Rampage Imperial IPA - Black Diamond Brewing Co.

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.15/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by Thorpe429. Thanks Mike!

The beer is yellow hued with a thin, white head. The aroma brings a bouquet of varied citrus and inviting hops. The taste is quite good as well, with a dry, bitter finish. The feel is quite pleasant, with the 9% abv well disguised. Overall, a solid beer. I really enjoyed this.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2011 00:56:27 | More by Huhzubendah

beagle75

Iowa

2.73/5  rDev -29.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a bomber into a tulip glass.

A: Slightly hazy, medium orange-amber color with less than one finger of diminishing white foam head. Scant lacing remains on the glass.

S: Crystalized orange and pineapple candy are bold, supported sufficiently by a strong backbone of caramel.

T: Begins sweet, with juicy dark citrus, bold acidity, and some aggressive astringency that is surprising in its precociousness. Flavors develop some odd savory qualities as well as fruity esters into the middle, where harsh alcohol leaves a perception of spicy chiles well into the finish that is astringent, medicinal, and bracingly bitter.

M: Medium viscosity, sticky on the palate with resins, and with moderate carbonation.

D: This DIPA smells good enough, but the clashing and confused flavors suggest a kitchen-sink approach to its crafting. It seems appealing until it crosses the tongue, where it repeatedly shows off its faults. Harshness is perhaps the best way to characterize this beer's flavor, ultimately rendering it nearly undrinkable.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2011 16:01:51 | More by beagle75

flexabull

California

4.08/5  rDev +6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a light and bright gold color, slight haze, and a pretty nice white head that quickly faded away.

Nice citrus forward nose. Some sugars, hard candies, and a blend of citrus fruits, mostly oranges and lemons. There is also some green resin notes as well. Nice complex aromas on this one.

Beer starts out bitter, mostly like grapefruits. Then you get a nice balance from the malts, soft creaminess and mildly sweet providing good body. Finish has a mineral, resiny hop note, and a touch of warmth to remind you that this is a DIPA.

Mouthfeel is good, full enough, and nicely carbonated.

Overall this is a solid effort. I've been mostly unimpressed with Black Diamond's offerings, but this one is quite nice, and well worth trying. Nicely done.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2011 20:20:39 | More by flexabull

colforbin73

California

4.2/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

this is sort of a scary beer. because it comes in with a whopping 9%ABV yet it is emminently smooth and drinkable. you could get in trouble with this bad boy if you didn't know what you were drinkin'. i would put it up there with the Green Flash Imperial IPA and SN Torpedo, which both go down almost too easy for the alcohol punch they pack.

pours a nice clear amber, foams up to a two finger head and leaves a little lacing as you drink it down, but it is a clean fresh tasting beer -- not one you would expect to be "chewey" and thick. this is the IIPA you are after!

the hop aroma is excellent, on the grapefruity side but with a nice piney bite -- they say it is TRIPLE DRY HOPPED, i wish they would give some indication of the varieties they use. they are trying to bowl you over with the hops here and they actually do better than that -- the bitterness level is appropriate, not overpowering, it finishes clean and your palate is not ruinated. you can appreciate a fresh tasting hoppy brew here, they are not killing you with IBUs.

they did a nice job with this beer -- their regular IPA the jagged edge is quite good too -- a quality session brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2011 04:24:50 | More by colforbin73

MrTopher

California

4.33/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served from a 22oz bomber into a Duval tulip.

A: Pours a clean straw color, with just a hint of orange color to the overall body. Decently large white head that dissipated pretty slowly, this also leaves a nice lace on the side of the glass.

S: There is a balance of pine and citrus in the nose, they seem to fighting back and forth, but the pine dominates. Some malt sent, but it's dominated by the hop smell more.

T: A lot of resin and pine in the flavor of this one, there is some grapefruit, but more pine and resin, but also some grassy flavors. You can taste the booze near the end of this hop bomb, and that's just what this is a hop bomb. There is very little malt presence.

M: This is very dry, but also has a good full body. The carbonation is perfect, maybe just slightly over carbonated but just perfect for a double like this one.

