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The Imperial
DC Brau Brewing Co.


Beer Geek Stats
| Print Shelf Talker
- From:
- DC Brau Brewing Co.
- District of Columbia, United States
- Style:
- Imperial IPA
Ranked #1,554 - ABV:
- 8%
- Score:
- 89
Ranked #11,816 - Avg:
- 4.05 | pDev: 6.91%
- Reviews:
- 11
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Feb 11, 2023
- Added:
- Feb 12, 2021
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
SCORE
89
Very Good
89
Very Good


Notes:
Behold, The Imperial, a true new school hybrid IPA deeply imbued in roots from our traditional American IPA ancestry with the heavy-handed dry hopping of hazy IPAs. This stellar liquid vessel utilizes technologically advanced hop products to create a sensorial blast of vibrant citrus & tropical fruit that flies upon a soft and pillowy mouthfeel.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by haines710:
Reviewed by haines710 from Delaware
3.93/5 rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
3.93/5 rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
They added this beer to the DC Brau mixed 12-pack. Very solid addition. I like their beers and always happy to try something new. This is a very malty and hoppy DIPA. Scent is mostly malt not a lot of citrus and taste follows. Nice mouth feel and very flavorful. Not fruity. Just an Imperial IPA. Nice finish. Not strong alcohol flavor but it will sneak up on you
Aug 09, 2021More User Ratings:
Reviewed by dshay23 from Virginia
5/5 rDev +23.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
5/5 rDev +23.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
For an imperial It wasn’t bitter at all, great tasting beer, gives u that nice buzz u want if ur gonna hop on a stage and do some stand up comedy or throw on ur dancin shoes and go split the pole! Just what I was lookin for. I was surprised the watering hole I went to didn’t have this beer on draft cuz it was much better than the other DC brau beer (joint resolution) that they did have on tap! Suffice it
To say, if ur lookin for a nice DIPA then go buy this one! Get er done!
Aug 25, 2022To say, if ur lookin for a nice DIPA then go buy this one! Get er done!
Reviewed by dbl_delta from Pennsylvania
3.99/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.99/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Can dated 9/14/21 into pint glass. Pours a hazy deep gold with a medium off-white head. Good lacing. Initial impression is pink grapefruit, pineapple, mango, and orange. Slightly sweet. Mouthfeel is soft and pillow-y. Finish is clean, with very little residual bitterness. Overall, a very enjoyable (but unremarkable) DIPA.
Nov 26, 2021Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina
4.02/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.02/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance: A bit of a bubble show produces a two-finger head perched atop the clear amber liquid; good retention and lacing action
Smell: Piney with a solid caramel backbone; stone fruit and earthy hops
Taste: Caramel malt forward, with stone fruit flavors emerging; piney and earthy hops, in the middle, with a balanced finish
Mouthfeel: Medium body and moderate carbonation; a touch of warmth from the ABV
Overall: This is an older can so the hops have faded somewhat and it tastes like an old school IPA, as a result
Nov 09, 2021Smell: Piney with a solid caramel backbone; stone fruit and earthy hops
Taste: Caramel malt forward, with stone fruit flavors emerging; piney and earthy hops, in the middle, with a balanced finish
Mouthfeel: Medium body and moderate carbonation; a touch of warmth from the ABV
Overall: This is an older can so the hops have faded somewhat and it tastes like an old school IPA, as a result
Reviewed by daliandragon from Maryland
4.03/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.03/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Medium clarity, copper golden color and solid head. Nose has some pine and herbal notes and a touch of malt. Balanced and very drinkable for the high voltage. A little watery in the finish but the carbonation is set just about right to balance it. This is not terribly complex or groundbreaking, but an easy drinking DIPA is still a fairly impressive feat.
Jul 16, 2021Reviewed by MikeWard from Pennsylvania
3.94/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.94/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12oz can into a tall glass. Canned 4/6/21, so 3 months old.
Looks good in the glass. Hazy dark orange body. Small white head shrinks to a ring and covering, but leaves rings of lacing early on.
Hard to find much on the nose, a little dull fruit.
On tasting, hops have faded a little, but still a presence. Fairly sweet, quite warm, abv apparent. A little spice note pops in now and then.
Mouth medium, finish sweet, warm, with a hint of spice bitterness.
Overall, intrigued to try a fresher can, but as it stands, this is an enjoyable drink.
Jul 03, 2021Looks good in the glass. Hazy dark orange body. Small white head shrinks to a ring and covering, but leaves rings of lacing early on.
Hard to find much on the nose, a little dull fruit.
On tasting, hops have faded a little, but still a presence. Fairly sweet, quite warm, abv apparent. A little spice note pops in now and then.
Mouth medium, finish sweet, warm, with a hint of spice bitterness.
Overall, intrigued to try a fresher can, but as it stands, this is an enjoyable drink.
Reviewed by larryi86 from Delaware
4.1/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.1/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 oz can poured into a can glass
A- A some clear amber with a two finger white head.
S- Piney, caramel malts, floral, stone fruits, citrus, earthy.
T- Citrus, piney, earthy, caramel malts, some stone fruits, touch of wet grass.
M- Smooth, medium body.
O- This might not be On The Wings Of Armageddon, but still a solid DIPA.
Jun 05, 2021A- A some clear amber with a two finger white head.
S- Piney, caramel malts, floral, stone fruits, citrus, earthy.
T- Citrus, piney, earthy, caramel malts, some stone fruits, touch of wet grass.
