Brewer Q & A (Issue 22)

93 Rating – Upslope Brewing Co. – Imperial IPA

Responses from Upslope head brewer Sam Scruby.

Who came up with this beer's recipe?
This beer was based on a homebrew recipe from our previous head brewer, Alex Violette. I don't know the entire lore surrounding the creation of the recipe, but we brewed numerous batches for the tap room – trying out different late kettle hop additions – before finally having the "eureka" moment. 

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)? 
I love that our Imperial IPA is aggressive but still well-balanced. It has great initial bitterness but finishes with a touch of sweetness to accentuate the juicier hop notes.

Where does this beer’s name come from? 
Well, we use our brewery name and the beer style for this beer's name. It isn't always sexy, but we don't ever deal with "cease and desist" letters so we can focus on brewing more delicious beer!

Is this your "desert island beer?"
Well, I would definitely be having too much fun on my desert island with this 10 percent ABV beauty. I love this beer on certain occasions, but with such a high ABV, it definitely isn't my first go-to. Maybe a nightcap after a Broncos win?

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
The dankest, most juiced-up hop liquor ever created. 

Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?  
I was brewing a pilot batch of our Double IPA with our former head brewer Alex, and we decided to have a game of H.O.R.S.E while brewing the beer. We were using the kettle as the basket and hop pellets for the ball, and we continuously hopped the wort with our increasingly complex trick shots. Cleanup was less than ideal after the brew was done, but we joked that we had added at least 1 IBU to the beer, and people would truly appreciate the increased hop complexity. I guess it worked out, right?