Garrison Imperial I.P.A.

Launched and enthusiastically received at the first annual Halifax Seaport Beer Fest in August 2007, this ale has quickly become known as the hoppiest beer in Atlantic Canada! Imperial Pale Ale is a robust, medium bodied west coast style ale with a lingering hop bitterness complimented by a malty caramel backbone and a strong citrus character. This beer is for the true hophead!

Appeared on cask dry hopped with Comet Hops as Comet IIPA.

3.6

246 reviews

Halifax, Canada

Community reviews

3.6 Keg at the brewery. It pours clear deep amber with a small white head. The nose is soft, juicy, bitter-sweet, orange citrus, guava, papaya and resin. The taste is rather bitter, oily, resinous, dry, piney, varnish, big hit of grapefruit, waxy rind, earth and peppery spice with a lingering bitter-dry finish. Medium body and fine, prickly carbonation. Punchy, yet rather drinkable. Good double IPA.

3.4 Not really a big pinch you on the face beer for an IPA but it's smooth with caramel and floral notes, worthy of your coin. On tap in Canada

4.1 An amazing IPA. Huge bitter citrus hop flavours with a nice amount of malts and alcohol to balance it out.

4.0 Pours clear pale amber with two fingers of rocky white head, good retention and lacing. (4/5) Nose is bright citrus and pine resin, tropical fruit, mild caramel malt. (8/10) Taste is mild to moderate sweet, moderately strong bitter. (8/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, slightly sticky and lingering bitter finish. (4/5) No bottle date, but definitely fresh - hop-forward all the way, bright and sharp, with just enough malt in support. Probably the strongest performer I’ve had from Garrison’s lineup. The ABV isn’t absent, but it’s also not intrusive. (16/20)

3.5 Beautiful reddish/brown colour with an even & full head. Taste is very hoppy, bitter & powerful.

3.4 ENG: 650ml bottle from Liquor Mart in Winnipeg, poured into the tulip. A bit opalescent, golden color with nice, beige head with lacing. Aromas of pine, citrus and tropical fruits plus creamy notes, a bit skunky. Taste mostly piney and sweet fruits with a bit of caramel and bitter hoppy notes. Delicate bitter hoppy aftertaste. Medium carbonation and medium body and creamy. Overall good beer if you try not to feel that bit of skunky aromas, quite drinkable as for 8.0% beer. PL: Butelka 650ml, kupiona w Liquor Mart w Winnipeg, przelana do kieliszka. Nieco opalizująca, złocista barwa z ładną beżową pianą i lejsingiem. Aromaty żywiczne, cytrusowe, owoców tropikalnych, nieco nut śmietankowych, nieco skunksa. W smaku głównie sosna, słodkie owoce i odrobina karmelu oraz chmielowej goryczki. Delikatna chmielowa goryczka również w posmaku. Średnie nasycenie oraz średnie odczucie w ustach, kremowe. Podsumowując dobre piwo, tylko te skunksowe aromaty nieco psują całokształt, bardzo pijalne jak na 8.0% piwo.

3.8 Bottle, labelled as 8% ABV. Cloudy amber pour with a thick light beige head. Aroma is big and fruity - tropical fruits, mango, pineapple, a little citrus - and a little creamy. Flavour is well balanced, fruity and sweet with a stiff bitter backbone. Fairly full bodied with a dry finish. A very nice DIPA.

3.6 A hazed golden amber ale with floaties, and a thick frothy light mocha head. In aroma, pleasant fruity caramel malt with loads of floral resinous hops, grapefruit pulp, light menthol, very nice. In mouth, a nice sweet caramel malt with loads of resinous floral hops, grapefruit pulp, nice alcohol warmth, very nice.

4.1 Poured from 500mL bottle. Nice hoppy aroma of citrus and spruce. Pours a clear golden with good white head. As expected for an IPA it is bitter. Medium bodied, slick texture, lively carbonation, and bitter finish. A great example of a very hoppy IPA.

4.2 A big ol’ lovable DIPA lug. Truly beautiful is all of its muscly, hoppy glory. A hazy copper capped by a nice, lasting ivory blanket of foam. The nasal is treated to a hop barrage both citrus, floral and piney mixed expertly with caramel and biscuit malts. The mouth is as smooth as you’d ever want, mild carbonation and a very lightly oily residue. Fine example of the style from a powerhouse Canadian brewery.

3.2 Sample at Atlantic Beer Festival Moncton. Clear golden amber color. Aroma of summer fruit and citrus. Taste is very bitter resin.

4.2 Nice cloudy orange amber with a small initial head. Big piney resinous aroma, followed by IPA citrus, mostly grapefruit. Solid initial sweetness in taste, followed by big, big bitterness. Super long dry finish that feels lie it goes from the back of the tongue up through the nasal passages. Great! Nice and full beer. Very enjoyable.

