Sierra Nevada Hoptimum

Brewed by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Chico, California USA

Serve in Snifter, Tulip

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Crystal clear copper color. Large head that settled down to about 1/8 inch and lasted the whole time with tons of lacing. Huge hop aroma. Huge hop taste with the perfect balance of malt. Amazing beer.

Bottle 120z. in to tulip. Pours amber orange, minimal head, Aroma of grapfruit, citrus, some pine and grass. Taste is mudium sweet with citrus. Body is medium,Sticky texture with bitter finish.

Bottle. Head is initially average sized, frothy, off-white, mostly lasting. Body is medium amber. Aroma is lightly to moderately malty (caramel, toasted grain), moderately to heavily hoppy (grapefruit, resin, apricot), lightly yeasty (dough), with notes of dried mango and alcohol. Flavor is heavily sweet, lightly to moderately acidic, lightly to moderately bitter. Finish is lightly to moderately sweet, lightly to moderately acidic, moderately to heavily bitter. Full body, velvety/creamy texture, lively carbonation, moderately alcoholic. Well, I’ll be doggoned, this ain’t half bad. Nice fruit characters mixed in with the expected resin, good balance for the style, and not terribly abrasive...velvety and creamy. Alcohol doesn’t get out of hand. Not a style I enjoy drinking, but this is a quality rendition.

Bottle. Slightly hazy golden amber pour with a lasting creamy beige head. Aroma is big, hoppy and fruity with a substantial amount of sweet caramel malt and notes of grapefruit, pineapple, mango and lime standing out. Flavour is very similar to the aroma but with much more prominent piney, grassy, herbal characteristics. Full bodied with a thick, creamy mouthfeel, soft carbonation, a long bitter finish and very little evidence of the abv. This is an exceptionally well made IIPA, one of the best examples of this style I’ve tried in a while. Big and rich but very easy to drink, everything seems to be balanced just right.

Had this at Lucky Pie Pizza and Tap House. This beer is a true hop loverss delight. Went great with a very flavorful pizza and made the other IPA’s I had that night seem bland.

Golden-amber with off white head. Floral, caramel, and citrus aroma. Full bodied, mild alcohol, caramel sweet malt, citrus-orange flavor. Medium bitterness, fruity, and mild alcohol finish. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

[Bottle] Pours amber, with a nice off-white head. Aroma is just vaguely sweet--not bad, but not overly impressive, and has some grassy and vegetal notes. Taste is alcohol, fairly sweet again with good amount of bitterness, and then big malt, and some grassiness towards the end. Thick mouthfeel, long finish. Overall, a big beer that makes no effort to hide its size. Does very little to set itself apart, and has a hop profile that I do not care for. Certainly no glaring flaws, but not something I am eager to revisit.

Appearance: Hoptimum hits the glass and produces and really gorgeous, deep amber coloring. It’s "rich" looking for a beer that you can see through. A tall 2 finger amber head takes it’s time dissipating, Lacing is nice and strong. This beer has legs. 3.75/5 Smell: Of course hops hit you first. And they take the first few hairs in your nose along with them. For as strong as the scent is, it’s deep. There’s bold pine, lemons, oranges, grapefruit. I get a "stiffness" here that really helps the hops make a point. Hops aren’t the whole show though. The high ABV imparts a warmness that gives this brew real backbone. 4.25/5 Mouthfeel: This IPA really lives up to it’s Imperial tag. It’s heavy. Surprisingly so. The carbonation carries things along nicely but I get a syrupy feel at the end of the mouth. It’s great. Get ready to ruin your palate for the evening though. 4/5 Taste: You really have to have a few sips before you can get to the taste here. It’s quite overwhelming (in a good way). Lemon, grapefruit and peach stand up front. with a tangy pine that I want more of. There’s a mild warming from the alcohol that helps the hops give a real punch. And it sticks with you for quite sometime. Close your evening with this because anything else will taste like water. It’s amazing. 3.75/5 Overall: Sierra Nevada has a real winner here. Of course it’s hoppy but it still manages to be fruity and rich. This beer is complex AND dominating in taste. And surprisingly drinkable. At 10%ABV though, one is enough. Your palate will walk away ruined but I think the people that are buying this are well aware.. It’s a top notch Imperial IPA and I couldn’t be happier with my buy.

12oz bottle pours a nice orange color with a small white head. Aromas of grapefruit ,pine, resin, huge hops. Full bodied, bitter finish, great dipa

Bottle. Pours amber-orange with a thin head. Nice, though somewhat understated, hoppy aroma. Nothing understated about the flavor, though. Definitely a hop-dominated IPA - grass, pine, and a touch of citrus on the sip. A solid double IPA, though quite bracing and certainly not one for everyday drinking.

Poured from a bottle into a tulip glass and pours a nice copper color that is mostly clear. Has a light tan head that disappears quickly. Great aroma of grapefruit, citrus, caramel, and light malt with a hint of alcohol and grassyness. Great clean initial bitterness flavor with some grapefruit and citrus added in. The alcholic bitterness with some sweetness kicks in on the back end. Great mouthfeel that seems full and well carbonated. Overall a great beer.