11th Anniversary Ale - Imperial IPA
Carolina Brewing Company

11th Anniversary Ale - Imperial IPA11th Anniversary Ale - Imperial IPA
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From:
Carolina Brewing Company
 
North Carolina, United States
Style:
Imperial IPA
ABV:
8.2%
Score:
90
Avg:
4.08 | pDev: 14.46%
Reviews:
17
Ratings:
17
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Dec 03, 2009
Added:
Jun 30, 2006
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Ratings by oberon:
Photo of oberon
Reviewed by oberon from North Carolina

4.44/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I wish I had lived closer to this small brewery when living in NC almost everything I have had from them is top notch including this bad boy.Poured a hazed peach color with a thinner but sticky white head,wow man a hop bonanza in the nose all traits of the blessed hop comes thru pine,resin,citrus,grass,earth,its all there its beautiful.Again the hops are just immaculate on the palate extreme pine and resin,with lingering menthol-like flavors a pretty substansive nutty malt base shows itself but cant compete with the assault of the hops.Wow another great DIPA to be had out there to bad most people outside of NC even alot in NC will not get a chance to try this,awesome.
Sep 03, 2006
More User Ratings:
Photo of weeare138
Reviewed by weeare138 from Pennsylvania

4.09/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thanks to warriorsoul for sharing this...
Appears a hazy but semi-transparent light amber with a small white head that quickly fades into a small collar. Spotty bits of lacing is left around the glass.
Smell is of huge biscuits, pine, citrus, black pepper, spice, and lots of hops.
Taste of the mentioned aromas with a bitter finish. Lots of bitter hoppiness coming through with pine resin.
Mouthfeel is medium-full bodied, resinous, and chewy.
Dec 03, 2009
Photo of beer2day
Reviewed by beer2day from North Carolina

4.37/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Aged 1 year in the beer fridge.

Pours a deep copper with nearly 1 inch of head. Yields excellent lacing. Aroma is intensely hoppy, very fruity in its hoppiness. Initial hit is very creamy leading to a thick mouthfeel for an iipa, finishes creamy and then the bitters kick in.

Wished I'd saved a few more of these ...
Dec 29, 2008
Photo of brentk56
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

3.88/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance: Pours a clouder amber color witha one finger head that sticks and laces

Smell: Most of the hop aromatics have faded by now so this is largely a blast of caramel

Taste: As expected, the Carolina caramel flavor is strong, up front, but there still is some piney bitterness that arrives by mid-palate; after the swallow, the pine takes over and the finish is long-lasting and balanced

Mouthfeel: Full bodied and creamy, with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: Whoever said that the Carolina beers don't age well was mistaken with this beer; I discovered it in the back of my fridge and was initially wary; despite the fact that the hops have faded somewhat, this is drinking very nicely indeed
Apr 26, 2008
Photo of Vancer
Reviewed by Vancer from Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Blackie sent this as part of the NOBSBETA BIF, and what a great frosty. Man, I wish I had a sixer of these and an empty fall afternoon.

The one I did have poured nicely into a NB snifter, mahogany oak capped with a lacey ivory head. Yummy aroma of a woody, caramel pine cone. This blended smoothly into a dry red amber woody IPA, tasty with no hint of the 8.2% Slick and oily body just adds to the enjoyment.

This should have been been brewed regularly, shame it’s for the 11 annv only – sniff, I need another!
Sep 03, 2007
Photo of Bitterbill
Reviewed by Bitterbill from Wyoming

4.23/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This pours from 12oz bottle(bottled on 06/28/06) a very cloudy peach colour with a huge head of foam. After a few minutes, it settles down to a solid layer with lots of sticky lacing.

The smell is complex. I'm getting a lot of caramel malt, citrus hoppiness, and spice.

The taste on first sip has caramel malt up front with a huge hop bitterness that catches up and takes control. As I swish it in my mouth, I get an intensification of the caramel along with a big burst of floral hoppiness and those 2 working together almost overwhelm my palate but...in a good way. Very nice sipper and sip I must. The alcohol, though not intrusive for the style, is definitely there and since there's about 6" of snow on the ground right now, it's also most welcome.

Further sips in and I begin to notice the citrus, mainly grapefruit and some lemon, and it reaches its high point mostly near and through the finish. Long lingering aftertaste there. Good stuff.

Bottom line: This DIPA is, pretty much, nothing like any other I've tried so far but being different, in this case, translates to very tasty
and something that is worth seeking out.

Thanks go out to brentk56 for including this one in our trade!
May 06, 2007
Photo of goodbyeohio
Reviewed by goodbyeohio from Connecticut

1.79/5  rDev -56.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 2
cheers to all the deadtongue crack smokers below. what are you people thinking?

