Saranac High Peaks Imperial IPA

I picked up a bottle of Saranac High Peaks Imperial IPA from a bottle shop in Ithaca following the LeBleu release. The beer pours a copper color with an extremely lofty and frothy off-white colored head. The aroma consists of caramel, orange, tangerine, lemon, and pepper, but definitely errs on the sweet side of those aromas rather than the bitter side. The taste is more bitter than the aroma suggests, but not overly so. There is orange, tangerine, and a hint of grapefruit. The base is built upon caramel and toffee, with a pine and pepper finish. The alcohol content is 8.5% ABV. So, this beer was not the most bitter Imperial IPA or most complex, but for $2 per bottle that I paid, it was a good deal. Saranac usually doesn’t blow me away, but makes an affordable and drinkable beer. This beer is right down that alley, but it does come through with some bitterness on the finish.