Blue Point No Apologies Imperial IPA - Blue Point Brewing Company

PorterPatrol

North Carolina

3.03/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.75

More Imperial than IPA, with 93 IBUs, I was surprised by the lack of hops on the palate and finish. Overall, well crafted, nice and bitter but little of the anticipated piney, citric or earthy overtones as seen in typical DIPAs at this hefty 10%abv. A strong American East Coast Imperial with a lingering dryness that leaves a craving for another swallow of golden goodness. Recommended but could use a bit more dry hopping for my preferences.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 04:35:30 | More by PorterPatrol

TheBrewo

Michigan

3.86/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

We pour a brew of a robust sunset orange coloring. It holds a two finger head of eggshell colored foam. This retains excellently, leaving patterned lacing and a fatty aggregate of larger bubbles sitting atop the liquid. No haze or sediment is noted, and carbonation appears to be moderate. The aroma is sticky, hoppy, and sweet. Of the five advertised hop varietals, we detect floral, earthy, spicy, and bittered citric notes. The malts that balance are pale, but heartily brushed with toasted caramel. Filling the space in between is clovey spice, fusel booze, grassy raw herbs, iron, and an organic raw meatiness. With warmth comes black pepper, apricot, strawberry, light red apple sugars, phenolic plastics, and tangy yellow mustard. Our first impression is that the hops definitely take center stage, and mix with nice sweetness and thorough bitterness, but the ultimate blend is a bit muddled. As we sip, brown and metallic malts start things off, with raw plastics and chemically phenols, hugely bittering herbal and citric rind hoppiness, and raw grassiness. The peak comes with a wash of big booziness, pine, puckered soap, lighter metallics, and faint sweetness of caramel maltiness. The bittering onslaught of herbal and soapy hops continue, moving us to the finale, where they crash into lightly toasted pale malts, mineral, muddy grassiness, and booze, which gives a cherry cough syrup quality to the last drop. The aftertaste breathes of fiery ethanol, mineral, stone, chalky yeastiness, juicy citric, herbal, and earthy hops, garlic husk, dried grass, and bittering plastic phenols. The body is medium to full, and the carbonation is medium. There is nice slurp, smack, cream, froth, and pop to each sip. The palate is softly coated, with eventual astringent dryness following a massive pucker of biting booze and hop oiliness. The abv is full and subtly warming, and the beer sips nicely once you get used to it.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this beer was the aroma. This aspect proved quite dynamic, with an initial classic clash between malts, hops, and booze giving way to a phenolic, spicy, herbal, and fruity change with warmth. The flavoring, as advertised, showcased bitterness, again, between the earthy and herbal hops, booze, and bright phenols. At times it actually tasted like you were sucking water off the roots of freshly plucked hop plant. At first it seems over the top, but once you figure out exactly what this beer is all about, you’ll be looking for another bottle to follow.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 02:11:32 | More by TheBrewo

superspak

Michigan

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 ounce bottle into tulip glass, no bottle dating. Pours slightly hazy golden amber color with a nice 2 finger dense off white head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of mango, pineapple, tangerine, apricot, orange zest, orange rind, floral, grass, pine, honey, light caramel, bread, and floral earthiness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of hop notes; with a good malt balance that is not overwhelming. Taste of pineapple, orange zest, mango, tangerine, orange rind, floral, grass, pine, honey, caramel, bread, and floral earthiness. Fair amount of citrus bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of citrus, tropical fruits, citrus rind, floral, grass, light pine, honey, bread, light caramel, and floral earthiness on the finish for a while. Very nice hop flavor complexity; with a nice malt balance that isn’t overwhelming; and zero cloying flavors present after the finish. Medium carbonation and fairly full bodied; with a creamy, slick, and fairly sticky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish; but still definitely a sipper. Overall this is a damn nice DIPA. Very nice hop complexity and balance with malt flavors; and very smooth to sip on. A very enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 04:01:43 | More by superspak

