# Sandgroper 2009 Case Tasting Notes



## Guest Lurker (20/12/09)

Sandgroper 2009 case tasting notes

Here is how it works. This was Tony M s brilliant idea.

You make an effort to give your fellow brewers feedback about what you liked and what you didn’t. We end up with a single post with all the reviews in one place. We start another thread for chat/photos/recipes etc. This one gets moderated ruthlessly.

What you do is hit the quote button, then the reply button. THEN REMOVE THE QUOTE TAGS, OR THE NEXT PERSON CANT QUOTE. You add your information/review into the quoted post. The post that was quoted is then deleted by me using my super moderator powers. So we just keep adding information to this single post.


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## randyrob (30/12/09)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*


*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now*


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.


*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too :-( Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year ! 

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!  

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*


*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.



*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
MC: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.

*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*


*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.


*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*


*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.


*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.



*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.

*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme 


*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.


*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*


*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?

*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.


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## Vlad the Pale Aler (30/12/09)

looks like the single thread idea has shit itself


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## randyrob (30/12/09)

No it's all good Vladamir, when Gl pops back he just truncates it...you can say whatever you like outside of the reviews and it just gets wiped pretty cool actually


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## Vlad the Pale Aler (30/12/09)

so I can just shout BUM! and the Cap' will delete it?


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## Tony M (30/12/09)

Hey youse guys, quit stuffing around, Cap'n Kleenoff will be angry!


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## clay (31/12/09)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*


*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now*


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
clay: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.

*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too :-( Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year ! 

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!  

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*


*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.



*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
MC: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.

*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*


*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.


*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*


*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.


*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.



*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 

*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  


*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.


*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*


*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?

*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.


----------



## Vlad the Pale Aler (31/12/09)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*


*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now*


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
clay: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.

*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too :-( Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year ! 

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!  

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*


*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.



*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
MC: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.

*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*


*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.


*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*


*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.


*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.



*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 

*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  


*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.


*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*


*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
VtPA: Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.

*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.


----------



## WitWonder (1/1/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*


*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
clay: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.

*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too :-( Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year ! 

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!  

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*


*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.



*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
MC: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.

*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*


*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.


*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*


*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.


*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.



*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 

*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  


*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.


*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*


*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
VtPA: Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.

*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.


----------



## kook (1/1/10)

WitWonder said:


> (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)



Small world!


----------



## Tony M (1/1/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*


*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
Tony M: Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
clay: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.

*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too :-( Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year ! 

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!  

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*


*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.



*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
MC: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.

*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*


*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.


*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*


*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.


*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.



*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 

*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  


*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.


*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*


*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
VtPA: Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.

*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.


----------



## Goat (1/1/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a crack of a case !

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*


*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
Tony M: Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
clay: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.

*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too :-( Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year ! 

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!  

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*


*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.



*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
MC: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.

*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*


*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.


*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*


*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.


*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.



*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 

*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  


*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.


*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*


*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
VtPA: Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.

*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.


----------



## Vlad the Pale Aler (1/1/10)

BUM!


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## Goat (1/1/10)

stop it right now.


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## kook (1/1/10)

While I'm so tempted to clean this up, I think it would be far better to just contribute to the chaos :lol:


----------



## Goat (1/1/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a crack of a case !

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*


*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
Tony M: Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
clay: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.

*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too :-( Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year ! 

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!  

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*


*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.



*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
MC: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.

*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*


*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.


*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*


*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.


*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.



*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*;Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer

*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  


*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.


*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*


*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
VtPA: Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.

*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.


----------



## kook (2/1/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a crack of a case !

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*


*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
clay: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.

*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too :-( Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year ! 

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!  

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*


*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.



*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
MC: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.

*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*


*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.


*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*


*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol:


*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.



*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*;Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer

*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  


*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.


*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*


*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
VtPA: Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.

*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.


----------



## Goat (2/1/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*


*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
clay: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !

*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too :-( Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year ! 

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!  

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*


*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.



*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
MC: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.

*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*


*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.


*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*


*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol:


*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.



*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer

*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  


*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.


*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*


*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
VtPA: Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.

*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.


----------



## randyrob (2/1/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*


*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
clay: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !

*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too :-( Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year ! 

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!  

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*


*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.



*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
MC: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.

*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*


*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!


*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*


*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol:


*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.



*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer

*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  


*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.


*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*


*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
VtPA: Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.

*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.


----------



## mika (3/1/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*


*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.

*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too :-( Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year ! 

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!  

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*


*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.

*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.

*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*


*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!


*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*


*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol:


*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.



*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.

*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.


*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.


*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*


*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
VtPA: Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.

*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.
[/quote]


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## mika (3/1/10)

This 'single' post thread is out to 2 pages 



and just to keep vlad amused...


BUM !


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## Goat (3/1/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*


*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.

*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too :-( Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year ! 

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!  

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*


*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.
*Goat*: Based on the above comments, I opened this baby over the sink. No gushing, though there was a healthy hiss - a slow pour resulted in a decent pint with an inch of fluffy white head. Slighlty hazy copper colour. Sweet maltiness on the nose. Maltiness carries through to the taste with a hint of fruit. Not much in the way of bitterness or hop flavour. Like GL suggests, its a bit of a nostaglia trip for me.

*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.
*Goat*: Not huge carbonation, but enough to develop a thinish white head. Not sure about the "belgian pear ester" - I think its more French/Swiss border pear... but there is definately that sort of fruit in the aroma in there. slightly hazy in with a golden straw colour. Nice full mouthfeel, slightly sweet - which works well with the moderatly alcoholy aftertaste. Nice beer.

*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*


*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!


*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*


*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol:


*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.



*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.

*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.


