Imperial IPA
McNeill's Brewery

Appearance - dark golden amber color with a little white head

Smell - very floral smell to it

Taste - very hoppy, not tasting too much malt in this beer... don't know how i feel about this one

Mouthfeel - slightly smooth at first but then the hops make my mouth dry and makes me thirsty

Drinkability - its a nice beer to take your time with, just sat out in the sun and sipped on a bomber was a nice relaxing drink

Picked up a 22oz bomber at Beverage King in West Leb. I've had it before and was kinda surprised that I didn't review it. Served cold in a chilled pint glass.

Thick brown brew, very dark for a DIPA, shows red highlights against a bright light. A heavy pour gives 1" of sticky off-white head with great retention. Not sure what to think about it being this dark, pretty sure I remember it being lighter (i.e. more normal) last time I had it. Anyway, the smell is mainly caramel and burnt toast,with some hops in the form of lemon Pez candy and mild pine fighting to poke through. Taste is... exactly the same. Why the hell is this so dark? Not IPA-like at all, more like a semi-hoppy brown ale. I was really looking for something hoppy and not dar, which a DIPA should be, but this isn't. Mouthfeel is moderately thick with soft carbonation and a bit of spicy alcohol burn. Finish is smoke, peppery alcohol, and some lingering hop.

Not much of a head and not for lack of effort, I poured it straight into the bottom of the glass. Pleasant dark copper color though.

No distinctive smell outside of the fact that you can tell it's an IPA. Well, a little papaya on second sniff.

It tastes OK, but one gets the sense that these guys are making a DIPA because that's what you're supposed to do, not because they had an inspiration to do so. It's all pretty much there, but just rather disjointed.

There's certainly a bitter, hoppy edge at the finish and I'm more likely than not to finish this bomber.

Big chunky frothy pour, nice since this thing could have been sitting in my fridge for some time. Smell was a boozy/ caramel, with no hints of hops, could be old but i will push through. Taste was consistant with the smell, big boozy caramel malts, with a faint hop on the end trying to peak through. Good beer, not great, had it after a Pliny so I may have screwed it, but glad I was able to try it, time to pass out.

Pours a one finger cream head that fades slowly to a thin layer leaving some lace. Cloudy amber color. Good carbonation and medium bodied. Grapefruit hop nose. Flavor is grapefruit hops and hints of caramel. Lingering bitter finish. Needs more malt for a imperial IPA. $3.99 for a 22oz bottle from Beverage Warehouse Winooski, VT.

Over the years I have found McNeill's to be a little inconsistent. I don't know if it is the brewery or how the beer is handled by the stores selling it. I purchased the bomber I had at Green Mountain Boys in Rutland, VT. I found a moderate citrus/orange hop aroma and a copper color. The mouthfeel was was medium in body. The first taste was lightly hoppy, but the flavor intensified in the mid taste and finished woth a mild-moderate citrus flavor. The beer was overall fairly well balanced for a DIPA. It doesn't knock you over with the hops, but I found it to be one of the better beers I have tried from McNeill's.

22oz bomber. Nice-looking label has "War Lord" crest, with notes saying "Imperial India Pale Ale", "Winner of 13 National and International Awards". I don't have time to do the research, better things to do in life. Couldn't they at least reveal one of the awards to give this crap some credibility?

Where the F are the hops?!? I'm so disappointed, but glad I only paid $3.25 for a bomber. Cloudy copper chill-hazed with no head retention whatsoever.

When cracked smells like a BMC instantly--even before pouring. Appearance is decent at first, but where's the head?

No hop aroma whatsoever. Somewhat fruity, estery aroma, but a DIPA this is not.

Tastes just like a BMC, but just barely better. I'm not getting anything special here. Hate to be a dick, but I have a batch of genuine DIPA homebrew in the fridge that blows this out of the water (and that stuff isn't anywhere near my best--in fact it's one of my worst).

Mouthfeel is dry, but without any hoppy tanginess one would expect from a DIPA. I swear to christ, this is a lager with a DIPA label. It'd be a great lager, but again, a DIPA it is not. Ugh, thoroughly disappointed, same goes for for drinkability (I need to stop, potential drain-pour on principle alone).

Hey McNeill's, change your label. You have a solid lager, but a DIPA needs to have some hop character, of which there is none here. A drinkable libation, but a total failure as to the style. My worst rating ever (but not the worst beer I've ever had--just the worst for the intended style).

Even at the relatively low price, I'm just pissed off that they'd dare to call this a DIPA. Not even in the thirstiest DIPA fiend's worst nightmare...

