Hopworks Galactic Imperial Red

Brewed by Hopworks Urban Brewery
Style: American Strong Ale
Portland, Oregon USA

Serve in Snifter, Tulip

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UPDATED: APR 9, 2013 Malty, complex notes of carmel and other good stuff, but really highly hopped and a bit over the top for me. Many "reds" fail to really stand out from the very mediocre crowd. Not the case here, but you need to like seriously hop forward brews to like this. Even after a year in the cellar, it’s really bitter.

Sampled at SIB. Pours a clear brown/orange with a thin lacing. Aroma of dried fruits, dry caramel malts, and light hops. Flavour has the same characteristics. Dry mouth feel and well balanced. Pleasant.

UPDATED: JUL 8, 2011 22. Pours a cloudy dark ruddied amber with golden-brown edges. Loose drippy lace and a little film on top. Bright fruity nose, lots of nice oily hop presence with pineapple and mango featured. Lots of residual caramelly malt there as well. Also a bit of butterscotch--wouldn’t expect that from HUB. Creamy medium body, lively carbonation but, alas, a bit slick. Mango, pineapple, caramel, and other sweet delights--plenty of malt sugar here, and nice brightly sweet hop flavors dancing. Mildly citric and acidic pithy grapefruit finish. Very appealing beer. Remind me to try another batch and see about that slick butterscotch thing. Doesn’t seem like an all the time thing with them.

Sampled on tap at SIB, pours orangey amber with a small beige head. Aroma of light fruits, dry caramel malts and light hops. Flavour of sweet fruits, but dry at the same time, dry caramel malts, slight fruity tang on the finish. Solid but lacking.

22 oz bottle from a grocery store on Barbur Blvd. Dark reddish amber pour with a wisp of a white head and less substantial lacing than anticipated. Aroma is big caramel malt, pine and floral hops and a modest smacking of booze. Tastes of strong booze, caramel malts and some resinous and pine hops. The whole thing smacks you in the face, but unfortunately the booze kind of buries the other flavors to an extent. Still pretty good, but not as drinkable as one might have hoped.

Bottle... Poured reddish, amber with a khaki head. Nose was very floral with pine in the hops. The hops on the nose were a little more muted in the flavor. Creating a resinous bitterness and black pepper spiced character. Piney and citrus, very NW in hop profile for sure. All of the was very balanced with a light malt sweetness.

Draft at BikeBar. I’m not usually a fan of red ales, but this one was more than a cut above the rest. Pine aroma, and a spicy caramel taste with a dry and bitter finish.

Draught at Brouwer’s Café:   Deep amber, moderate frothy white head, strong carbonation, very sticky lacing.   Sweet citrusy malty nose, subtle hops.   Sweet piney citrusy goodness on the tongue.   Not heavy on the malts, but enought to carry it through.   This is pretty tasty!

Had this a couple months ago at Hopworks. Colour... a moderately deep reddish amber with a thick head. Nose... decidedly resinous and piney! Palate... coating with lots of piney hops and caramel followed by hints of clover honey, grapefruit sirop, granulated sugar and looooong sweet finish.

Tap. Very deep red with small off white head that disappears very fast with no lacing. Huge floral resinous hop aroma. Flavor is nice deep caramel with big hops still going on, slightly piney. Finish is smooth and easy for nearly 10%, the alcohol is very well hidden.