*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.


*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*


*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
VtPA: Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.

*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.


----------



## churchy (4/1/10)

Goat said:


> *Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
> *WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
> *NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this
> *RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
> ...


----------



## churchy (4/1/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*


*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.

*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too :-( Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year ! 

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!  

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*


*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.
*Goat*: Based on the above comments, I opened this baby over the sink. No gushing, though there was a healthy hiss - a slow pour resulted in a decent pint with an inch of fluffy white head. Slighlty hazy copper colour. Sweet maltiness on the nose. Maltiness carries through to the taste with a hint of fruit. Not much in the way of bitterness or hop flavour. Like GL suggests, its a bit of a nostaglia trip for me.

*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.
*Goat*: Not huge carbonation, but enough to develop a thinish white head. Not sure about the "belgian pear ester" - I think its more French/Swiss border pear... but there is definately that sort of fruit in the aroma in there. slightly hazy in with a golden straw colour. Nice full mouthfeel, slightly sweet - which works well with the moderatly alcoholy aftertaste. Nice beer.

*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*


*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!


*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*


*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol: 
Churchy- This went down really well after a bike ride, nice aroma hops and bittering hops.

*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.
Churchy-This was a nice beer Nev and my dad loved it as well.Hops were all together and carbonation just right.


*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.

*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.


*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.


*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*


*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
VtPA: Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.

*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.


----------



## kook (5/1/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !


*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*


*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.


*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too :-( Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year ! 


*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!  


*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*


*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.
*Goat*: Based on the above comments, I opened this baby over the sink. No gushing, though there was a healthy hiss - a slow pour resulted in a decent pint with an inch of fluffy white head. Slighlty hazy copper colour. Sweet maltiness on the nose. Maltiness carries through to the taste with a hint of fruit. Not much in the way of bitterness or hop flavour. Like GL suggests, its a bit of a nostaglia trip for me.
*kook:* I didn't read any of this, and opened it haphazard. There was a little initial "spray" of beer, but no gushing or foaming. Took a little bit of time to off gas in the glass, but I think it adds to the experience. Colour is a slightly hazy light amber, with a huge (60% of glass) fluffy white head. Initial aroma is quite spicy, with light peppery alcohol notes. As it rests a bit, some great malt notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Nice light body, dry finish. Flavour is quite clean, nice honey-like malt notes, very balanced bitterness level. Some light earthy hop notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Very quaffable halfluck offering!


*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.
*Goat*: Not huge carbonation, but enough to develop a thinish white head. Not sure about the "belgian pear ester" - I think its more French/Swiss border pear... but there is definately that sort of fruit in the aroma in there. slightly hazy in with a golden straw colour. Nice full mouthfeel, slightly sweet - which works well with the moderatly alcoholy aftertaste. Nice beer.


*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*


*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!


*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*


*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol: 
*Churchy-* This went down really well after a bike ride, nice aroma hops and bittering hops.


*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.
*Churchy-*This was a nice beer Nev and my dad loved it as well.Hops were all together and carbonation just right.


*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.


*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.


*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*



*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.


*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*


*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
*VtPA:* Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.


*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.


----------



## churchy (6/1/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !


*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*


*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.


*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too :-( Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year ! 


*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!  


*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*


*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.
*Goat*: Based on the above comments, I opened this baby over the sink. No gushing, though there was a healthy hiss - a slow pour resulted in a decent pint with an inch of fluffy white head. Slighlty hazy copper colour. Sweet maltiness on the nose. Maltiness carries through to the taste with a hint of fruit. Not much in the way of bitterness or hop flavour. Like GL suggests, its a bit of a nostaglia trip for me.
*kook:* I didn't read any of this, and opened it haphazard. There was a little initial "spray" of beer, but no gushing or foaming. Took a little bit of time to off gas in the glass, but I think it adds to the experience. Colour is a slightly hazy light amber, with a huge (60% of glass) fluffy white head. Initial aroma is quite spicy, with light peppery alcohol notes. As it rests a bit, some great malt notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Nice light body, dry finish. Flavour is quite clean, nice honey-like malt notes, very balanced bitterness level. Some light earthy hop notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Very quaffable halfluck offering!


*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.
*Goat*: Not huge carbonation, but enough to develop a thinish white head. Not sure about the "belgian pear ester" - I think its more French/Swiss border pear... but there is definately that sort of fruit in the aroma in there. slightly hazy in with a golden straw colour. Nice full mouthfeel, slightly sweet - which works well with the moderatly alcoholy aftertaste. Nice beer.
Churchy-Lightly carbed and a honey kinda colour!Fruity flavour to hide the alcohol.Is that why my head is starting to spin and the fact I haven't eaten anything!

*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*


*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!


*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*


*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol: 
*Churchy-* This went down really well after a bike ride, nice aroma hops and bittering hops.


*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.
*Churchy-*This was a nice beer Nev and my dad loved it as well.Hops were all together and carbonation just right.


*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.


*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.


*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*



*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.


*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*


*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
*VtPA:* Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.


*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.


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## Vlad the Pale Aler (6/1/10)

BUM!


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## kook (6/1/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !


*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*


*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.


*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too :-( Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year ! 


*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!  


*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*


*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.
*Goat*: Based on the above comments, I opened this baby over the sink. No gushing, though there was a healthy hiss - a slow pour resulted in a decent pint with an inch of fluffy white head. Slighlty hazy copper colour. Sweet maltiness on the nose. Maltiness carries through to the taste with a hint of fruit. Not much in the way of bitterness or hop flavour. Like GL suggests, its a bit of a nostaglia trip for me.
*kook:* I didn't read any of this, and opened it haphazard. There was a little initial "spray" of beer, but no gushing or foaming. Took a little bit of time to off gas in the glass, but I think it adds to the experience. Colour is a slightly hazy light amber, with a huge (60% of glass) fluffy white head. Initial aroma is quite spicy, with light peppery alcohol notes. As it rests a bit, some great malt notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Nice light body, dry finish. Flavour is quite clean, nice honey-like malt notes, very balanced bitterness level. Some light earthy hop notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Very quaffable halfluck offering!


