Otter Creek Imperial India Pale Ale

Brewed by Otter Creek Brewing
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Middlebury, Vermont USA

22 oz bomber. Pours a clear copper with a thick and creamy beige head. Very hoppy aroma with hints of grapefruit, floral tones, mango, and bitterness. Taste of mango, grapefruit, pine, floral tones, bitter hops and caramel. Excellent IIPA.

Bottle. Pours a clear orange brown amber with a large creamy white head. Huge pineapple and spicy grapefruit aromas and a nice malty background, and a touch of caramel. Just like their RIS, I’m already impressed with this one. Sweet and spicy, really nice pineapple, medium bodied, lots of citrus notes. Finishes with a huge grapefruit bitterness.

This is a fine beer with good strong bitterness and an almost coffee acidity in the finish. Nice amber appearance with good lacing and mild foamy head. Overall, I liked this beer but unfortunately I feel that it is just more of the same when it comes to this style.

(22oz bottle) Crystal clear amber body topped by rocky, medium off-white head that leaves nice lacing. Aroma is moderately pine, orange/grapefruit, light caramel. Taste is moderately sweet, juicy grapefruit/pine, some orange/floral, spice, bread/caramel. Sticky medium-full body, low carbonation, light alcohol acidity. Alcohol noticeable but balanced by the huge malt backbone.

Draft in snifter at The Comet. Poured a clear copper color with an average frothy off-white head that mostly lasted with fair lacing. Heavy complex citrus hoppy aroma with a alcohol tone. Medium body with a slick texture and soft carbonation. Medium to heavy bittersweet flavor with a medium to heavy bittersweet and small alcohol bite finish of moderate duration. This is a standout beer.

Bottle sampled as a bonus beer at the Left Hand tasting at Blacklick Wine & Spirits on 7/9/09. Clearish copper pour with a big off-white head. The different hop varieties come out in the nose with noticeable piney, citrusy and spicy characteristics. There is some sweet malt in there as well. Flavor is malty at first before the hops take over. Lots of pine and citrus with some spice from the Simcoe. Lasting bitter finish. Knew nothing about this one going in and it far exceeded my expectations.

I’m baffled by some of the ratings here. This is probably one of the most boozy beers I’ve ever had. This was a great ipa...untill they decided to add cheap vodka instead of fermenting.

Nice solid hop nose. Notes of pine, with a bit of caramel behind it. Pours a clear amber, with a large fluffy white head that leaves great lacing as it fades. Nice bitterness, with an oily mouthfeel. There is a bit of astringency noticeable, but this is about the only flaw I can find. Overall, a quite tasty IIPA.