Leinenkugel Brewing Co. Introduces Imperial IPA

Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company is rolling out Big Eddy Imperial India Pale Ale, a bold interpretation of the classic style, featuring earthy hop bitterness. Big Eddy Imperial IPA is the second in a series of new Big Eddy brews debuting in 2012.

Big Eddy IIPA fills the senses with five distinctive Pacific Northwest hops, which are added at each stage of the brewing process. Hops include Warrior, Cascade, Simcoe, Citra, and the extremely rare Amarillo. The beer boasts grapefruit, mandarin orange and mango notes, balanced by a hint of pine and a strong caramel, toffee sweetness, giving it a complex, multifaceted character.

Originally crafted to sustain the journey from Britain to India in the mid-1700s by an English brewer, India Pale Ales are known for their hoppy, bitter variation on a traditional ale. Imperial IPAs are typically bigger than traditional IPAs in both hop level and alcohol level. Big Eddy IIPA comes in at 9 percent ABV and 78 IBUs (International Bitterness Units).

“This is a very special beer that is truly a treat for all senses,” said Jake Leinenkugel, fifth generation brewer and president of the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company. “Leinenkugel’s Big Eddy Imperial Pale Ale pairs extremely well with a wide variety of summer meals, such as grilled pork or grilled steak.”

Inspired by the Big Eddy Spring, the lifeline of the Leinenkugel’s brewery in Chippewa Falls, Wis. since 1867, the Big Eddy series offers big beer fans complex, yet balanced flavors beyond the mainstream. Like its predecessors – Russian Imperial Stout and Wee Heavy Scotch Ale – Big Eddy Imperial India Pale Ale ages and travels well.

Leinenkugel’s Big Eddy IIPA features a stained glass orange hue highlighted by a caramel malt presence and topped with an ivory colored foam, which settles to a tight cap. An assured bitterness punch captures the intensity of an extreme IPA, while the clean finish won’t overpower the senses.

Big Eddy Imperial India Pale Ale will be available in limited release beginning in June 2012 in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Georgia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia, Kansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Texas and Arizona. The beer will be available in four-pack bottles and on draft. Big Eddy Wee Heavy Scotch Ale will also be available in these markets through June of 2012.