*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.
*Goat*: Not huge carbonation, but enough to develop a thinish white head. Not sure about the "belgian pear ester" - I think its more French/Swiss border pear... but there is definately that sort of fruit in the aroma in there. slightly hazy in with a golden straw colour. Nice full mouthfeel, slightly sweet - which works well with the moderatly alcoholy aftertaste. Nice beer.
*Churchy-* Lightly carbed and a honey kinda colour!Fruity flavour to hide the alcohol.Is that why my head is starting to spin and the fact I haven't eaten anything!


*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*


*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!


*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*


*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol: 
*Churchy-* This went down really well after a bike ride, nice aroma hops and bittering hops.


*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.
*Churchy-*This was a nice beer Nev and my dad loved it as well.Hops were all together and carbonation just right.


*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.


*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.
*kook:* Quite dead on opening, squishy bottle. Poured with a bit of distance and it generated a tight, small off white head. Looks like a good cask ale actually, slightly hazy deep dark amber in colour, edging on brown. Brilliant hop aroma, juicy fruit, tropical fruits, fresh cut grass and floral notes all come through. Medium bodied, mouthfeel is accentuated by the low carbonation. Great melanoidiny background malt character, with some light toasty notes. The hops are the show here though, big, juicy fruit flavours and a nice firm (but in no way harsh) bitterness. Great beer, very drinkable and moreish.


*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*



*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.


*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*


*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
*VtPA:* Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.


*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.


----------



## sinkas (7/1/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !


*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*
*sinkas:* a very drinkable if yet a little unusually flavoured beer, for some reason I assume there is only NS hops, but I got a real stone fruit flavour also, only crit was maybe a bit heavy in mouth feel for the abv, but het it was certianly enjoyable



*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.


*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too :-( Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year ! 


*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!
*sinkas:* goat needs fuggin glasses, a nice rich and sparkling body, not cloudy, spritzy carbonation amplified the bitterness, but all together a great pale ale 


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!  
*sinkas:* nice punchy IPA, with a creaminess from the rabbit juice


*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*


*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.
*Goat*: Based on the above comments, I opened this baby over the sink. No gushing, though there was a healthy hiss - a slow pour resulted in a decent pint with an inch of fluffy white head. Slighlty hazy copper colour. Sweet maltiness on the nose. Maltiness carries through to the taste with a hint of fruit. Not much in the way of bitterness or hop flavour. Like GL suggests, its a bit of a nostaglia trip for me.
*kook:* I didn't read any of this, and opened it haphazard. There was a little initial "spray" of beer, but no gushing or foaming. Took a little bit of time to off gas in the glass, but I think it adds to the experience. Colour is a slightly hazy light amber, with a huge (60% of glass) fluffy white head. Initial aroma is quite spicy, with light peppery alcohol notes. As it rests a bit, some great malt notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Nice light body, dry finish. Flavour is quite clean, nice honey-like malt notes, very balanced bitterness level. Some light earthy hop notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Very quaffable halfluck offering!


*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.
*Goat*: Not huge carbonation, but enough to develop a thinish white head. Not sure about the "belgian pear ester" - I think its more French/Swiss border pear... but there is definately that sort of fruit in the aroma in there. slightly hazy in with a golden straw colour. Nice full mouthfeel, slightly sweet - which works well with the moderatly alcoholy aftertaste. Nice beer.
*Churchy-* Lightly carbed and a honey kinda colour!Fruity flavour to hide the alcohol.Is that why my head is starting to spin and the fact I haven't eaten anything!


*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*


*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!


*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*


*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol: 
*Churchy-* This went down really well after a bike ride, nice aroma hops and bittering hops.


*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.
*Churchy-*This was a nice beer Nev and my dad loved it as well.Hops were all together and carbonation just right.


*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.


*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.
*kook:* Quite dead on opening, squishy bottle. Poured with a bit of distance and it generated a tight, small off white head. Looks like a good cask ale actually, slightly hazy deep dark amber in colour, edging on brown. Brilliant hop aroma, juicy fruit, tropical fruits, fresh cut grass and floral notes all come through. Medium bodied, mouthfeel is accentuated by the low carbonation. Great melanoidiny background malt character, with some light toasty notes. The hops are the show here though, big, juicy fruit flavours and a nice firm (but in no way harsh) bitterness. Great beer, very drinkable and moreish.


*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.


*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*


*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
*VtPA:* Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.


*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.


----------



## ausdb (7/1/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !
*ausdb* First bottle of the case for me, no point trying to taste beers with a cold. Even after 3 weeks in my study it is very very very well carbonated even and even with a careful pour I only managed 1/3 beer with 2/3 rocky head in a pint glass. On the nose I get fruity but not distinctly cascade aroma's which is surprising considering the tweaking it received with the magic hop potion. Flavourwise there is a hint of dark malts but the carbonation was too high and the tended to overpower most of the flavours for me. I must go past GL's and have one straight from the tap, as this bottle tastes like a completely different beer to how it normally tastes for me.

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*
*sinkas:* a very drinkable if yet a little unusually flavoured beer, for some reason I assume there is only NS hops, but I got a real stone fruit flavour also, only crit was maybe a bit heavy in mouth feel for the abv, but het it was certianly enjoyable



*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.


