Sierra Nevada Hoptimum Imperial IPA - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Shooter1960

Florida

4.48/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Sierra Nevada continues to impress me with the quality of the bers they produce at the price point at which they sell. Hoptimum delivers a beer full with hop flavor on par with the far more expensive and harder find beers such as Bell's Hopsland and The Oracle and as enjoyable as the hopheads Holy Grail DFH 120.

My girlfriend described Hoptimum as hops on steroids. Great beer and can't beat the quality at this price. Would have a greater aura if it was more expensive or harder to find, but for me it was all about the beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2012 13:46:51 | More by Shooter1960

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

Ipatsfans

Massachusetts

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

No date on the bottle, but the label prominently says "2011" on it.

Poured from a bomber into a Bart & Yeti's pint glass.

A - Golden brown, light but rich color. A finger of head that dissipates to leave only a dusting of white on top of the beer, which remains throughout.

S - lots of citrus, less hop smell than I am expecting based on the name. Very grapefruity.

T - Big flavor, tastes like it smells from a citrus perspective, and here are the hops I was looking for. Slight sweet malt taste at the very end. Delicious, I really like the taste.

M - I am a fan of carbonation in an IPA, and this is really knocking it out of the park for me. I find many IIPA or DIPA are missing carbonation, but this beer has the perfect amount.

D - I could drink another bomber for sure based on taste, but at 10.4% ABV two would be the end of it. I don't mind the high ABV at all, and if it was less I could probably drink 3 bombers.

Overall I really like this beer. I hope I can find more.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2011 22:30:56 | More by Ipatsfans

linkin22luke

California

5/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A - A beautiful golden hue with a 2 finger, cream head

S - Smell is tropical with notes of pineapple and guava, citrus and some alcohol.

T - Wow! Starts out incredibly creamy, then you get punched in the mouth with hops. Extremely bitter finish that lingers on the palate. Incredible!

M - Medium body and medium carbonation that perfectly accentuates the beer.

O - If I have enjoyed a beer more, I don't remember when. This bad boy is a must have. Just might be in the top 3 beers ever!

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 21:29:00 | More by linkin22luke

Sheepdog

Arizona

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

*From Notes

A=Amber/copper, rich head, nice lacing

S=bold hops, citrus notes

T=Explosion of hops, citrus and pine notes, nice bitter finish

M= nice crisp body, good carbonation

O= Good DIPA. I'll grab this whenever I see it.

I don't taste the sweetness that others have mentioned. maybe it's my palate but if it is there it should stay there.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2011 21:45:11 | More by Sheepdog

ShreddedThumb

Michigan

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

The Dorm Room Review

While moseying around my local beer store, I happened across a lone bottle of Hoptimum. This beer was on my short list of beers to try, so I'm glad to finally taste it.

Poured into a blue solo cup. (I moved into a new dorm with a sink, so I'll invest in a snifter or something.)

Appearance: Pleasant resinous color with a creamy head.

Smell: Moderate to strong DIPA smell. Resin, hops, some malt.

Taste: The 100 IBUs are there, but clearly not as potent as some other beers (Stone Ruination comes to mind). Smooth, bitter, strictly DIPA. Perhaps some citrus notes would make Hoptimum more complex and enjoyable, but it definitely has a pleasing, slightly alcohol-warming taste.

Mouthfeel: Hoppy characteristics linger shortly, then expire after twenty seconds. Not exactly unique; general IPA feel.

Overall: I really enjoy trying the popular DIPA offerings by US brewers, and Hoptimum is no different; however, Sierra Nevada's strongest IBU offering doesn't exactly compare to the revered Hopslam, which I couldn't help but compare to the SN beer (I think it's the equally cool logo). Typically, I give Sierra Nevada above-average marks, and Hoptimum clearly deserves the same as its cousins.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 22:11:54 | More by ShreddedThumb

BrantleyJ

California

4.91/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Hoptimum is one of the best tasting Imperial IPAs that sadly I have not been able to find since their original release. Hopefully Sierra Nevada will bring back this hop monster soon. Based on the price one can only assume it cost a pretty penny to produce but from a consumer's perspective it is well worth the money.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 02:17:49 | More by BrantleyJ

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

josht

Alabama

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

Pour from a bottle to a brandy snifter. Thick creamy head.

Appearance: A nice orange copper color typical of the style.

Smell: Bam boom pap! hops in the face. Love the resiny, piney Simcoe and the citrus notes of the, assuming, proprietary hop variety. There are some grapefruit rind notes and some woody notes.

