Rampage Imperial IPA - Black Diamond Brewing Co.

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

nrbw23

Ohio

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

A- Pours a hazy golden amber color with a thick head of off white foam. Head has really good retention, leaves some thick lacing and forms a cap that stays with the brew the whole time.

S- Quite a bit of hops starting off. A ton of pine and tropical fruits. A bit of bready malts here too, but hops dominant.

T- Hop dominanted for sure, but something just seems a tad off for me on this one. Follows the nose well, and malts come through a bit stonger than I expected.

M- Sticky and medium in body with a fair amount of carbonation.

O- Not too bad, but there are others that I'd pick up before this one.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 19:57:26 | More by nrbw23

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

Docer

Washington

3.58/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: (4.0)

- Pours a rather clear straw yellow and light caramel color with a thick finger of white frothy head which has settled to a thin spotty layer that sticks around and a lace-making ring. Overall the way a beer of this caliber ought to look.

Smell: (3.5)

- Bold bready and caramel malts without an overpowering sweet touch. Resinous pine and super-floral hop notes. Kind of a burnt sulfur aroma and roasty malt touch. Don't know if that was intended. Quite fruity.

Taste: (3.5)

- Quite the fruity brew. Roasted grain, bready and biscuity flavor with some tangerine, grapefruit, and even esters such as raisin. Like a Waldorph's salad without the mayonnaise and nuts. Not bad, and it has a nice bitter grassy touch to balance things out. Zingy and tart.

Mouth Feel: (4.0)

- Nice dry approach in the finish, and well carbonated and drinkable. It has a rather light medium body and isn't so thick and syrupy like many double IPA's might have.... which I don't like. This one however is nice in the feel for sure.

Overall: (3.5)

- It's a solid and unique double IPA. It has flavors that set it apart from others, and at least those flavors are not of those that taint or disfigure a beer. It's bitterness is really nice and takes awhile to really show up for the game. Overall very nice, and a nice price point.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2012 02:29:53 | More by Docer

phiberoptik

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a bright, clear gold with orange hue. Lighter in color than most IIPAs I am used to but very clear and looks refreshing. Lots of lacing after the moderate head dissipates.

Smells slightly musty and dank but very full of citrus hops. I have to admit, after reading some other reviews, I get the apricot aromas as well.

Hop forward with citrus notes in the middle... maybe lemon, and finishes quite bitter with a lingering malt after taste.

Bubbly, holding a layer of head. Medium bodied, not too resiny.

A tasty beer and one to get, especially for the cost. Not mind blowing but most definitely a tasty and fragrant IIPA when fresh.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 03:38:48 | More by phiberoptik

t420o

California

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

Black diamond rampage imperial ipa

A- pour produces a 2 finger off white head resting on a deep golden body. Good head retention and good lacing 4 

S- tropical fruits, slight pine, earthy, grapefruit, a begian yeast smell, slight alcohol scent. Smells very good 4

T- tropical fruit explosion! The tropical fruits are accompanied by pine, banana, an earthy undertone. Malt is in near perfect balance. Alcohol is definitely noticavble but doesnt detract much. A very tasty brew 4

M- very good mouthfeel. Lighter on the cabonation side good viscosity 4

O- much better than I expected as I have always seen this and passed it up. Will probably get it again. 4  

A-

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2012 23:33:40 | More by t420o

AgentMunky

Alabama

2.48/5  rDev -35.6%
look: 4 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured from an atypically-shaped 22 ounce bottle into an Allagash cervoise glass.

A: Clear golden-amber with two fingers of thick, fluffy white head. Nice looking IPA.

S: Cabbage. Stewed cabbage and...relish? This smells more like a Polish sausage than a beer.

T: Thank the beer gods it doesn't taste quite as repellent as it smells...but those odd vegetable elements are undeniably present, especially on the aftertaste. Ugh. Happily, the maintaste is full of citrusy hops, though I suspect the varietals used contribute to the odd flavors in the nose and endtaste.

