Blue Point No Apologies Imperial IPA

Brewed by Blue Point Brewing
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Patchogue, New York USA

Date: 04/11/2007
Mode: Growler
Source: Tasting

clear dark copper, wispy off white head, drops of lace, sweet fruity aroma with citrus and tangerine, creamy body, lots of hop flavor, well balanced bitterness lingers long into the finish,

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 12/20
Rating: 3.1/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: *4

(draft) Beige head atop crystal clear amber body. Aroma is moderately sweet, orange/grapefruit/mango. Taste is moderately sweet, pine/grapefruit, some tropical fruit, caramel. Medium-full body, some stickiness.

On tap. Poured a medium amber color with a smaller sized off white head. Aromas of citrus, caramel, floral and lightly earthy. Tastes of citrus, caramel, and lightly floral. Resiny. Light alcohol in the finish. Nice balance.

@Ginger Man-on tap-pours a rich retaining light tan head that laces and hazy gold color. Aroma is mild grapefruit/peach. Taste is sweet grapefruit-citrus/resin hops, (cascade+) slick/I2PA mouth feel [OK, found out later it is an I2PA], caramel, secondary husky medium malt, alcohol, some smoky. Mild/OK carbonation.

Quickly fading head covers the opaque, cloudy amber pour. Rather floury and cerealic nose is a bit off-putting, mostly because of its huge yeasty nature that is just weirdly bready. Grainy palate, certainly full-bodied, but failing to focus on the proposed hoppiness. Considerale bubble size, airy mouthfeel. Moderate to high bitterness nevertheless, the hops’ bitterness is present indeed, but their aromas are veiled a bit by the heavy yeast presence. And the same goes for the finish that is all in unclean yeastiness. I don’t mind an unclean IPA if the yeast has some idiosyncratic character, but it is not the case here.

Sampled from a growler: Pours a transparent copper orange with a nicely-lacing frothy white head. Has a nice, fresh citrusy and piny hoppy aroma with good sweet malty notes. Starts with a decent caramely malty sweetness but has a touch of phenolic, almost rubbery flavor before showing some grapefruity flavor. Would be a real nice double IPA if not for the off-flavors.

My Bottom Line:
Wet herbal, earthy hoppiness flavors and bitters this efficient Double IPA’s honeyed maltiness. A very flavorful and complex hop bomb from Blue Point which offers exactly what you expect from this bold American style.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A veil of foam covers the clear pale bronze.
-The nose could have been better defined, but it remains highly competent in attracting the hop lover into this alpha-potent brew.
-The hop flavors range from orangey to leafy to wooden and dry.
-Maltiness offers some sweetness, but is mostly there to support the hop fireworks display.
-Alcohol is well concealed.

On tap at Tap NY.

Draught sample. Pours amber with a white head. Smells of pronounced. layered citrus. Tastes bitter and citrussy with a floral finish.