Imperial Cabinet
The Bruery

Imperial CabinetImperial Cabinet
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From:
The Bruery
 
California, United States
Style:
Wild Ale
Ranked #341
ABV:
8.3%
Score:
93
Ranked #4,020
Avg:
4.17 | pDev: 9.35%
Reviews:
40
Ratings:
208
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 30, 2023
Added:
Aug 24, 2015
Wants:
  19
Gots:
  70
Many things can happen when collaborating breweries come together. Like us and Jester King. We both share a deep affinity for sour and wild beers. But rather than rest on our laurels, we challenged ourselves to brew a beer reminiscent of a nearly forgotten, early 20th century cocktail, the Ramos gin fizz, employing our wildly traditional methods to do so. We began with some of the cocktail's signature ingredients - lemon, lime and orange citrus fruits, botanicals and sweeteners (sorry, no egg whites) - and then let our collaborative brewing process run wild. The result is laden with herbal and floral notes, bright lemon and lime zest, orange blossom honey, vanilla, warm oak and comforting spices. The Ramos gin fizz is a hard cocktail to find, and when you do, it takes 10 minutes to make. Our collaboration with Jester King will be similarly elusive; however, it took nearly a year in the making.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by 2beerdogs:
Photo of 2beerdogs
Reviewed by 2beerdogs from California

3.9/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
I find this one very interesting. By reading the description, I thought it wouldn't be for me...Starting with the citrus zest, hints of bitters, and the feel of this is, well, cocktaily. And that is exactly what they were trying to create an homage to with a sour ale. I'm glad I got a few bottles. It's very unique.
Nov 29, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of colts9016
Reviewed by colts9016 from Idaho

4.69/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Review: 1997
Name: Imperial Cabinet
Brewery: The Bruery/Jester King
Location: Placentia, California/Austin, Texas
Style: Wild Ale
A.B.V.: 11.2%
Date: 13 June 2019
I am drinking Imperial Cabinet today using a glass made for this beer. I served it at 44 degrees. The pour created an airy, foamy, two-half-fingered, light tan head with above-average retention. The color is amber with reddish brown hues, charting around S.R.M. 16. The beer is clear with bits of yeast floating. The dissipation left no lacing on the glass. The appearance is above average for this style.
The initial aromas are cherries, horse blankets, barnyard funkiness, citrus, and honey. Swirling the glass a few times, I smell lightly toasted malt, herbal, spicy, acetic acid, vanilla, and lightly toasted malts. The gin barrel aging adds a fun dynamic to the beer personality. The woodiness tempers the acetic acid yet allows the sourness to blossom. The warmer the beer gets, the more fragrant the spices and aromas. Juniper berries begin to make their presence known.
I thought this beer would have an intense sourness, yet the wood aging mellowed it out. I taste limes, oranges, lemons, gin, herbal, juniper berries, honey, vanilla, char, lightly toasted malts, yeasty, barnyard, earthiness, acetic acid, and funky. Well, balanced beer.
The mouthfeel is tarty, finishing crisp. The body is medium with medium-plus carbonation.
This beer is fantastic! It tastes like a fresh cocktail with a beer twist. I wish I could get another one of these beers. I love the balance and the harmony. The sourness is bright and crisp yet not overbearing.
Dec 30, 2023
Photo of Rogerlb
Reviewed by Rogerlb from California

3.98/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Special Bruery wild ale, no date visible on this blue glass bottle.

Poured into a Resident Brewery tulip glass. Slightly opaque gold, leaning to a muddy orange. Minimal ring of head but with good lacing when you swirl. Aroma is lime, juniper, bit of malt, gin, dead worms and funk like the strawberries have been left out too long. Taste is tart: lime zest, cardomon, sour wood, rose petals, rain. But mostly lime. Feels much more carbonated than the slim amount of bubbles may suggest. They call out "gin fizz" in the description and and it's easy to imagine that gin barrels were part of the process.

Tastes a bit boozy. Wild/ sour aspects fully present. Finish is dry and less sharp. Lime juice with flowers in it.
Oct 23, 2021
 
Rated: 4.7 by Ristaccia from Nebraska

May 10, 2021
 
Rated: 4.33 by BirdsandHops from Oregon

Apr 06, 2020
Photo of HattedClassic
Reviewed by HattedClassic from Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
The beer pours very little head and what little does show up immediately goes away. The beer itself is a good clear golden orange with a slight brown hue to it.

