Home > Nelson Imperial IPA brewed by Widmer Brothers - Portland, Oregon
Nelson Imperial IPA brewed by Widmer Brothers - Portland, Oregon
Nelson Imperial IPA brewed by Widmer Brothers - Portland, Oregon
Nelson Imperial IPA is unlike any Imperial IPA you’ve ever lifted from the
beer aisle. It has the strong hop flavor you’d expect from an Imperial IPA
but no heaviness that could weigh down your desire to take another sip. The
unique flavor stems in part from Nelson Sauvin hops imported from New
Zealand. Nelson’s other component, a simple but fully braced malt backbone
muscles up enough malty sweetness and caramel character to spot the
incredibly robust hop flavor and aroma.
Nelson Imperial IPA uses Nelson Sauvin hops from New Zealand’s best hop
growing region: South Island’s Nelson. This region produces some of the most
flavorful hops found anywhere. These hops have an intense citrus, fruity,
berry-like aroma and flavor that makes them unique. The result will surely
be a welcome workout for your taste buds.
Beer Review by Beer Advocate
Beer Review by Beer Advocate
Pours hazy orange color with a foamy off white head that faded very slowly and
was full of bubbles, leaving excellent lacing clinging to the sides; a foamy
layer stayed on top and kept this looking very inviting.
Smells of huge hops up front, with citrus hops, grapefruit, orange peel, lemon,
mango, floral hops, flowers, sweet malt, caramel, herbs, piney hops, light
grains, spices like pepper and coriander, and mild alcohol; very hoppy, sweet
and fruity, this smells like fresh hops were floating in the beer - just
delicious.
Tastes like it smells, with citrus hops, grapefruit, orange peel, lemon, mango,
guava, floral hops, flowers, sweet malt, caramel, pear, herbs, piney hops, brown
sugar, light grains, spices like pepper, cinnamon and coriander, mild alcohol
like a pina colada; damn this is hoppy and tasty, with a nice citrus pith, mild
grains and enough malts to add balance but let the fruity hop sweetness
dominate. This reminds me of Cigar City Jai Alai IPA or Firestone Walker Union
Jack IPA, and that is a major compliment. Very tasty and easy to drink with a
slight bitterness that lets you know that this is a DIPA.
Mouthfeel is creamy and oily slick, with a medium body, a chewy feel, and a
thick overall feel that is slightly bitter with a fruity finish that’s all about
the hops.
A great beer that was refreshing and easy to drink for a DIPA, one which I
consider highly drinkable and I shall seek out again. Brought a growler of this
to a party to share and drank most of it myself – it was that damn good.
Widmer Brothers History
Widmer Brothers Brewing Company is a Portland, Oregon-based "craft brewer" that
produces several distinctive varieties of beer. The firm's brews include top
seller Hefeweizen, an unfiltered wheat beer; black raspberry-flavored Widberry;
Drop Top Amber; Blonde Ale; seasonal varieties like Okto and Snowplow Milk
Stout; and others that are brewed for sale on draft only. Hefeweizen is
available in most American states, and the rest are found primarily on the West
Coast. The firm is run by brothers Kurt and Rob Widmer, who sold a minority
stake to Anheuser-Busch in 1997 to gain access to the industry leader's
distribution network.
Widmer Brothers Brewing Company was founded in 1984 in Portland, Oregon by Kurt
and Rob Widmer. Older brother Kurt had come to appreciate a wide variety of beer
while living in Germany in the 1970s, and had begun making his own beer when he
returned to the United States. He used a traditional strain of yeast obtained
from the Brewing Research Institute in Weihenstephan, Bavaria, and later
returned to Germany to fine-tune his craft at a brewery in Dusseldorf. By the
early 1980s he had developed a recipe for beer that produced consistently good
results.
In 1984 the Widmer brothers decided to found a brewery, and raised more than
$50,000 from family members and an outside investor. With their father Raymond,
they assembled a small brewery out of used dairy and restaurant equipment, and
by fall had begun running test batches. The first Widmer offering, Altbier
(German for "old beer"), was offered for sale in early 1985, and the richly
flavored brew was soon joined by a lighter variety, Weizen, which used wheat as
an ingredient. Unlike German wheat beers, which had a slight flavor of bananas
and cloves, the Widmers' recipe produced a less noticeable aftertaste.
