Sierra Nevada Hoptimum Imperial IPA - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Benish

Wisconsin

4.41/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

This was bottled 03/19/2013 but purchased this bottle today.

Poured into snifter glass. It has a very light copper color and a little less than a quarter inch of an off-white foamy head which dissipated pretty quickly. Lacings all around the glass but that didn't take long to fade away.

Scent gave off floral notes, some hay, and lots of citrus, definitely a sweet smell. There was a little pine, but not as much as other beers I have had (such as Anti-Hero).

It like it pops in my mouth. It started out sweet but then became insanely bitter. It has a very heavy citrus bite to it with the bitterness from grapefruits. While the smell was primarily sweet, the taste was dominantly bitter. The bitterness still lingers in my mouth - sort of like as if I ate a grapefruit 15 minutes ago. Just a very very subtle heat to it considering the high alcohol content. The beer seemed to have a syrupy like consistency, makes my lips stick together. Just moderate carbonation present.

I contrast this with other Double IPAs for its serious bitterness. The bitterness just attacks. At 100 IBU's this beer should not surprise you. Pretty decent beer!

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 02:24:52 | More by Benish

ChrisKayler

Virginia

4.33/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Drinking the 2013 version of this beer while listening to Drudkh, one of my favorite bands.

Glass: Port City "craft pub" pint glass.

Appearance: Beautiful dark orange amber color, very clear, streaming bubbles from the bottom of the glass. An aggressive pour produced a finger of head which dissipated in about a minute or two.

Smell: Oh, man, this smells delicious. Hops! Perhaps one of the best smelling beers I've ever been fortunate enough to enjoy. Smells of weed, peaches, other tropical fruits, and the slightest hint of alcohol.

Taste: Not a complete fruity hop bomb, although there are strong characteristics of tropical fruit especially at first sip and in the mid-palette. However, a malt characteristic certainly comes in within a couple seconds, followed by a strong bitterness that lasts for AGES. It tastes almost like weed smells, perhaps an effect of the whole-cone hopping? Alcohol is noticeable, a bit too much for my tastes.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with low to medium carbonation. Dry finish on the tongue, perhaps mostly the result of the bitterness. Despite the dryness, you definitely get that strong IPA resin remaining long after the beer is gone. You can feel the alcohol warming your throat and stomach.

Overall: I am thoroughly enjoying this beer, but find the flavor to be slightly dissapointing compared to the smell. The appearance of the beer is beautiful, as is the bottle cap and bottle itself! The smell is incredible, the mouthfeel is just what I want in an IPA. Overall, great beer, but I personally prefer less bitterness in a DIPA, and for the alcohol to be hidden a little better.

Would drink again (luckily, since I purchased a 4 pack!).

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 02:11:55 | More by ChrisKayler

gr0g

New Jersey

3.79/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Coppery amber hue with a nicely sized head. Good head retention and some lace rings around the glass. Floral, honeyed aroma with some overripe citrus fruit. The detectable sweetness and a slight wiff of alcohol gives away the malt-forward nature of this IPA. Not at all unexpected given this brewery's other IPAs.

Sweetness is excessive for an IPA, even for a double. This could even be sweeter and more malt forward than Bigfoot. Still some nice, hoppy flavor notes here -- grapefruit, some resin, citrus fruit. Alcohol heat comes in on the finish, not very hot, but not exactly well-masked. Overall, honey and rich toffee sweetness prevails. Some syrupy ness texture-wise, more barleywine-like than IPA. Pretty well carbonated with fine bubbles.

I enjoy strong, sweet ales, but it doesn't come together all that well with Hoptimum. Too hot and sweet for the style. There are many better DIPAs available.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 01:21:54 | More by gr0g

trxxpaxxs

New York

4.24/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

2013 vintage...

A: Pours a translucent orange gold with about a half finger of pure white head. The foam fades fairly quickly leaving only a thin frothy ring along the edges of the glass.

S: The nose is sweet malt, pine hops out the ass, a touch of onion, and a bit of alcohol. Usually I hate the onion scent in my beer, but this isn't too bad. Just a little bit on the back end.

T: It starts out with a bit of sweet malt, but the hops jump up strong. It gets super piney and drying, with a bit of onion in there as well. I gets mixes of caramel and bitters, even some floral notes in the middle. The back end is alcohol and drying hops. It's solid, a bit intense, and I dig it.

