Sierra Nevada Hoptimum Imperial IPA - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

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

Shaw

Florida

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

I missed this beer in bottles, but had to stop by Mr. Beery's to have it on tap.

It's a glowing amber/orange in color, without much of a head.

Hoppy and alcoholic aroma.

Very good taste, that's bitter, hoppy and malty. I prefer this take on big IPAs instead of the drier versions out there.

Slick and glassy body, but that's to be expected from a beer of this strength.

Overall an excellent beer and a must-try for hopheads.

Serving type: on-tap

03-05-2011 04:31:59 | More by Shaw

ToasterChef

Maine

3.18/5  rDev -24.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Reviewed from my notes. Served in a tulip glass.

A: Cloud-like opaque orange liquid with a big cream colored and creamy looking head. A little bit of lace is left behind, along with a light coating of film.

S: Pine and citrus hops along with sugars that remind me of rock candy.

T: Brown sugar sweetness at first. Hop oils that are more oily than bitter. White grape juice and sugars. I get alcohol and bitterness as I swallow. There isn't that big bitter flavor that I find in SN Torpedo.

M: Full bodied. Medium carbonation with tiny bubbles. Some stickiness and a syrupy coat.

D: It's easy enough to drink one glass of this, but the high ABV limits multiple rounds. For me, I'm not impressed enough with this beer to have another. Perhaps my expectations were too high, or this keg was getting old (but how old could it be, this beer isn't very old), but there are a lot of better DIPA and SN beers available that I would choose over Hoptimum.

Serving type: on-tap

03-03-2011 17:41:07 | More by ToasterChef

FollowedMyFolly

New Jersey

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

This is the hoppiest of hoppy hop! Probably THE most hops I have ever tasted in a beer. However, the taste is amazing. The only reason why I put "average" as my choice for drinkability is because it would knock me on my butt if I drank too much. Sierra Nevada has greatly impressed me and I will now look for similar names to compare it to!

Serving type: on-tap

03-03-2011 05:09:48 | More by FollowedMyFolly

ne0m00re

Ohio

3.18/5  rDev -24.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

02/27/11- Had this one on-tap at Studio 35 during the Oscars at $7 a pint.
A: Clear reddish amber, constant bubbles and a steady white head. Looks good.
S: Citrus and aged cheese, pineapple, caramel and honey sweetness, and some oranges. OK. This doens't really stand out at all.
T: Orange soda to pineapple and apple sweetness that lingers. There is some gin alcohol. OK. Again, it doesn't really stand out and I'm getting the impression that this is just a sweeter, less balanced version of their pale ale.
M: Moderately syrupy, with a somewhat spritzy carbonation you wouldn't expect from its appearance.
D: OK.

Relatively lame. I'd rather spend half the money on plain, old SNPA, and I don't even really like SNPA that much.

Serving type: on-tap

02-28-2011 18:42:43 | More by ne0m00re

n2185

North Carolina

3.78/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: pours a hazy golden orange with about half a finger of white head that recedes into a thin layer with some lacing.

S: sweet orange citrus up front with some pine notes on the finish.

T: taste is mostly of resiny pine at first, tingling the taste buds. There is a noticeable alcohol burn on the finish along with some resiny bitterness that doesn't linger too long.

M: medium body and carbonation that goes well with the bitterness and alcohol burn.

D: goes down fairly smooth, though the alcohol burn keeps it from being very drinkable.

Overall, a good but not great DIPA.

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2011 22:07:56 | More by n2185

IronCitySteve

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Fat Heads Pgh

A: Pours a bright orange color with some reddish hues. Provides a small film of white foam with some spotty lacing.

S: A nice amount of pine, citrus, grapefruit hops with some bread and caramel malt.

T: Starts off quite bitter with a big burst of citrus hops hitting the palate first. The malt character, mostly bread/biscuit and caramel comes through in the middle and provides a solid backbone. It finishes with a splash of pine hops.

M: Leaves a nice bitter pine flavor on the palate. A nice medium body

D: A nicely balanced DIPA. Lots of hop bitterness with a solid malt backbone. Despite the high ABV, it is hidden nicely for the most part.

