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Revolution Brewing – Unsessionable Imperial IPA

Brewery: Revolution Brewing
Location Chicago, IL
Style Imperial IPA
 ABV 10.0%
 IBUs 100

 

Best Quote During Tasting

Dump buckets sound way worse than what they actually are.

Justin:

Aroma - Spicy, pine-like hops smack you in the face.  There are some slightly sweet notes from the malt but the hops don't give it much room.
Score: 10/12
Appearance - Slightly hazy and gold in color with a huge, cream colored head that leaves lacing as it shrinks down.
Score: 3/3
Flavor - Hops, hops and hops.  It's not unbalanced but the caramelly sweetness takes a big back seat to the spicy pine and resiny hops flavors.  The resinous hop flavors are what dominate but it's still got a great balance.  There is some perceptible alcohol (it's 10% for the love of pete!) but it's not fusel.
Score: 18/20
Mouthfeel - Alcohol warmth with a full body.  The finish is nicely crisp and semi-dry.  Carbonation is medium-low.
Score: 4/5
Overall Impression - "....because it's UN-sessionable...get it??!!?" - Marketing Guy at Revolution.  Seriously, though, this is the opposite of a session IPA which is a hot seller for a lot of breweries right now.  I would've never thought that a 10%, 100 IBU Imperial IPA would be this drinkable but here we are.  While it could be a bit less bitter, it's still well balanced considering those huge IBUs. Plus, at 10%, you wouldn't want to drink more than a couple so I don't think it would tire out your palate because you'd be done after 3.
Score: 9/10

 

Blake:

Aroma -  Tropical fruits like grapefruit, mango, and citrus, mixed with a nice piney aroma.
Score: 10/12
Appearance - Deep hazy copper colored with a thick white head. Plenty of lacing. This beer has legs for sure.
Score: 3/3
Flavor - Hops galore. Lots of pine and tropical notes abound. No need to fruit this beer because the hops produce some amazing orange zest, grapefruit, and pineapple flavors. 
Score: 17/20
Mouthfeel -   Much fuller body than what I'm used to in IPAs. Could be a result of the ABV. Whatever is causing it, I love it. 
Score: 5/5
Overall Impression - The bad news is you can't get this beer in St. Louis, but the good news is that it's a Chicago brewery so you don't have to drive too far to find it. Revolution makes some quality stuff, and along with numerous Chicago brewers who are taking off, it might be worth a trip up to the Windy City to check out their beer scene.
Score: 9/10

 

Unsessionable Imperial IPA Final Score
  • Aroma
  • Appearance
  • Flavor
  • Mouthfeel
  • Overall
4.5
User Rating: 0.7 (13 votes)
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Justin Phelps

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.

Comments

  1. I absolutely loved this beer and was lucky enough to get 2 cans in a beer it forward! As it warms up you can taste different hop flavors, I love that beers still continue to amaze me!

    Reply

  2. This is IPA concentrate. Just add water to get a regular IPA. Seriously though, they’ve crammed 3x the amount of everything into one can, yet still were able to balance it out. Tons of juicy hops with an equal malt sweetness. The beer has a more full mouthfeel than most other Imperial IPAs but is still an easy drinker.

    Sight: Deep Gold
    Smell: Tropical Fruits and Dank
    Taste: Sweet and Fruity
    Overall: A great Imperial IPA

    Reply

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