Yellow Wolf Imperial IPA - Alameda Brewhouse

Chris-MOC9

Oregon

4.03/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

This has to be one of my favorite IPAs. First off the appearance was a very nice golden color. The aroma was fantastic! Very aromatic and intriguing. As for the taste, it had the right balance of hops and interesting flavors

I had a growler of this awesome brew and by the time the night was over most of it was gone.

great stuff

highly recommand

Serving type: growler

05-13-2013 02:55:50 | More by Chris-MOC9

RJLarse

Washington

4.24/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I bought a bomber of Yellow Wolf Imperial IPA at Total Wine & More in Spokane. Poured in to a pint glass.

Pours a pale gold color, slightly hazy, with a creamy white head. It appears well carbonated, with a lot of bubbles rising in the glass.

Smell is a very sweet aroma, like lemon blossoms.

Taste is a light bread flavor with a sour citrus flavor, grapefruit and lemon, on the finish.

Mouthfeel is clean for the style, just slightly cloying, with a dry bitter aftertaste.

Overall a very tasty and drinkable double IPA. It has a nice clean feel good flavor and a very appealing aroma.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 22:38:42 | More by RJLarse

brentk56

North Carolina

4.04/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a cloudy amber capped by an inch or so of foam that leaves a few shards behind

Smell: Floral citrus, with quite a load of caramel underneath

Taste: Though the caramel hits the tip of the tongue first, it doesn't take long for the hops to take over the profile, bringing citrus and tropical fruit flavors into the middle; after the swallow the hoppy bitterness lingers, pushing the sweeter flavors away though some residual sugars remain in the aftertaste

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate carbonation

Overall: A fairly decent DIPA though it doesn't jump out at me as something I need to re-visit; still, a great value at the price point

Thanks, mdaschaf, for the opportunity

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 00:22:15 | More by brentk56

cswhitehorse

Oregon

3.5/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The Yellow Wolf poured a dark amber into the pint glass and had a 1 finger foam head. There was good lacing that webbed around the glass. The smell was a little subdued and didn't jump out much. I got some citrus and grassy. The taste was sweet and the bitterness of the double was pretty balanced. The mouthfeel was soft on the palate and went down easy. Overall it was a pretty good beer just didn't strike me a staple for the fridge.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 02:57:31 | More by cswhitehorse

hreb

Washington

3.05/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

22oz bottle served in pint glass. Beer pours yellow amber, slightly syrupy, partly cloudy with almost no head. Big floral aroma -- smells delicious.

First sip is an intense onslaught of hoppage. Pretty fizzy, too. I want to appreciate everything that went into this brew, but I just can't get past the over the top bitterness. Alameda's website claims this beer is "over 100 IBUs". Yow. And while the high alcohol content is pleasantly *not* the first thing you notice in this beer, unfortunately this level of bitterness suites -- nay, requires -- a beer with even more alcohol, and dare I say so myself, more malt flavor.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 04:42:35 | More by hreb

smakawhat

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the bottle into a Dogfish Head Ale glass.

A slightly green like yellow out of the bottle, but hits the glass with a sort of swamp brown amber body. Head manages barely two fingers, off white and slightly creamy yellow in color. Leaves a good top, otherwise fine looking.

Nose is a mish mash of sweet malts and subtle hops. A good sense of biscuity aroma and honey. Hop action not apparent or dominant. Otherwise alright, a good sense of sugary sweetness possibly coming.

Palate hits with a subtle sense, not unlike what is hinted on the nose. Sugary malt sweetness, and a mild lingering hop sense. Finish does linger though with some very good sharp pine like action and sweet sap spruce. Honey sweetness comes a bit after further sips. Feel is just about right, bold with mild carbonation and a good solid thickness but not syrupy.

