McNeill's Warlord Imperial IPA - McNeill's Brewery

metter98

New York

3.75/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is clear amber in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high beige head that died down very slowly and left some bubbles on the surface and a thick ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: There are aromas of pine resin hops in the nose along with some notes of citrus.
T: There are flavors of citrus and pine resin hops in the taste, which are relatively well balanced by the underlying malts. The beer has a moderate amount of bitterness.
M: It feels medium-bodied and slightly crisp on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: The beer tastes like it’s somewhat strong but for the most part the alcohol is well masked from the taste.

Serving type: on-tap

07-19-2011 23:39:57 | More by metter98

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer poured out as a deep amber color. The head was thick looking and left a pretty good lacing. The smell was hoppy, very hoppy actually which fits the style really well. The taste I found to be a little off. Not sure how, but the flavors didn't seem to be working out together. The mouthfeel wasn't too bad. Overall it's worth trying again and I plan to when I get the chance.

Serving type: on-tap

06-25-2011 17:02:02 | More by Knapp85

haddon

Kentucky

3.65/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

on-tap at Mellow Mushroom in Chattanooga, TN

The beer is a light golden brown color, with a short off-white head that fades quickly and leaves a bit of lace on the glass.

The aroma is of caramelized malts, fruity citrus and a good amount of piney hops.

taste starts a bit muted with sweet malts, caramel and then kicks it with piney hops. the bitterness lingers with a sharp alcohol burn on the aftertaste. not real well balanced.

medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

a little too creamy on the feel and the boozy burn is a little too evident for my preference. good representation of style but I probably wouldn't drink with a pizza next time. would rather sip a little slower on its own. it's a one and done beer for me.

Serving type: on-tap

06-03-2011 03:10:05 | More by haddon

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap @ McNeill's Brewery (Brattleboro, VT) on 2/20/11. Served in a pint glass.

Pours a slightly hazed copper, with a thin creamy head of eggshell-white foam. This retains with a thin filminess that stays a bit more robust around the edges, ringing the sides of the glass with some rich sticky lacing. The aroma smells of grapefruit, pine, and some light spice. A sticky feeling backing of tropical fruit, caramel, and bread give this some balance. This is definitely heavy with the hops but leans a little more towards the sweet sides of things in the nose overall.

The taste is bitter with a straight up grapefruit and pine bite that rips the tongue. This is tempered some by a sweet combination tropical fruit and bready sugars. The finish is dry and piney, with a pithy bitterness that hangs heavy on the palate. The mouthfeel is fuller bodied, with a sharp prickly feel that blows up maybe a bit too much in the mouth. There is some underlying slickness present but this is bordering on being a little over carbonated at times. I will say that alcohol is well hid and compliments that syrupy texture that eventually starts to envelope the feel.

I seem to remember liking this out of the bottle a bit more but this overall wasn't bad. As this warmed, it became bitter, thick, and syrupy with enough of a beefy power to it to give this some attitude. I was a little shaky on this pint to start but it won me over a bit more by the end.

Serving type: on-tap

03-01-2011 17:49:32 | More by Kegatron

JMforman

Tennessee

4.3/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Just got a $3 pint of this at Mellow Mushroom. Pretty sweet deal!

A- Deep amber with a decent head and good lacing

S- Citrus, caramel, toasted malt

T- Honey, grapefruit, dark fruit, alcohol

M- Very thick and creamy, way more than I've ever experienced in an IPA. Medium to heavy overall.

D- Very drinkable and cheap every Monday night at Mellow Mushroom!

Serving type: on-tap

01-25-2011 05:04:54 | More by JMforman

Fernans

Rhode Island

4.38/5  rDev +21.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - amber nothing unusual
S - slight floral smell not overpowering
T - here's where it shines. Like a true DIPA hoppy but not over the top. Well done. Nice finish.
M - small bubbles feels smooth and easy.
D - very in short. Warlord real is a top notch brew if you in enjoy the style

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2010 22:28:26 | More by Fernans

Pentastar

New York

4.03/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Rusty amber with a tan colored, half inch head, lots of lacing on the glass.