rajendra82

Georgia

4.11/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer was orange amber in color, with a large three finger thick head. The aroma was very hoppy and loaded with tropical fruits like mango and papaya. The taste was a bit of a step down from the potent smell, as there was relatively low bitterness up front. I could taste some spicy and herbal hops, and toasted caramel malts, and both were well balanced. The finish was somewhat floral and delicate. The alcohol was well hidden, and the beer did not produce a lot of burn. The body was just thicker than medium, and a little sticky. I like my DIPAs aggressively bitter, and this wasn't quite that.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 04:53:14 | More by rajendra82

kylehay2004

Florida

4.06/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Large head with nice lacing and head retention on a clear a light amber golden body. Aroma is very citrusy with mostly tangerine, fresh vegetables, earthy hops and hint if pine resin. Little on the malt side. Flavors are more malty and piney with notes of candy sugar and candied citrus, mostly orange. Medium body and moderate carbonation, a little oily. I really liked this one. It's not very complex but no bad flavors here. The alcohol is well hidden. Nice one to try.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 01:22:50 | More by kylehay2004

shand

Florida

4.15/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

For some reason, I'm inclined to like Blue Point's hoppy beers. They tend to strike a good balance and wind up very drinkable. Let's see if No Apologies strikes the same balance with a big 10% ABV. It's a good looking IPA, amber colors over a large head, it's the basic IPA look done right. The aroma is sweet, with a big tropical fruit hit over caramel malts. No Apologies is very strong on the tropical fruit flavors, with a solid caramel malt to back everything up. There's a nice lingering hoppiness on the tongue that works well with the slight booziness that really can't be avoided once you hit 10%. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a fairly light level of carbonation, and the drinkability is incredible. Overall, No Apologies is a great sweet IPA. It does the whole sweet thing without relying on the malts to impart all of the sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 01:29:00 | More by shand

beerloserLI

New York

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours out amber.

Smells of sweetness and hops.

Taste is sweet with subtle hops and plenty of malt. A smooth and dry finish and the 10% booze is hidden well. This is a much more earthy and sweet double rather than a hop bomb or pine forward one but still a pretty decent brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 05:54:30 | More by beerloserLI

Kelpius

4.35/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The sweetness of this beer is strictly due to the high abv. Otherwise, a healthy hop flavor and underrated beer for drinkers who like simplicity and kick. No clove, vanilla, citrus or other overtones here, just plain strong beer with a smooth front. Perhaps a bit untidy, but still has a bitter edge that I appreciated. I think it is underrated on this site.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 05:21:15 | More by Kelpius

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a deep amber in color, 2 fingers of off white detergent-like head, patchy lacing. smells of pine, grapefruit, lots of sweet malt. immediate malty taste makes this one super sweet, hints of caramel, grapefruit, pine.. there is an overall fruity/floral hoppy flavor in this one that's pretty great. medium body, nicely carbonated, leaves behind a sticky/creamy feel. bottle feels a little old due to the subtle hops, would LOVE to try this one fresh, as it is - it's really good.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 18:24:29 | More by facundoCNB

FickleBeast

New Jersey

3.05/5  rDev -21.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

22 oz bottle poured into a snifter.

Pours a sticky, hazy orange color with a finger of resinous foam. Aroma is full of crystal malt sweetness, toffee, caramel. Smells like a barleywine!

First sip is extremely sweet, cloying, with a moderately bitter finish. I pick up tropical fruit sweetness, pineapple, mango flavors as well. While I don't disagree with the 93 IBUs listed on the label, this beer is just far too sweet to be considered a good DIPA. I don't see a freshness date on the bottle, but it does say copyright 2012, so it can't be THAT old... It is stamped with a permanent graphic that says "Extremely Fresh".

I just can't tell if this beer is supposed to be like this, or if all the hop aroma and flavor has disappeared to age. It would score much higher from me if it was listed as a barleywine, because this is not the hop bomb I was craving when I popped the top.