M: Big and full, the way a DIPA should be. Maybe the only good thing about this trainwreck.

O: I'm not sure what is up with this beer, but it's actually undrinkable...from the glass. Swigging from the bottle, where I can't smell a thing, I find it palatable, if not pleasant. I would never recommend this beer and feel duped for buying it based on labeling and wording.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 06:59:04 | More by AgentMunky

JesteR14

California

3.48/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- looks great. Just how you want an ipa to be. I can tell this is going to be good carbonation just by the way it pours. Constant bubble.

S- it's def smells good to my taste. Lemon, grapefruit with some bread and malt. But nothing super impressive, and after reading the label I guess I expected more an I got. That is the only complaint tho

T- good powerful taste. Lemon pine and grapefruit coming in strong like it should. The biscuity malt taste comes in and adds a great profile to this beer. Nothing lingering that you don't like. And some people talk about it being too bitter. I think it's balanced great, strong but makes you want to come back and sip some more.

M - lots of bubbles and stayes nice and perked up the entire time I sipped on the pint

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 07:20:59 | More by JesteR14

dannydetox

California

3.88/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

my first experience with Black Diamond brewing. this one came highly recommended, so the expectations were high. poured a pleasing copper/amber tone into my pint glass with a small, off white head. not too much carbonation on this one, but it felt right. i thoroughly enjoyed the tropical fruit aromas that hit me first, followed by some pine and biscuity malt. the malt notes dominated as the beer went down the hatch, but i did get some more mango/guava. decent bitterness on the finish. i do taste the 9% alcohol on this one, but it still pretty easy going for an imperial. rampage did not disappoint, but i have had stronger examples of this style.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 04:19:30 | More by dannydetox

StoneTSR

Colorado

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

Thanks a ton to my guy ren for this one. Yet again he comes through with deliciousness.

APPEARANCE: Pours a nice, DIPA orange. Crystal clear with a stark white, half-inch head that slowly dissipates. A few bubbles slowly float northwards from the bottom of the glass.

SMELL: The Rampage has a very hoppy aroma. There is not as much malt in the nose as most DIPAs, the smell here is all hops. Lemon and grapefruit are dominant.

TASTE: A ton of grapefruit with lemon and orange to round out a nice citrus profile. Unlike the nose, however, a solid dose of malt balances it out as well. The taste actually reminds me a bit of Stone’s Double Dry Hopped Ruination, but with more malt and sweetness.

MOUTHFEEL: The Rampage Imperial IPA goes down smooth and easy, but a touch of sparkle helps to cleanse the palate on the way down. This is a big, bold beer.

OVERALL: I’m pretty impressed. Ren seems to have the same taste in big IPAs as I do, so given that he sent it, I assumed I would like it, but the reviews seem to be mixed so I wasn’t quite so sure. I like it a lot when I’m in California next I’ll be sure to pick another one up.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2012 09:38:39 | More by StoneTSR

Drinkerofales

California

4.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pour is lightly cloudy orange gold, with a huge off white head which quickly dissipated to a ring and leaves some lacing.

I can smell the grapefruit and apricot citrus from a foot away as I prepare this review. As I close in however, I don't get much else. Clean aroma.

Taste starts out with big bitter pith until the middle, where a citrus flesh finish ends the taste.

The beer bites the front of my tongue as I drink this. The medium body has a touch of viscosity, and it's not the easiest to drink beer.

The grapefruit notes are huge with this beer, to the point of making it not easy to drink, but that doesn't make it bad, as I really liked this beer, but I wouldn't want more than one. At 5 bucks for a bomber I don't have much to complain about though, so the price makes it even better.

DOA

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2012 08:56:55 | More by Drinkerofales

mbunje

California

4.25/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The name is not great..."Rampage", but the beer is.

The smell is of fresh, pungent, bitter hops. Grapefruit, orange, lemon.

Wow...tongue buckles a bit, the lemony fruit bitterness hits hard. Then it backs off with a dry bread like malt and finishes clean.

Medium to full bodied. Excellent carbonation.