D: I could add this into a tasting with the greats of PtE, Ruination, Pure Hoppiness and Torpedo; it could go toe to toe with any of these. This is a great West Coast DIPA, and it's a great example of the style. Now I just need to get my hands on some more.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2011 19:52:44 | More by MrTopher

DeanMoriarty

California

4.5/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a 22oz bomber from BevMo in Point Loma and poured it into an "Old Speckled Hen" pint glass.

A: Pours a clean golden/light honey hue with a fat white head that dissipates slowly leaving solid lace in my glass from start to finish.

S: Big citrus hop upfront with a good amount of earthy pine, tropical fruit, salty biscuit, sweet malt and fresh grain.

T: On point with the nose but even more prevalent hop with a big citrus bight, earthy grains, fresh baked bread, carmel malt with just a slight hint of booze at the very end - extremely tasty and well balanced.

M: Medium-bodied, well carbonated with a good amount of bitterness, extremely dry with only a hint of booze at the end(where they hiding all that alcohol ???).

D: Wow - for the style the drinkability is absolutely ridiculous and very friendly. Could pound a few of these in a single sitting - no worries!

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2011 07:24:31 | More by DeanMoriarty

KevinBrewer

California

3.6/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Clear light amber with a thin fizzy white head that dissipates quickly, leaving minimal soapy lacing.

N- Volatile aromas of pine resin, pink grapefruit, and citrus rind. After the head dies down, only mild grapefruit remains.

T- Bitter grapefruit, bitter medicinal pill dust, and citrus rind. There is a subtle fruitiness under all those hops, and the malt is at the threshold of perception.The lightness of malt seems off-style for an imperial IPA. A warming alcoholic surge hits you in the middle and lasts to the finish. Fresh cut grass, pine resin, and bitter grapefruit in the aftertaste.

M- Medium-light, slick but sticky body with moderate carbonation and a dry finish.

D- The medicinal quality prevents me from really enjoying this one.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2011 05:30:29 | More by KevinBrewer

GRG1313

California

3.83/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours crystal clear orange amber with a nice pure white head that fades rather fast.

Nose is pine, eucalyptus, camphor which is unique and very appealing and pleasant, with the underlying fresh pineapple one might expect, but it's underlying everything else.

Mouthfeel is medium plus bodied with nice balance and good carbonation. Feels well made and inviting.

Flavors are bold and follow the nose. Somewhat unique pine, eucalyptus, burnt toast bitter with a citric kick. Nice layers and complexities. There is a front palate of sweet fruit that then gives way to the complexities.

Finish is burnt toast bitter; and grapefruit skin oil.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2011 21:58:15 | More by GRG1313

whatthehull

California

3.93/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a New Belgium snifter

A - Golden amber, one finger head, good lacing

S - Tropical hops, sweet sticky malts, a bit piney and a nice hop meets malt balance

T - Sticky sweet floral hops, lemon grass, flowers, Belgian yeast and hoppy but balanced

M - Light, bright, carbonated, sticky, malty and a nice bitterness

D - Awesome for a dipa meets iipa, great beer

Final thought - At $5, this beer is awesome to pound or sip

Re-Reviewed on Mar. 28th 2011

Poured into a New Belgium snifter

A - Golden Orange, half finger off white head and only a little lacing

S - Very sweet, a Belgian yeast note, grass, carnations, toasted and sweet malts, citrus, pine, mangoes, alcohol and the smells are very nice, but pungent

T - Very bittersweet right away and then the notes come out. The yeast is in your face, then the mango, citrus, carnations, grass, toastiness and alcohol come out. The taste is very pungent as well

M - Light and fluffy, except on the tongue it is coated and sticky and the bitter sweet sits right on the back of the tongue

D - At 9% and $4.50 a bottle. This is a nice beer. Lots of complexity and for any IPA lover this is a must have. Not to bitter or sweet, just smooth

Final thought - Enough said

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2011 07:54:46 | More by whatthehull

rand

California

3.68/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

From bottle to tulip glass

Pours an apricot-orange, fairly clear with a sudsy, two inch head. Moderate lacing as the head slowly dissipates. It smells of strong citrusy notes - orange-grapefruit, lemon - along with huge waffs of pine. This beer has a big bouquet, with ample alcohol that warms the nose.

