Sure, I know that I said on Monday that “Random Thought Sunday” would return to its regularly scheduled day today, but I have to finish the four consecutive beer reviews that was started on Thursday. So I guess that means tomorrow will likely be only the second ever “Random Thought Monday,” but that is a pretty good way to start a week.
So, this will be the final installment of the week in my efforts to get some home brew evaluations off the books. These reviews have been a good way for me to determine which of the recipes I want to try again and what I probably want to adjust the next time through. I may just evaluate a few of them again after some more time in the bottle before making any final judgments on future brewing.
For the last time (this week) I will mention that the Blueprint Brewing marketing department (consisting of only The Wife and myself) selected the names for these four beers. Since the pay for marketing involves beer, I think I have other volunteers lined up for future naming responsibilities.
This final brew was the experimental half of and the brother to the Over The Pond that was reviewed yesterday. This is where I decided that my methods of fruit infusion needed a few adjustments and that was a good lesson to learn going forward. The Wife gave it a C+ and I will certainly take that from a person who generally does not favor IPAs.
Brewery: Blueprint Brewing (Winter Park, FL)
Name: CGI
Style: English IPA / Fruit Beer
ABV: 3.6% (+/-)
Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass.
Aroma: Toasty/bready maltiness (maybe a bit of yeast) with some slight sweetness and a hint of hop aroma in back.
Appearance: Deep amber color (with copper tones when held to light). One finger cream color head that is frothy with good retention and some trail. Fairly clear, though with a good amount of haze and a few visible bubbles rising.
Flavor: Light malty character that is somewhat toasty and a very slight bitterness (middle to end). Some sweetness in the middle and something at the finish that I cannot pinpoint (ginger maybe?). Pretty clean finish with no lingering harshness.
Mouthfeel: Medium (to light) body and (towards) high carbonation that lends a slight bite. Smooth and pretty crisp with some faint creaminess.
Overall Impressions: The base beer is pretty good and very drinkable, but not a ton of flavor overall. Would use more cranberry and ginger next time (and in secondary) to impart more of those flavors. Though it started as an English IPA, I might consider it an English Pale Ale/Standard Bitter.
Grade: B- ish
Blueprint Brewing - CGI
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