Hop Czar - Bridgeport Brewing Co.

	This won't the first time you'll hear this from me, but I'm really not an IPA guy... not in the least. Doesn't matter who brews it, the onslaught of hoppy bitterness impales my taste buds every time, and I just keep coming back for more! So as I sit down with the Bridgeport Brewing Co. Imperial IPA I really wasn't sure what to expect... well, besides the "irresponsible amount of hops" this thing is claimed to be made with. I popped the bronze-ish cap and grabbed my trusty Broncos pint glass and started my pour. As I steadied the glass up to a right angle and emptied the brown container I found myself quite surprised by the rather thin head. Even more so in that it quickly faded into even thinner latices across the top of the deep, pumpkin colored ale. Also to note, the beer is very cloudy. Held up to a light source, the murky beverage glows like a holiday jack o' lantern. Even after quite some time there are still plenty of bubbles racing for freedom. My first sip was pretty much par for the course when I think of an IPA. It's a medium body brew that leaves your mouth with this sort of... sticky feeling. Almost like that feeling of chewing a caramel if that makes sense? A shame it's not as tasty as a caramel. I say that, but then again, there's that IPA bias I can't quite escape. In the end, I don't find myself hard-pressed in the least to say that this is just any old IPA. There are very few in this category that really stand out to me, and unfortunately, this is not one of them. That being said, if you're a fan of IPA's, give this one a go. It might not be the best you ever had, but I'd wager it'll be far from the worst. Believe it or not, I drank the whole thing, and even have a couple more left. Mm hmm, I'll be drinking those too. It's a beer after all.
BEER PROFILE Brewery: Bridgeport Brewing Co. Web: bridgeportbrew.com State: Oregon Style: Imperial IPA ABV: 7.5%. IBU: 87 Blurb "A triple-hopped, bottle-conditioned, Imperial-style IPA that carries a deep malt background with bright citrus and floral notes paired with high-hop bitterness. Hop Czar blends copious amounts of Nugget, Chinook, Cascade and Centennial hops."