Sierra Nevada Hoptimum Imperial IPA - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

sevenarts

New York

4.23/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Rich golden orange with a nice fluffy white head and good lacing.

S: Lots and lots of hops: grapefruit, pine, citrus, balanced by a malty sweetness.

T/M: Like the aroma, but much stronger. Pine, grapefruit, and sweet, bready malt mingle deliciously with each sip. Very hoppy and strong, of course, but also really well balanced with that sweet undercurrent so it's never just a hop bomb.

O: A very tasty, hoppy beer with loads of flavor.

Serving type: growler

10-14-2012 17:36:59 | More by sevenarts

Rukasu

District of Columbia

4.03/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Comes close, but falls a little short of Hopslam.

Growler fill from Whole Foods Fair Lakes, VA.

A - Nice orange color with one-finger creamy white head, disipates quickly

S -Sweet up front with faint citrus and pine, but a big whiff will pick up a savory/umami bouillon hints from the high alcohol. Might seem off-putting, but works fairly well.

T - Certainly packs a punch. Big alcohol and grapefruit rind, some pine, still getting some of that savory taste.

M - Certainly full bodied, you almost need a glass of water to chase.

O - One pint was probably enough, but I went for two and that was probably a mistake. I think this beer is meant to just kick you in the face and walk away, because there was nothing really memorable about it other than the high ABV. There is little subtlety to this beer, at $10 for a growler, it was worth giving it a shot, but I'll stick with Hopslam.

Serving type: growler

05-27-2012 15:35:40 | More by Rukasu

MacQ32

South Carolina

3.93/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours a clear copper/amber with a thinner near white head, retention is fair. A nice ring remains around the glass, leaves a decent lacing.

S - Piney and grassy hop aroma with a hint of grapefruit. Subtle sweetness comes from fruity hops. A little fainter than I would have liked

T - Strong bite up front, a nice combination of piney and mostly citrusy hops. Juicy fruity flavors play with strong bitters which leave a nice dry finish.

M - Medium bodied, appropriate carbonation. All really good here.. drinkable but maybe not quite sessionable. Either way this growler is going down

O - Very bitter, great hop flavors. Malt is hard to find, drinkable for sure, maybe not quite a session beer. Mouthfeel is right where I would want it.

Serving type: growler

04-20-2012 19:56:13 | More by MacQ32

welldigger888

South Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

poured from growler into the hop etched imp pint, honey gold with some garnet hue and an ample just off white head with outragous lacing.
Strong aromas of tropical paradise rise to greet the nostrils,mango pineapple and the ever present piney resonious goodness that really makes american beer great!
Enamel stripping hop goodness,Citrus bursts first than quickly to the ever intoxicating piney resony hop heaven.A strong malt character is there, for support and a touch of sweet malt but that is all.Alcohol seems present but well in it's place.
Wow, spot on carbonation here. The palate asks for more.
The only draw back I can find, The ABV makes having the amount I want unobtainable. Half way down the pint, lace is still from lip to level on glass!!!

Serving type: growler

03-07-2011 03:36:06 | More by welldigger888

avalon07

South Carolina

4.28/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Poured from a growler to a tulip glass. Had an amber color and a slightly hazy texture. There was an inch of fairly long-lasting head. Very good lacing.

S: A surprisingly subtle smell of hops, malt, and citrus.

T: Tasted of hops (predictably, but also had a huge dose of malt - more than you usually see in a DIPA. There was also a bit of citrus mixed in for good measure. Alcohol content is occasionally noticeable.

M: A good amount of carbonation with a smooth finish. Medium-bodied.

D: A solidly made, drinkable, slightly different DIPA.

Serving type: growler

03-05-2011 13:25:30 | More by avalon07

abar22

Alabama

4.22/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Growler poured into a DFH Signature Glass...

Looks great. Nice copper orange. Fluffy white head, solid cap, spotty lacing.

Fantastic nose on this one. Hops are definitely dominant with full range smells; grass, pine, lemon, tropical fruit. All that mixed with a slight hint of alcohol. Just enough to know this is a DIPA.

Taste mirrors the smell. Hops assault the tongue in the best way possible. SN style pine bitterness. Loads of tropical fruit. Delicious!

