Valley Brew Uberhoppy Imperial IPA

Brewed by Valley Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Stockton, California USA

Hand bottled by brewer Steve Altimari and received in a trade with davecooks. Thanks a million for this one, Dave! Shared with friends on my recent trip to San Diego. As soon as I poured this and handed it to my BJCP judge buddy, he said, "who the hell made this?" Wow. This is seriously one of the best smelling IIPAs I have ever had. You can tell Steve dry-hopped the bejesus out of this one. Fresh Dreadnaught has been sort of a benchmark for me, but no more. An entire orchard of fresh, sweet citrus/grapefruit and and entire pine forest in this one! Appearance-wise, it pours a beautiful coppery orange. I usually like a little more head retention in my IPA/IIPAs, but this one poured a little on the flat end. Oh well, it more than made up for it in other areas. It’s like sucking on a fresh hop cone with some sweet, sugary malt to keep it honest. Hoppy to the core with a deeply resinous, oily mouthfeel. A truly amazing IIPA. Steve needs to get this into bottles yesterday. I’m trekking out to Stockton next time I’m in the Bay Area visiting family. A top 5 IIPA for me.

Thanks to BeastieFan2K for bringing this to a tasting recently...Coppery-hued body without a head. It has a great, hoppy, syrupy sweet aroma. Very full-nosed - perfect for an Imperial IPA. The malts are well-balanced with the hoppy bitterness. There is some astringency in the finish. Bready finish, with many spices. Interesting and good.

Gold and red hues glimmer inside a mostly clear, dark amber pour. Exciting color scheme. Small head is extremely well retained, ample carbonation present. A melange of many sharp citrus aromas, most notably grapefruit, orange and lemon. Incredibly complex. Moderate maltiness. Every nosing seems to indicate a different strength and nuance. Flavor is nearly indescribable. Initial thoughts have me comparing this to a well wrought hop resin liqueur. Monstrous hops. Alcohol is also very apparent though not too bothersome, as the hops numb the palate quickly. Malt is plentiful but also masked somewhat by bounteous hoppiness. Finishes very bitter and extremely dry. Palate is perfectly carbonated, full bodied and satisfying. Delicious and worth the long wait.

12 oz bottle, via stoutlover72. Pours a slightly hazy dark copper colored body under a tight bubbled foamy beige head that faded to a thin film. The aroma is just bursting at the seams with citrusy goodness. Grapefruit, peach, apricots, and some light alcohol. A good amount of malt too, but it knows it’s place. Flavor is just as citrusy with a prominant yet subdued amount of bitterness. Finishes with a minty hop bite. No apparent alcohol at all, quite impressive for a 10.5% beer. Mouthfeel is full bodied and sturdy. There is some sweetness but it never presents itself as sticky or cloying. Soft carbonation with a very lingering finish with an odd tingeling sensation. A very good IIPA. Unbalanced and proud of it.

Big thanks to Davecooks for the bottle. Pours a cloudy burnt orange with a small head. Aroma of almost pure tropical fruit; mango, grapefruit with some oily resin. A hint of caramel background.
The taste keeps coming; with intense oily tropical fruit, and again, the caramel is far off in the back. Medium to full body with an oily texture. Bitter and a bit of a chalky finish. A big, bold, no apologies west coast IIPA.

Courtesy aspidites and stoutlover72. Hazy burnt orange and a small layer of off white foam. Nose is floral, spicy, resinous, pine trees, skunk (good one), and pungent past ripe melons and tangerines. Same flavors with emphasis on floral, spicy, fruity hops. Malt support gives it some body, but that’s it. Medium/full body, balanced carbonation. Easy to drink. Great IIPA.

Bottle courtesy of DaveCooks! Poured a hazy reddish-brown with a short cap of white head and some lovely lacing as it went down. The aroma was off the charts with succulent, juicy pears and grapefruit with sweet toffee and a pinch of alcohol. Almost a syrupy entrance to the palate with heavy pine and grapefruity bitterness diffusing outward.. and lasting long beyond the finish... caramel and grapefruit meat provide a sweet and sufficient base... pine resin and alcohol fill out the bitter finish. Definitely a powerful brew and quite tasty. Thanks for the opportunity Dave!

12oz bottle, courtesy of stoutlover72. Thanks, Garrett! Pours a hazy, yellowish-brown appearance; minimal, off-white head. Enormous grapefruit aroma; hints of citrus and piney notes. Full, dense mouthfeel: buckets of grapefruit, tart citrus; slightly acidic with lively carbonation; beautifully dense and chewy double IPA. Long, grapefruit and resiny finish. Magnificent stuff.