GUBNA Imperial IPA - Oskar Blues Brewing Company

barczar

Kentucky

3.93/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pours a brilliant caramelly copper with a frothy 2 inch cream head that lingers, eventually leaving sheets of thick lacing.

Resin, pine, fresh cut grass, onions, and catty hops form the initial aroma. Dank cannabis and fairly bready malt are accented by citrus fruit. Mint emerges. The mishmash of aroma is a tad strange.

Flavor reveals more of a citrusy start, with mango and grapefruit being overtaken by slightly sweet, toasted caramel malt for a second, finishing somewhat resiny, lightly bitter, and peppery. Fresh cut grass and pine surface as it warms, with floral hops and apricot adding flavor to the aftertaste. I burp onion.

Body is on the thick side, with fairly low carbonation, a slight astringent graininess, and moderate alcohol warmth.

Spared no expense on hop flavoring, and not as sweet as some examples. Could use a little more malt character, imo. But lots of great hop character. Rye doesn't overpower.

Serving type: can

03-21-2013 01:14:07 | More by barczar

BB1313

Ohio

3.64/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Canned on 2/27/13. 12oz can poured into a tulip. Pours a beautiful transparent golden color. Nice fluffy eggshell-white head and great lacing that sticks around. The aromas are very solid. Lots of grapefruit, pine needles, and lime zest. The aromas don't blast you in the face, but smells nice. The flavors are tasty, but not too aggressive. I'm picking up some pine sap and grapefruit rind. There's a solid caramel malt backbone giving it a subtle sweetness, but the hops still shine. Slightly spicy. Mouthfeel is very nice, like most of Oskar Blues' beers. It has active carbonation and is smooth and creamy on the tongue. Very smooth and fluffy. Alcohol goes unnoticed and it's a very easy drinking brew at 10% abv.

This is my first time having GUBNA. It's always been on my radar for years. I really wish I got to try the 100% Summit version, which seemed extremely polarizing. This version doesn't seem polarizing at all. The "onion/garlic" notes don't seem to dominate. This seems like a DIPA that would be friendly to the masses. Solid DIPA right here. I would drink this again.

Serving type: can

03-17-2013 18:39:02 | More by BB1313

looseteeth

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip from a 12oz can, dated 9/12/12, so it's gotten comfortable on the shelf for a bit. It looks a shy cloudy apricot color while the moderate foamy halo settles around some surprisingly generous lacing. And quite pretty to look at too - it falls like intricate lattice work. The nose is right away biscuity sweet straight into sticky citrus fruits (mainly ruby red grapefruit, subtle cranberries and pomegranate, along with a slight whiff of peach) and over time as the beer adjusts to room temp more of the delicate pomegranate and cranberry notes prosper. This reminds of Green Flash' 'Le Freak' in that regard though I'm not sure what type of yeast Oskar Blues utilized for GUBNA. Medium carbonation and typical viscosity for the style on the mouthfeel. At 10% abv this does drink deceptively well with virtually no alcohol heat on the finish. Next time, I will be sure to crack one of these after it's acclimated from the fridge to the kitchen table as I am discovering with most beers I have tried with higher abv's that they're even more palatable when the chemistry of the beer has been altered by those varying change in degrees. Ultimately, definitely another winner from Oskar Blues right here - a brewery that has never disappointed my drinking experience.

Serving type: can

03-16-2013 04:30:59 | More by looseteeth

Omnium

Pennsylvania

3.24/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Reviewed from notes
Straight from can to pint glass
A - Pours a nice looking honey orange color, 1.5 finger head, foamy.
S - Smells great, like fresh orange peel and orange juice, a little sweet malt and hop oil
T - Bittery sweet resiny hops, weird buttery flavor from the hops too, wayyyy too much alcohol flavor as well. Very off-putting.
M - Sweet stickiness from the odd hop flavor, but it feels very thin and watery.
O - This is actually a big disappointment to me, I love Dale's Deviant, but this is not in the same realm as that, the disgusting boozy flavor is overwhelming. The weird burnt buttery resiny hop flavor is what really does it in for me. Will avoid this beer for sure.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 22:57:50 | More by Omnium

bluejacket74

Ohio

3.99/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

12 ounce can, canned on date of 02/27/13. Served in a tulip, the beer pours a clear golden/orange color with an inch off-white head that sticked around for a long time. There's also a good amount of lacing. Aroma is nice, the brew smells like mostly like citrusy (grapefruit, orange peel) hops, along with some grassy hops and bready malt. The taste is pretty much just like the aroma, this brew is all about the citrusy hops. There's also some light rye spicyness noticeable, along with a nice bitter finish. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's a bit syrupy and has moderate carbonation. I think it's a good beer, but I don't think it's $12.99 a 4-pack good. With that being said, it's worth trying.

