Deadlift Imperial IPA - Widmer Brothers Brewing Company

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

2.75/5  rDev -27.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine Issue #38 (Mar 2010):

The beer talk about this beer is that it uses the hops of New Zealand, the elusive Nelson Sauvin hop. And there's lots of talk --even AB-InBev uses it. Brassy amber color, clarity is fine, with a healthy head on top. Fruitiness from the hops and alcohol vary from ripe straw- berries to mangos and pineapple ... and a very fruity nose it is. Sure, it's hoppy, nearly soapy with a fruity wrap. Bitterness is there with a slow but light raking of the palate. Malt back- bone is not nearly enough to handle this fruit, hop and alcohol combo. Too clean. Fruitiness is all up front, and the malt drops dry in the end.

Very polished and clean, and wanting to be drinkable. While the body and crispness tell you to take another sip, the somewhat hollow malt base, fruit-focused hops and alcohol take everything over, and it soon becomes a chore to drink. Widmer is a day late and a dollar short for this style; too many brewers have already defined where it should be, and Deadlift misses its mark.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2011 02:11:24 | More by BeerAdvocate

SmellsofMahagony

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

05-22-2013 02:43:03 | More by SmellsofMahagony

bigbeers84

Minnesota

3.25/5  rDev -14.7%

05-19-2013 04:07:55 | More by bigbeers84

BGsWo22

New York

2/5  rDev -47.5%

03-20-2013 23:55:36 | More by BGsWo22

t0rin0

California

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

03-07-2013 12:26:51 | More by t0rin0

weerezboy

Washington

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

03-06-2013 21:00:29 | More by weerezboy

Kopfschuss

Oregon

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

03-06-2013 05:36:53 | More by Kopfschuss

popery

California

3.23/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

From notes, 7/11/11. Nelson IIPA version. Appearance is fine. Mildly cloudy, bright orange. A dissipating head that stuck around for awhile as a thin film of bubbles. The aroma is grassy with tropical fruits - more kiwi/papaya than pineapple, like some hops. A bit grapey, too. Not quite strong enough for my taste but pretty good. On the palate, it starts out with some hop resin flavor with an alright crystal malt backbone, but the finish mars things with a big booze note that goes particularly poorly with the grassy bitterness. Mouthfeel is, well, hot. Plus, the beer is a bit sticky. Didn’t much like this one, despite the hop choice.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 23:35:42 | More by popery

fivetime

Idaho

4/5  rDev +5%

02-10-2013 23:11:37 | More by fivetime

tjkramer95

Ohio

4.75/5  rDev +24.7%

01-19-2013 20:44:14 | More by tjkramer95

MarkSansone

Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev +11.5%

01-02-2013 18:47:14 | More by MarkSansone

JohneHoodlum

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +5%

11-07-2012 15:13:46 | More by JohneHoodlum

Newbiebeer

Connecticut

3.25/5  rDev -14.7%

09-22-2012 17:21:35 | More by Newbiebeer

sideshowrob

Maryland

4/5  rDev +5%

09-11-2012 03:16:48 | More by sideshowrob

brentblack1

New York

4.25/5  rDev +11.5%

09-07-2012 01:43:12 | More by brentblack1

DelicateDelirium

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +5%

09-04-2012 22:14:49 | More by DelicateDelirium

ThePorterSorter

New York

3.95/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The beer pours a clear copper with a loose white head that settles quickly to a razor thin blanketing. Tight bubbles build a modest white halo of lacing. The nose is intensely tropical and citrusy with an expected amount of sugar to build the beer's medium mouthfeel and help balance out the beer's biting alcohol and lingering bitterness. Candied pineapple is the first thing that comes to mind...
This is a relatively straight forward DIPA with easy drinkability and a reserved bitterness. The beer's alcoholic bite intensifies as the beer warms making it harder to continue drinking. Overall it's good, but doesn't blow me away.

Serving type: on-tap

08-30-2012 21:54:39 | More by ThePorterSorter

jifigz

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a pint glass

Beer is a slightly hazy burnt orange color with a small head. It dead leave some decent lacing on the glass as it was being drank. The aroma is slight hop floral/citrus with alcohol present in the nose. The flavor is malty up front which gives way to some honey like sweetness and a touch of hop flavor. The ending is some hoppy bitterness and alcohol. The MF is pretty light and wet in the mouth. The beer doesn't finish all that dry.

This is a pretty average Double/Imperial IPA. It leaves a lot to be desired and I will never buy a case of it again.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2012 14:17:13 | More by jifigz

tsm2011

Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev +11.5%

07-05-2012 13:12:14 | More by tsm2011

jnoelani

Washington

5/5  rDev +31.2%

06-28-2012 21:46:39 | More by jnoelani

hiphopj5

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

06-21-2012 17:31:10 | More by hiphopj5

Carissa

4/5  rDev +5%

06-21-2012 08:10:03 | More by Carissa

otispdriftwood

New York

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

I was traveling when I tried this beer and almost didn't even bother trying it based on the Bros. rating. There was another IPA I wanted to try at the same bar but they were out so I figured why not try this. Just goes to show that everybody's tastes are different. I didn't find this beer to be too different from most other DIPAs in terms of smell, taste or drinkability. It had that hop forward presence, good fruity/citrusy aroma and the alcohol didn't feel like an 8.6% ABV. In fact, once I tried it, I went back to it instead of going to a tried and true selection. All in all, I would have this beer again, in fact, I may seek it out now that I'm home.

Serving type: on-tap

06-20-2012 15:28:40 | More by otispdriftwood

drjman

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

06-01-2012 00:04:44 | More by drjman

DaveHack

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

04-21-2012 16:04:25 | More by DaveHack