Outburst Imperial IPA - Pyramid Breweries, Inc.

beerdown77

North Carolina

3.65/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours deep orange with two fingers of foamy head, some lacing. The taste is big citrus and hops. It is suprisingly bitter up front with the sweetness that you should expect from 8.5. Had this beer chilled from a bottle first. It is much better right from he fridge, poured into a glass. Medium body, which is pleasant for its ABV. The bitterness last through the after taste and leaves a bit on your tongue. Good beer, I could have two.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2011 22:44:45 | More by beerdown77

alleykatking

Indiana

3.58/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 12oz bottle. Thanks go out to SuperNova777 for this one.

A- Pours a golden amber color. No real head except for a short stump of white foam that dies right away. Lace is spotty at best with most of it falling back into the beer.

S- Caramel malts hit the nose first. This is followed by a combo of medicinal alcohol and citrus hops. The ending of this aroma has some light caramel malts mixing with a more bitter forward pine hop. It doesn't seem like it would work but actually it fits pretty nicely together to make a balanced aroma.

T- Upon tasting this the caramel malts show up first with a strong bitter piney hop. The middle of the beer has a die down in piney hops but not really the caramel malts. About this time grapefruit notes and citrus hops are thrown into the mix. This lasts until a light medicinal alcohol ending on the beer.

M- Medium mouthfeel. Carbonation is good for the style. Caramel malts with a hint of bitter hops and alcohol are left on the palate. Aftertaste is warming alcohol (medicinal), caramel malts, and citrus hops that fade first. This beer is well balanced..maybe a little too much for the style. No off flavors at all. Medium alcohol drying on the palate.

D- This beer is a little too simple for its own good. What I mean by that is it is well balanced with nothing really grabbing you and keeping you there. The ABV is high enough that you might only want a glass or two. I would throw this out there with most well balanced DIPA's and while good it isn't worth seeking out..unless you want a nicely balanced beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2011 05:48:29 | More by alleykatking

snaotheus

Washington

3.3/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

22oz bottle poured into a 22oz glass

Pours a moderately cloudy coppery-orange color, with medium beige head. Smell is surprisingly bright and flowery, nice.

Taste is a letdown from the smell...the nice floral stuff is definitely muted, and replaced with a sort of flat bitterness imparted by the hops.

Mouthfeel is mild, slightly grainy. Overall, I guess I'd classify this beer as "fine".

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2011 00:56:19 | More by snaotheus

dball

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The Outburst was a great price for a solid imperial IPA. It's not the best I've had but it's good for $8 a six-pack. Not sure if this was a sale price or regular price. I would certainly get this again. It is only the second Pyramid I've had. The other was the winter seasonal and it was good as well.

The color is a little more clear orange/gold that I would expect. It tastes like it would be a bit more cloudy in color. The head settles quickly and the beer doesn't have a creamy feel. It bites like an IPA should but the hops aren't overwhelming. It's flavor is not the greatest but again for an imperial it's worth the $8.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2011 00:43:59 | More by dball

chaz410

North Carolina

3.3/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a very nice transparent amber body with a half finger white head.
Smell is of pine, grassy and slightly citrus hops.
Taste has a solid caramel malt backbone and has layers of pine and melon like hops, kinda cantalope and pineapple. Slight citrus finish and some grassy lingerings.
Mouthfeel is very smooth considering the IBUs.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2011 04:04:52 | More by chaz410

yemenmocha

Arizona

3.63/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours ruby to amber with good clarity. Head was a bit small. Nose on the lighter side with candied malt and citrus, then mint and pine. Big grapefruit fruity sweetness and bitterness noted right away on the palate, along with assertive pine. Finish goes herbal with a hint of mint, and high ABV is apparent even when cold right out of the fridge, and becomes more salient as it warms.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2011 03:27:16 | More by yemenmocha

gkunkle

Oregon

4.1/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This isn't going to knock your socks off, but for the price, it is definitely worth it. It is a well made beer that is a great value. As a believer in the free market economy, this will be receiving my dollar vote frequently when I just want a good overall beer.

