Vienna IPA
Thornbridge Brewery

 

 

 

A 500ml bottle with a BB of Nov 2015. Purchased quite recently from Waitrose. The winnning beer of the 2014 Great British Homebrew Challenge; brewed by Graham Nelson and Thornbridge. Described as an IPA brewed with Vienna and biscuit malt and subjected to extensive dry hopping for aroma.

A: Poured into a tulip pint glass. A bright golden-amber hue with faint floating sediment and good carbonation. Yields a large head of creamy white foam that lasts for a few minutes before subsiding to a persistent surface layer. Slight lacing.

S: Aroma of vibrant fruity hops with hints of grapefruit, mild peel, citrus, tropical fruit, white grape, grass/hay, subtle grainy malt, ale yeast and faint stewed hops. Fantastic.

T: Tastes of intense aromatic hops with a powerful bitter finish. Notes of grapefruit, orange peel, citrus, tropical fruit, white grape, mild pine, grass/hay, subtle grainy malt, ale yeast and stewed hops. Well-attenuated, followed by a strident bitterness upon swallowing.

M: Mouthfeel is smooth, tingly and dry, with spritzy carbonation and good body. Pretty astringent, accompanied by an aftertaste of bitter aromatic hops, fruity aroma, light malt and faint yeast.

O: Delicious - a hophead's delight. Looks fine, while the aroma and flavour are superb. Tons of fruity, aromatic hops underpinned by a subdued malt backbone and a crisp, lingering bitterness. Good body. A treat for the senses; well-balanced and satisfying. Well worth sampling if you chance across it.