# 2011 Funky Case Swap: Tasting Thread



## manticle (26/1/12)

Current reference list with RTD dates

1. raven19 - Blended Lambic Schwarzbier - low carb as of 17.1.12 - best leave it a month or so (but its drinkable now)
2. Quintrex - Cranberry/rasberry flander red - Malt Shovel Stubbies with black cap - Drink Now or in the next few months
3. barls- sour cherry dark wheat aka dark kriek. plain bottle with little dog funky brew sticker on it.
4. stuster - Unblended gueuze, 5.7%. 2009 so pretty much ready to drink.
5. Manticle - Vanilla Bourbon bruiny bretty thingy, numbered bottles (number 5), Drink if clear when held to the light, otherwise wait.
6. neonmeate - Bruxellensis Rye Ale 7% - red BRA on cap. ok to drink now, try one in feb one in june or whatever you like
7. Kabooby - Sour Saison - Bottle from keg so ready to go. Number 7 on lid 
9. beers - Lambicish. Black capped bottles with no labels. Best left until late Jan before drinking.
10. jonw - Orval style again. Coopers tallies with gold cap marked JW. Dodgey CPBF job, DRINK NOW!!!
11. Josh - Spontaneously femented Framboise - Could be a bit young. Try one now and leave the other for 6+ months.
13. Florian - Berliner Roggenweisse
14. brendanos - Mine are all labelled. "qL" the pseudo-gueuze is the only one that needs more time (at least a few months)


Some brief tasting notes from the other thread:



neonmeate said:


> stuster's lambic....... i recommend it highly






beers said:


> [Stuster's lambic]: Beautifully clear with a nice bretty character, finishing nice & dry. Stella effort Sir.
> 
> I had brendanos' Berliner on the weekend. Awesome sourness with some nice Brett to back it up.


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## manticle (26/1/12)

#4: Stuster: Unblended gueze

Pours clear as a bell, golden, no head.

Aroma of slight brett, orange citrus, vinegar and a hint of smoky whisky. Slight woodiness from the brett, could smell this all day but I keep getting my nose wet.

Flavour is mildly phenolic and smoky, reminding me of the whisky in the aroma (quite a lot). Sourness is present but hidden and doesn't overshadow the other flavours.

This is what complex, funk/sour should be about. I've had sours that are like drinking salad dressing and faux sours that are like drinking cherry coke. This is bang on what I want from a sour. Nice job.


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## manticle (6/2/12)

11: Josh: sponatenously fermented framboise

Pours clear rose, no head, carb extremely low (almost flat).

Aroma of sweet fruit.

Flavour of sweet berries, finishes dry. Tiny medicinal hint but it's not unpleasant (sounds odd for it not to be but it isn't).

Really, really refreshing, definitely one for the ladies (I mean that in a nice way) - almost like a berry champagne without the alcohol kick. You have some wild yeast worth keeping. I look forward to the second one in a few months.

Definite summer sour.


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## neonmeate (6/2/12)

just had josh's framboise right now myself.
not sure i would recommend it as a "girly" beer.... nice raspberryness, surprisingly light and smooth lambic underneath, but a bit too acetic for my tastes... could be nice blended though... my first totally spontaneously fermented homebrew ive tasted, very interesting to taste it. was it fun to watch it ferment?

had your beer last night manticle, wow that is cherry ripe in a glass. the chocolate flavour is great with the rodenbachy base beer. huge and delicious aroma. after a few sips i felt the chocolate was a bit heavyhanded, but certainly the right flavours to mix, if not in quite the right balance at the moment. will be interesting to taste down the track a bit.


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## manticle (6/2/12)

I'm going to assume 500mL bottle wuth red cap and an 81 sticker is neonmeate. I think the cap says BRA which is what is described above.

Gushes from the bottle, so quickly poured into a pint glass.

Result is obviously cloudy (gold) with a huge moussy/ice cream head. Head stays.

Aroma predominantly of brett, some tropical fruit, some leather.

Mouthfeel moderate to full, carb very low.

Flavour of brett, slight lingering bitterness, tiny bit of alcohol (not hot), Little of bit of sweet, wood and nuts.

Again, I look forward to my second bottle but this is tasty now. Good beers so far. Everyone else should jump in.


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## beers (6/2/12)

So far I've tried:

3. barls- sour cherry dark wheat aka dark kriek. 
6. neonmeate - Bruxellensis Rye Ale
10. jonw - Orval 
11. Josh - Spontaneously femented Framboise
13. Florian - Berliner Roggenweisse
14. brendanos

I did not take any notes, but most I have another bottle of, & I'll try to remember to post some notes when I sample the second bottle. Over all the quality has been outstanding.