*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too :-( Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year ! 


*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!
*sinkas:* goat needs fuggin glasses, a nice rich and sparkling body, not cloudy, spritzy carbonation amplified the bitterness, but all together a great pale ale 


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!  
*sinkas:* nice punchy IPA, with a creaminess from the rabbit juice


*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*


*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.
*Goat*: Based on the above comments, I opened this baby over the sink. No gushing, though there was a healthy hiss - a slow pour resulted in a decent pint with an inch of fluffy white head. Slighlty hazy copper colour. Sweet maltiness on the nose. Maltiness carries through to the taste with a hint of fruit. Not much in the way of bitterness or hop flavour. Like GL suggests, its a bit of a nostaglia trip for me.
*kook:* I didn't read any of this, and opened it haphazard. There was a little initial "spray" of beer, but no gushing or foaming. Took a little bit of time to off gas in the glass, but I think it adds to the experience. Colour is a slightly hazy light amber, with a huge (60% of glass) fluffy white head. Initial aroma is quite spicy, with light peppery alcohol notes. As it rests a bit, some great malt notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Nice light body, dry finish. Flavour is quite clean, nice honey-like malt notes, very balanced bitterness level. Some light earthy hop notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Very quaffable halfluck offering!


*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.
*Goat*: Not huge carbonation, but enough to develop a thinish white head. Not sure about the "belgian pear ester" - I think its more French/Swiss border pear... but there is definately that sort of fruit in the aroma in there. slightly hazy in with a golden straw colour. Nice full mouthfeel, slightly sweet - which works well with the moderatly alcoholy aftertaste. Nice beer.
*Churchy-* Lightly carbed and a honey kinda colour!Fruity flavour to hide the alcohol.Is that why my head is starting to spin and the fact I haven't eaten anything!


*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*


*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!


*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*


*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol: 
*Churchy-* This went down really well after a bike ride, nice aroma hops and bittering hops.


*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.
*Churchy-*This was a nice beer Nev and my dad loved it as well.Hops were all together and carbonation just right.


*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.


*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.
*kook:* Quite dead on opening, squishy bottle. Poured with a bit of distance and it generated a tight, small off white head. Looks like a good cask ale actually, slightly hazy deep dark amber in colour, edging on brown. Brilliant hop aroma, juicy fruit, tropical fruits, fresh cut grass and floral notes all come through. Medium bodied, mouthfeel is accentuated by the low carbonation. Great melanoidiny background malt character, with some light toasty notes. The hops are the show here though, big, juicy fruit flavours and a nice firm (but in no way harsh) bitterness. Great beer, very drinkable and moreish.


*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.


*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*


*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
*VtPA:* Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.
*ausdb* I think I tasted this beer at the swap day as I remember Kenworthy pouring me a glass of something with Galaxy and NS at some stage, but this one to me was completely different. I pick a distinct NS gooseberry and cats pi$$ aroma and it is a lovely pale gold and straw colour but I am torn between deciding if it is just too overbittered with the Galaxy overload effect or signs of an infection when I taste it. I can taste the quinine/grapefruitiness that ant tastes but also get the sourness that others have picked. It would be really nice to see your recipe to compare your hopping schedule with my taste perceptions.


*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.
[/quote]


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## randyrob (7/1/10)

whoops some peoples reviews have gone awol..


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## churchy (8/1/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !
*ausdb* First bottle of the case for me, no point trying to taste beers with a cold. Even after 3 weeks in my study it is very very very well carbonated even and even with a careful pour I only managed 1/3 beer with 2/3 rocky head in a pint glass. On the nose I get fruity but not distinctly cascade aroma's which is surprising considering the tweaking it received with the magic hop potion. Flavourwise there is a hint of dark malts but the carbonation was too high and the tended to overpower most of the flavours for me. I must go past GL's and have one straight from the tap, as this bottle tastes like a completely different beer to how it normally tastes for me.

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*
*sinkas:* a very drinkable if yet a little unusually flavoured beer, for some reason I assume there is only NS hops, but I got a real stone fruit flavour also, only crit was maybe a bit heavy in mouth feel for the abv, but het it was certianly enjoyable



*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.


*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too :-( Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year ! 
Churchy- Had a nice straw colour but had a really lemon bittery taste.

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!
*sinkas:* goat needs fuggin glasses, a nice rich and sparkling body, not cloudy, spritzy carbonation amplified the bitterness, but all together a great pale ale 


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!  
*sinkas:* nice punchy IPA, with a creaminess from the rabbit juice


*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*


*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.
*Goat*: Based on the above comments, I opened this baby over the sink. No gushing, though there was a healthy hiss - a slow pour resulted in a decent pint with an inch of fluffy white head. Slighlty hazy copper colour. Sweet maltiness on the nose. Maltiness carries through to the taste with a hint of fruit. Not much in the way of bitterness or hop flavour. Like GL suggests, its a bit of a nostaglia trip for me.
*kook:* I didn't read any of this, and opened it haphazard. There was a little initial "spray" of beer, but no gushing or foaming. Took a little bit of time to off gas in the glass, but I think it adds to the experience. Colour is a slightly hazy light amber, with a huge (60% of glass) fluffy white head. Initial aroma is quite spicy, with light peppery alcohol notes. As it rests a bit, some great malt notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Nice light body, dry finish. Flavour is quite clean, nice honey-like malt notes, very balanced bitterness level. Some light earthy hop notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Very quaffable halfluck offering!


