Hopageddon Imperial IPA - Napa Smith Brewery

DaPan

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +1.1%

03-05-2013 13:06:31 | More by DaPan

tswater

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev +1.1%

05-19-2013 01:59:25 | More by tswater

Hardcore

Hawaii

3.75/5  rDev +1.1%

05-14-2013 06:57:56 | More by Hardcore

rkf1976

Michigan

4/5  rDev +7.8%

05-12-2013 02:21:21 | More by rkf1976

Old_Jeffro

West Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -5.7%

05-06-2013 23:36:00 | More by Old_Jeffro

TheBrewo

Michigan

3.99/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

We pour a brew of the deepest sunset orange. It holds a two finger head of creamy but big and soapy khaki colored bubbles, showing excellent retention. Thick patterns of lacing are left around the glass. A thick haze permeates the clarity, with no sediment noted. Carbonation appears to be light. The aroma gives tinny metallics, rich caramel maltiness, flashes of white sugar, browned apple and peachy fruitiness, salt water taffy, spicy booze, mild diacetyls, and softer citric hops. The alcohol becomes much more fusel with warmth, as the hops deepen into more earthy and grassy varietals. Our first impression is that the flavoring is heavily malt-balanced, with some bitterness of hops, but not the expected onslaught of the 144 IBUs. As we sip, salty caramel and pale malts mix with floral and citric hops, cane sugar, green grassiness, juicy yeast, cola syrup sweetness, and orange fruitiness for the start. Moving to the peak is more bittered hop earthiness, coin, buttery toffee notes, and black pepper booziness to bite. Pulling to the finish is a bittered raw vegetable leaf quality, powdered yeast, bubblegum esters, basic pale and caramel maltiness, buttered sourdough bread, salt, tannic breakfast tea, and a hint of herbal mintiness. The aftertaste breathes of lemon peel, citric hoppiness, tannins, drying yeast, mineral, root, coin, booze, and cotton candy sweetness. The body is on the full side, while carbonation is medium. Each sip gives big froth, cream, and slurp, with lighter finishing pop or smack. The mouth is left fully coated, with quick tannic dryness all down the hard palate. The abv is appropriate, and the beer sips easily.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this beer was its depth through both the nose and flavoring. At no point did this beer really feel “cheap”, with hearty boldness and sweetness of the grainy backbone, and fighting bitterness of the hops. The flavor is nowhere near the bitterness expected from something with the IBUs advertised, but the blend is decent, leaving you curiously satisfied by the end of the glass.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 01:03:38 | More by TheBrewo

cheefdaddy1

Mississippi

3.75/5  rDev +1.1%

04-25-2013 21:44:50 | More by cheefdaddy1

LSx

California

4/5  rDev +7.8%

04-25-2013 04:48:41 | More by LSx

lcdawg

Mississippi

3/5  rDev -19.1%

04-24-2013 02:21:06 | More by lcdawg

MastaShonuf

California

4.25/5  rDev +14.6%

04-20-2013 00:54:54 | More by MastaShonuf

makasi

California

4/5  rDev +7.8%

04-14-2013 00:03:16 | More by makasi

Huffaroma

Montana

5/5  rDev +34.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I am still in shock by this beer in the amount of hop that it contains within it. And being at 144 IBUs it blew me away. The funny thing was my wife and others tried a sip and looked disgusted at me for how bitter it was, while I sat back and laughed.

Appearance, nice roasted orange color with a nice bubbly head that was 1/2" thick.

Smell, great notes of grapefruit and peaches. Some pine notes and roasted grain in the background.

Taste, upfront almost a grapefruit apple flavor and all of a sudden it bites you and doesn't leave with the extreme hop. It was awesome to have something that wasn't so sweet with a imperial IPA and had some good strong bite to it. Its what I look forward to.

Mouthfeel, great carbonation and a little richness add to this beers power.

Overall fantastic and will go back for more. Probably my favorite Imperial IPA so far.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 13:30:04 | More by Huffaroma

EnojysAnyBeer

Colorado

4.55/5  rDev +22.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

An ode to the hop. This beer is probably more like sucking on a hop cone than any I've had before. The color is "fiery" orange and clear with a micro-bead, orange-tinted head on top.

Of course, with a micro-bead head, the carbonation is going to be silky smooth. The body is moderate - light for a DIPA.

The flavor is of hops. If you have ever smelled raw hops, this beer will bring you fond memories of the leafy greens. Hop flavor is almost brought to a peak by the high alcohol content that remains neutral in this brew. Hops range from floral and citric to piney and dank with a focus on the citric/floral hops.

I assume this was bottled 1-5 months ago, but cannot find a bottling date. My first Napa Smith brew and one that leads me to seek out more.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 05:41:12 | More by EnojysAnyBeer

jucifer1818

Florida

4/5  rDev +7.8%

03-23-2013 16:52:46 | More by jucifer1818

Chaz33187

California

2.86/5  rDev -22.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 3

On tap at the The Loft on the LMU Campus
a- no head- amber
s- carmel malty smell, not really attractive
t- really hoppy, but bitter from start to finish, as the draft went from cool to warm, it got more and more bitter, heavy aftertaste
m- very bubbly and boozey feel
o- not bad for someone who's bat shit for hops, but inescapably bitter. Not my jam. I'd pick a weak unoriginal ipa before this.

Serving type: on-tap

03-23-2013 02:46:37 | More by Chaz33187

Thedrizzle

Florida

4/5  rDev +7.8%

03-20-2013 00:44:02 | More by Thedrizzle

bpasquini

California

5/5  rDev +34.8%

02-27-2013 00:35:46 | More by bpasquini

MacTeo

California

3.75/5  rDev +1.1%

02-21-2013 23:52:34 | More by MacTeo

ngeunit1

California

4.16/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Hazy red-orange with a finger of frothy off-white head. Fades normal.

S - Lots of grapefruit, citrus, pine, grassy hops, sweet caramel malts, oak, chardonnay, and some booze.

T - Grapefruit, orange, citrus, pine, grassy hops, lots of resiny bitterness, sweet caramel malts, oak, chardonnay, with a bit of biscuit malts and some booze.

M - Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth with a dry, bitter, and warming finish.

D - Great hoppy DIPA. Good overall balance.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 06:59:36 | More by ngeunit1

ipajunkie

3.5/5  rDev -5.7%

02-16-2013 01:06:44 | More by ipajunkie

popery

California

2.25/5  rDev -39.4%

02-11-2013 18:13:12 | More by popery

thgrayson

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev +1.1%

02-11-2013 02:47:37 | More by thgrayson

UCLABrewN84

California

3.58/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Bier Academy in Canyon Country, CA.

Pours a murky honey orange with a foamy beige head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt and earthy, dank, and herbal hop aromas. Taste is much the same with onion and garlic flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that is pretty tasty but has the onion and garlic presence in the flavor that I am not a huge fan of.

Serving type: on-tap

02-09-2013 23:57:27 | More by UCLABrewN84

Danno48

West Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +21.3%

02-05-2013 04:56:16 | More by Danno48

Beers9beers

North Carolina

2.5/5  rDev -32.6%

02-03-2013 16:00:24 | More by Beers9beers