Stone Brewing Co.
Imperial IPA
7.7% ABV
OG?
100+ IBUs
12 oz bottle with an "enjoy by" date of October 19, 2010 poured into a New Belgium snifter
Appearance 5/5
Very clear orange-red; amber when backlit with white light. Big, off-white, persistent head and insanely fantastic lacing.
Aroma 5/5
Very fresh and herbal, intense, hop aroma. Piney and grassy. I can smell it without sticking my nose in it.
Taste 5/5
Starts bitter, finishes bitter; or as BJCP says, absurdly bitter. There's a decent malt backbone, but I must say that it's just a backbone: no sweetness can be perceived when the beer is cold and it's tough to let it warm (see Drinkability). But for the sake of review, I let another bottle warm up, and the hop flavor, combined with the malts renders a fruity character before the finish. But this beer is not about malt character at all. It's all it claims to be! A dry and bittering finish, with notable warming; not just mouth (tongue, teeth, even lips), even my throat is bitter. The best kind of bitter, that could have gotten annoying, which brings us to the next item.
Mouthfeel 5/5
Hard to say whether it's an IPA or a DIPA, on the basis of mouthfeel alone but this won't deter me from giving this one the best score. The body is spot on, less than this could have made this an annoying experiment. Well carbonated and crisp, but not harsh.
Drinkability 5/5
Supreme. Nobody can have just one*
*Talking about those who can have one in the first place.
Other
Indeed a liquid poem to the glory of the hop. Had been waiting to get a fresh bottle to review and I have to say, it doesn't get better.
Play hard or go home... buddy.
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