Imperial Red
Hop Valley Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appearance- Pours up a pretty good amount of head which looks to have decent to good retention. The head is an off-white/light tan while the body is a dark amber with hints of garnet which appears as medium to (but mostly) dark amber when held up to the light. Lacing is sporadic.

Nose- Shows some fruitier hop notes at first- a tiny bit of citrus (orange and lemon, some grapefruit) which quickly moves to pine and resin. Very piney with touches of matchstick. Maybe papaya. Some caramel as well. Swirling doesn't add much. Overall aroma makes me think this going to be more of bitter hop bomb than I'd like.

Taste- Starts off with a good amount of fruit (much more than the nose) that shows the citrus of the nose but even a splash of cherry. Almost fruit punch in a way. This occupies some of the flavor profile which then gives way to big notes of pine and resin, also matchstick. Nothing that is too domineering at the moment and seems to contrast well with the front. Some tropical fruits with softer fruits of peach and mango which interact well with the cherry. A bit of a mix between a juice and a bitter hop bomb. There is definite woodiness and even earwax on the finish but it doesn't have too much of a linger. Some caramel but the beer is mostly about the interplay of different kinds of hops. The bittering hops are still a little much for me at the moment but I do like what this beer brings to the table. Pretty much a good, solid beer that adds another dimension to a rather vague style.

Mouthfeel- A little bit less than medium bodied with some syrup and appropriate carbonation. It does have some zip to it, which is a little distracting.

Drinkability- Somewhat easygoing but part of its difficulty is what makes it interesting. A complicated beer that is far from sessionable but different enough to legitimize it. 5 bucks is pretty fair for a bomber. There's an off-chance I would buy this again.

Overall- Might not be something I would buy again but still a pretty solid beer. The more bitter aspects of the beer start to mellow and make this closer to the juice bomb type of hoppy beer that I prefer. It still has a good counterpoint of bitterness to give it structure but it does become a little more accessible. Definitely worth a try- I can see this beer becoming a go to beer for some.

 

Bought from "Lifesource" natural grocers in Salem. $3.79 This is now called Imperial Red ( but has the Rasta lion logo bottom of label) and its now 8.5% alc. Pours a wonderful dark amber.cloudy and with a lovely looking bubbly yet thick light tan head. Heavy toffee/caramel malt notes in the aroma..slight spicy/resiny hop. Nice thick bitter burnt toffee type malts,smooth dark chocolate and cold espresso tasty indeed, hops show inn the end nicely. Great smooth ,thick yet drinkable mouth feel. Lovely aftertaste. Excellent strong amber!

 

 

 

Served on tap into a snifter glass

A- Poured a dark reddish brown color (closer to brown), off-white frothy head left webbed lacing.

S- Huge pungent and sticky dank, resiny, piney, and some citrusy hops. Really no malt character in the aroma, but this is one powerful, potent, and pungent hop aroma.

T- Big red malt character with fruity and citrusy notes, some dank and resiny hops on the finish with a slight medicinal taste. Moderate to high bitterness on the finish, but juicy malt character up front.

M- Medium to fuller boide, prickly carbonation, smooth, and dry.

O- THe aroma on this beer is ridiculously hop forward. The taste has a lot of hop presence but not like the aroma, the malt and hops balance itself I guess you would say but they are both bold.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Picked up this bottle during my 7/4 trip to Bend, OR. Poured from the bomber into a tulip glass on 8/2/11.

A: Deep dark copper, almost brown with red highlights. Tan/light brown head that fades to only wisps.

N: Malty toffee and fig with a piney backing.

T/M: Follows the nose with a nice piney citrus and a hint of coffee at times. Full bodied with a dry resinous finish.

Good balance for an Imperial Red--a bit darker and heavier than anticipated, but very good. Not totally sure how this beer fits with the style, but I thought it was beautiful and delicious.