Leinenkugels Big Eddy Imperial IPA

Formerly brewed at Leinenkugel Brewing Company (MillerCoors)
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin USA

Sweet beer with complex hops taste. Hops are of several types giving a slight complex aroma as well. Could use a little more malting to balance out sweetness, but again was a very good beer from this brewery.

Limited handbottle sent from Murrayswine, quickly and fresh. One of the smoothest DIPAs I have tried. Just great bitterness, and tasted and looked as if off the tap. Creamy mouthfeel and soft carbonation was purrfect. C-hop aroma. Orange and grapefruit. I could have drank this all night.

Notes from 4/27/07, on tap @ the Echo Tap. Clear copper orange with a one finger creamy off-white head, pretty good retention, although after a few minutes it did fade to a thick film. Aroma of pineapple, tangerine, and pine--full of juicy fruitiness! Also some sweet caramel/cotton candy is present. Smells pretty bitter. The hops shine here. Flavor is more herbal and piny hops (almost perfumey), with some alcohol. Biscuity malts and sweet light caramel try to balance things out. Semi dry lingering bitter finish that peaks around a 7-8 Burps perfumey pine needles. Low to moderate carbonation, creamy yet slightly prickly. Medium to full body with decent lacing. Leinie’s can make a good beer if they want to!

Received this from a friend a while back. From my notes - seems somewhat out of balance. Decent hop nose and aroma, not enough malts. Somewhat non descript but a decent stab at the style.

Very sweet (but not sugary), fruity, and best of all overly hoppy. I did not taste much malt flavor in this. Lovely creamy head. This is what fine IPAs should be.

Handbottled and served in my Duval snifter: Deep ruby highlight along an tangerine sea topped by a small fading frothy head and some lace. The aroma has notes of grapefruit, orange zest, pear, clove, grassy and resiny hops, and a hint of soap.

The taste is initially caramelized sweetness supported by acidic and fruity hops. The hops however seem discombulated and no one aspect shines. Chalky and metallic upon the lightly spicy finish. The mouth feel is sticky and sharp. It is not bad at all considering the source but I have a hard time seeing this anywhere near the better examples of the genre. Methinks it gets a unjust bonus points for being a SABMiller product.

16 oz draft (Bowery bar & grill, WI)-A dark amber body with a huge off white head. An aroma of hops, grapefruit, citrus, and more hops. Taste the same with a nice dry finish. This is a great tasting Imperial IPA. This could stand with any other IIPA. Can’t wait for the Imperial Stout.

Name: Big Eddy Imperial IPA
Date: 03/18/2007
Mode: Growler
Source: Tasting

clear dark amber, wispy head, huge sweet fruity and piney aroma, sticky sweet body, lots of caramel sweetness along with the sweet pine, plenty of hop flavor along with the sweetness, light bitterness lasts through the finish without detracting from the sweetness,

Aroma: 8/10; Appearance: 8/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 8/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 3.9/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **4