This imperial India Pale Ale pours a crystal clear gold and creates a quarter of an inch head comprised of tiny, tight bubbles. An aroma of big, grapefruity, piney West Coast hops fills the nostrils before the tip of the nose breaks the rim of the glass.
As soon as Coronado‘s go-big-or-go-home IPA hits the tongue, the four Cs—Cascade, Centennial, Chinook and Columbus—shine in a “persistent bitterness.” Unlike a lot of double hop bombs this serious, the Idiot displays only a modest amount of cloying, and at 8.5 percent ABV, its alcohol is present but not distracting.
The bitterness is persistent, all right. The beer’s finish leaves the back of the palate stung by a bite, but it wants more.
Coronado bottles Idiot IPA, which is part of its Crown Series, in a 4-pack of 12-oz. bottles and in single 22-oz. bottles, along with 1/6-bbl and 1/2-bbl options for draft systems. The beer is available in the Coronado’s distribution area.