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2011 16:57:33 | More by IronCitySteve

Phelps

Arizona

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

Enjoyed from the tap at Tops, in a tasting snifter.

Pours a pale tarnished gold with absolutely perfect clarity, topped with a dense and creamy one-finger head of sandy tan. It collapses only very slowly, leaving an incredibly thick and sticky ring clinging to the sides, along with lots of large-bubbled lace.

Smells sweeter and maltier than I usually get with Sierra Nevada. Lots of caramel soaked grapefruit, pine, honey, bready malt, some grainy alcohol, maybe some mango. There's an enticing sweetness here playing off the hops, and it creates a nice balance.

The increased maltiness continues. It tastes almost like an aged DIPA wherein the malt has been allowed to develop. Complex honey and sweet orange liqueur with grapefruit, rose petals and grass. It's richly malty and also very boozy, searing the nostrils.

Rather heavy and syrupy, as expected. Medium-full body, viscous and liqueur-like in mouthfeel. Lightly fizzy. A striking alcohol burns the nose, though it's well-masked in the flavor.

Hoptimum is not the most drinkable DIPA due to its heaviness of feel and booze. It is very flavorful, however, and is worth one or two return visits. Or three.

Serving type: on-tap

02-25-2011 22:13:25 | More by Phelps

bishopdc0

Maine

4.22/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Beautiful head forms very golden amber color very transparent

The nose is hops light but nice citrus grass and spice little of everything

The taste ups the hops. But it is mostly spicy hop flavor it start with a slight malt but becomes all hops spicy and ends bitter but light nice

Serving type: on-tap

02-25-2011 15:11:59 | More by bishopdc0

MrMcGibblets

Illinois

3.41/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: light copper color, perfectly clear, nice white head and lacing. Served in a snifter.
S: caramel malts, pine, grapefruit, some tropical fruit.
T: big resiny bitterness and just over medium caramel malt sweetness. Hard to figure if this is on the malty or sweet side for a dipa.
M: med to full, well carbonated, bitterness lingers.
D: this reminded me of a slightly less sweet, slightly hoppier version of firestone double jack.
have had this since-the hops have that simcoe onion/garlic/rotting banana thing going on which i don't care for.

Serving type: on-tap

02-25-2011 03:49:05 | More by MrMcGibblets

mattgreger

Pennsylvania

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

Had on tap at Capones the night after the Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Event

This brew poured a golden amber color, with just a touch of a haziness. It has a nice cream, bubbly white head that had great retention. As the you drink, it left a great spiderweb like lace throughout glass.

The aroma on this brew is of course hop heavy, but not overkill. It has a nice strong pine hops aroma the the front. I does have a great hoppy flavor, but its not over abundant bitterness that you would expect with the name of the brew. It still has a nice profile that is nice and crisp smelling with a bit of a alcohol heat as well.

This brew has pretty good flavor. It has a nice citris hop character at the front, which was unexpected. It has a nice caramel malt profile that brings out the pine flavors too. As this brew warms, the malts and alcohol come forward more and give it a nice bite. I enjoyed it very much.

The mouth on this brew is a medium body. Not to heavy, with a nice carbonation level. Its a nice crisp, clean brew. The hop oils coat the mouth with a thick, stickiness.

The drinkability on this brew is pretty basic. With a brew that has such a high ABV, you expect a much heavier hop hit and bit more to the brew. I wanted more and it didn't produce in that sense. Its still a good brew, and I would go for it again, but with an ABV that big, I might reach for something else first. Still a decent brew.

Serving type: on-tap

02-24-2011 23:01:49 | More by mattgreger

JM03

Ohio

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

On tap at Mad Mex in Cranberry Twp, Pa

Pours a golden/copper color with a pillowy white head.

Aromas are somewhat subdued, with a little pine and some of the fruit tartness.

The taste didn't follow the subtle suit that the aroma had. This one punches you in the mouth with the bite of the piney hops. A nice sweetness is apparent, fruity, and the alcohol is fairly warming. The hoppiness sticks around on the palate long after each sip.

This one packs a punch. With the high ABV, I doubt i could drink many of these. Maybe a couple in a sitting.

Serving type: on-tap

02-24-2011 15:30:11 | More by JM03

JamnesCameron

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter during a release event at Bavarian Lodge. Pours a clear, golden hue with orange highlights, with a rocky light tan head. Good lacing.

