Outburst Imperial IPA - Pyramid Breweries, Inc.

blackcompg

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from their 12oz bottle...

Appearance - Pours a solid finger+ of solid, off-white eggshell head. Body is a gorgeous hazy lighter orange amber, golden hilights at the edges.

Smell - Really nice floral nose, big bready malts, nice touches of pineapple and mango, some nice citrus and touch of vanilla carmels - wonderful nose.

Taste - Wow, Huge floral hops here - clover, lavender, dried semisweet flowers, and unfiltered clover honey sweetness. Nice muted pineapple, mango, and some surprising banana esters, tropical. As this goes to the back of the tongue there is some sweet ruby red grapefruit and then huge bready malt flavors. After the sip there is grapefruit pith, and dried wheat breat crusts. This is a very complex, balanced and unique flavor profile, really nice.

Mouthfeel - Bolder flavors make this nearly medium, carb is nearly medium and has a smooth foaming feel, yet has some nice crisp edges at the sides/back of the tongue. Very drinkable, but there is a slightly dry and chalky finish on this..and a juiciness from the tropical notes - again, very unique.

Overall - I'll tell you what, this is alot like a dipa with a hefeweizen influence - in both flavor and appearance. The alcohol is barely sensed between sips, reminding you that this is 8.5%, but not unpleasant at all. A very unique dipa, and one that you should try. If you want a floral and tropical dipa, then look no further.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 06:11:48 | More by blackcompg

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.71/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A 20oz pint in the speakeasy-esque confines of The Underground tap-house, on cheap strong beer day, no less!

This beer appears a hazy, medium golden amber colour, with one finger of foamy, bubbly dirty white head, which leaves a nicely rendered pattern of honeycomb lace around the glass as it slowly seeps away.

It smells lightly of grapefruit and zesty orange pith, a bit of lemon Pine-sol, bready caramel malt, mildly zingy, metallic spice, and a further simmering booziness. The taste is moderately bitter citrus and leafy pine resin, crackery, lightly caramelized malt, a touch of sourdough bread, a rising Yuk-a-Flux warming, and a slight hard water minerality.

The carbonation is average, as in duly supportive, the body a sturdy medium weight, and smooth, but with that nipping hop caveat. It finishes off-dry, the malt stepping it up a level or so, as the hops go to town with their fruity qualities.

An agreeable enough DIPA, the hops sort of blowing their already under endowed hop bitterness quotient a bit too early in the game, leaving the fruitiness to hold the bag. The booze is mostly well integrated, just manifesting in a subtle dryness, one that goes a long way in engendering a desire for another round of this offering.

Serving type: on-tap

01-21-2013 23:45:27 | More by biboergosum

sam_bliss

Washington

3.59/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle into New Belgium globe pint

A- Amber and dark orange. Filtered clear with an off-white head that thins after a minute.

S- Citrus hops mostly. I like the fruity yeast. There's plenty of alcohol present - mixed with the lemon it almost reminds me of some cleaners I've used.

T- Super roasted malts well balanced with evergreen and grapefruit/orange hop taste. A little charcoal and some caramel.

M- Thick with a little palate-stick. Kind of a leftover syrup feel but the carbonation and hops leave a nice tongue-tingle

O- Better than I expect from Pyramid, which tends to be second-tier craft beer. This is a high alcohol beer that doesn't taste like most IPAs with ABVs above 8% - it is sweeter and more fruity but as a result of the lightness the alcohol taste is relatively unmasked.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 05:06:20 | More by sam_bliss

WoodBrew

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

I was able to get a bottle of the Outburst from the singles shelf at my local Binnys. The beer pours a cloudy light orange with a finger thick frothy head that is lacing like a Vicky secrets catalog. The scent is very malty with subtle scents of hop. The taste is much like the smell....very malty with twangs of pine and big alcohol. The mouthfeel is a full bodied iPad with smooth carbonation. Overall it is ok....I have had better and with the high abv it would be tough to drink very much of it.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 02:01:21 | More by WoodBrew

Spikester

Oregon

3.15/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Clear amber with one finger head. Head fades in about three minutes. Some moderate lacing.
Smell is strong floral hops. Dry hopped should have a larger aroma.
Taste is very bitter initially with just enough bready malts to subdue the hops. The hops are resinous and oily. More a white grapefruit taste than the pink variety.
Mouthfeel is quite good with just enough carbonation to be there lightly in the finish. I could feel the fairly high alchol but pretty well masked by the big flavors.
Overall an awesome beer for a $1.99 bomber. No extra points given for value though.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 06:18:44 | More by Spikester

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.13/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a cloudy amber color, with a short off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains fruity citrus, caramelized malts and a good amount of hops.