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## manticle (6/2/12)

neonmeate said:


> just had josh's framboise right now myself.
> not sure i would recommend it as a "girly" beer.... nice raspberryness, surprisingly light and smooth lambic underneath, but a bit too acetic for my tastes... could be nice blended though... my first totally spontaneously fermented homebrew ive tasted, very interesting to taste it. was it fun to watch it ferment?
> 
> had your beer last night manticle, wow that is cherry ripe in a glass. the chocolate flavour is great with the rodenbachy base beer. huge and delicious aroma. after a few sips i felt the chocolate was a bit heavyhanded, but certainly the right flavours to mix, if not in quite the right balance at the moment. will be interesting to taste down the track a bit.



Thanks for the feedback. I've got one saved for a few months down the track.

I'm surprised you found the framboise acetic - I didn't get any vinegar - just berries.

I didn't mean 'one for the ladies' as a bad thing. I like ladies and they need a drink too. I'm sure Josh has a very deep, booming voice when he brews. No aspersions Josh - t'was a good beer indeed.


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## neonmeate (6/2/12)

i know what you mean with ladies beers (every brewery has one.. redoak's whole output is "ladies' beers" but i think this one is a bit on the obscure side for a "ladies' beer"...


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## manticle (6/2/12)

Might be prompted by the fact that my lady loves a good kriek. She likes IPAs, porters and stouts too though so maybe she isn't a typical 'lady'.


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## manticle (9/2/12)

I obviously got the only case.

Raven19: Lambic Schawarzbier: Pours dark translucent brown. Aroma of balasamic, slightly rich wine, brett.

No head, low carb.

Flavour is balsamic, a bit like RodenbachGC - acetic but with complexity. Possibly a little acetic for my tastes but definitely not like salad dressing. Some woodiness, slight burnt/charcoal flavours, dry finish but with sweetness at the middle of the palate. Acetic seems to settle after a few sips.

Be interested to see how the other one ages (that's the good thing about 2 stubbies in this swap - I think we should make that a future rule).

Cheers Raven.


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## barls (9/2/12)

No just havent got to them yet


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## raven19 (10/2/12)

@Manticle - I was hoping for some more carb in the bottle but alas this will only come maybe with some time in the bottle. Thanks for the comments.

@Barls - same here mate, mine are all still in a crate in the shed. Waiting for some warmer weather to get into some crisp sour brews... I really should get some into the fridge tonight.


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## Florian (10/2/12)

Same here, the crate sat untouched under the stairs until yesterday. Have now moved the beers into a different box as the crate is part of my mill stand and I didn't want the beers out in the hot garage. Took the opportunity and moved two beers into the fridge.
Hope I'll have a chance to sample them tonight.
Will try one of mine that did the round trip and see if it survived.


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## manticle (10/2/12)

raven19 said:


> @Manticle - I was hoping for some more carb in the bottle but alas this will only come maybe with some time in the bottle. Thanks for the comments.



I don't enjoy super fizzy beer anyway.


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## raven19 (11/2/12)

manticle said:


> #4: Stuster: Unblended gueze
> 
> Pours clear as a bell, golden, no head.
> 
> ...



Cracked this one tonight too, I concur with the above desription to a tee. Mild carbonation in my bottle but after a few sips that has dissipated to near nil. The phenols and smokiness work well for me too.

Thanks Stu!


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## beers (12/2/12)

I've just opened my first bottle of Quintrex's Cranberry/Raspberry Flanders Red. 
Big carbonation, head dissapates quickly. Nice big berry aroma. Tasting tart Raspberries, not a whole lot of funk or sourness. Finishes really dry with a touch of brett, or what could be cranberry tannin? Nice easy drinker.. yum :icon_cheers: 
I'll be interested to see how this one develops over time.


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## brendanos (15/2/12)

Now drinkin' beers' "lambicish". Brilliant golden colour, short lasting head hints at a wack of acid. Aroma is massively cheesy in a stinky socks & vomit kind of way. Salty, cured meats, and some sweet lemony notes. Flavour is quite clean & acidic, a bit tannic & medicinal. 

I have done sour mashes that have ended up this way (as in cheesy, in fact there's a little cheesiness in my quinoa lambic for those that got one), and I think it is kinda like farts - you can convince yourself your own smell ok/pretty good but when they are produced by others it's hard not to find them offensive.