Serving type: can

03-09-2013 22:13:34 | More by bluejacket74

andrewjraab

Michigan

4.05/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Nice looking beer with amazing clarity for the style. Lacing is really pronounced.

S - Not a knock your socks off kind of nose on this, but big bouquet of floral hop aroma, some faint malts.

T - Big punchy hop flavor, balanced with some malts.

O - must have - solid DIPA.

Serving type: can

03-07-2013 04:43:13 | More by andrewjraab

ajd413

Colorado

2.84/5  rDev -24.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

I'm sick of buying Oskar blues beer only to discover off flavors. They need some better quality control. This beer is a diacetal bomb with lots of spicey rye flavor. Potentially could be much better, but like I said, I'm not going to continue to buy their beer to only find infections. Sorry for the bad review but come on! This is expensive beer even by craft standards and is simply not worth the price

Serving type: can

02-14-2013 01:22:41 | More by ajd413

Lemke10

Wisconsin

4.51/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This imperial IPA pours a semi-clear, copper color with a creamy, beige head. There is a mild scent of hops with some citrus. The taste is rather crisp and hoppy while being rather complex. The texture is quite smooth making for an overall tasty brew.

Serving type: on-tap

01-08-2013 19:31:49 | More by Lemke10

scruffwhor

Illinois

3.2/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Super clear brass and copper color mix. A nice head, and strong, thick film of foam after the pour. There's even a little stickage.

Sweet biscuity malt and resiny toasted hops. Add a little abv. heat.

Pretty sweet start to the flavor profile. Lots of toasty biscuits and sweet caramel. The hops pop in for a little resiny fun, but don't seem to add much bitterness or balance. The palate is a bit syrupy and alcohol warm. Its not bad, but not what I expected.

Serving type: can

12-31-2012 22:01:53 | More by scruffwhor

harrymel

Washington

3.1/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Canned 26SEP12

Clear gold and copper with a solid quilt of fine whites. Lots of lace. Smells of resin, well actually, this reminds me of the bowl on my weed pipe from high school. Dank. Flavor carries more sweet malts and this is of course dominated by resin, pine, marijuana, and a hint of malt extract. Medium bodied with low carb and a dry finish. This seems very one dimensional.

Serving type: can

12-27-2012 07:12:14 | More by harrymel

aranheaney

New York

3.95/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. can into a 3 Heads Brewing pint glass

A-gold, little head and some lace

S-malt and floral, wet, dank, hops

T-good, a bit all over the place, but the malt and hop combo is working, alcohol is nicely masked

M-viscous, a little thickening as it warms

O-decent, glad I tried it

Serving type: can

12-15-2012 00:43:51 | More by aranheaney

Jparker37

Wisconsin

3.65/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz can poured into an Imperial Pint.

A - Huge rocky off-white head. Sticky and refuses to fall. Golden with an orange hue. Bit of haze to it. Tremendous lacing to the glass.

S - Big and fresh citrus all over the place. Strong, wet and dank. Toasty malt, light caramel.

T - Pronounced malt flavor holds the majority of the beer. Comes across syrupy with layers of toasty breadiness. The malt is sweet almost the whole way. There's a rich caramel complexity that finally gives way to its pine hops late in the second half of the flavor. Slightly rounds out with some bitterness and warming alcohol that lasts into the finish.

M - Barely shy of full bodied, medium-light carbonation, semi-sweet.

O - The look to this beer was fantastic. Smells great. Malt has quite a strong grip on the flavor that doesn't lend itself well to the hops. It's a little too sweet and viscous lacking the stylistic backbone of an IPA. I've not had this beer since it was "Gordon's", but this beer will always bring back memories.

