Beer of the Weekend #762: Naja Imperial Red IPA
We’re rocky mountain high again tonight with Naja Imperial Red IPA, brewed by the Copper Kettle Brewing Company of Denver, Colorado.
The color is hazy auburn. Two fingers of shiny, tight, bubbly, cream-colored head leaves a bubbly layer, a ring around the edge, and trails of lacing. The aroma is inviting and complex. It is a medley of fruit, malt, and hops. There are aromas of caramel, cherry licorice, floral and resiny hops, cocoa, citrus that I cannot put my finger on (it is most reminiscent of lemon), berries, and fig. The front of the flavor is malty, but the bitterness slowly creeps in and dominates. There are flavors of caramel, cherry licorice, booze, honey (it has that hot toddy element), astringent lemon citrus, and a floral and piney bitterness. The bitterness really turns the screws in the aftertaste.
Fun facts about NIRIPA:
• Style: It is classified on BA as “American Strong Ale.”
• Price: $8.99 per 22-ounce bottle at Tipsy’s Liquor World on Alkire Street in Littleton, Colorado.
• Alcohol content: 9 ABV.
• IBU: 110. That is, I believe, just above or below the human taste threshold for bitterness. I can’t remember if the threshold is 100 or 120. Anything over, I have been told, is useless because we can’t taste it. Save those hops for something else!
The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.
The color is hazy auburn. Two fingers of shiny, tight, bubbly, cream-colored head leaves a bubbly layer, a ring around the edge, and trails of lacing. The aroma is inviting and complex. It is a medley of fruit, malt, and hops. There are aromas of caramel, cherry licorice, floral and resiny hops, cocoa, citrus that I cannot put my finger on (it is most reminiscent of lemon), berries, and fig. The front of the flavor is malty, but the bitterness slowly creeps in and dominates. There are flavors of caramel, cherry licorice, booze, honey (it has that hot toddy element), astringent lemon citrus, and a floral and piney bitterness. The bitterness really turns the screws in the aftertaste.
Fun facts about NIRIPA:
• Style: It is classified on BA as “American Strong Ale.”
• Price: $8.99 per 22-ounce bottle at Tipsy’s Liquor World on Alkire Street in Littleton, Colorado.
• Alcohol content: 9 ABV.
• IBU: 110. That is, I believe, just above or below the human taste threshold for bitterness. I can’t remember if the threshold is 100 or 120. Anything over, I have been told, is useless because we can’t taste it. Save those hops for something else!
The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.
