Breckenridge 471 Small Batch IPA

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

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.

Off taps Capital Ale House. Clear Amber Orange with small white head. Floral and citrusy hops dominate aroma with some supporting sweet pale malt aromas. Flavor starts with a big floral hop bang that fades to a moderate malt sweetness with some citrusy hop bitterness. Moderatly well carbonated with a finish that is moderately sweet with a good deal of lingering hop bitterness.

22oz bottle. Pours a clear copper color with a medium half way sustaining off white head that left good lacing. Aroma and flavor of hops hops hops. Lots of citrus notes of orange and grapefruit on top of a sweet carmal like malt base. Meduim body with a oily texture and soft to lively carbonation. The alcohol is barely noticable except where it counts. Fo the price one of the best IIPA’s out there. BB has done a wonderful job with this brew. Thank you Breckenridge.

650 ml. Clear copper-orange with a two-finger, lasting head. Sweetish grapefruit, green herb, and slight cat-spray aroma. Initial flavor of orange, grapefruit, molasses, and flowery honey turns to more grapefruit, resin, earthy leaf and wood, cat-spray, and some toasted nut. Near-medium body is smooth with a dry finish. A little rough on the edges, but the best offering by far I’ve had from this brewery.

12oz. This is the epitome of an orange beer. The white head is heavy and kind of falls, making it look like egg whites that have been whipped to short peaks. The nose on this baby is intense, citrus, lemon zest, caramelized goodness. Flavor profile follows suit with a bit of menthol from the alcohol. Decent amount of sweetness, mouthfeel is a bit disconnected but it worked well with a smoked chicken. I didn’t even notice until now (a day later) that it was 9.2% alcohol. A spectacular effort.

22oz. bomber. Pours a deep, clear, gold with light orange highlights and thick, short-lived, off-white head that leaves some specks of lace on the glass. The aroma is very grassy and pungent green hops. There is some light citrus/pine and some sweet crystal malts in the aroma, but it is mostly funky hops (the catty spiciness of chinook and simcoe). The flavor starts bittersweet with a lot of piney hops and lots of sweet malts. There is also a flavor of ethanol in there. At mid-palate, the bitterness grows to almost astringent. The sweet malts reveal some breadiness and toasty melanoidins, too. The beer finishes medium-dry with a strong bitterness and a soft, almost honey-like residual sweetness. The mouthfeel is smooth, full-bodied, and exceptionally creamy and slippery. Even though the carbonation isn’t really strong, it’s tickle is accentuated by the sting of alcohol and very bitter hops. Overall, a decent double IPA - very bitter, very sweet, but not quite balanced (could stand to be a little drier and less sweet with a touch more late/dry hops and a touch less bitter hops).

bomber. hazy gold orange pour. caramel, grass, pine aroma. pine, hop, malt, citrus on the taste with a fair amount of bitterness. good but not great. K-7