4.0 Poured from a bottle. Thin head and cloudy off yellow appearance. The aroma is the best part of this beer, but then I’m not a hophead. However I can appreciate the high marks this receives.

3.3 Poured from a bottle. Hazy orange color, with a small white head. Mild pine aroma. Medium body with a light oily and bitter hops flavor with a bitter finish.

4.3 Probably one of the best DIPAs I’ve ever had. Nicely balanced and allows the hops to shine through. Not a session beer, but then again, it wasn’t intended to be.

4.0 Bottle. It’s true, this is pretty potent. Smells like you are sticking your face in a bag of hops, which you can’t stop smelling. Taste of pine, and resin. Lots of bitterness everywhere in this beer, but I really enjoy it. I find the hops are much stronger than the malt in this one, but that is okay. It is a great stronger IPA.

3.6 500ml bottle from the LCBO. Pours a deep hazy amber colour with a medium white head. Aroma is citrus, bread. Taste is citrus, spices, honey. Very good.

3.9 Bomber bottle. Pours a hazy reddish brown, bits of hops visible suspended in the beer. Aroma is citrus like, resinous, hoppy. Taste is malty, like caramel, with a warming hop bitterness overtone, some earthiness, a bit of floral. Finish is a sweet maltiness with some hop tones, kind of grassy, Overall pretty good with a wide palate, appearance would be improved without the floaties.

3.6 500ml bottle lcbo: cloudy orange pour with tight, lasting head. Abundantly hopped with notes of peeled fruit and malt. Flavors of pine, citrus, hops, and spice. Sticky mouthfeel with an unbalanced and lingering finish. Very decent IPA.

4.4 Love the look and aroma of this beer. Very flavourful and crisp and easy to drink. Wish I had another one.

3.4 Aroma: Mostly have fresh cascadian hops Taste: Very bitter start that mellows out nicely. Some sweet malts can be detected but very subtle indeed Appearance: Cloudy brown/amber with a well maintained lace head

4.1 Pours a clear copper, with a frothy white head. The aroma notes include Pine resin, Grapefruit, caramel, and honey. The tasting notes include a blast of thick resin bitterness that lingers, caramel, and honey rounds out the palate. Then the bitterness takes over and lingers! This is spectacular!!

4.0 500ml bottle from the LCBO. Pours a very deep hazy amber with a generous off white head that clings to the glass. Nose is heavy pine and citrus with a good dose of bread thrown in. Taste is great bitter pine and grapefruit and spice with some sweet caramel and honey to keep it under control. Nice long resinous bitter finish. Mouth is medium slick with slightly soft carbonation. Excellent Imperial.

4.0 Pours the colour of beechwood with a sticky one finger cap. Flavour is fresh peeled citrus & caramel malt. Hops are pronounced, maybe not as juicy as you’d hope for in an imperial. Glad I’ve found this & even more pleased that I picked up an extra bottle. If I see one of these puppies on the shelf then its going home with me.

3.6 500 mL bottle. Pours hazy amber with a foamy white head of lace. Aromas of tangerine, honey, beeswax, pomelo and grapefruit. Moderately sweet on the palate, followed by a bracing hop bitterness that balances out quite nicely. Medium plus body with slightly below average carbonation. Leaves a lingering sticky feeling on the palate. Not as dry as many; well done.

4.2 It is a very piney taste with strong bitterness. It was sold in Ontario at 8% alc vol. Overall great IPA.

3.9 500ml bottle bottled on Oct 11, 2013. Drank Dec 10, 2013. Pours a cloudy copper with a frothy, off-white, one finger head that leaves mild lacing.Aroma is great. Big notes of pine, citrus, grapefruit, resin, and a hint of bready malt. Taste is a solid bitter with big resin, grapefruit, and pine notes. Really, really good.Medium body and carbonation with a resiny texture in the mouth.Overall this is a very nice brew. Big aroma and a taste to match. This is a solid choice and well worth trying. Would buy again for sure. Cheers!

3.2 Hazy coppery golden. Juicy dusty goldings tinged aroma. Sweet maltiness, moderate caramel. Moderate bitterness. Decent earthy hop flavor, not @stale. No idea how old this is but, while not super bright and fresh tasting, this is still enjoyable.

4.2 Bottle generously provided by Ellen and Malcolm. Quite a cloudy amber beer with a frothy white head. Big floral citrus aroma. Citrus flavours all the way with a touch of caramel. Nice fresh bitter finish with some burnt notes. Top notch.

3.5 Pours a very attractive dark amber colour with suspended particles (which is something I like, oddly enough.) Nice yellow-white head, carrying a sweet, citrus nose that has a hint of Belgian about it. Flavour is sweet, the caramel malt making itself known with a pine-resin background. A rich pale ale that would go well with something spicy, i think. Very good.