Overall it's ok, but can't say much more, and not really getting me excited either.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 01:09:46 | More by smakawhat

Bookseeb

Washington

3.65/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance has a nice copper amber color supporting a steady healthy head with less than fair lace. Smell has a nice balance of caramel malt and citrusy hops. Taste is big on the grapefruit piney hops, but not the malt backbone I expected for more of a balance having a slight saline note. Mouthfeel is medium with good carbonation. Not a bad Imperial, had better though.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 02:45:47 | More by Bookseeb

dvmin98

North Carolina

3.4/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Got in bomber from a friend on the west coast. Nice to try something new.

Decent mouthfeel. Aroma wasn't much to write home about. Head was about a centimeter and didn't last very long. The flavor was decent, but the aftertaste lingered too long for me; citrusy, with lots of grapefruit hints.

I've had better imperials, but this wasn't bad.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 21:35:37 | More by dvmin98

draheim

Washington

4/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz into a tulip. Pours a slightly hazy coppery orange w/ a big sudsy head, good lacing.

Aroma is tropical, citrusy, spicy, floral, earthy. Hint of booze.

Taste follows nose. Copious NW hops w/ a focus on floral and spice notes. Orange peel. Pale dry malt provides a neutral canvas for the hops. Sharply bitter on the finish.

Mouthfeel is smooth and slick, typical for the style.

Overall a pretty average to good DIPA. Enjoyed it, but nothing extraordinary.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 04:22:07 | More by draheim

woemad

Washington

3.38/5  rDev -12%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle purchased at a local grocery store for a sale price of $3.49 (normally it’s 50 cents more). “01.13.12” is in very small print on the bottom righthand section of the label. Wish I’d spied that sooner.

Poured a hazy copper color that takes on a brighter amber shade when held up to light. Moderate, off-white head stuck around for a few minutes, then receeded to a foamy skiff on the top of the beer. Spotty, streaky lace.

Piney hops and biscuity malts greet the nose. The malts aren’t exactly blocked out by the hops scent.

Piney hop flavor and a modest grapefruit taste hit thet tastebuds, with a substantial malt backbone. The hop presence isn’t exactly huge – it tastes like a slightly oversized pale ale. Not much sign of the 8.2% alcohol content.

Medium bodied, with a slightly oily mouthfeel.

A fairly bland IIPA, possibly due to age, although it didn’t exactly seem age-spoiled so much as it seemed simply not that interesting a take on the style. I may give this another try at some point, now that I know where the bottling date is located.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 04:56:53 | More by woemad

alexgash

Connecticut

3.78/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz. bottle.

Hazy dark orange with a thick finger of dense, marshmallowy, light beige-white head. Nice lacing. Fruity malt aromas hide beneath juicy citrus and slightly floral hops.

Toasted malt and herbal bitterness up front. Tangy, bright citrus hops all over the palate. Fruity, slightly sugary malt plays second fiddle. Bitterness swells into the finish and the hops become pinier and more herbal. Some lingering citrus juiciness. Medium body with a nice creamy feel. Not bad.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 04:55:12 | More by alexgash

lacqueredmouse

Australia

2.98/5  rDev -22.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Bottle purchased from Belmont Station in Portland, after trying their very good American Rye.

This one has a slightly more inauspicious start, pouring a very hazy, murky yellow-copper colour, with a fine and pocked head of white. Body is solid and carbonation is fine. But that colour is really rather unappealing. Hrmm.

Wow, the nose is really uninspiring as well. Wet grain sack mixed with brittle earthy hops that lend a shattering thinness. There's a hint of rubbed grapefruit or something clamouring to be heard, but it just adds to the reedy, unglamorous cacophony. Ew.

Taste is a little better: in fact, a lot better than the nose, and it has a pleasant balance if you can avoid the smell while you're drinking it. Crisp, pronounced green bitterness through the centre of the palate, with a smooth if very mild malt character to keep it in check. Slight astringency on the back gives a whack of bite and a hint of booze. Feel is fine and fluid.

Overall, though, I'm amazingly unimpressed. Their American Rye was a hallmark of rye beer making, but this one (also bought locally, I might add) is verging on offensive without purpose. What a rollercoaster ride are Alamedas beers.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 01:57:42 | More by lacqueredmouse

EgadBananas

Louisiana

4.03/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a rather dark orange, totally opaque color. Head was a cream color, filled with big bubbles, nice retention and loads of spongy lace.