The Raven's Nest - Lambic Schwarzbier. Low carb, Aroma of cherry cola, carafa like roasted notes, earthy, woody, and flanders red like rich plum fruitiness. Flavour is surprisingly light, faintly toasty, chocolate, lightly acetic, juicy, strawberries. Lingering dark coffee notes. Nice delicate balance of fruit, acid & roast. Very enjoyable. Reminds me a lot of a "Porter Noir" from Hallertau in NZ, a Porter aged in Pinot Noir barrels. Thanks!!


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## neonmeate (15/2/12)

i had beers lambicish too, but enjoyed it so much i didnt take notes.... complex and funky but not too sour, nice and drinkable, in fact none of the beers yet have been _that_ sour. im hoping brendanos's berliner might provide an enjoyable wince or two when i crack it.


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## raven19 (15/2/12)

Neonmeate, if you want sour, crack open *Barl's Kriek*.

Really good beer this one, had it last night as a reddish beer for Valentines day!  (the missus was not a fan of the sourness, so it must be a good beer!) :lol: 

Apart from very low carbonation (which I think detracts from the beer) I really cannot fault it. Very close to ones I have had on tap at the Belgian Beer Bar in Perth and Adelaide. Great flavour, massive sourness but after a bottle of it I want another!

Apologies on the poor lit pics. Should really crack these open while its bright outside with some daylight!!!

Barl's Kriek:



Tonight > *Quintrix's Rasberry/Craberry Flanders*.

Pretty clean up front, with some very subtle funk late mixed with a great sour tangy finish. Tan/pink head, thick frothy but dissipates quickly. Med to high carbonation helps lift this beer up. Deep reddish in colour. good clarity too.




Wishing I cpbf my lambic schwartz for you chaps. There is always next time I guess!


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## barls (15/2/12)

glad you liked it and ill definitely have to brew this one again. i think it needs more cherries personally. im looking forward to splitting the batch and half on cherries and half on raspberries.
the only problem it wont be ready this year maybe next.
im not really happy with the low carb but the last couple of bottles ive opened it has increased so the second bottle in about a year or so should be a really great beer.
lets see how i do at states this year with it.


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## brendanos (16/2/12)

Drinking Manticles "Vanilla Bourbon Bretty Bruin". Intentionally tasted blind before checking what it was, and my impression was of Cherry Ripe & a brineyness akin to Liefmans pre-Moortgat. Deep mahogany, quite clear, very short-lived tan head. Really nice amount of acid, with lots of funk but nothing undesirable. Loads of ripe stonefruit & chocolatey malt character, a smoothness to the palate and just enough sweetness to carry the acid. A lovey beer, thanks Manticle. Would be happy to have paid money for this.

Was is bourbon barrel chips, or was it just/also bourbon in there? Seems to have some oak complexity in the palate/mouthfeel (red-wine-like tannin) but might just be grain/bugs. Vanilla is discrete/barely perceptible, but I reckon enhances the maltiness & brings out the chocolate character.


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## manticle (16/2/12)

Soaked the oak chips in some quality bourbon. Can't remember if I added the lot or if I drained off the bourbon (and then drank it - done this with scotch before too and the spirit takes on a lovely complexity after just a week).

So the oak/tannin (and even possibly some vanilla although it did get some beans as well) you're tasting is actual oak.

Thanks for the review and glad you enjoyed it. Need to get cracking on another soon, given the amount of time these things need to age (only got two aging funk/sours at the moment).


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## brendanos (16/2/12)

Josh's Spontaneously fermented Framboise

Pours the colour of an Orange C tablet with very little sparkle & little to no head. Colour perhaps indicates that fruit addition was on the lighter side - how much (ie in g/L) went into it? It has a little sparkle now but could do with quite a bit more conditioning/carbonation, though doesn't taste all that sweet/dextrinous so not sure how much more it will get. Aroma is of cough syrup - medicinal, chalky, sweet but in a syrupy/dextrin sweetness kinda way. Not a lot of funk considering spontaneous ferment? Flavour is light, lightly fruity (raspberry) and mildly acidic (fruit rather than ferment) and is overall quite watery. Very light bodied, and quite refreshing/drinkable, but I would love a bit more funk/acid/fruit.