I know this is called No Apologies, but Bluepoint should apologize for this under attenuated mess.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 02:18:24 | More by FickleBeast

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber from the IGA in Potsdam NY for around 7.50$

Appearance - Hazy copper colour with an above average size fizzy/frothy beige coloured head. There is an average amount of carbonation and there is some decent lacing. The head lasted for 4-5 minutes.

Smell - Malts, hops, pineapple, grapefruit

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and I can taste hops and malts mixed with grapefruit and pineapple. There is also some caramel notes and a bit of a guava/apricot sweetness. It ends with quite a blast of hop bitterness.

Overall - An above average DIPA that packs quite a bit of hops. It's a touch too sugary/sweet, but I polished off the bomber with no issues. Not something I'd buy another bottle of, but I'd like to try it on tap and I don't regret the 8$ I spent on this bottle. I didn't see any sort of date on the bottle..

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 00:15:02 | More by spinrsx

nrbw23

Ohio

3.78/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours a slightly murky orange color with a nice white head. Head forms a thin cap and leaves some nice lacing behind.

S- A pretty good balance going on here between the malts and hops. A good amount of tropical fruit hops, with sweet bready malts and just a bit of alcohol.

T- Follows the nose really well. Quite a bit of hops here with a strong malt back bone. Nothing over the top.

M- Medium in both body carbonation.

O- Not my favorite but a very solid example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 09:40:34 | More by nrbw23

BeerFan95

New York

3.9/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A- A nice orange amber body with a white head that had some lacing and little retention

S- A nice hop presence. Good resinous pine and floral hops upfront. Some mild citrus and a slight soapy note in the back. Caramel malts were mildly sweet.

T-A good balance of hop flavors. Pine notes paired well with the floral notes and a slight grapefruit quality rounded it out. The malts were nice and sweet. Sweeter then the aroma indicated to me.

M-Smooth and easy to drink. A nice dry finish.

O-A well balanced IIPA. Really enjoyed the level of hops and the malts really balanced out the bitterness just enough. The alcohol seemed well hidden. Nice.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 02:41:23 | More by BeerFan95

jwhancher

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had this one on tap at the Khyber after Anthrax, Motorhead, and Slayer beat the heck out of Camden in this year's Mayhem Fest. Needed some quality beers after a long, hot sweaty night where the venue overcharged for crappy macro beers, but I digress...

This one is a hoppy beer with a bubble gum-like sweetness. Copper in color with amber tints. Nice lacing. Tastes bready with sweet candy and tropical hop notes (mango, pineapple, citrus, etc.). Agree with a previous review that it borders a barley wine. Very tasty. Alcohol is masked but my head can tell it's there. A good brew, maybe just a little too sweet tasting.

Serving type: on-tap

07-28-2012 04:01:35 | More by jwhancher

BlurryVisi0n

New York

3.95/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served in a snifter glass.

Appearance: Dark caramel color, light bubbles on the body with an off-white head that has a heavy frame. Head rose to about an inch.

Smell: Light hops, deep floral and light hops did i say that twice.

Taste: Superb, little sweet caramel touch and soft piney feel. Literally enjoying every minute of it.

Mouth: Medium carbonation, smooth with sticking after taste. It is a little bitter sweet but almost as good as it gets.

Overall: This is my second time having this beer, first being at the actual brewery here in Long Island on tap. This second time around is almost as good (tap is always better than the bottle). In all honesty this is pretty damn good beer, I definitely don't take it for granted there was work put into making this, sure the smell is blah but it is everything else that leaves you wanting more. Salud!

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 05:13:09 | More by BlurryVisi0n

Atricapilla

Pennsylvania

4.48/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Dark and hazy amber in appearance. A bit fizzy at first with a dirty white head which laces away to a nice ring. Slightly astringent in mouth feel slightly resinous as well. Taste is of malt and dark bread followed by pine and yeast. Light aroma of pine and bread dough.

