I’m at our monthly homebrew club meeting at Fat Jack’s in Bloomington, IL, and I was looking for something I haven’t had yet. I’ve had a few Green Flash beers, and they’ve generally been pretty good. So, I didn’t feel like I was going out on a limb to try this big hoppy beer from this brewery. According to the brewery, “San Diego IPA, as it has come to be known by many, is pale in color, super-hoppy, high-gravity, yet a highly quaffable ale. Our Imperial IPA is created in this new tradition with intense hop flavors and aromas from a unique blend of Summit and Nugget hops.”

Location: On tap and served in a small tulip shaped glass at Fat Jack’s in downtown Bloomington, IL.

Numbers: 9.4% ABV, 101 IBUs, ~ 280 Calories

Appearance & Aroma: It was golden colored and slightly hazy with a finger-thick foamy head on it. The head retention was decent, leaving some lacing on the glass. There was plenty of citrus and floral hop aromas, leaving a hint of the underlying malt sweetness.

Taste & Feel: The body was medium and the mouthfeel was smooth and a bit oily. The flavors up front were malty with some breadiness and light caramel tones. That was quickly eclipsed by a big citrusy hop flavor which kicked in almost right away, which seemed to evolve and bring in a bit of pineyness though each drink. Near the end, a good dose of bitterness joined the big hop flavor, giving it a somewhat dry, puckering finish. The hop oils and citrusy, slightly piney flavors lasted for a bit in the aftertaste.

Food Pairing: This beer had plenty of hop flavors, even leaving some residual hop oils after each drink. The hop flavors were mostly citrusy, with a bit of pineyness. With such a big hop flavor and bitterness, I’d pair this with something boldly sweet. What came to mind for me, as a good pairing with this, was pineapple upside-down cake. The pineapple citrus flavors would mix nicely with the hops, and the bitterness of the beer would help cut through the sweetness of the cake.

Overall Impression: As I would expect, this was a very big, very hoppy beer. The malt flavors were there, but stayed in the background nearly the entire time. The hop flavors were good and were nicely balanced with the amount of bitterness. Overall, I thought it was a pretty good beer and what you should expect from a big west coast imperial IPA.

My Rating:

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