Purchased a growler at the brewery on 1/31/2009. Tap listed this brew as McNeill's Warlord IPA. Served in a standard pint. Poured the color of polyurethane. Absolutely no head on this one, and I even watched the bartender cap the growler on foam. Appearance was hazy and no lacing present during the tasting. Nose revealed grapefruit and a malty sweetness. Taste was less sweet than anticipated from the nose. Predominantly floral hops on a malty backbone with some lingering bitterness at the finish. Mouthfeel fell between light- and medium-bodied. Some carbonation present, but not too much. A nice drinking brew. Not quite as big as many of the DIPA's I've tried, but more malty than a traditional IPA. Still quite an enjoyable offering, just not as bold as anticiapted for the style.

Gorgeous rusty gold color. Fluffy white head with clingy veins of silk left on the glass. Head dissipates slowly and never disappears throughout the whole beer. Small carbonation bubbles, champagne-like.

Fragrance of brown sugar, toffee, caramel, hoppy, as it should be, citrusy and piney. Hops are powerful, however, maybe a little too much so. Like smelling hops on the vine.

The mouth feel is fluffy on the tongue, and tingly, otherwise smooth and well balanced with malt but hops are in charge. Biscuity, English bitter, bitterness from hops in the after and in the back of throat. Resiny bitterness in the end.

Extremely well balance for such a hop extreme. An amazing IPA. The hops are a bit too resiny. Something I have never seen (or chose to see) a froth of tiny bubbles swimming on the surface, moving like a powder dusting when you move the glass. Playful to the eyes.

Another heady offering from Vermont sampled at he Burlington Brewfest. Poured off the tap an orange/amber color with a cream hued head. Decent retention, laces poorly though. Aroma was surprisingly light, piney hops and cereal grains. Bitter as heck, the hops jump right out and slap you around. Slightly sweet with a citrus (grapefruit?) after the initial hop rush, alcohol in the middle, finish is again hoppy and slightly medicinal. Sharp like a good cheddar, tingles on the tongue (partly the high IBU's, partly the high Alc %) and finishes crisp and dry. A good example of the style and worthy of picking up if you're lucky enough to see it in a bottle.

Poured a medium copper hue with a one finger foamy white head. There was good retention and lacing.

The smell featured cereal grain aromas with and oily hop and some caramel.

The taste consisted of sweet doughy malts, a citrusy hop and a warming alcohol. A touch medicinal at the finish.

The mouthfeel was of average fullness for the style with heavy alcohol warmth.

Overall not a great IIPA and a bit tough to finish. Some off flavors.

Got sucker punched in the face with this brew from BeerTruth in the Fight Club BIF. This will officially be McNeill Brew #1. Drank from my RAM Big Horn Brewery oversized pint glass.

Appearance- Pours a light yellowish orange with a fairly decent one finger bright white head that lasts about two minutes. Once that two minutes is up this brew leaves a very disappointing cap and collar, which are non-existant.
Smell- Loads of piney raw hoppy goodness that exploded out of the bottle from the moment I opened it. Citrus is more than evident with loads of pineapple and grapefruit. Has a slightly sweet smell with small whiffs of bubblegum and cotton candy.
Taste- Rush of resiny grassy hops with a slightly tingly bitterness from the rush of IBU's. Slightly sweet after the initial burst with the same pineapple and grapefruit that was detectable in the nose. Cotton candy and raisins are slightly fruity and slightly boozy. Finishes with a twizzler aftertaste and pineapple syrup.
Mouthfeel- Medium body that can sometimes feel watery with slick oily feel, light prickly carbonation and light alcoholic burn.
Drinkability- This is a really solid, tasty DIPA that is not over the top, just really easy drinking. It's somewhere between balanced and bitter but definitely tasty. Big thanks to Adam for sending this my way. Can't wait to try the others he's sent me!

Poured this into a Sam Adam's "Boston Lager" glass, and was greeted by a fluffy white 1.5 cm head which dissipated quickly. This glass always stages a beer nicely. A steady stream of bubbles rippled through the light amber/reddish body. Its aroma, while not in-your-face, is quite pleasant. Floral hop bouquet.
The mouthfeel was slightly thinner than others in this style, but was still pleasant. The taste was mainly floral hops again with tangy bitterness that was more tropical fruit than grapefruit with ample malt sweetness to back it up. This was quite well balanced and crisp and could be crazy drinkable.
Overall I found this to be an artfully crafted IIPA. If you want a super-mega-IBU-Blaster look elsewhere. This one drinks with all the nuance of the fine IPAs of the World.

Was able to give this brew a try, I actually was able to track this one down over the summer and had it waiting for some cold weather, don't drink many big brews during the summer months. This brew came in the standard McNeill's bomber with the hand made looking label, but the color is peach rather than the white in picture for the site. This brew poured to a amber/copper color with a strong orange hue to it. Had a good two fingers worth of a off light head that was super sticky leaving lacing down the glass. The aromas does center around the hops resin and to me seems to be petty much in your face, but not in a way where you think this brew is nothing but hops. The taste shows off some of the malt as that sneaks through giving a slight sweetness and a slight roasted and caramel flavor. The hops are there and stick around in the back of the mouth. The hop flavor seems to be more pine than citric to me, I wonder what hop variety(s) are in this one. Alcohol scent and taste come out more as the brew warms closer to room temperature. Overall I liked this brew, more character than most Impy IPA's where it is just about the hops. Not one of my favorite styles but a nice cold weather sipping brew, lots of sipping in a bomber, ha! Will get this one again in the future.

