One of the many things that I love about Thornbridge Brewery is that they are not afraid to dig into their vast back catalogue to do limited re-brews of beers that were once successful.
In this review we take a look at their 8.5% imperial rye IPA name Geminus that was first brewed in 2012. At the time Geminus received high praise but as we all know brewing has evolved over this period so the question is if Geminus has managed to stand the test of time a decade after it was first brewed.
1. Name : Geminus
2. Brewery: Thornbridge, Bakewell
3. Hops : Not specified
4. Grain : Barley, Wheat & Rye
5. Aroma : Sweet, slightly boozy with a pleasant fruity hop nose & slight notes of spice from the addition of rye.
6. Appearance : Crystal clear golden/amber with a one finger white head that dissipates
7. Body : Nice full mouthfeel yet very easy drinking.
8. Taste : Starts out sweet and hoppy before the rye kicks in giving a dry and slightly spicy edge.
I started this review by asking the question as to whether Geminus would stand the test of time after first being brewed a decade ago and the simple answer to this is 100% yes.
This beer is incredibly complex with lots going on but the cleverness in this is that you can identify all flavours the more you drink. It starts out with a sweet candied fruit, hoppy and slightly boozy flavour profile before the rye builds giving off slight spicy notes and a dry finish that leads you to wanting more and more. Despite being 8.5% abv it is very easy drinking but I would suggest that it is certainly a beer to savour thanks to the lovely array of flavours meaning that you will enjoy every sip
Unquestionably this is a very clever brew and one that Thornbridge should be very proud of. I hope that this can become a more regular brew and it is not another decade until we get to experience the delight of Geminus again. A cracker!
Our overall rating: 4.1/ 5.0
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