Iron Hill Double Red

Brewed by Iron Hill Wilmington
Style: American Strong Ale
Wilmington, Delaware USA

This beer was listed on their Features menu as ’Red Cindy’, but seemed to match the description of this beer. So instead of added a new beer, I’ll just go ahead and submit my rating under this name. It seems to have many aliases anyway. But by whatever name you call it, this was one fantastic beer! It pours a beautiful amber color with a copper hue. The head was little off-white and left a ton of lacing around the glass. The nose was full of pine, grapefruit, grass, lemon and a hint of caramel. The flavors were inticing and delicious, with dry and bitter notes of piney and flowery hops, a touch of caramel, grass, earth and wood. The balance was superb and the drinkability was outstanding. This is one of those IPA’s that you can drink one right after the other all day long. The finish was remarkably hoppy and dry. Unfortantely I forgot my growler on this trip, but I will certainly make a special trip back just to get more of this!

Draft and grolwered at IHP. Pours clear deep copper with off-white head. Nose is piney hops, citrus, carasmel malt, peppery. Tastes hoppy, piney, with mango, black pepper, tangerine, and a smooth palate, with mild late heat. Smooth and very quaffable.
Earlier Rating: 8/25/2008 Total Score: 4
Draft at IHP. Pours slightly hazy dark strawish with copper edges and a 2-finger, fluffy off-white head. Nose is piney hops, tropical citrus fruit, malt. Tastes assertively hoppy, with some pineapply, melony, and lemongrassy notes, and a solid malt bill, although not as much of a malt bill as the Sly Fox varietals. This one is great.

On tap at Pville location. Listed as Hoppopotamus Double Red IPA. Pours a mostly translucent deep reddish/amber with a medium creamy off white head that left nice lacing. Aroma of caraemel, toffee, nuts, sweet toasted malt, citrus and pine. Flavor was sweet and malty, toffee, caramel, toasted notes, lots of citrusy hop notes and a touch of hop bitterness. But overall really sweet and malty.

Pour a light red color with massive head amazing lacing, i think the rings lasted 10 minutes after i was done. Aroma was very floral and grapefruits. Flavor was the same but malts balanced it out. very very good beer.

GABF 2006: Clear brownish amber color with an off-white head. Big piney aroma on top of citrus. the flavor had a good bit of pine but also full caramel malt flavor. Moderately bitter from the middle to the finish.

Draft @ Iron Hill Wilmington - listed as "Hopkowski". Amber color with a reddish tinge and a small-med off-white head. Aroma is sweet and hoppy - dominated by some grass and pine with some caramel, sugar, and bread. Flavor is a nice balance of caramel & sugar with a nice hop mix, mostly grassy-pine. Nice mouthfeel and a pleasant finish. Better use of malt than most "Imperial/Double Reds", as the others tend to have a medicinal aftertaste and this one achieves a good and tasty hop/malt balance. Good stuff!

Had on draft at Iron Hill, Wilmington. This beer came out a malty red, with very little head. It smelled strongly of fresh hops, and that’s exactly what it tasted like. However, the hop flavor quickly dissapated with an aftertaste that was a little too sticky sweet for me. No taste of alcohol. I would definitely order this again.

A very fine take on the style, definitely doesn’t fall into boring caramel malts with lots of piney and resinous hops, like some of the other imperial reds I’ve had. Pours a nice peachy reddish color with a huge off-white, slightly peachy foamy head. Lacing was great, rings around the glass all the way down. The aroma was nose capturing, lots and lots of floral notes (lavendar and roses?), somewhat perfumey, grapefruity. Was a bit scared to taste it after that strong girlie smell, but the flavor was solid, following the aroma in a mellow way and mixing in a decent caramel malt backbone and some fruity notes of melons and passion fruit. Mouthfeel was crisp and only moderate for an imperial beer of any style, alcohol WELL under control.