8.2%, 12oz.

glowing red, looks thick yet clear. looks like a bigfoot. head barely exists and evaporates quickly into a solid ring and some cloudy surface patches. smells like a fart trapped in tin foil, with rotten grapefruit rinds boiling in tomato juice. first sip is akin to drinking perfume. dry and floral quickly turns to extremely bitter, chalky, and punishingly unforgiving in its abrasiveness. without any perishable hop accents, drinking this becomes reminiscent of imbibing soapy water... if said water was loaded full of harsh metals.

four or five sips into this beer, already want to drain pour it. drinkability is a hard factor to judge here. at this point in my life, i could probably drink rubbing alcohol with very little obstacle. this beer goes down, harshly, and would probably be a real problem for a lesser being to sip.

granted, it's 6 months old.. but it should not have gone this far south this fast, especially given its abv.

giving the benefit of the doubt saves this beer a couple of .5's, but still overall a huge disappointment and a far cry from anything in the vein of true west coast dipa.
Feb 06, 2007
Photo of mentor
Reviewed by mentor from Colorado

4.28/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
Wel, I got an IIPA from GCBrewingCo...it must be the 11th. Mike thanks for the opportunity. Pours a 1.5 finger sand-tan head over a clear clopper (slight orangish) liquid. Nice sheen and it poured thick. Smells potent piney and oranges. Clean almost mainly pine with little co-humulone. Sharp snowy and winterfresh.

Tastes bubblegum hops. A bit woody dry with rounded flavor. Some co-ho adds an interesting dimenstion, but doesn't attack. bitter?...yes, a touch. For a DIPA, pretty much in line with expectations. Malt?...not really. But, this *is* an IIPA. Not terribly complex. The ending flavor simply persists as the aftertaste. Sort of a citrus fruit in the hop I can't get a finger on. More tangerine, not lemon acrid puckering. Even more gentle than tangerine. gentle in acid and experience, not fillness of flavor. Quite full. This is a unique DIPA. I've never had a hop character like this. I absolutely *love* the newness of it all.

Overall, I like it. Not overly dry. Sorta smoky and barleywine hoppish without being too overbearing or too dry. I'd happily take another. Md body (less than I'd like) and modest carbonation.
Dec 26, 2006
Photo of OldFrothingSlosh
Reviewed by OldFrothingSlosh from Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
12oz. bottle courtesy of AKSmokedPorter. Many thanks for this gem, Flash!

Bottled on 6/28/06 and weighing in at 8.2% ABV, this was the perfect selection for a cold central Pennsylvania evening. It poured a very cloudy dark honey in color with an initially thick layer of surprisingly creamy off-white head that quickly died away to a thin out-rim ring. Some lacing of the glass. Aromas are full. Lots of malt sweetness along with all sorts of fruit notes...zest of lemons, orange rind, pine sap. Wonderful. The flavor is laced with carmael sweetnes needed to stave off the avalanche of crushed pine cones mixed with fruit juice. ABV hidden. Slick and oily finish. Lots of nice burps. Spot on mouthfeel...just a dash of carbonation. Drinkability is stellar. More...must have more. A stunner from CBC/
Dec 21, 2006
Photo of kmpitz2
Reviewed by kmpitz2 from Tennessee

3.92/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
12 oz bottle. This one is a deep golden color with a finger of light tan foam over top. A solid carbonation is working out of solution and maintaining the head nicely. The brew is fairly hazy, with little light passing through. The aroma is solid with chewy and chunky caramel malt laying the foundation to a solid pine and citrusy hop character. The hop is just starting to fade from brilliant, as would be expected at this time in the life of this brew. The aroma is just thick. Taking a sip, I find much the same as the aroma. First, I am hit with a very resinous piney hop that fades to a peppery hop, and a very strong caramel and bready malt. The flavor is thick, just like the aroma. Mouthfeel on the beer is thick, slightly syrupy and with very little carbonation. I feel this one would benefit from a touch more carbonation. I think this is a fairly nice brew. It has a lot of character both in aroma and flavor. I like it.
Dec 06, 2006
Photo of dhchatfield
Reviewed by dhchatfield from Illinois

4.26/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
Poured into my Duvel Tulip after a long work week.

A - Beautiful copper coloration. Slightly cloudy, nice lacing.

S - Fairly subdued, obviously piney, hoppy.

T - Hippity HOPS! Wow, this one is a blast from the get-go. A strong malt presence as well.

M - Although I gave the appearance a "5", this is the strongest point of this beer, IMHO. Very broad across the tongue & palate. Carbonation is not out of control. Very, very nice.

D- All day. Need I say more?

A solid DIPD/IIPA, very reminiscent of a Stoudt's. Got this one in a direct trade from autumnaldave. Thanks buddy!
Oct 28, 2006
Photo of dirtylou
Reviewed by dirtylou from Oklahoma

4.18/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12oz single, bottled 6/28/06, 1st of 4 bottles brought to me by blackie

appearance: pours into a chalice a glowing dark copper, very fully body, gorgeous fluffy beige head with great retention and big fluffy lacing...flawless, a perfect 5

smell: huge nose...big pungent hop bite jumps out as my nostrils approach the glass...big ruby red grapefruit, strong other citrus hop aromas, dripping pine cone, bubblegum characteristic...great aroma

taste: very high bitterness, dripping pine hits me before any fruit does...hops come in the way of pungent grapefruit, orange/tangerine, and the aforementioned big pine presence. other fruit flavours like apricot and peach come into play in the background...malt balance is minimal but provides a decent background for the hops. By far the best CBC beer I have ever tried

mouthfeel: strong bitterness, medium body

drinkability: hindered slightly due to bitterness but a very enjoyable beer
Aug 25, 2006
Photo of BeerRun13
Reviewed by BeerRun13 from California