Dry and grassy in the aftertaste. A bit thin in the mouthfeel but nothing off-putting.

Here's hoping the put these in 6 packs every year so I can knock em back with pleasure.

Serving type: growler

01-21-2011 03:51:46 | More by abar22

coolbrys

California

4.65/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Purchased a growler at the brewery for a hefty price.

A: First appearance shows a nice orange hue, with a very long lasting head. As the beer is drank, it leaves a remnant head along the glass. Quite hazy.

S: Upon first smell, a wave of hops, and a nice grapefruit smell shines through. Very reminiscent of Torpedo, but way stronger. Must be the Citra hops coming through.

T: As the lightly carbonated brew slides gently through your mouth, you get a significant sweet syrupy taste from the malts, transitioning perfectly into a nice grapefruit flavor, followed by a long lasting hop bitterness that is an excellent end to the flavor of a DIPA. The alcohol flavor is incorporated perfectly with the flow of the taste, adding a significant balance to the taste that is much appreciated. The 10.4% may be apparent, but it's not overwhelming. Be careful drinking more then one of these, however.

M: As a DIPA, the mouthfeel is perfect. The carbonation is low but apparent, and the ale is not too thick or thin, being a medium bodied ale that completely captures the idea of a good West Coast DIPA.

D: The drinkability is good for a DIPA. The alcohol content and the syrupy character hinder it from being too drinkable, but at 10.4%, that's a good thing.

Overall, a fantastic offering from the excellent brewers at Sierra Nevada. Being a strong lover of all things hops, and of all things Sierra Nevada - especially Torpedo - this stands out excellently. When I was at the brewery, this beer was going extremely fast, and everyone loved it. I would love to see this bottled.

Serving type: growler

03-13-2010 16:00:42 | More by coolbrys

Arithmeticus

Maryland

4.59/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured chilled in standard ale glass with @davewhite4

A: copper color; 1-finger head; clear; decent lacing
S: begins with a pilsner aroma, then pales to nothing; give it four minutes and voila it opens up into a pleasant bubblegum-hop aroma
T: unbelievably good; complex, sweet, very piney and fresh; boozy but complemented so nicely by the hop array
M: thick, mealy

I have not had such a good IPA in...forever. Wow. Get it. It's very repeatable.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 22:15:59 | More by Arithmeticus

clayrock81

Virginia

4.14/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured a golden orange body w ith two finger soapy head and lots o' lace that left itself hang around while I drank. Hoppy aroma, natch, with any adjective you might want to use for DIPAs: citrusy, hint of grapefruit, earthy, soapy, dirty. A strong hop aroma but there are wiffs of caramel malt that sneak out as well. What I like best about this beer and something that is hard to do when you have this much hops and alcohol (ABV over 10% and it is not noticeable, making this one real easy to pound a couple and feel it later) is that not only is not a palate wrecker but is smooth, somewhat chewey and creamy, and even with all the spicy, sharp citric and grape hops in there, one can pick up some sweet caramel and bread malts as well as touches of other fruit which I'll bastardize and say "tropical". Well-balanced, great beer and to summarize both hoppy and pleasantly balanced with some sweetness and a must have for any serious beer drinker.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 12:49:09 | More by clayrock81

SigEp271

Virginia

4.79/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Appearance - Nice golden appearance with very little head.

Smell - Smells how a true IPA should. You get a nose full of hop, which I think it centennial

Taste - Right off the bat you get hit with hops. If you can imagine a hop literally slapping you in the face, that pretty much explains it. Nice after taste and as the beer starts to warm you get different flavor characteristics. For a 100 IBU this is very impressive, loved DFH 120 IPA and this is much more affordable and is just as equally impressive.

Mouthfeel - Crisp taste with a nice long after taste. With the IPA had a little bit more depth, but wonderful beer.

Overall - Great IPA. Normally hate Sierra Nevada but had to try this. Well worth it

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 01:19:24 | More by SigEp271

HedleyLamar

California

4.63/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

WOW! This is amazing beer! Sierra Nevada was one of the first Pale Ales that I had ever tried years ago when craft brew were gaining popularity. This beer is full of flavor and it packs a strong punch with a high alcohol content. If you have not had this one, give it a try.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 00:23:12 | More by HedleyLamar

DenverHopHead

Colorado

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I've been overlooking Sierra Nevada. I'll have a SN Pale Ale at a wedding reception or at an everyday bar just because it's so established, but never seek them out. As my love of Cali IPA's grow, I decided to give Torpedo a go again and loved it. Never had Hoptimum, but as soon as I finished off Torpedo, I put it on my must have list. I dare you to find much fault here. Pick up a 4 pack at just $8 (here in CO), it's a steal!

