Help build this Imperial Pale Ale

[mr x]

I want to clone a local brew that is definitely the best beer around here. From their website:

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Imperial Pale Ale

Imperial Pale Ale is a robust, medium bodied west coast style ale with a lingering hop bitterness complimented by a malty caramel backbone and a strong citrus character.

Bitterness | med - high
Malts | 2-row pale, caramel, dextrin, Munich
Hops | Cascade, German Magnum
IBU | 70
O.G. | 1.070
ABV | 6.9%

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Here is a picture of the beer (top of the page on the left):

http://www.garrisonbrewing.com/beer.html

It looks a little darker to me than a pale ale and not quite as big as most Imperial Pale Ale. It has a very creamy head and mouthfeel to it. Here's my starting point from Beersmith:

10.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 76.9 %
1.25 lb Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 9.6 %
1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 7.7 %
0.75 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 5.8 %
2.75 oz Northern Brewer [8.50%] (60 min) Hops 70.0 IBU
0.50 oz Cascade [5.50%] (20 min) Hops 5.0 IBU
0.50 oz Cascade [5.50%] (Dry Hop)

Est Original Gravity: 1.070 SG
Est Color: 8.8 SRM

I don't have any Magnum, but I can get Northern Brewer, and have lots of Chinook and Centennial as well on hand. I was planning on using 30/37 SRM Carastan for the crystal.

Any criticism welcome.

 

[Danek]

I've never tried that beer, but the recipe looks good.

My only thought would be that you could increase the late hop additions a little. I'm not sure how much flavor/aroma you'd get from half an ounce of cascade at 20 minutes, even with the dry-hopping, so I'd tend to up the amount and add it a little later - maybe an ounce at ten minutes?

 

[TimBrewz]

Is this beer really sweet? I ask because you have a lot of crystal in the grain bill for an IPA. I have been looking over "big IPA recipes" (I just brewed the Alesmith IPA last night from the BYO Clones Issue-it only has 2 oz crystal in 14 lbs 2-row) and most keep the crystal to about 5% of the grain bill. I'd use about 1/2 of your current crystal and increase the base 2-row. I agree with Danek, about the later hop additions-like one at 5 min and dry hopping with at least 1 oz cascade. My last IPA had only 1/2oz Cascade in the dry hop and the aroma was barely there.

 

[sittingturbo]

I would have to agree about backing off the bittering hops (norther brewer) you have that listed as 70IBU alone, and the beer your cloning is med - high. but with the northern brewer you are already at the very top of that beer style bitterness window. Without doing math, maybe take it to 2 oz at 60 min; then cascade 1 oz at 15 min; 1 oz dry hop

Just my 2 cents