It's no surprise that the bitter, piny notes hit the palate first. Orange rind and grapefruit are right there with them, which bend toward caramelly sweetness at the middle. Alcohol and notes of freshly cracked pepper spice things up. Earthy hops never diminish and dry at the finish.

The beer is rich and oily, but not abnormally for the ABV. Plenty of carbonation leaves the palate free of any sticky residue. This is a complete hopbomb, though, and plenty of lingering bitterness remains between each sip. Not the easiest drinking DIPA, nor the most balanced, but that's not what they were going for here.

Need a hop-fix? This will do just fine.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2011 08:04:15 | More by rand

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to huadog for the chance to try this beer. Poured from a bomber with no freshness indication into a snifter. This brew appears a hazed golden orange color with particulate all through the body despite it being chilled for several hours and a careful pour. 2 fingers worth of fluffy slightly yellowish stained head form and slowly recedes down to about a finger. Lacing clings to the glassware with a connective web-like pattern.

The aroma of this brew surprisingly displays more of a toasted malt sweetness straight out the gate that has some caramel notes that blend into more of the hop characteristics. The hops smell like orange rind mixed with pine and a bit of grapefruit. Once warm, it displays a greater depth of sweetness to the nose coming across like fruit. There is seemingly no indication of the alcohol evident in the nose of this brew.

The taste is a perplexing mixture of flavors. It starts off displaying malt character that is toasty and reminiscent of caramel malt with a mild sweetness. A mild fruitiness and light solvent alcohol impression is evident before orange rind bitterness creeps in leading to an earthy/herbal bitterness that clings inside the mouth and lasts long into the finish. Mid palate though there is a strange mineral taste that is somewhat metallic and slightly off-putting. The metallic flavor blends into the herbal quality of the hops but after a couple of sips it finds it way into the finish.

This is a medium bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. Initially the alcohol inside this example was well hidden but the warming effects increase as the experience continues. It is hard to be super-critical about this brew, it has some good qualities but there is no knowing how old this bottle is which might explain the lack of "brightness" to the hops. Overall it was fairly balanced and enjoyable (minus the mineral taste) but the malt seemingly out-shined the hops in this example which makes me believe it wasn't that fresh. I appreciate the opportunity to give it a try and would have it again if black diamond started to introduce some bottle coding on their offerings.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2011 01:14:41 | More by stakem

TurdFurgison

Ohio

4.08/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I got this 22oz bottle of goodness courtesy of ipa247, thanks Jeff! A small blurb from the label: "Up front the nose is big and assertive with aromas of candied orange, grapefruit, and pine. Biscuity malt layers balance the aggressive hops as the nectar glides over the tongue".

It pours a deep orange color with a thick frothy yeast-cake of foam on top. Estimated SRM of 18-20. Lots of floating bits, which I kind of like. The foam alone brings this to a 4, add in the nice color and sediment and it's a 4.5 for me.

Very nice hops in the aroma, definitely the grapefruit and pine indicated from the label, especially grapefruit. You can tell there's a reasonably large malt bill from the background sweetness, and luckily for me it's more of a pale malt than a caramel malt character. It lets the hops more or less run the show aroma-wise. Just a hint of barleywine tendencies, but not too strong.

This tastes great. Much more bitter than most IPAs, at least the malt doesn't do much flavorwise. Very dry with lingering hops burn, I like this stuff quite a bit. Nice pine needles in the aftertaste.

The mouthfeel is thicker than normal, this being the main contribution of the malts in my estimation. Fairly sticky and along with the flavors this gives the impression of fresh hops resin, a nice complement to the flavors.