T: The taste starts with sweet flavors of citrus and caramel. Then a strong and harsh hops bitterness comes in. The malt character is thin and doesn’t provide much balance. The after-taste is slightly hoppy and slightly sweet.

M: Crisp but not very smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: A little tasty, goes down ok, not too filling, good kick, decent representation of style, this is a very mediocre 2IPA at best.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 23:05:52 | More by TheManiacalOne

TMoney2591

Illinois

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

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

Can you drink a sudden beer...? Anyway, this stuff pours a clear amber-brass topped by a finger of lightly off-white foam. The nose comprises pine needles, grapefruit peel, light spearmint, and some light caramel. The taste brings in more of the same, with the grapefruit taking center stage (though never allowed to fully soliloquize). The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a dry, slightly sticky finish. Overall, an okay DIPA, nothing close to the top of the heap, but an enjoyable and wallet-friendly option.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 08:32:55 | More by TMoney2591

matjack85

Illinois

3.6/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I picked this up as part of a build-your-own six pack for $9.99 at the Binny's store in Bloomingdale, IL. 12oz brown bottle with an enjoy before date on the neck label. Mine has an enjoy by 09/21/12 date on it, which is a little disturbing to me because that means Binny's sold me a bottle that was over 2 months past its prime. Not sure how much this will affect my review.

The beer poured a hazy golden/amber color with just a ½-finger of fizzy white head, which disappeared quickly and left virtually no lacing.

Mix of citrus and piny hops smell along with caramel and bready malts.

Big hop presence, as would be expected from an imperial IPA, but also a surprising amount of sweet caramel and bready malts for balance. The hops are pretty bitter at 80 IBU's, and are mostly piny and citrusy. The hop oils linger into the afdtertaste, as does some of the 8.5% alcohol.

Crisp and medium bodied with higher than average carbonation.

This is a good dry hopped IPA. Never heard of Falconer's flight and zythos hops before, but they made a pretty good combination in this IPA from Pyramid.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 04:47:53 | More by matjack85

secondtooth

Indiana

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

Pours a semi-opaque amber, with a nice head and a finger of thick lace. Not bad.

Nose is crisp and pungent citrus hops. Certainly no problem there. Actually, this one is quite appealing.

Taste is hops! Strong, sharp, sticky, and tangy hops, heavy on the citrus tones with some bitterness going on. I also get an almost syrupy malt finish. I give this one solid ratings, and a nice value for a decent imperial IPA.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 02:49:56 | More by secondtooth

Hopheadjnr

4.28/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a stella chalice.

A...pours with a slightly hazy amber color with an off white, low head.

S...citrus, hops, alcohol and fermented apricot. Excellent aroma for the style
T...the bitterness is there, balanced by a sweet bread maltness. Tasting the apricot that was on the nose and a noticeable alcohol is present but expected.

M....just where it should be. Easy to drink, perfect carbo. Very nice.

O...this is a nice, easy to drink brew. To easy for the abv. Lacks a little something in overall complexity and the finish is a little long for the expected bitterness with this style. Overall, an excellent buy at $8 a sixer. Buying this again on thanksgiving.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 02:52:05 | More by Hopheadjnr

chinchill

South Carolina

3.28/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle served in a Samuel Smith nonic.
This "imperial: IPA is nicely crafted but lacks the punch of a typical American DIPA. A bit too much alcohol in the aroma; it dominates over the rather evenly alanced caramel malt and hops. Hops finally come to the fore in tasting and linger on afterwards. Exceptional head.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 00:51:45 | More by chinchill

stxp

New York

3.45/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

appearance: beautiful faded/opaque dark gold, apple cidery, almost no head, not bubbly

smell: earthy, slightly fruity, not a ton of hop aroma for 80ibu+ dry hop

taste: cascade/fruity start, peppery hop middle, finishes with a bit of floral hop, surprisingly fast, but leaves a little bitter taste linger

mouthfeel: creamy, foamy, not too heavy, but bitterness makes it not easily drinkable

overall: love the look, aroma could be a bit stonger/piney, taste is a big hop bomb, enjoy the peppery/spicy notes, could be a bit sweeter