Serving type: on-tap

06-29-2012 23:12:00 | More by Atricapilla

tdm168

North Carolina

4.48/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to jtd1969 for sharing this one

A - amber with an orange haze; 1/4" of white head; little retention

S - bread, caramel, dark fruit, alcohol

T - bread, caramel, grapefruit, pineapple, candy sugar, dark fruit

M - medium to full bodied, smooth, well carbonated

Delicious. It's malty and hoppy and very well balanced. Some characteristics tend toward a barleywine. I very much enjoyed this beer through and through.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2012 22:14:11 | More by tdm168

CHickman

New York

4.18/5  rDev +8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours hazy orange amber color with a 2 finger light tan head that faded very slowly, leaving good foamy lacing and a layer on top.

Smells of grapefruit, orange peel, lemon, citrus hops, pineapple, mango, caramel, floral hops, sweet malt, toasted grains, herbs and spices like pepper and coriander; big hops up front that smell juicy and like wet hops were used - very nice aroma, with just enough malt balance to bring it together and keep the hops in check.

Tastes of grapefruit, orange peel, lemon, citrus hops, pineapple, mango, caramel, brown sugar, floral hops, piney hops, sweet malt, light toasted grains, herbs, light alcohol like rum, and spices like pepper, cinnamon and coriander; hops are juicy and sweet, with mild heat and a sizzle that reminds you about the ABV - a great flavor in spite of the heat, very hoppy.

Mouthfeel is creamy and slick, with a medium body, very light carbonation and some nice mild heat from the hops; very smooth for a DIPA, and overall quite enjoyable with high drinkability for such a strong beer. A great new product from Blue Point, glad I'll always be able to get it fresh.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2012 03:11:56 | More by CHickman

JTSbeerislife

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle. Could not find date code, bought 4/12, has to be this year’s production, and well stored.

Poured into a Duvel Tulip

Pours a nice ½”, white colored head, creamy, with brief longevity, no lace to speak of.
Deep classic amber color. Beautiful. Classic Ale looks.

The aroma hits you with distinct hops, spicy, resiny and bitter smelling with hints of citrus/lemon. This is followed by distinct malt, rich and toasty. Very enjoyable.

A very bitter, crisp entry on the palate of very distinct hops, herbal, resiny, and spicy with hints of lemon and citrus This is followed by distinct, rich, full malt, refined and toasty, with noticeable ale yeast. The quite distinctive hops and malt battle for dominance but in the end the hops win.
The body is full, creamy and balanced, with fine carbonation and a medium, but balanced sweetness.

Long bitter finish of hops and rich malt. The malt hangs in there but again loses to the distinct hops. The bitter hop oils linger forever.

A very, very good DIPA. Very enjoyable, powerful and in your face with flavor. A heavily malted style but the rather aggressive hops bring it all together to make this a nicely balanced Ale.
Fairly aggressive style of ale that perhaps lacks a little refinement, but then who cares as it is quite delicious with a long bitter finish.
The style may be heavy handed for some but that being said this is highly recommended for a test drive.

These notes were from a 22 oz bottle, but I have had this on tap several times and it was stellar!

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 00:17:02 | More by JTSbeerislife

RonfromJersey

New Jersey

3.03/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Four fingers of level snow white foam. Burnished copper body.

Strong assertive pine aroma. Supported with apricot. Strong whiff of alcohol.

Rich, sweet deep caramel beginning. Pine follows. Some warming alcohol which lingers on. Needs more hops out front, especially some fruitiness.

Solid medium mouthfeel gives you something to chew on.

An okay beer to give a try, but not what I'm looking for in an IPA/DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 05:13:42 | More by RonfromJersey

AleWatcher

Illinois

1.3/5  rDev -66.4%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

Got this bomber in the Disc Golf BIF of 2012...
Served in standard pint.

Looks dark reddish amber until backlit when it looks orangey apricot colored. Two fingers of foam turned into one rather quickly, but that one held for a while. Some spotty lacing left behind.

