style. Nose conjures up a west coast assault on the taste buds, and we're not disappointed when it comes...
Conductor Imperial India Pale Ale
22oz bomber, thanks to russpowell for the chance to savor this one. Dark orange body with some clarity but chill haze makes an appearance. Nice sticky lace above the small film of head. Fairly standard for the style with plenty of big, sweetened grapefruit notes all over the aroma and the taste. It is tasty, and I did enjoy it, but frankly it's another beer in the same mould as many others of the big American IPA breed. I think this may be catching me at a bad moment, as I have had my fill of...
Special Edition – Imperial IPA
12oz bottle from a six pack. Light orange pour with a slight haze about it. Mild carbonation. Half inch head that is nice and dense, Some decent lace and retention. Fresh, zesty hoppy nose. Mild bitterness on the tongue, and to be honest for the style this is pretty tame - I like it because it is balanced with good malt sweetness. Lingering honey like syrup, a nice package. Hops cut in at the finish with a gentle bite. Well balanced and drinkable. Another decent Winter Seasonal from these folks.
Eleven
22 oz bomber, purchased at City Beverage, Winston-Salem, NC, USA. A "Triple IPA"?? Pour is a dark orange pour with plenty of head and some superb lace. Hoppy nose, but this is balanced in the aroma with lots of sugary sweetness. Considering the ABV it is also well carbonated. Sugary sweetness is the feature here. Metallic hop presence also features in the finish. Syrupy sweet mouthfeel makes this quite slick. Considering the ABV of 11.7 %, this is relatively drinkable and the alcohol is well...
Highland Imperial Kashmir IPA
Shared with Dave and a few others at The Brick Store, Decatur, GA, USA. Standard DIPA pour from the bottle, with a good head, retention and lace. Body is a little murky. Good balance in the nose and taste with plenty of solid malt backbone to hold the aggressive hops together. Alcohol burns a little in the finish. Plenty of grapefruit. A standard good offering, but I'm getting a little tired of these bog-standard, non-subtle beers that need more attention to detail that is being hidden here by...
Avery Anniversary Ale – Ten
Thanks go out to Hoppymeal for the trade. Thanks. Apparently $6.99 at the time of purchase. Bottled in 2003. 22 oz bomber, gold foil on the neck. Cloudy orange, slightly viscous looking body with a small, but rich and soapy looking type head on the surface of the beer. Small amount, but sticky consistency amongst the lace. This has evolved into a very complex beer. I'm guessing that fresh this was just a typical Double IPA, and that some would say that IS exactly the way it should have been...
471 IPA
Delighted to find this on tap at the Taco Mac in Austell. 11.2oz pour which is a huge bonus because it avoids the conversation about NOT pouring the beer into a frozen glass! Very light, orange pour with excellent sticky, white lace. Unfortunately served waaaay too cold so you have to wait for this one to wam up a little. It's a shame theat they keep getting the temperature of these pours wrong at TM because although I don't really mind waiting a bit, after that time lapse, the head and its...
Founders Devil Dancer
On the label it says, "a triple IPA"! WTF?? I dunno, more marketing crap that we have to put up with. 12oz bottle into the Young's 20oz glass. Thanks go out to Vancer as a part of CEO/Old Farts BIF. 13% ABV - Jeez ... Pour is dark orange with a very thin head and no lace. Not that surprising considering the ABV. Sweet nose and hop based (imagine that!) Pretty viscous mouthfeel (that is not exactly surprising given the ABV), but a drinkable combination of big hops and big sweetness. This JUST...
Double Simcoe IPA
22oz bomber, courtesy of YonderWanderer in a recent trade. Nice pour in terms of the head and retention (real creamy and thick looking). Sticky lace. Color is a dark, burned orange and lacks the clarity I would like to see - a couple of ticks off the appearance score for the cloudy body, otherwise looks super. Hoppy nose, but it has a large degree of sweetness at the same time. This is a duplicate of the taste. Hops up front, but quickly sweet malts smooth out the beer rapidly. Nice. Creamy,...
Hop Stoopid
Draught, The Brick Store, Decatur, GA, USA. Wow. Even by West Coast standards this seemed like a BIG hoppy beast. Pour is a typical cloudy orange with a nice head and some good, sticky lace. After that...well, very little to report except in your face, piney, resinous, mouth coating hops. It's fine but after a while this gets a little wearing. I found that one pint was just about all I wanted. Alcohol is there but is in balance. Also, the finish really was quite "puckeringly" dry and not...
