Sierra Nevada Hoptimum Imperial IPA - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Oakenator

Pennsylvania

4.9/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a beautiful copper color with a nice solid head - creamy to start and really good lacing. Smell gives a hop aroma but is slightly more dulled than others in this style; strong sweet smell, possibly candy, is present. Flavor is piney hop but quickly enhanced with a sweet caramel malt. Hop lingers with spice. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2012 00:35:54 | More by Oakenator

hopley

Massachusetts

4.9/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This is now a once a year 4 pack treat. Very aggressive imperial IPA. Fantastic taste, not overly bitter. Nice to look at, nice to smell and nice head. Nice label and marketing - love the green coloring and the whole cone tone. Sierra Nevada really did themselves out on this one - awesome beer!

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 04:14:28 | More by hopley

nimrod979

Maryland

4.88/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Just picked this beer up Tuesday. Couldn't wait any longer to pop open this baby. Pours a brilliant orange-copper with a beautiful pillowy oft head that just floats on top of this exciting brew. You can smell the hops with this beer just sitting on the coffee table. No need to bury your nose in this one but when you do, you're in for a fantastic resin, floral and citrus treat. Theres so many different kinds of hops to give it a complex aroma and flavor. It starts with some sweet grapefruit and floral flavors then gets overtaking by a huge wave of hops bitterness than stays on the tongue for awhile. Can kind of detect the alcohol in the finish. Has kind of a chewy texture. Sticks to the glass like glue. This is just a phenomenal beer. Great job by Sierra Nevada. Any hop head will love this intense brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2011 02:08:30 | More by nimrod979

rajendra82

Georgia

4.88/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

The beer poured out clear, and was orange in color. The head was about one finger thick and long lasting. The beer was extremely aromatic, and each whiff revealed smells of pine and grapefruit, followed by tangerine and a hint of banana. The taste was piny, herbal, and very bitter, which made it just about perfect for the style. The malt backbone was sticky and sugary, but it was only their as a supporting actor. The hops remained evident from the beginning to the end of each sip, and lingered on in the spicy aftertaste. Mouthfeel was slightly thicker than medium, providing a nice coating action. A fabulous example of the style from this brewery doesn't surprise me one bit.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2011 07:51:21 | More by rajendra82

saison19

Florida

4.88/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Hop ti mum, a tasty trip of the tongue. Poured into a Duvel tulip it produced a thick creamy head that lingered, nice lacing too. Big hop and malt aroma. The first sip was sweet up front with lots of pineapple and grapefruit, followed by a massive hit of hops; wonderful, bittersweet complexity. Syrupy and lucious mouthfeel. Bittersweet dry aftertaste that begs for another sip.

One of the best DIPA's I've had.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2011 03:56:15 | More by saison19

GNRoofDawg

4.88/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Excellent, simply excellent. Very smooth beer, with excellent hoppiness. Easily Sierra's finest beer, which is saying a lot considering they have torpedo and celebration. Have this one in a goblet glass and enjoy it like a fine liquor or wine. I would give this an A+

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 02:26:47 | More by GNRoofDawg

happy4hoppybeer

Pennsylvania

4.88/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Received a 22/24.oz bomber of this from a trade with BA smakawhat, so a big thanks goes out to him.

Poured into snifter a hazy but yet clear orange,with very little head that fades quickly. Quite surprised at the almost lack of head here. Small traces of tiny lacing,really small lacing that comes in little dots. Appearance is not too impressive here.

Aromas sure make up for the rather lazy outward design. Hops,hops,hops with sweet caramel malt hit the nose immediately. Very pleasant. One of the best aromas I've encountered in a while.

Hops attack first and foremost upon first sip.Excellent. Malt backbone comes through,but cannot fight the hops. Beautiful. Just what I want in a DIPA.

A medium to full-fledged heavy body, with maybe a little too much carbonation.

If you love hoppy brews like I do, then this should qualify as a masterpiece,IMO. Not too sweet, great emphasis on hops make this frighteningly drinkable for the hophead, considering the ABV.Wow.