M: Medium bodied beer. Sweet to super bitter right after. It coats the palate, but softens up with more malt and floral components. The finish is back to bitters and alcohol. Lingering hops and booze.

O: Good beer. I loved this when it was in the 750ml bottles (2011?). This year and last years are bit below that standard but still very good. I have yet to ever have a bad beer from Sierra Nevada.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 00:05:22 | More by trxxpaxxs

hopoilcrazy

Tennessee

3.81/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Golden and amber. Small lacy cap

S - Boozy. Piney hops, spice cake / carrot cake, marijuana. Crisp malt, maybe pale

T - Flat bitterness. Sweet tang from the 10.4%. Cream, grassy hops, the malt is barely there to give balance a shot.

M - Good tingle. Nice carbonation. Medium to heavy body with a little syrupy quality going on

Wanted to try this for years and although it is good, I'm not going to get it again but I'm not gonna drain pour it

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 23:43:16 | More by hopoilcrazy

KickInTheChalice

Illinois

4.04/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a tulip.

The first sign of a well-crafted beer is a strong appearance after it is poured out of the bottle. Hoptimum has a full, thick frothy white cap resting on top of a golden caramel color beer. A nice bit of carbonation rises up from the bottom of the glass to replenish the cap.

Simcoe hops come through in all of their glory first. As with most other whole cone hop beers, the aroma feels full and complete. This aroma is full on the pine, spices, and dank hop aromas and a bit light on the citrus notes. There are some grapefruit, mango,and tangerine notes coming through. A bit of light, sweet malt exists as an afterthought.

Up front there is a straw and honey sweetness that quickly fades and makes room for a huge hop presence. Simcoe is again the most dominant with its spicy pine flavors. It becomes quite bitter, without any real fruit to add balance to it. I enjoy the completeness of the flavors that come from using whole cone hops, and this is no exception. The spicy pine, herbal, and light citrus flavors are all developed in a very full way. The finish is quite bitter.

The rich, creamy carbonation really helps to reduce the impact of the 10.4% ABV on the palate, but the alcohol is still noticeable in the throat and stomach. Although it is creamy and smooth, there is a fair amount of hop oil and residue that are left on my lips after each sip. The hops create mostly a spicy bite sensation, and it is fairly dry.

I enjoy Sierra Nevada's whole cone hop beers, but I think the combination of hops in this one just did not push it over the edge for me.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 04:36:02 | More by KickInTheChalice

TheCondor

Missouri

4.04/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Side poured from the bottle into a Sam Adams glass.

Appearance - Pours a beautiful deep orange/gold color with a nice one and a half finger head that dissipates slowly and leaves good lacing. Love the packaging. Carbonation is present inside the glass, good presentation overall for the brew.

Smell - It is certainly an Imperial IPA, with strong citrus and floral notes emanating from the glass. There is a certain sweet, almost candy like smell as well, kind of hard to put my finger on. A little pine rounds out the smell, where hops are prevalent but malts can certainly be detected.

Taste - The sweet malts come first, washing the palate in preparation for a hop bomb. This comes mid-taste, and delivers big time. Floral, citrusy, grapefruit, pine hops wallop the taste buds. However, even though it is rated as over 100 IBUs I didn't find it as obnoxiously hopped as Ruination. More balanced than that.

Mouthfeel - Finishes dry and bitter. There is an alcohol presence, though not like you would expect from a 10.4%. There is absolutely an alcohol/hops bitterness and coating to the finish.

Overall - This is a good beer, for sure. I am not a hophead by any stretch, so this really pushes the boundaries for me, but I did like it and would recommend it. Its' a strong example of the style no doubt.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 03:02:12 | More by TheCondor

lordofstarside

Nevada

4.18/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Finally hit the shelves, first bottle of 2013. 12oz to snifter, bottled March 18th

This has to be one of my favorite labels and caps in all of beer. Pours a neutral golden orange/amber with a finger of foam. Decent retention, medium carbonation, good lacing, and a bit of sediment. High transparency, good look

Smells of hops hops hops. Very nice floral and citrus scent- lots of earthy pine with a good mix of grapefruit, tropical fruit, and some lime contrast nicely with sweet bready malts that all meld quite nicely.