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## Josh (17/2/12)

brendanos said:


> Josh's Spontaneously fermented Framboise
> 
> Pours the colour of an Orange C tablet with very little sparkle & little to no head. Colour perhaps indicates that fruit addition was on the lighter side - how much (ie in g/L) went into it? It has a little sparkle now but could do with quite a bit more conditioning/carbonation, though doesn't taste all that sweet/dextrinous so not sure how much more it will get. Aroma is of cough syrup - medicinal, chalky, sweet but in a syrupy/dextrin sweetness kinda way. Not a lot of funk considering spontaneous ferment? Flavour is light, lightly fruity (raspberry) and mildly acidic (fruit rather than ferment) and is overall quite watery. Very light bodied, and quite refreshing/drinkable, but I would love a bit more funk/acid/fruit.



I tried mine the other night and agree with pretty much everything written here. There was 2kg in about 20L in the carboy. I suspect the lack of sourness came from the fact that the yeast grew up in a longneck of wort and then that was decanted off to taste what I had caught. So by the time it came to pitching, most of the growth had occurred outside of the fermenter.

I like the character of flavour, it just isn't intense enough.

I have another one fermenting now which had ALL of the beer used to catch the bugs added to the fermenter. I might get out the wine thief and see how it differs from the first attempt.


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## manticle (17/2/12)

Plain bottle (stubby), no label or stamp, black cap.

Could be quintrex, although malt shovel bottles of my experience are embossed with 'malt shovel'. However the only other black cap bottles I can see are two pilsner urquell bottles and a coopers longneck. Then again it doesn't look even vaguely cranberry/raspberry coloured so I'm flummoxed. WHOSE BEER IS THIS AND WHERE"S MY CRANBERRY RED? Will have another look.

Pours golden, fairly clear, light haze. Fairly low carb but works with the mouthfeel.

Aroma of citrus and very faint toffee, some brett funk and sourness.

Flavour of citrus, wood, low funk, thin mouthfeel, finishes dry.

Slight tropical fruit aftertaste suggesting pineapple, very, very refreshing.

This is a very understated beer which I think is a real achievement with this kind of thing. Funk, sourness etc are all there but not overshadowing and as much as I like bold beers, I like subtle delicate ones too. Doing that with wild beer takes either some fluke or some effort.

Good job whosever it is.


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## beers (17/2/12)

manticle said:


> Plain bottle (stubby), no label or stamp, black cap.



Could be my fart 

But from the description, maybe not.
My bottles were all unlabeled & capped with black caps.


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## manticle (17/2/12)

Got no farts. Was it a golden colour?


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## beers (17/2/12)

manticle said:


> Was it a golden colour?



Closer to a Pilsner golden than a JS Golden Ale golden.

I don't get farts either... just being cheeky.


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## manticle (17/2/12)

No, I understood.

I know from my own bottles that a couple near the end of bottling were not so great. I'm pretty sure I gave none of those away but perhaps the farty beer was a one off bottle thingamajig?

Anyway, nice beer. Thanks. I have another for later.


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## beers (17/2/12)

Manticles Vanilla Bourbon Bretty Bruin.
Nice deep redish brown colour with zero head (possibly a consequence of our dishwashers poor performance). It seems to have a nice level of carbonation happening though. 
Inititial aroma of berry, oak, & hint of acetic acid. A nice complex aroma.
Tasting I get a nice acidic note upfront (on the acetic side), leading into spiced dark chocolate, then a good sour hit nicely balanced with caramel sweetness, & finishing with some nice oaky vanillins. 
This is beer packed with flavour, & is bashing my tastebuds all over the place.. & I like it a lot  

A top beer Manticle.


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## raven19 (17/2/12)

Next time we should all write something on the lid to avoid this confusion over whose beer is whose! :icon_cheers:


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## Florian (17/2/12)

manticle said:


> However the only other black cap bottles I can see are two pilsner urquell bottles



These are mine if anyone else wondered. Berliner Roggenweisse.


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## manticle (17/2/12)

Like our swap numbers? Black lids no good, so get jiggy with the gold lids and permanent marker swappers.


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## barls (17/2/12)

manticle said:


> Like our swap numbers? Black lids no good, so get jiggy with the gold lids and permanent marker swappers.


i think this as a minimum, if not a label.


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## raven19 (17/2/12)

Pretty hard to beat woolies for value on gold caps too. 100 for under $2 iirc...


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## manticle (18/2/12)

Strange that I seem to have no bottles I can identify as Quintrex's since the box came via him.


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## barls (18/2/12)

thats at his end mate, he kept the ones down there from him.


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## manticle (18/2/12)

Yeah I meant strange becuase Q actually delivered mine to me.


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## Quintrex (18/2/12)

manticle said:


> Yeah I meant strange becuase Q actually delivered mine to me.



Hmmmm, I thought I gave you a longneck of it? I'll see if I've got any left and hook you up.