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 20:30:08 | More by DenverHopHead

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4.26/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured from 12oz bottle into HF tulip. Purchased single at Total Wine in Norwalk, CT for $2.50. Pours an amber orange with sticky lacing but not much head - but can be expected for such a big ABV. Nice resinous pine and bready malt aroma...some sweetness. Taste is fantastic. Sweet piney bready...wow really amazing. Its so smooth for the abv..I mean scary smooth. Its almost a chugger. Its rare to come across a beer that is so smooth at such a high abv. Really a fantastic DIPA/strong ale. Serious deal for this brew at $2.50!!! I recommend this for anyone looking for a great amazing hop flavor without a huge mouth puckering bitterness...

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 02:34:51 | More by DrinkSlurm

highdesertdrinker

Arizona

4.11/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Appearance-
A pretty golden orange with nice head and carbonation. Moderate lacing.
Smell-
Hops and pine with a slight waft of grapefruit.
Taste-
Pretty much like the smell with a huge burst of hops, dank with pine, then more hops and pine with an undercurrent of grapefruit, and then it mellows out a little in the middle where the malt and fruit flavors become more evident and then a hoppy, spicy, boozy finish.
Mouthfeel-
Medium, chewy, resiny, and a little dry.

This is a hop bomb but it also has balance and flavor that makes it drinkable but it is not for beginners or non hopheads. Sierra Nevada does a solid job as usual.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 03:01:19 | More by highdesertdrinker

rlee1390

Indiana

4.38/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-A clear golden orange with about one finger head, some lacing

S-Hops. Some More Hops. Citrus flavors as well. Very grass and pine heavy.

T-Starts sweet and citrusy. Has a strong earthy pine note. Ends bitter, the bitterness lingers. This thing is a bitter bomb. Could be more balanced, but this beer delivers.

M-Smooth, much smoother than most DIPAs. Medium bodied.

D-Very drinkable, maybe too drinkable for a DIPA. Downed the entire bottle in about an hour. Maybe should have savored it a little more but damn to was tasty and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 19:24:46 | More by rlee1390

BurgeoningBrewhead

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

2013 12oz brown bottle, poured into snifter. Golden orange-yellow with a medium white head. Smell is floral and piney hops, spicy alcohol and sweet fruit as it warms. Taste is sweet and thick up front, bitter hops on the finish. A relatively heavy DIPA, even as American IPAs go. Still delicious by my account.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 04:48:19 | More by BurgeoningBrewhead

neenerzig

Ohio

4.2/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured out of a 12 oz bottle into one of my pint glasses, this beer pours a fairly clear, deep medium to dark golden color. White head is initially about an inch thick when poured. Eventually settles to a nice medium sized white ring lining the inside of the glass with a few spots of foam dotting the surface of the beer sporadically. Not too much lacing though unfortunately. Aromas of piney, resinous hops with hints of grapefruit and citrus that give way to some slightly toasted caramel malt sweetness. The taste is pretty much the same. A good mix of earthy resinous piney and grapefruit citrus hops that aren't overly bitter and that give way to some slightly toasted caramel malt sweetness. The bitterness certainly dominates flavor wise but, unlike several of their other beers I have had, it is not over the top bitterness that completely blew out my tongue. Good balance of flavors here. Has a crisp, yet smooth and frothy, sort of chewy and sticky medium mouthfeel with an oily like residue that really coats the inside of the mouth nicely and hangs around for awhile. Medium carbonation. A fairly refreshing beer on this very warm spring night here in Cleveland, OH.

Eric

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 03:25:55 | More by neenerzig

Andrew61923

Connecticut

3.79/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from the bottle into my Gandhi Bot glass.

A: Pours a dark orange hue that borders on amber with a stubborn finger's worth of white, foamy head. The head sticks around more than I would expect and leaves behind some nice lacing where it does fade.

