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

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

After tasting the peg leg I put on a clothes pin on my nose for this one. But I was pleasantly surprised with a smack in the face bitterness from plenty of hops. Very nice Double IPA.

tulip / brewery fresh taste: taste before april 2005 / inactive, slightly hazy copper body with orange highlight, and some tiny floaties, also. big bone white head that leaves itself in a soapy, rocky, mess. lots of sparkly lace, also. pine, grapefruit, and perfume in aroma and flavor; moreover, a nice and light malt backing to allow for a smooth--yet slightly chewy--slide down the hatch. this is pretty good. i liked it, and OH it’s also a bit oily and you find it has a hefty yet modest amount of alcohol--this is good, to me. more like a strong IPA, though. the IIPAs that are out now can blast this to peices, hence rendering this as weak. this needs more hops, more, more... although it’s still really, really, good.

I am surprised to see this listed as an imperial/double IPA. It is more fruity and malty than hoppy. Quite sweet.

12 oz bottle pours hazy glowing amber-orange color with a thick creamy off-white head that leaves a nice lace in my glass. Sharp hoppy aroma of grapefruit and pine, resinous sticky pine and grapefruit flavors , has a full thick, sticky and slightly syrupy mouthfeel that finishes with a lingering bitterness, has a good malt balance, I need to get more.

Not too shabby. Hazy amber with a small, off-white head. The nose was lightly hoppy, citrus, caramel, malt. Good body to it. Nice carbonation. Flavor was mellow IPA citrus/hops. Not, however, an Imperial/Double IPA. Holds its own as a regular IPA though.

I might have had an infected batch, as there was far too much head despite a relatively slow pour. I used a regular pint glass. Color was gorgeous, head frothy. But it still tasted OK, reminded me more of a regular IPA than a hearty winter seasonal Imperial. For this palate, it was more a session than a sippin’ beer...

12 oz bottle: pours a nice golden honey colour. slightly hazy with a creamy head. the aroma is hoppy. citrus ( orange and grapefruit). with iths of peach, aprciot and honey. its a little thin of an imperial ipa, but a very nice drinkable beer. very smooth malty flavor with hints of peach and honey and a nice hop orangy flavor on the end. not very bitter.

Arrrr matey! Batten down the hatches, there’s a squall coming through and its name is Hops! Beer #3 on my mini winter beer binge for Christmas Eve 2004.