Legend Imperial IPA

Brewed by Legend Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Richmond, Virginia USA

Bright sparkling clear copper body topped by a tall dense manila head. Glass lacing is superb. The head collapses down into a dense foamy finger-sized sheet that sticks around for the duration. This is a mighty fine looking brew. The resinous pine aroma of hops is evident to moment the cap comes off. It only gets more luscious and strong as your nose gets closer to the glass. The Legend house aroma is also present. I can best describe it as buttery even savory. It mixes so well with the sweetness of the malts and the piney hops. The flavor is full of the Legend house character just like the aroma. Pineapple and pine up front, then the buttery notes, finally some sweet malt more caramel than candy. Bitterness is strong as expected and is present from start to finish and all of the way through the lingering aftertaste. The body is medium, soft carbonation. This is yet another great beer from a great and little known brewer. In no way is this a typical IIPA. It is so much more. Bucking the bigger is better trend and instead going for some complexity Legend has created an awesome brew.

Ahhh, the aroma of fresh, sweet grapefruit. Large, foamy, white head, beautiful golden copper color. Wow, very light bodied, and the taste, just as the smell, fresh grapefruit, slightly fizzy and makes your mouth pucker a bit at the end. Found this one very pleasant, guess you’ve just got to have the taste buds for IPA’s. Was expecting a bigger bitter and a little more body since it’s IBU is high and it is an Imperial IPA. Still, this is fabulous. This is beer to me.

Amber haze color, small white head, aroma and tast of grapefruit and bitter taste at the end. Very good Beer

22oz’er ... medium amber with a fortress of a foam head. Wow, this has one of the purest hop aromas I’ve experienced, like pure hop oil. And the beer is simply delicious, not too strong yet fully flavorful, grapefruit, pine, grass and white grapes. Solid-enough malt backbone in this finely made beer, yet another great brew from Legend. (#2843, 5/6/2007)

Dam good. Mild but strong. Citrus but not over the top citrus like many citrus toned brews.

Great coppor color with a thick creamy head. Piney hops aroma. Light carbonation with a wonderful soft mouthfeel. Incredible pine hop flavor backed up with buttery smooth malts. This beer is incredible. As always, legend continues to impress me. This is the best beer I have had from them and most certainly holds its own among any other brewer I have had.

Shining peachy red-gold. Beatific nose, has the usual buttery-flowery character you get from Legend’s beers, but has a massive citric and flowery nose as well. Unique and wonderful smell on this stuff. Great fruitiness in this one, bursts out with citrus, but not just bitterness, nice fruity maltiness comes through. Amazing caramel balance to it. Lightly spicy. A great IIPA, and reinforces my belief that Legend is one of the best breweries emerging into the beer world today.

Clear amber body with medium off-white puffy head with good retention. Aroma is moderately sweet, pine, citrus, herbal, light butter. Taste is moderately sweet, pine, grapefruit, buttery, some caramel, spiciness, pineapple. Medium-full body, resinous, smooth. Serious bitterness in this one, but its blend of flavors is unusual, and quite inviting. Why was this one missing from the East side for the Lupulin Slam?!