S: Picking up on a lot of different notes of citrus rind, a bit of mango, pine, and some caramel sweetness. I like my IPAs and DIPAs to be a bit more juicy in the nose, but I can tell that this has a lot going on.

T: Holy bitterness. I feel like my palate just got assaulted. Lots of pine and more of the caramel from the aroma. Not sure if this much of a hop attack is my thing, but it definitely accomplished what it set out to do.

M: Definitely on the syrupy side and has a thicker mouthfeel than I'd want on a drink-more-than-one basis. I'm glad that I only picked up a single since there's no way I'd get through two of these...and I say that as a fan of hops. Carbonation is pretty solid.

O: One thing I respect most about Sierra Nevada is their ability to make a wide range of styles at a solid level. I loved Narwhal, enjoy Torpedo, and SNPA is a great anytime beer. While I don't dislike Hoptimum, it's just not really my thing. Enjoyable in some aspects, but maybe it's too big a beer for me. There's a part of me that's curious how this would taste with some time on it, but I'll let someone else experiment with that.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 00:40:15 | More by Andrew61923

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

4.41/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The 2013 batch is absolutely drinking like a champ right now. It's big, bitter, and boozy in all the right ways. This is now my favorite shameless palate wrecker on the market - so much so, that I'm raising scores.

---

12 oz. bottle poured into a Samuel Smith pint glass.

A: Pours a golden copper color with excellent clarity. The head is a two finger offwhite color with a moderately frothy texture and decent enough retention. Spotty streaks of lacing left on the glass.

S: This features a good blend of various hop scents: herbal pine, dank earthiness, and juicy tropical fruit, with hints of brown sugar breaking up the hop assault. The smells like it will be right up my alley.

T: Hops! Initial sips bring out the strong tropical fruit flavor that mixes with brown sugar and caramel maltiness. Actually, this isn't as hoppy as I hoped it would be, in fact, it's surprisingly malty (and not so surprisingly boozy) with only a subtle underlying bitterness near the finish...at first. Herbal and piny notes accumulate on the aftertaste gradually but surely. The hops slowly become more aggressive in their flavor; actually it becomes pretty damn imbalanced - and I love it.

M: Incredibly smooth and creamy, with a heavy body. Oily hop resin builds up as more of the beer is consumed. Booze lightly tingles the tongue and throat as well in conjunction with the carbonation. Not the easiest drink, given its texture and alcohol presence, but the long, lingering aftertaste is enjoyable.

O: This drinks and tastes like Torpedo on horse steroids, but it's slightly less enjoyable in my opinion. This is due to some of its drinkability niggles (understandable), but you bet I'll drink this again (and again) in the future.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 21:19:07 | More by ThisWangsChung

JoshBrews

Missouri

4.7/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is a pretty solid offering from Sierra Nevada!

I poured the bottle into a (not exactly) snifter-type glass. The beer was a little cool when I first opened it (chilled it too long). I let it sit for 30 minutes before really getting into the beer.

First impression was a nice piney / citrusy hop aroma, which I found wonderful.

First sip had me...I was a nice, bitter (but not overly bitter for 100 IBU) beer with a really solid malt backbone. As it sat and warmed a little more, the maltiness increased and the beer almost became sweet, which was not unpleasant but was not expected.

For the size of the beer, I really could not detect the alcohol in it either. This is just a solid beer in my opinion. I am going to (try to) save one to see what 6 months does to it...maybe a year.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 13:45:20 | More by JoshBrews

LI_PO12

Pennsylvania

4.36/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Bottle into Tulip (2013, no exact date found)

Appearance- Deep gold, fairly clear, 1 finger of head that dissipates quickly. nice lacing.

Aroma- Nice hops, very piney, some citrus, grapefruit, earthy, pungent, slight malt in the background.

Flavor- This is very bitter at 100 IBUs, lots of pine, earthy hops, spicy, slight citrus, very clean, alcohol present but I probably wouldn't guess 10%. very nice.

