Sage Rage IPA 20090419
Sage Rage IPA 20090419
Originally uploaded by casualbrewery
My second batch of the year is the one I missed the most during my hiatus from brewing last year. I love this IPA. Actually I like it so much, when I start up a brewery, the Sage Rage IPA will be the flagship ale. The hard part is just a matter of translating the amount of sage used in a five gallon batch to a 10 - 30 barrel batch. Sure there’s a math equation for that, there always is when it comes to brewing (stupid algebra teacher & being right about that stupid “you’ll use it later in life” speech…okay dude, you win, I shoulda done my homework).
For me, it is the sage which makes this recipe. The sweetness adds a whole level to the pallet, yet the herb does not overpower the malt and hop elements. Someday I’ll brew it w/o the Sage, just to see how the IPA stands on its own…but not anytime soon.
With that being said, this batch did not turn out quite as I remembered it. Whether it’s because I hyped it for over a year in my head, or they reduced the amount of fresh Sage herb prepackaged in the produce area, I can’t say for sure. As this batch conditioned, the sage took a more subtle/recessive role to the more dominate hops. In my memory, this relationship was more amicable. Not that it disappeared completely; the sage qualities can quite easily be identified, just a bit too much in the background for my tastes. Next batch, think I’ll double the sage proportions & see what happens.
Perfectionist whining aside, it is still a tasty brew, one I’m sure won’t last very long.