The aroma was bright citrus, some pine and flowers, orange zest and spicy hops.

The taste was big citrus kicks, an intense initial bitterness, light caramel malts.

Nearing full bodied, slight noticeable carbonation, a bit oily and dry finishing.

Not a game changer, but this is a solid, really drinkable offering worthy of having around.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2012 00:00:05 | More by EgadBananas

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at St Augustines in Vancouver.

A: Slight cream coloured head over amber liquid.

S: Slight scent of lemon and pine.

T: Grapefruit and pine up front with a lemon and earth finish.

M: Medium viscosity and carbonation.

O: Average drinkability for this Imperial IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

05-18-2012 07:28:28 | More by DaftCaskBC

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

4.28/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had a pint at St Augustines in Vancouver. This was a very balanced DIPA that still strutted its stuff in the hops dept. The colour was very pale , almost like a Wit but the nose and taste was pure IPA with the added ABV and increased grain bill. I really liked how there was a delicate sense to the flavours for such a big beer. Will purchase it in bottles as it is in BC now.

Serving type: on-tap

05-12-2012 23:29:01 | More by canucklehead

Asshole

4.35/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Unfiltered beer has never let me down for some reason. And the YW is no exception with the cloudy yellow appearance.

I expected to taste to follow the aromatic smell and I was not disappointed. One of my top 5 IPA's I have ever had. But hey, i am a beginner.

Grapefruit and Cannabis flowers! I have seen comparisons to Pliny, and they are not too far off. I couldn't taste much Malt if at all.

Kegs can go so quickly and vary in quality as well. Second day I tried this beer again and it dropped a lot of it's qualities. The Dude abides!

Serving type: on-tap

05-12-2012 00:15:17 | More by Asshole

scootpolute

Washington

2.85/5  rDev -25.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

1 Pint, 6 FL OZ. bottle into tulip glass.

A - Unfiltered, deep tawny color, light haze with a thin bubbly lace.

S - Spicy herbal and lightly pungent hop aroma, fruity and oily.

T - Medium crispness, hoppy palate with a big grapefruit flavor. Big punch of oily hop pungent flavor with some spicy (alcohol) flavor finish...

M - Med-bodied, kinda weak for an imperial ipa...carbination a bit weak too...

O - Not a big fan of this x2 IPA, drinkable, but kinda bummed :~(...Chasin' Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 01:05:14 | More by scootpolute

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Hazy, dirty straw with plenty of yeast sediment. Some head retention, leaves a nice lace.

S: Very dank, piny, nectarine, orange rind, papaya and mango.

T: Solid bitterness, but it's not overbearing. Nectarine, pine, candied pineapple and papaya, grapefruit, a bit of melon and biscuit. Alcohol is subtle.

M: Well-attenuated moderate body is smooth with a light hop acidity.

D/O: A nicely balanced DIPA, very drinkable for its weight.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2012 01:35:18 | More by Derek

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 oz bottle into Half Acre tulip.

A- Pours a dark copper with a 2" off-white head. Lots of lacing remains on the glass.

S- Sweet caramel, some citrus, and grassy/weed.

T- Sweet malts, caramel, citrus and some bitterness.

M- Medium body and carbonation. Nice creaminess and slick finish.

O- Like the sweetness of this dipa, but its lacking some bitterness that other dipa's have. Worth the try but not a go to for me.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 02:51:34 | More by kawilliams81

beertunes

Washington

3.18/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in straight pint glass. Poured a semi-hazy golden yellow with just a thin cap of white head that had low retention and lacing. The aroma was mostly a nice blend of hops with just a bit of malt in the background.