M- Smooth, medium body.
O- This might not be On The Wings Of Armageddon, but still a solid DIPA.
Reviewed by Smakawhat from Maryland
4.09/5 rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.09/5 rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from the can into a Spiegelau IPA glass. Canned April 6th 2021.
Real gorgeous body color. Gem glowing deep orange, with a nearly crystal clear appearance. Some faint carbonation, very fine, slowly rising and meeting up with a big bubbly bright white head. Creamy topped, but also soapy like retention, with shampoo touches of lace and cling. Real beautiful looking IPA.
Very enjoyable classic old school nose. Big touches of bitter green pine and dank earth on the nose. Crispy and even some biscuity malt mixing with a nice accenting caramel sweetness. This already reminds me of an amped up "Corruption" IPA of theirs already, it seems very similar (at least from my memory). Spicy and even some hints of tea as well in the hop profile.
Palate seems to be a bit more simple. Malty forward a bit, with touches of light honey, and oily hop character. Slightly resin and sappy in the mid palate, with a good hop bite. Finishes with a bit of earthy tones, and more classic double malt sweetness and touching booze.
Mentions citrus and tropical notes on the can, but that really doesn't seem to come across at all to me. Fade? Possibly… Either way, still comes off like a good solid amped East coast classic which is perfectly fine for me.
May 30, 2021Real gorgeous body color. Gem glowing deep orange, with a nearly crystal clear appearance. Some faint carbonation, very fine, slowly rising and meeting up with a big bubbly bright white head. Creamy topped, but also soapy like retention, with shampoo touches of lace and cling. Real beautiful looking IPA.
Very enjoyable classic old school nose. Big touches of bitter green pine and dank earth on the nose. Crispy and even some biscuity malt mixing with a nice accenting caramel sweetness. This already reminds me of an amped up "Corruption" IPA of theirs already, it seems very similar (at least from my memory). Spicy and even some hints of tea as well in the hop profile.
Palate seems to be a bit more simple. Malty forward a bit, with touches of light honey, and oily hop character. Slightly resin and sappy in the mid palate, with a good hop bite. Finishes with a bit of earthy tones, and more classic double malt sweetness and touching booze.
Mentions citrus and tropical notes on the can, but that really doesn't seem to come across at all to me. Fade? Possibly… Either way, still comes off like a good solid amped East coast classic which is perfectly fine for me.
Reviewed by BikeChef from District of Columbia
3.67/5 rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.67/5 rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Pours a deep, opaque copper. Not clear, but not hazy either. Nose is of caramel with fruity and floral hops. Taste is of toffee with a good dose of only slightly bitter hops. This is sorta like if you took a DIPA from 2010 and gave it a new 2021 hairdo. Definitely a throwback with the heavy malt presence, but less bitter and with more of a modern hop flavor.
Mar 09, 2021Reviewed by cjgiant from District of Columbia
3.91/5 rDev -3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
3.91/5 rDev -3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
The beer has a light haze on its near copper amber body. The head is quite strong, and falls loosely to a spongy mass with an almost coral-like lace pattern against the glass.
A clean toasted malt with some melon sweetness, with a few granules of brown sugar. There's a slight roughness to these sweeter notes that seems to be the hop bitterness getting into the action. Herbal and pine notes weave together with malt in a little dance where the more bitter notes end up leading with a light hand.
The nose at this point is a bit more old school, with some dankness mixed with citrus and toast (orange marmalade on brown grain toast comes to mind). I'm getting some of the melon I tasted initially, as well as some herbal note with a little earthy spice bite.
Fairly crisp, with a near dry finish, and it doesn't throw its ABV around. The beer is fairly balanced but definitely lies on the bitter side of things. It doesn't have the raw bitterness that I associate with the "roots" of the American IPA. The feel is definitely more old school, and I'd say the malt profile would lean that way. The hops are a mix of old and new flavors, with that aforementioned "softness" that I think is more new school. Overall, I'd go with a pretty good old school American Pale Ale.
Mar 06, 2021A clean toasted malt with some melon sweetness, with a few granules of brown sugar. There's a slight roughness to these sweeter notes that seems to be the hop bitterness getting into the action. Herbal and pine notes weave together with malt in a little dance where the more bitter notes end up leading with a light hand.
The nose at this point is a bit more old school, with some dankness mixed with citrus and toast (orange marmalade on brown grain toast comes to mind). I'm getting some of the melon I tasted initially, as well as some herbal note with a little earthy spice bite.
Fairly crisp, with a near dry finish, and it doesn't throw its ABV around. The beer is fairly balanced but definitely lies on the bitter side of things. It doesn't have the raw bitterness that I associate with the "roots" of the American IPA. The feel is definitely more old school, and I'd say the malt profile would lean that way. The hops are a mix of old and new flavors, with that aforementioned "softness" that I think is more new school. Overall, I'd go with a pretty good old school American Pale Ale.
Reviewed by MrOH from Malta
4/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Slightly hazy amber with off-white head, nice retention and excellent lacing
Blood orange, red grapefruit, and papaya aromas
Much more of the tropical type flavors on the palate, ripe papaya, a little bit of mango and guava as well, soft malt
Medium bodied with good carbonation
Well done.
Feb 12, 2021Blood orange, red grapefruit, and papaya aromas
Much more of the tropical type flavors on the palate, ripe papaya, a little bit of mango and guava as well, soft malt
Medium bodied with good carbonation
Well done.
The Imperial from DC Brau Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
89 out of
100 with
14 ratings
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