Will be in touch


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## manticle (18/2/12)

Coopers longneck?

Black cap?

In that case, I think I have it - I was looking for the specified malt shovel bottles. No worries. I have another coopers longneck with JW which I presume is JonW's orval?

Next swap I vote black caps are out unless labels are used instead. All caps numbered with swap number as per non funked swaps.

Way too confusing otherwise.

Glad I didn't miss out.


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## manticle (20/2/12)

Florian: Berliner Roggenweisse.

Pours very clear straw, no head. Aroma of very light disinfectant, fruit (apples but not granny smith), milk, hay (I think - it's been a while since I smelled hay).

Mild acetic sourness, light medicine/disinfectant flavour, light on the plate, refreshing finish from the mouthfeel.

I find the sourness level and carb etc very well balanced but am slightly put off by the medicine/disinfectant character. I think the beer would benefit from its absence. Otherwise, nice refreshing sour beer.


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## Florian (21/2/12)

Thanks very much for the feedback manticle.

I shared a bottle a few weeks ago (after I had couriered them to Barls) with Winkle, and we both agreed that it had a very unpleasant rubbery or burnt rubber taste. 
At that time I was quite disappointed as it got 40 points in babbs annual and (I think) 36 in ABC, although they were bottled separately from the swap bottles.
I tried another bottle about a week later and it was fine, so I assume some of the bottles might have gone 'funny' for whatever reason. Some of the bottles got a bit of yeasty trub into them when bottling, so that might play a role as well.

Am drinking another one right now which drinks well, although it has an ever ever so slight medicinal aroma and even less in flavour, but barely noticeable to me, which doesn't have to mean much though. Wouldn't describe it as desinfectant, but again, that's only my perception. And I agree, even it is only very slightly noticeable to me and not really unpleasant, the beer would probably do better without it.

Hoping you just had a 'dud' though and that your second bottle is better.

Interested to hear what others think.


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## kabooby (1/3/12)

Put mine in the Ridgy Didge today. Looking forward to getting into them over the next few weeks.

Cheers


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## manticle (4/3/12)

Figure JonW's orval clone is the coopers longneck with JW on the lid. I'm drinking it from an Orval glass

I'm going to be lazy and not give this a proper review. I will say it isn't the same as orval but it is at least as good as orval with a lovely sweetness, nice brett balance and slight hop bitterness. A damn top beer.

I have plans for an orval clone and while the website is quite descriptive, I wouldn't mind your recipe and process if you're willing to divulge them.


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## jonw (5/3/12)

manticle said:


> Figure JonW's orval clone is the coopers longneck with JW on the lid. I'm drinking it from an Orval glass
> 
> I'm going to be lazy and not give this a proper review. I will say it isn't the same as orval but it is at least as good as orval with a lovely sweetness, nice brett balance and slight hop bitterness. A damn top beer.
> 
> I have plans for an orval clone and while the website is quite descriptive, I wouldn't mind your recipe and process if you're willing to divulge them.



Thanks Manticle, glad you enjoyed it. I probably shouldn't call it an Orval clone as such, because that isn't really the intent. I don't know what style Orval is - Flanders Brown? I should just call it that.

Here's the recipe. It's from the Jamil show, as is the process. Note that the dry hops are whole hops, so I use NZ Styrians as I can get them whole. Dry hop is 75g/keg for a week or two. The brett is a Wyeast pack split between the 2 carboys used for secondary, and left under the house for a few months.

Wort Volume Before Boil: 44.00 l
Wort Volume After Boil: 40.00 l
Volume Transferred: 34.00 l
Water Added: 6.00 l
Volume At Pitching: 40.00 l
Final Batch Volume: 38.00 l
Expected Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.054 SG
Expected OG: 1.058 SG
Expected FG: 1.009 SG
Expected ABV: 6.5 %
Expected ABW: 5.1 %
Expected IBU (using Tinseth): 38.9
Expected Color: 10.4 SRM
Apparent Attenuation: 83.5 %
Mash Efficiency: 78.0 %
Boil Duration: 90.0 mins
Fermentation Temperature: 19 degC

Fermentables
Weyermann Pilsner 8.350 kg (78.4 %) In Mash/Steeped
Weyermann CaraMunich II 1.300 kg (12.2 %) In Mash/Steeped
Sugar - White Sugar/Sucrose 1.000 kg (9.4 %) End Of Boil

