Imperial IPA

Battle stations, battle stations! Man the Torpedoes, Atomic Torpedo, Imperial IPA from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. This IPA is 9.2% ABV with Honey and Two-Row Pale malts. Cascade, Centennial, Magnum, and Mosaic hops with Ale yeast are also brewed into this big IPA. Atomic Torpedo is an imperial version of their Torpedo IPA. This big IPA pours light orange with a one-finger white head. The aroma is fruity, orange, and bitter. The flavor is piney, bitter, and orange flavored. The orange flavor is not really strong, but flavorful enough. Atomic Torpedo has a somewhat light feeling in the mouth. Then, it has a piney, strong, and light-fruited finish with a nice bitter pine aftertaste. This does not feel as boozy as it is for a 9.2% imperial IPA. That is a plus and why you should drink Sierra Nevada Atomic Torpedo. I give this an A+ It has well-rounded and delicious flavors without feeling overly aggressive in the alcohol department. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Mind Haze is a Firestone Walker IPA, and Mind Crusher is an Imperial IPA. This IPA is part of the Mind Haze IPA series with Brain Melter. This imperial IPA is 9.5% ABV with Galaxy, Strata, Callista, Melon, and Simcoe hops. It also has 2-Row, White Wheat, and Malted Oats malts. Firestone Walker ferments Cosmic Crusher in one-hundred percent stainless steel tanks. This beer comes in six-packs, tallboys, and a mixed twelve-pack with four different Mind Haze beers. I probably need to review all of those beers. This IPA pours a deep orange/yellow with a two-finger steady fading white head. This beer has a juicy fruit and a bitter aroma. The flavor is juicy tropical fruits (mango, peach, pineapple, and a bit of orange), smooth, and bitter. This has a medium mouthfeel. The finish is tropical, juicy, and bitter. The aftertaste is tropical fruits and softness. This beer does not taste as strong as you see on the label, but it’s not light. Cosmic Crusher is a good beer A+. I highly recommend having one. It’s a real tropical treat. You really get a great tropical juicy taste with this one. That makes you come back to this beer again. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

This beer from Seattle, Washington, is Big Ballard Imperial IPA. This IPA weighs 8.6% ABV. This IPA comes from Rehook Ale Brewery. It has malts that consist of Pale, Munich, and Carmel 40. It has hops such as Alchemy, Chinook, Cascade, HBC-431, Centennial, Mosaic, and Eureka. This big IPA pours a deep orange color with a slightly off-white two and quarter head that is slow to fade. The aroma is bitter. There also is slight caramel, sweetness, and dankness. The beer’s flavor is grass, bitter, hops, somewhat sweet, and citrus (grapefruit). The mouthfeel is full. Then this IPA finishes with a bitterness and a faint sweetness. Then you’ll get an aftertaste of hoppy, grassy, citrus, and bitter note. This IPA is a classic Imperial IPA. This beer gets a B-. This IPA is strong on alcohol. But that doesn’t dominate the flavor profile or take away from it. But you know it is 8.7%. It shows in the aftertaste. That does hold it back. I would recommend Big Ballard Imperial IPA. It was solid, tasty, and classic. Please stay safe, be kind, and remember to enjoy responsibly! 

This beer Big Slurp is a juicy imperial IPA that is part of the Superior Lupulin Utilization Research Project, AKA Big Slurp (an acronym) from NoDa Brewing Company here in Charlotte, North Carolina. This IPA is 8.5% ABV. This IPA has Galaxy, Cascade, Ekuanot, and Centennial hops. This IPA also has tangerine and orange zest. This beer pours a hazy, juicy orange with a three-and-a-half finger white head. The head is slow to dissipate. The aroma is juicy with citrus orange, hoppy notes, and bitterness. The flavor doesn’t stay far from the smell. There are juicy citrus orange, tangerine, and bitter/hoppy flavors. This beer has a medium, soft mouthfeel. Then Big Slurp finishes with a juicy citrus flavor that is nicely bitter and pleasantly hoppy. Then you’ll come to an aftertaste of fresh orange soft tangerines. This beer is delicious. I give this beer an A. The overall flavor does pack a punch and lets you know that it’s 8.5% ABV. But it is flavorful and delicious. I highly recommend Big Slurp from NoDa Brewing Company. Please be kind, stay safe, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers! 

Double Dale’s came to me from a local grocery store, “build your own” mixed six-pack. This beer is an American Double India Pale Ale from Oskar Blues Brewery. This beer is a Double or Imperial version of the brewery’s Dale’s IPA. This IPA is 9% ABV. Oskar Blues has three locations of brewing. The original is over in Longmont, Colorado. There is another in Austin, Texas, and one near me in Brevard, North Carolina. This IPA probably came from Brevard. Thar is where most of the east coast beer of Oskar Blues comes out. This IPA pours a darker yellow with a five-finger white head. It slowly dissipates into nice lacing around the glass. The aroma is piney, dank, hoppy, and bitter. The flavor follows the nose with piney flavors and is smooth with light citrus. The mouthfeel is smooth and semi-full. Then this double IPA finishes bitter, hoppy, and piney. The aftertaste is smooth and bitter with nice hoppy notes. This IPA does not taste or drink like a 9% ABV beer. This beer has a delicious flavor. I give this an A. The piney notes are strong. You notice that piney flavor throughout. It’s good and one that I highly recommend. Please be kind, stay safe, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!