Legacy Hoptimus Prime

Brewed by Legacy Brewing
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Reading, Pennsylvania USA

I ordered a glass at a bar called Life in Brooklyn, NY. Turns out the beer doesn’t tarnish the name of the great Optimus Prime. Light amber with a smooth, thin white head layer in appearance. There are some citrus flavors in the fizzy medium, and a wonderful creamy mouthfeel. The hops are strong, but not overpowering as the name might suggest - this was actually a pleasant surprise. The aftertaste was dry and bitter. It reminds me of some Belgian ales - yummy stuff.

22 oz bottle, via Stateline Liquors. Pours a slightly cloudy copper body with a small fizzy white head that faded to a thin wispy film. The nose is a little lacking in hops, especially for a double IPA. Lots of sweet crystal malt and a touch of alcohol. Moderately bitter upfront with not a whole lot of distinction to the hops. The overwhelming theme of this one is big heavy stale iced tea crystal malt, with the hops clearly in the background. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a slight caramel malt stickiness on the back end. Moderate fizzy carbonation. This was ok, but there was a serious lack of complexity to the hops, just lots of bitterness and too much crystal malt.

Poured clear honey with a moderate flocculent white head that laced nicely. The aroma was redolent of fresh hops, quite oily and resinous, mellifluous malt, citrus, and brown sugar. The flavor was true to the nose, the citrus was both reminiscent of lemon and orange, and resinous notes initially came off a little soapy but paired well with a spicy meal. Palate was that of a medium bodied ale punctuated with a carbonated bite, and finished bitter and resinous. Quite satisfying but not cloyingly hoppy, rather smooth for an Imperial.

THOUGHTS: It was a little more like a regular IPA. Not enough malt in this one.A nice hoppy beer, but way off for the style. A little more malt showed up as it warmed, but it was still a little too hop heavy for my taste. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a medium to dark orange with a small, off-white head that mostly diminished. The aroma was lightly malt, moderate to heavy pine, resin, grapefruit and orange hops, along with a little solvent, band-aid and something rubbery. The flavor was orange and grapefruit hops mostly. There was a little malt and also some pine hops. It had a long finish duration. The medium to full body was sorta oily then dry with fizzy carbonation and a dry and slightly metallic finish.

Welcomes itself to my glass, metallic orange with a creamy top. The beer is a bit thin-bodied but packs a punch of citursy hoppiness, a damn drinkable brew. Stupid name though. (#3478, 11/2008)

On tap at Frisco Grill in Columbia, Md. Served in 10oz. dimpled tulip. Everything about this beer seemed moderate. Aroma was of grapefruit with some subtle maltiness. The flavor was somewhat predictable, enjoyable and balanced. This was my first experience from Legacy Brewing.

Bottle in the swap 3.0 pours a somewhat cloudy golden orange with a nice lacy white head. aroma is a sweet citrus and a little pine hops a good malt converges with the hops to make it very delicous smelling. the flavour is very smooth wiht the hops being sweet and very good the malt plays well eiht the hops a very nice balanced IIPA very enjoyable.

Bottle. Pours a cloudy orange body with a white head. Sweet citrus fruit, tangy grapefruit, with a sweet malt backbone, and pepper spiced hop resins. Solid beer.