Beer Review: Southern Tier Gemini

Gemini, Southern Tier Brewing Company

Pour
Poured really foamy, starting with about three fingers worth of bright white head. The head receded slowly leaving thick, porous looking lacing on the sides.

Aroma
Sitting back in my chair I can smell the sharp citrus aroma of the American hops. There seems to be a sweet, almost tangerine base to the aroma. There is a hint of malt character in the nose, but the dry hopping is too assertive for much to show through. This is definitely and IPA.

Appearance
Light amber in color, almost like it was straw colored with a twinge of orange. Though the bottle states that it is unfiltered, the beer looks almost crystal clear. There is a small amount of haze, but it is barely noticeable.

Flavor
Strong acidity on the front of the tongue from a higher carbonation level quickly gives way to a mild crystal sweetness. There is a wonderful hop flavor that spreads quickly across the tongue, but is much less sharp than the aroma would suggest. There is a strong, distinctive citrus flavor from the high alpha American hops with bitterness levels that are balanced just enough by a surprisingly robust malt base. The beer has a hint of a medicinal syrup-like quality that works perfectly with the hop choice. The hop flavors linger on the back of the tongue with only a small amount of bitterness.

Mouthfeel
Gemini has a thicker and heavier malt backbone than is suggested by its appearance and aroma. It is almost able to hide the 10.5%ABV. There is a mild chewy feeling left in the mouth after each sip which gets stronger as the sips continue.

Overall
This is a really good Imperial IPA. The malt backbone is a little less robust than I would like, but it was surprising given how it looks through the glass. This is a very tasty beer that is a blend of two of Southern Tier's other brews: Hoppe and Unearthly.