BridgePort Hop Czar Imperial IPA

Brewed by BridgePort Brewing (Gambrinus Company)
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Portland, Oregon USA

Name: Hop Czar
Date: November 23, 2008
Mode: Bottle
Source: Liquid Solutions
Appearance: cloudy burnt orange, fine frothy beige head, streaks of grey lace
Aroma: sweet spicy aroma, touch of fruity character, light citrus, bit of pepper
Body: creamy body
Flavor: sweet malt flavor, nice spicy hops, light balancing bitterness, touch of pine, growing sweet fruity citrus
Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 13/20
Rating: 3.3/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **+/4

(22oz. bottle) Pours a hazy golden orange body with a small white head. Aroma of leaves, mustiness, grass, pine, and florals. Flavor of hops (resin, pine, grapefruit) and caramel malt with a bitter finish.

22oz bottle acquired in trade with riversideAK -thanks!-. Poured a medium and slightly hazy amber color with a large sized off white head. Aromas of floral hops, a little earthy, and citrus. The floral earthiness dominates. Tastes of fruitiness, floral, caramel, and some toastiness. Fruity sweet and a lighter bitter hoppiness. Alcohol content well hidden.

Bottle: Pours a slightly hazy amber bronze with stringy-lacing off-white head. Aroma of resiny grapefruity hops and lightly sweet caramely malt. Starts with good fullness and sweet lightly toasty crystal maltiness with a nice balance of citrusy flavoring hops before a crisp, bittersweet finish. Pretty well balanced and very drinkable, but could be a little more assertive on the hoppy front. Nonetheless, a pretty good brew.

Bottle. Big, syrupy and sticky throughout. Sharp, biting celery and toothpaste/mint hops, along with an astringent green tea note make this double IPA somewhat unpleasant, brash, unrefined and needlessly aggressive. Passable.

Bottle: Pours a muddy cherrywood color with a nice light head and sticky lacing. The nose is earthy and dusty with some pale malt and a pronounced rye and columbus note. The flavor is fairly bitter, not a huge body for its size. Crisp and spicy mouthfeel and a creamy herbal finish. Not my favorite combo of hops but it is rich and satisfying nonetheless.

Bottle from PC Market of Choice in Eugene, OR. Copper amber color with a decent off-white head. Aroma is lots of fruity/floral hop over mildly roasted malt. Almost medium body with creamy carbonation. Flavor is fruit, with floral ester and very light malt (or the malt is just buried). The finish is lightly citrus, floral and decently bitter. Very pleasant nose. Pleasures the mouth.

Poured a hazed amber with a good sized off-white head. the aroma was of floral and perfumey hops with some light citrus notes. Citrus and citrus rind bitterness mix to form most of the flavor. Light malt and a mild-moderate sweetness. Citrus and spicy bitter finish. A fair amount of warmth. More than the two 11% beers I just had. Almost medium bodied.