Beer – #144 – Rogue – Imperial India Pale Ale (I²PA)
omg omg omg – A Rogue – Imperial India Pale Ale (I²PA), which even without opening it looks like a work of art, ceramic covered glass with stopper. Brewed by Rogue Ales In the style: of a Imperial/Double IPA Newport, Oregon USA.
And double up I’ve yet to be disappointed by a Rogue beer.
Above and beyond an India Pale Ale–I2PA is radically hopped with an intense aroma and hop bitterness. Unfiltered and aged for 9 months before it leaves the brewery–not for the faint of heart. I2PA is brewed with two-row Pipkin Pale malts, Saaz, Cascade and Northwest Golding hops.
a big 750ml bottle of a 9.5% ABV beer, which is 5.8 Standard drinks – in one bottle. 74 IBU’s which is fair to middling. BarleyWine and Standard IPA tops out at 70 on a good day. I should share it. I won’t but I should.
A PDF of an IBU guide you can find here .
Magnificently hoppy on opening, pinegrassy, light orangey golden brown in colour, decent head, and carbonation. The aroma isn’t carried though and it settles down to noticeable but not strong. It’s full of body, has a citrus content, long mouth of hops and finishes nicely. The pine/grass taste is pretty evident though and leads this charge.
The alcohol strength is well hidden, but that’s not hard when the dominant taste is the bitter hops and not a lot else. Disappointing that there isn’t a softer back-note or feel with this. Not that I want a sweet and sour beer, but it would add a dimension that could be nice.
I was hoping that as it warmed in the glass that it would change the impression, but the hops just get hoppier, but they’re, in my opinion, just a tad on the harsh side. The malt warm does begin to get a hold, but they get a bit slammed, and the alcohol astringent gets a toe hold too.
Would I share it? Heck yes, there is enough in this to carry a conversation on it’s merits. The pdubyah-o-meter says this would be 8 from 10, because I want to like it more than I do. I love the bottle and delivery, I hate the way that suddenly you’ve had nearly 6 drinks worth of beer: -), I love the hoppy aroma, it’s just nice, but I would have liked some lacing in the glass.
Party in a bottle? No. It’s not as likeable as it could be, there could be a softer edge somewhere, this is pretty much a one dimension beer. Am I disappointed, yes, and no. It’s a fine beer, I drank a lot of it too quickly, and I’m going to wish I had another, mostly to try and figure out if I was right or wrong about it.
Related articles
- India Pale Ale (dangerousmanbrewing.wordpress.com)
- India Pale Ale (part I) (beerscribesully.com)
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