Cloud Hopper Imperial IPA | Free State Brewing Co.
Brewed by:
Free State Brewing Co.
Kansas, United States
freestatebrewing.com
Style: American Double / Imperial IPA
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 9.20%
Availability: Rotating
Notes / Commercial Description:
No notes at this time.
Added by LambicPentameter on 05-10-2013
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Ratings: 93 | Reviews: 17
Reviews by Flashyspoons:
4.5/5 rDev +17.8%
Flashyspoons, Mar 14, 2014
More User Reviews:
4.67/5 rDev +22.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75
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.
426 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75
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.
426 characters
3.36/5 rDev -12%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Rich copper color. Minimal head and brilliant clarity. Looks more like an a maibock. Pine like hop aroma with a bit of a caramel malt aroma. If I had not known it was supposed to be a double IPA I'm not sure what I would call it now. The taste is heavy pine hops with a strong malt backbone. The grapefruit hop flavor is intense,followed by a strong malt presence,and then a long, lingering bitter grapefruit fade. Mouthfeel is a bit chewy and sticky,appropriate to the style.
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look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Rich copper color. Minimal head and brilliant clarity. Looks more like an a maibock. Pine like hop aroma with a bit of a caramel malt aroma. If I had not known it was supposed to be a double IPA I'm not sure what I would call it now. The taste is heavy pine hops with a strong malt backbone. The grapefruit hop flavor is intense,followed by a strong malt presence,and then a long, lingering bitter grapefruit fade. Mouthfeel is a bit chewy and sticky,appropriate to the style.
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3.19/5 rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
3.81/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
BBD of either June or July of 2014, not sure about that, but smells fresh...
Pours an effervescent copper/orange with a finger of cream colored head. Great lacing & pretty good head retention
S: Catty notes, leafy hops & tangerine
T: Pineyness, orange peel, cattiness & pineapple up front. Some cakeyness as this warms, but mostly leafy hops, a touch of pine & tobacco & dryness, plus grassiness. Finishes dry, with a hint of aspirin, much pine, some lemon grass & pineapple & just a flash of booze heat & leafy hops
MF: Medium bodied, firm carbonation, good balance, warming
Solid DIPA, not great, well worth picking up a 4-pack, drinks very easy
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look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
BBD of either June or July of 2014, not sure about that, but smells fresh...
Pours an effervescent copper/orange with a finger of cream colored head. Great lacing & pretty good head retention
S: Catty notes, leafy hops & tangerine
T: Pineyness, orange peel, cattiness & pineapple up front. Some cakeyness as this warms, but mostly leafy hops, a touch of pine & tobacco & dryness, plus grassiness. Finishes dry, with a hint of aspirin, much pine, some lemon grass & pineapple & just a flash of booze heat & leafy hops
MF: Medium bodied, firm carbonation, good balance, warming
Solid DIPA, not great, well worth picking up a 4-pack, drinks very easy
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3.25/5 rDev -14.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.7/5 rDev -3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
BBD : 9 14
Dark hazy orange, saturated color, lots of visible carbonation. Clinging collar of parchment colored foam, thin broken skim eventually forms after the thin cap of foam subsides.
Aroma of toast, dried citrus peel, and caramel malt. Flavors of pine, dried grapefruit peel, dried florals, and caramel malt. Firm residual bitterness in the aftertaste. Body is medium to full, thankfully not sticky sweet. I was able to drink two over the course of an hour. Would try this again fresher, it seemed to be a decent DIPA especially for the price.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
BBD : 9 14
Dark hazy orange, saturated color, lots of visible carbonation. Clinging collar of parchment colored foam, thin broken skim eventually forms after the thin cap of foam subsides.
Aroma of toast, dried citrus peel, and caramel malt. Flavors of pine, dried grapefruit peel, dried florals, and caramel malt. Firm residual bitterness in the aftertaste. Body is medium to full, thankfully not sticky sweet. I was able to drink two over the course of an hour. Would try this again fresher, it seemed to be a decent DIPA especially for the price.
551 characters
4.1/5 rDev +7.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
3.86/5 rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
12oz bottle from LambicPentameter (thanks man!). Best by 8/14, so I assume bottled 5/14. Served in a goblet.
Pours a brilliant orange gold with a one and a half finger pale cap. A halo and island of head remain, depositing a good bit of lace.
Dank, sweet nose. Floral, rubber, citrus, bread and mild caramel. Not bad but a bit "off" from expected for the style.
Flavor is notably better than aroma. Bitter sweet tangerine, petals, mildly dank (but not overpowering) onion/garlic, grapefruit, caramel, bread, peppery spice and a pronounced but fitting alcohol. This strikes a balance between dank and citrus hops that I've not experienced before.
Sticky, slick medium feel with lively carbonation. Lingering bittersweet aftertaste of rind, earthy floral and bready malt sweetness.
Good stuuf here. Well balance on a few levels- between types of hop flavor, between hop bitterness/ malt sweetness and between strength/ drinkability. Perhaps not earth shattering but this is really nice.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
12oz bottle from LambicPentameter (thanks man!). Best by 8/14, so I assume bottled 5/14. Served in a goblet.
Pours a brilliant orange gold with a one and a half finger pale cap. A halo and island of head remain, depositing a good bit of lace.
Dank, sweet nose. Floral, rubber, citrus, bread and mild caramel. Not bad but a bit "off" from expected for the style.
Flavor is notably better than aroma. Bitter sweet tangerine, petals, mildly dank (but not overpowering) onion/garlic, grapefruit, caramel, bread, peppery spice and a pronounced but fitting alcohol. This strikes a balance between dank and citrus hops that I've not experienced before.
Sticky, slick medium feel with lively carbonation. Lingering bittersweet aftertaste of rind, earthy floral and bready malt sweetness.
Good stuuf here. Well balance on a few levels- between types of hop flavor, between hop bitterness/ malt sweetness and between strength/ drinkability. Perhaps not earth shattering but this is really nice.
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3.56/5 rDev -6.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
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.
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look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
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.
409 characters
4.03/5 rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
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.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
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.
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Cloud Hopper Imperial IPA from Free State Brewing Co.
3.82
out of 5
based on 93 ratings.