Hops
German Hallertauer Hersbrucker (3.7 % alpha) 150 g Loose Pellet Hops used 60 Min From End
Slovenian Styrian Goldings (4.8 % alpha) 77 g Loose Pellet Hops used 15 Min From End
Slovenian Styrian Goldings (5.0 % alpha) 75 g Loose Pellet Hops used At turn off
NZ Styrian Goldings (4.4 % alpha) 150 g Loose Whole Hops used Dry-Hopped

Other Ingredients
Koppafloc 1 g used In Boil

Yeast: White Labs WLP510-Bastogne Belgian Ale

Mash Schedule
Mash Type: Full Mash
Schedule Name:Single Step Infusion (67C) w/Mash Out
Step: Rest at 67 degC for 60 mins
Step: Raise by infusion to 77 degC for 0 mins
Step: Rest at 77 degC for 10 mins


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## manticle (6/3/12)

Great, thanks.

Was similar enough to orval - similar level of brett to many I've had, slightly sweeter (yours), maybe a bit darker.

I think orval do a hochkurz style mash (something like 63/72). Cheers for the recipe.


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## raven19 (7/3/12)

*6. neonmeate - Bruxellensis Rye Ale 7% - red BRA on cap*
(ok to drink now, try one in feb one in june or whatever you like)

Cracking beer this one. Very mild brett, fruity aroma and flavours present with a very slight lactic bite at the end of the pallette.
Excellent head retention, medium to high carbonation, white creamy head, cloudy yellow to golden in colour.

I wish my beers carbed up this well.


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## manticle (7/5/12)

Thought I'd have another dip.

barls: Dark Kriek.

Forgive the short review.

Pours very clear, head disappears immediately.Very low carb, really great level of sour (ie not ridiculously acetic but well balanced), finishes very dry. Very refreshing, good beer. Hint of slight metallic on the finish, neither overpowering, dominant nor out of place.


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## barls (7/5/12)

wait till you taste this years one mate, had one last night not hugely sour at this stage but has potential


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## manticle (8/5/12)

Brenadanos: Flanders Brown

Pours very clear, copper/brown nice head with good retention. Aroma of sour beer.

Flavour is completely belied by that aroma. Really lovely, complex things going on here. Touch of dark fruit, citrus peel and vanilla, ripe apricots on the burp (yes on the burp), hint of sweet cherry, very lightly tart/sour finish but with a rich, creamy mouthfeel. I know this was a blend of about 5 different beers but are there any other secrets you'd be willing to part with?

Really, really good beer this one. 750 mL of 7% ale has not been sipped on slowly today. New rules for you - put in 2 x750 mL bottles if your next one is anywhere near as tasty.

Thanks.


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## Josh (2/6/12)

I had the following tonight.

3. barls- sour cherry dark wheat aka dark kriek. plain bottle with little dog funky brew sticker on it.
5. Manticle - Vanilla Bourbon bruiny bretty thingy, numbered bottles (number 5), Drink if clear when held to the light, otherwise wait.
9. beers - Lambicish. Black capped bottles with no labels. Best left until late Jan before drinking.

Enjoyed all three. No real notes. 

Beers' lambisch was nice and dry with a pleasant level of sourness and some funky flavours. Highly drinkable and I could have had a lot of this tonight.

Manticle's Bruin was rather complex. Higher levels of acetic and cherry pie flavours. Really enjoyable.

Barls' kriek is a little light on the cherry flavour but the sourness is right on the money. Thanks barls.


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## barls (2/6/12)

yeah i think il up the cherry next time. already got the next lot fermenting.


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## Josh (3/6/12)

6. neonmeate - Bruxellensis Rye Ale 7% - red BRA on cap. ok to drink now, try one in feb one in june or whatever you like
14. brendanos - Berliner Weisse

Had both of these tonight. Sorry nm, I was concentrating on something else, but it was very drinkable as it disappeared in no time.

Brendanos, that was a damn fine berliner weisse. Light and refreshing, strong tart bite on the tongue, and a funky wheaty aroma in my mouth once the beer disappears. I would love to brew a beer this good. Thanks for sharing.


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## neonmeate (5/6/12)

sounds like a good sign Josh... 

just had another quintrex cranberry/raspberry oud bruin. this has aged beautifully. lots of malt and redskin lollies. yum


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## neonmeate (5/6/12)

Florian said:


> I shared a bottle a few weeks ago (after I had couriered them to Barls) with Winkle, and we both agreed that it had a very unpleasant rubbery or burnt rubber taste.



i too noticed a bit of that flavour in your beer - i'm wondering if it's lightstruck, cause you used green PU bottles. lightstruck beers always taste rubbery to me. like most of the belgian beers at camperdown cellars at the moment for instance....
still got another FBW down there under the house so i'll check it out


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## manticle (9/6/12)

Drinking my second bottle of Josh's.