I'd happily try this again any time, another great DIPA from the state of CA.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2011 01:43:02 | More by TurdFurgison

popery

California

4.33/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Awesome beer. It's not the most pungent DIPA, but the hop notes are strong enough and come through with some very nice aromas. It smells like a mix of tangerine rind, pineapple and pine needles. It even picks up some apricot and grapes, as it warms. It's a sweetly citric, inviting aroma. And the taste is almost better. The sweetness is quite light; not much crystal malt flavor here. The finish is dry and almost perfectly bitter, in that it's strong but never drowns out the hop notes. The aftertaste is a very long-lasting pine resin hoppiness. Mouthfeel is happily dominated by hop oiliness. Appearance is a light copper with a creamy head, white tinged with yellow. Kudos to Black Diamond for another step in the right direction.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2010 17:20:53 | More by popery

jeffjeff1

California

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

My wife picked this up for me a couple of days ago.

Appearance- golden color, medium size head

Smell- piney hops

Taste- piney hops, not real bitter at all, pretty good

Mouthfeel- medium bodied

Drinkability- pretty good, I liked it a lot. I think this is one of the best ones I have had from Black Diamond.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2010 23:18:53 | More by jeffjeff1

100floods

California

4.18/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Picked up at Healthy Spirits in SF. Had this brewey's Quad and hated it, but the DIPA, I've been told is another story.

Pours a murky hazed golden hue. I smell a good balance of malt and citrus. Both come through with a clean finish.

Nice and hoppy, but not uber bitter. The reminds me of a less balanced Marin IPA. First sip presents a surge of malt, grapefruit and pine flavors at first. There is a heavily malted after taste. This beer has a nice, floral hop presentation. The mouthfeel is good, but I can sense that if this beer was warmer than it is now (it's pretty chilled) that it would be too sugary and sticky. Great textbook DIPA. Solid effort.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2010 23:47:06 | More by 100floods

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A-Pours a murky orange color. Very hazy. Head is thin and white. Leaves wide bubbly lacing craters along the glass.

S-Dank, hempy, resinous and bubble gummy. Abrasive and strong. Hops are very muscular. Not sure how much I love the expression of the hops. The intensity of the aroma is excellent, however. Very, very hoppy.

T-Again, big, thick and dense in terms of hops. Wet grapefruit flesh and dank pine along with cat piss and marijuana. Malty flavors are much less intense. I get some wet, boozy, sweet breaded malts. Interesting flavor and I love the beer's power.

M-Bitter and dry. Flavor lingers for quite some time. More of a sipper.

O/D-Definitely better than I thought it would be. Didn't love the hop flavor too much but I loved the beers intensity and strength. A hyper-hopped brew that is worth trying but I didn't fall in love with the hop bouquet.

Serving type: on-tap

01-03-2013 03:35:59 | More by VelvetExtract

UCLABrewN84

California

3.53/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Tony's Darts Away in Burbank, CA.

Pours a clear orange with a foamy off-white head that settles to a small cap on top of the beer. Foamy rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, citrus fruit, citrus zest, and yeast. Taste is much the same with a mild hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that is pretty tasty but the yeast flavor is pretty noticeable.

Serving type: on-tap

09-29-2012 09:47:05 | More by UCLABrewN84

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.05/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap 9/15/2012 at Track 84 in Warwick, RI, served in a tulip glass.

A: The beer is a dark gold color, with a large white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains floral hops, fruity citrus and caramelized malts.

T: The taste starts out sweet with a strong fruity citrus flavor. Then a strong earthy hops bitterness comes in. The malt character is hearty but not too heavy and brings a good balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and a little smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, good kick, good representation of style, this is a solid 2IPA worth drinking for while.

Serving type: on-tap

09-27-2012 03:13:04 | More by TheManiacalOne

lordofthewiens

Maine

3.6/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

New to Maine, pretty nice DIPA.

In a tulip the beer was a hazy copper color with a medium-sized off-white head. There was a little bit of lace.

Lots of piney hops in the aroma. Some citrus, mostly orange. Sweet malt background.

Taste followed form. Resiney, piney hops. Some orange and grapefruit. Malt background.

Viscous mouthfeel, still sweet.

