Hophead Imperial IPA - Bend Brewing Company

flexabull

California

4.53/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Re-review 1/16/2011

Pours a bright orange color with a nice white head that faded quickly, but leaves nice lacing on the glass.

Aromas are of citrus, hard candies, resin, and oranges.

Taste is very refined for a DIPA. Light caramel creamy malt sweetness and slightly bready. Finish has a really complex hoppiness, resiny, earthy, spicy, with slight apricot notes as well. This is flavorful, but not overwhelmingly bitter.

Mouthfeel is good, full, smooth, with good carbonation.

Drinkability is quite good. I am so glad I got revisit this one. I am fairly certain the last bottle had a bad cap because it was barely carbonated. But this good bottle really has let me properly taste this one, and it's excellent. Tasty but not overly strong, well balanced, and is a pleasure to drink. This is an under the radar top notch DIPA.

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Original review. (I believe this was a bad bottle ) 3 / 4.5 / 4.5 / 2.5 / 3.5

Pours a bright and clear dark orange/gold color with no head.

Aromas are nice. There is something in here I can't quite pin down that I like... hard candies, citrus, resin, and almost like sugary oranges.

Taste is very similar to the nose. Thick, and with a general creaminess, some sugary sweetness in the background as well. Foreground is all about the hops, as is the finish. Resin, grapefruits, and a snappy crisp bitterness.

Mouthfeel is full, but there is an obvious lack of carbonation which is a bummer.

Drinkability is good. But man, this beer tastes like it could be great with better carbonation.

Wow, this bottle was all over the map. I think it might have had a bad cap or something, because it was kind of flat. Too bad, I'd love to try it again, it has serious potential to be quite good.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2010 17:05:26 | More by flexabull

PortlandSunDevil

Oregon

3.5/5  rDev -15.3%

06-17-2013 16:42:36 | More by PortlandSunDevil

woodenbones

Washington

4/5  rDev -3.1%

06-08-2013 06:36:07 | More by woodenbones

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.5/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22 oz. bottle poured into a goblet.

Appearance - Hazy orange body. Nice white head. Wisps and a collar.

Smell - Grassy pine hops. Sweet malts. Kinda musty.

Taste - Pine and grapefruit up front. Sweet caramel and then it dries out. Bitterness kicks in. Builds into a piney hop bitter finish.

Mouthfeel - A touch heavy, but drinkable. Quite bitter.

Overall - Pretty good beer. Tasty but bitter.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2013 20:01:11 | More by Alieniloquium

BYOFB

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev -3.1%

05-04-2013 18:26:59 | More by BYOFB

strongaf

Washington

4/5  rDev -3.1%

04-07-2013 08:13:29 | More by strongaf

bluckbeyes

Oregon

3.75/5  rDev -9.2%

03-07-2013 03:54:31 | More by bluckbeyes

BeerNW

Washington

4/5  rDev -3.1%

11-25-2012 16:38:55 | More by BeerNW

Travisnin

Idaho

4.5/5  rDev +9%

09-13-2012 17:08:53 | More by Travisnin

kylemckinnis

Oregon

4.5/5  rDev +9%

08-20-2012 05:00:56 | More by kylemckinnis

bumchilly25

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev -3.1%

08-18-2012 01:13:53 | More by bumchilly25

WaydeRafnel

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -3.1%

07-24-2012 08:49:46 | More by WaydeRafnel

litheum94

California

4/5  rDev -3.1%

06-22-2012 04:06:14 | More by litheum94

WhiskeeTango

Missouri

4.5/5  rDev +9%

06-05-2012 15:07:52 | More by WhiskeeTango

ahalloin

Virginia

4.23/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 oz. bomber.

