Imperial IPA
Port Townsend Brewing Company

I think this is an old review from having this at that Hop Week thing at Brouwer's Cafe in Seattle like 10 years ago. My notes clearly indicate I was hammered, looks like a doctor's prescription writing.

Anyhoo, full fledged copper color pour. Crystal malt be thy name. 1/2" off white, almost light beige head. The aroma was more crystal malt, bittering hops. I guess this was the dry hopped version but it seems like it wasn't dry hopped with any aroma hops, just bittering.

Beer does excel mouth feel wise, the crystal malt here melds pretty nice with some C hop pine bitterness and ample carbonation to make this the beer's strong suit. Sure its an ibu wars level of bitterness, but sometimes the old familiar caramel, grapefruit rind and pinecone combo is comfort food. Managed to make 8.5% still pretty crushable and no too hot so while it might not be lush flavortown, it is a good buzz you can get on without feeling like you're forcing it.

 

 

 

 

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a hazy, medium golden amber with some coppery notes. One finger white head with good retention and lacing. Nice aroma of tropical fruit, citrus, piney hops, light caramel malt. Flavor follows, piney, citrus and slightly dank hops with great tropical fruit, orange citrus, gliding into a grapefruit rind and powerfully hoppy finish that keeps up with the good fruit and herbal hops flavors to underpin the bitterness intensity. A nice lightly caramel malt body sits in the background to support everything else. Very flavorful. Medium bodied with light creaminess; nice mouth feel. A very worthy entry into the crowded Northwest imperial IPA crowd, this has been off my radar, and I'm sorry for it. Very flavorful and with a IBU level that might be a bit over the top, but is nicely balanced by the hops flavors and deceptively mellow malt which supports everything else nicely. I'm impressed and will return to this one. Newly bottled; hope to see this again.