Pours a copper color with a decent white head that left a little lacing in my glass. Smell is pretty darn hoppy, I am noticing citrus and pine hops, pretty standard for the pacific northwest. Taste is surprisingly good, definitely more on the hops side of the IPA balance. The hops stand out, but don't kick your ass like so many others. I enjoy an ass kicking on occasion, but this has the right level of hops to enjoy alone or with a meal. Mouthfeel is good, medium weight with decent carbonation. Drinkability is outstanding for a DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2011 02:19:27 | More by gkunkle

btbedell

Oregon

4.5/5  rDev +19%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A bomber on sale for two dollars and change.

Pours a nice clear copper.

Aroma is big, pleasing grapefruit with touches of spice and malt. The smell hits you right from the bottle. Dominated by Simcoe? Very distinct. Terrific.

Taste is citrus and grapefruit, malt sweetness toned way down by the hops and ABV. Another IPA afterward tasted like malt syrup in comparison.

Mouthfeel is surprisingly light and crisp for something this big. Maybe better for a late spring beer, but still nice.

Great, distinctive IIPA. Would easily put it on tap at home. I normally don't buy Pyramid beers; that will now change!

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2011 23:02:00 | More by btbedell

Scotchboy

Idaho

4.05/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

I tried to be as hard as I could on this beer: I have no love for Pyramid products. Or, at least I didn't...

Outburst Imperial IPA, served in a SA PP glass

A medium golden tone with the slightest of haze, a little effervescent (possibly because of the etchings on the bottom of my glass). Two finger off white head is soapy and dissipates more quickly than most double IPAs.

Hop spice on the nose: earthy, grassy, piney with a little grapefruit. Pleasant and not overpowering. No real 'wow' factor though.

Tastes like an IPA. The bitterness is upfront with a small grapefruit presence. It's not quite bitter enough upfront, and the flavors fade relatively quickly, leaving a dry hop bitterness on the roof of your mouth as the aftertaste. Not bad but not impressive really. Just tasty. Hops don't attack your tongue like other DIPAs.

MF starts a little creamy but doesn't measure up to other DIPAs like Tricerahops or Hoptimum, both of which I've had in the last week.

An excellent value, and pretty drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2011 15:09:13 | More by Scotchboy

hosehead83

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz. "stubby" bottle into a standard pint glass.
Copper/amber in color, with a two-inch off-white head of foam.
Aroma-Citrussy, piney hops, faint sweet malt
Taste-Swet, toasted malt,big burst of bitter hops, grapefruit-rind lingering bitterness. Pretty well-balanced and easy drinking for a DIPA. A pleasant surprise from the folks at Pyramid. A nice lower ABV option DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2011 20:21:42 | More by hosehead83

RJLarse

Washington

3.95/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I bought a bomber of Outburst Imperial IPA at a grocery store. Poured in to a pint glass.

Pours a shiny rich copper color and is clear. Frothy two finger head leaves quite a bit of lace on the glass.

Smell is a sweet juniper aroma with some citrus notes along side. It is a very mild aroma for the style.

Taste is as sweet caramel malt flavor up front, with a pine and citrus finish.

Mouthfeel is smooth and slightly cloying.

A drinkable brew for a DIPA. The ABV probably makes it less than sessionable. One of the better Pyramid brews I have had.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2011 01:10:29 | More by RJLarse

Glibber

Idaho

4.05/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Light amber in color, poured a nice creamy 1/2 inch head that settled out to 1/8 inch. Good thick lacing on the glass. Very aromatic, with citrus pine and peach front. Decent carbonation and smooth to drink for a high octane beer. Nice citrus hop flavor on the back end- warms the stomach. I did not think the hops were overpowering at all. The malts come out when the beer warms up a bit. Very drinkable beer. To tell you the truth, I was suprised it was so good. For the price the beer is a steal.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2011 04:59:46 | More by Glibber

robbrandes

Oregon

3.55/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

pours an impossibly clear amber, decent head, that receded quickly. the aroma lived up to the 'outburst' name - an explosion of piney hops, malt and citrus.

taste is good, but not great. pretty hop-forward, but the taste doesn't quite live up the incredible nose. the citrusy-pine aroma is somewhat over-powered by a faintly peppery and slightly acidic bite. not bad, but the nose really had me expecting something special. mouthfeel is middling - a bit thin and carbonation, while low, is a bit rough.

the one big plus - pricing. $2.29 for a bomber? if value was a category, this would be an easy 5.0!