Kill Ugly Radio
$2.99, 22oz bomber from Green's on Ponce. Suprisingly light colored pour. Not a problem, but the beer looks as though it lacks a bit of body. A lot of carbonation, wispy head and not much retention. Light hops in the nose, not huge. Floral in nature. Grapefruit and citrus (lemon) flavors are the first ones to hit the palate. Not a great deal else. After the beer warms there is a significant amount of hop bitterness that kicks in. This beer improves with a bit of warmth. Thirst quencher...
Woodstock India Pale Ale
Took me an age to get around to trying and reviewing this. Purchased as a single from Michael's, Marietta, GA, USA. Aroma is VERY promising, plenty of the typical hop characteristics of your usual American, DIPA. Color is a mid-brown with a little chill haze that clears to leave a clear, amber pour. Small head, with a small amont of retention. So far, so good. Here's the problem; it's just amazingly DRY. Puckeringly dry in fact, and so much so that is takes away from the drinkability of the...
Dorado Double IPA
Thanks go out to Solomon 420 for the trade. 22 oz bomber, opened and split with a few kindred spirits at the Brick Store, Decatur, GA, USA. (I think it said 9.1% on the label as opposed to 9.6 listed currently in the BA db. Suprisingly light colored pour with a great looking head and plenty of lace. Pretty sweet, and although there are plenty of West Coast type hops upfront, and indeed throughout the beer, the overwhelming sensation that I get is the sweetness. Quite slick in the mouth too....
12th Anniversary Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale
It's big, it's bold and it's good. An Arrogant Bastard clone, this is a super beer. 22oz bomber, Bullock's, Marietta, GA, USA. Pour is a good looking copper colored pour with a nice head. Lace is a little scant. It's BIG hops all around including the nose and the taste, but the malts have the backbone to support the whole thing. Nice bitterness bites in the end. Very smooth, and although the alcohol is obvious it's very do-able and the whole thing comes together well. Perhaps a touch more edgy...
Double Dog Double Pale Ale
=== Updated 12/15/07 === Re-visited this after 6+ months in the cellar - still nasty IMO. Close to undrinkable. === Original Review 05/04/07 === Cloudy, rusty orange colored pour with a big initial head that fades to give a minimal head and ring on the surface of the beer. Plenty of soapy hops in the nose and not much else. Astringent bitterness up front that lingers and lingers. Resinous, biting pine and not at all balanced. Malts are waaay too limited to hold up such a huge hop presence....
Terrapin Rye Squared
On-tap at the Brick Store, Decatur, GA, USA. 2007 release. $4.50. Same great dark orange pour and some nice carbonation leading to a large, off-white head. The aroma on this is really very strong witht he rye coming through HARD - almost herbal. Alcohol is quite strong and to be honest the beer still seems a little young. Aging should be an interesting experiment. Hops are big and the finish is really dry. This is the second year for this and I still can't make up my mind if I really like it...
Oak Aged Gordon
On-tap at the Brick Store, Atlanta, GA, USA. Dark orange/brown pour with great head and lacing. BIG hoppy nose that is reminiscent of the standard Gordon fare. Extremely smooth vanilla and bourbon finish which is the only hint of change from the original. The flavors are VERY subtle and light, and a testament to brewing prowess. Great ABV coverage and presence, with a smooth, sweet hop and malt balance, followed by silky smooth mouthfeel and off the chart drinkability. Another great beer from...
Pliny The Elder
Thanks to zrrbrrt for the trade. Been waiting on this one for sometime, and he did me proud. 64 oz of pure hoppy pine! Light amber/orange color with absolute clarity with some light carbonation. A few bubbles but not much. Huge frothy head with some significant lacing. The lace is really sticky (that's one of the crucial things I look for in an American IPA), a nice looker. The aroma is one that is difficult to ignore. Huge resinous pine, organic hay, grass, hops and other sweet meadow like...
120 Minute IPA
Nearly two years since I tried this on-tap for the first time, this is a 12 oz bottle sampling, bottled on 03/30/06. Part of my haul from my recent trip to Lexington, KY, USA, I seem to remember it was around $8 for the 12 oz single from Liquor Barn. First of all this seems infinitely different to my original, on-tap serving from a couple of years ago. While that beer was really just like a strong DIPA, this beer drinks much higher in the alcohol stakes, and seems much less like an DIPA and...
Avery Anniversary Ale – Eleven
22 oz bottle, Liquor Barn, Lexington, KY, USA. Gold foil on the neck with an attractive silver and green label. Murky orange pour with a little bit of sediment. Nice frothy substantial head an some sticky lacing. Overall this reminded me of Sam Adams Imperial Pils. Hoppy (peppery) resinous with huge sweet malts backing them up. Aroma is a lot of fruit pineapple notes. Dry grapefruit and noticeble alcohol in the finish. Nowhere near a freash sample, and although that means I'm not drinking it...