*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.
*Goat*: Not huge carbonation, but enough to develop a thinish white head. Not sure about the "belgian pear ester" - I think its more French/Swiss border pear... but there is definately that sort of fruit in the aroma in there. slightly hazy in with a golden straw colour. Nice full mouthfeel, slightly sweet - which works well with the moderatly alcoholy aftertaste. Nice beer.
*Churchy-* Lightly carbed and a honey kinda colour!Fruity flavour to hide the alcohol.Is that why my head is starting to spin and the fact I haven't eaten anything!


*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*


*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!


*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*


*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol: 
*Churchy-* This went down really well after a bike ride, nice aroma hops and bittering hops.


*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.
*Churchy-*This was a nice beer Nev and my dad loved it as well.Hops were all together and carbonation just right.


*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.


*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.
*kook:* Quite dead on opening, squishy bottle. Poured with a bit of distance and it generated a tight, small off white head. Looks like a good cask ale actually, slightly hazy deep dark amber in colour, edging on brown. Brilliant hop aroma, juicy fruit, tropical fruits, fresh cut grass and floral notes all come through. Medium bodied, mouthfeel is accentuated by the low carbonation. Great melanoidiny background malt character, with some light toasty notes. The hops are the show here though, big, juicy fruit flavours and a nice firm (but in no way harsh) bitterness. Great beer, very drinkable and moreish.


*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.


*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*


*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
*VtPA:* Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.
*ausdb* I think I tasted this beer at the swap day as I remember Kenworthy pouring me a glass of something with Galaxy and NS at some stage, but this one to me was completely different. I pick a distinct NS gooseberry and cats pi$$ aroma and it is a lovely pale gold and straw colour but I am torn between deciding if it is just too overbittered with the Galaxy overload effect or signs of an infection when I taste it. I can taste the quinine/grapefruitiness that ant tastes but also get the sourness that others have picked. It would be really nice to see your recipe to compare your hopping schedule with my taste perceptions.


*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.


----------



## kook (8/1/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !
*ausdb* First bottle of the case for me, no point trying to taste beers with a cold. Even after 3 weeks in my study it is very very very well carbonated even and even with a careful pour I only managed 1/3 beer with 2/3 rocky head in a pint glass. On the nose I get fruity but not distinctly cascade aroma's which is surprising considering the tweaking it received with the magic hop potion. Flavourwise there is a hint of dark malts but the carbonation was too high and the tended to overpower most of the flavours for me. I must go past GL's and have one straight from the tap, as this bottle tastes like a completely different beer to how it normally tastes for me.

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*
*sinkas:* a very drinkable if yet a little unusually flavoured beer, for some reason I assume there is only NS hops, but I got a real stone fruit flavour also, only crit was maybe a bit heavy in mouth feel for the abv, but het it was certianly enjoyable



*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.


*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too :-( Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year ! 
Churchy- Had a nice straw colour but had a really lemon bittery taste.

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!
*sinkas:* goat needs fuggin glasses, a nice rich and sparkling body, not cloudy, spritzy carbonation amplified the bitterness, but all together a great pale ale 


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!  
*sinkas:* nice punchy IPA, with a creaminess from the rabbit juice


*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*


*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.
*Goat*: Based on the above comments, I opened this baby over the sink. No gushing, though there was a healthy hiss - a slow pour resulted in a decent pint with an inch of fluffy white head. Slighlty hazy copper colour. Sweet maltiness on the nose. Maltiness carries through to the taste with a hint of fruit. Not much in the way of bitterness or hop flavour. Like GL suggests, its a bit of a nostaglia trip for me.
*kook:* I didn't read any of this, and opened it haphazard. There was a little initial "spray" of beer, but no gushing or foaming. Took a little bit of time to off gas in the glass, but I think it adds to the experience. Colour is a slightly hazy light amber, with a huge (60% of glass) fluffy white head. Initial aroma is quite spicy, with light peppery alcohol notes. As it rests a bit, some great malt notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Nice light body, dry finish. Flavour is quite clean, nice honey-like malt notes, very balanced bitterness level. Some light earthy hop notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Very quaffable halfluck offering!


*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.
*Goat*: Not huge carbonation, but enough to develop a thinish white head. Not sure about the "belgian pear ester" - I think its more French/Swiss border pear... but there is definately that sort of fruit in the aroma in there. slightly hazy in with a golden straw colour. Nice full mouthfeel, slightly sweet - which works well with the moderatly alcoholy aftertaste. Nice beer.
*Churchy-* Lightly carbed and a honey kinda colour!Fruity flavour to hide the alcohol.Is that why my head is starting to spin and the fact I haven't eaten anything!
*kook:* This should have won the label comp (no offense Linc); boobs should always win. Pours a hazy orange colour with a short white head. Initially some light banana in the nose, then pear and peaches come through. As it warms a little, spice becomes more evident. Big mouthfeel, personally a little too full in the finish for me. Great flavours, pear, peaches, toffee apples and light peppery spice. Some citrus flavours there too. As noted by others, the alcohol is very well hidden. Personally I'd prefer this a few points drier, as I think there is a little too much sweetness. Still a great beer though, thanks Clay!


*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*


*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!


*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*


*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol: 
*Churchy-* This went down really well after a bike ride, nice aroma hops and bittering hops.


*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.
*Churchy-*This was a nice beer Nev and my dad loved it as well.Hops were all together and carbonation just right.


*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.


*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.
*kook:* Quite dead on opening, squishy bottle. Poured with a bit of distance and it generated a tight, small off white head. Looks like a good cask ale actually, slightly hazy deep dark amber in colour, edging on brown. Brilliant hop aroma, juicy fruit, tropical fruits, fresh cut grass and floral notes all come through. Medium bodied, mouthfeel is accentuated by the low carbonation. Great melanoidiny background malt character, with some light toasty notes. The hops are the show here though, big, juicy fruit flavours and a nice firm (but in no way harsh) bitterness. Great beer, very drinkable and moreish.


