Clipper City Heavy Seas Big DIPA

Brewed by Clipper City Brewing Co.
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Baltimore, Maryland USA

Bomber from Chevy Chase in DC. Deep amber color with a nice off-white head. Aroma is good with earthy/floral hops standing out as well as a little sweet malt. Flavor is not quite as good, but still decent. Loads of sweet caramel malt, earth, resin, citrus, and alcohol. More bittering hops than aroma/flavor hops though, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but makes this really stand out as an east coast DIPA. Palate is syrupy and a little more boozy than I’d like it to be, which isn’t surprising really for a 10.6 percenter. Middle of the road DIPA overall.

Bomber pours clear copper with 60 second tan head. The aroma is bold with pulsing pine hop goodness and some resin along with a bit of sweet malts and a touch of grapefruit hops. The taste begins with a pulse of malt sweetness that gets stomped out quickly by pine hop bitterness and pine hop flavor and some grassy – resiny bitterness. By about midway it smooths out with a second pulse of slick malt sweetness with increasing hop bitterness into the finish. It does seem like an American style barleywine

Bomber from Green’s in Columbia. This is a bright orange colored beer with a decently formed head. The aroma is fairly hoppy. I can tell a boatload of hops was utilized in the brewing process but the end result fails to realize a superbly defined IIPA nose. Some citrus, melon, and wooden bitterness are noticed as well as more than ample malts. The palate is very sticky with a full flavor profile hiding the alcohol deftly. The finish is bitter with substantial bite, but could definitely use some more real hop character in the flavor. I appreciate the clarity of their standard IPA more, though this is a reasonable brew.

[2394-20090801] Bottle. Rich hoppy grass aroma is a little toasted. Clear, amber orange body with a quick foamy light tan head. Toasted sweet yeast flavour has a barbecued pineapple aftertaste. Medium-full body. Nice and drinkable, rich and tasty.
(w/ others @ BCTC; Cooperstown, NY)

Bottle from Belmont Party shared at NATIFEST ’09. Poured a clear dark copper color with a minimal frothy off-white head that mostly lasted with good lacing. Moderate to heavy sour citrus and small malt aroma. Medium to full body with a smooth texture and soft carbonation. Medium to heavy bittersweet flavor with a medium to heavy bittersweet finish of moderate to long duration. This is a very good drinkable beer.

Pours a nice copper color with an off white head. Aroma is caramel, biscuit, and nice resinous citrus hops. Flavor is caramel, biscuit, and very resinous citrus hops.

Clear orange copper with a small white head. Heavy caramel malty aroma wrapped in citrus hops. Flavor is quite sweetnwith a bit too to much alcohol. Medium full body. Decent but a bit heavy on the alcohol presence.

Excellent DIPA with lots of body, and fruity hop aroma and taste. ABV well hidden. Best that I have tried by this brewer! Red amber color.