Gemini (Imperial Blended Ale) - Southern Tier Brewing Company

timmay41

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz. bomber poured in an Allagash tulip glass.

A: Pours a murky copper color with huge three-finger creamy head. Just looks like there's a lot going on with this unfiltered beauty. The tupip glass cradles the large foamy head. As it finally settles down, a thick lacing clings to the sides of the glass like the age-rings of a tree.

S: Huge hop scents. Pine tar infiltrates the nostrils along with grapefruit citrus notes. Alcohol is well hidden. A swirl and some malt richness emerges.

T: Hoppy? Yes. But not overly aggressive or brutish. This beer asserts a point of view: it's about mutuality and reciprosity. The Hoppe simplicity couches the Unearthly vigor, toning it down without washing it away. They work in unison to produce a pretty balanced, floral, citrusy bitter experience.

M: Surprisingly lighter in body than expected, not sticky candy-hop sweet like other DIPAs. Medium carbonation and a super dry aftertaste.

D: Thanks to the mouthfeel qualities in particular, and the fact that the alcohol notes are so subtle, this offering encourages further exploration. By no means a session brew, but it's worth the higher price (almost $9 for the bomber at Spirit Haus in Amherst, MA) and I'm going to go pick up a few more.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2009 04:36:31 | More by timmay41

Photekut

Azerbaijan

4/5  rDev -2.4%

05-19-2013 01:22:25 | More by Photekut

bluestar0828

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -14.6%

05-18-2013 21:05:19 | More by bluestar0828

GRG1313

California

3.5/5  rDev -14.6%

05-17-2013 03:24:36 | More by GRG1313

Zimm

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%

05-15-2013 17:40:09 | More by Zimm

KevinGordon

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%

05-14-2013 15:55:06 | More by KevinGordon

mikeincharleston

South Carolina

4/5  rDev -2.4%

05-13-2013 22:36:44 | More by mikeincharleston

krisbee

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +9.8%

05-10-2013 03:17:55 | More by krisbee

blknikon

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%

04-30-2013 19:14:09 | More by blknikon

TheBeerAlmanac

Kentucky

4/5  rDev -2.4%

04-29-2013 00:58:26 | More by TheBeerAlmanac

Devilman

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +9.8%

04-27-2013 22:44:14 | More by Devilman

ericdupont

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%

04-21-2013 04:01:42 | More by ericdupont

rkf1976

Michigan

4/5  rDev -2.4%

04-20-2013 03:01:14 | More by rkf1976

civicm87

New York

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%

04-17-2013 01:02:49 | More by civicm87

Skott1123

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%

04-13-2013 20:40:10 | More by Skott1123

DaPan

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%

04-11-2013 17:14:36 | More by DaPan

MarkJBurch

New York

4/5  rDev -2.4%

03-10-2013 18:27:46 | More by MarkJBurch

chambeam

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%

03-05-2013 00:02:49 | More by chambeam

Hegebamy

Maryland

4/5  rDev -2.4%

03-04-2013 23:52:45 | More by Hegebamy

2xipa

4.75/5  rDev +15.9%

03-04-2013 22:08:37 | More by 2xipa

Darkmagus82

Montana

4.16/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

I heard they discontinued this at Southern tier so when I saw a bottle (bottled on 2/12/12) I thought I better snatch it up and give it a go.

Poured from 22 oz bomber into a snifter glass

Appearance – Pours a quite hazy orange color with a small white head. The head fades rather fast to leave only a light level of lacing on the sides of the glass.

Smell – Upon pouring the aroma is sweet and fruity with strong notes of an earthy and grassy smell. The sweet is comprised of some caramel with the fruity being of a tropical nature with aromas of mango, papaya and tangerine. Upon pouring the sweeter aromas are the most potent, but as the beer sits longer, the other aromas in the nose, the earthy hop and grassy smells of the brew get stronger and begin dominating more. These smells, when mixed with aromas of alcohol, give the brew a nice warming and earthy/grassy smell.

Taste – The taste begins bready with some fruit flavors of orange and a light caramel sweetness. Upfront and mixed with these tastes is an initially light earthy hop taste. As the taste moves on the sweeter citrus fades while the earthy hop and bready tastes grow stronger and are joined by a grapefruit and grassy hop tastes. Toward the end, an alcohol flavor mingles with the hop and bready tastes to leave a quite pleasant hop blended resinous, bready, and boozy flavor to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is on the average to above average side in terms of its creaminess with a carbonation level that is quite light. The thicker and smoother body is nice of the earthy and boozy flavors of the brew with the lower carbonation accentuating these even more.

Overall – This is one tasty and hop profile balanced (citrus, earthy and grassy) imperial. It has a strong boozy, bready and earthy taste making it a fantastic sipper. It is too bad they are discontinuing this. If you can find a bottle somewhere I say give it a go. It’s delicious.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 01:18:08 | More by Darkmagus82

weaselchew

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%

02-20-2013 07:58:08 | More by weaselchew

pquijal

West Virginia

4/5  rDev -2.4%

02-19-2013 21:57:58 | More by pquijal

pathman

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%

02-10-2013 21:56:22 | More by pathman

t0rin0

California

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%

02-09-2013 22:39:52 | More by t0rin0