Brewery: | Cathedral Square Brewery |
Location | St. Louis, MO |
Style | Imperial IPA |
ABV | 9.0% |
IBUs | n/a |
Best Quote During Tasting
Did you plate this cheese? Its presentation is on point.
Justin:
Aroma - Sweet malts and a little spice from the rye. Malts dominate more than hops which is unique but it does smell pleasing. |
Score: 9/12 |
Appearance - Deep copper with an off-white head. Slightly cloudy. |
Score: 3/3 |
Flavor - It's sweet(nearly too sweet) with a little alcohol warmth. It's not cloying but there's a lot of residual sugar which is somewhat expected for such a high ABV. Again, hops are there but subdued. There are just enough there for balance. |
Score: 14/20 |
Mouthfeel - Wonderful creaminess, medium-full body but not quite "chewy," medium carbonation and a semi-dry finish. |
Score: 4/5 |
Overall Impression - As good as this beer was, it was equally perplexing. I was really hoping for there to be more hop bitterness in it since it's an IPA. That being said, I found the balance was actually quite good, just not great. Like Blake says below, their site refers to this beer as a Barleywine and while American Barleywines and Imperial IPAs are sisters in a lot of ways, this beer seemed to straddle the fence in every regard. You could've said it was either style and I would've believed you. To sum it all up, we've tried some of Cathedral Square's Belgian styles in the past with mixed results but this beer makes me excited to try some more of their modern American beers in the future. |
Score: 8/10 |
Blake:
Aroma - Sweet caramel from the malt, as well as a hint of dark fruits. Smells great, but doesn't smell like an IPA. |
Score: 10/12 |
Appearance - Clear copper with a slightly off-white head. |
Score: 3/3 |
Flavor - A bit of spice from the rye, and lots of sweetness from the malt. Little to no hops present in this one. Sweetness goes well with a little bit of burn from the booze. |
Score: 14/20 |
Mouthfeel - Medium carbonation and medium body. |
Score: 4/5 |
Overall Impression - Like Justin, I'm a bit befuddled, because on the label the beer says IPA, but their site calls it a barleywine. The beer would rate pretty well for a barleywine, and less so for an IPA. Needless to say, it's a good brew if you don't mind something a bit sweet. (Also, despite the confusion, I really like the new label compared to their old one.) |
Score: 7/10 |

Justin Phelps
Co-Founder at Saint Brewis
Justin Phelps is a Certified Cicerone® who was born and raised in St. Louis. His passion for beer goes beyond just drinking it as he is also an award-winning home brewer. While he may be a marketing professional by day, he's a blogger, brewery hopper, and beer enthusiast by night.

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