*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.


*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*


*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
*VtPA:* Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.
*ausdb* I think I tasted this beer at the swap day as I remember Kenworthy pouring me a glass of something with Galaxy and NS at some stage, but this one to me was completely different. I pick a distinct NS gooseberry and cats pi$$ aroma and it is a lovely pale gold and straw colour but I am torn between deciding if it is just too overbittered with the Galaxy overload effect or signs of an infection when I taste it. I can taste the quinine/grapefruitiness that ant tastes but also get the sourness that others have picked. It would be really nice to see your recipe to compare your hopping schedule with my taste perceptions.


*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.


----------



## sinkas (9/1/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee – very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed – kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !
*ausdb* First bottle of the case for me, no point trying to taste beers with a cold. Even after 3 weeks in my study it is very very very well carbonated even and even with a careful pour I only managed 1/3 beer with 2/3 rocky head in a pint glass. On the nose I get fruity but not distinctly cascade aroma's which is surprising considering the tweaking it received with the magic hop potion. Flavourwise there is a hint of dark malts but the carbonation was too high and the tended to overpower most of the flavours for me. I must go past GL's and have one straight from the tap, as this bottle tastes like a completely different beer to how it normally tastes for me.

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*
*sinkas:* a very drinkable if yet a little unusually flavoured beer, for some reason I assume there is only NS hops, but I got a real stone fruit flavour also, only crit was maybe a bit heavy in mouth feel for the abv, but het it was certianly enjoyable



*Kook Everything but the… (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.


*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too :-( Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year ! 
Churchy- Had a nice straw colour but had a really lemon bittery taste.

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failed—absolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!
*sinkas:* goat needs fuggin glasses, a nice rich and sparkling body, not cloudy, spritzy carbonation amplified the bitterness, but all together a great pale ale 


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!  
*sinkas:* nice punchy IPA, with a creaminess from the rabbit juice


*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*


*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.
*Goat*: Based on the above comments, I opened this baby over the sink. No gushing, though there was a healthy hiss - a slow pour resulted in a decent pint with an inch of fluffy white head. Slighlty hazy copper colour. Sweet maltiness on the nose. Maltiness carries through to the taste with a hint of fruit. Not much in the way of bitterness or hop flavour. Like GL suggests, its a bit of a nostaglia trip for me.
*kook:* I didn't read any of this, and opened it haphazard. There was a little initial "spray" of beer, but no gushing or foaming. Took a little bit of time to off gas in the glass, but I think it adds to the experience. Colour is a slightly hazy light amber, with a huge (60% of glass) fluffy white head. Initial aroma is quite spicy, with light peppery alcohol notes. As it rests a bit, some great malt notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Nice light body, dry finish. Flavour is quite clean, nice honey-like malt notes, very balanced bitterness level. Some light earthy hop notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Very quaffable halfluck offering!


*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.
*Goat*: Not huge carbonation, but enough to develop a thinish white head. Not sure about the "belgian pear ester" - I think its more French/Swiss border pear... but there is definately that sort of fruit in the aroma in there. slightly hazy in with a golden straw colour. Nice full mouthfeel, slightly sweet - which works well with the moderatly alcoholy aftertaste. Nice beer.
*Churchy-* Lightly carbed and a honey kinda colour!Fruity flavour to hide the alcohol.Is that why my head is starting to spin and the fact I haven't eaten anything!
*kook:* This should have won the label comp (no offense Linc); boobs should always win. Pours a hazy orange colour with a short white head. Initially some light banana in the nose, then pear and peaches come through. As it warms a little, spice becomes more evident. Big mouthfeel, personally a little too full in the finish for me. Great flavours, pear, peaches, toffee apples and light peppery spice. Some citrus flavours there too. As noted by others, the alcohol is very well hidden. Personally I'd prefer this a few points drier, as I think there is a little too much sweetness. Still a great beer though, thanks Clay!


*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*


*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!


*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*


*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol: 
*Churchy-* This went down really well after a bike ride, nice aroma hops and bittering hops.


*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.
*Churchy-*This was a nice beer Nev and my dad loved it as well.Hops were all together and carbonation just right.


*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.


*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.
*kook:* Quite dead on opening, squishy bottle. Poured with a bit of distance and it generated a tight, small off white head. Looks like a good cask ale actually, slightly hazy deep dark amber in colour, edging on brown. Brilliant hop aroma, juicy fruit, tropical fruits, fresh cut grass and floral notes all come through. Medium bodied, mouthfeel is accentuated by the low carbonation. Great melanoidiny background malt character, with some light toasty notes. The hops are the show here though, big, juicy fruit flavours and a nice firm (but in no way harsh) bitterness. Great beer, very drinkable and moreish.


*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.


*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*


*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
*VtPA:* Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.
*ausdb* I think I tasted this beer at the swap day as I remember Kenworthy pouring me a glass of something with Galaxy and NS at some stage, but this one to me was completely different. I pick a distinct NS gooseberry and cats pi$$ aroma and it is a lovely pale gold and straw colour but I am torn between deciding if it is just too overbittered with the Galaxy overload effect or signs of an infection when I taste it. I can taste the quinine/grapefruitiness that ant tastes but also get the sourness that others have picked. It would be really nice to see your recipe to compare your hopping schedule with my taste perceptions.
sinkas: unfortunatley my bottle opened, with a 2 foot gush, threid to drink the geiser,and it had a really odd harsh flavour, so vented the rest outside


*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.
sinkas: nice bananary aroma, drinkable but quite heavy in the clove flavour to me


----------



## kook (9/1/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !
*ausdb* First bottle of the case for me, no point trying to taste beers with a cold. Even after 3 weeks in my study it is very very very well carbonated even and even with a careful pour I only managed 1/3 beer with 2/3 rocky head in a pint glass. On the nose I get fruity but not distinctly cascade aroma's which is surprising considering the tweaking it received with the magic hop potion. Flavourwise there is a hint of dark malts but the carbonation was too high and the tended to overpower most of the flavours for me. I must go past GL's and have one straight from the tap, as this bottle tastes like a completely different beer to how it normally tastes for me.