I can only hope I can get more in the future, or soon.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2011 20:57:41 | More by happy4hoppybeer

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4.88/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clean orange-ish to yellow in color with a light tan head. In the aroma, pineapple citrus hops. In the taste, pine like hops, with citrus notes and a sweet to dry taste all the way through. A small bite and a medium bodied moouthfeel, with a dry citrus to pine hop in the aftertaste. Super IPA, nice hops, the only drawback is that I could drink a ton of these!

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 19:53:18 | More by OWSLEY069

dbell23

Tennessee

4.88/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured into a tulip from a bottle with no freshness date.

If poured aggressively there is a two finger head with little retention. Lacing is very good due to the hop oils, I would imagine. Color is golden dark orange and very clear. Nice looking beer.

Smell is all imperial ipa with great pine, grapefruit, hop aroma. Oily hops dominate.

Taste is astounding. Oily hops from start to finish. The tongue is coated with hoppy goodness. Just enough malt to add an attempt of balance. The alcohol is very well hidden. A smack in the face that makes you want more.

Mouthfeel is marvelous. Super smooth and oily. Really nice.

Overall, this is a world class double ipa. Seirra Nevada has hit it out of the park. One of my favorites because of taste and mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2012 22:00:07 | More by dbell23

beveritt

Ohio

4.85/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: Thanks go out to Doctor Dog for getting this one to me in my current beer drought. Poured from a 24 oz wide bomber into a standard pint glass. Label is predominantly green and shows a historic style portrait of a man in a high neck suit, but his head is a hop cone. Freshness date of 101721619; not sure what that translates to.

Appearance: Pours with just over 1 finger of light tan head. This settles very slowly, leaving behind amazing lace coverage now and at every sip. Beer itself is the color of bright, burnished copper. No sediment in bottle.

Smell: Strong aroma of spicy hops with hints of honey and floral against a backdrop of semi sweet caramel.

Taste: High tannins and enamel stripping hop precede a well bittered bready, caramel malt.

Mouthfeel: Average carbonation level with very good body.

Drinkability: While not the hophead that my wife is, I can appreciate a quality hop bomb and this my friends, is just that. Captures the possible flavor profiles of the hop cone well; from blindingly bitter to sweet and flower like. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2011 23:43:33 | More by beveritt

gfthree7

California

4.83/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

What a discovery for fans of the Imperial IPAs! Here in Southern California the IPAs from Sierra Nevada, Green Flash and Stone have us all spoiled.

This Hoptimum from SN is on par with Green Flash Imperial as my favorite double/imperial IPA. IPA lovers that are willing to take the plunge into Imperial IPAs will be thrilled!

This beer went down like smooth beigian golden with a California IPA twist. This is easily the smoothest double IPA i've had, and i hope SN makes this a staple of the collection!

If you love IPAs you have to try this.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2011 00:32:42 | More by gfthree7

mbusster88

New York

4.83/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from 24oz bottle into perfect pint.

A: Pours with a good off white head and light copper colored body. Tons of carbonation off the bottom of the glass.

S: Smells like fruit juice. Tons of tangerine and grapefruit. Get tons of great hop aroma right up front in this one, really fresh smelling as well.

T/M: Right away get the drying hop flavors and the citrus. Very easy on the palate but also semi-dry. Good character throughout for the hops that are extremely fresh and very pungent. Great mouth feel that makes it an easy beer to drink. Love the overall palate and flavor as it is so well done.

D: This beer is well worth picking up. I think this is one of the better DIPA I have had to date. I will be returning to the store to get more of this as it is so dang good.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2011 00:11:53 | More by mbusster88

RonfromJersey

New Jersey

4.83/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

$8.00 24 oz. bomber from Abe's.

Beautiful deep gold color, topped by three fingers of off-white super dense micro bubbles. Nice sticy lace down the ball of my Aventinus glass.

Big enticing aroma of pine and grapefruit.

Huge sweet slab across the tongue, like a flypaper covered phone book. After that there are explosions all around, drippy juicy fruit all over the mouth and a blast of bitterness that echoes on and on. Its on going on at once so the individual sensations can blur together.

Solid medium mouthfeel carries through well. Alcohol is tucked away nicely. Definitely in the dangerous drinkable category. I wouldn't have two of these in a night, but I definitely could go for more than the two bombers I bought.