Serving type: can

12-11-2012 03:21:20 | More by Jparker37

JohnnyHopps

Indiana

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

Poured from the can into a pint glass, the ale was a copper color with an off-white head. In the initial aroma, one gets the hoppy notes of grass. It is not bitter enough to burn your nose hairs, but you can tell the bitterness on this one will be evident. In the initial taste, one gets a malty lemon flavor at the front. Further thoughts include lemon candy, pineapple, grapefruit, and a pleasant malt backbone. A certain spiciness develops toward the aftertaste as the citrus notes unite to form a warming sensation at the back of the throat. I will note that the taste seemed muted to a certain degree with the beer itself seeming mildly flat. Yet for a canned DIPA, I enjoyed this one. Not the best DIPA I have had, but certainly a drinkable one.

Serving type: can

12-09-2012 00:21:43 | More by JohnnyHopps

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.68/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from can into pint glass

Appearance – Pours a hazy orange- amber color with a nice thick one finger white head that has good retention. The head fades slowly over time to give a great level of lacing.

Smell – The aroma is heaviest of a bready and citrus hoppy aroma. Mixed with these smells are some lighter pine and grassy hop aromas as well as a light tropical fruit smell of papaya.

Taste – The flavor starts out big and bready with some caramel and citrus sweetness. As the taste advances the hop quickly comes to the tongue. A citrus hop is initially detected with it heaviest of a grapefruit and tangerine flavor. A pine and grassy flavor however soon come to the tongue and becomes as strong, if not stronger then the citrus flavors. While the hop flavors get reasonably strong, in the end they are somewhat overshadowed by a quite boozy taste. The taste is of a whiskey and rum like flavor and when mixed with the hop, leave a piney/grassy and boozy flavor to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is very creamy and chewy with a carbonation level that is quite low. The low carbonation and thick body coupled with the hop and booze make this one a very slow drinker; precisely what it should be.

Overall – A big and boozy tasting double IPA. One that warms and definitely one to sit and sip over a long time.

Serving type: can

12-08-2012 02:27:39 | More by Darkmagus82

rodlavers

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a snifter.

Huge nearly white, foamy head, three fingers, falls away to a thin layer, some chunky cling. Hazy golden-yellow straw, slight orange/honey coloring.

Smell is resinous pine/grass, with malt varieties most noticeable. Sweet, but overall musty. Some citrus present as well.

Taste is malt and citrus, with small pine, all very resinous and natural. Honey is minimally present, but present. All of which gives a bitter, bready/musty natural flavor. A bit heavy to drink. Mouthfeel is super smooth at first, but that gives way to some bitterness and citrus pulp feel on the end. 10% very noticeable.

Overall, this is a unique IIPA, not my favorite but worth trying.

Cheers

Serving type: can

12-05-2012 03:20:20 | More by rodlavers

brureview

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I was surprised: i really liked this beer. The reviews were average.

Poured in a tulip, served at 54F. Nice honey color with 1 finger head.

The aroma was quite different than other DIPAs: vanilla, lemon and toffee. Quite good.

Mouth feel: relatively smooth.

The finish is quite different than other DIPAs. Some fruit, a bit too much alcohol pleasantly masks the taste, which has accents of lemon and fruit.

Excellent beer. Will drink again. Must be served warmer. tulip recommended. Good malty character with alcohol and fruit notes. Underrated.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2012 01:57:31 | More by brureview

sevenarts

New York

4.05/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Cloudy, nearly opaque golden orange with a good-sized off-white head and some lacing.

S: Loads of hops: a bitter, earthy, vegetal aroma, slightly oniony perhaps, kind of dank and plant-like. Really rich and great. Underneath it, the malts gradually become clearer as the nose adjusts to that big hop aroma.

T/M: Sweet malts up front are quickly followed by a burst of bitter, earthy hops. Very much like the nose, with lots of big vegetal flavors, maybe a hint of citrus, a touch of peppery spice on the back end. A big hit of purely bitter hops dominate on the way down, too, leaving behind a tingly, bitter aftertaste. Really interesting and a great treat for hopheads.