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*
*sinkas:* a very drinkable if yet a little unusually flavoured beer, for some reason I assume there is only NS hops, but I got a real stone fruit flavour also, only crit was maybe a bit heavy in mouth feel for the abv, but het it was certianly enjoyable



*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.


*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too :-( Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year ! 
Churchy- Had a nice straw colour but had a really lemon bittery taste.

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!
*sinkas:* goat needs fuggin glasses, a nice rich and sparkling body, not cloudy, spritzy carbonation amplified the bitterness, but all together a great pale ale 


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!  
*sinkas:* nice punchy IPA, with a creaminess from the rabbit juice


*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*kook:* Saison. Pours hazy golden in colour, with a persistent medium white head. Great aroma of pineapple, rotting fruit (in a good way!), apples, pears and spicy pepper. Mouthfeel is wonderful. Silky smooth in the beginning, yet still dry in the finish. Huge pineapple flavour, almost with some coconut there. Light peppery alcohol spice and some fruit derived sweetness too. Very drinkable stuff mika!


*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.
*Goat*: Based on the above comments, I opened this baby over the sink. No gushing, though there was a healthy hiss - a slow pour resulted in a decent pint with an inch of fluffy white head. Slighlty hazy copper colour. Sweet maltiness on the nose. Maltiness carries through to the taste with a hint of fruit. Not much in the way of bitterness or hop flavour. Like GL suggests, its a bit of a nostaglia trip for me.
*kook:* I didn't read any of this, and opened it haphazard. There was a little initial "spray" of beer, but no gushing or foaming. Took a little bit of time to off gas in the glass, but I think it adds to the experience. Colour is a slightly hazy light amber, with a huge (60% of glass) fluffy white head. Initial aroma is quite spicy, with light peppery alcohol notes. As it rests a bit, some great malt notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Nice light body, dry finish. Flavour is quite clean, nice honey-like malt notes, very balanced bitterness level. Some light earthy hop notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Very quaffable halfluck offering!


*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.
*Goat*: Not huge carbonation, but enough to develop a thinish white head. Not sure about the "belgian pear ester" - I think its more French/Swiss border pear... but there is definately that sort of fruit in the aroma in there. slightly hazy in with a golden straw colour. Nice full mouthfeel, slightly sweet - which works well with the moderatly alcoholy aftertaste. Nice beer.
*Churchy-* Lightly carbed and a honey kinda colour!Fruity flavour to hide the alcohol.Is that why my head is starting to spin and the fact I haven't eaten anything!
*kook:* This should have won the label comp (no offense Linc); boobs should always win. Pours a hazy orange colour with a short white head. Initially some light banana in the nose, then pear and peaches come through. As it warms a little, spice becomes more evident. Big mouthfeel, personally a little too full in the finish for me. Great flavours, pear, peaches, toffee apples and light peppery spice. Some citrus flavours there too. As noted by others, the alcohol is very well hidden. Personally I'd prefer this a few points drier, as I think there is a little too much sweetness. Still a great beer though, thanks Clay!


*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*


*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!


*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*


*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol: 
*Churchy-* This went down really well after a bike ride, nice aroma hops and bittering hops.


*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.
*Churchy-*This was a nice beer Nev and my dad loved it as well.Hops were all together and carbonation just right.


*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.


*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.
*kook:* Quite dead on opening, squishy bottle. Poured with a bit of distance and it generated a tight, small off white head. Looks like a good cask ale actually, slightly hazy deep dark amber in colour, edging on brown. Brilliant hop aroma, juicy fruit, tropical fruits, fresh cut grass and floral notes all come through. Medium bodied, mouthfeel is accentuated by the low carbonation. Great melanoidiny background malt character, with some light toasty notes. The hops are the show here though, big, juicy fruit flavours and a nice firm (but in no way harsh) bitterness. Great beer, very drinkable and moreish.


*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.


*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*


*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
*VtPA:* Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.
*ausdb* I think I tasted this beer at the swap day as I remember Kenworthy pouring me a glass of something with Galaxy and NS at some stage, but this one to me was completely different. I pick a distinct NS gooseberry and cats pi$$ aroma and it is a lovely pale gold and straw colour but I am torn between deciding if it is just too overbittered with the Galaxy overload effect or signs of an infection when I taste it. I can taste the quinine/grapefruitiness that ant tastes but also get the sourness that others have picked. It would be really nice to see your recipe to compare your hopping schedule with my taste perceptions.
sinkas: unfortunatley my bottle opened, with a 2 foot gush, threid to drink the geiser,and it had a really odd harsh flavour, so vented the rest outside


*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.
sinkas: nice bananary aroma, drinkable but quite heavy in the clove flavour to me


----------



## Vlad the Pale Aler (10/1/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !
*ausdb* First bottle of the case for me, no point trying to taste beers with a cold. Even after 3 weeks in my study it is very very very well carbonated even and even with a careful pour I only managed 1/3 beer with 2/3 rocky head in a pint glass. On the nose I get fruity but not distinctly cascade aroma's which is surprising considering the tweaking it received with the magic hop potion. Flavourwise there is a hint of dark malts but the carbonation was too high and the tended to overpower most of the flavours for me. I must go past GL's and have one straight from the tap, as this bottle tastes like a completely different beer to how it normally tastes for me.

