Imperial IPA
Legend Brewing Co.
- From:
- Legend Brewing Co.
- Virginia, United States
- Style:
- Imperial IPA
- ABV:
- 8%
- Score:
- 88
- Avg:
- 3.94 | pDev: 10.91%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 46
- Status:
- Inactive
- Rated:
- Jan 07, 2015
- Added:
- Jan 30, 2005
- Wants:
- 5
- Gots:
- 4
SCORE
88
Very Good
88
Very Good
This intense and substantial Imperial India Pale Ale boasts 8% ABV a meaty malt backbone, and a huge hop character! Aged three months and dry hopped for two weeks, this big orange monster is allowed to mellow while it picks up about as much hop aroma as any beer can realistically hold.This popular brew is available on draft only and it won't last long.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by argock from Virginia
4.05/5 rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
4.05/5 rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Poured from a 22 oz brown bottle into a Duvel tulip. No freshness date. Purchased at Market Street Wineshop (Charlottesville, VA) for $5.99.
A: Deep amber with 1-finger light beige head with decent retention and a nice strip of lace around the top of the glass.
S: A big time Columbus hops aroma with pine, grapefruit pith, and resin with the signature meaty, pungent herbal aroma. Maltiness is moderate caramel but mostly clean slightly bready pale malty aromas.
T: The flavor of this brew was surprisingly very good with smooth earthy and grapefruit citrus hops flavor, some pine and resin too. The hoppiness is pretty complex and well-integrated. Again very telling for a dominant Columbus character. The maltiness is very subdued but well-done with a more light caramel quality. The maltiness is "meaty" as they describe, but I think this is bolstered by the high oil content and earthy flavor of the Columbus hopping. The alcohol is very much in the background, and there is no fusel quality which I can't always say has been the case with other Legend products. This brew is very smooth and drinkable.
M: The feel is very slick and solid -- body is medium, possibly more, and the carbonation is smooth and supports the chewiness that comes on with working through the bottle.
O: I did not have high hopes for this beer, but it definitely surprised me in a very positive way. If you are a Columbus hops fan, it is a must-buy. I can't say I have always been the biggest fan (see reviews of Sixpoint beers) but this beer is starting to make a believer out of me. Great job Legend.
Dec 13, 2012A: Deep amber with 1-finger light beige head with decent retention and a nice strip of lace around the top of the glass.
S: A big time Columbus hops aroma with pine, grapefruit pith, and resin with the signature meaty, pungent herbal aroma. Maltiness is moderate caramel but mostly clean slightly bready pale malty aromas.
T: The flavor of this brew was surprisingly very good with smooth earthy and grapefruit citrus hops flavor, some pine and resin too. The hoppiness is pretty complex and well-integrated. Again very telling for a dominant Columbus character. The maltiness is very subdued but well-done with a more light caramel quality. The maltiness is "meaty" as they describe, but I think this is bolstered by the high oil content and earthy flavor of the Columbus hopping. The alcohol is very much in the background, and there is no fusel quality which I can't always say has been the case with other Legend products. This brew is very smooth and drinkable.
M: The feel is very slick and solid -- body is medium, possibly more, and the carbonation is smooth and supports the chewiness that comes on with working through the bottle.
O: I did not have high hopes for this beer, but it definitely surprised me in a very positive way. If you are a Columbus hops fan, it is a must-buy. I can't say I have always been the biggest fan (see reviews of Sixpoint beers) but this beer is starting to make a believer out of me. Great job Legend.
Reviewed by rfgetz from New Jersey
3.78/5 rDev -4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.78/5 rDev -4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Pours a crystal clear lightly copper tinted amber with small cap of white soapy froth, decent lacing. Scent is lead by decent floral and grapefruity hops but quickly eaten up by nutty malts. Taste is like scent in that a pleasant hop profile leads before nutty malts take over, hops definitely not aggressive enough to justify the dIPA tag. Medium bodied, good carbonation and lightly drying. A good IPA, but clearly not a dIPA with the moderate hop profile.
Jul 04, 2011
Reviewed by Tucquan from Pennsylvania
3.7/5 rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
3.7/5 rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Had this on 2011-05-02 in Columbia, PA
A - Caramel/mahogany color with a light tan head and pretty good lacing.
S - Very fragrant even from a distance. Caramel, earthy spice, some citrus, mild bread.
T - Interesting combination of flavors. There's a barrel-aged, wine-like flavor that mixes with the strong caramel/toffee and citrus fruit. It's initially pretty sweet but it finishes with quite a bit of lingering grapefruit bitterness once it starts to dry out. I also notice a touch of sourness and black pepper in the aftertaste. Fairly boozy for an 8.5% ABV brew.
M - Medium-heavy body and medium carbonation give a thick, creamy and oily feel.
O - This is a good but not great DIPA. The flavor profile is more malty and earthy than citrus and so isn't where my heart lies but I enjoyed the new flavor experience.
May 02, 2011A - Caramel/mahogany color with a light tan head and pretty good lacing.
