Beer Pick of the Week - Max Lager’s Imperial IPA

Brewer John Roberts turns out some of the city’s most consistently drinkable beers, catering largely to the convention crowd, but with this aggressively-hopped (75 IBU) double IPA he steps outside the bounds of convention to create a beer for the adventurous palate. Plenty of Cascade, Columbus, and Ahtanum hops give this beautiful auburn beer a fresh, piney funk and a sticky head. The hops are upfront in the taste, as well—sharp with a resin-y, grapefruit bitterness. Alcohol warmth follows, along with whiskey notes and a dried apricot sweetness. Earthy malts impart a velvety mouthfeel, even as the hops reassert themselves in the astringent finish. If you are a hophead hurry down to Max Lager’s; Robert’s says the Imperial is quite popular despite, or perhaps because of, its tongue-numbing strength. And since it takes twice the malt of a regular brew, Roberts can only make half a batch at a time.

Max Lager’s American Grill and Brewery, 320 Peachtree St. 11 percent ABV.