Highly recommended if you are open to more IIPAs than Pliny and HopSlam.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2011 05:00:08 | More by RonfromJersey

racer2k

Massachusetts

4.83/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured the contents of my bomber into a brandy snifter glass

A - Beer pours a shiny deep amber color which creates some thin white lacing that quickly dissolves in and around the sides of the glass. The color is vibrant in this beer and is accentuated by the large snifter.

S - Very forward citrus presence with strong aromas of grapefruit, pineapple, mango and sweet tangerine. There is also a strong pine earthy tone to the beer. There is a hint of sweet toasted malt but this is not the main event. Slight boozy smell but it is very well hidden.

T - Fantastic fruity hop presence that is quite tangy to the tongue and mouth. This beer just explodes in your mouth with a burst of fruity hops which transition to a pine and earthy finish. There is an interesting sweet grapefruity flavor to this beer which is excellent. You definitely have a back end warming alcohol sensation with the 10.40% abv but the fantastic taste of this beer hides it well.

M - Moderate body with a slight resiny feel consistent with an Imperial IPA. The beer starts off like fizzy pop rocks but finishes very clean and dry at the end. There is quite a transition with this monster.

D - Fantastic beer. I have had nearly every commercially released Sierra Nevada beer in the portfolio and this is in the top 2-3 of all time. I only got my hands on (2) bombers but if given an opportunity I would have paid $100+ for a case of bombers. Outstanding beer!
D - Exceptional.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2011 00:14:09 | More by racer2k

iPaleAle

California

4.83/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a 22 oz. hefewizen style glass...

A: Thick rich head.awesome amber/copper color. See through. Very clean looking brew.

S: The smell is good. Very hoppy smell. You can actually smell the whole-cone hops! Alcohol smelling. Really imperial like.

T: The taste is fruity to alcohol to hops. The hops is the finish like you would to finish an imperial IPA. Sour like a grapefruit.... awesome like a IPA

M: The Mouth-feel is light and crispy. Resonates on the Mouth lightly. The palate begs for More after a sip or two!

O: A very good style to an Imperial IPA. High Alcohol. Color. and sweet HOPS!!! If your a seasonal IPA drinking you cant avoid this HOP BOMB! worth checking out Maybe twice or three times!

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2011 23:52:54 | More by iPaleAle

SHODriver

California

4.83/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: pours a light orange to deep yellow with a small slightly off white head
S: Smells dank and resinous with wisps of pine and citrus
T: Taste is dominated by an oily hop presence with tropical fruits, pine, a slight citrus, and a solid caramel sweetness that fights to make an appearance. Huge resinous and lasting aftertaste coats the entire mouth.
M: Slick and full bodied on the palate white ample carbonation
O: If you love Imperial IPAs this one will make you believe in a god. This is seriously good stuff and drink it when it's fresh. Sierra Nevada knows how to make outstanding IPAs and this one is no exception.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2012 05:28:59 | More by SHODriver

Beernoisseur

Utah

4.83/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This is a great big beer. The hop flavors are enormous, in your face, and lingering. The maltiness of this beer comes through in a moderate caramel and candy sugar kind of way, but the hops run the show with this brew. Grapefruit rind, resinous pine and an almost sage like herbal quality are quite obvious on both the nose and the palate.

All in all a fantastic imperial.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 01:32:12 | More by Beernoisseur

biggred1

Indiana

4.8/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Brassy-orange with a sticky, rocky cream colored head that leaves crusty rings of lace on the glass. The aroma is excellent..resinous, piney and citric hop notes with some caramel malt notes. Big, muscular hop flavors of pine sap resin and grapefruit pith slathered in melted caramel. This is an amazing beer, huge hop flavors and bitterness with sublime malt richness to balance. Full bodied with smooth carbonation and amazingly well hidden alcohol. Too bad Hoptimum is such a limited release, I hope it makes it into the regular seasonal rotation for SN.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2011 02:31:04 | More by biggred1

BeerMaverick

Massachusetts

4.8/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This is easily one of the best beers I've ever had...