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 00:11:51 | More by stxp

RenzoD

Washington

3.45/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I am not a huge Pyramid fan but I have to say this is my favorite brew from them so far.
The beer has a dark copper color with a nice thick head leaving a good looking lace on the glass. The scent might be the characteristic with the least to speak of. Faint aroma of hops, cracker and a tiny trace of citrus, The taste is a lot more malty than what I am used to for an IPA but it is good. The bitter hoppiness is most definitely there but it is put to rest (not too quickly) by the heavy malt taste. I actually still really enjoyed it though. A good solid effort from Pyramid. Better than some, not as good as a lot, but still enjoyed it. Glad I bought a six pack.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 08:48:13 | More by RenzoD

ericj551

British Columbia (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Outburst Imperial IPA pours a slightly hazy copper with a thin head. Orange/tangerine hops are followed by a sweet light caramel malty aroma. There is an almost minty character. There is a nice piney citrus hop punch in the flavor. The sweetness is there, but milder than the aroma hinted. Tons of resiny, piney and citrus hops pull through in the finish. Overall a pretty good IIPA, almost seems stronger than it is.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 03:27:04 | More by ericj551

Tone

Missouri

3.89/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pours a hazy, copper/bronze color. 1/2 inch head of an off-white color. Good retention and good lacing. Smells of alcohol, sweet malt, strong hops (citrus and floral), and a hint of caramel malt. Fits the style of an American Double / Imperial IPA. Mouth feel is smooth and clean, with low carbonation level. Tastes of citrus hops, sweet malt, slight pine, slight floral hops, and alcohol. Overall, good aroma, and good blend. The complexity is lacking and the feel is slightly cloying.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 12:45:51 | More by Tone

StonedTrippin

Colorado

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

this is one of my favorite double india pale ales out there right now, and certainly my favorite pyramid brew to date. it has a wonderful nose of fresh citrus fruit. pink grapefruit, tangerine zest, and tart tart lemon come to mind. there is a sturdy malt backing to this one, reminicent of an english ipa, but the hops are the star of the show. they offer all the same flavors as the nose lets on, but also some really resinous pine notes as well as this thirstquenching bittersweet semi acidic flavor and feel thats incredibly satisfying and yet equally difficult to place. the feel is very lively in terms of carbonation, and the body is big, but not too big to be undrinkable. this is in fact one of the most drinkable double ipa's ive had. its perfect for summer and spring, with its impeccably fresh flavor. a really impressive beer from a brewery that hasnt amazed me until now. quality stuff here.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2012 00:23:07 | More by StonedTrippin

marcellaproust

Washington

4.25/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Translucent dark butterscotch hard candy color. Quickly fading 2-3 cm head, coarse bubbles. Carbonation strong. Very light scent--hop on the floral side. The taste is fronted with an IPA cut with smoothness; some kind of sweetness. Not malt syrup but what I would describe as the raw sugar, not processed 'brown sugar' but brown sugar taste of those blocks of raw sugar you can buy in Asian markets. That said, the more time that passed and I struggled to name the sweetness, the less the sweetness, the more the hoppiness. More floral than citrusy; not vegetal per se. Body and toward the finish: silky mouthfeel, dry finish but fading hoppiness and peppery. A totally delightful and refreshing difference from tediously, brute over-hoppy IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 04:02:16 | More by marcellaproust

Murrhey

Montana

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

Poured from a bomber into a pint glass. Reviewed live.

A- One finger cream-colored head, 45 second long retention. Nice fluffy lacing. Walnut color body and medium-high clarity.

S- Strong floral hops. Delicious smelling brown sugar and tasty hops.

T- Strong bitter American hops. Powerful flavor with enough sweetness to balance out the bitterness in the first sip. Punch of northwest hops follows.

M- Smooth and alcoholic.

O- Not exceedingly well balanced, but tasty and enough sweetness to avoid killing my taste buds. Above average for an American DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 05:48:19 | More by Murrhey

mnrider

Connecticut

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

12 oz. brown bottle. Freshness date printed on label. Twist off cap.

A: Pours a murky/hazy amber color with a thin white head. I see plenty of small bubbles rising to the top. An adequate lacing is lest behind.

S: Alcoholic! fruits and citrus with a hint of hops. Masculine.

T/M: Full bodied and goes down slick. Citric--->Pine hop taste. Fruity bitterness is strong but balanced out some by a thick malt taste. Like bread or something. The finish is somewhat clean with the remnants of hops and the fumes of alcohol.

