Gemini
Southern Tier Brewing Company
Lakewood, NY
Style: Double IPA |
4.25/5 |
Aroma: Amazing fruitiness dominates the nose with orange, grapefruit, and peaches. Very subtle caramel and toffee malt stay in the background with a light breadiness coming out as the beer warms. Light alcohol and woody notes. Complex.
Appearance: The creamy, slightly off-white head persists and leaves lace on the glass. Deep golden color, almost orange, with a slight haze. Legs.
Flavor: Sharply bitter and dry as a bone. Light malty sweetness and fruit greet the tongue but are quickly subsumed by a wave of resinous hop flavor and assertive bitterness. Undercurrents of orange, peach, and honey struggle to keep the hops from totally dominating. As the beer warms this malt profile continues to build, taking on the character of sweet, fruity liqueur. The finish is very dry, lingering on grapefruit rind hop flavor with a last bite of bitterness at the swallow. Alcohol is apparent and a bit boozy but not offensively so. Faint woody notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium-full body but not cloying. There is a slight astringency from the hops at the finish. Definite alcohol warmth but not hot. Medium carbonation.
Overall Impression: A most unique blend. A bit unbalanced for my taste. I would like more malt to support the hops and a bit less harshness in the bitterness. The balance did improve as the beer warmed. But still, this beer is very drinkable at 10.5% ABV. I enjoyed the bottle and would happily drink this again.
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