Hophead Imperial IPA - Bend Brewing Company

SurlyDuff

Oregon

4.43/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A very good IIPA. Nice orange hue, a bit cloudy.

Aroma is juicy citrus, spicy. Pine, juniper and other fruits in the background.

Pure IIPA goodness. Nice bite too it, a bit of resin feeling, but not to sharp.

Really like the finish on this one. It lingers and coats the mouth, and the only thing it seems would compliment it...is another sip!

This ones over 8%, deceptivly enough...so watch yourself!

Serving type: on-tap

02-12-2008 19:26:16 | More by SurlyDuff

DaPeculierDane

Wisconsin

4.38/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Conflicted to see this listed on BA as a IIPA…it was sold to me as a regular IPA and as a regular IPA I found it utterly perfect. I am reviewing this as an IPA. As a IIPA, my review would be slightly lower because of a lack of malt balance, body, and strength.
Served in a 4 oz glass (with a half pint follow up) at Concordia Ale House during some sort of IPA Festival. This was my second favorite of the day.
Uber clean, crisp, and frankly spot on in terms of a CA or American IPA. They simply do not come more perfectly than this. Pine and juniper rule. Bitterness is moderate ad well done. Body is light. Color is a wonderful yellow-orange bronze…warm and welcoming. Malt flavor is mild and caramel focused. Some artichoke grassy flavor is found along with French celery. Good Lace.

Serving type: on-tap

07-25-2007 06:04:36 | More by DaPeculierDane

ElGordo

Oregon

4.43/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Cheers to my co-worker Angelo for bringing a bottle back from his trip to Bend. Pours a bright orange-golden color with a small amount of turbidity, topped by a thin ring of bright white head. Aroma of fresh, zesty floral hops, light sweet malt, and notes of grapefruit and cannabis. Palate is quite tasty - tangy hops dominate up front, mellowed slightly by the mid-palate emergence of some sweet caramel malt. Notes of tart grapefruit and pine are evident, especially before the swallow. Finish is a lingering hoppy bitterness that is quite satisfying.
Body is fairly light for an imperial IPA, lacking the typical syrupy feel. I'm pretty OK with that. On the whole, this is an easy-drinking ale, especially given the amount of alcohol and aggressive hops. Wish I had more than one bottle. Guess I have to go to Bend soon to stock up.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2007 06:36:13 | More by ElGordo

Matthew

Connecticut

3.98/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a light golden color, almost amber, small bubbly head, but with good lacing.
Nice big whiffs of floral hops, some hints of citrus, mostly orange.
Nice hop bite up front, mostly earthy and floral but has some light more hidden fruity characteristics. Nice, very well balanced sweet malty backbone. This beer has a good drinkability, the fact that this is a very well balanced DIPA helps this beer to find its way in your glass more than once in a night. A pretty straight forward DIPA that is very tasty.

Serving type: on-tap

11-17-2006 05:12:47 | More by Matthew

FightingEntropy

Minnesota

4.72/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is possibly the best DIPA I've every had.

Off white cream head, burnt orange color which is a bit lighter at the bottom. full lace all the way down the side. Sharp, spicy aromda, not citrusy, but fruity, grapefruit and apricot, and same fruit in the beer as well to balance the hops. New direction for the beer, at least that I've drank. Instead of monster malt, Belgian like yeast fruitiness to offset the bitter. Super smooth hop bite, like a great hot salsa that hot but not stupid hot and full of flavor--the hop is strong but drinking the bite is so balanced and smooth that it's effortless. Might be wheat tang in there as well. Would love to see this recipe.

Love this beer. Website has it releasing on Nov 21, but it says "another" so must release in multiple batches. Can see why it's Gold Medal, and the website is advertising it's release so it must be a local favorite. I'd get in line.

Serving type: on-tap

11-11-2006 17:19:40 | More by FightingEntropy

bobbrew

Washington

4.8/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Something magical about this beer when I first tasted it in 2005 at the Sasquatch Beer Festival in Eugene, Oregon. Hughly hoppy with a feminine finesse. No rough edges here - just as it should be as it's brewed by the loveliest lady brewer in America. (I'm a huge fan of this style as I used to travel to Sierra Nevada in Chico so I could be the first non - SN employee to taste Celebration every year). Hophead made me forget about Celebration except for the uncontrollable subconcious lip smacking they both induce. This beer is very limited as it's brewed by a small lady in an equally small brewery. If you land a taste, pint or pitcher consider yourself one of the luckiest beer consumers in America.

Serving type: on-tap

10-01-2006 02:00:11 | More by bobbrew

Shaw

Florida

3.85/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at the brewery in Bend:

This looks like a wheat beer: It's cloudy with a white head.

It has a big hoppy aroma, much bigger than their IPA, which should not be a surprise.

It's very bitter and has the piney quality that lots of Chinook hops import. The taste makes me think this was dry-hopped with lots of Chinook. I don't think that extra malt was used because it doesn't taste that heavy.

This is not the best Double IPA I have ever had, but it is still pretty good. The brewery's info said it has more than double the hops of their regular Elk Rock IPA, and I can believe it. But the brewer should have bumped up the malt some more, too.

Serving type: on-tap

09-30-2006 22:54:07 | More by Shaw

charlatan

United Kingdom (Scotland)

4.15/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

This cost me a whopping $5 for a pint at my local, but it may have been worth it.

It was cloudy and fairly light coloured (can't be rpecise givien the lighting in the bar) with a little residue in the bottom of the glass. There is very little head - just a rim around the glass which leaves some minimal lacing.

It has a dirty (in the way cider tastes and smells like dirty apple juice) autumnal citrus smell. It has a very sweet grapefruit and white sugar flavour with just a hint of brown sugar and some herbal hop flavour. This is a delight for those who are keen on citrus IPA's, but its name is rather misleading. It certainly doesn't have enough hop bitterness to make you wince. This brew does boast enough alcohol for one pint to have a significant effect, yet is drinkable enough that one will leave you wanting more.

Serving type: on-tap

10-14-2005 09:53:04 | More by charlatan

RedDiamond

Oregon

3.45/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

The bartender at the BBC can’t pour this beer fast enough. It reminds me of those scenes from the 1930’s when there were runs on the banks. Hophead has a big juicy aroma and haunted lace and tastes surprisingly mild and light bodied. It is bright orange-gold, clouded, and has a slightly chalky mouthfeel. Strong in demeanor, yet casual in appeal, it serves the style well enough but is not a big scary hop monster by any means.

Serving type: on-tap

10-01-2005 04:21:24 | More by RedDiamond