 spikester (442), Salem, Oregon, USA
Jan 27, 2008
My first Imperial IPA. From 2008 batch. Pours a clear amber with a two-finger off-white head. Nice amount of lacings.
Nice citrus and hop nose. Grapefruit flavor with a nice caramel malt cushion. Perfect carbonation and the flavor becomes smoother as the bubbles lessen and the liquid warms. I tasted this brew so young so I could determine if I wanted to buy some more for the cellar. I will do so. Well recommended.
Ughsmash (3085), Waukesha, Wisconsin, USA
Sep 24, 2008 2008 bomber. Poured healthy medium golden with a short, thicker cap of off-white head. The aroma picked up bright pine and floral hoppage with definite citrus undertones.. pale malt and grapefruit meat sweetness backed it up.. nice! The flavor opened with sharp grapefruit and metallic notes.. caramel and grapefruit rolled over the middle, surrounded by pine and grapefruit bitterness.. finished sharp like the open, adding some warm alcohol emphasis. Medium-bodied and it never really found its groove on the palate.. felt a little stronger than it actually was.
CelticBrew (512), The Crystal Coast, North Carolina, USA
Sep 20, 2008 Pours a light orange hue from bomber, forming decent white foamy head. Aroma of grapefruits, resins, hops and malts. Flavour was of much the same, citrus tones dominate with some bitterness. A decent double IPA, would like to try it on tap and/or cask.
lb4lb (1462), Austin, Texas, USA
Aug 24, 2008 Bottle from BlackForestCO. THanks dude!
Pours a nice orange amber with a light whitish head. Smell is lightly fruity, and floral and mild. Taste is smooth and bitterness is moderate and fruity. Some pine flavor. Medium to full bodied. Solid DIPA overall, I’d say. Thanks for this one!
JB175 (1366), Holland, Pennsylvania, USA
Jul 26, 2008 This one has a nice looking golden/amber body with a light-med head. Aroma is sweet with some floral and citrus hops. Flavor has a fairly heavy hop profile with citrus, flowers, and vegetables and some sweeter caramel maltiness. Tasted a tad off, even burnt for a DIPA. Not bad, but perhaps a bit smoother (and fresher, my fault for hanging on to it for awhile) would be preferable.
joet (1626), Fulton, California, USA
Jul 18, 2008 I popped the cap and was instantly impressed. I always (unfairly) knock Full Sail for not using Pacific Northwestern hops when they are a PNW brewery. I don’t know why but this bugs me -- a lot. So here I was bracing myself for a real West Coast style beer with a horribly wrong hop mix. From the first whiff I knew I was wrong. I’m pleasantly surprised and the rest of the beer, appearance, body, bitterness all are good examples of a big West Coast IPA -- on the light side for imperials and thankfully without cloying sweetness or tacky sugary feel. Solidly built. Hits the mark and avoids errors. Well done Full Sail!
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