Captian's Reserve Imperial IPA

Today I have something else I got from Simply Beer in a trade, Captain Lawrence Brewing Company’s Captain’s Reserve Imperial IPA. This is an Imperial IPA, and as usual we will taking a look at this bad boy according to the BJCP style guidelines. According to the guidelines, the overall impression of this beer should be “An intensely hoppy, very strong pale ale without the big maltiness and/or deeper malt flavors of an American barleywine. Strongly hopped, but clean, lacking harshness, and a tribute to historical IPAs. Drinkability is an important characteristic; this should not be a heavy, sipping beer. It should also not have much residual sweetness or a heavy character grain profile.” But there is more to it than simply that, so lets take a look at this one.

The aroma is a bit bready and slightly caramel-like when it comes to the malt. However, it is obviously the hops that take center stage here, as it should be.  The aroma is very traditional, with some mild red grapefruit like aroma as well as a touch of pine. The overall hop aroma is a bit on the light side for an Imperial IPA. The alcohol in the beer lends a spicy note hidden in there as well. Although not as big as I would like, the aroma is very traditional and has a malt profile I find interesting. (8 points)

The color is just stunning. The beer is clear and bright golden. The moussey head is thick and frothy and lasts an incredible amount of time for a big beer. (3 points)

The flavor is very complex actually, much more so than the aroma suggests. Up front I get a resinous pine hop flavor combined with some mild caramel and bready malt flavor. In the middle, the resinous pine is cut by what to me seems to be the alcohol, and it finishes with a soft malt character coupled with a ruby red grapefruit flavor lasting into the finish. The resinous flavor lingers as well, but is well cut by the other flavors. The flavors of this beer roll around your mouth, and nothing about it is unpleasant. The bitterness is quite subdued, with most of it taking place right up front, and some softer bitterness lingering into the finish. I really don’t have anything bad to say about the flavor  of this beer. However, again like the aroma, it just does not seem to be big enough, as good as it is, it just doesn’t scream Imperial to me. (17 points)

The mouthfeel is medium and quite smooth. The carbonation does not seem to be high and everything to me seems to be in order here. (5 points)

Overall this beer is easily drinkable for an Imperial IPA, which is exactly what the guidelines state. However, the beer still needs to exhibit the stronger flavors and aromas associated with the Imperial style. I felt that this beer was awesome, but slightly lacking that last element of in your face Imperial power. Would I risk changing anything? Absolutely not. It was simply an observation, but I like this beer just the way it is. (8 points)

Overall I score this beer a 41 out of 50 points. This beer scores a solid A in my opinion and should be sought out by any hop heads who can get their hands on it.