Imperial IPA
Capitol City Brewing Company

 

Stopped off at the Union Station Cap City today on my way home. Glad I did so, as they had their Imperial IPA on tap. It's one of their revolving beers, and I'd never tried it before.

Presented to me with little head, the beer itself was a nice copper orange color. Nothing special here though, with a thin head and little-to-no lace. I had to continually stir the beer up to get a feel for the aroma. Maybe the bartender's fault, or maybe the beer is just a bit thin. The bouquet is nice. Fresh and citrusy. Lots of grapefruit and piney hops. The taste is pretty heavy, but good. It's crisp and clean, and leaves a very nice, bitter finish. But it's boozey, there's no mistaking it. The high alcohol content is masked by the hoppiness of the beer, but you can tell it's there. Still, it's not what I would call unpleasant. In fact, this is an entirely drinkable imperial IPA. It's strong, and that will keep most people from overdoing things (and that's a good thing) but I could see myself putting down a couple of these bad boys on the way home from a long day at the office. Thank you, Cap City.

This brew is a great IPA. When it was served to me, it had a beautiful slightly tan head, which held up until the near end. The body is rich and a little hazy. Orangish amber does explain the color very well. Hops aroma is very floral, and produces a grassy fragrance as well. This tastes very piney, and feels a bit spicy. Not too dry. The extra alcohol content gives this brew a warm appeal. If you find yourself in the DC area, I recommend you give Capitol City’s Imperial IPA a try.

TheSarge

Foggy orange amber with ochre highlights at the margins. The chalice arrived with a modest head of small parchment bubbles that quickly reassembled itself into a collar. Aromas of citrus rind and pineapple core waft upwards. The taste is initially bold and brash with a dominating citrus rind component. The solid malt body provides an adequate framework to support the hops. The pineapple core note rises for just a brief moment before being subdued by the powdered sugar dusted grapefruit. The 8.5% alcohol is well masked and is only barely detectable. Medium bodied, with a smooth and soft mouthfeel from the cask. Not a palate-wrecker as are some DIPAs. The table was filled with empty chalices over the course of the evening as a sign of how much we all enjoyed this beer. Happy 10th Anniversary Cap City!

This arrived with a thick tan head with lots of CO2 bubbles in evidence. It was a deep orange color that was very clear. It had a great hoppy, floral nose and the mouthfeel was almost hot in its alcohol burn. The taste reminded me of my brewery tour "trick" of sucking on a dry hop pellet. It was an intensely hoppy beer from start to finish, with the finish making my mouth feel as though it were coated in lupulin powder. I began to find this unpleasant, making me wonder if I am losing my edge as a self-avowed hophead. As the beer warmed, its malt characteristics became more apparent. One of these was plenty.