Alaskan Imperial IPA (Pilot Series) - Alaskan Brewing Co.

mcallister

Ohio

3.28/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Deep golden copper colored but with little movement. Nice head fluffy and resilient leaves sticky lace abound and doesn't want to fade to oblivion.

Sweet tarts, tropical fruit, light citrus and pine. Peach, pineapple, orange peel, and lemon zest. Caramel malts with some earthy tones and bready aromas.

Odd DIPA. Very easy going, not overly aggressive. Nice malt to hop balance. Caramel malts with bready undertones lead to citrus and tropical hop flavors with a hint of grass on the finish. Some orange marmalade in the middle, guava, lemon, and grass. A bit sweet on the finish as well. Carbonation lacking slightly hurts the body and mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2011 21:20:09 | More by mcallister

gatornation

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +11.1%

01-09-2013 21:48:06 | More by gatornation

sloelco

California

3.75/5  rDev +4.2%

01-04-2013 07:37:11 | More by sloelco

HungarianCount

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev +4.2%

10-29-2012 04:16:18 | More by HungarianCount

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.18/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a solid dark gold to light tan with ample white head, 1.24" in size. Aroma was seemingly Cascade hops coming out of it, they went old hop school here, it seems to be only the C hops of old, nothing proprietary hopwise going on. Well maybe Simcoe, but that's just because its so bitter.

Yes, bitter. And it has the malt body to not make it poor in taste, it simply doesn't impart the hop mouthfeel/flavor. I know, its something I write over and over, but I think it really gets to the point when you say an ipa (especially double) is really bitter but not imparting hops. Like they dry hopped with pennies as much as hops. Thankfully, this isn't thick resiny sticky, which also many of these bitter bombs seem to indulge in moreso. Astringent instead of imparting any notions of fruity like hop flavors and aromas. Of course Alaskan doesn't seem to bottle date in any discernable sense for the average consumer, so who knows if freshness was an issue.

The single IPA Alaskan makes is so much more aromatic and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 03:33:24 | More by Beerandraiderfan

vandemonian

Maryland

3.35/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Alaskan Imperial IPA was disappointing. It wasn't especially hoppy and it tasted oxidised.

A: Orange colour and not much head 3.5

S: Sweet malty nose with some citrus hops. 3.5

T: Piney citrus hops and a good malty base. Oxidised aftertaste. 3.5

M: Undercarbonated. 3

O: 3

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 00:08:06 | More by vandemonian

t0rin0

California

3.75/5  rDev +4.2%

08-11-2012 22:27:37 | More by t0rin0

Gavage

New Jersey

3.6/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: pours a clear dark orange color with a one finger head. Thick surface coating lingers through the drink.

Smell: grapefruit and pineapple dominate with some softer earthy hop bitterness.

Taste: nice malt presence with loads of grapefruit, some pineapple, lemon zest, a bit of pine and some earthy notes. Bitterness is hearty. Alcohol slightly noticeable.

Mouthfeel: medium- heavy bodied beer. Lightly crisp to start, smoother and lightly dry at the finish.

Overall: a decent DIPA that is citrus centric. Easy to quaff.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2012 22:40:09 | More by Gavage

ygtbsm94

Virginia

3.25/5  rDev -9.7%

04-23-2012 18:12:18 | More by ygtbsm94

Mora2000

Texas

4/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to bu11zeye for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours an orange color with a white head. The aroma if full of citrus fruit, with a ton of orange and pineapple notes. I also get a little bit of biscuit malt. The flavor is also very fruity. I get a ton of pineapple, orange and apricot notes, with just a hint of malt. The bitterness is fairly high due to the lack of malt in the flavor. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 02:17:20 | More by Mora2000

LiquidAmber

Washington

2.88/5  rDev -20%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Review from 3/2011 notes. Poured into a Black Raven pint glass. Pours a clear orange amber. Half a finger head with light lacing. Aroma of light hops and malt. Nice citric hop and malt start, but a very astringent middle with an unpleasant almost metallic aftertaste. Medium bodied. I don't know why this was so subpar for me, maybe a bad bottle? An uncommon miss from Alaskan.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2012 03:22:39 | More by LiquidAmber

CoryR

Oregon

3.5/5  rDev -2.8%

02-01-2012 03:55:23 | More by CoryR

5/5  rDev +38.9%

You Had this beer. Consider writing a full review.

01-30-2012 04:25:18 | More by

savagepm

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -2.8%

01-26-2012 18:58:32 | More by savagepm

mdfb79

New York

3.68/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From 01/07/12 notes. Thanks to MrChopin on RB for sharing this one. 22 oz. bottle into a tulip.

a - Pours a murky medium orange color with two inches of fluffy white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of citrus hops, oranges, fruity malts, and light pine hops. Lots of oranges and fruity, pretty nice.

t - Tastes of oranges, lemons, citrus hops, fruity malts, and light pine hops. Not as strong as the nose, but still nice.

m - Medium body and low carbonation. Not a lot of bitterness, pretty easy to drink for the ABV.

o - Overall a nice DIPA from Alaskan. Some nice orange and citrus hops to it, would certainly have it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2012 21:10:54 | More by mdfb79

gkunkle

Oregon

3.5/5  rDev -2.8%

01-18-2012 19:08:28 | More by gkunkle

chuckgfk

Alaska

4/5  rDev +11.1%

01-10-2012 05:58:32 | More by chuckgfk

nmann08

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -2.8%

01-08-2012 22:30:35 | More by nmann08

BdubleEdubleRUN

California

4/5  rDev +11.1%

12-27-2011 18:03:06 | More by BdubleEdubleRUN

twelveinches

Washington

4/5  rDev +11.1%

12-11-2011 06:58:08 | More by twelveinches

beefandbean22

Washington

4/5  rDev +11.1%

11-23-2011 19:19:25 | More by beefandbean22

jenray

Texas

4/5  rDev +11.1%

11-20-2011 02:44:04 | More by jenray

lakersfan16

Alaska

4/5  rDev +11.1%

11-18-2011 23:18:37 | More by lakersfan16

Jason

Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz brown bomber with a freshness date.

LOOK: Hazed pale amber, excellent lacing.

SMELL: Candied orange peel, mint, figs, alcoholic esters, bready malt.

TASTE: Pulling hop flavor, leafy, medium body, smooth, mint, spearmint, cigar tobacco, orange cordial, warming alcohol, estery, dried tropical fruit, bitter finish.

Hits all the right bells and whistle to be a DIPA, good balance and a sipper. A bit cleaner and perhaps replacing or toning down the Amarillo hops with some other hop would have been better here.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2011 02:29:24 | More by Jason

OleJohnnieAle

Minnesota

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

Appearance: Golden Amber color, great looking beer!

Scent: Hoppy scent with floral and citrus aromas

Taste: Definately can taste the fresh hops but a bit of a boozy taste is coming through.

MF: Great flavors, well balanced

Overall: Good beer, fresh hop floral flavor but a little too boozy flavor for me

Serving type: bottle 9.99 1pt6oz

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2011 23:37:51 | More by OleJohnnieAle