Accidental IPA. It was supposed to be an American Pale Ale.
When it was brewed two weeks ago, the Accidental IPA was supposed to be an American Pale Ale. That is, until, due to better efficiency in extracting sugars, the specific gravity was overshot by 12 points and Accidental IPA became an India Pale Ale (American style– though at around 39 IBU it is low on bitterness). The beer was dry-hopped with 1 ounce each of Citra, Falconer’s Flight™, and Centennial hops.
This time, instead of bottling the batch, it was put into a 5 gallon keg and 3 keggettes (Tap-A-Drafts actually, if truth be told).
Appearance
The beer is cloudy, perhaps due to the yeast not having dropped, or from the use of wheat, or the pickup tube pulling yeast in. Its color is about a 3 or 4 SRM (the color of straw,which is lighter than what the picture shows) and has a foamy white head. There is little lacing left on the glass after the beer is gone.
Aroma
The beer’s aroma is subtle, a sweet combination of malt and citrus. As the beer warms a fruity character appears (probably from the Citra dry-hopping).
Taste
My impression is that the beer leans toward the bitter side but not jarringly so and tastes of citrus. The aftertaste is citrus also. There may be an off-note that I can’t quite wrap my tongue around, but then I could be overly critical.
Mouthfeel
It strikes me as a bit on the light side, though not unpleasantly so. The beer is well carbonated and tingles the tongue and adds to the bitterness.
Overall Impression
This is a dangerous beer. It’s 7.5% ABV hides in the carbonation and citrus flavors and will definitely affect your ability to say no to another. It’s a drinkable beer with a good beat that many could dance to. I think it will be a hit at the Northern California Homebrewers Festival in September.
Related articles
- This Week in BrewZasters: American, erm, India Pale Ale (Take 2) (52beers.wordpress.com)
- This Week in BrewZasters: American Pale Ale (52beers.wordpress.com)
- The Science Of Beer Foam (science20.com)
- This week on BrewZasters: Session IPA (52beers.wordpress.com)
Related articles
- This week on BrewZasters: Session IPA (52beers.wordpress.com)
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