Homewrecker
Thick gold foil on the neck of the capped 750 mL bottle. Thanks go out to BEERchitect for the gift. Cloudy, honey colored pour with excessive carbonation. The carbonation is too much for me, too much for the style and frankly a little annoying. Some sticky lacing and some foamy head but it is a little inconsistent. The carbonation imparts a prickly mouthfeel that I don't much care for. This is a VERY typical over-the-top American Double IPA. Huge, west coast style piney and resinous hops that...
471 IPA
12 oz single, $1.70, Liquor Barn, Lexington, KY, USA. Very light in color, an orange hue with some lovely, sticky lacing. Looks great in the glass with layered, complex lacing. The nose and the tastes are really rather sweet which would not be to some peoples liking, but suited me just fine. Hops are there, but so is balance. Alcohol is present in the nose, but I was ASTONISHED (and I mean ASTONISHED!) to see this listed at 9.2%. I quaffed this at an alarming rate and didn't notice a thing....
Stone 10th Anniversary IPA
22oz bomber (#7 of 10) thanks to BigLove as part of Blue Max BIF (#48). Mid-orange pour with some lovely lace and a small but well formed head. Aroma and tastes are one and the same. Layers and layers of West Coast resinous, pine hops, loads of Christmas based orange citrus fruits (satsumas and tangerines) and lots of alcohol sweetness. I was very suprised at the level of sweetness in this beer. Coupled with the rather significant orange and alcohol content this drank a bit like a beery...
Hercules Double IPA
On tap, Taco Mac, Decatur, GA, USA. $6.25. All I have come to expect from this fine beer, at last on tap! This has been constantly out of stock at the Taco Mac East West Connector and I was delighted to be able to snag a pint here instead. Fine looking brown pour with great lacing. It's all hops - aroma, taste, aftertaste and burps. A classic that is balanced wih some mild sweetness and malt. It teeters on the edge of going too far, but it just about manages to pull it off. It's close, but it...
Butte Creek Organic Revolution X Imperial IPA
22oz Bomber. Green's, Buford Highway, Atlanta, GA, USA. Mid amber/orange body with a degree of chill haze and some persistent carbonation. Half inch head that is decent and immediately leaves some nice, if somewhat scant lacing. Sugary sweet hops in the nose. Complex or just a mess? Frankly it's difficult to tell. There are three things desperately competing for my attention. A sickly sweet malt base, some astringent sugared grapefruit hops and a high level of alcohol that is not well hidden....
Twin Sisters Double IPA
$9.99 Green's, Atlanta, GA, USA. 2006 bottle conditioned vintage, tall, longnecked, dark olive green bottle, 750 mL corked and caged with screened label. Pain in the ass, tightly twisted cage - the most difficult I have ever had to open. Anyway, moving on. Hazy, burnt orange colored pour with a huge, dirty froth head (the kind you see at the beach). Poured into the Southampton Weizen glass, the beer slips under the head to enter the mouth without any head presence. A small amount of random...
He’Brew Bittersweet Lenny’s R.I.P.A.
Delicious from the 22oz bomber. Pour is a fantastic garnet color with great head, super lacing and great retention. All the characteristics of a big American DIPA are there. Very sweet malts are the backdrop and the hops are drippin' all over it. Resinous, green and clean. Sharp and clean tastes give a serious refreshing edge. The combination makes for a potent beer that drinks incredibly easy considering the style and the alcohol. Another really nice offering from this brewery that continues...
YuleSmith (Summer)
Summer Version (11/02/07) === Thanks to Hoppymeal for the trade. Summer version. More of the typical West Coast DIPA appearance with a huge rocky head and massive, sticky lace - exactly as expected. Still typical, with large resinous hops, big alcohol and tenuously held together with the malts. Original Review (05/09/06) === Thanks to Tom (warriorsoul) for the trade. Winter version. Mid-orange pour with a nice head and some serious, sticky lacing. Some good carbonation. Very solid, highly...
Dreadnaught IPA
Thanks to BigLove for the chance to try this as part of BCG BIF. Well, the problem here is that the reputation goes before it. Here's my take. Lovely deep orange color, small head and some lacing but not quite as good as I was expecting, nor as I had been led to believe. Aroma is very, very heavy on the floral hops - it's almost like a bathroom cleaner - it teeters on the edge of great and very "iffy". I didn't like it much. Taste is predominantly sweet. I was surprised because I was expecting...
G’Knight Imperial Red Ale
Very good looking beer, with deep, deep browns and reds making up the body, a small but nice head and then some serious, sticky and persistent lacing. Hops dominante the aroma, but the taste is not as bitterly hoppy as the aroma suggests. Quite metallic tasting in fact and on warming this becomes increasingly apparent. The bitterness becomes quite bland over time. Interesting, and the alcohol is immensely well hidden (this is close to 10%), this worth a try. I bet that many BA's will really...
