Latest Reviews

Double Dry Hopped pseudoSue
Toppling Goliath
Spaceman
Brewfist
Modus Vivendi
Wild Beer Co.

Recent Articles

Outdoor Winter Tippling Tips
Stay safe from the pandemic and stay warm with these winter patio drinking tactics. Shameless
Craft brewer sellouts become as tone-deaf and underhanded as their new overlords. Great Taste Eve
Check out the burgeoning Madison beer scene the night before the best fest in country. Good Beer Makes Good Conversation
The effects of drinking beer worth talking about. The Beers of Walmart
The largest retailer in the world now has its own line of beers. archives »

Beer Reviews

Imperial Gemini

Other reviews for this beer:
Nigel Tanner		read it ›

Southern Tier Brewing Company
Lakewood, NY
USA
http://www.southerntierbrewing.com

Style: Imperial/Double IPA
ABV: 10.5%

Franz’s Rating:
   (World class.)


Comments:
So I ring in 2008 a little late with my first review. I have been waiting for that one beer on the shelf to just scream, “Drink me!” I have been to the local store and nothing caught my eye. On the way to work the other day I decided to try a liquor store that I don’t normally go to. It was here that I saw the light. There has been one beer reviewed from Southern Tier on this web site with high regard. The beer I found on the shelf was a combination of the beer that was reviewed, Un*Earthly Imperial IPA, and Unfiltered Hoppe. I haven’t had the pleasure to taste any of these beers but I am glad I found this one.

Imperial Gemini comes in a 22-ounce bottle and is priced nicely considering the amount of beer and the cost of ingredients that must have been used to make this. I’ll have to admit I felt a little silly trying to get the melted gold plastic casing off the bottle. I finally went to the toolbox and pulled out the pliers to get this off. Five minutes later, with plastic gold shards all over the countertop, I was able to pour this drink into my glass. First sniff, HOLY SHIT. I am a homebrewer and have had the chance to work with whole hops in brewing. I have never ever had a beer that tasted and smelled like fresh hops. This is the cat’s ass for somebody like me. I relish the aroma of fresh hops. I don’t know what they did to get this characteristic into the beer, but a big HELL YEAH is in order. The color of this beer is light, almost resembling what a pale ale would look like, but this is no pale ale by any means. The bottle states that this behemoth has an alcohol content of 10.5 percent ABV. So my guess is that the alcoholic characteristic usually associated with high gravity brews is nicely covered by the hop flavor. All other imperial IPAs I have tasted have had WAY too much malt flavor and astringency associated with high alcohol content.

I guess I could sum this up as the “most hoppiest,” and best tasting beer I have ever had. My other Beer Dork colleagues might disagree, but this is what I know and what I cherish out of a hop monster. By the way, Nigel, the movie is Nothing But Trouble and I will take my bet when the Packers play next week on Sunday.

Go Pack Go

Reviewed by Franz Mueller on January 15, 2008.

Drinkin’ And Thinkin’

Beer Dorks News

Want to know how healthy the craft beer industry is? As always, look to Portland. Craft pioneer Bridgeport announces sudden closure, adding to a growing list of PDX casualties. Did Anheuser-Busch Chicago offer their shit beer to Cody Parkey before his missed field goal? Because that may explain why he "accidentally" biffed it. Chicago now has the most breweries of any city in the country. Other things Chicago has the most of: murders, mobsters, and Ditkas. Trying to spin it positive, BA releases end of year graphic. Only 5% growth in the craft sector when nearly 1000 new breweries opened? That's a collapse waiting to happen. R.I.P. Tallgrass... another casualty as the regional/national craft beer market continues to get squeezed. Wait... Constellation Brands cut all of the Ballast Point and Funky Buddha sales staff? They merged it with their Corona/Modelo staff?? We're SHOCKED!!! Pizza Beer founder crying about failure of company, blames everyone else. Reminder, the beer tasted like vomit. Try having better ideas or making better products so you're not a failure. It's Bud Light so doesn't really matter, but we expect this beer to be sitting around for awhile. Indiana brewery to open with controversial beer names to "get the conversation going". Translation: taking advantage of serious issues for free publicity. Hundreds of amazing beers in Wisconsin and the Cubs took back the one everyone drinks just because it exists and people have heard of it. How fitting...