Beer of the Week: Big Time Whiny the Complainer

By Iron Chef Leftovers

One of the beers that I usually wait for every year is Big Time Brewing’s Imperial IPA, Whiny the Complainer (take a guess what that it a play on words referring to). They were one of the first Seattle breweries to put out a Pliny clone and it usually sells out quickly despite being a big beer, mostly because it is brewed once a year in a relatively small batch. The nice thing is that it is also available in 22 oz. bottles at the tap room upon release for $15. This year, the alcohol was dialed back a bit to 9.4% ABV (it is usually over 10%). This review is for the bottled version of the beer.

From the Big Time website:

A triple IPA that has more of everything. Alcohol and hops dominate the flavor of this intense bitter treat. Hops include Cascade, Magnum, Columbus, Simcoe, Amarillo, Cetennial, Nelson Sauvin.  OG 22 ( Plato1.088),  9. alcohol by volume. Brew # 2,300.

The beer pours hazy orange brown in color with a significant amount of citrus peel on the nose with hints of grain and just a touch of spice hiding in the background. The beer starts out on the palate with a bit of sweetness which lingers a few seconds until it is joined by a significant orange presence and just a touch of bitter orange peel. The finish is fairly low key considering the size of the beer, with touches of bitterness and orange peel and just a touch of resin bringing a bit of burn to the back of the throat. The finish is long but not overpowering, which is a nice change for an Imperial IPA. The beer drinks fine, but not as big and hoppy as it has been in the past and I was expecting more from it based on past experience and the cost of the beer. It was a fine beer, but disappointing compared to its past incarnations.

Big Time Brewing’s Whiny the Complainer steps up to the window and files 2 complaint forms out of 5.