The smell is fairly good. It has a moderate funk note that blends well with the various citrus notes coming out of it. There is a strong lemon note tempered by a light lime and moderate orange that hovers around the edges; alongside a wooden note. There is also a slight herbal note but comes out more in the finish then anywhere else.

The taste is pretty good and better than the smell. The lemon still comes out the most but not for long before it transitions to a lime and orange note. However, it reappears in the finish. The wood note isn't present but the funk along with a noticeable vanilla in the finish.

The feel is light but with a tiny bit of heft to it. It is smooth and acidic with a dry finish.

Overall, an interesting and delicious beer that is definitely worth trying out.
Apr 04, 2020
 
Rated: 4.44 by JamieDuncan from Maryland

Jan 02, 2020
Photo of bubseymour
Rated by bubseymour from Maryland

4.45/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Alcohol well disguised. Not overly funky or complex but a moderate to high acidity and sourness. Very good.
Dec 24, 2019
 
Rated: 4.27 by tyjohnson55 from California

Dec 22, 2019
 
Rated: 4.16 by Gagnonsux from Texas

Oct 05, 2019
 
Rated: 4.39 by cd34 from Illinois

Aug 11, 2019
 
Rated: 4.08 by Jason_cs from Florida

Jan 30, 2019
 
Rated: 4.07 by Wisconsin_IPA_Lover from Wisconsin

Dec 10, 2018
 
Rated: 4.31 by mig100 from Texas

Nov 24, 2018
 
Rated: 4.45 by BrueryDC from California

Oct 10, 2018
Photo of StonedTrippin
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
what a treat! modeled on the gin fizz, this is a highly fragrant and effervescent brew that has a neat mix of wild character from both breweries. this is the second collaboration between the two i have been able to source this year, seems like a cool and fun relationship they having going on. i dont get a ton of the gin botanicals in either the nose or the taste, its a lot more citrus fruit than it is juniper, spruce, or any sort of pine-like or medicinal herbal elements, lime and orange up front for sure. i get a lot of oak right away too, a new sort of clean thing going on, neither vinous nor whiskey soaked it doesnt seem, a cool vehicle for the familiar jester king wild profile, and a little bit of tartness beyond that. i get heaps of vanilla here, maybe all from the oak, maybe its added, but its pungent in nose and is nice with the lightly sour brew and the citrus. notes of green tea, tart berries, and like some kind of fruity essential oil. funky, musty, dry, and active. the carbonation is enormous, and it really makes this refreshing. curiously strong, i dont pick up on the higher abv at all while i am drinking it. a need collaboration here, a beer i am sure will age gracefully as well. it wasnt as gin forward as i was expecting, but i really like the complexity and uniqueness. always a joy to drink beer from both of the breweries involved here!
Oct 01, 2018
 
Rated: 5 by redfox405 from Virginia

Aug 05, 2018
 
Rated: 4.83 by GreatStoutman from Texas

Jun 18, 2018
Photo of Prager62
Reviewed by Prager62 from Colorado

4.18/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
A bottle received from the generous BA 2beerdogs a couple of years ago. I usually cringe when I see the word 'spices' on a label and probably sat on this for that reason. Poured in a supplied Bruery tasting glass for the occasion.

Look- Pours a very clean translucent sparkling gold leaving a few centimeters of soapy white foam that quickly settles. Not a trace of lacing to be seen.

Smell- Vanilla, musty oak, herbs/spice, citrus and mild funk.

Taste- Slightly sweet vanilla forward, followed by lemon/lime, allspice and oak.

Feel- Tart and crisp with a very dry finish.

Overall- I can't say with any degree of certainty how prominent the spices were fresh, but they're a perfect accompaniment to the rich vanilla and citrus profile now. A very clean and easy drinking 8.3% make it dangerous on this hot, humid day.
Jun 17, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by Kurmaraja from California

Jan 04, 2018
Imperial Cabinet from The Bruery
Beer rating: 93 out of 100 with 208 ratings