Sampled from a 22oz bomber bottle, with the requisite, "high-quality", hand-made label. No freshness info found.

Popping the cap produced a nice hiss (phew!). Poured into an imperial pint glass, it has a deep copper hue, with a slight bit of cloudiness, and steady carbo rising topside. The liquid is covered by a thin, creamy, off-white layer of fine bubbles, which stick lovingly to the side of the glass, leaving beauteous lace behind. Nose is not overly strong, yet a decent dose of rindy hop aromas come forth. Body is medium-plus, bordering on chewiness. And over the tongue? Smooth and silky; gliding down the throat with the ease of Klammer going down Hahnenkamm.

Flavor does have a light touch of sweetness, courtesy of the toasty malt detected here. But just as soon as this malt hits the palate it is gone, thanks to the overly healthy dose of lupulins contained within. They are strong and robust, piney and resiny, coating the mouth and clinging there for dear life. Citrus aspects are also quite pronounced and long-lasting. Unsure what the ABV is, and I don't get any indication by the feel down the gullet, or the feel of my head. ;-) A late addition of the yeasty sediment clouds the bier up somewhat, and takes a slight edge off of the sharpness of the hops. This in no way detracts from the overall quaffing experience, though.

This is a really tasty offering. Do I sound surprised? Damn straight! Though this bier was a gift from my long-time "Bro", Artied2, I did approach it with trepidation. Quality issues with McNeills are well-known in these parts, so I wasn't sure if I'd be drinking a winner or a stinker. Fortunately, it was the former. Were their products all like this, I'd be a regular consumer. Anyhow, this one was quite pleasurable...

Zum Wohl!!

overall: 4.4
appearance: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | mouthfeel: 4.5 | drinkability: 4.5

1028

Appearance: Pours a hazy, amber body with a wispy, off-white head.

Smell: Pungent hop aroma of juicy grapefruit, resinous pine, and even a handful of flowers. Flowers? For me? Thanks, aroma!

Taste: Scant, fleeting caramel flavor and sweetness. After that, it's all hops, with plenty of grapefruit, pine, and bitterness. Finishes dry and with a punishing bitterness. I'd ask for a tad bit more malty sweetness, but that always seems an unfair request of an Imperial IPA, like trying to tame and request "more gentleness" from a wild jungle cat.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: While not as far toward "chewing on hops" as you can get, it's still pretty bitter.

22 oz. bomber poured into a nonic.

Pours a light cloudy amber hue with a one finger off-white head that seems to stick around for a bit. Stickiness is pretty good, not as much as I would have thought for the style and for the unfiltered nature. Smell is a very clean oily citrus hop. A good mix of citrus in this one, lime, lemon, grapefruit, and orange...all mixed in. Taste is a bit one dimensional, bitter from start to finish. A bit of a dirty hop flavor with a mix of some pine. Hard to find the malt, but it's there. Could use some more sweetness to balance the extreme bitter hops. Mouthfeel is chewy and pretty full with a fair amount of carbonation. Drinkability is decent but leaves the mouth too dry IMO. Good one to try though.

Pours a reddish/amber color with minimal head. Aroma is one of hops, though they seem somewhat toned down. Taste has some hop bite but relies more on a balance of malt as well. Somewhat underwhelming in the mouthfeel. Still not too hoppy. Not something you'd want to drink all the time though.

Hazy amber with a big head...lace and craters.
Smells faintly of floral hops , but much more of steely grains.
Tastes much like it smells...steely sweet with a dryish minty hop bite. Alcohol is evident and there is a bit of an oxidation off-flavor..card-boardy in the aftertaste. Not good.
Mouthfeel is medium with a pretty high carbonation....fizzy stuff.
Not liking this one very much. Glad I only bought one.
Maybe I just got a bad bottle.

22 ounce bottle from Beverage Warehouse in Winooski, Vermont. Plain, home-printed style label, no date or ABV stated.

Pours a deep reddish amber, slightly hazy, light whitish head, dissipates quickly, leaves moderate to significant lacing.

Aroma is tangy and fruity hops, hints of peach and citrus.

Taste is more tangy and fruity hops, peaches, apricot, lots of citrus hops all the way through, and a creamy-thick mouth, warming alcohol, definite malt base to carry the hops. Tingly warm alcohol finish with bright citrus hops. Really nice stuff.

Mouth is slick and creamy and full.

I like this beer a whole lot, and will definitely buy it again when I can. It's very, very drinkable. Not the amazing profound hop bomb that I often look for in American DIPAs, but an outstanding beer nonetheless.