Aroma is more restrained than I expected, with grapefruit, cedar, and floral notes.

Flavor was equally restrained, with sweet, sticky malt, grapefruit zest, cedar, and a light floral quality. Finish was long, with a light bitterness.

Mouthfeel is medium, with sticky malt and a resiny bitterness that coats the mouth.

Good drinkability, would go back for more. But this is much less aggressive than I was expecting.

Serving type: on-tap

02-24-2011 12:32:55 | More by JamnesCameron

david18

New York

3.38/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I'm a big Sierra Nevada fan and love the pale ale, porter, stout and other offerings but this one is a little over the top for me. The IPA is great but the double ipa, the first one I've tried from them, is a little too much of everything.

The color is somewhat light for a double IPA but certainly within range. The carbonation died very fast, which was somewhat disappointing. Aroma and flavor was too strong and alcoholly and quite unbalanced. I really wanted to like this beer, and I may becoming more sensitive to this style, but I didn't really love it...and I had a few of them.

Serving type: on-tap

02-23-2011 23:18:38 | More by david18

Cylinsier

Pennsylvania

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

tap

Pours a deep honey gold with a white head.

Smells of strong floral hops and maybe mild spices and grains.

The taste is very hoppy but not too bitter and also surprisingly sweet like honey.

Feels moderate to full with tingly carbonation.

A delicious strong IPA, good unique flavors mixed with the expected floral hops. IPA fans will adore this.

Serving type: on-tap

02-21-2011 01:31:00 | More by Cylinsier

HOPPYKC

Kansas

4.47/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap at the flying saucer in downtown KC.

A- a great amber. Clear to see through. Nice solid head. Lacing galore.

S- bitter hops and citrus. Pine and honey.

T- hops hard and up front. Mellowed with Bit of malt and the alcohol is hid well.

M&d- full flavored and smooth down the throat.

Serving type: on-tap

02-18-2011 05:08:58 | More by HOPPYKC

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

megahurts4

Louisiana

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

Sierra Nevada Hoptimum
On-tap at The Avenue Pub, New Orleans, LA

Appearance: clear golden amber, medium-small head, and some good lacing.

Smell: hops, licorice, and a sweetness.

Taste: hops, grapefruit, licorice, and a malty-sweet finish.

Mouthfeel: medium and slightly tart.

Overall:
The hops and grapefruit bite hard initially, and then they ease off to reveal the other subtle flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

02-15-2011 07:27:43 | More by megahurts4

Tucquan

Pennsylvania

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

Had this on 2011-01-29 at Naja's Place in Redondo Beach, CA while sitting on the patio.

A - Clear amber with a tangerine tint and a 2-finger head into a tall pint glass. Good lacing.

S - Smells like crabs. Just kidding but there's a fresh seafood store nearby and between it and the ocean water at the dock, I had to duck back inside to get a good whiff, which is like it was from the bottle. Flowery, yeast, sweet orange.

T - Again, much like it was from the bottle. Hop forward balanced by a big, sweet toast and caramel malt taste. Citrus peel and fruit flavors with some spice. The hop bitterness lingers nicely. Boozy alcohol flavor.

M - Medium body, light carbonation gives a creamy, oily feel that prickles and clings to the tongue.

D - A very fine brew. I followed up a Pliny the Elder with this Hoptimum and I was not disappointed. It's a big, boozy brew with a lot of flavor. Well-worth seeking out.

Serving type: on-tap

02-13-2011 14:42:49 | More by Tucquan

robbrandes

Oregon

4.03/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz, light-copper hue. Head is extremely thin, receded quickly. The smell is big draw here. Incredible blend of piney-pungency (is that a word?) and alcohol. If it's possible for a smell to be 'crisp', SN has done it!

Massive flavor - the pine-floral-alcohol sledgehammer assaults the palate. Just enough malt backbone and a hint of grassy to balance this monster out!

At 10%+, it feels strange rating the drinkability so high, but Hoptimum keeps you coming back for more.

I'm still a bit off-put by the 'whole cone' hype, it's nothing but a marketing gimmick, but this is a damn tasty beer!

