Imperial IPA
Anderson Valley Brewing Company

Imperial IPAImperial IPA
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Anderson Valley Brewing Company
 
California, United States
Style:
Imperial IPA
Ranked #2,006
ABV:
8.7%
Score:
86
Ranked #19,191
Avg:
3.82 | pDev: 11.78%
Reviews:
333
Ratings:
596
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jul 17, 2022
Added:
Feb 16, 2008
Wants:
  30
Gots:
  31
Formerly known as 20th Anniversary Imperial IPA
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by abankovich:
Photo of abankovich
Reviewed by abankovich from Ohio

3.63/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Poured out with a great full head. Beer is a nice clean amber color with an off-white head. Good lacing left around the glass as it goes down.

Smell is a combination of citrusy hops and sweet/caramely malts.

Taste hits up front with the hop bitterness. Following is some roasted malts and some sweetness that fades away to a lingering bitterness and citrus.

Mouthfeel is right around medium bodied.

Drinkability is ok on this one. Not amazingly high but I do enjoy this beer. I wish it had a higher hop profile and a more dominant smell, but it isn't bad at all.
May 01, 2008
More User Ratings:
Photo of zeff80
Reviewed by zeff80 from Missouri

3.77/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
12oz can. Poured out a clear, golden orange color with a small, off-white head of foam. It left sudsy rings of lace on the glass. It smelled of toasted caramel, orange and pine. Very roasty with some toffee and caramel. Strong piney bitterness and citrus.
Jul 17, 2022
Photo of BEER88
Rated by BEER88 from North Carolina

4/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This beer is good at most and i could not go over a 4, and thats being generous!
Aug 29, 2017
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.22/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
I haven't seen this in awhile, I wonder if it is still made? This comes in even darker than the regular ipa, which is already darker than average. This is auburn and brown territory but it forms a nice 3/4" off white head. The aroma was lacking, not a lot, if any late stage hops here. There's a lot more in the way of bready caramel and toffee than hop notes.

Taste is substantially bitter, and C hop long boil bitterness. The hop grapefruit bitterness combines with the heavy malt load to make for a strong and sturdy beer, but in terms of deft touches and flavors, this is all sledgehammer. Bomber format I could do without.

It doesn't do anything bad, but nothing particularly good either. I'd check it out in a pinch in 12oz bottles, but the bomber format makes me think not gonna go back for another middling offering. If you want your beer old school 90s high bitterness and crystal malt, then you'll be down with this one.
Sep 06, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by MisterKilderkin from California

May 09, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by MtnSoup from Colorado

Apr 10, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by HaveUSeenMyCellar from California

Mar 30, 2015
 
Rated: 4.14 by SLewis from North Carolina

Mar 14, 2015
 
Rated: 3.25 by jrob21 from North Carolina

Feb 06, 2015
 
Rated: 3.88 by Spaceman_Jer from Colorado

Jan 30, 2015
 
Rated: 3.85 by wethorseblanket from California

Dec 28, 2014
Photo of dan3099
Rated by dan3099 from Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Very good, can't go wrong with this IPA.
Well balanced.
Dec 25, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by olradetbalder from Sweden

Dec 08, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by warrenc from Oregon

Dec 06, 2014
 
Rated: 2.51 by Straycorn from California

Dec 03, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by jakecattleco from California

Dec 02, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by Akravatz from Virginia

Nov 26, 2014
 
Rated: 4.4 by Hamooza

Nov 10, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Lobina from Arizona

Oct 31, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by EnojysAnyBeer from Colorado

Oct 06, 2014
Imperial IPA from Anderson Valley Brewing Company
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 596 ratings