Otter Creek Imperial India Pale Ale

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

Bomber. Clear burnt orange with a large and lasting spongy head above. Nose of peppery orange peel, tea leaf, resin and light caramel-banana. Flavor is peppery leaf, with undertones of orange caramel, pineapple, peach, light cocoa and banana. Finish is long with peppery dried cedar, minty grass and toasted nutshell. The peppery notes remind me of rye. Medium body is extremely smoothly carbonated, slightly watery, hoppy-dry and tingly. Dangerously drinkable with barely noticeable warming from the 11%. Beautiful Jack Frost lacing all over the glass. Superb DIPA with a very unique hop blend.

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 turbid deep gold toward copper with 2-finger clingy off-white head. Nose is hops, caramel malt, tropical citrus fruit, peppery. The mouthfeel is excellent, very complex, very well balanced, with a huge malt bill coupled with tangerine, black pepper, and pineapple. Retains a sweetness even through the repour, but is massively hopped, so the two elements always balance each other magnificaently. Extremely well hidden alcohol. This is a world class IIPA, and the best beer Otter Creek has even brewed, bar none.

22oz brown glass pry-top. No date, but just released. I’ve been waiting for this one! Appearance: 2+ fingers of off-white sudsy, fluffy head sits on top of a crystal clear yellow amber body. Nose: Sweet sweet hop candy! Sweet orange peel, pine sap, a little earthy tree bark note. Smells great! Palate: Medium-bodied with lots of sweet malt right up front. The hops come in and bushwack the malt. A total slaughter! They never saw it coming. Lots of bitter pine needles, bitter orange, yellow grapefruit, and a long, bitter and lasting finish. Notes: Excellent! This beer shows that Otter Creek is for real with this new Imperial line and is going to bring on the noise! Seriously bitter, aggressive and has enough sweetness in the center to be just like a DIPA-head’s candy!

Hops, hops, and more hops! Deliciously drinkable! 135 ibu’s, but it drinks like a great IPA.

135 IBU’s, WOW. This brew is hops, on top of hops, stuffed inside of hops. Love it. The bitter bite does linger, but the aroma should warn you that this beer is gonna leave a mark. Pours a very clear light brown with alomst no head. last but not least ....11% WOW!! This beer has no balance whatsoever, but its not supposed to, its a true American IPA

22oz bomber. Bronze-brown color, some haze, but I suspect filtration. Big foamy white head. Dry, sweet, hoppy aroma. Very nice IIPA. On the floral, bitter side, not overly syrupy and thick. Light and doughy on one hand, while lethally hoppy and bitter on the other. Otter Creek has really come correct on this one. You know you are in for it after that hoppy, salt-water, alcohol laced aftertaste settles in. Excellent World Class beer.

This is a very deep, complex and impressive East Coast IPA. Seems to be very heavy on the Simcoe hops. When poured in a glass looks similar to DFH 120. Cloudy. There is a lot going on in this beer. Alcohol is well hidden. People have written that there is a huge malt backbone, but I myself found only a medium amount of malts while being balanced slightly to the hoppy side. Tastes similar to Stone Ruination, but heavier on the alcohol. Overall, this is an excellent DIPA and worth seeking out.