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2011 02:15:17 | More by robbrandes

Bookseeb

Washington

3.68/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance has a nice copper tone with a thick head and fair lace. Smell is mainly big on the dry hopping creating a floral hoppy aroma with a malt background. Taste is big on the grapefruit, piney bitterness powering over a nice malt background. Mouthfeel is medium with good carbontion. Enjoyable, but I couldn't have to many at a time.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2011 01:26:04 | More by Bookseeb

LazyL

British Columbia (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Nice flourescent orange with a thick off white foam. Lots of lacing and great retention on the glass.
Big orange/grapefruit rind notes and some pine, mint and vanilla to create a beautifull nose.
Same flavours as the nose and the bitterness level is perfect. Mouthfeel is a bit dry and light bodied. Very drinkable especially for the ABV rate.
Really quite good and worth picking up while in season.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2011 04:00:54 | More by LazyL

biggred1

Indiana

4.22/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Clear, pumpkin-amber with a foamy tan head that leaves blobs of lace on the glass. Nice, savory pine sap and grapefruit peel with pale malts in the aroma. Big, dank hop notes make for a fairly one sided affair with mild pale malt to balance. The alcohol is well hidden. Medium bodied with smooth carbonation. An easy drinker and suprisingly good. Kudos to Pyramid for making an outstanding example of the style and keeping it affordable. I hope they keep it up.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2011 04:57:23 | More by biggred1

Jason

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz brown bottle with no freshness date, this was a fresh sample though.

Nice heady start, three fingers high of dense head followed by a spectacle of lacing. Clear golden amber color. Piny, minty and citric hop nose ... strength in that order and a burst of tropical fruit within. Smooth and slick with a full-ish body. Bitterness is aggressive but not abusive, hop flavor jumps from herbal / tobacco to pine resin to mint to citric. Nothing hot here, alcohol is noticeable for sure but it does not get in the way. Oh yeah, there is malt here too ... slab of bread, toasted a bit. Finishes with a big hop flavor and lingering bitterness as well as the alcohol warmth.

While other limited batches of DIPA's garner all of the hype this sleeper has awakened my palate. Highly recommended especially at the prices it will be selling at.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2011 03:08:51 | More by Jason

julian

Washington

3.35/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A: Pours a nice crystal clear copper color with a good amount of slightly off white head. Lacing is a little oily, but otherwise nice. coats the glass nicely.

S: First impressions are the most important and right off the bat, this smells delicious. Lots of fruity hop aroma, sweet tropical candy. Very nice.

T: Less fruity flavor than the nose led me to anticipate. Kind of subdued, more of an earthy bitterness than anything. Not much in the way of complexity in the flavor.

M: Good mouthfeel, it coats the tongue and mouth nicely with a proportionate amount of carbonation and has a balanced flavor/feel and no off aftertaste.

D: Not my favorite IIPA, but definitely a step up for Pyramid. They're trying to branch out and I see that. Keep it up Pyramid, and keep these new "seasonals" coming...you just might hit the jackpot with one of them eventually (cmon do something BIG, like a RIS or something barrel aged).

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2011 04:16:29 | More by julian

hopsbreath

Oregon

3.58/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Crystal clear light amber in the glass with a couple fingers of ecru head. Moderate lacing help this look pretty solid. 4/5

S: Light citrus and light pine backed up by some bisuity goodness. Not bad. 3/5

T: Big and pure bitter citrus with a touch of sour citrus. Bitter lingering citrus on the finish as well. A little one dimensional here and refreshing given the big ABV. 3.5/5

M: Thin bodied and low on the carbonation. Smooth and clean on the finish put this in my ball park. 4/5

D: I probably could have had $4 worth of this stuff. Instead I had a $1 worth since I split the bomber with my wife. Find a better tulip full of DIPA for $1. I bet you can't. 4/5

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2011 05:50:11 | More by hopsbreath

JMad

Texas

4.1/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I poured a 12 oz bottle into a tulip glass...

The beer was a copper color with ruby red hues, there was a lofty tan colored head with medium sized bubbles. The head stuck nicely to the glass and stuck around the whole time.

