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Imperial IPA
Goose Island Beer Co.
- From:
- Goose Island Beer Co.
- Illinois, United States
- Style:
- Imperial IPA
- ABV:
- 9%
- Score:
- 93
- Avg:
- 4.18 | pDev: 9.81%
- Reviews:
- 330
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Nov 06, 2021
- Added:
- Nov 24, 2003
- Wants:
- 127
- Gots:
- 20
Draft only as of 2008.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by cretemixer:
Reviewed by cretemixer from Indiana
4.56/5 rDev +9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.56/5 rDev +9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Ok, I usually don't comment on a beer's packaging, but this has got to be the worst labeling I have ever seen on a commercial brewery's product. This is part of Goose Island's F.O.A.M. series of special, high-end brews available only at the brewery. The label is the white backside of a Honker's Ale label with the word's "Imperial IPA" printed on it in black by a cheapo printer. I'm sure the beer will be much better than the packaging though.
Now, to the beer. It pours a hazy yellow-gold in color leaning towards orange. A solid, dense head fades to a even thin layer leaving no lace.
The aroma hits as soon as the bottle is popped open, once it is poured, you just can't escape it. Syrupy sweet and citrusy hoppy. Juicy grapefruit with floral notes accompany a malty back.
The flavor profile is on par with the aroma. A balance of sweet malts and generously dosed hops. Almost sticky sweet though. Alcohol becomes more apparent by mid-glass taking a little of the edge off of the syrupy sweetness.
Slick, oily, medium-full body with appropriate carbonation. A really nice example of the style. Make it a regular release please and put a real label on it & I'll like it even more.
Nov 24, 2003Now, to the beer. It pours a hazy yellow-gold in color leaning towards orange. A solid, dense head fades to a even thin layer leaving no lace.
The aroma hits as soon as the bottle is popped open, once it is poured, you just can't escape it. Syrupy sweet and citrusy hoppy. Juicy grapefruit with floral notes accompany a malty back.
The flavor profile is on par with the aroma. A balance of sweet malts and generously dosed hops. Almost sticky sweet though. Alcohol becomes more apparent by mid-glass taking a little of the edge off of the syrupy sweetness.
Slick, oily, medium-full body with appropriate carbonation. A really nice example of the style. Make it a regular release please and put a real label on it & I'll like it even more.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois
4.59/5 rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
4.59/5 rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
(From some old notes; drank in Omaha, NE circa 2012-13. Drank on draft.)
Perhaps the best beer I've ever tasted, certainly the best Imperial IPA, bar none.
Orange and mango explosion in the nose.
Murky yet bright orange color. Great lacing through the glass.
More orange and mango in the taste, undercurrent of strawberry. Almost no bitterness, almost no alcohol present. Hint of smoke?!
Words fail me; a must-try.
Apr 15, 2019Perhaps the best beer I've ever tasted, certainly the best Imperial IPA, bar none.
Orange and mango explosion in the nose.
Murky yet bright orange color. Great lacing through the glass.
More orange and mango in the taste, undercurrent of strawberry. Almost no bitterness, almost no alcohol present. Hint of smoke?!
Words fail me; a must-try.
Reviewed by sulldaddy from Connecticut
4.04/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
4.04/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Im sampling a 2006 bottle that has been cellared since purchase. On the eve of my 40th Birthday and for my 1600th review I figured I would dig something out of the archives to commemorate the occasions!
Pouring at cellar temp into a snifter the beer pours a rich mahogany with ruby highlights and frothy fleeting khaki colored head. The aroma is evident immediately after the cap is popped with deep malt notes of toffee and brown sugar, I get prunes, plums, raisins, lots of dark fruit. AS expected no hops and only the a little boozey red wine character. Strong english ale nose if I had to guess blindfolded on this one.
First sip reveals a smooth textured beer with very fine and fairly soft and spacious carbonation. Coating my palate with some sticky malt syrupy feature after each sip.
The flavor is sweet and malty with caramel and brown sugar, loads of dark fruit again, with raisins and plums. No hops on the flavor profile that I can pick up, which is also expected for a 10 year old bottle. I do get a little black peppery bite on the finish, which I attribute to the 9% ABV and not hops. While not warm in my mouth I do get just a little bit of warming in my belly after each swallow. A bit of sipping beer, but very enjoyable and certainly has held up well over the past decade, unless you were looking for hops, cause they are gone.
Im glad I opened this bottle and am enjoying the beer, even though the carbonation characters are soft, I am getting a lot of burps from the beer. Glad this one didnt die in my cellar.
May 15, 2016Pouring at cellar temp into a snifter the beer pours a rich mahogany with ruby highlights and frothy fleeting khaki colored head. The aroma is evident immediately after the cap is popped with deep malt notes of toffee and brown sugar, I get prunes, plums, raisins, lots of dark fruit. AS expected no hops and only the a little boozey red wine character. Strong english ale nose if I had to guess blindfolded on this one.
First sip reveals a smooth textured beer with very fine and fairly soft and spacious carbonation. Coating my palate with some sticky malt syrupy feature after each sip.
The flavor is sweet and malty with caramel and brown sugar, loads of dark fruit again, with raisins and plums. No hops on the flavor profile that I can pick up, which is also expected for a 10 year old bottle. I do get a little black peppery bite on the finish, which I attribute to the 9% ABV and not hops. While not warm in my mouth I do get just a little bit of warming in my belly after each swallow. A bit of sipping beer, but very enjoyable and certainly has held up well over the past decade, unless you were looking for hops, cause they are gone.
Im glad I opened this bottle and am enjoying the beer, even though the carbonation characters are soft, I am getting a lot of burps from the beer. Glad this one didnt die in my cellar.
Imperial IPA from Goose Island Beer Co.
Beer rating:
93 out of
100 with
525 ratings
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