Hop Valley Brewing Imperial Mistress IPA

Beer Name: Imperial Mistress
Brewery: Hop Valley Brewing Co. (Eugene, OR)
ABV: 8.5%
How sold: 22 oz bottles; on draft
Where bought: Belmont Station (Portland, OR)
Price: $4.46 for 22 oz. bottle

Date Purchased: August 4, 2017
Date Opened: September 1, 2017
Best By Date: January 2, 2018
When brewed? Rotating/limited-time beer.
IBU: 92

What's on the Bottle: "The 'imperial' version of one of our most popular beers, Citrus Mistress, Imperial Mistress features a combination of 4 hops known for their floral and citrusy characteristics and a small addition of grapefruit peel. The result is a citrus packed punch that starts with a peachy apricot nose and transitions to the bitterness of grapefruit peel in the finish."

Where distributed: Unknown; Hop Valley at least ships to the Pacific NW. Check to see if Hop Valley Brewing ships your area!

REVIEW:

Appearance (5%): Poured a burnt orange color into a pint glass. Similar in appearance to Citrus Mistress. Off-white head. Lovely rings of lacing. 4.5/5

Smell (25%): Hoppy grapefruit; other tropical also detected. 4.5/5

Taste (40%): Dank and hop-forward with wonderful grapefruit flavors throughout. Ideal balance of tropical and citrus bitterness. Full of flavor. Aftertaste brings an awesome grapefruit experience. Again, grapefruit fans should love this. 4.75/5

Mouthfeel (10%): Medium-bodied, good carbonation. Slightly dry tongue. 4.25/5

Overall (20%): An outstanding Double IPA. Much like how I was (and still am) a huge fan of Citrus Mistress, Hop Valley brought its "A" game with Imperial Mistress. As expected, it was Citrus Mistress with slightly more octane and dank notes. You'll still be able to appreciate the wonderful grapefruit. This beer is very cheap compared to other quality brews on the market, likely in part because it is a local selection. I'd have to rate this slightly above Citrus Mistress. All things considered, this is one to get. 4.75/5

Final Weighted Rating: 4.625/5