The Imperial Texan
Martin House Brewing Company

The Imperial TexanThe Imperial Texan
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From:
Martin House Brewing Company
 
Texas, United States
Style:
Imperial Red Ale
Ranked #36
ABV:
9%
Score:
87
Ranked #17,311
Avg:
3.86 | pDev: 12.69%
Reviews:
26
Ratings:
175
Status:
Active
Rated:
Apr 01, 2023
Added:
Apr 15, 2013
Wants:
  6
Gots:
  43
A Double Red IPA

This is a heavy-duty 9% abv red ale with a profusion of hop flavor and aroma. This beer is as big and proud as Texas. Because we add almost two pounds of American hops per barrel very late in the beer making process, The Imperial Texan is able to retain a wondrously piney and resinous hop character that perfectly balances its smooth but strong and dry malt backbone. This beer has a sticky presence that puts each sip perfectly on the tongue.

The Imperial Texan was brewed to enjoy around a fire with close friends while reminiscing over the day’s killer mountain bike ride.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of Bluerabbitbell
Reviewed by Bluerabbitbell from Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4/1/23 On our way to DFW for a perhaps bumpy ride to Pittsburgh. Stopped at the brewery.

Saline right away. Very grapefruity. Nice bitter finish. Very drinkable!
Apr 01, 2023
Photo of Amonroe88
Rated by Amonroe88 from Texas

3.96/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
It is a little too bitter.
Jan 22, 2023
Photo of HardTarget
Reviewed by HardTarget from Texas

4.26/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Appearance: Dark amber red glass holds a half finger cover of off white foam that sticks to the glass.

Aroma: Grapefruit skin, lots of malt base, comes across like a Barleywine.

Taste: Really well balanced for such a big beer. Malt gives a light candy sweetness, hops give some citric rind, makes for easy drinking and shows off a clean well made finish.

Mouthfeel: Heavy body, big chew, low carbonation, gritty texture, light oil in the finish.

Overall: Long tall Texan. Really well made, well balanced beer. Didn't get any Red crystal malt flavors, but I'm not crazy about that note so it ends up being a plus for me. Not really hoppy enough for a Double IPA, really hits that Barleywine range for me. Screw style, this is tasty, will grab some more. Cheers to Martin House!
Oct 07, 2022
Photo of Hooded
Reviewed by Hooded from Texas

3.77/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a can into a Tulip glass.
The beer is amber with 3 fingers of off-white head. Retention is good leaving a lot of moderate lacing and a thin cap.
Aroma is slightly below medium in strength. The smell has malt, some caramel, pine and a musty herbal smell.
Taste is high in strength. There is malt that is on the drier side, some caramel and a strong pine and herbal hop bitter finish. Brewers adding a lot of hops boosting the flavor beyond what the style calls for usually doesn't agree with me. Martin House is up front about it with this beer and I like the strong herbal taste. So, I'm okay with it.
Feel is thick and creamy. Carbonation is medium-low. Astringency is medium and helps balance the malt flavor. It's a fairly dry beer.
Overall, it's very good. It would benefit from a more complex flavor.
Sep 25, 2022
Photo of Superschomie
Reviewed by Superschomie from Texas

4.63/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Nice strong hop flavor. Good balance of high abv and drinkability. Unique and a nice IPA offering from a brewery that does a lot of unique and interesting stuff.
Jul 29, 2022
Photo of bw2000
Rated by bw2000 from Texas

4.46/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
I love the unique flavor, it's strong—almost smoky—in a way I haven't encountered in a beer before.
Jun 05, 2022
Photo of ilikebeer03
Reviewed by ilikebeer03 from Texas

4.09/5  rDev +6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Canned 9/3/21. Drank 10/4/21.
Pour is of a nice red / amber hue. Two fingers of a huge, thick, fluffy light khaki head. Great retention and lacing.
Nose is soft pine, grapefruit, resin, dank.
Taste is resin, pine, grapefruit rind, all mixed nicely with light caramel / toffee malt backbone. firm, but not dominating bitterness. hint of alcohol.
Clean crisp mouthfeel. not overly sweet.
Oct 05, 2021
 
Rated: 3.49 by SViterileroux74 from Texas

Jan 14, 2021
 
Rated: 3.75 by bundy462 from Texas

Sep 20, 2020
Photo of nizzle8287
Reviewed by nizzle8287 from Texas

4.68/5  rDev +21.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
This brew is FANTASTIC. Big, strong, hazy, deep copper in color, and excellently hoppy. Reminds me of a blend between Sierra Nevada's Bigfoot Barley-wine and BJ's Brewhouse Hopstorm IPA.
Aug 02, 2020
 
Rated: 4 by RiceOwls27 from Texas

Apr 13, 2020
Photo of Darkmagus82
Reviewed by Darkmagus82 from Texas

3.88/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a can into a snifter
Appearance – The beer pours a deep amber color with a touch of red. There is a one finger head of off white foam upon pouring, which has a great level of retention. The head fades slowly over time to leave a ton of foamy lace on the sides of the glass.
Smell - The aroma of the brew is strongest of a caramel and bready smell mixed with some aromas of an herbal and earthy smell. Along with these smells comes a touch of pine and a bit of apple.
Taste – The taste begins with a nice caramel sweetness that is mixed with a lightly toasted bready flavor and a little bit of a herbal hop taste. As the taste moves forward the hop flavors develop quite a bit more with lots of pine, herbal, and some earth coming to the tongue. At the end a little bit of a fruit sweetness of cherry comes to the tongue to leave one with a nice dank hopped red ale taste to linger on the tongue.
Mouthfeel – The body of the brew is medium in thickness and creaminess with a carbonation level that is rather average. For the dank hop and lightly toasty tastes the feel is pretty good and makes for an easy drinker.
Overall – A very tasty imperial red that is almost too easy to drink. Dangerously good!!
Jan 19, 2020
 
Rated: 2 by jeschaefer from Texas

Dec 21, 2019
 
Rated: 3.73 by rsuarez1982 from Texas

Aug 12, 2019
Photo of detgfrsh
Reviewed by detgfrsh from Texas

3.92/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
On tap at the brewery. Red color with off-white head. Malt aromas. Medium feel. Roasted malt and grapefruit hop flavors. Big, bitter, and very drinkable for a high ABV beer.
Apr 17, 2019
 
Rated: 3.79 by Hooley from Texas

Mar 26, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by WillieThreebiers from Connecticut

Mar 22, 2019
 
Rated: 3.71 by jsmith313 from Texas

Feb 15, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by zbooks from Texas

Nov 15, 2018
 
Rated: 3.75 by a77cj7 from South Dakota

Sep 27, 2018
The Imperial Texan from Martin House Brewing Company
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 175 ratings