O: I was a bit skeptical going in as this beer seems to get mixed reviews, and I can see why it's a love-it-or-hate-it proposition. It's a very different kind of DIPA than most, though it definitely doesn't skimp on the big hop flavor. It's ridiculously expensive so I doubt I'll be getting it again, but I do like it a lot.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 22:42:53 | More by sevenarts

Durtdiggler

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into snifter glass.

Very clear, golden, head fades from deep thickness alot of retention on glass.

At first, the aroma was very unique with citrus start followed by an earthy spiciness to it that had more vegetation overtones to it. Cant tell if Im picking up the hops, rye malt or both.

Taste starts out with subtle malt backbone then transitions into massive hop bitterness followed by a clean finish. Less sweetness in malt, probably due to the rye opposed to more crystal specialty mats. Less complex than DIPA but the hops is ever present. Slightly boozy, whereas for other DIPAs I don't notice the alcohol.

Mouthfeel is clean and dry and quick finishing. The hops lasts forever.

This is a different approach than most DIPAs with the rye malt and summit hops. Not sure about using Summit for dry hop aroma but definitely one of the most bitter flavored IPA variants I''ve had. I enjoyed this beer and glad I tried it; different approach but there are other versions I enjoy more. Nonetheless, hats off to Oskar Blues for doing something different for this style.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 22:34:17 | More by Durtdiggler

TrappistJohnMD

Mississippi

3.68/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Golden color from can into TEKU glass. Thick white head that lingers for a few minutes.

Smell is musty citrus hops, bread, and grass.

Taste is bready malts with dank, musty, old oranges and grass. Honey presence.

Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied. Average carbonation.

Overall this is good. Too much maltiness up front for me.

Serving type: can

11-18-2012 07:36:53 | More by TrappistJohnMD

jazzyjeff13

United Kingdom (England)

3.48/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Acquired from mmapes in a trade - thanks very much!

A 355ml can with a canned-on date of Aug 17th 2012, along with a facetious message. Stored in my fridge since receiving it. At 10% ABV this is a monster beer...

Poured into a Delirium chalice. A hazy golden-amber hue with good carbonation. Yields a smallish head of white foam that subsides after a minute or so. An intense aroma of fruity, earthy hop notes: onion, grapefruit, orange peel, citrus, pine and hints of tropical fruit. All this is underpinned by sweet malt with a hint of caramel, yeast and mild booze. The overall aroma has a dry, 'planty' quality that is reminiscent of leaf sap or cut grass. Odd, and not as clean as I might wish for.

Tastes of extreme hops - fruity, spicy and bitter. Notes of grapefruit, citrus, rind, pine, tropical/white fruit, subtle onion, weed, caramel/toffee and yeast. The malt takes a back seat and there is a powerful bitterness upon swallowing, followed by a solventy alcoholic burn. Mouthfeel is smooth, dry, spicy and tingly, with nice carbonation and good, thick body. Slides nicely over the tongue. Highly astringent - dries the palate. Aftertaste of intensely bitter aromatic hops.

Blimey, this is something else. Very hoppy and bitter, as well as a booze bomb. Rather unbalanced, with odd notes like onion, cannabis and earthy hints of plant that are somewhat disagreeable. Could do with a bigger malt backbone to balance the hops more effectively, though the spicy/tingly mouthfeel is nice. An impressive effort, but an imperfect drinking experience.

Serving type: can

11-10-2012 02:31:41 | More by jazzyjeff13

macrosmatic

Florida

3.98/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

**REVIEW NUMBER 200**
Reviewed from notes. Poured from 12 oz. can into Peg's snifter.

A: Hazy, orange gold that glows under light, with a big white head and medium visible carbonation.

S: A bit muted for an IIPA. Pine & citrus hops with caramel sweet malt.

T: Bready, chewy malts, bitter orange pith hops, some rye flavors to me with some spiciness.

M: Fairly thick, chewy mouthfeel for an IIPA. Medium carbonation, and alcohol well-hidden.

O: This is pretty good. Easy to drink for a beer with this high ABV. Not sure how many more times I'll be purchasing this given the price, but otherwise a good beer.

