Coronado Brewing 20th Anniversary Imperial IPA
The magicians at Coronado Brewing have done it once again. Their hop wizardry is on full display with their 20th Anniversary Imperial IPA. For the 18th it was Citra, Mosaic, Nugget and Simcoe. For the 19th, Citra, Galaxy, Green Bullet, Mosaic, Nugget and Simcoe. This time around, the company employs Citra, Mosaic, Hallertau Blanc and “a careful selection of experimental hops” to play with our tastebuds and minds.
While previous celebratory releases have been more fruit-leaning, 20th Anniversary heads to the flower garden for a more floral and earthy, herbal character. The combination of hop varieties brings that floral trait, a soft peppery tingle, mango and an array of tropical and melon flavors within a brew that may way in at 10% ABV (70 IBU), but drinks so much smoother.
I’m not the biggest fan of overly flowery hop traits in a beer, but as long as they don’t come across as perfume-y, I’m good to go. And that’s exactly what we’ve got here with Coronado’s 20th Anniversary Imperial IPA — a big brew that is dynamic, full flavored and well deserving of the anniversary beer designation. I can’t wait to see what the crew does next year.
This is a review of a promotional sample.