Portsmouth Imperial IPA

The aroma has a good deal of hops, probably a little less fresh than it once was, but it smelled nice nonetheless. Grapefruit, lime, and some floral notes followed by caramel malt, bread, and some dusty yeast as well. Pours a unfiltered orange brown with a nice frothy head and sticky-icky lacing. The flavor is very well balanced with a good deal of caramel sweetness followed by grapefruit and lime hop flavors, floral and grass notes, and a hint of dust. Lingering dry somewhat oily finish. 9% is hidden extremely well. Enjoyable brew. Thanks to damienblack on the other site for the trade.

Amber pour with nice one finger off white froth. Aroma is very floral and sweet with lots of fruit and some grassy notes. Flavor is on the sweeter side with lots of fruity notes and and a very manageable resinous quality. Very fresh. Palate is medium with lip smacking sugary finish. Yummy.

Amber pour slight head, good lacing. Fruity aromas with nice floral hops. Mouthful is sweet and fruity with really nice floral/citrus hops profile. Really well balanced and yummy.

Amber pour with a white head, very nice lacing. Aroma was nicely balanced with fruit, citrus hops, and floral notes. Flavor was similar and quite good, with a nice full palate. Yummy DIPA, on tap at the brewery.

Bottle. Powerful aroma of citrus, hops, pine. Thick mouth feel. Flavor of grapefruit, floral and a solid hop bitter finish.

22oz bottle, generously provided by joepais, poured into a Portsmouth tulip from Joe as well. Pours a hazy brownish amber with a fluffy white head that clings to the side of glass and recedes slowly, leaving a cap for the duration. The aroma is very balanced. Starts with llots of bittersweet citrus hops up front - grapefruit, oranges, mangos, etc. The balance is provided by the more than healthy dose of caramel sweetness. Sticky citrus and pine hops dominate the front end of the taste and provide a pretty pungent pop. The caramel malts provide a bit of balance in the middle but don’t hold out very long as the big hop bitterness explodes in the finish. The flavor actually seems slightly more hop-forward than the aroma. The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with plenty of carbonation, but it’s the sticky bittersweet hops that play all of the palate. This is a great and fairly balance DIPA that has kept quite a hop profile even after 6+ months.

20080729 Tap at brewpub. Mostly solid offering is dark golden in color with lasting white head. Floral, citrus, biscuity. Kick of back end citrus hop bitterness. Late lingering diacetyl. Full bodied.

22 ounce bomber bottle from the brewery in July. Pours clear reddish-amber till the yeast from the bottom of the bottle stirs. Respectable, short-lived head, no lace. Very citrusy hop-heavy aroma with some sweet floral notes. Great full flavor. Again very citrusy and hop-dominated, but with a solid malt backbone. Surprisingly balanced finish. Medium bodied, smooth and warming without being hot. Excellent DIPA.