Pennichuck Chief’s Imperial IPA

Brewed by Pennichuck Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Milford, New Hampshire USA

Courtesy of sebletitje. It pours copper with thin off white head. The aroma is rich thick malts and pine hops and feels pretty nice. The taste is thick with viscous malty goodness moving into both pine hop flavor and pine hop bitterness. It carries on like this into the finish. Very tasty stuff, this. It seems a bit of a malt forward type IIPA.

An interesting Impy/Double IPA, in that it did not much resemble the style. Missing was the overwhelming citrusy hop nose, taste and bitterness I expected (and have come to love)An interesting Impy/Double IPA, in that it did not much resemble the style. Missing was the overwhelming citrusy hop nose, taste and bitterness I expected (and have come to love) based on leaders in the style like Plinys, Dreadnaught, DFH 90 and Ruination. More dominating was a thick, sweet malty essence, with just enough of the forementioned hops to blend well. Throw in the presence of the 10% abv, and this was a very enjoyable beer from a brewer I had never heard of

Bottle from 46er3498. Thanks Tom! This one has a mostly sweet aroma with lots of caramel, toffee, some sugars, light pine/citrus hops, but mostly sweet and malt forward. Pours a really pretty amber color with some reddish/purplish hues and a wonderful creamy head and good lace. Really a nice looking beer. Sweet up front and pretty much throughout. Lots of caramel, toffee, and sugars. Not cloying, just well done sweetness approaching barley wine waters. Malt forward aspect is followed by citrus, pine and pepper in the finish that linger for a minute. Smooth and creamy with a hint of alcoholic heat in the finish as well. The more I think about it the more I enjoyed it even though it was the antithesis of how I like my IIPA’s...

Bottle. Poured lightly cloudy red, with a beige head, lot of lace. Aroma of citrus, earthy hops, and caramel. Taste is little more malty than most IIPAs, which isn’t bad. Citrus and earthy hops are also present. Finish is bitter. Sticky mouth feel. Overall, a decent and unique IIPA.

Bottle at Oliver Twist, Stockholm. Clear reddish amber with low sticky off-white foam. Dense sugary aroma with notes of resin and caramel. Full-bodied with sugary notes of caramel and toffee with a strong bitterness of ink and grapefruit. The aftertaste is just like canoing in a river of melted sugar with fallen pine-trees. Not much finesse there...

Bottle courtesy of Cletus: Ruddy reddish color and clear, with a large thick tan head. Smells musty, pine forest, with a whiff of pepper. Very malty at the front with a dry citrus / grapefruit end.

Name: Chief’s Imperial IPA
Date: May 29, 2009
Mode: Bottle
Source: Hop City, Atlanta
Appearance: muddy dark red, creamy beige head, drippy lace
Aroma: big earthy and citrus hop aroma, dark crystal and caramel sweetness
Flavor: rich malt flavor, lots of balancing hops, dark crystal sweetness is kept in chezh by the abundant hops, mostly earthy hops with a touch citrus, light peppery spicyness
Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 14/20
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **4

Bottle… Clear, deep, dark, ruby ale with a large, fluffy, off-white head and fantastic, creamy retention. The aroma is very meaty and malt-forward for an IPA – maple syrup and pralines – but also provides generous notes of earthy lupulin. Full-bodied and a touch oily with moderate carbonation. Big, meaty, robust flavor. Thick gobs of caramel and warm maple syrup are almost balanced out by a fantastic, generous hop addition (or two or three). Lengthy, bittersweet finish… the bitterness lingers long after the sweetness has been laid to rest. Bottle courtesy of craftbeerdesign!