Hop Czar was a definite favorite of mine when it was first release in 2008, but it will always remind me that Bridgeport no longer bottles their Black Strap Stout (discontinued around the same time). As much as I love IPAs, it would be nice to have the variety. Anyway, this one was a go-to for quite some time, and it still makes it way into my refrigerator when the price is right.
It has a very nice light amber/copper color which is definitely a bit darker that most (Imperial) IPAs. I can't see any haze looking through it at all, and it's about as clear as a beer gets. It's fairly well-carbonated which produced a solid ever-so-slightly-off-white head when poured but with a somewhat weak retention. Lacing is spotty.
Heavy hop aroma, obviously, but it definitely has a very strong, sweet, bread-like malt scent than you might not expect from this style. As for the hops, definitely some citrus notes; mostly grapefruit. These two aromas actually compliment each other quite well and it makes for a unique smell.
The first thing I noticed when I drank it was how sweet it was. There is definitely a strong caramel malt character to this Imperial IPA that you won't find in many other beers of this style. After that, it's pretty much an overload of hops. Like the aroma, it is definitely dominated by citrus flavor, though it does have some floral hints to it at well. The bitterness is rather intense (87 IBUs) and has a lingering spiciness that sticks with you. You can taste the alcohol, but you really have to look for it. Hard to believe that this is 7.5% ABV. It has a medium body that is definitely a bit on the lighter side.
Overall, Hop Czar definitely has as much interesting things to say about the malt as it does the hops, which really makes it stand out for me in this style. I'm always looking for IPAs that try to do something a little more interesting with their malt character. Would definitely recommend to anyone.
Cheers!
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