4.11/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
This one pours a 99% clear copper tone. A beautiful, thick, creamy, fluffy, off white head provides some A+ lacing. This is what a DIPA should look like!
Good toasty aroma with a strong citrus presence.
Very toasty flavor. The hops are strong, but very well balanced.
Medium to full bodied and well carbonated. This one's on the slick side of things. A bitterness stays in the back of the mouth.
Great DIPA. Decent drinkability. The slick resiny bitterness may take its toll on you... not to mention you might be known as "Drinky McDrunky Pants," after drinking a few of these. Well worth trying. Enjoy!

* Noticed this one was bottled 6-28-06... It probably could have cellared for a while, possibly creating a phenominal brew.
Jul 27, 2006
Photo of feloniousmonk
Reviewed by feloniousmonk from Minnesota

4.37/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Lightly hazed, peach/apricot appearance, nice, but slim, dotted head.

Aroma is redolent with big, bruising, complex hop mix, citric and tropical fruit mingle, bitter, yes, but abundantly sweet.

Taste: huge, vast, bim, bam, bum...thick malty sweetness, enormous hop attack, resiny, but not so bitter. Wait, who am I kidding, I'm so hooked on hops I can't tell when too much is too much. It'd probably kill some folks.

A very powerful brew, this one. Massive presence on the palate, enormous balls on it...smacks you like a barleywine, and not too strong, what, only 8-something? Come on, N.C., you popped the cap, go balls out!

I'm kidding, it's stronger than it needs to be, but it's a bombastic brew, that cannot be denied. Hoo, baba, hoo baba. A nice, and delicious, ale to put me to bed with....nighty night, all y'all.
Jul 11, 2006
Photo of GCBrewingCo
Reviewed by GCBrewingCo from North Carolina

4.29/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
The beer arrived on the bar lightly hazy golden amber with a low white, barely there head which did last enough to lace the glass.

The aroma was strongly citrusy and piney with a peach and pineapple fruity presence. The malt was nicely represented with a caramel maltiness to assist the resinous hop aromatic.

The flavor was malty with a strong piney and pineapple character coupled with a caramel malt flavor. The malt presence, while strong, was overshadowed with resinous and piney hop character and a strongly citrus hop flavor.

The finish was dry with a lasting piney and resinous hop presence long and enjoyable into the aftertaste. The body was medium full with just a bit of a creamy character due to the carbonation level. Just a slight bit of alcohol warming was experienced after consumption. A nice double IPA, quite a bit similar to Great Divide's Hercules in many aspects. Sad that it won't be around for very long.

Pint at 42nd Street Oyster Bar (2 pints actually).
Jul 04, 2006
Photo of silver0rlead
Reviewed by silver0rlead from North Carolina

4.27/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours a cloudy amber with a half inch tan head that recedes quickly. The aroma has huge fresh hop character with notes of grapefruit and pine, as well as caramel and fruity esters. The flavor also starts out with big fresh hop flavors of grapefruit, lemon rind and pine resin, along with caramel and toasted bread notes, some fruity esters and some light ethanol. Mouthfeel is medium to light with moderate carbonation and drinkability is excellent for a DIPA. A very nice DIPA from Carolina brewing, alot of hop flavor without a searing bitterness.
Jul 03, 2006
Photo of blackie
Reviewed by blackie from Oregon

4.15/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
appearance: The pour produces a fluffy 1" khaki head that slowly falls back. A nice layer is left behind on top, and moderate lacing clings to the walls of the glass. The beer is a slightly hazy, rich orange-amber in color.

smell: Though the front of this is all piney, fresh green hops, there seems to be a decent underlying caramel malt backbone. The hops bring with them big notes of acidic tropical fruits such as grapefruit and ripe mango. Drinking the beer relatively warm, a moderate note of ethanol is found.

mouthfeel: Towards the upper medium range in carbonation, with smooth, small bubbles....heavier and somewhat slick in body.

taste: Immediately, the Cascade and Simcoe hops smack me in the tastebuds with a big, green, piney hop flavor and a freakin' huge bitterness. There isn't enough malt in the world to balance this out, but there is just enough caramel sweetness here to keep things reasonable. Some notes of toasted grain are found. A couple seconds after swallowing, the bitterness kicks into high gear and lingers loooong into the finish with just a touch of sweetness. I love some hop burps.

drinkability: Drinkable enough for a DIPA at least. The alcohol is pretty well hidden (save for some belly warming and a slight intoxication), mainly noticeable on the nose.

Picked up a few six packs from the brewery. This is a fresh one, dated 06/28/06...only one day in the bottle. I'm interested in what a couple months or more will do to this beer.
Jun 30, 2006
11th Anniversary Ale - Imperial IPA from Carolina Brewing Company
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 17 ratings