Pours a slightly opaque hazy dark yellow color with a hint of orange. Initial voluminous head of bright white recedes to nice ring over the liquid with plenty of lacing attached to the glass. 4

The is a combination of bitter citrus pith and piney undertones. Some floral bits and even a touch of tobacco or cannabis smoke. A slight sweetness rests underneath the hop aroma. The smell leaves a little to be desired in that it isn't real pungent like some IIPAs. 4

Resiny taste matches the smell with bitter citrus peel and pith from orange and grapefruit. I get a slight hint of the pucker factor one would get from fresh squeezed grapefruit juice with lots of pulp. Malt body is very simple and very subdued to let the hops shine. Finish is quite dry and bitter but balanced pretty well. 4.5

Good medium low carbonation really lets you enjoy the hop resins. 4

This is quite a good IIPA that I would buy regularly if I could, given I don't live in the distribution area. 4

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2012 00:34:45 | More by ahalloin

Brodybeer

4.2/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A golden yellow. Nice color
N sweet aromatic. Bread
T excellent. Tiny bit carmely banana bread upfront turning to hoppy. Good amount of hops but the beer allows the tongue time to basque in the flavors before they arrive. Man it's a good ride to the hop. When the hoppy flavor comes its there just long enough to enjoy the flavor then all come together as one in the end. Awesome. Edit. Pineapple! Got that from another review. Yes
M syrupy first then carbonated. Lingers slightly then leaves you wanting more
O man solid beer. I love the complexity. Had to mouth it quite a few times to figure out what was going on. Yet it's smooth at the same time. I love interesting. The bottle says leaves you wanting more. I agree

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 05:03:59 | More by Brodybeer

marine1975

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -15.3%

03-07-2012 23:26:23 | More by marine1975

kchannel9

California

4/5  rDev -3.1%

02-20-2012 03:44:12 | More by kchannel9

brentk56

North Carolina

3.63/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a slightly hazy amber color with a respectable head that leaves some lacing behind

Smell: Floral and sugary, with pithy and piney undertones

Taste: Definitely in the piney side, with a lot of pith as well; underneath, the sugary malts come on strong by mid-palate and into the finish, ringing pineapple flavors, as well

Mouthfeel: Full-bodied and moderately carbonated; a bit sticky

Overall: A pretty darn good DIPA, though I would prefer a bit more attenuation or a bigger hop bill (may have been my fault for sitting on the bottle for a month and a half)

Thanks, chumba526, for the opportunity

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 00:11:01 | More by brentk56

yuriruley

Oregon

4.5/5  rDev +9%

12-21-2011 05:32:07 | More by yuriruley

gizmodave

Oregon

5/5  rDev +21.1%

12-07-2011 21:39:40 | More by gizmodave

loren01

Oregon

4.5/5  rDev +9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a nice clear orange, not much head with no lacing down the glass
S: Big blast of citrus, slight pineapple and piney scents as well
T: Much the same as the smell, lots of citrus and pineapple
M: Medium bodied beer perfect amount of carbonation
O: This is one good double IPA!!!

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2011 06:26:53 | More by loren01

CoryR

Oregon

4.5/5  rDev +9%

11-19-2011 04:48:44 | More by CoryR

HuskyinPDX

Washington

3.65/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle picked up in Bend, OR.

A - Pours a slightly cloudy, medium orange with a small cream-colored head that fades slowly, leaving lacing on the glass.

S - Citrusy, oranges mostly, sweet malts, slight pine.

T - Sweet malts hit me first, then some oranges and carmel flavors. Where did the hops go?

D - Lower carbonation, a bit chewy and thick for an Imperial IPA.

O - Sweeter, citrusy. OK.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 04:25:21 | More by HuskyinPDX

brew3crew

Ohio

4.2/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

First beer of San Diego beer week with Danwho!

A- golden orange with white head around the edges

S-nice sweet hop taste that invites me in for a drink

T- bitter hop resine that coats my mouth and slides down with a nice and smooth ffinish. Very nice

M-medium body and oh so smooth!

O-very nice beer and a good way to kick off the week!

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2011 23:08:36 | More by brew3crew