Overall this nails IIPA style. Well done Black Diamond.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 04:59:48 | More by mbunje

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.63/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a medium golden orange amber. Fine white one finger head with good retention and lacing. Pleasant aroma of sweet malt and herbal and citrus hops. Flavor is light sweet malt, light unusual (tropical?) fruit and strong hops, with a rather stark and astringent hop middle, finishing bitter and hoppy. The initial malt flavor is nice, but malt body is insufficient to support the intense hops in the middle and finish. Promising, but not a great flavor progression. Medium bodied.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 04:58:21 | More by LiquidAmber

travolta

California

3.73/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

App: Lightly cloudy tangerine in color, not beautiful, but not unlike an IPA. The head was very nice with sticky remnants clinging all the way down. Slightly off-white in color and very fluffy.

Nose: Nice nose. Piney, sweet citrus, mint, slight clove. The nose is upfront and easy. Not very complicated.

Taste: Butterscotch and a tiny hint of alcohol. Lightly herbaceous towards the end with a quickly disappearing dryness.

Mouthfeel: A little frothy at first, then falls to a nice calmness. Very easy to drink. Actually, it's too easy to drink for 9%. A little lingering IPA dryness after your taste.

Notes: A very good IPA, but not as much "wow" as I wanted from a $5 Imperial.

Notes 30 minutes later: Yes, watch out for this one, drinks like an IPA, kicks like an Imperial IPA.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2012 00:56:07 | More by travolta

Philousa

California

3.85/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured a cloudy orange gold with a thick tan head. Orange aroma, piney, but floral. If there's anything but hops in there, it's undetectable by the nose. Mainly orange with other citrus flavors start it out, followed by tart American yeast (a bit one dimensional), ends with a bitter citrus rind flavor. Big body deceives your palate and balances it out and hides the ABV. A bit acidic, but for a bit DIPA, it's pretty balanced.

I wasn't a fan of some other Black Diamond beers, so I've been hesitant to buy this one myself. Good thing my friend brought it over for dinner, because I quite like this one. Definitely good for the price.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 21:53:29 | More by Philousa

Risser09

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

$6.02 in maryland
22oz bottle poured into a white wine glass · fridge · 2012

Appearance: Pours a bright orange color with a light yellow head that's 1.5" tall. Big bubbled head shows great retention.

Smell: Tons of pine and grapefruit are bouncing out of the glass. It's very, very strong in it's aroma. You cannot smell anything else.

Taste: A crisp, grapefruit and pine blend tastes awesome. This beer also has some floral hop flavors as well. It's just a bright beer altogether. There is a touch of vegetation on the back end that is sort of annoying.

Mouthfeel: Bitter, sweet, slick and a touch of booze. I am left with a desire of more carbonation for this beer.

Overall: For $6, this is a great 22oz beer. It needs some tweaking though, to become an anticipated, great beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 01:46:59 | More by Risser09

HosP

Indiana

3.73/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Got a bottle from Ren. Poured 22oz into snifter.

A- Pours nice caramel, amber color. White head on top with nice lacing left on glass.

S- Juicy hop aroma all throughout. Grapefruit, citrus smells mostly. Some sweetness at the end.

T- Lots of sugary sweetness up front to this. Hops mixed in throughout with citrus, piney flavors. Caramel malts at the end. Wasn't expecting that much sweet flavors in this, but make it interesting.

M- Medium body. Good carbonation.

O- Interesting DIPA with all the sweetness to it. Still had good hop flavors, but took a back seat I felt like. Still a very enjoyable drink. Thanks Ren for the beer!!

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 03:09:05 | More by HosP

illidurit

California

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

Bomber poured into a pint glass. Orange with a sticky tan head. Aroma is pretty typical. I'm getting tropical citrus with a heavy dose of malt. Flavor starts with toasted malt, progresses toward grapefruit and orange hoppiness, and finishes a bit muddled and malty. Discordant and too malty, but at least it's hoppy too. Squarely 'decent.'

