Oskar Blues Gubna IIPA

Oskar Blues Brewing Co. has recently released their Imperial IPA in cans.  I have been a fan of Oskar Blues ever since I was on my internship in Houston, TX where I had my first taste of their canned beers.  Everything from Ten Fidy to Dale's Pale Ale was great stuff.  So I had to try their IIPA.  Hops are in the spotlight of the IIPA; Oskar Blues uses all Summit hops through out this brew.  So I'm expecting some nice tangerine/orange citrus notes along with some resiny-dank flavors from this high alpha variety.  My broski, Beaner, is in town this week and he stepped up to the plate to give a go on this tasting and review.  I introduced him to the style by reading the Beer Judge Certification Progam (BJCP) guidelines for the style of IIPA.  Then I showed him some techniques of tasting/evaluating and walked him through what I was tasting so that he could get an idea of what he was tasting.  Here's what we thought:

Me:
Aroma - Hop blast to the sinuses!  Orangy, citrus, and drank!

Appearance - A wonderful orangy-amber.  Thin lacing head.

Flavor - Upfront bitterness followed by a hop punch; citrus, resiny-dank, and a hint of onion.  The bitterness is balanced with a hardy malt backbone but not sweet.  No harsh after taste, very clean.

Mouth-fell - Medium, medium carbonation.  Nice warming alcohol after you take a swig.  Smooth.

Overall - Great IIPA.  Very smooth drinking.  Great hop aroma and flavor, complex for just the use of one hop variety.

Beaner:
Aroma - Very hoppy.  Hints of orange citrus and reminiscent dank scent.

Appearance - Orange with hint of amber.  Small lacy head.

Flavor - Very hoppy!  Dank/oniony followed by a smooth citrusy malt taste.  Easy drinking.

Mouth-feel - Medium, medium carbonation.  Dry alcohol sensation, warming.

Overall - My first IIPA and review.  Smooth, great hop aroma, making this easy and fun to drink.  I didn't really like the dank/onion quality to the beer.  But overall this is a good IIPA, best beer I have had from a can!