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Hop Crisis Imperial IPA

Published November 2011, Volume 32, Number 5

21st Amendment
San Francisco, CA

Available: AK, CA, GA, ID, MA, MD, MN, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, VA, WA and Washington D.C.

Crisis? What Crisis? A few years ago, when hop prices shot through the roof and the worldwide hop market went into a tailspin, at our pub in San Francisco we decided there was only one thing for us to do. We made the biggest, hoppiest IPA we could imagine and aged it on oak for good measure. This Imperial IPA breaks all the rules with more malt, more hops and more aroma.

ABV: 9.7
ABW: 7.76
Color: 14
Bitterness: 94
Original gravity: 1076

  • Roger Protz

    This pale bronze 9.7 percent beer has luscious peach-like fruit on the aroma with floral hops and bran flakes malt note. Hops take over in the mouth with a firm, almost iodine-like intensity, dominating but not overpowering the bittersweet fruit and rich malt note. The finish is long and mellow, a melodious coming together of bitter hops, ripe fruit and juicy malt.

  • Garrett Oliver

    Trending from deep gold into amber, the beer refuses to raise a head. The aroma is reminiscent of a pina colada, with citrusy fruit combining with the vanilla and coconut notes of American oak. The can proclaims 94 IBUs, so there’s no surprise that the bitterness is sharp and a bit coarse, though it doesn’t completely obliterate the malt, which manages to peek through. Whether you enjoy this beer or not may well depend on whether you like oak with your extreme hoppiness. If you do, get yourself some roasted duck in a Thai green coconut curry, and all will be right.

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