Aroma: Somewhat sweet with some bready malt, alchohol and yeast.

Taste: Intense bitterness with alchohol bite. Malt flavors are pretty noticeable too. Some pine flavor and orange, oily hops come through, along with an earthy background flavor.

Mouthfeel: Smooth mouthfeel.

Drinkeability: Good overall drinkability for the high abv.

Serving type: on-tap

10-05-2010 21:52:07 | More by Pentastar

david18

New York

3.7/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This was my bottle review:

I bought this beer because I had never seen it before. It was at the whole foods on 97th and Columbus in New York City. It was a very good balance of elements without anything overpowering the other. Not too hoppy, not too malty, not too strong on the alcohol.

Color is a good dark golden brown. Piney hoppy aroma. Sweet and bitter flavor. Worth getting if you see it.

---

I had a sixteen ounce of this at Amsterdam Ale House on Manhattan's Upper West Side. I generally agree. At the bar it's called an English Style double ipa. I think that's accurate. STrong and malty without being too hoppy. The problem is that the alcohol is a little too present.,

Serving type: on-tap

08-05-2010 22:34:21 | More by david18

sholland119

Pennsylvania

3.35/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at the Pony Bar, 7/17/10.

A-Pours a crystal clear amber with a frothy white heads.

S-Sweet, lots of caramel with a subtle citrus hop note.

T-Very sweet, featuring lots of caramel malt. In the finish, some tar-like hop notes mixed with a pine sweetness,

M-Medium bodied, not too heavy.

D-An unusual interpretation of the style, to be sure. Pretty good flavors, though.

HV

Serving type: on-tap

07-23-2010 16:32:38 | More by sholland119

Amalak

New York

4.05/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I had at d.b.a. in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
A- Goldish brown in color, it has a white foamy head that leaves some lacing.
S- It has a sweet caramel scent to it.
T- It's very fruity and sweet. There's a smooth caramel aftertaste, but the front is dominated by a malty citrus. But there is a good balance, thankfully.

Serving type: on-tap

07-20-2010 22:00:50 | More by Amalak

thekevlarkid

Maryland

4.08/5  rDev +13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I was at the brewery a year after I first tried this beer so I thought I'd give it another go. Off tap this double IPA was a clear, orange color with one finger of khaki colored head. The retention was decent and it left some spots of lacing; the appearance wasn't the strongest point. The aroma was excellent, citrus esp. grapefruit, orange zest, rich hops, green, and herbal without being bitter. The flavors were similarly outstanding, dominated by the orange zest and grapefruit notes. The finish was piney and herbaceous. Though it coated my tongue it was not oily and the malty backbone gave the hops enough balance. The mouthfeel was creamy and lush, the body medium/full and the carbonation soft. Highly enjoyable even if a little one-sided. Also worth noting, I ended up giving it the same score I did the first time.

Serving type: on-tap

03-15-2010 14:45:58 | More by thekevlarkid

mostpoetsdo

Rhode Island

3.05/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Arrived with a deep copper color, and billowy white head that dissipates to a small pool. Some lacing too.

S: Hops, citrus, not too sweet.

T: I am giving this a low score, this was an incredibly underwhelming DIPA. It had a great hop taste, citrus and bitter. It did not have much of a bite or "wow" factor to it. Just seemed like a standard IPA.

M: Smooth, not overly carbonated. A little too thin.

D: I am unaware of the ABV. So, they either did a great job hiding the ABV (given it is classified as a DIPA) or it has a low ABV. Either way, the taste isn't pleasant to have more than a couple.