Mouthfeel- Medium full bodied, medium carbination, alcohol warmth

Overall-This is a great hop bomb, leans toward pine, and earthy hops rather than citrus, very enjoyable. A sipper for sure. This is my first time trying it and I will be getting more for sure.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 04:23:05 | More by LI_PO12

LambicPentameter

Kansas

3.91/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured out of a 12 oz bottle into a large snifter glass. No discernible freshness date, but this is the 2013 batch, so likely fresh within the last month or so.

Appearance - An aggressive pour yields a one-finger head resting atop a body of glowing orange, with hints of umber. The head dissipates quickly to leave a ring of foam around the edge of the glass and an island of medium-sized bubbles in the center. Lacing is pretty generous as I drink the level of the liquid down. Hangs around for quite awhile.

Smell - Orange zest pushes its way through at first, along with some herbal notes and perhaps a hint of pine, but the aroma is predominantly fruity. After a few smells, I can detect a little bit of the alcohol that is coursing through this 10.5% beer. There is almost a hint of locker-room funk to it as well. Interesting smell for a DIPA.

Taste - The hop bitterness dominates, but rests on a bed of citrus notes. I'm a little surprised there isn't more depth of flavor going on here. I certainly expected more. However, it certainly does showcase the hops, which are present from start to finish, and even linger on after the beer has been long swallowed.

Mouthfeel - Lingering bitterness is actually pleasant, and hints at grapefruit where the smell and taste did not. For lack of a better term, the mouthfeel is "wet", and by that I guess I mean there is a hint of cloying sweetness to it, as much as it makes sense for a descriptor like "cloying" to be paired with a "hint".

Overall, a satisfying beer, but there are a handful of Imperial IPAs that I would pick off the shelf prior to this one. I will say that it's quite drinkable for 10.5% ABV.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 21:45:35 | More by LambicPentameter

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

3.61/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Clear golden-hued copper. Bright. Head is off-white and leaves a solid creamy, rocky head. Drops to a 1cm cap with splotches of lacing. Moderate carbonation on the pour.

Smell: Oily earthy citrus. Loaded with oily pine. Some backing malt sweetness, but it's hops galore. Floral and delicate...but assertive, because that makes sense. Super fresh leafy hops. Lightly bready with a slight backing spiciness. Some of that trademark Chico yeast in the back. Unique, but still distinctly Sierra Nevada.

Taste: Fresh wet and leafy hops. Oily and smooth. Tangerine in the back of a solid floral and slightly spicy hop profile. Building earthiness as it warms. Pith with some mint. Some toasted malts liven things up a bit. Pale and bready malts bring some added sweetness. Grapefruit. A bit sweeter than I would expect from Sierra Nevada. Lingering moderate bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Slick and oily medium body. Moderate carbonation with a clean finish. Wet.

Overall: Hoptiminimum.

Sierra Nevada makes better beer. An explosion of wet and leafy hops, but it feels a bit too all over the place. I'll take a case of Celebration any day, but this is worth drinking a bottle every year.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 19:26:49 | More by Goblinmunkey7

Hoptometrist

Oregon

4.2/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served from bottle into a tulip glass

A- Poured a semi-hazy dark orange color with huge fluffy white head that left huge clumpy and dense white lace. Sierra Nevada IPAs always have the most incredible lacing. Lots of visible carbonation.

S- Huge piney, dank, earthy, and grapefruit hop notes. Lots of candy sweetness and caramel malt.

T- Very dank, piney, and earthy hop profile. Dirty hop profile. Lots of candy sweetness, caramel malt, and grapefruit hops. Huge pungent hop character, but also a massive malt backbone to make this balanced yet bold. Quite a bit of bitterness and a lot of sweetness.

M- Smooth, medium to fuller bodied, slightly syrupy, some alcohol warming on the finish, very dry

O- Really unique hop profile reminiscent of Deviant Dales. Based on appearance, mouthfeel, and drinkability I would never guess this was 10.4% ABV.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 03:41:16 | More by Hoptometrist

ClintBEERME

Maine

4.49/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Must complete IPA undergraduate degree before attempting to study and enjoy this beer. This beer is an a homage to the friend we all revere and love, HOPS. This beer will be overbearing for amatuers, but professional hop drinkers will relish in its unrelenting hop glory. The whole cone experience results in a grassy, piney, citrusy, HOP punch in the face. Enjoy it. Beer is proof God wants us to be happy.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 22:47:35 | More by ClintBEERME