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Although I was not very impressed with Pelican Brewery’s Guillotine Strong Ale, I thought I’d check back in with Jamie to see if he had enjoyed anything he had tried. He was drinking Bridgeport’s Hop Czar Imperial IPA and said it was pretty good, so I thought I would give it a try. It was the only beer at the Brewmasters’ Dinner which was being served from a firkin with some recently added fresh dry hops. I got a sample, and when I returned, Jamie actually introduced me to Karl Ockert, the (newly recent) former brewmaster at Bridgeport Brewing, and newly appointed Technical Director for the Master Brewers Association of the Americas.
When served, it had an orange/copper color, and was a bit hazy. The head was white and creamy, but a bit thin. The aroma was hoppy – with a bit of piney and citrusy hops noticeable. There was a hint of caramelly malt aroma as well.
When I took a drink, the body was light-medium, and very smooth. It was malty up front, followed by a medium citrusy hop flavor. It was very well balanced – not what I would consider a hop bomb – and not what I was expecting from a beer named “Hop Czar.” It was very well balanced, with malty flavors up front and a citrusy/piney hop flavor in the finish and aftertaste.
Me, Karl Ockert, former Brewmaster of Bridgeport Brewing (now Technical Director for the Master Brewers Association of the Americas) and Jamie Emmerson, Brewmaster of Full Sail Brewing
Overall, I really enjoyed this beer. While I wouldn’t normally pair an Imperial IPA with a food, I think this would go incredibly with a burger or oven-fired pizza. It was very well balanced, and exactly what I was looking for – an Imperial that had balance and didn’t taste like an Imperial. If you live in the Northwest and can send me another one of these, please do so!
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