Cloud Hopper Imperial IPA
Free State Brewing Co.

 

On-draught @ The Anchor, Wichita, KS.

Hides its ABV well.

C+ / ABOVE AVERAGE

Draught @ Brewpub: This one pours a hazy amber with a small tan head on it. There was some lacing. Nice nose. Tropical, pine, floral and some earthy notes. The taste is good. Somewhat bitter with no residual sweetness Tropical, floral and pine hop flavors. Nice.

Look: a turbid and bubbly burnt orange with a medium off white head and plenty of lacing

Smell: tropical fruit, piney resin and sweet malts steal the show, more fruity than I was expecting

Taste: grapefruit, some pine and malty sweetness, bitterness is present

Feel: smooth and creamy, goes down easy for a huge bitter dipa

Overall: much more grapefruit and sweetness than I was expecting, well balanced, not quite a home run but a quality beer from Free State nonetheless, it won't be a regular for me but I'm glad I tried it

extremely well rounded for a big ipa, also somewhat old school tasting to me in its hop complexion and malt balance. its a sturdy one, strongly alcoholic as they go, but balanced and not so sweet as a lot of these get. instead it has a big ripe C varietal hop complexion with a mix of the northwestern vegetal spiciness and the fresh cut pine, its oily and sort of rich on the hops side, plenty bitter to finish, and just a little bit intense with the alcohol and all the hops there. the grain is fuller bodied, seemingly proteiny, even healthy, bready and just a little toasted, a light crystal with the pale barley i would assume. smooth in the feel for how robust the flavors are, spruce and even a hit of juniper in here to finish, majorly bitter, but still a balance. i like this beer, and i like what free state is doing with their stronger stuff, they all seem classic, born from the old school but modern enough to be relevant. this is one of those, not on trend or anything, just well made ipa that seems timeless to me...

Ok, so I am drinking this out of a paper cup in a Hampton in Wichita and it is hard to get a good look at this beer. Here goes anyway. Pass on the "look," smell is nothing special but the taste (what matters) is really good. At 100 IBU this is a hop lovers beer. If I could get this in Phoenix I would make it my beer for special occasions only because it is 9% ABV and expensive at $10 for 4. Otherwise I would drink it often. Feel is just fine for a high ABV Imperial IPA, but nothing special. Overall gets a boost because taste gets a higher weight from me.

If you like IPA's and are in a place, like a Hampton, where you can survive the high ABV, this beer is the bomb.

 

Drank out of a shaker glass.

Look: light to medium amber with a medium to medium plus haze.

Aroma: big malts and yeast on the nose. Some burnt orange poking through.

Taste: aroma translates to the palate along with a nondescript bitterness which heightens the burnt orange flavor and covers up the high alcohol content.

Mouthfeel: Pretty thin for 9.2%. On the plus side it's not syrupy.

Overall(style points): at 9.2% this beer is a huge malt bomb. It has enough bitterness to counteract sweetness but no where near enough hoppy flavor and aroma. 83.5 points.

Aroma is very piney, with significant caramel malt sweetness. Muted grapefruit and floral notes add depth.

Flavor is on the sweet side initially, a touch vegetal, citrusy, then becomes very bitter in the biting finish. More bitter than I'd prefer. Aftertaste is earthy.

 

Solid DIPA had on draft at the brewery. Wasn't crazy bitter, nice balance of malts and hops, not boozy at all. Clean finish with no cloying bitterness afterwards. Would get again if I was in the area. Don't know if I ever will be again though.

 

 

 

 

This beer gets better every year. Deceptively smooth and balanced, the hops comes through on the entire beer. Very well done!

Being an IPA lover I found this to be a bit much the hop flavor was great smell and color but the bitterness was very high. Having had beers with more of a hop profile with half the bitter I would not buy this one again. Perhaps it is just the difference in imperial vs. Double or triple IPA. I will still continue trying free state beers this having been the first one. I am still very hopeful for the brand.

 

 

 

 

Pours a hazy, gold color. 1/3 inch head of an off-white color. Great retention and good lacing. Smells of piney hops, citrus hops, alcohol, slight sweet malt, hint of yeast, hint of citrus, and strong resin. Fits the style of an American / Imperial IPA. Mouth feel is smooth and clean, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of piney hops, citrus hops, strong resin, sweet malt, alcohol, and a hint of yeast. Overall, good appearance, aroma, body, blend, and feel.

 

 

 

 

12 oz bottle. Pours hazy orange amber with a small creamy off white head that goes to a thin film that leaves some lacing.

The aroma is sweet caramel malt, tropical fruit and some piney hops.

The flavor is sweet caramel malt, tropical fruit and piney resiny hops. The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with low carbonation.

Overall, a very nicely balanced DIPA. Great blend of sweet caramel malt, fruits and piney hops.