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 07:57:02 | More by illidurit

OBeerMeGreatOne

California

3.65/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a very bright orange with an inch and a half of tan head. No lace.

Interesting and spicy scent, pepper, passion fruit, apple, earth and tobacco leaf.

The taste starts sweet, more of a caramel. This is followed by some aloe, earth and a heavy pine taste. A bit of boozy heat is noticeable. Goes down nice and smooth. Slight medicinal aftertaste.

It took me a while to grab this being I haven't liked most of their beers. This one hit the spot, just a bit to sweet. Not a bad go at a DIPA. Give it a little tweak and I might come back for more.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 02:37:23 | More by OBeerMeGreatOne

Satchboogie

New Hampshire

3.63/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle poured into a tulip glass

A: Pours somewhat dark redish orange with nearly 2 fingers of off-white head. Good retention and leaves many rings of lacing.

S: Some citrus hops, floral and perfume-like hops, a good bit of pine, smells moderately sweet. Candied fruit aroma.

T: Pretty bold citrus hops: mainly grapefruit (not too bitter or astringent though) and orange (as the label states...) with that sugary candied character. Balanced with a plenty of resinous pine and floral notes. Fairly standard malt body with moderate to perhaps slightly high sugary/light caramel sweetness.

M: Medium body, fairly resinous, moderate to slightly low carbonation for the style. Not all that smooth, fairly wet finish that isn't crisp.

O: A solid DIPA that has a very pleasant candied fruit hop character. The thing holding this back is that its a bit too sweet and there's not enough carbonation (nor a crisp and clean finish).

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 03:01:52 | More by Satchboogie

madtappers

Washington

3.78/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22oz bottle into an imperial glass.

Pours a cloudy copperish brown cloor with a white head.

First smell is of grassy or pine like hops.

Taste has alot of up front hops but no malt balance to hide any of the alchol taste you get at the end.

Overall, an enjoyable beer but, not one I would seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 23:18:50 | More by madtappers

maximum12

Minnesota

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

Thanks to lurpy1, that sexy beast, for packing this up in a suitcase & dragging it back to Minnesota from the Sunshine State. Popped open during the monthly poker session. Really, have you ever met five other guys playing poker who don't drink?

Pour is a dark orange that's hard to see through, even though this is filtered, no yeast in sight. Thanks, Black Diamond. The smell, oh holy +5 swords, the smell. Wonderfully bitter grapefruit, with an underlying non-malt sweetness. Wonderful. Did I say that already?

Rampage Imperial IPA doesn't live up to the smell & if it did, it would be a +7 sword. Sweet fruits & grapefruit ascend, with plenty of underlying sugaryness. Slight dankness. Floral hops roar into the backdraft & provide a nice finish. Easy on the mouth, this is a IIPA that's in the Danger Zone. Drink it. Yes.

Very, very good brew. I wish it tasted as good as it smelled, but that's splitting hops at this point. Very nice.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 05:46:23 | More by maximum12

mendvicdog

Maryland

4.47/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The smell is the familiar california pine hops with a little fruit mixed in. Very pleasant.

Slight but not overwhelming alcohol mouthfeel. Hop flavor is pretty good. Could use a little something else to make it outstanding.

I would definitely recommend it if you like DIPAs.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2011 02:09:32 | More by mendvicdog

brewandbbq

New Hampshire

4.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle.

Pours dark copper with a chill haze and a half inch head of beige. A solid skim coat and smeared fingers of lacing throughout the glass.

Aromatics are chock full of grapefruit and pine, with shades of tangerine and mango following through.

On the fuller side of medium bodied with a sticky, resinous mouthfeel.

Loads of citrus and pine pitch start the palate. Pink grapefruit, spruce bark, tangerine pith, and tropical fruit. Light malt to balance and a mild warmth.

Finishes with a lingering smooth bitterness, a hefty dose of pine-rubbed grapefruit, and juicy malt.

Great IIPA and tasting very fresh. The nose could be more floral and aromatic though.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 00:44:56 | More by brewandbbq