Judge’s Review: 97 Rating – Tank Dog West Coast Imperial IPA by New Realm Brewing

Double IPA | Year-Round | United States

By Dan Martich

Judges Rating: 97
Aroma: 24
Appearance: 6
Flavor: 39
Mouthfeel: 9
Overall Impression: 19

Tank Dog West Coast Imperial IPA  by New Realm Brewing is being evaluated as a Double IPA (Category 22A) from the 2021 BJCP Style guidelines. 
Loads of fruity aromas of pine, tangerine and resin are present right away upon first whiff. Beyond that, there’s a white peach-like character that blends very well with the hops. This beer’s aroma finishes with a clean ale profile and fruity yeast esters.
With brilliant clarity and a deep gold color, many fine bubbles were seen rising slowly to the top, giving this beer a hint of viscosity.  The white foamy head was tall, and persisted for a while, leaving symmetrical lace around the glass.
This is a very flavorful beer with a good amount of maltiness to balance the hop flavor and bitterness. The same hop characteristics described in the aroma are found here in the flavor, as expected: fruity, sweet and juicy flavors of white peach, pine and subtle orange peel citrus all parade across the palate. While the bitterness is assertive it is not offensive, making the finish long and fruity yet dry, true to its West Coast representation.
This beer’s medium body and medium-high carbonation dry things out even further. There’s a slight alcoholic warmth given the ABV, which is appropriate, but this DIPA is still very drinkable.
A delicious beer and one that’s hard to put down, it drinks more like a regular-strength IPA rather than an imperial, yet the body reminds you of a bolder, more flavorful example of the style. The more sips you take, the more you will experience the beer’s trademark orange peel bitterness. An excellent example of the style, this world-class brew exhibits superior drinkability.