The latest release in the Black Notebook Series, Granville Island Brewing’s Shipload of Hops Imperial IPA is full-bodied and aims to please when paired with salty dishes, BBQ meats, and in our case earlier this week, lemon and olive oil-basted start-of-season spot prawns off the grill. The succulent prawns were a great match for the strong hops.
Popping open one of these big guys reveals an aroma of citrus and marmalade, all contained within this beer’s 100 BU, 8.7% ABV golden/light amber colour with a hazy appearance. The finish is…well, bitter and dry, symbolic of an Imperial IPA.
Shipload of Hops uses leaf hops and pellets, adding American Zeus, Simcoe, and Amarillo varieties at five different stages of the brewing process (including whirlpool, hop-back, and dry-hopping). Brewmaster Vern Lambourne and team were after a classic bitterness found in Imperials, and we believe they’ve done a fine job in achieving that mark.
Shipload of Hops will be available in 650 ml bottles for a limited time only at both Granville Island Brewery’s Taproom as well as in selected BC liquor stores.