S - Very fragrant even from a distance. Caramel, earthy spice, some citrus, mild bread.
T - Interesting combination of flavors. There's a barrel-aged, wine-like flavor that mixes with the strong caramel/toffee and citrus fruit. It's initially pretty sweet but it finishes with quite a bit of lingering grapefruit bitterness once it starts to dry out. I also notice a touch of sourness and black pepper in the aftertaste. Fairly boozy for an 8.5% ABV brew.
M - Medium-heavy body and medium carbonation give a thick, creamy and oily feel.
O - This is a good but not great DIPA. The flavor profile is more malty and earthy than citrus and so isn't where my heart lies but I enjoyed the new flavor experience.
Reviewed by BeerFMAndy from Wisconsin
4.07/5 rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
4.07/5 rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
22 oz bottle split and poured into a New Belgium Globe glass.
8.5% ABV, no date.
It's disturbing how often I whip my tick out around Beerwolf77. Thanks for sharing Todd!
A - Great clarity right off the bat shows off the ruby bronze color with a nicely formed and well-retained, slightly off-white head. Pinches of lace are left behind on the glass.
S - Juicy citra hops have a nice grapefruit and guava citrus aroma backed nicely by caramel and amber malts. Woody and earthy undertones give the aroma a very nice depth and uniqueness.
T - Smooth, round caramel and toffee malt profile in the background that is a bit more powerful than it should be. Is this old and the hops have faded in flavor? Maybe not because they're certainly potent in the nose. Odd juicy fruitiness pairs with a deranged type of earthiness to it.
M - Medium-bodied and smooth with an almost creamy finish that's lacking a good hop bitterness for a double, another reason it may be a little past it's prime...hmm.
O - No alcohol is perceived in this at all, it goes down very well but needs a larger hop presence in both flavor and bitterness assuming it's not a bit old. Otherwise, as the grade would reflect, it's still quite a good double IPA.
Mar 29, 20118.5% ABV, no date.
It's disturbing how often I whip my tick out around Beerwolf77. Thanks for sharing Todd!
A - Great clarity right off the bat shows off the ruby bronze color with a nicely formed and well-retained, slightly off-white head. Pinches of lace are left behind on the glass.
S - Juicy citra hops have a nice grapefruit and guava citrus aroma backed nicely by caramel and amber malts. Woody and earthy undertones give the aroma a very nice depth and uniqueness.
T - Smooth, round caramel and toffee malt profile in the background that is a bit more powerful than it should be. Is this old and the hops have faded in flavor? Maybe not because they're certainly potent in the nose. Odd juicy fruitiness pairs with a deranged type of earthiness to it.
M - Medium-bodied and smooth with an almost creamy finish that's lacking a good hop bitterness for a double, another reason it may be a little past it's prime...hmm.
O - No alcohol is perceived in this at all, it goes down very well but needs a larger hop presence in both flavor and bitterness assuming it's not a bit old. Otherwise, as the grade would reflect, it's still quite a good double IPA.
Reviewed by blackie from Oregon
3.3/5 rDev -16.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.3/5 rDev -16.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
a: served in a wide chalice, the beer is a deep amber in color, floating a finger-width off-white head that falls down to a wispy layer
s: toasty caramel malt, fermenting fallen apples, brown sugar, wet fall leaves, some diacetyl-like buttered apple, oxidized orange juice, grainy graham cracker, no fresh hop aromas to be found, gets a slight bump in score for carrying some interesting components despite a weak status as a "dipa"
m: carbonation hovers just around moderate, the body light-medium with a slight sugary malt weight
t: leafy, toasty malts, caramelized sugar, hops muddled - more oxidized citrus than the great fresh rind you might expect, no hop vitality, fermenting fruit, grainy graham cracker, a dried grass bitterness grows slightly to moderate in the finish, vivid hop flavors are greatly lacking here and sorely missed, alcohol slight but intoxicating
o: it's not a "bad" beer, but it's a wimpy, sweet dipa with hints of the off character that plagues a few Legend beers, tends towards the English side of the dipa spectrum, if there is such a thing
bomber from WF, Arlington
Mar 27, 2011s: toasty caramel malt, fermenting fallen apples, brown sugar, wet fall leaves, some diacetyl-like buttered apple, oxidized orange juice, grainy graham cracker, no fresh hop aromas to be found, gets a slight bump in score for carrying some interesting components despite a weak status as a "dipa"
m: carbonation hovers just around moderate, the body light-medium with a slight sugary malt weight
t: leafy, toasty malts, caramelized sugar, hops muddled - more oxidized citrus than the great fresh rind you might expect, no hop vitality, fermenting fruit, grainy graham cracker, a dried grass bitterness grows slightly to moderate in the finish, vivid hop flavors are greatly lacking here and sorely missed, alcohol slight but intoxicating
o: it's not a "bad" beer, but it's a wimpy, sweet dipa with hints of the off character that plagues a few Legend beers, tends towards the English side of the dipa spectrum, if there is such a thing
bomber from WF, Arlington
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