Mikkeller, Imperial IPA Centennial

Another smashing DIPA (imperial) from Mikkeller, every bit as good as their Nelson. Super strong fragrance, low carb, robust mouthfeel. Orange, grapefruit and pine. Long, very bitter finish. These are possibly the best DIPAs around.

Strong Beer

The Yang was insanely bitter but was otherwise rubbish (because, I suspect, it was not at all fresh). Rip Tide (dated branding!) was brill as was Tsar (although it had this weird minty/root beery thing going on I think). Tickle Monster was great, but a little too flat, maybe a little too sweet and had bloody enormous lumps of yeast in it. Wyoming Sheep Ranch is easily the pick of this bunch. Had it few times over the years, keg at the Old Red Cow and a couple of bottles too. When fresh, it's an instabag. Can't find my bottle shot for it though :/

Mikkeller, Imperial IPA Nelson

Very pleasurable DIPA (legit IIPA with two 'I's this time at 8.9% abv). Orange and cloudy, grass, grapefruit, orange and passion fruit (what do I know?). Almost zero booze. Bloody hell, this was good. This Mikkeller, the London Fields IPA and the Siren are all cloudy (possibly unfined and/or unfiltered). I like this in my beer.

Sierra Nevada, Hoptimum

Typically mild Sierra Nevada nose (although on my second bottle there were slight notes of bacon??) but a great, full body that you'd expect from this imperial. Decent balance (just!) and the abv hidden sufficiently (just!). Thick and heavy pine gloop taste + thick, thick hop unctuousity. I bought this on a couple of occasions from Mr Lawrence (they still have some in stock) - the first time ('freshly' imported) I was full of praise and admiration for it (took my time, drank it slowly etc). The second (a while after), I bought 2 bottles, one for myself and one for Vicky. Vicky had one taste and didn't like it so gave it to me. That was when all the bad things about impy IPAs came out (perhaps all types of beers at 10% +) for me: the thickness, the heaviness and in this case, the absence of freshness. Due to beers like Weird Beard's Holy Hoppin' Hell, and too a lesser extent, Odell's Myrcenary, I'm rapidly learning that IPAs with heavy hop content really do suffer if not drunk fresh, and are, perhaps, not worth it after a while. Someone prove me wrong?

Thornbridge, Halcyon

No tasting notes for this Imperial IPA from Thornbridge - bloggers/writers a great deal more experienced than myself have written much on this beer already, most of which I agree with. Fat citrus nose, full bodied West Coast IPA taste, long bitter finish. Alot 'cleaner' than other UK brewed West Coast IPA efforts (not necessarily a positive for me personally). Genre nit-picking is a downer I know (I only really bring it up for lack of copy on this one), but I wouldn't have called this an Imperial IPA myself, although I suppose in the Thornbridge context (i.e. Chiron, Jaipur then this) it's the 'correct' category for this beer. Thornbridge are ace - I used to pick up Jaipur ages ago from Waitrose and drank loads of them. It'd be great if they stocked this too.

Ps - Thornbridge collaboration ale with Sierra Nevada sounds exciting!