Garrison Imperial IPA

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

Pours a huge frothy off white head that leaves patchy lacing. Has a dark amber appearance, a little bit hazy. Aromas are mainly bitter citrus and herbal hops with notes of spices. Flavours of spice and resin hops as well as the strong citrus hops. Has some nice light hints of caramel malts to balance out the hoppy bitterness. Goes down pretty smoothly. Has a creamy and slight tingling mouthfeel/sensation. Just a nice balance of bitterness and sweetness to not overwhelm the palate. Great stuff!

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Hazy copper colour pour with a huge off white head with brown swirls from the dregs of the bottle. Head sticks around all the way down and leaves globs of lacing. Pine dominates the aroma. Bitter pine flavour, resinous hops and a hint of caramel malt helps the balance. Creamy thick mouthfeel. Long lasting dry hop finish. Very good, would like to try their stout.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 10 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

This is likely the most bitter beer I have had. I have had 1000IBU and this makes me pucker to a degree so much greater than that. West Cost hop addition, suitable malt backing, well brewed and fairly smooth drinking, but it is just sooooo bitter. Great aroma, great bitterness, this has become my new standard on which to gauge bitterness.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

Nice 500 millitres bottle with a great label exposing clearly some fine hops. The product is great a lot of citrus going with a good base of sweet malt ;the result is a well balance beer with a bitterness edge. Quite enjoyable.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Poured a cloudy orange body under athin white head. Aroma was well-hopped, with a generous helping of pine needle. Tasted like it too, with lots of bitter hop and pine notes. Solid mouth and a well-balanced finish.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

first tried this a few years ago straight from the brewery in Halifax. Pretty excited to find it at Brewery Creek, in Vancouver, as I thought it was the best Impy IPA I'd ever had. For better or worse, times have changed. It's a very good beer for the style, it smells, looks and tastes like an Impy IPA. I could see how this West Coast style beer would stand out on the east coast, but it's pretty average out west.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

A Canadian attempt at a West Coast style comes up somewhat lame. It may be the hoppiest beer in Eastern Canada, but it certainly isn't the most flavoured. A cloudy golden pour, huge tan head, and lots of pine, citrus, and sweet malt in the aroma. The flavour is weak though, as are most Garrison beers.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

500ml bottle
7.0% ABV
Milton LCBO Outlet #1 (Milton, Ontario, Canada)
October 18, 2010
The beer poured a dark golden colour, hazy, with brownish hues. The aroma was very citrsuy hops, some caramel malt, and some pine. The mouthfeel was medium bodied with medium carbonation. The flavour was pink grapefruit, with a little bit of malt. The hoppiest Canadian beer I've tried to date.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Bought this one in Edmonston, N.B. when I was on tour with my band. Last one from these. Written on front label that beer was bottled APR 06 2009. Pours a deep amber-orange colour (on the hazy side) with lots of little particles floating all-around (as this one says unfiltered). Beige cap with good retention and loads of lacing. Aromas are complex with the hop (which was assumed), nuts, caramel malt, citrus, pine and some fruits. Creamy and velvet mouthfeel. Very nice bitterness in the taste that stays a long time into the aftertaste. Notes of smoke in the finish, grapefruit and sweet malt. Very well-balanced imperial IPA which I wish I could get here.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

1/2 liter bomber: First of my Garrison private order cache: Pours a hazed deep amber orange with a monster meringue cap. Great retention and lacing. Gorgeous pungent aromas of juicy citrus- pine hopping and toffee malts. Medium bodied, Big rush of resinous hops in front is countered by ample caramel malt body, large flavour. Finish is wet hoppy and with a long astringent hop bittering burn. One of the best big IPAs I have sampled in Canada but the astringent finish blows the balance and harmony...a small foible and a personal preference but this alone keeps me from giving this higher marks,