Serving type: on-tap

01-20-2010 16:03:08 | More by mostpoetsdo

ThirstyBird

Germany

4.05/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at McNeill's in Brattleboro VT
A - Brownish red grapefruit color. Hazy. Nice light tan head lingering that produces nice lacing.
S - Grapefruit, sweet malt.
T - Very nicely balanced hops and malt from the first sip. Nice lingering bitter aftertaste.
M/F - Medium body. Very creamy and silky smooth.
D - A very good and tasty DIPA.

Serving type: on-tap

01-07-2010 22:16:03 | More by ThirstyBird

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.43/5  rDev +22.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap 12/30/09 at Track 84 in Warwick, RI, served in a tulip glass.

A: The beer is a light golden brown color, with a short off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of caramelized malts, fruity citrus and a good amount of piney hops.

T: The taste starts with a strong burst of hops bitterness up front and then sweet flavors of caramel and citrus come in to balance things out. The malt character is hearty but not too heavy. The after-taste is slightly sweet and slightly hoppy.

M: Smooth and very crisp, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, good kick, very good representation of style, this is a very solid 2IPA that is worth drinking for a whole evening.

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2009 16:39:50 | More by TheManiacalOne

LittleDon

Texas

4.33/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

13 oz. pour served in a tulip shaped glass. Nice thick off-white head that disappears into healthy lace. Brown-amber and cloudy with little signs of carbonation. Aroma indicative of heavy Cascade hops: pine, apples, and light caramel. Taste is much more pronounced that the aroma: apples, toasted oak, alcohol with a slight sweetness. Medium body with a noticeable carbonation bite. Bitter finish that lasts. I'll have another.

Serving type: on-tap

09-25-2009 20:38:16 | More by LittleDon

taez555

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the horseshoe pub in Hudson, MA. Reviewed via Blackberry

Poured a murky tan body with small off white head.

Nose is very fruity, almost smells like a fruit beer. Citrus and some caramel as well.

Thick and full bodied. A nice firm citrus taste. Not overly bitter. Caramel and thick malt flavor. This beer is really an amazing cross between british barleywine and DIPA. Lemon, lime, grapefruit juice, not a lot resin or citrus peel which makes it very nice and unique. Ends with a fruity lingering finsh.

Wow, this hands down the best mcneils I've ever had. So totaaly not an american DIPA. Damn good.

Serving type: on-tap

05-03-2009 17:17:23 | More by taez555

Brad007

Vermont

4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours an amber color with a thin one-finger head into my pint glass.

Aroma is full of piney, citrusy hops with a bit of a malt backbone in the nose.

Taste is full of piney, citrusy hops upfront with a mild hop bitterness that reveals a decent malt backbone. A bit sweet and a bit of caramel in the middle.

Mouthfeel is full of lingering hop and malt flavors. Not too stingy or anything. Decent.

Not a bad attempt at a DIPA. Could use a bit more hops but otherwise, it's drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

03-28-2009 21:29:17 | More by Brad007

Ego

New Jersey

3.05/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

don't turn your back on this beer, it will be overflowing all over your desk/table etc.

eyes...
slightly hazy orange fading toward brown, lots of carbonation gurgling up this one, the head started up at 3 fingers but really retreats at a crazy rate down to almost nothing more than a hefty o-ring. lacing is sub par, legs are apparent but not defined to well, this is pretty average looking for a DIPA.

nose...
caramel citrus with hints of dark fruit (raisins specifically), smells duller and not 'bright' like most DIPAs, some dark honey notes, pretty interesting mix, definitely not the DIPA standard.

taste etc...
tastes like the smell... rasiny hops with a strange almost licorice bitter note, for all that carbonation it feels pretty syrupy in the mouth, some warming from the alcohol is noted, the finish is almost sort of unpleasant, it lacks crispness and bite, it is a strange flavor that just lingers and lingers, it feels out of place, somehow it tastes 'old' for lack of a better term (I have only had this bottle for 2 weeks in the cellar)

verdict?
eh, nothing terrible but not a grail to be sought by those who love the style, worth trying just because it is different than most DIPAs.. and the bottle graphics remind me of Ironsword on the NES...