Serving type: can

10-14-2012 17:36:57 | More by macrosmatic

mscudder

Georgia

3.85/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a snifter. Enjoying this one perr the recommendation of a fine worker at HopCity in Atlanta!

A - A nice deep orange with a finger off-white head. Fair retention and lacing

S - Fruity hops, mostly grapefruit. Some citrus, lemon, pine and some heat from the booze.

T - Very strange beer we have here... Starts with a thin display of grapefruit and bitter hops and explodes into a mouth filling eruption of sweet tropical fruits and a touch of pine. The progression is interesting for sure, not sure I am quite in love with radical shift.

M - A bit thin for what I expected. If there was some more stickiness going on that would be a plus. big carbonation and a medium body.

O - Booze is there making a lurking appearance. I felt the brew was just a bit off. Balance was good, yet the sweetness alongside the bitter hops was a bit to drastic a change in one glass for me. Granted I paid $4 for this lonesome can, I will not return to it.

Serving type: can

10-08-2012 04:44:07 | More by mscudder

mjvos

Michigan

3.15/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured with a nice, creamy two-finger width head that dissipated quickly to maybe a half-finger. Some lacing on the glass. The body of the beer is very a very clear amber color. Smelling it, the beer has the hops to kill, but very consistent probably attributed to the single hop variety used in brewing. The taste is obviously hoppy, but also the alcohol shows itself with a a little more burn on the back end than I would like. Medium mouthfeel, fairly smooth given what I expected. Overall, straightforward, but nothing spectacular.

Serving type: can

10-07-2012 00:55:20 | More by mjvos

LubricatedWisdom76

3.68/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I love most of what Oskar Blues brews but this isn't my favorite one they do.

A- Pale amber with big head and lots of lace.

S- Big and bold resiny hops with some pineapple and grapefruit along with skunky cannabis.

F- Wow, a lot of layer of puckering citrus and pine but really reveals the 10% alcohol. This is a flavorful DIPA but a bit too harsh to be a go to with all of the options out there. There is a significant warming affect and an aftertaste and aroma that reminds me of paint solvent. Needs a bit more malt balance smoothness to be one of the greats.

M- Good melty mouthfeel on the front end but like the flavor has a lingering unpleasant harshness that is like eye watering gasoline.

Overall- I prefer their Deviant Dale's as a drinkable but strong hop monster. This has some good layers and isn't one dimensional but goes down too harsh to be an all star.

Serving type: can

09-18-2012 03:05:32 | More by LubricatedWisdom76

khiasmus

South Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

"A Bodice? Despise them."
Stodgy and loquacious, the stout gentleman wimbled his way down the avenue, his puffy, red cheeks blowing with exertion and cold.
"But father!"
"There'll be no more on't, young lady, and if you utter a peep of same, I shall burn your biscuits."
She followed him meekly, though with obvious frustration, as he turned aside to the familiar lit sign swaying in the night air. Blustered and bellowing, he tramped down the steps with her in tow, thumping his heavy, snow-laden boots on each step as he descended.
"What'll it be then, Gubna?"
"If you please, Linus."
"'m sorray?"
"A Gubna."
"Yew collin me a Gubna? Eh gents' djeer'em?"
"No young man. A Gubna, the red CAN over in that booker. Put 'em there meself, I did."
"Oh oll right. I was jesavin a rowatcheh."
She sulked behind him on a lower stool as he poured the crystal clear orange liquid into his nonic, admiring the creamy white head and effervescence pouring up from the bottom.
"D'y'know, Linus, some blokes say this smells like onions! Eh! Whoever heard of such! 'Ere, stick your nose in there."
"Well now you say it, sir, well I dawn want to disagree with yeh, but it does ave a bit of an onion note dunnit?"
"Pah! Faw! None such. A grapefruit-and-pine-needle hop flavor in this one boy, with a sweet, light caramel and boozy malt backdrop to boot. A syrupy goodness built of malts and bred on hops, showcasing the both, but mainly the latter. You've no taste whatsoever, y'know. This 'ere is a mighty fine brew."
"If y'say't, Gubna."
"Yes, Linus. Gubna. And a right good one at that."

Serving type: can

09-12-2012 23:15:15 | More by khiasmus