21st Amendment - Hop Crisis Imperial IPA

On deck tonight, 21st Amendment Brewery's new release of Hop Crisis - this is an oak-aged Imperial IPA with 9.7% alcohol and a staggering 94 IBUs.  This year, hop prices have gone up considerably, leading to what some brewers have coined a 'hop crisis'.  Well you know what they say...out of every crisis comes opportunity, and that is exactly the approach 21st Amendment took with this brew.  Hops are more expensive?  Let's hoard them and brew a beast!  I'm a big fan of this attitude, and I'm really looking forward to trying this bad-boy out. 

This beer is a beautifully clear, golden yellow with a nice inch of white head that is persistently sticky on the glass.  The aroma is pretty sexy - big sweet juicy citrus up front, with a hint of vanilla from the oak, and touch of alcohol sitting behind it.  The drink starts off with a bitter, soft-moving resiny pine and flows into those juicy fruits that were in the nose, although the fruits are far more subtle then the aroma let on.  They have more of an acidic citrus bite to them.  The malts move in to provide a creamy, rich caramel backdrop.  The alcohol is definitely a player, but it doesn't take over the show, just warms things up.  The finish leads into a deep, lingering earthy bitterness - tobacco leaves, maybe some of that oak?  The oily bitterness takes it's sweet time to drop off, a little too much time because it morphs into a medicinalishness.  Mouthfeel thick and creamy, with a light amount of carbonation.

Overall Rating:  A big, brawny Imperial IPA, this certainly is.  The hop profile wasn't a jack-hammer, but it slowly and quietly did it's damage.  A slight hint of medicinal flavors snuck through, but nothing too negative - I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Give Hop Crisis a try!  B+