I have a cold so not much on the aroma, although I do get some funky strawberries.

A bit like a lightly carbonated strawberry champagne with some woody funk.

Can't get too complex in unlayering the beer due to stuffed sinuses but a good summer refresher (obviously it's not summer but still a nice beer).


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## neonmeate (12/7/12)

finally had raven's lambic schwarz. great concept, i love wild yeast and roasty beers, reminded me of the drie fonteinen stout i had recently. this is one of the sourer ones in the swap! obviously had some good pediococcus action at some stage. nice full bodied dark beer underneath it all, charcoal with horseradish. the sourness has some heat in this beer. i think this is a brilliant beer in the making but still raw - im giving the other bottle another year. great stuff raven thanks


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## raven19 (12/7/12)

Glad you like it mate!

I have a number of these stashed away still to sample over the coming years also. Blending the base schwarz back with the 'lambicised' portion certainly helped smooth it out and reduce the harshness upfront I found.


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## barls (12/7/12)

Bugger I forgot about these must dig out a couple to drink


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## manticle (12/8/12)

Me again.

just cracked something from Kabooby. Label is not legible as it's worn/torn.

Will look it up in a sec but first notes:

Pours hazy light copper, tight white head that thins but remains.

Aroma is delicious - something I could smell for ages without needing to take a sip (as I am currently doing). Some raspberry, some oak, some kind of light toffee.

Reasonably more full bodied than usual for this kind of beer. Some chocolate on the palate, hint more wood and again toffee. Cherry is present but very light.

Less funk than expected and no sour at all but very tasty beer with complexity. Can feel, rather than taste what seems to be a warm alcohol sensation.

Just looked it up and I see 'sour saison'. I'm getting more of a barley wine thing going on - totally unrelated to saison or sour.

Nonetheless, it's a really enjoyable beer so you get no complaints from me.


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## raven19 (26/8/12)

brendanos said:


> Drinking Manticles "Vanilla Bourbon Bretty Bruin". Intentionally tasted blind before checking what it was, and my impression was of Cherry Ripe & a brineyness akin to Liefmans pre-Moortgat. Deep mahogany, quite clear, very short-lived tan head. Really nice amount of acid, with lots of funk but nothing undesirable. Loads of ripe stonefruit & chocolatey malt character, a smoothness to the palate and just enough sweetness to carry the acid. A lovey beer, thanks Manticle. Would be happy to have paid money for this.
> 
> Was is bourbon barrel chips, or was it just/also bourbon in there? Seems to have some oak complexity in the palate/mouthfeel (red-wine-like tannin) but might just be grain/bugs. Vanilla is discrete/barely perceptible, but I reckon enhances the maltiness & brings out the chocolate character.






beers said:


> Manticles Vanilla Bourbon Bretty Bruin.
> Nice deep redish brown colour with zero head (possibly a consequence of our dishwashers poor performance). It seems to have a nice level of carbonation happening though.
> Inititial aroma of berry, oak, & hint of acetic acid. A nice complex aroma.
> Tasting I get a nice acidic note upfront (on the acetic side), leading into spiced dark chocolate, then a good sour hit nicely balanced with caramel sweetness, & finishing with some nice oaky vanillins.
> ...



A bit behind on my sampling of these beers.

Cracked my first of Manticle's efforts tonight.

I tend to get more of the acid, and oak with some mild tartness at the end of the pallette. Plenty of body (imo) still. Light carbonation but after initial pour it looks dead flat - mild fizz whilst drinking it now though. I really enjoy the aroma, draws you in for another sip, maybe a tinge of choc in there now for me.

Defo enjoyable, thanks mate!

(still have a number of these to sample - not to mention the 2nd's of each! :icon_cheers: )


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## beers (25/11/12)

Just finishing off my last bottle from this swap. Kabooby's Sour Saison. Got a big whack of raspberry aroma when I cracked this open. Poured a nice golden colour, slightly hazy, with a nice head that has since disappeared. Carbonated on the low side.
Get nice vanilla hints in the pallete, funky sourness, & citrus peel. Finishes dry, sour, & slightly tannic almost. 
A really enjoyable sipper on this hot afternoon.