Taste: The aroma helps influence the taste and backs up the amount of grain and alcohol in this brew. A marrying of hop and grain in your glass. It finishes with a sweet maltiness. Love the citrus in this brew.

Overall: I love this interpretation of whole cone double ipa. Only wish they made this year round.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 15:29:50 | More by josht

turboge

Ohio

4.55/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

22oz bottle from West Point Market

A: Golden orange, small head fades fast, minimal bubbly lacing

S: Nice fresh piney hops, good floral hops

T: Lighter than most Imperial IPAs, I am tasting sweet grapefruit with some piney aftertaste.

M: Good carbonation and a little hot

D: This beer is quite good, grade A for an imperial IPA, too bad this is a one time deal and expensive ($8.99)

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2011 20:16:38 | More by turboge

brianandpiper

Nebraska

4.3/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured from bottle into an oversize wine glass

A: Amber color. Medium carbonation. Minimal head and lacing.

S: Sweet and earthy. Pine and citrus. Wonderful dry hopped aroma.

T: Well balanced. Sweet malts and rich hop character. Not too piney. Strong hops present all the way through. For a 10.4% alcohol beer the alcohol is barely noticed. Full hop flavor.

M: Medium body. Carbonation and and body make for a smooth drink. Residual hop bitterness persists.

D: Much too easy to drink for a Double IPA. Hops are well balanced with sweetness and alcohol is barely noticed.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2011 01:28:12 | More by brianandpiper

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

Swuntly

California

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

A - Pours a clear golden orange with a tight, thick 2 finger eggshell white head. Head sticks around forever with decent lacing.

S - Sticky pine right up front, with a touch of citrus and some bready malt.

T - Citrus notes galore! Huge pineapple, and mango up front, followed by an even bigger pine presence. Slight booziness on the finish, but it plays well with the hops. Slight malt sweetness in there as well.

M - Creamy, with a lot of resin. Coats the mouth the way an IPA should.

O - A pretty awesome DIPA. Hops are the big players here, so don't go in expecting anything else. Not quite on par with some of the other top-tier DIPAs, but definitely a god bang for your buck.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2012 02:06:22 | More by Swuntly

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

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

spicoli00

Illinois

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

This one. Taste it. Yum

And now for the 250 char limit

DongDongDongDongDong
DongDongDongDongDongDong
DongDongDongDongDongDongDong
DongDongDongDongDongDong
DongDongDongDongDongDong
DongDongDongDongDongDong
DongDongDongDongDongDongThis one. Taste it. Yum

And now for the 250 char limit

DongDongDongDongDong
DongDongDongDongDongDong
DongDongDongDongDongDongDong
DongDongDongDongDongDong
DongDongDongDongDongDong
DongDongDongDongDongDong
DongDongDongDongDongDong

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 04:24:22 | More by spicoli00

PrimScrewhead

Rhode Island

3.83/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

I like hop bombs but they gotta have some character to them. This beer blasts you in the face with a straight hop punch!

Appearance - Standard IPA light amber

Smell - Nice sweet hops nose.

Taste - This is where things falls apart.No nuances or no layers to it all. ONE HOP FLAVOR and BOOZE that's all folks.

Mouthfeel - Medium body which plays into the 10% ABV

Overall - I was a little disappointed. I've come to expect a little more from Sierra's IPA offerings. With other hop bombs, you usually can taste the different types of hops during the course of a glass. Not so with this one. -

Overall Part II - I went back to this and I liked it better the 2nd time around but I still feel it could have been so much more.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 01:06:01 | More by PrimScrewhead

beer19

Texas

3.05/5  rDev -27.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - golden, copper, clear, poured into a Great Divide large tulip, initially a nice 1.5" head which quickly dissipates

S - dank hops, not a lot of citrus, can also smell the alcohol fumes

T - sharp, bitter hops, sweet, cloying malts and alcohol

M - medium carbonation, alcohol overwhelms any other attribute

O - some might describe this as a sweet, hot mess, but I did finish the glass, has potential if the alcohol could be tamed

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 02:28:29 | More by beer19

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

the1DarkLord

California

4.08/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Described as: "a 100 IBU, whole-cone hurricane of flavor. Simply put --Hoptimum: the biggest whole-cone IPA we have ever produced. Aggressively hopped, dry-hopped, AND torpedoed with our exclusive new hop varieties for ultra-intense flavors and aromas."

Does it live up to the name? I have always loved Celebration and Torpedo IPA for being two beers out there that know how to showcase hops and let the malty sweetness take the backseat.

So let's see how this goes here...

