Brewdog: Tongue Tied IPA (Scotland: IPA: 7% ABV)
Visual: Slightly amber gold. Inch of custard cream centres coloured head with a frothy look.
Nose: Lemon sharp and a juicy sweet lime. Distinct lemongrass. Sherbet like. Ginger. late on you get a touch of liquorice.
Body: Very lemon filled. Slightly sour grapes. lemongrass. Shredded leaves. Almost plum notes below in the malt base. Dry ginger. Toffee like malts.
Finish: Peppermint. Lemongrass. Bubblegum. Plum touch. Juicy grapes.
Conclusion: Summer brewing, here we are and…BLOODY HELL, this thing is lemon filled. Tart and with the level of lemongrass you normally only get with the sorachi ace hop. (Note: I have been told they used actual lemongrass so I don’t know if they actually used that hop at all). So yes very much lemon and lemongrass, you can almost imagine the shredded lemongrass remains on your tongue.
There is thankfully an offset flavor with juicy grapes and lime behind. On odd occasions you even get a plum like sweetness that pokes its head above the parapets every now and then. Always in the background but I will swear that it is there.
The main flavor though, as indicated, is the dry lemongrass, and also there is a ginger spice, very refreshing, yet dry at the same time.
The lemon is so strong that I can’t imagine having many back to back, but I could imagine slipping them in between heavier and darker beers as they cleanse the palette and refresh so well.
Very much enjoyed even if it is a bit single minded. A zinging refresher not a contemplation ale. As a refresher it is unusual and very full on. So, not perfect, but a great oddity to try and a great summer beer.
Background: Yes I’ve been reviewing a lot of Brewdog beers recently. They seem to have a new keg only beer on tap nearly every blooming week. Ah well, I enjoy their beers so can’t complain. We will be getting a nice dose of new breweries hopefully while I’m over in Japan soon, so will give you all a break from my favorite Scotland brewery. If It needs saying – I am not an unbiased actor on Brewdog beers. Anyway, this new beer from Brewdog Bristol, made by the “Brewbirds” – an all women brewing team at their new brewery. As someone who argues for more to make the beer scene more women friendly I consider this a good thing. Made with lemongrass, Kaffir Lime leaves and Cardamom – or so the twitter feed says.