Sierra Nevada Hoptimum Imperial IPA

According to the news, about 100 Million of you will not be having a good Tuesday or Wednesday, because you'll be buried in snow and ice.  Normally I would feel sympathetic about this, and offer my best wishes.  But today, I'm going to celebrate the fact that FOR ONCE, Minnesota did not feel the full force of a large winter storm.  5-6 inches of snow....completely tolerable.  2 feet?  We've already paid our dues - you guys can have it!

Tonight, I have the privilege of drinking Sierra Nevada's Hoptimum Imperial IPA.  The label design from Sierra Nevada is terrific, as expected.  It shows a portrait of "Sierra Nevada", with a hop flower for a head.  That's definitely an accurate portrayal of their brewery!  Pouring into my ale goblet - pours a clear orange-amber and yields about half an inch of white head after a rough pour.  The nose is a huge welcome party, with waves of florals and herbal, citrus zest (primarily grapefruit). 

The flavor starts off with a very bitter, earthy hoppiness that contains resiny grapefruits, along with some other sticky citruses and a bit of pine.  The bitterness then gives way to a boat-load of gritty pale/caramel malts.  Great balance, and the finish holds a sticky sweetness that lingers for a while.  The mouthfeel is creamy and thick, characteristic of a DIPA, with a perfect amount of carbonation. 

Overall Rating:  (5.0 out of 6.0)  Yet another phenomenal hop-bomb from Sierra Nevada.  This is essentially Torpedo IPA's big brother, taking the great flavors from Torpedo to the next level.  This brew is tough to find, so if you're a hop-inista and you come across it, I highly recommend you pick one up.