Clipper City Heavy Seas Big DIPA

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

22 oz. bottle. Clear orange/amber pour develops a somewhat small, yet very persistent, ivory head with some thick, sticky lace. Inviting aroma of caramel and toffee complemented by a large dose of fresh hops, mainly citrus and pine resin. A notable alcohol presence comes through late. Full, rich body that is smooth on the palate, with a bit of sweet, resinous stickiness, and the understated carbonation does not detract. Lots of rich caramel flavor begs for deliverance, and the big hit of grapefruit zest bitterness does not disappoint. A slow building dry finish lingers satisfyingly. This is a beer that noticeably improves with warming. Teh hops, although well featured, still take a back seat to the malty character, making this much like a hoppy barleywine.

Chestnut colored with an inch of fluffy tan head. Aroma is lime, tangerine, and tropical fruits. Citrus plays heavily into taste with rich malt presence and high residual sweetness. Borders on an American barleywine, really. $5.6/22oz

Draft at CAH courtesy of Maniac. Pours a clear golden dark amber with ring of wispy khaki head. Nose definitely has some alcohol burn to it, that almost covers the strong hop presence. Flavor is not nearly as boozy, Pine and earthy hops. Hot and fruity finish. Very nice and cool ass label.

Bottle from JW77. Amber pour. Malty and lightly hoppy on the nose it leads to a pretty malt driven beer but a good hop flavor and hop bite finds you at the end. Pretty good overall.

Big bold pine nose, which quickly fades to a caramel aroma with lurking bitterness. Pours a clear reddish-amber, with a big fluffy off-white head. Strong caramel malts, with a nice long bitter finish. Just a touch of heat from the alcohol. A nice solid beer from Clipper City, coming in at a good price point.

Bomber. Pours a darkish coppery brown with a sudsy beige head and aromas of caramel malt and pine & citrus hops... although a little on the underpowered side of things. I recently picked up four bombers of new-to-me double/imperial IPA’s, and this is number three. Of the three to date, this is the best. The body and flavor are not overwhelmingly syrupy, and maybe would classify as watery per the style. Still, the caramel and toffee malts seem to play nicely against the strong alcohol and hops. Things do get a little sticky at the end, but the sweetness has a nice darker side to it (not that annoying buttery sweetness). I liked this one quite a bit, especially considering the over-the-top bottles of the last few nights.

Pours an amber orange with medium off-white head, minimal lacing. Aroma is sweet, decent hop profile, slight caramelized malt, and a little pine. Flavor matches well, but sweetness dominates in my opinion, which shouldn’t be that strong. Hops are a little subdued also, so definitely not a favorite DIPA.

22oz bottle. Pours a dark amber orange with a pillowy soft off-white head. Mild aroma of floral hops and bready malts. The taste is sweet with little hop bitterness for the style. Spicy hop finish with a subtle alcohol burn. A good beer, but a little lacking in the hops department.