O: I have not had many DIPA's in my life. I think I need to start looking for more. With the higher ABV this beer is surprisingly easy to drink. The alcohol is concealed pretty well letting the wonderful taste come through.

Cheers!!

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 18:22:29 | More by mnrider

N3rdM3t4l

Oregon

3.03/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bomber into standard pint.

A: a finger of white head that falls to a decent looking cap and a sturdy ring. Dark caramel red, looks appetizing actually.

S: hoppy, but of course. Kind of floral, a touch of malt sweetness breaks through. The dryhopping gives a big hop nose but it still smells a lot like long boil hops. Not amazing but right for the style.

T: big malt up front, a bit of sweetness just like the nose. The hops tastes mostly like long boil cascade. Not much complexity to it. The bigger malt from being an imperial helps me like it a bit more. But not as much as Tricerahops from Ninkasi. Again I would say standard for the style.

M: rich. The little carb doesn't hurt or help it. Not amazingly smooth but not bad. Drinkable, has a good amount of chew for a pale style.

O: average all around pretty much, not expecting much from Pyramid though. would buy again considering the price.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 02:23:58 | More by N3rdM3t4l

Kromes

Georgia

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

Pours a hazy orange with a thick off-white head that sits on the beer and leaves laces down the glass. A nice sweet toasted and caramel malt aroma with some citrus and floral hop. A citrus resiny and pine hop flavor up front with a toasted, caramel malt in the background. There's also some fruity esters in there. Maybe apple and peach. A medium-heavy feel with an oily feel also. Finishes with a bit of bitterness and a touch of alcohol. The toasted malt and citrus resin linger. A nice Imperial IPA, good flavors and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 22:36:01 | More by Kromes

CraftBeerTastic

Pennsylvania

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

Ba Review #206
Served On: 08/05/2012
Glassware: Duvel Glass
Labeled ABV: 8.5%
Date/ Code: 10/04/2012

This was from a 6-pack I found at A.K.A. Friscos in Frederick, MD (awesome sandwich shop by the way).

Look: Poured a cloudy burnt orange with a thin beige film on top. Some random carbonation bubbles formed just below the top.

Smell: Strong hints of juicy grapefruit. Some sweet malts were noticeable in the background. Also an herbal hop note.

Taste: First off was a sweet creamsicle character that moved into a strong citrus. A nice bitterness set in around the middle to balance things out. The finish was a lingering combination of herbal hops and more of that bitterness.

This was a very well balanced imperial IPA that offered a milder palate than other similar offerings out there. The 8.5% ABV was nicely hidden and the drinkability seemed rather scary on this one. It was like a Sierra Nevada Torpedo without the harsh hoppiness and a slightly higher ABV.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2012 00:42:46 | More by CraftBeerTastic

UCLABrewN84

California

3.73/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Best by 7/5/12.

Pours a murky dark honey orange with a 1 inch foamy orange-tan head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy streaks and dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of citrus zest, grapefruit juice, herbal hops, and some honey aromas. Taste is much the same with a malt flavor coming through on the finish. There is a medium amount of bitterness on the palate that lingers after each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer with nice hop aromas and flavors. Definitely better than I was expecting.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2012 03:17:29 | More by UCLABrewN84

Gambrinus1184

Connecticut

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

Poured from a 12-ounce twist-off bottle into a Barrington Brewery pint glass.

A: Poured a hazy, golden orange color beneath a three-finger head of white, frothy foam which left some nice lacing on the glass.

S: Sweet and citrusy with hints of herbal pine and fruity esters.

T: Fair caramel malt flavors touch the front of the palate before heavier, toffee-like and fruity flavors lead into the bitter approach of hop resins. Bittersweet array of citrus fruit and some dry, grassy hops before leading into a slightly boozy finish with some lingering hop resins.

M: Medium-full mouthfeel with a viscous body and some sticky hop resins in the finish.

O: A pretty decent DIPA and one of the better Pyramid brews I've had thus far. Not the best you'll find, especially at the $10/pk price point, but this 8.5% ABV imperial ale has enough hop bite to satisfy a quick craving.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2012 19:28:20 | More by Gambrinus1184

lucasj82

Indiana

3.93/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A - Clear orange color with a finger high head.

S - Citrus hops and pine.

T-Grapefruit like citrus hops, bread, caramel, and pine.

M- Mild on the carbonation and a slightly thin for the style

D - Great beer for the price and very good abv to boot.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 10:52:33 | More by lucasj82