SKA Decadent Imperial IPA

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

Bold hoppy aroma and flavor to match. A very good IPA but Imperial? I don’t think so, needs more hops and body.

On tap at Map Room, Chicago. Hard to believe it’s an IIPA-- very bland. No huge hop aoma, no sweet hop/alcohol flavor. Just kind of boring and nothing to write home about. I was hoping to compare it to Dreadnaught-- no comparison.

This one was anything but decadent. Almost a joke of a beer to be honest, especially for claiming to be a 10% imperial. Almost aromaless - and flavorless too - strange. Alcohol was well hidden, but overall it was just a bland beer. Nice lookin bottle though.

Bomber bottle, shared with a friend. I have no idea why they pour wax over the top of a perfectly fine bottle cap but it gave me something to make a mess out of. Pours a clear orange with almost no head. Aromas were typical of most IPA or san diego style IPA and came in with some grapefruit and pine. Nothing too serious. Body was slightly oily with medium carbonation. Flavors were surprisingly light. Some malt, some hops, but seriously I’m not believing either the 95 IBUs or the 10% abv. If both of those numbers are right I’m not sure how they did it wtih this coming off as kind of an Imperial IPA Lite. I’m not saying this stuff is bad, but it’s kind of empty. I’ve had single IPA’s with more flavor. Now let me go play with my wax.

Pours a copper color with a small white head. Aromas of hops, citrus, and some sweets. For 10% alcohol it’s hidden pretty well, nice hoppy, but still not that great for an Imperial IPA.

Pours a copper color with white head. Aroma is caramel, resiny, and piney hops. Flavor is malty caramel, with a bitter grassy finish.

Thick sweetness on the nose. This one’s at 10% and the body carries that load of alcohol fairly well. It mixes with the full bodied flavor enough so that it doesn’t stand alone totally. Overall a fairly good brew, but the farther in the bottle you do go, the more the alcohol seems to stand out, probably from it warming up. Worth trying. Nice artwork on the label too.

Pours with a nice and clear amber color with an average, off-white, creamy-pillowy head which does last quite a white and leaves some fairly nice lace. Nose is simple and pleasant; sweet toasted caramel to match pine resins and some grapefruit. Caramelly, almost toffee-like, backbone throughout with grassy, lightly piney hops and some grapefruit found somewhere. Palate is just okay; a bit watery, lightly sticky, medium body, and soft carbonation with minimal warmth noted. Finishes somewhat sweet still with some herbal bitterness to almost match and lingering bitter notes. Not a bad IIPA, but lacks some hop flavors and focus on the hops. It was almost as though you knew the hops were there but they never were presented very well behind the sweetness. Alcohol was well hidden and I was better than the scores would lead on but just wasn’t one of the better IIPA’s I’ve tried.