Serving type: nitro-tap

09-19-2012 22:04:49 | More by lordofthewiens

mdaschaf

Washington

3.68/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap at Chucks. Review from notes.

A: Pours a hazy orange with a small white head on top, rather fizzy with decent retention. Minimal lacing.

S: Some grapefruit, a bit of peppery spice, orange, and some caramelized malt.

T: Upfront more grapefruit and orange peel which is backed by some hefty caramel malt. A bit of pine on the finish, slightly bitter.

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Finishes dry. Slight heat from the alcohol.

O: A decent IIPA with a hefty profile. Above average for style, one I would drink again.

Serving type: on-tap

08-01-2012 20:29:16 | More by mdaschaf

beertunes

Washington

3.88/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in straight pint glass. Poured a clean, clear light amber color with over 3/4 of an inch of just barely off-white head that had OK retention and decent lacing.

The aroma featured a nice bold blast of pine hops that I could smell at arms length. There was a trace of the base grains under all the pine trees. On the tongue, the Christmas Tree effect was even more noticeable, just a huge blast of piney hops on a light malt base.

The body was much fuller than I've come to expect from this style, yet wasn't at all heavy and was reasonably smooth. Drinkability was very good indeed, I could have easily had another right away, but I was at the end of my night (fortunately, I have a bottle in my fridge). Overall, an example of the style that's a bit above average, a must try if you see it.

Serving type: on-tap

06-01-2012 18:41:35 | More by beertunes

ehammond1

California

2.31/5  rDev -40%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

On Tap

Churchill's Pub & Grille
San Marcos, CA

Clear golden orange with a moderately sized near-white head that leaves the glass spotted with lace.

This does not have a particularly pleasant aroma. It smells of dish soap, medicine, and pine.

The flavor, too, is similar to the aroma, with a high level of bitterness, pine, and a medicinal quality. Not very good.

Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

I won't be having another. Below average.

Serving type: on-tap

05-29-2012 16:57:27 | More by ehammond1

Zorro

California

3.55/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Clear copper colored beer with an off-white colored head.

Smells strongly hopped with C-Type Hops. STRONG pine and citrus, if nothing else this was dry hopped by someone with balls. Some papaya and pineapple, but this is mostly grapefruit.

Starts out sweet and strong on the grapefruit flavor. Can taste papaya in here as the second strongest flavor. And that is about it. Tastes good just not complex.

Mouthfeel is good.

Overall, OK but no medal. Tastes like an Imperial IPA, just not a complex one. Worth it if it is cheaper than $5 a bomber.

Serving type: on-tap

11-06-2011 01:33:34 | More by Zorro

easong

California

4.43/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Having previously tasted BD's single IPA and being put off by a grainy backbone and an odd petroleum note in the finish (likely due to a yeast product rather than poor handling), I avoided this double IPA until a trusted bartender pushed one to me. I got a 20 oz. bronze beauty with a dry-hop blast of grapefruit rind from the sturdy half inch head. In the mouth the expected bitterness was mitigated by the citrus nose. The taste was not what I think of as the Imperial IPA style, which tends to have high malt to balance the high alpha bitternness, but instead a classic west coast hop juice in the vein of Pliny or Hop Stoopid. The finish was alcohol and hop oil lining the tongue, astringent in a good way. The lacing on the empty glass left a ring at the level remaining after each sip. A very nice ale and reason for me not to hate on BD any more.

Serving type: on-tap

08-06-2011 01:16:12 | More by easong

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.95/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Woohooo.... a new California brewery available in Md. On tap at Max's.

The beer pours a copper amber color with pretty good head retention and lacing. The nose is attractive, showing dry citrus, a hint of dank earth, and some underlying sweet malt and alcohol. The flavor profile replicates the nose, except with considerable pine and light tropical fruit as well. The finisi is fairly dry, with considerable bitterness and noticeable alcohol. Drinkability is pretty good, though I do get a bit more alcohol in the finish than I norally like. Still, for all that, this is pretty solid DIPA.

Serving type: on-tap

08-05-2011 19:51:29 | More by johnmichaelsen