music: Alex Skolnick Trio - Goodbye to Romance

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2012 04:32:28 | More by Ego

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Winter Warmer: Poured a deep orangey color ale with a nice foamy head. Aroma consists of citrus hops with nice resin and piney notes also detectable. Taste is also a complex mix between some notes of citrus hops with some resin notes which is well balanced by a semi-sweet caramel malt backbone. Floral notes are very nice. Body is quite full with good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. I really enjoyed this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2012 19:38:51 | More by Phyl21ca

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

2.2/5  rDev -39.1%
look: 4 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A - Pours a clear amber copper color with a one fingered, dense creamy head.

S - Caramel malt dominates the nose and there's some very faint grapefruit aroma in the background, also getting some wet cardboard aroma.

T - Sweet caramel malt, grapefruit bitterness, and boozey effervesence. There is some medicinal character and even tastes a little oxidized.

M - Heavy medium body and cloying.

O - This beer is probably past its prime, I'll re-visit this beer again because right now it falls flat on its face.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 03:39:14 | More by jzeilinger

mvanaskie13

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a fluted ommegang glass, color is copper/amber with a nice thick off white to light tan head that presents very thick and hangs around the entire tasting.

Smell is caramel sweet with light citrus hops; nothing spectacular.

Taste is a little to sweet, lightly cloying; flavors are caramel sweetness with strong bitterness throughout; hop flavors of note are lightly citrusy and mild spice.

Mouthfeel is cloying, the sweetness in the nose and taste linger unpleasantly, but the bitterness cleans up some of it.

Overall, an average dipa to slightly subpar, flavors and scents are just out of whack.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 01:36:50 | More by mvanaskie13

box299

Illinois

1.75/5  rDev -51.5%
look: 1 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

Undrinkable!
This is the third beer I have tried from McNeill's and all three bottles only pour foam. The bottle was completely settled and chilled. Glass was chilled and rinsed but still filled the glass with nothing but suds. The bottle then just sits there and ooze's elephant's toothpaste. When the foam settled it did leave some nice lace. The taste is very thin for an Imperial IPA

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2011 00:58:02 | More by box299

dogfishandi

New York

3.93/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

growler brought over by a friend, poured into a bulb style glass.

very nice deep reddish amber, nice big off white head that settled to some nice thick big bubbly and creamy retention. nice lace. slightly cloudy.

nicely balanced, big alcohol, caramel, biscuit, slight woody fruity hop. towards the end of the glass developed an off aroma, not really enough hops for a DIPA in my opinion.

much better taste than the aroma suggests. woody, tropical fruity, pine sappy hops mingle with a nice candied caramel malt, alcohol definatly noticable, but not overpowering.

big bodied with lots of sticky resinous bitterness, thick and a little boozy.

pretty solid malty, sticky, DIPA, the aroma wasnt great and took a dive quick. i might drink this again.

Serving type: growler

07-23-2011 22:09:25 | More by dogfishandi

dbexpert

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearence: dark amber, garnet in color, rocky head on aggressive pour. last a while.
Smell: Sweet malt-very clean passed by big citrusy grass notes from the hops.
Taste: Beer drinks very clean. sweet malt profile up-front quickly followed by bitter hops. no mango mostly all citrus.
Mouthfeel: sweet but alcohols dries it right out with plenty of bitterness for balance with scraping the tongue
Overall: A really good beer. Not the best dipa but definetly in the front of the class. Nice job Ray!

Serving type: growler

06-15-2011 00:58:22 | More by dbexpert

ajkmetron

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Definitely solid appearance, what I hope the double IPA would look like.

The aroma is really nice, but the overall taste doesn't really keep up with that expectation.

It's very nice, but that particular taste is just not my favorite.

Very good for a Vermont IIPA beer, but some of the West Coast (and Mid-A and Mid-W) breweries still seem to be a step ahead of this offering. (disclaimer, I'm a UVM alum).

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2011 00:20:57 | More by ajkmetron