Beer Valley Leafer Madness Imperial Pale Ale Hop Harvest Edition

Thanks to Jason for sharing! Hazy orange pour. Big piney aroma. Resinous, pine, citrus, and light spruce Very solid offering

Great poor. Creamy and full head with nice lacing. Elegant burned orange/amber color. Faint citrus and malt aroma. Spicy citrus flavor and great palate. Lingers long and bitter on the tongue, almost too long. Like most Pacific Northwest IPA’s, very hoppy, and the fact that this beer is fresh hopped puts in full in your face. Good example of the genre, but not my favorite.

Bottle shared by BBB63- Thanks again MIke! pours a hazy orange with a beige head. some yellow and amber highlights. Great lace. Aroma of mango, orangepeel, caramel, big juicy hops, some booze. great balance. awesome beer!

Bottle shared by JCB. Great example of the wonder of fresh hops. Not overly malty, but well-balanced. Citrus, rind, some resin (but not too sticky). Smooth mouthfeel. Yum.

Thanks to ditmier for the super fresh bottles of the 2009 version. Absolutely scrumptious beer, I have to say. Cloudy orange pour with a nice roiling carbonation. Huge pale malts and grassy hops in the nose, with a healthy dose of juicy wet hop goodness. Settles down to reveal a solid malt character holding things together, but the citrus rind and wet hops are just so delicious when they coat the tongue. Creamy mouthfeel and malts again contribute to balance, but this is one is a delightful hop bomb.

My Bottom Line:
Resinous and sandy hops blossom into citrusy and leafy ramifications within and atop this Double IPA’s crunchy pale malts, sculpting a most compelling flavor profile.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A veil of foam stays atop the cloudy blond.
-The mouthfeel is comfortable, rich yet never heavy.
-The alcohol is well hidden in the expressive hop finish, which is mostly grassy and resinous.
-This must be utter hop heaven on tap!

Bottle; 2009 Fresh Hop Edition.

Bomber served in a tulip. Orange-grapefruit in color with a large oatmeal colored head. Pillowy and dense, good retention... nice. Citrus aroma. Bitter flavor and very bitter finish.

2009 Bottle - Opens with the slightest hiss...Pours a cloudy tan with a small white head...aroma is citric and hop resiny, massive caramel malt, the fresh hop florals are a bit delayed but follow closesly behind as it opens...flavour is sweet right off the bat, sitcky caramel, followed immeidately by grapefruit peel and pine...lingering oily bitterness in the mouth...that and the nose confirm the fresh hops...happy to find adequate carb despite the weak opening...tasty stuff, better than last years...
Earlier Rating: 4/10/2009 Total Score: 3.6
2008 Bottle - Pours lt orange with a medium off white head...aroma is hop flowers, grapefruit and caramel malt...flavour is similar, citric and has a bite at first, neither qualitiy lingers...finishes a bit thin, but still is nice...more tame than the regular leafer...not sure if that translates into better...still fun...