Anniversary Imperial IPA brewed by Anderson Valley Brewing - Boonville,
California
One look at Anderson Valley’s huge redwoods or imposing coastline cliffs,
and it’s easy to see where the inspiration came for our Imperial IPA. This
is one big beer. This Imperial IPA was first created in honor of our second
decade producing some of the finest beers in the world. This over-the-top
brew is loaded with excessive amounts of malts to balance 20 separate
additions of the finest Pacific Northwest hops to create what the late beer
critic William Brand described as “The kind of beer that made California
craft beer famous”. As with all of our products, Anniversary Imperial IPA is
never sterile filtered nor heat pasteurized. Gold Medal Winner 2009 U.S.
Open Beer Championships. ABV:8.7%. IBUs 100.
Beer Review by Beer Advocate
Appearance - One inch off-white creamy head with decent retention; Hazy at
first, but pretty clear later with an orange hued amber color; Fairly good veils
of lacing left behind
Aroma - Quite pleasant aroma here with notes of floral and piney hops, vanilla,
and underlying, but fairly prominent biscuity and caramel malts
Taste - Loads of hops here, but the malts have a pretty big balancing presence
as well while still letting the hops shine; Hop flavors include the herbal,
piney, light pungent onion, and light citrus varieties; Taste turns quite
peppery in the finish; Nice shot of bitterness throughout the taste; Biscuity
and light caramel flavors form the malt backbone
Mouthfeel - A bit above moderate carbonation; Nice, smooth, creamy mouthfeel
behind the carbonation; Just a notch above medium bodied; Pretty dry finish with
just a very subtle warmth that seems to strengthen a bit as the beer warms
Overall - Under the cap: "Yo Quiero Cerveza Crema!" This is a very tasty and
satisfying DIPA that brings pretty good balance, while still showing a strong
presence of delicious herbal, piney and oniony hops. The levels of bitterness
and smooth mouthfeel characteristics seem just right too. Overall, I was pretty
pleased with this brew and am curious to try other Anderson Valley offerings in
the future.
History of Anderson Valley Brewing Company
Founded in 1987, the Anderson Valley Brewing Company brewed out of a 10-barrel
brewhouse, located in the lower level of its brewpub, The Buckhorn Saloon.
Gleaming stainless steel vats brewed and fermented barley and other specialty
grains to create outstanding ales, porters, stouts, and wheat beers. These brews
began as a dream of Kenneth Allen to create the smoothest tasting ales available
anywhere.
When the demand for our award winning ales exceeded the capacity of our
10-barrel brewery below the pub, we built our present 30-barrel facility at the
corner of Highways 128 and 253, a mile from the center of Boonville. That was in
1996, and this brewery saw us through a dramatic period of growth, which
included the introduction of a 12 ounce bottling line and a production level of
15,000 barrels in 1998, twice the amount brewed in 1997.
Yet, the brewery’s growth was outpacing its larger space and expanded capacity.
In 1998, construction began on a state-of-the-art, three-story Bavarian-style
brewhouse. The centerpieces of the brewhouse are gleaming 100- and 85- barrel
copper brew kettles rescued by Ken Allen from a defunct German breweries during
a trip to Europe in 1995. The new brewhouse went online in August of 2000.
By 2010 Ken Allen decided to retire and began to search for a successor to
continue the Anderson Valley commitment to quality. In April of 2010 the brewery
sold to industry veteran Trey White. In September of that year Fal Allen (former
general manager 2000 – 2004, no relation to Ken) returned to the brewery as
brewmaster. White has focused on innovation and quality, introducing the Bahl
Hornin’ Series, expanding the barrel aged program, and increasing brewing
capacity.
