Imperial IPA
Back East Brewing Company

 

 

 

Nice Conifer Taste Compounds Not Too Heavy Hoppiness. Thanks for the FCBlanco Sponsorship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A - chestnut brown in color, the initial pour wells up two big fingers of frothy white head. The head fades to a lacy ring in not too long. The beer is lade with sediment and carbonation

S - a mellow hop profile. I would easily pick this out as an IPA, not sure if I'd get that its a DIPA from the aroma. The hop aromas that are there are of the piney persuasion. Some other aromas as well, notably tea solids. All in all a crisp, clean aroma

T - There's the DIPA! The hop profile is piney and floral and well rounded. Plenty bitter for the hop heads as well. The hop note ends with a bit of the nice musty hoppiness. As tasty as the hoppiness is, it's rather one sided. Hops, hops, and more hops.

M&D&O - Back East is new, nearing their one year anniversary. They have the basics of quality down, just going to take time nail down the nuances. The hops are great, the beer is good. The balance isn't quite there yet. It will get there. Well done BEBC.

 

 

 

 

 

Grabbed this beer in my ongoing quest to try every DIPA I see. It's a local one, not well-known or reviewed, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to try something new.

Appearance - Golden/amber color, cloudy, consistently bubbling. Decent head; maybe a little less than 2 fingers.

Smell - Piney citrus notes over distinct malt undertones. The smell promises the bitterness and lightness of hops, but with thick malt flavors underneath.

Taste - Pretty much what the smell suggests. You're first hit with the pine and malts at the same time, but it finishes very bitter and very alcoholic. After the sip, you're left with the sting of the hops on your tongue and the thickness of the malt in the back of your throat.

Mouthfeel - Light carbonation; malt thickness; not too heavy overall, but don't expect it to be easy summertime drinking.

Overall - A decent beer, and a decent DIPA. I've certainly had better, but it's not bad. My personal preference is for a less pronounced malt presence, but I've also had DIPAs that art much maltier than this (looking at you, Ruination). I appreciate that the hops are piney and flavorful instead of simply bitter, but I don't know if I'd buy this beer again. It was good for a one-time tasting, but it's an intense beer (I can't imagine drinking more than one bottle of this, no matter how committed you are to strong beers), and it didn't impress me overall. But that said, it is decent and it's better than a lot of other local beers I've head, so if you find yourself in Northwest Connecticut, this may be a beer for you to try.