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The Imperial Texan
Martin House Brewing Company
- 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:
- 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.
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.
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
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, 2023Saline right away. Very grapefruity. Nice bitter finish. Very drinkable!
Rated by Amonroe88 from Texas
3.96/5 rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
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, 2023Reviewed by HardTarget from Texas
4.26/5 rDev +10.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
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, 2022Aroma: 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!
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
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, 2022The 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.
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
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, 2022Rated 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
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, 2022Reviewed by ilikebeer03 from Texas
4.09/5 rDev +6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
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, 2021Pour 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.
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
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, 2020Reviewed by Darkmagus82 from Texas
3.88/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
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, 2020Appearance – 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!!
Reviewed by detgfrsh from Texas
3.92/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
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
The Imperial Texan from Martin House Brewing Company
Beer rating:
87 out of
100 with
175 ratings
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