Breckenridge 471 Small Batch IPA

Brewed by Breckenridge Brewery
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Denver, Colorado USA

Ended up with a couple singles from a local stop. I was not too impressed initially, but the beer got better as I settled in. Pleasing aroma of mixed citrus, primarily grapefruit along with plenty of malty sweetness. Glowing amber-copper pour with a smaller off white head and moderate lacing. Plenty of small bubbles from a steady carbonation to keep the eyes entertained. Resinous and smoothly sweet. It’s medium bodied and surprisingly drinkable. Caramel, toffee, and sugar flavors are immediately flooded by a puckering grapefruit bitterness. Aftertaste is very bittering. This is the first IPA or DIPA I’ve had in quite some time, and it satisfied the hop craving. Middle tier in my opinion, but worth the purchase.

In their brewpub refrigerator, the 471 stands out above all the rest of Breckenridge Brewery’s beers, decorated like it is in an altogether separate and elevated class. Breckenridge Brewery’s nobler beer, perhaps. The virbant dark orange body gives way to a top-white foam. The aroma first strikes with a mild prick, tipped with orange, mild hops, brass and other metallic qualities with a hint of pomegranate and juniper to drag the aroma back into the botanical world. The taste, far from being the aroma’s balance of sweet and bitter, is simply bitter. An intense bitterness, followed by an acidic pineapple flavor, a fresh wave of hops raspiness and a finish of dry hops and alcohol. Pretty harsh, or at least, too harsh for this palate.

Bottle from Wine Warehouse in Charlottesville. Brown-orange pour with a medium head. Very strong citrus, pine, grassy spicy hop aroma. Taste is strong citrus hops with a sweet background and a hint of vanilla. Kinda like biting into a tangerine. I like this one.

Really nice looking amber colored beer. I don’t think this bottle was really fresh because there was very little aroma and the hops seemed to have dissipated somewhat. Not a bad beer by any means, but somewhat lack luster. Would like to try this fresh off the tap.

Poured from a bottle into an oversized wine glass a hazy, copper color with a nice fluffy white head. Big smell of citrus hops while pouring, even before the nose got anywhere near the glass. The taste was more middle of the road than expected with nothing over the top. Bitter citrus hops were not overwhelming and the beer had a sweet malt flavor to it.

Draft at Teresa’s Next Door served in a snifter. Pours a deep dark slightly hazy orangey amber with a small frothy mostly white head. Aroma on this one is tons of fresh hops, citrus rind, hops, caramel, hops, and finsishes with some more hops. Medium bodied with average carbonation, well hidden alcohol, and a bitter bite on the finish. Flavor on this one is all about the hops. A really impressive beer but they should call this one a IIPA or Double IPA because as the driver I was a little suprised to find out AFTER I started to sip this one that is was 9.2%.

on tap at Breckenridge brewpub. This beer was very solid and well balanced. All you really need to know is that if you like fresh tasting, biting piney hops you will enjoy this brew. Alcohol is hidden pretty well too.

This is one of my favorite Double IPAs. It pours a barely reddish pale golden color that leaves an off white head that gives a malty at first aroma than makes way for the piney hops to give there effervecent. Tastes of piney hops and some roasted malts, I can taste the alcohol a little. Maybe some pinapple notes in the taste...The only downside of this one is, I’ve found the Chinook hops give a little harsh bitterness that I don’t enjoy too too much. Never the less, I love this great hoppy beer.