Brown sugar, caramel, and even maple syrup come across on the nose, while some piney/resiny hops sit quietly in the background like a polite sheep on a distant mountainside softly clearing its throat. The hops don't take long to be noticed, but I am not a huge fan here. Some chalky dry feeling lingers. Medium oily body. Decent carbonation.

This is waaay to malty, and not hoppy enough. It feels pretty terrible, and the booziness is quite unwelcome. Overall- this is not an enjoyable beer. I couldn't imagine buying this for anything other than the loss of a bet or perhaps with intentions of punishing some one.

This beer is a travesty to all things India, Pale, or Ale.
In fact, doubly so.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2012 02:09:45 | More by AleWatcher

socon67

New York

4.18/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Growler fill at the brewery.

A - Orange pout with a thin tan foam that clears quickly. Very clear, nice lacing, and minimal carbonation.

S - Scent is of oily hops, some kind of tropical fruit (mangos?), and a bit of pine.

T - Flavor has a fruit sweetness, and a blast of hoppy bitterness. Well balanced. I'd say the best part is how the flavor isn't over the top and the residual sugar gives it a complexity that isn't common in a DIPA. I found it enjoyable.

M - Thick, raspy, and feels like a big IPA. Even though the balance is good you will feel this one.

O - One of the better Blue Point products. I can expect that fresher is better. I would not look for this in bottles.

Serving type: growler

04-29-2012 18:41:44 | More by socon67

Gmann

New York

3.88/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy golden color with a beige merangue loking head that slowly settles into a rocky cap, leaving plenty of chunk lacing.

The aroma is a big tropical fruit hop presence. Mango, pineapple, and orange dominate the aroma. A bit herbal. Has a candied like sweetness. Some honey and toffee like notes from the malt.

The taste is of tropical fruit hop notes as well but there is more bitterness and more of a malt presence. Orange and pineapple bring the sweet candied flavors. There is a light resin bitterness to keep the tropical fruit notes in check. The malt is also quite sweet. Lots of honey and toffee notes. The malt is also quite bready. Some grassy notes in the end.

The beer is well bodied with prickly carbonation. Very sweet between the tropical fruit hops and malt. This is offset with a piney/resiny bitterness. As sweet as it starts, its not sticky or syrupy.

Too sweet for my liking in a DIPA, borders on hoppy barley wine. Just not a fan of the hop profile coupled with a big sweet malt but it is well made and others will like this.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 23:00:55 | More by Gmann

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A-Pours a bright orange color. Slightly murky. Small white head. Light lacing as well.

S-Balanced and not overly intense. Sweetness mixed with citrusy hops. Lightly boozy. Hops are mostly citrus and display both orange and grapefruit notes.

T-I find the taste to be an upgrade over the aroma. The citrus is quite lively. Fresh orange flesh and white grapefruit. Plenty of malty balance. Not very abrasive. One sip would leave me a bit disappointed, but the next step somehow revamped my attraction to the flavor.

M-Dry and moderately bitter. Booze comes out in the feel. Not very resinous. Medium carbonation.

O/D-I did enjoy this beer a bunch. Its overall lack of coercive hoppiness does't allow this beer to be a very memorable DIPA. But it was a damn good DIPA. Just a shade below awesome.

Serving type: on-tap

04-15-2012 02:08:37 | More by VelvetExtract

PicoPapa

Connecticut

3.98/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle. Pours a dark brownish amber color with an inch of frothy head. Lots of lacing. Aroma is of citrus and pine hops. Some sweet malts as well. Flavor is bitter pine and caramel malts. Very bitter but a bit more malt flavor than I expected. Piney, resinous finish. Some floral hop flavor at the end as well as the pine. Creamy, heavy mouthfeel. Not too much alcohol burn from the high ABV. Reminds me a little bit of Bigfoot, but not nearly as good. Overall, this is a pretty good Imperial IPA worth having again.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 03:48:55 | More by PicoPapa