Clipper City Heavy Seas Winter Storm (2003-2004 -- IIPA)

Formerly brewed at Clipper City Brewing Co.
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Baltimore, Maryland USA

Nice pour with good off-white foamy head on it which never totally left. The color was an orangey-brown and slightly cloudy although not overtly so. The aroma definitely indicated the hop power in this brew, with a bit of fruit just for accent.The taste was definitely dominated by the bitter hops and just a hint of sweet caramel. The finish is definitely bitter, even more than I expected, but it also had some fruity hints to it. The taste is very well-balanced and highly drinkable, even in the coldest of weather. If the beer is out for any period of time, the malts come out more and begin to gain ground on the domination of hops.

Out of a bottle, sweet floral aroma. Head foamy white. Nice copper/bronze color. Good flavor to it, primarily citrus. Finish slightly bitter but seemed to have a nice balance to it. I’m not a steady IPA drinker but I definitely wish I had another bottle laying around. Good drinking.

Almost tasted a little like a watered down Baltic Porter to me. Tasty though and definitely warming even with a relatively low gravity for an Imperial IPA.

Pours a lovely copper orange amber hue. Big fluffy off white head mostly lasting. Very sweet, perfumey nose. Sweet caramel malts, firm body, steady carbonation, velvety smooth mouthfeel, pungent sweet juicy hops, all grapefruit, grass, resin, more grapefruit. Very nice and drinkable brew. Im curious of their other beers.

Nice hop aroma. Great malt flavor throughout with just enough malt balance. A pretty solid IPA.

Finally a local Double IPA that is bottled, I was truly excited to pick up a 6 of this in the store for a great price. Pours out copper with a tall beige head quickly erupting. The head collapses down to a rocky terrain as I drank this and scattered lacing was left around the glass. Aroma is full of citric and pine hops with a slight bit of caramel that made it self know once this warmed a bit. Big taste of citric bitter hops of front that is balanced by an eventual slightly sweet caramel. More balanced than I usually like my double IPAs but it works out well here. Taste ends with dry grapefruit bitterness. Body is about medium but a little lighter than I would expect. It works here though were as a Stone Ruination it kind of detracts from it. Overall a tasty very drinkable treat of a beer that I will be picking up plenty off in the future. Very sessionable for a DIPA at 7.5% as well.

nice looking beverage. if this beer strutted past a construction site, all the boys would hoot and whistle. bright as navaho sandstone after a rain, i mean a hot terra cotta orange; if the head were a foam pad, you could do gymnastics on it: thick and soft with lace curling like the locks of a young shirley temple. rich mandarin aroma tends to dominate, and nearly eclipses some ginger bread similitudes. one swallow however, belies it’s claim to being an imperial-- it’s medium bodied at best, with a watery feel, and little apparent alcoholic strength. as a fruity ipa, it’s centerpiece feature is that gushing orange aroma, but even that is diminished substantially in the flavor. easy going carbonation, vanilla wafers and citrus-juicy taste carries moderate sweetness, moderate bitterness, and moderate interest.

Pretty good hop aroma, very clear, medium orange in color, starts with a thick head but it dissipates pretty quickly, nice hop flavor and bitterness, aftertaste may be a tad harsh, but overall it’s a very enjoyable brew.