Smells strongly of hops, grapefruit, sugar and pine with caramel malt. There is also a hint of tropical fruit, maybe peaches. Even though that's not really that tropical.

The taste is more sweet than bitter. There is a rush of sweet malt followed by a citrusy bitterness similar to the peel of a grapefruit, also there are some hints of melon.

Typical thick Imperial IPA, soft, low carbonation and a dry finish.

This is a solid Imperial IPA, and has a reasonable price. I'm glad I discovered this one.
The combination of Nugget, Chinook, Centennial and Simcoe hops creates a great hoppy flavor.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2011 00:03:18 | More by JMad

Nerudamann

Arizona

3.85/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a snifter glass.

Look - very clear copper color, with about a finger's worth of foam that dissipates slowly. Very slow/low carbonation.

Smell - extremely hoppy, probably with Cascade hops. Maybe a hint of peach.

Taste and Mouthfeel - as strong in its hop taste as it was in the smell. The flavor of the hops hits you in the beginning and middle, but only at the end does the force of the bitterness assail you. Very interesting progression. Still a hint of peach to me. Texture is well-balanced.

Drinkability - very interesting brew, but possibly a little too bitter for me to handle in a six-pack's worth.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2011 05:22:00 | More by Nerudamann

UTCengOwl

Texas

3.65/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this from a bottle during the Super Bowl last night. Poured it into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint glass.

The beer was darker than I expected. Deep orange and brown, not a bad looker. However, the head dissipated a bit too quickly and didn't quite stand up to want I wanted.

The smell was predominantly hoppy with a strong malt presence. I wish that the hops were fruitier (don't I always?). The notes from these were just a bit... blah. Not hops that truly stand out, but otherwise fairly solid.

The taste was pretty much in line for the style, but I got a strange fruitiness from the malt backbone. If that fruitiness was more pleasant or in line for the style, I would have kicked this beer into the 4's range overall. However, that just held me back. The hops were also a bit bland. I wish they would have stood out more.

That being said, this was a solid offering and I wouldn't turn one down. The beer went down comparatively smoothly (though, that could be because I drank a fresh Bigfoot right before this...). All in all, a decent offering from a brewery that doesn't have the greatest reputation on this site.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2011 22:51:46 | More by UTCengOwl

Reidrover

Oregon

4.18/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is now a Spring seasonal. 22 oz from Fred Meyer, North Salem, amazing price of $2.19. dark orange/copper ale , small bubbles of carbonation, small off white head. Tha aroma is SUPERB..i smelled the pine/resin as soon as i cracked the bottle open.Piney,resiney citrus glory!! Taste is like the wonderful aroma but keyed back a bit..but its very nice juicy hops with a substantial malt backing..very nice. Nice palate to the beer also..not spectacular but keeps the intrest. Overall a very nice IIPA and for $2.19 a wonderful value. Thank you Pyramid..this has to be a loss leader!!

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2011 19:42:44 | More by Reidrover

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.68/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz picked up yesterday at the COOP.. poured into my Kasteel goblet... nice long lasting foamy off white/yellowish head... great lacing... the brew is a polished deep orange.

Surprisingly good nose... plenty of pithy citrus.. and maybe some background pale malts that help the hops deliver.

Good bitterness up front quickly gives way to a descent malt profile.. a bit of toasted malt adds complexities without distracting or ever verging on too malty... the above hoppiness translates well.. and lingers for a long while on the finish.

The body seems a tad thick... the carbonation is about right and pretty smooth small bubble.

This brew is not earth shattering by any stretch, but it is good and a fantastic price. Glad to see Pyramid stretching their legs again.

4/3.5/3.5/4/4

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2011 07:04:32 | More by JohnGalt1

youradhere

Arkansas

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

Finally found some at Fred Meyers. Pours bright amber orange, nice white head that falls to leave good lacing. Smells like citrus and mangoes, pears. Tastes like mango, and hop bitter, piney, malt body is lacking, off dry body and high carbonation; carbonic acid amplifies the bittering. Dry drinker for an imperial, could possible finish the sixer but the pine bittering might be too unbalanced to do so.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2011 00:37:57 | More by youradhere