A - Pours a slightly hazy golden with a reddish tinge. Pure white beautiful head with fantastic retention...bubbles were there the entire time. Lots and lots of lacing obscuring the wine glass almost completely.

S - Sweet smell for a DIPA, but the hops are definitely there.

T - Unreal...like the smell there is a lot of sweetness, but the hops and other ingredients balance it out so well.

M - Fantastic, the hops last and last with the sweetness and bitterness continually playing off each other. Fantastic lasting aftertaste that stays with you until the next sip.

D - Only have a couple of these...although it's hard because you won't be driving anywhere at 10.4%.

Serving type: on-tap

02-15-2011 15:42:40 | More by BeerMaverick

dhvnu

Maryland

4.8/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

First of all this beer is exceptional, secondly, I am a little confused of the low rating it have obtained. Thirdly, I really want to see what the bros have to say about it. I am sure it will be nothing less than a A minus.

Look- nothing more or less like an average DIPAm golden copperish. Have to mention the coolest label for 2010 DIPAs

smell- One of the main plus points of this DIPA; strong citrus + floral smell that retains till the last drop

taste- This is it, it has the strong bitter bitterness of Double Daddy ( Speakeasy) but WITH a sweet mask that makes it taste like a better Racer 5 ( Bear Republic) or the famous Two Hearted Ale ( bells).

Palate - Full,

Overall- Simply exceptional, one of the BEST DIPA I have tried !

Recommended

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2011 03:38:32 | More by dhvnu

burnstar

Pennsylvania

4.8/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pours a clear dark gold with a big persistent rocky head. Stays the whole way down the glass. Smell is big citrusy hops. Lemons, grapefruit, some pine. Great hop flavors in this beer. Again lots of bitter grapefruit. Also some apricot. Sweet lemons. Nice sweet malt backbone. At first this has a great peppery hop bite followed by a mellow sweetness and then a pleasant and intense lingering bitterness. Nice full bodied mouthfeel. Dangerously drinkable. Overall a really great double IPA. I expected this to be very good and it exceeded expectations.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 21:56:23 | More by burnstar

Brubaker

Virginia

4.8/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This is a Hop beer for people that like HOPS. Malt only fans need not apply.

A- A radiant and inviting orange amber. A one finger head that lasts. Medium carbonation. Clear, clear, & clear.

S- Several hops (citrus, fruits) with a little caramel malt then alcohol. Fragrant

T- AWWWW YEAAAAHH! Sorry about that. I can be a hop head. Beautiful hop blend. Citra, cascade, others. With a little malt note sneaking in there to sew things up. A slight alcohol but you never guess it at 10%. A noticeable spice in the profile. Did i mention hops? Just clean & fresh.

M- Medium body with a light texture and low carbonation.

O- This beer makes me Happy! I could drink this all day long. Good, clean, & refreshing.

Would Drink
Would Buy
Would Make

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 04:23:32 | More by Brubaker

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

JeffBob

California

4.78/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A: poured into a glass goblet a rich amber hue. with 1/3 inch of foam

S: mmm crisp clean hoppiness.

T: at first impact, super sweet, followed by IBU pine hopiness. a bitter but sweet lingering after taste.

M: could have used a wee bit more carbonation in my opinion. But other than that very crisp a clean

D: my one pint poured into a goblet going down good so far but dont think this is a beer to drink all night.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2011 02:28:19 | More by JeffBob

suspect

New York

4.78/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 24oz bottle into Duvel Tulip

A: Rich golden color with creamy head that leaves little lacing.

S: Holy sh** this thing really punches you in the nostrils with hops. It's the venerable "hop-bomb." Really piney/citrusy with hops all over. Faint malty smell but it more just dulls the hop-punch slightly.

T: Awesome. Up front hop, followed strongly by hops. Citrusy follow and malt comes through just before the bitter but doesn't last long. Alcohol presence clear but not overpowering. Balanced really nicely.

M: Sharp and biting with serious smooth.

D: I could drink this over and over. It might just be, for me, better than the 90 minute. Which is saying a lot.

Notes: Goddam I love this beer. I haven't had Hopslam yet but the bar for seasonal DIPA's has really been lifted high.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2011 18:55:38 | More by suspect