Maximus
Additional Notes 03/18/23 (pictured) I'm pretty sure that this Maximus Colossal is the same beer as Maximus, just updated with a different hop bill than the original, and being bumped up to 9% from the original 8.2. Golden orange body with lovely lace. This is a real, old-school, mid 00s, West Coast DIPA with all of the onion, pine and bitter American hop flavors sitting on the msturdy malt backbone. It's the kind of beer (still) that I think of as quintessentially American IPA, with all of...
Hercules Double IPA
Nice looking red/Copper body with a lovely dense, slightly orange colored head. The head, body and the lacing are certainly very attractive. Sme chill haze. The aroma and taste combine to give a definite resin based, pine flavored hop profile. There is not much subtle about it, but it does (just about) pull it off. The finish is sugary citrus, with the grapefruit really being quite bitter. The bitterness continues to grow and slightly reduces the drinkability for me. Alcohol is well hidden and...
Maharaja
Originally from mentor as part of BIF #16 phase #3, subsequently from Green's in Atlanta, GA. In a nutshell this is everything good about the great American obsession with big, hoppy monster IPA's. Great looking orange pour, beautiful citrus grapefruit aroma, immensly satisfying sweet big hops, balanced against a solid malt backbone. As it warms it gets sweeter and sweeter. Head and lacing are excellent, it looks great, it tastres great, it IS great. IPA fan? Double IPA fan? Hophead? Any of...
90 Minute IPA
Pictured 02/07/23 Original notes 08/16/05 Golden hazed pour with orange highlights, slightly lighter than I was expecting with a small head and some, but not a great deal, of lacing. What lacing is produced is sticky. Aroma is not the huge hop bomb that you may think, in fact it's quite sweet. A lot of bitterness in the large hop profile, but it's perfectly balanced in the beer. One of the few examples of a very large beer that is wonderfully crafted with grace and skill. A little bit of pine,...
XS Imperial India Pale Ale
I'm going to go against the grain here - for the usual reasons - and say I don't much care for this, but more importantly for the price there are several other examples of better beers within the style. I feel that Rogue often "hops" out of a style to the point where the citrus hop bitterness just leaves you feeling that that is all you are getting, and some of the finer points are lost. I KNOW that some people love that route, I just feel they often overstep the mark. Very cloudy...
Burton Baton
03/08 === Paid $13.49 for a four pack at Smyrna World of Beverage - this is getting pricey. Great clarity as usual and the classic, sweet alcoholic experience. Not to be trifled with! 03/07 === Had to come back with some additional notes on this great beer now it has reached GA. It remains VERY sweet and that's really why I love it. Drinks well below 10% ABV, but at the same time you're unlikely to be drinking more than one or two in a session. Deliciously smooth with a little alcohol kick in...
Stone Ruination IPA
Very unusually I found myself craving some hops. What better way to take care of that than with some Ruination? Thanks to Prostman. Crystal clear, golden orange pour with a fantastic, large, billowing, rocky head and some sticky lacing. A treat to behold in the glass. Some huge hops in the nose and the initial taste, but they are simply not over-powering. In fact, the taste was sort of mild! Very surprising. Very refeshing with a smooth ending and a classic metallic bitternes at the back of...
120 Minute IPA
This is a truly super beer - and I don't relish lots of hops. Great looking "orangey" colored pour with a small, but perfectly formed, bubbly head. The look is good, but this brew isn't about looks. Firstly the aromas are hops, more hops and then some more hops. A rounded, wonderful citrus, floral variety that just seems to hit the perfect balance. Tastes are mainly grapefruit, but these are tempered citrus tones. Obviously it's more potent than the 60 or 90, but it has the same characteristic...
Stoudt’s Double IPA (India Pale Ale)
Finally, a Double IPA that I really enjoyed. The pour is a butterscotch orange that is very murky. The bottle conditioning doesn't really help the appearance, and some very clumpy yeast came out of the bottle at the last minute and disappointingly settled in the head. The head itself was fantastic, tall, billowing and rocky. Really pillow like! The usual characteristics are present in the intial tastes and the aroma - that is, a big grapefruit! However, this beer was different to most of the...
Hop Wallop
This is certainly a popular brew amongst BA's, but if you're not a huge hop-head (as I'm not) this is obviously not going to be your cup of tea. Having said that I am glad that I tried it (thanks meathookjones) and I am trying to review based upon the style not my own tastes. A very attractive pour with an orange, crystal clear body and a decent head. The aroma is all bitter citrus grapefruit and this is replicated in the taste. Unfortunately, the hops with the relatively high ABV is all I...