Everyone needs a place to relax, and BaseLine Tap House is a great place to enjoy a beer and watch the crowds as they move towards Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge, and then maybe choose to visit the Muppets instead if they don’t want to wait 90 minutes to save the Resistance. And while Baseline only features two breweries, they do a nice job of surprising us with seasonal pours.
Base Camp Imperial IPA is one of those seasonals. I grabbed a drink for both myself and my date treating myself to the big pour, it’s really leaving money on the table to choose a small draft. I was expecting a solid West Coast-styled IPA since Sierra Nevada Brewing has that style perfected. It couldn’t go wrong. I found myself surprised by this butterscotch-colored liquid. It is listed as having no IBUs. It has a pleasant piney woody flavor. But the big surprise with this being an Imperial IPA is that the hops don’t punch you in the face as it has a pleasant and mellow aftertaste. With an 8.6% ABV, that can be a little shocking, as these could catch up to you quickly if you don’t moderate you’re drinking.
Imperial IPAs are generally bigger IPAs, with Base Camp having a nice big 8%+. They are typically more bitter highlighting the hops, becoming a hop bomb. This is not that imperial. I generally have experienced an Imperial IPA hop bite as a bitter slap. But again, this is refined and easily drinks like a typical West Coast IPA. Finally, they are usually darker than a usual IPA, but Base Camp has a color that you can generally see through. I think you could argue this is a very atypical Imperial IPA as it reminds me more of Sierra Nevada’s typical West Coast IPAs. And I liked this one didn’t fit my expectations as it was an easy drinker in a theme park.
Who Drinks This? There are a lot of folks who would enjoy Base Camp Imperial IPA. First, if you are a big IPA fan, treat yourself and add this one to your IPA experiences. You will love comparing this to other IPAs and Imperial IPAs you have drank before. Second, if you go to BaseLine on the regular, this is a seasonal that won’t fail you. So put aside your regular and as long as Base Camp is on tap, treat yourself. Just don’t drink too many as it’s a deceptively big beer!
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