SKA Decadent Imperial IPA

Brewed by SKA Brewing
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Durango, Colorado USA

poured from 22oz. bottle into tulip snifter, unsure of when bottled, but this is at least 1 year old A: Color is an attractive blend of copperish-orange, with perhaps a slight amber hue. Decent 2-finger off-white bubbly/fizzy head, reduces rather quickly but leaves solid lacing throughout. S: Huge piney nose wallops you up front, quite surprising given that I’m certain this beer is at least 1 year old. Alcohol presence is obvious, and a nice biscuity malt backbone helps to balance things. T/M: Very impressed given the beer’s age; certainly nowhere near as bad as other reviews have made things out to be. If anything, the beer is a bit over-the-top with the piney bitterness, though I suppose that’s the point of a solid double IPA! Alcohol is also not quite as evident as other reviews have made it seem, though this is far from the most balanced DIPA I’ve had. Still, quite refreshing, and the carbonation is spot on. D: There are far too many brilliant DIPAs out there for me to seek this one out regularly, but it’s pretty good. I’d definitely drink it again.

The color was medium brown/orange. The head was creamy, thin, and off-white. The aroma was hoppy, alcohol, citrisy, and sweet. The flavor was alcohol, sweet, hoppy, and citrisy. The palate was smooth. The finish was warm.

Pours a somewhat translucent ruby amber as put by kmeves. The head was about two fingers a little creamy and yellowish. The aroma is light and subdued apricot, mandarin oranges, hoppy for sure but you really have to stick your nose in it. The flavor is very alcoholic. It feels like its missing body, no malt. Lots of alcohol and hops present but not refined.

Pours a ruby/amber with lots of carbonation and a smallish head (no lacing). Aroma is floral (not overpowering) and solvent like. Not what you would expect for a beer claiming 95 IBUs on the label. Flavor is sweet caramel malt at first as well as a small amount of some fruity hops but does finish with a more piney bitterness. This is definitely a "malt mouths" IIPA in that it really lacks the hop punch common in the style. Slick texture, medium mouthfeel. Not a bad beer, just not great either.

Bomber purchased in Gunnison.

This one is right up there with the worst IIPAs I’ve had. Best thing about it is the powerful crushed-pine-needle aroma, but it’s all downhill from there. There’s some off stuff in the aroma too, particularly the hot unpleasant fusel alcohols. Medium gold pour with no head. Flavor is grainy and sweet, closer to malt liquor than IIPA in my book. The hops are there if you look, but they certainly don’t come looking for you like I’d expect given the style or the IBUs. The sweetness is not a beautiful burnt caramels that come as the style approaches barleywine territory, but rather just a hot grainy malt liquor sweetness.

Singularly unimpressive.

Poured from a bomber. Pours a dark golden color with a moderate off-white head that left nice lacing. Sweet, slightly fruity, slightly spicy hops with a bit of pine on the nose. Sweet and malty up front with hints or caramel, the finish is semi-fruity hops, but the malt is still dominant and it lacks the hop hit that Imperial IPA’s should have. Not really a horrible beer, but disappointing for an IIPA.

Bottle. Smells soapy, piney. Dark ruby amber in apearance with a nice lacing off-white head. Sweet upfront, not spectacularly bitter, malts seem to dominate. Medium bodied.

22oz - Aroma of astringent hops, cardboard and sweet caramel. Something there that just isn’t sitting right with my nose, maybe rotten grapefruit. Pours transparent brown with a medium head and good lacing. Flavor matches aroma at first but as it warms, the astringency of the hops mellows out to be more non-rotten citrus hops. Palate is bitter and sticky. Not a drain pour, but nothing I would drink again.