Taste is close to the nose- strong fruity hops backed up with that earth and pine for the hop profile. Malts dominate the after taste, not as sweet as in the nose but nice caramel presence. Alcohol is very present on the finish, helps give this beer the magnitude it has

Feel is a strong medium body with all sorts of bitterness. Alcohol isn't concealed well, but in doing so adds to the taste. I could probably drink as many of these as you could give

Overall this years batch seems to differ a bit from last years- more citrus and less pine with the hops, and a bit of a stronger malt. I liked last years better, but overall this beer is top shelf. One of the things I look forward to each spring

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 00:33:50 | More by lordofstarside

Pinknuggets

Vermont

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

2013 Bottle to DFH ipa glass

A:It is an orange to amber color with a fluffy white to tan head. It is completely translucent and about as clean as it gets in terms of imperial IPAs. Honestly with the whole cone thing i was expecting a lot more hazy but this is not a bad route.

S: There is a floral hop aroma for sure mixed in with a hint of citrus but it is not as powerful as I expected it to be. THere are notes of some malt or a more earthy smell but I cannot really place it for sure.

T: Upfront this is similar to the nose in that I was expecting a lot more hops and they are there, but they do not have much strength to them. In terms of their specific taste, the hops are actually pretty resinous with a hint of pine as apposed to floral there is some mango citrus in the back with a little but of pink grapefruit as well. It does have a pretty solid malt backbone that is almost sweet that goes well with the almost tart hops.

M: There is quite a resinous feel that sticks on your tongue for quite a while after the the initial sip. Though on the other hand it does go down very easily for the abv and is crisp and clean. It is light without being watery so there is still some depth impressive for an imp IPA.

O: In all honesty I was kinda let down by the the lack of powerful hop smell or that unfiltered young hazy look but in the taste the hops are good but not great. On the other hand this is probably the cleanest easiest drinking imperial IPA have had so this beer definitely has up and downsides but it is worth a try and I will be back as it matches well with a hot afternoon.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 23:57:13 | More by Pinknuggets

MattSweatshirt

Texas

4.18/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Pours out a clear darker golden color with two fingers of white head that retains very well for such a high abv beer. Looking good.

The smell hits you after popping the cap and pouring. Big hoppy fruit notes of orange, grapefruit, and peach which tickles my fancy in a IPA. Some floral and resinous pine is in there as well. Nicely rounded out hoppy profile.

First sip shows this is a bad boy. Warming alcohol fills the chest. The hops come in guns blazing with the bitterness. Big on the grapefruit and pine flavors. There is some sweetness and bready malt character that lends itself to somewhat balance out the beer. Fairly big beer here. Light smoothed out carbonation. Leaves the mouth dry with hop flavor that sticks around forever.

This thing just kills your palate after one bottle. Awesome.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 08:00:34 | More by MattSweatshirt

jdhowe

California

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

2013 release poured into a standard pint glass. A bottling or "enjoy by" date is sadly nowhere to be found, unless I am missing it. A true sin of omission for something so hoppy.

I tried to evaluate this beer last night, but was sadly pulled away from my endeavor, and, despite my best efforts to seal away and refrigerate yesterday's pour, various oils seemed to have transitioned to a clouding of waxes at the bottom of the glass, so I lost a good one. I share this only to emphasize just how much awesome hop oil is in this beer, which is the only thing I can think would reach a cloud point in forming waxes in a refrigerator -- I could be wrong.

A: Beautiful clear amber with 1/2 finger of fluffy white head comprised of larger bubbles, dissipating rapidly to a thin, sometimes broken film. Nice continuing bubbling of CO2 from the base of the glass, but the head is not stable and lacing is minimal but there -- the only real detractions from appearance here. Overall a beautiful beer.

S: Strong pine and grapefruit -- just what I want here, but not with any real added complexity.

T: This one wrecks the palate straight away, but early sips showed the hop profile evident in the nose, strongly representing the citrus grapefruit flavors and piney flavors with a bit more floral than what I had picked up in the nose. A strong bitter finish, evident even while drinking and lingering long after finished. The 10.4% abv shows, but honestly it drinks a lot like many other Imperial IPAs in the ~9abv range, so the alcohol, while it shows, does not dominate. Malt character is strong, but is just overwhelmed by hoppy goodness.

M: Wonderful. Really a perfect balance of carbonation and oily hop character. If you love hops, you should not miss the freshest pour of this beer you can obtain.