Almost clear goldenrod with a slightly honey-tinted head that lasts and blesses the glass with lots of lacing.

On the nose, is a nice mixture of earthy, spicy, pine needle dusted forest floor along with some bright tropical fruit like mangoes, papaya and even a hint of pineapple.

I always fear that a new IPA will not be unique enough to stand out with so many great IPA and IIPA options nowadays. This one is not so. What I find interesting about this one is that the malty sweetness that typically balances out the hop flavors comes right up front, then the flavor turns to resiny hoppy goodness.

I like this. Alot.

What starts out almost chewy and caramel-like quickly fades to an explosion of diverse hop flavors. it goes from piney and earthy, to oily citrus, to resiny and tropical. The aftertaste lingers on the bright tropical note which helps to make this beer extremely drinkable.

This is one great IIPA, and I would gladly buy this quite frequently... If it wasn't $10. I understand the elevated cost of ingredients and such that went into a beer like this... However, the end product [for me at least] is not any better than some of the other great IPAs I love (Pliny, Just Outstanding, Pure Hoppiness, Sculpin, etc... for less $$ as well).

Thumbs up Sierra Nevada!

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2011 00:18:22 | More by the1DarkLord

Jazz1

Iowa

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

I was lucky enough to get one bottle after making several trips to my favorite local shop. The owner took pity on me and produced one out of nowhere after my third trip there. So I had pretty high expectations, and mostly they were fulfilled. Another review described this had a sweet taste to it and I'd agree, but not as sweet as Hoplam (which has honey in it).

I really like the grapefruit and resin taste, and of course the hops come through at the back sides of my tongue. (I know the taste map of the tongue has come under dispute). While the sweetness fades at the tip of my tongue. Kind of a neat ride in flavors going on in there. I'm getting a lot of astringency in the aftertaste, maybe a little too much.

I don't know right now I'm really liking Flying Dog's Double Dog which is far easier to get in my neck of the woods. But, I'd certainly buy more Hoptimum if I could find it.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2011 22:20:04 | More by Jazz1

dcs1548

Florida

4.73/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer starts with a slight foam head, light amber color and strong sweet pine smell. A super hoppy beer, possibly more than any other beer that I've tried. Very present pine after taste, yet not over whelming. Once again, Sierra Nevada delivers with high quality beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 19:02:33 | More by dcs1548

Richard33

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

a. Pours a medium copper/orange with nice head of different sized bubbles. Very clear.

s. Fresh squeezed hops with citrus, grass, and tropical fruit.

t. Taste bites a bit and gets it pine on a bit more than the nose. Citrus hops battle the piney earth to the death but then decide to get along... real well. A bit of malt sweetness acts to balance the beer from afar.

m. Suprisingly creamy for the style but that doesn't bother me.

o. First time for this brew. A really nice imperial from SN. ABV is hardly noticeable. I don't get so much of the pallete wreckage I have noticed in previous reviews. Despite it's 100 IBU's, this beer drinks much easier than others in that range.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2012 03:11:49 | More by Richard33

120minuteman

4.4/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From one hophead to another, this is the beer for you. It'll fill that daily need for that buttery goodness that our kind has come to know and love.

A-bright orange, pretty clear with splashes of yellow. A beer that glistened in the sun

S-a hop-bomb that fills the nose from the minute the bottle is open

T- a mouthful of hops at first, followed by a pleasant shift to citrusy goodness (particularly grapefruit). Left behind a delicious taste for hours

M- a little soft on the tongue, not as carbonated as I would have liked for this style, but say fairly easily

O- a beer whose company I hope to grace again soon, and one I see becoming my new go to DIPA (replacing DFH 90 minute, and Captains Reserve)

If you see it, do it!

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 01:48:26 | More by 120minuteman

Wiid

New Jersey

3.6/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Picked up a bottle of this at my local liquor store; poured into a tulip glass.

A - This beer pours a beautiful golden color; very clear with great lacing. Very pretty.

S - Hop bomb to the face. Sweet, faint booze scent.

T - This tastes exactly like it smells. Full, sweet hop flavor. Booze is not hidden too well.

M - Medium body with carbonation slightly on the higher end. This beer wrapped itself around my tongue and didn't want to let go.

D - I could maybe drink one of these at the most before moving on to something a little less in-your-face. The intense booze taste combine with the 10.4% ABV got me a little buzzed after only my first glass!

In the end, I really enjoyed this beer for the great hop bomb that it is, but I can't ignore the booze factor which was too much for me personally.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2011 01:41:04 | More by Wiid