HopTown DUIPA Imperial IPA

Formerly brewed at HopTown Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Pleasanton, California USA

This beer is simply in your face hop attack. It doesn’t pretend to play nice, it doesn’t pretend to be anything other than a hop monster. With that being said, it’s not balanced at all with grapefruit nose and flavor cranked up to max. Fairly sweet, very little malt to back up the hop attack I’d say this is for the diehard’s only. Not sure if I could drink more than a pint of this.

Draft at Naja’s from eary December. Yeah Im a slacker. Coppery orange with a small light head. Caramel malty aroma with some piney hops - maybe not quite enough hops for the malts for me. Flavors were more balanced for me - sweet caramel malts and nice piney hops, with a good bitter finish.

Draft. Deep orange with a thin film of white head. Rich fruity hop aroma. Vegetal, pine hop flavor with a pleasing resin bitterness.. Syrupy alcohol grapefruit finish. Mouthfeel is heavy, hot, and sticky.

Draft @ Najas
Slightly hazed dark amber with a thin white head. Malty caramel and toffee aroma mixed with citrus and pine. Flavor was malty and fruity. Flavor very close to a barley wine. Nice piney hop flavor. Light to medium body.

I had this on draft at Pizza Port’s strong ale fest in carlsbad. I thoroughly enjoyed this beer, the nose was a lot like russian river’s pliney the elder, and the mouth had roasted notes and reminded me of green flash’s 2nd anniversary ale. Definitely going to purchase a few bottles of this when I see it.

I got a knickname from drinking this beer. No no no, I never got a DUI, but a few people started calling me Dewey and this beer became my staple. I had it on tap only, and I was lucky enough to have it on Nitro a few times. On nitro it has a thick creamy light brown head and a dark dark brown body. Looks almost like a Guiness poured in Ireland, but this is so much more. There is a definite nutty taste to it that leaves a smokey rich finish. The amazing part of the beer (and i don’t know if it was the nitro or simply the beer) is that the initial taste is almost hollow and clean. The flavors seem to hide out until it can properly absorb into your throat. Maybe that is why it is such a dangerous beer that bares such a dangerous name. Very drinkable and lively after a few pints, my palate would seriously crave more and more.

A hand bottled bomber courtesy of SDbruboy! Nice label Cliff! ;) What a treat! Pours a large rocky head with a most excellent retention, plentiful lace thats sticky and coating. Clear amber/red color, just a nice looking brew. Nose of pine, citrus, bready malts, spicey and fruity, lightly resiny. Body is medium, lightly chewy and crisp at the same time. Alot of hops slam you first, big and juicey, citrusy and resiny. After that the malt steps up to the plate surprisingly so, lightly sweet caramel malts, pleasent breadyness, lightly grainy. An wonderful balancing act. Finish is lightly sweet, hoppy and grainy. A full flavored brew thats well balanced, a real treat! Thanks again Cliff!

Clear light amber, limited off-white head. Enormous crystal malts bring caramel, cereals and bready flavours, but show no personal identity, while the hops focus on brash fruitiness, pear and pineapple-like. They are so oily at that, that you can’t help but make inevitable associations with butter that are not very pleasant at all. Alcohol hits strong, so does the bitterness, but the aromas were not there to match imo. Slick medium body, dry and citric palate, much tarter than average, the upcoming result being a less than effective balance for my tastes.