O: A very strong offering, probably my favorite thing I have ever had from Sierra Nevada. Very hoppy, but only what one would expect from a whole cone beer called "hoptimum." Very glad to have picked up a 4-pack of this, which I think was a steal at $10. I'll be watching for this one in coming years.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 19:58:10 | More by jdhowe

GeckoPunk

Connecticut

4.26/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Wow... I forgot how much of a "Palate Wrecker" this beer is!

It is delicious.
It smells absolutely wonderful
The taste blasts your mouth with pure unadulterated hops!
I am left speechless even though I've had this drink before...

I used to be a hardcore "HopHead", but after having been weaned off hops, coming back to this beer has given me a new appreciation for the one-dimensional bitterness I love in a hoppy beer! One sip will leave you thinking that this beer is not designed to be paired with any other food or drink. Anything you match it with, may it be cheese or meat, this beer will "Steal the Show"

Heavy Piney... Heavy Floral...
Lingering bitterness! Let it be your last drink. It will stay in your mouth ALL NIGHT LONG!

Overall, it is a hophead's wet dream... Just amazing and beyond description.

Great beer if you want your mouth to reminisce of only the pure joy of hop bliss...

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 01:56:11 | More by GeckoPunk

Axnjxn

North Carolina

4.13/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

2013 release

Crisp amber pour with a moderate head. After the pour, you can smell this beer from far away. Almost an overwhelming hoppy smell, mixed with some rye notes. The taste is not quite as strong, with the hops hitting you upfront but with there being a distinct rye aftertaste that i wasn't expecting. Beer goes down smooth, medium bodied, medium carbonation.

Overall a good beer bordering on excellent. The price is right with this one too, definitely one you should pick up a 4 pack of when you see it.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 15:35:01 | More by Axnjxn

Damian

Massachusetts

3.89/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Drank from a 12 fl. oz. bottle purchased at Craft Beer Cellar, Belmont, MA
2013 vintage
Served in a snifter

Gorgeous appearance. The slightly hazed, orangey-amber liquid was topped by a three-finger, tight, bubbly, light beige crown. Nice lasting strength on the head. It slowly faded to a thick ring. Odd shaped patches of lacing stuck all down the glass.

The nose was rather muted and odd. Slightly hoppy with subtle chive notes. Pithy, powdery and dry. Some citrus. As the beer warmed, a touch of grapefruit was noticeable. Hints of orange peel as well.

The flavor profile was quite different from the aroma. It was comprised of lots of pithy, dry hops and sweet caramel malts. A bit uncharacteristic for a Sierra Nevada brew. Strong citrus flavors. Candied orange peel was apparent. Some ruby red grapefruit. The finish was super dry and bitter. Notes of pine sap and grapefruit rind came through strong. At 10.4% ABV, this beer hid its alcohol prowess amazingly well.

The beer felt super frothy, smooth and supple on the palate. Pillowy soft. Medium-full bodied for the style. The liquid contained a fine, plush, medium effervescence.

Although this beer lacked some complexity and used excessive amounts of sticky sweet malts to balance out the bitter hops, it was still enjoyable and dangerously drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 03:51:14 | More by Damian

evanforbeer

California

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

poured from a 2013 bottle, nice strawy amber with off-white head.

smell- pine, floral/rose/lavender, wood, malts, citrus rind

taste- this is a SN beer- juicy and resinous hops- orange, tangerine, touch of dried mango/tropical fruit, followed by soft floral notes, some wood, and savory bready malt, finishes with a delicious layer of pine/ sticky hop resin and some malt sweetness

feel- resinous, medium bodied, juicy, sticky

Fantastic brew. incredibly balanced, awesome complexity and intricate notes. So much flavor that covers up the booze pretty good. Pick it up!

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 01:27:44 | More by evanforbeer

Bosoxfan20

Oklahoma

4.31/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2013 version

A- Pours a clear light amber/dark copper into my Spiegelau IPA glass. 1-1.5 finger creamy, off white head with average retention. Spotty lacing that makes an effort to grab hold of the glass. A whole mess of carb bubbles flowing to the top

S- Assortment of NW hops bring out pine, grapefruit, touch of spice, citrus, herbs. Sweet malt breaks through in the end.

T- All the smells, but so much more intense. Wow! 100 IBUs smack you around a little. Huge hops up front, followed by a sweet pale malt base that puts up just enough of a fight to keep the resinous hops honest. Biscuits. Warm finish that goes bitter quick...in a good way.

