Robin Shepard
Sunset Imperial Amber is a very nice addition to the Hop Garden’s hop-forward beers. It demonstrates how skillfully balancing hops and malts results in a flavorful beer.
What is it? Sunset Imperial Amber from the Hop Garden of Belleville.
Style: American ambers and red ales obviously take their names from their amber to reddish-copper hues. The style gets its color from dark malts, which often lend sweet hints of caramel and chocolate to the background. Depending upon the brewer's intent, these beers can have moderate to high hop flavor, and often strong citrusy qualities from the use of American hop varieties.
Some brewers see these as the same style. Others distinguish between the amber ale and the red ale: An amber is more malt-focused and balanced, while the American red (a style often associated with the West Coast) is bolder in hop character and higher in alcohol. The American amber will generally range from 4.5% to 6% ABV, while West Coast red ales are even stronger. Using the word "imperial" as an adjective to describe a beer usually means it's richer, more flavorful, fuller-bodied, and high in alcohol.
Background: “We were out on the deck, the sun was setting, and the name just popped up,” says Hop Garden owner Rich Joseph. Sunset Imperial Amber is an imperial, but it’s not assertively bitter. It’s a beer that shows how hops and malts can play nicely together. Sunset is so well balanced that it’s easy to forget just how strong it is. “It’s a little dangerous because for 9.5% ABV, it’s very easy drinking,” says Joseph. “It can sneak up on you.”
Like all Hop Garden brews, hops play an important role. Sunset is a single-hopped beer, made with Cascade hops from Joseph’s farm. Five additions of hops go into the beer for a total of about 2.5 pounds per barrel. (To compare, Hop Garden’s hop-forward Nuggetopia is made with about five pounds of Wisconsin-grown Nugget hops per barrel.) The balance in Sunset’s flavor comes from a grist of caramel and Pilsner malts. Sunset was originally intended as a winter seasonal, but recipe tweakings involving the yeast used to make the beer delayed its introduction until this past spring. Joseph says the beer immediately developed a following and is now part of his year-round lineup.
It’s available in single 22-ounce bomber bottles for around $6. It finishes at 9.5% ABV and 45 IBUs (International Bitterness Units).
Joseph grows his hops at his farm near Belleville and makes his beers at House of Brews in Madison. This past April, Joseph opened a small taproom in Paoli, where Sunset is on tap alongside other Hop Garden brews.
Tasting notes:
Aroma: Solid grapefruit-Cascade hoppiness.
Appearance: Clear, reddish-amber color. A thick, bubbly, off-white to light tan head.
Texture: Medium-bodied, round with some softness.
Taste: Nice firm hop presence with grapefruit-dryness. But the malt is more than an accent. This beer has nice overall balance in malty sweetness and hoppy bitterness.
Finish/Aftertaste: A light, but very noticeable grapefruit dryness and a mild spiciness in the end.
Glassware: I like the Willi Becher because it gently coaxes the aroma of the Cascade hops under the nose, making the hops stand out even more.
Pairs well with: This is a nice beer with a range of cheeses; I prefer well-aged Gouda or an Asiago. It’s also a wonderful companion to a ribeye on the grill.
The Verdict: The grapefruity aroma from the Cascades is at the forefront; this is a well-hopped beer. However, the solid malty backbone is assertive enough to make it a flavorful blend. It is indeed deceptive at 9.5% ABV, with just slight warmth in the finish; it’s so easy drinking that you need to remember this really is a big beer. I recommend it as a great summer brew.
