Hoptimum
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

HoptimumHoptimum
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From:
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
 
California, United States
Style:
Imperial IPA
Ranked #740
ABV:
11%
Score:
93
Ranked #3,379
Avg:
4.18 | pDev: 11.24%
Reviews:
1,570
Ratings:
6,546
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 01, 2024
Added:
Feb 07, 2010
Wants:
  472
Gots:
  1,276
A whole-cone hurricane of flavor. Our brewers selected the finest, most flavorful hops, pushed them beyond their limits and forged them into this all-new triple IPA. This reimagined Hoptimum is our hoppiest beer yet, providing a blend of tropical and citrus hop aroma that delivers a refined yet aggressive character.

IBU: 65
YEAST: Ale yeast
BITTERING HOPS: Crystal, Ekuanot
FINISHING HOPS: Strata, Simcoe, Citra, Mosaic, Loral
MALTS: Two-row Pale, Wheat, Flaked Oats
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by tectactoe:
Photo of tectactoe
Reviewed by tectactoe from Michigan

4.06/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Purchased as a recommendation from a friend of mine. Pours a nice golden-yellow color with a super fat, bright white head - don't pour this one too quick or aggressively, the head will tower up and over the glass. The lacing is magnificent, almost majestic, leaving a new ring every time you take a sip from the glass.

The aroma escapes as soon as you crack the beer open. Heavy, heavy, heavy hops, up and down. Pines through and through, insane hop oils, mildly dank and extremely resinous. Deeper inhales bring to light the balance of sweet citrus that goes hand in hand with the hops; grapefruits, orange, and lemon zest come to mind. Hugely aromatic and perfume-like. Some spices are present and even the alcohol is noticeable upon sniffing.

Then you taste it. BOOM. MF'ing hop explosion on your palate. Hops hit long and deep on all surfaces of the tongue and the mouth. Heavy pines, dense resin, thick and viscous hop oil flavors run amok. Immediately after, it starts to sweeten up with the grapefruits and citrus flavors coming alive. Maybe even some tangerines and pineapples. All of a sudden, you are thrust back into the clutches of the hops. Floral notes are rampant; like throwing a pine tree and a bouquet of roses into a blender and taking a swig. Malts aren't very present until the final moments of the sip; upon swallowing, your mouth is left with a yeast-like coating of flavors, biscuits and bread-like in character. But the bitterness doesn't go away - it stays and lingers and far outlasts the malt. It leaves your mouth dying for another dose of hop explosion. A warm alcholic presence from start to finish will scare away any newcomers and light lager lovers - this beer is for seriously heavy beer drinks only. Thick, sticky, heavy body and a tight, medium-level carbonation on this one.

Hoptimum is a must have for anybody who loves hoppy, bitter, and floral beers. Its main criticism is that the citrus and tiny malt backbone do not balance out the hops well. Well, it's true to a certain degree. The hops are heavy in this one. VERY heavy. But sometimes, that's what you're looking for. This beer must be sipped and cared for tenderly. It will stretch your taste buds to the extreme, and then throw them from the cliff. If you're looking for a hop bomb, look no further.
Nov 19, 2012
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.52 by USAF-Mike from California

Mar 01, 2024
Photo of guitarguyny
Reviewed by guitarguyny from New York

3.67/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Not the hop bomb I was expecting. Has a annoying malty/sweetness to it that I don’t care for. I was hunting this down for a while and I was let down.
Aug 16, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by TODDRESSEL1 from Indiana

Aug 06, 2023
Photo of aficionado224
Reviewed by aficionado224 from Ohio

4.15/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
For anyone looking for the stronger styles this one fits the bill. Making stronger ale needs more hops to balance out the vast quantities of malt and they succeed, making that name appropriate.
Aug 05, 2023
Photo of whitro17
Reviewed by whitro17 from Florida

