Ahhh … The Immortal IPA from the Elysian Brewing Company in Seattle. I was once lucky enough to work one block down the street from this Seattle brewpub. It was a fantastic get-away and a great place to pick up some excellent beer on the way home. Ah the good old days. This bomber was a Christmas gift from my wife (she knows me so well).

• Appearance: Pours a beautiful pale copper orange
• Smell: Citrus hops all over. orange, grapefruit, some spiciness
• Taste: This is a big northwest IPA. Despite the 44 IBUs reported on the Elysian’s web site, the bitterness comes through clean and finishes big. I get lots of the hop flavor as well with big grapefruit and orange citrus with a bit of a spicy kick in the middle. The malt presence is there in the beginning, but appears to settle into a subtle backdrop supporting the strong hop finish.
• Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with solid carbonation
• Drinkability: If you’re into northwest hops, this one goes down easy. A great session IPA to pair with food.

Lagunitas does it again! It pours a deep amber, with good head retention. The aroma is complex with hints of spice and a big presence of those classic piney, citrusy hops found in west coast IPAs. The taste … what can I say? Big Hop. Deep complexity. Balance. Not overly sweet. Usually when beers get this big in alcohol, you’re left with residual sugars that make the beer too sweet for some. This beer balances the remaining sugars against the heavy bittering/flavor hops.

Had it not been for the 9.9% ABV, I’d be having 44 oz instead of the single bomber. I’ve got a couple more of these, and will continue to cellar them to see how well it ages. I’m willing to bet the next one will be fantastic!