Well, the one I brewed turned out fair. One caveat is it was a contract brew and not my recipe. It seemed to have a lot of tropical fruits in the hop character and some other interesting hop flavors that I’m not sure how to describe. I should pop in the “brew pub” that I brewed it for and try it again as I didn’t really spend very much time with it.
I just tapped the keg of Zythos IPA, and I’m pretty happy with it.
It has a good hop aroma, great hop flavor, and a nice sharp bitterness. It’s a little citrusy, a little fruity, and a little piney. I think it is a successful blend. If I brewed it again, I might pair it with a more aggressive bittering hop to give it a stronger bite.
I have enough left over for another batch, but I’m going to throw in a little Chinook.
I’m thinking an American black ale.
10 lbs. 2-row
1 lb. English dark crystal
.35 lbs. Carafa II
.35 lbs. English chocolate malt
2 oz. Zythos at 60 min.
1 oz. Chinook at 20 min.
1 oz. Zythos at 10 min.
1 oz. Zythos at 5 min.
1 oz. Zythos at flameout
1 oz. Zythos dryhop
US-O5
I kegged this Friday and was able to taste it today… Meh… I won’t say that it’s bad, but for a blend, I think it tastes rather one dimensional. It will be easy to drink and enjoyed, but I probably won’t be buying anymore Zythos.
I have the American Black Ale referenced above on tap now, and it’s pretty tasty. Next time I’d probably throw in an other two ounces of Chinook though.