I had Stusters lambic last Sunday arv. Thoroughly enjoyed. :chug: 

I've had some really good beers in this swap.. & right now thoroughly kicking myself that I could not be involved in the 2012 one  
Looking forward to 2013 :beerbang:


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## brendanos (11/1/13)

I think I'm drinking beers' Lambic

Bright straw with low head but excellent retention.
Aroma of ripe tropical fruit (especially pineapple), lightly nutty, savoury, funky & pleasant.
Light flavour. Biscuity, fruity, low acidity, moderate funk, earthy, musty, yeasty bitterness.
Highly drinkable - reminds me a lot of Boon.

Just read my notes a few page back from 11 months ago and glad that the cheese stink has gone!!!

Thanks a lot beers - I almost forgive you for not labelling your beer...


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## manticle (2/3/13)

manticle said:


> Florian: Berliner Roggenweisse.
> 
> Pours very clear straw, no head. Aroma of very light disinfectant, fruit (apples but not granny smith), milk, hay (I think - it's been a while since I smelled hay).
> 
> ...


Just trying my second one now.

Very similar to above although the disinfectant aroma reminded me a little of a swimming pool/chlorine. The character remains in check.

Still lovely and dry, refreshing.


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## manticle (5/3/13)

Finally got around to Quintrex's raspberry sour.

Forgot whether this is a raspberry berliner Weiss or something else - will look up later.

Aroma of raspberries (quite strong) sweet wine, slight wood/leather.

Pours very clear despite a slight gush at the beginning. Small head that dissipates but retention is much better than most beers of this kind including my own. copper-ish in the poor light in my living room.

Flavour - raspberry central, lightly and refreshingly sour with nothing approaching aceto character. Slightly chalky on the palate.

This is a fantastic beer Q- really well balanced, enough complexity to make it interesting, great fruit flavour that is natural (unlike a timmermans for example) and has all the promises of tart raspberries delivered in full.

Better than many commercial fruit/sours I've tried and up there with the good/best ones.

Well up there.

Cheers


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## brendanos (6/3/13)

Now drinking Kabooby's Sour Saison. Beautiful gold colour, clear, fine bead, some lacing - very attractive. Complex lambic-like aroma with pineapple, grapes, damp cellar, and barnyard funk. Dry, tart, bitter and a bit boozy with a long mouth puckering finish. I am stoked that this is a longneck. Thanks Kabooby the beer is tasting great!


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## brendanos (7/3/13)

Now drinking jonw's Orval one from an Orval glass. Chill haze with good carbonation, clear copper on warming with poor head retention. Aroma is sweet spice, apple juice, cherries, white wine vinegar. Strong flavour - quite malty and bitter initially with fruity brett notes following drying out to a long, tart, tannic finish. I like it but it's a bit of a bruiser. Hearing cries of "cheese" from the beer, I made marinated feta and vegemite toasties... now the beer tastes awesome.


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## raven19 (11/3/13)

Had another bottle of this just now.

1 year and 4 days on from my last sampling of it, it's still a cracking beer. Very easy drinker now, mellowed further with age.



raven19 said:


> *6. neonmeate - Bruxellensis Rye Ale 7% - red BRA on cap*
> (ok to drink now, try one in feb one in june or whatever you like)
> 
> Cracking beer this one. Very mild brett, fruity aroma and flavours present with a very slight lactic bite at the end of the pallette.
> ...


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## neonmeate (15/3/13)

raven19 said:


> Had another bottle of this just now.
> 
> 1 year and 4 days on from my last sampling of it, it's still a cracking beer. Very easy drinker now, mellowed further with age.


wish i still had some! actually i do have some sort of similar stuff on the go now. it's sort of my house beer.
reminds me i still have the lambic schwarzbier bottle no 2 down there, ill have to grab some


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## manticle (16/3/14)

So my crate has sat pretty much untouched for quite some time.

Cracked a Val or something like it bottle last night and didn't really take any notes. Is that JonW's from this swap?

Really great beer, very reminiscent of orval, with some woody/leathery brett notes and subtle orange citrus.
It's sunday and I'm brewing so forgive the early start but I just opened one labelled ILS or 571. Not sure who or what but it's great.

Deep black (stout) with tan head and some retention. Tastes like a wood aged stout with some deep red wine fruit notes (plum, berry) and just a faint hit of balsamic vinegar and some oak tannins.

Aroma is all dark chocolate,oak, plum and berry.

I have one more of both the above beers. Has re-ignited my interest in making some more funky beers.

Most of the subscribers to this thread seem to have dropped off but who knows.


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## barls (16/3/14)

some still here. ive still got most of last years and a few of this case left.


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## manticle (16/3/14)

Any idea what the ILS might have been?


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## manticle (16/3/14)

^ Wrong year


2012 beers I'm drinking.


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