M- Mid body that borders on full. Creamy. Bitter but smooth. Dry. A little boozey, but at 10.4, does a respectable job of not letting it control the palate.

O- Big flavors from a big beer. Hop combination and dry hop process lets the cones go wild, but finds a way to stay balanced. If you prefer your DIPAs a little on the sweet side with outstanding balance, then you will love this one.

No bottled on date
$10.99/4 pk

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 15:45:59 | More by Bosoxfan20

DanE

Connecticut

3.73/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into a Stone RIS tulip glass. 2013 brewed sometime in late March. My first 2013.

A: Clear, amber color. Great lacing. Poured a 1 finger white head which quickly dissipated.

S: Nothing really going on here. You get some dry hopping. whole cone aromas - or what I think those aromas smell like. I get more "lager" type smells, almost some oxidation - like a stale SNPA.

T: This is where this beer shines. Bitter throughout with nice pine and tropical fruit. Betters with a little warmth.

M: Nice and oily - you know this beast has been dry hopped.

O: Pleasant. I tend to drink this by itself when I only need a beer or too. Not very refreshing so I drink it more like I would a stout. Very tasty though. Worth a 4pk.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 20:40:18 | More by DanE

JMScowcroft

Vermont

4.55/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. - Hoptimum Imperial IPA - 1pt 6 fl oz bottle

Look - Pours clear copper amber with a glorious soapy head that sticks around. Sticky lacing. Minimal carbonation.

Smell - Smooth sticky smelling sweet malts with hearty hops on top. The whole cone hops put off a unique and awesome aroma.

Taste - Snappy malt blast and hops creep in after. Full flavored candy malts and hops.

Mouthfeel - Hop assault and a sticky malt mouthfeel. The lingering taste of this brew will not be soon forgotten. Resiny fresh hop lingering is my thing.

Overall - Great brew, sticky and sweet but a hop blast as well. Would recommend!

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 19:49:59 | More by JMScowcroft

take_it_sleazy

Vermont

4.39/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 12 oz. bottle into Good Nature snifter. Ooh la la

A: nice orangey copper color. Lacy white head that disappears pretty quickly. Bubbles scattered haphazardly along the inside of the glass.

S: strong, characteristic, hop smell. Citrusy and sweet

T: hoppy, earthy, and honey sweet. Taste really lingers on your tounge and more hops come out at the end. It's actually a pretty unique balence of malts and hops, both strong throughout the course of enjoying this one.

M: medium-bodied, I'm thinking from the malty aspect of the beer. A bit astringent toward the end, like if you were to let a cup of tea sit out too long. Medium-low level of carbonation, pretty standard of most DIPAs.

O: would definitely recommend this one to any hophead. For $8.50 and an abv of 10.4, it's absolutely worth picking up if you can find it. Would absolutely pick this up over torpedo if they were side to side on the shelf.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 19:38:35 | More by take_it_sleazy

JamesMN

Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Caramel color with a frothy cap of off-white foam and lots of visible effervescence.

Aroma: Lots of hops but slightly subdued. Pine, citrus, and a general sweetness. Some caramel malt is detectable.

Taste: Immediate hop punch to the face, this thing is East Coast in a great way. Starts with a moderately sweet hop character of sugar-crusted pine and then wham, you get all 100 IBUs at once and it is fantastic. From there it's all echoing bitterness and a great caramel malt flavor that gives the whole palate a surprising balance. Finish is dry but not drying. Aftertaste of bitter pine. The high 10.4% ABV is almost hard to believe because it is no where to be found in the flavor. Absolutely no off-flavors or anything bad about this beer.

Mouthfeel: Feels medium in body with a slight syrupy quality that is good in this case. Average carbonation that adds a little extra zing to the hop bite. Good drinkability.

Final Thoughts: I enjoyed the 2012 release of Hoptimum but my palate has developed much more since then and now I can truly cherish this year's release. Sierra Nevada proves to be a solid brewery time and time again. Although best enjoyed fresh, I think the hop blend and high ABV of Hoptimum will lend to a good life span for this style. I have three words of advice for any hop heads reading this review: seek it out. Would I drink it again? Yep.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 01:56:22 | More by JamesMN

Rainier

California

4.94/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I'm so glad I stopped by this random liquor store by my apartment to check their beers out. I could not believe that they had the Hoptimum in stock! I'm probably gonna buy some more if they still have some for sale. It's one of the best Imperial IPAs I have ever had. I think Pliny is still at the top, then Sucks, then Hoptimum, then Enjoy By(4.01.2013). That's how good this beer is! My bottle is probably fresh too!