Serving type: on-tap

02-12-2011 07:01:25 | More by robbrandes

Dijeriduster

California

3.5/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

$6 dollar pour into a wine glass at Toronado, SD. Wish they hadn't killed the Younger so quick!

A - Deep red with off white head. One finger of head faded fast with plenty of lacing.

S - Nice and hoppy (very much like Torpedo) with a pronounced malt coming thru as well. Alcohol is present but well hidden.

T - This is truely a Torpedo with more booze. Not sure if its Citra hops like Torpedo, but this sure does taste like it to me. A little bit too face puckering for my tastes.

M - Starts pretty big then gets thin as it goes down due to the high alcohol content. Carbonation in SN beers is usually pretty high, combined with the bitter hops it can be a little rough.

D - This is a good beer, but not great. I prefer to have something a little more sweet (ie amarillo or simcoe) vs the 3 C's taste of this. Might try it again in the bottle but not on tap

Serving type: on-tap

02-11-2011 18:20:30 | More by Dijeriduster

glid02

Georgia

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

On-tap at the Marlay House in Atlanta.

Pours a hazy deep copper color with a one-finger cream-colored head. The head recedes into a patchy layer on top leaving thick lacing.

Smells of huge amounts of herbal and pine hops backed caramel malts. As the beer warms the herbal hops recede a bit and hints of deep citrus come into play.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Sticky caramel malt flavors kick things off and are joined almost immediately by resinous pine hops and lighter herbal hops. Midway through the sip the pine flavors intensify and a strong bitterness sets in. The pine hops carry t hrough to a solidly bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is very good. It's got a smooth thickness with grainy carbonation.

Drinkability is good. I finished my glass without a problem and could have another.

Overall this was a hugely robust beer but the bitterness was too much to let it go into the upper tier of DIPAs. Still, well worth a shot if you see it around.

Serving type: on-tap

02-11-2011 01:15:36 | More by glid02

badboyrsl84

California

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

Look - gold amber with little head

Smell - piny with some citrius and grapefruit.

Taste - very distinct unlike any ipa I've ever had. A solid amount of hops and carbonation. with a citrius distictness finish and bitterness

Very refreshing. Not bad at all for a whole hop brew.

Serving type: on-tap

02-10-2011 20:54:18 | More by badboyrsl84

womencantsail

California

3.43/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

On-tap at Bruery Provisions

A: The beer pours an orange-amber sort of color with a finger of khaki colored head.

S: Smells pretty dank and funky. I get some feet and armpit at the beginning, but it seems to subside. A decent amount of citrus comes through in the form of grapefruit and there's a good pine note. A fair amount of booze and some mild malt (bread).

T: The grapefruit and pine flavors are "large and in charge" here with a lot of big hop bitterness. Unfortunately, there is a strong alcohol flavor that brings a bit of a burn. Some toffee and toasted malt flavors provide the malt character.

M: The body is on the full side for a DIPA, and it's pretty heavy on the tongue. The carbonation is moderate.

D: A rare miss from Sierra Nevada. I would have liked a lot less booze and a lot more hop flavor here.

Serving type: on-tap

02-07-2011 21:31:44 | More by womencantsail

Hojaminbag

Colorado

3.68/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Hoptimum's body is a bright color that is somewhere between gold and shint copper. The thin, tan head leaves pretty good lacing behind.

The aroma is very nice. Loads of tropical fruit, leafy hops and resinous pine. Just a ton of hops, and very pleasant at that. Crystal malts float around in the background.

The main failing of Hoptimum in my mind is that the malts are much more assertive in the flavor than they are in the aroma, giving the beer a pretty good amount of sugary sweetness. The flavor does start out with a really good dose of hops though, with pineapple, apricot and a good bit of lemon. Next faint, leafy hop flavors mix with large, resinous pine flavors. There is a pretty large amount of bitterness. The malt comes through in the finish.

The mouthfeel is big and creamy with pretty smooth carbonation.

I like Hoptimum, and I'm a big Sierra Nevada fan, but the big sweetness turned me off a little bit. With that said, it hides the high ABV pretty well.

Serving type: on-tap

02-06-2011 01:58:59 | More by Hojaminbag