Pipeworks Closer Encounter Imperial Stout

There’s a certain breed of young, small craft brewers I tend to think of as “hyper American.” They’re brash, they’re in your face and they take no half measures. They embrace the extreme. Chicago’s Pipeworks Brewing Company is one of these “hyper American” breweries.

You visit their website and you get a sense of goofy irreverence immediately. Just look at the labels or take in the URL—it’s “pdubs.” Every other beer seems to be an imperial IPA or imperial stout. Some craft beer fans would bemoan a lack of subtlety, but when you do “big and bold” as well as Pipeworks does “big and bold,” it’s hard to complain. There’s a reason their limited releases have become some of Chicago’s most sought-after collector’s items.

I was a big fan of Close Encounter, their previous American-style imperial stout. Rather than simply ramp up the intensity in this year’s Closer Encounter, Pipeworks chose to add a new wrinkle by absolutely carpet-bombing this thing with American hops. It’s an 11% ABV monster that makes me seriously question the dividing line between “hoppy imperial stout” and “imperial black IPA.”

The aroma is intensely hop-forward, with citrus (largely orange) mingling with a strong whiff of Hershey’s-like sweet milk chocolate. I also pick up an intriguing mint note, but nothing emerges above and beyond the hops. It’s clear that this is going to be a much more hop-forward expression of the style than most roast-heavy imperial stouts.