The label is super ornate, and I really love it. The hop head and all.. I mean, how has someone not done this before? This started as part of their beer camp series. This imperial IPA pours an average head for the style, maintaning a minimal strength in retention, and leaving a delicately patched lacing. Not bad, but not the best.

The aroma is, as you’d expect, hop centered. Totally grapefruit, resinous hop oil glory that I’ve come to adore. Plus it got that excellent tropical fruit and pineapple accent that just makes an IPA so characteristically delicious. A grassy, herbal hop note is the cherry on top. A modest amount of caramel malt rests on the back end, hidden by hops.

Flavor is a nice balance of grapefruit and pine. Some like one or the other, I like both, together. It begins subtle and ultra creamy with a smooth malt, then slowly transitions into hoppy grapefruit, then into piny oils. Very smooth progression of mouth feel. On the finish, it gets pretty resinous, but never gets to be too much (for me), and keeps a solid lingering mouth coating madness. I think with all the oil, it’s got low drinkability for most people. Very tasty. 10.4% but lost amidst heavy hopping. They’ve covered all the hop bases: citric, piney, floral, and grassy. There’s enough yeast on the palate that shows me they added a sufficient amount to devour the sugars to produce a 10.4% ABV. As is common for the style, it’s got a slow drying finish.

This is a really well-executed double, something I’d pick up any chance I got. They did a test run of bombers last year, and this year decided to do 4-packs, which is more bang for the buck. The low drinkability contributes to a lower score, but if you’re into the hop heavy beers, this should be sought out. Recommended.

Hops: German Magnum, Simcoe, “new proprietary variety,” Citra, Chinook

Malts: Two-Row Pale, Golden Promise, Munich, Wheat

10.4%

100 IBU

Chico, California