Review: Hop Box Imperial IPA

Hello, fellow beer connoisseurs! It's time for a new beer review. And this time it's not of a fall beer. Fancy that!

So I picked up an IPA, because I love them so much. Y'know, they're definitely one of the two most complex types of brews on the planet, next to stouts. And when you get your hands on an imperial IPA, it's even more special. And that's what I have today.

I picked up the Hop Box Imperial IPA, brewed by Joseph James Brewing Inc., based in Nevada. Hop Box is 9.3% ABV and sports a whopping 90 IBUs. This is my first time coming across a beer from this brewery, so I'll just dive right into this review.

Appearance: 5/5
Hop Box pours really nicely into a glass. I poured mine into a Weizen glass because it's the closest thing I own to an IPA glass (like the one Dogfish Head put out). The beer is a hazy opaque golden color that looks quite rich. The head is impressive as all hell; it comes out to a full two fingers of white, frothy foam that sticks around for a good while and leaves a considerable amount of lacing. It looks mouth-watering.

Nose: 3.5/5
Definitely citrus notes coming from this beer, and strong ones. This is the Cascade hops working their magic. They're my favorite kind of hops next to Centennial ones.

Taste: 4.5/5
I really enjoy the bitterness and citrusy flavor of this beer. The Cascade hops really shine, as the beer is primarily tangy with citrus goodness. There is some malt behind the overpowering bitter citrus. The malt is primarily light biscuits and, dare I say, some touches of caramel. But overall it's just a nice, deep, bitter IPA.

Mouthfeel: 3/5
Hop Box is a rather dry IPA with a medium body. The alcohol content and the decent amount of depth of flavor help make this beer full enough to enjoy.

Finish: 3/5
Pure bitterness lingers after each sip of this beer. It's not an overbearing bitterness, and it incorporates the piney notes from the Simcoe hops and a lot of the citrus tones from the Cascade hops. It's citrus from beginning to end with this beer.

Total Score: 79.5/100

As far as imperial IPAs go, this one is pretty good. It's hoppy, bitter, and features a whopping amount of citrus tang which I love. You'll definitely want to pick up a bottle of this or a whole four pack if you want. It's good enough where you may want two.

Until next time, cheers!

-Blake