The flavors were fairly typical for the style, some maltiness and that mix of hops. There was a bitter, citrusy finish that lingered a bit too long for my tastes. The body was also fairly average, perhaps a bit fuller than a lot of examples of the style. Drinkability was pretty good, the beer went fairly smooth and easy. Overall, a nice, average example of the style. Worth trying if you see it, probably not worth a lot of effort to find.

Serving type: on-tap

04-15-2012 22:25:58 | More by beertunes

Bitterbill

Wyoming

3.85/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Huge frothy head of foam sitting on a hazy medium golden coloured brew that, as it slowly shrinks, leaves some nice lacing.

There are big notes of pine and grapefruit with a minimum of any malt presence. The smell isn't balanced like a lot of others of the style.

The taste does bring out some malty sweetness and works well with the ample hop bitterness of the pine and light grapefruit and even a hint or 2 of tropical fruit.The finish is bitter and somewhat spicy and leaves a nice aftertaste.

Fairly light bodied for the style with just the right amount of carbonation, this is a tasty and nice DIPA from a brewery that I had never heard of before I ordered it from LetsPour.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 16:04:46 | More by Bitterbill

dirtylou

Washington

3.53/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle

appearance; served in great lakes chalice, bright golden-orange body, nice foamy white froth

smell: bready, citrus, a bit metallic

taste: always a fan of increased distribution but Alameda is 2/2 on providing a mediocre beer that isnt worth a repurchase. Metallic, bready, dry, bittter citrus rind, grassy

mouthfeel: dry, bitter

overall: pretty Meh for a west coast IPA

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 17:49:18 | More by dirtylou

Vancoubeer

Washington

4.3/5  rDev +12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I really like this beer and for under 5 dollars you cannot go wrong for a bottle at the huge abv in this beer.

A: When poured, it looks like an imperial IPA should. Its got that golden quasi filtered look to it with a white sticky head. Nothing special here but looks tasty.

S: This smells great. Its got hops and hops and more hops with a hint of malts to balance it out. Very pleasant but not as high as its competitors. You do get a hint of citrus and pine but the latter is very subtle.

T: This is a great tasting beer. There is no way that this beer is that strong. you do not taste it. You get that west coast citrusy flavor but there is a ton of hop bitterness so its not that sweet. I really like the taste of this beer. Very easy drinking and not a sipper of an Imperial IPA. For those just getting into IPAs this may not be for you unless you like the punch in the face that this beer will give you at the middle of the tongue and the malts are there but not as much as you would think. There is a bit of a acidic but pleasant linger after the sip which I will explain next.

M: This is a pretty sticky full mouth feeling beer. There is this not unpleasant acidic citrusy tingle left after each sip of the beer. It actually makes me want more because it tastes good. Not bad at all.

Overall: I really like this beer. For the price and the abv mixed with the taste this is a very high class beer. There are some on the market from the local breweries and others from the USA that can cost way above the $4.69 that I paid for this beer. You really cannot compete at this price. This is totally on the top of my list if I want to have a hoppy imperial IPA and not break the bank. If it was like a 7 or 8 dollar bottle, I would rate it at 3.5 but for Portland, you cannot find a beer this good at this price at this abv. And its available all over the place from gas stations, bottle shops and grocery stores that sell craft beers.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2011 05:41:02 | More by Vancoubeer

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.35/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured a clear light orangish golden color with a small soapy white head

S: Some light floral hops, bread and booze

T: Bready with grass and floral notes, booze and bitter on the end, pretty dry too.

M: Medium body and no carbonation issues

O: A pretty decent IIPA but not one I would go back too

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 02:40:14 | More by barleywinefiend

GreenCard

Oregon

4.1/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: light orangey-brown, hazy, thin layer of off-white foam that leaves specks of lace

Aroma: toasty malt, alcohol, and a berry jam fruitiness

Flavor: malty, chewy sweetness that is quickly balanced by a scrumptious hop flavor and bitterness; peppery alcohol, apple peels, and a hint of citrus rind; finishes semisweet with a lingering hoppiness

Mouthfeel: medium-full body, pert carbonation, alcohol warmth

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2011 22:12:24 | More by GreenCard