imperial ipa

After SweetWater Brewery's first brew went through the roof in 1997 and continues on its winning streak to this day, the team decided to brew a contemporary twist on the original. The classic line-up of Centennial and Cascade has been supplemented by three more hop varieties: Columbus, Sultana and Mosaic provide a hefty plus in intensity and taste. In addition to the hop strength, the alcohol content was also increased. The Extra Pale Ale became an Imperial India Pale Ale with a full 9.1% alcohol content and a crisp 60 bitterness units. Despite the doubling of ingredients and revolutions, the balanced basic character of the model was retained.

SweetWaters 420 Imperial IPA presents itself as a barely cloudy copper-gold in the glass and wears a fluffy white crown on its head. The trained nose perceives an olfactory abundance of caramel malt, tropical fruit, citrus and a pine breeze. The initial sip skilfully continues this first impression and initially settles on the tongue with tenderly melting toffee. Gradually, a veritable firework of hops blooms and gives the aromas a fruity symphony of lemon, pineapple, peach and mango. A hint of pine resin and a tart bitterness reminiscent of grapefruit complete the taste.

420 Extra Pale Ale or 420 Imperial IPA — which is your favorite?