The taste had a very strong hop bitterness, which I love so much! I think they used more hops on this one than a lot of beers out there(minus the triple IPAs). It's a very pleasant hop taste.

It was kindy pricey though. I paid like $11 for a four pack. Oh well, it's so worth it!
Would definitely buy again.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 07:00:52 | More by Rainier

alex_hart

Massachusetts

4.66/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

Appearance: a hazy orange with a white half finger head that dissipates quickly. a small bit of visible carbonation.

smell: first smell, surprisingly, was quite sweet. I was expecting an explosion of hops in my nose, but it was more closely related to a sweet citrus followed by some pine notes. very pleasant.

taste: Oh my gosh! Nothing at ALL what I expected, and in the best way possible! This is flat out delicious! The sweetness of honey comes through and it is balanced perfectly by the hop note. A small bit of citrus comes through at the end.

Moutfeel: Good carbonation on the tongue and the right amount of residue in the mouth after the swallow. Once again, pleasant.

Overall: I really wasn't sure what to expect from this 2013, but it blew me away. By far my favorite DIPA. It is a flat out work of art.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 04:10:50 | More by alex_hart

Rope

Illinois

4.41/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

2012 Hoptimum

Appearance-
A hazy orange, quickly dissipating white head.

Smell-
Sweet citrus upfront, with a the slightest bit of caramel.

Taste-
The sweetness is bright, but not sensing a lot of citrus like the nose. The bitter hops really save it from being too sweet. The most pleasant note is a subtle honey that lingers to the end.

Mouthfeel-
My ideal. Clean sharp carbonation, it refreshes, leaves a slight aftertaste.

Overall-
Amongst Imperial IPA beers, this one is up their for the bitterness I find many others to lack.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 00:09:10 | More by Rope

BeerNotes

Ohio

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

A: Goldish Amber in color. A little hazy and pours with a 3/4-inch head that disipates quickly, but coats on the way down.

S: Citrus, pine, and hops: up front and in charge. Down further, a bit of malt comes through.

T: On the lips it’s mild, with a hint of caramel. On the tongue the tartness of the hops hits, and the grapefruit builds as it moves back. The finish is a full hop bite that lingers, with just a hint of alcohol. The aftertaste is surprisingly balanced, with the tiniest bit of toffee and caramel.

M: Full but smooth. Plenty of carbonation.

O: One of the better I’ve had of this style. More balanced than most, but doesn’t skimp on that full hop experience you’re looking for in a DIPA. The bottle says it uses whole-cone hops and is, “Aggresively hopped, dry-hopped, AND torpedoed,” and I can’t argue with the results. It tastes extremely fresh and clean, which makes it incredibly drinkable, especially in warmer months. It’s easy to see why this isn’t a year-round beer from Sierra, AND why it’s so hard to come by when it is available, especially given the whole-cone hopping.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 18:33:58 | More by BeerNotes

seanwilson530

California

3.7/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Ok, so here goes another review. I felt this one needed a review just because it's a relatively low score for such a great brewing company. C'mon, it's Sierra Nevada, one of the grand daddy's of them all! I feel like there was just to much push to have a lot of hops in this beer and it wasn't designed properly with the style.

Appearance: Obviously good, it comes from Sierra Nevada and they know what they are doing. Polished for a high lupulin resin beer. Good carbonation.

Smell: A blend of citrus and earthy hops. Not as pronounced as other DIPA's that I like though.

Taste: Here is where the beer fell short for me. Overly bitter. The beauty of DIPA's is to have the hops shine through from the flavor and aroma, in my humble opinion. This beer was excessively bitter. More late kettle additons and less high alpha acid hops, again in my humble opinion.

Mouthfeel: Mouthfeel was also lacking as I felt my jaw cringe from the hop bitterness. Not balance enough with the malt sweetness to offset the ever present harsh bitterness.

Overall: Not my favorite beer from Sierra Nevada. Might have to try it again to see if it changes my mind.

Serving type: on-tap

04-18-2013 23:21:11 | More by seanwilson530