BREWER: Cotswold Brew Co., Gloucestershire, England

STYLE: IPA

ABV: 5.2%

VESSEL: 330ml brown bottle

TWITTER: @cotswoldbrewing

INSTAGRAM: cotswoldbrewing

DATE OF POST: 14th March 2021

 

JYMI SAY’S…

From the get go I wasn’t overly excited about this beer. The packaging almost, almost won me over with its simplicity but ultimately fell into the ‘bit plain bracket’.

Nose wise too, the sniff had moments of promise, hints of well established IPAs olfactory offerings but didn’t follow up with any conviction.

There were reasons to be cheerful in the sip and taste too but all tied in with things that should really have been done a little better. See, Cotswold IPA starts off with some early classic flavour highlights but almost instantaneously falls off a cliff in body, similar to a non alcoholic beer actually, which is odd seeing as this brew is coming in at a welterweight 5.2%. Once swallowed a more than pleasant lemon shows its yellow head but again is gone in a flash.

All said Cotwold IPA is smooth to sip and if you were actually a fan of it I’m sure a few could be consumed whilst chewing the cud with a pal.

A beer that missed the mark for me on many levels but with some positives kicking around, a few tweaks here and there then something good could come along.

Keep at it Cotswold crew.

Jymi’s Rating: 32%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

There’s something about the simplicity of the packaging with this IPA but it’s somehow not hitting the right notes for me.  It’s stylistic and the colours work well, but it’s somehow just a little dated.

This is not the most fragrant IPA – the hops most certainly don’t hop out of the glass on first encounter. In fact, there’s quite a heavy earthy nose for an IPA and one may be disappointed at this.  Usually, IPAs offer more in this department.

When it comes to the main event, sweetness is the main player. And it’s too sweet for me. This sugariness drowns out other notes trying to swim through. Some bitter back notes come in at the very end but they quickly fade.  I’m not against sweetness, it’s just got to be well balanced and that’s not the case here.

It’s worth noting that there is a huge point of difference with this IPA. That has to be admired. But I just don’t get it.

Surprisingly, considering it’s lacklustre showing in the taste department this beer is a little claggy in the mouth. 

I’m not saying don’t try this.  I wouldn’t never advocate that for any beer.  I am a huge supporter of different breweries making a name for themselves.  In my reckoning, it just hasn’t hit the right notes.  This IPA is a little off tune and out of sorts.

Sammy’s Rating: 46%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 39% 

MOB review next weekend: FARMERS BEST by RAMSBURY

@museonbooze