We decided that our Goldings Shower IPA isn’t really an IPA after all. As far as what style it actually is, though, we really don’t know what to say. It’s definitely an English style, but which one? It’s got the hoppiness of an IPA, but it’s also got the stronger malt character of a brown ale, and the fruitiness of an ESB.

It can’t decide which style it wants to be. It has an identity crisis. And so, we’ve changed the name of Goldings Shower IPA to “Identity Crisis Ale”.

Given that, let us proceed.

1.063 OG; 1.016 FG; 6.3% ABV; 51 IBU

Appearance: Hazy golden brown. Creamy beige head.

Nose: Sweet with a floral brightness. Pronounced fruity esters.

Taste: Sweet and fruity. Moderate hop bitterness. Subtle biscuity notes. Fruit and bitterness linger on the palate.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied. Unexpectedly dry and crisp, even slightly astringent. A slight nip of hop bitterness encourages the next sip without being a palate killer.

Overall: I’m glad we had a few before we passed final judgment. The more I drink it, the more I like it. There is very little intensity here, but it’s an English style; it’s not supposed to be intense. It’s very balanced and smooth, which is one of the reasons why I like English beer so much. They’re always good for a session.

That said, I wish we had been more aggressive with our late hop additions. We had 2 oz of Kent Goldings for flavor, and 2 oz for aroma. I’d like to double that. The bitterness is perfect where it is, though.

Another problem is that the fruity esters are too prominent. That’s our bathroom’s fault, really. It’s a warm room, and warm fermentations produce esters. I know Burton yeast is supposed to make a fruity beer, but this almost seems like too much. The hops gets lost in it. If we’d known enough to wrap the fermenter in a wet towel to keep the temperature down a few degrees, we’d have done it, and I think we’d have been able to perceive more hop character because of it.

Ultimately, we’re happy with it! It’s not just what we were expecting. We’ll be trying this again in the future.

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