Palate Shifter Imperial IPA
Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Decanted from a 12 oz (355 ml) bottle into a conical pint glass; bottle 09/29/2017.
A: Pours a hazy, dark golden to amber color with a greater than one inch, foamy white head, good, if spotty retention, and modest lacing.
S: Aromas of grapefruit and peach predominate with toast and pine in the background. Spicy.
T: Lemony zestiness predominates with a light, nicely balanced bitterness.
M: Light to medium bodied with solidly strong carbonation.
O: Really a solid Imperial IPA. A real winner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

BOD 3/31/17. Pours a cloudy amber a bit darker than a dirty golden. World class head volume, lacing and retention.

Quite outstanding nose of bright citric and tropical hops over a slightly sweet base that is both bready and biscuit. Orange and light tangerine provide the citric element while pineapple and soft mango take center stage. There is a very soft spruce/pine element but you have to look for it.

The body is almost medium and quite smooth with a bit of oiliness to the texture. The carbonation / body balance is borderline outstanding. The middle is nicely effervescent and really opens the flavors up just past the middle. The finish isn't rollicking but does yield a nice prickly effect.

The flavor profile is quite outstanding. The rich nose doesn't quite follow through. The citric and tropical elements are there and shine in the middle. Orange and mandarin lead then shift to the sweeter tropicals (soft pineapple, light mango, then big pineapple). Like the nose, the world class balancing sweetness is bready then shifts to cracker biscuit near the end. Bitterness is surprisingly moderate yet ample and the balance is again world class. The bitterness is a combination of zest and spruce. Near the end, alcohol becomes slightly uncovered and fosters the spicy pepper element of spruce. The finish lingers and is mostly a blend of zest and spruce coupled with that nice alcohol burn at the back of the throat.

I love imperial IPA and Dipa they are my life. I think that this is a master piece it is next to perfection. It caught me off gaurd cause I chose it at random when I did a Mix pick at the grocery store. I poored it and was watching a movie not even paying attention to the beer it was my second IPA of the night. I took a sip an Bam. I knew it was a 90/90 I was expecting a punch to mouth but was smooth as a 40/40. The abv on this is not there at all. Most thicker IPA's make you pay for it with strong boozy tastes. Not this one the alcohol is almost silent as the citrus and hops and an almost roast nut flavor just hugs your tast buds it was a tease that I only grabbed one cause Wow. I can definitely agree with Beer bros this is world class. You can really tell the a lot of hard time and effort was spent creating this amazing beer the best part is that it wasn't like a $20 bomber. But it could definitely earn a seat at the table. Definitely a must try for any pale ale enthusiast! I will definitely seek this one out in the future!