Displaying items by tag: Imperial IPA

Beachmaster

 

North Coast Brewing Co.

Fort Bragg, CA

Style: Imperial IPA

Alcohol: 9 %

IBUs: 100

Serving style: 12 oz bottles

Availability: A new beer billed as ‘seasonal’ by the brewery

120 Minute IPA

 

Dogfish Head Brewery

Milton, Delaware

Style: Imperial IPA

Alcohol: 18%

IBUs: 120

Serving style: Bottles and kegs (Our sample from draft)

Availability: Limited supply, but nationwide

Ruination 2.0

 

Stone Brewing Co.

Escondido, California

Style: Imperial or Double IPA

Alcohol: 8.5%

IBUs: 100+

Serving Style: 12 and 22-ounce bottles and kegs (our sample from draft)

Availability: Year-round in 41 states and some limited int'l. distribution

 

Appearance:   “Clear golden color with creamy white head.”

Aroma:   “Hugely hoppy. Oodles of citrus and tropical fruits.”

Taste:   “Big in one sense, in that those hops (Citra, Simcoe, Azacca, Magnum, Nugget and Centennial) are so prominent. However, it drinks easy—almost ‘sessionable,’ but at this alcohol content, you wouldn’t want to pour down more than a couple of glasses. Piney and resiny, it’s quite bitter (check the IBUs), but will please a lot of fans of this style.”

Food Affinity:   “At first it seems difficult to figure food pairings for a beer this big. However, even at eight-point-five, it’s about 40% less alcohol by volume than the average table wine. Maybe we have to think more creatively. Perhaps a full-flavored fish, such as salmon, napped with aioli or a lemon and butter sauce.”

    --guest review by George Lane, a Brit who remembers that IPA means India Pale Ale

 

Editor’s note:   “At the time of this review, four beer fans were sampling 6-ounce glasses of both the original Ruination and its 2.0 replacement version. Three of us preferred the ‘old’ Ruination, considering it better balanced. The fourth taster liked the in-your-face assertiveness of the new 2.0 (obviously, our limited consumer sampling was less than ‘scientific’, but did generate a lively late afternoon discussion).

"Some of us wondered why the brewery would keep the name of a proven crowd-pleaser, but change the recipe. Would this be another marketing disaster like the ‘New Coca Cola’ of some years ago? At this point nobody can say for sure, but visiting Stone’s website we found that the brewery’s rationale was pretty strong (hops not available when the first Ruination came on the scene, changing tastes of the craft beer lover, etc.). Apparently, they’ve put a lot of thought into the change and had good responses from consumers who sampled test recipes prior to introduction of the new product.

"You can get a much fuller explanation by visiting stonebrewing.com yourself (they also have pairing suggestions for foods in all categories of a multi-course meal, as well as cigar selections to accompany the Ruination 2.0)."

Maximus Ale

 

Lagunitas Brewing Co.

Petaluma, Ca

 Style: Imperial IPA

Alcohol: 8.2%

IBUs: 59

Serving Style: 12, 22-ounce bottles, kegs

Availability: Year round in California and some national markets.

 

Appearance:  “Big initial ivory-colored head over medium to medium-dark copper body.”

Aroma:  “Very hoppy. Some pine and a little citrus.”

Taste:  “Big. Fills the mouth with hops, then malt becomes apparent. Thick texture, seems almost syrupy. Finishes somewhat sweet.”

Food Affinity:  “The sweetness might offset some spicy foods. Maybe jalapeño poppers. Might work with some full-flavored cheeses. Try aged cheddar, smoked gouda, possibly a creamy blue cheese.”

Reviewer Dan Clarke isn't known to be an appreciator of big IPAs. Two-thirds of the way through this 12-ounce bottle he found himself smiling. It might have been the tunes on Brian Lee's Doo-Wop show on KVMR. Then again, it might be the 8.2% alcohol.