4.62/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Look - deep gold, solid white head, little lacing
Smell - dank ripe fruit, piney, citrus
Taste - sweet fruit, piney, hoppy, resinous
Feel - medium body, moderate carbonation, highly resinous sticky finish
Overall - This is one hoppy Mutha. A tale of two halves to this gem. She's a bit boozy at first and the juicy fruitiness is more present on the scent and taste. It's like a hoppy, juicy, candy-esque treat. As it breathes and warms, it shifts to the piney, hoppy, resinous flavor with some citrus to balance it out. If you're looking for your hop fix, this is it. Let it warm, sip and enjoy. Ratchet up Blue Oyster Cult and zero in on Godzilla for this monster.
Jul 27, 2023
 
Rated: 4.21 by siege06nd from Virginia

Jul 24, 2023
 
Rated: 4.1 by SushiSakeBeer from Oregon

Jul 23, 2023
Photo of BeerIsGood1337
Reviewed by BeerIsGood1337 from Missouri

3.35/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25
2023 version.

Pretty average. Not impressed with this one. A vaguely annoying sweetness is going on here, and it's just overall not that interesting of a brew.

A perfectly drinkable beer. Nice and crisp, but I can't find anything I really love about it. Not much complexity. I can think of many other IPAs I'd rather be drinking.

Somewhat heavy ABV at 11%. One bottle will have you feeling a buzz, so don't have too many of these...
Jul 11, 2023
Photo of crm871
Reviewed by crm871 from Utah

4.57/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Look: Poured into snifter. Burnt orange in color with a fluffy beige-colored head.

Smell: Strong notes of citrus fruits - orange in particular. Strong hoppy aromas as well. Very dank but also has a sweetness to it as well that makes for a really pleasant smell.

Taste: Powerful hoppy front, nice bitterness that you’d expect and it really bites down on you. Citrus fruits follow - I’m getting the orange from the nose plus lemon, malts, some barley, and then there’s a really nice bitterness after the baseline taste finishes. All in all it has a very imperial taste to it, and it’s superb.

Feel: Heavy on this one - it’s 11% ABV and tastes / feels imperial. The carbonation is medium but it sits heavy. Take your time with this one and sip it steadily.

Overall: Wonderful offering that I’d buy again.
Jul 02, 2023
 
Rated: 4.02 by scottyshades from Florida

Jul 02, 2023
 
Rated: 4.19 by o29 from Texas

Jun 12, 2023
Photo of gooddaydiablo
Rated by gooddaydiablo from Texas

4.3/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
ipa pushed to extreme end
taste is massive tropical and floral
Jun 11, 2023
Photo of MadMadMike
Reviewed by MadMadMike from France

3.79/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
12 ounce bottle dated 4-13-23, poured fridge cold into a Wasatch Brewing can-glass.
Generous foam rises above an orange tinted bronze brew. A little sticky lace manages its way throughout the drink.
Aroma is disappointing., it’s not as mighty as it should be for a huge TIPA.
Taste is a tad confusing; it’s not this big hoppy dank bomb I was expecting / hoping for. The sweetness is annoying. There’s a hint of bitterness trying to surface but the sweet kicks it back down.
Mouth is nicely dense, mid carbonation.
Overall, points for reaching SW Florida at just 5 weeks since bottling. But damn. This should be so much more in every department - except the buzz. A pair of these gets the cheeks red. That may be its saving grace.,.
May 28, 2023
Photo of FRANKHAZE
Rated by FRANKHAZE from Florida

2.05/5  rDev -51%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
Ehhh... don't bother with this one.
May 18, 2023
 
Rated: 4.16 by SoundMakesSense from Indiana

Mar 05, 2023
Photo of mushroomcloud
Reviewed by mushroomcloud from Texas

4.02/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12oz bottled 4-6-22. Opened 2-12-23.
1+ finger white head with very good retention, leaves behind some thin wisps of lacing early. Orange-gold body with great clarity. Big nose of candied orange, late mint, and sweet malt. Sweet fruit - fruit salad with berries, tropical, and some ripe citrus. Full body, creamy mouthfeel - no real heat but the 11% is apparent. Long finish with some lingering sweetness. Very Good.
Feb 13, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by Beergod420 from Michigan

Jan 29, 2023
 
Rated: 3.73 by not2quick from Missouri

Jan 17, 2023
 
Rated: 4.31 by Slyde180 from Texas

Dec 30, 2022
Hoptimum from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 93 out of 100 with 6546 ratings