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*
*sinkas:* a very drinkable if yet a little unusually flavoured beer, for some reason I assume there is only NS hops, but I got a real stone fruit flavour also, only crit was maybe a bit heavy in mouth feel for the abv, but het it was certianly enjoyable



*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.


*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too :-( Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year ! 
Churchy- Had a nice straw colour but had a really lemon bittery taste.

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!
*sinkas:* goat needs fuggin glasses, a nice rich and sparkling body, not cloudy, spritzy carbonation amplified the bitterness, but all together a great pale ale 


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!  
*sinkas:* nice punchy IPA, with a creaminess from the rabbit juice


*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*kook:* Saison. Pours hazy golden in colour, with a persistent medium white head. Great aroma of pineapple, rotting fruit (in a good way!), apples, pears and spicy pepper. Mouthfeel is wonderful. Silky smooth in the beginning, yet still dry in the finish. Huge pineapple flavour, almost with some coconut there. Light peppery alcohol spice and some fruit derived sweetness too. Very drinkable stuff mika!


*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.
*Goat*: Based on the above comments, I opened this baby over the sink. No gushing, though there was a healthy hiss - a slow pour resulted in a decent pint with an inch of fluffy white head. Slighlty hazy copper colour. Sweet maltiness on the nose. Maltiness carries through to the taste with a hint of fruit. Not much in the way of bitterness or hop flavour. Like GL suggests, its a bit of a nostaglia trip for me.
*kook:* I didn't read any of this, and opened it haphazard. There was a little initial "spray" of beer, but no gushing or foaming. Took a little bit of time to off gas in the glass, but I think it adds to the experience. Colour is a slightly hazy light amber, with a huge (60% of glass) fluffy white head. Initial aroma is quite spicy, with light peppery alcohol notes. As it rests a bit, some great malt notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Nice light body, dry finish. Flavour is quite clean, nice honey-like malt notes, very balanced bitterness level. Some light earthy hop notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Very quaffable halfluck offering!


*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.
*Goat*: Not huge carbonation, but enough to develop a thinish white head. Not sure about the "belgian pear ester" - I think its more French/Swiss border pear... but there is definately that sort of fruit in the aroma in there. slightly hazy in with a golden straw colour. Nice full mouthfeel, slightly sweet - which works well with the moderatly alcoholy aftertaste. Nice beer.
*Churchy-* Lightly carbed and a honey kinda colour!Fruity flavour to hide the alcohol.Is that why my head is starting to spin and the fact I haven't eaten anything!
*kook:* This should have won the label comp (no offense Linc); boobs should always win. Pours a hazy orange colour with a short white head. Initially some light banana in the nose, then pear and peaches come through. As it warms a little, spice becomes more evident. Big mouthfeel, personally a little too full in the finish for me. Great flavours, pear, peaches, toffee apples and light peppery spice. Some citrus flavours there too. As noted by others, the alcohol is very well hidden. Personally I'd prefer this a few points drier, as I think there is a little too much sweetness. Still a great beer though, thanks Clay!


*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*


*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!


*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*


*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol: 
*Churchy-* This went down really well after a bike ride, nice aroma hops and bittering hops.
VtPA: The case of Cases case beer, loved it. More of a hop cordial really, totally imbalanced with a hop overload that worked well in a lower gravity beer.

*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.
*Churchy-*This was a nice beer Nev and my dad loved it as well.Hops were all together and carbonation just right.


*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.


*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.
*kook:* Quite dead on opening, squishy bottle. Poured with a bit of distance and it generated a tight, small off white head. Looks like a good cask ale actually, slightly hazy deep dark amber in colour, edging on brown. Brilliant hop aroma, juicy fruit, tropical fruits, fresh cut grass and floral notes all come through. Medium bodied, mouthfeel is accentuated by the low carbonation. Great melanoidiny background malt character, with some light toasty notes. The hops are the show here though, big, juicy fruit flavours and a nice firm (but in no way harsh) bitterness. Great beer, very drinkable and moreish.


*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.


*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*


*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
*VtPA:* Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.
*ausdb* I think I tasted this beer at the swap day as I remember Kenworthy pouring me a glass of something with Galaxy and NS at some stage, but this one to me was completely different. I pick a distinct NS gooseberry and cats pi$$ aroma and it is a lovely pale gold and straw colour but I am torn between deciding if it is just too overbittered with the Galaxy overload effect or signs of an infection when I taste it. I can taste the quinine/grapefruitiness that ant tastes but also get the sourness that others have picked. It would be really nice to see your recipe to compare your hopping schedule with my taste perceptions.
sinkas: unfortunatley my bottle opened, with a 2 foot gush, threid to drink the geiser,and it had a really odd harsh flavour, so vented the rest outside


*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.
sinkas: nice bananary aroma, drinkable but quite heavy in the clove flavour to me


----------



## churchy (10/1/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !
*ausdb* First bottle of the case for me, no point trying to taste beers with a cold. Even after 3 weeks in my study it is very very very well carbonated even and even with a careful pour I only managed 1/3 beer with 2/3 rocky head in a pint glass. On the nose I get fruity but not distinctly cascade aroma's which is surprising considering the tweaking it received with the magic hop potion. Flavourwise there is a hint of dark malts but the carbonation was too high and the tended to overpower most of the flavours for me. I must go past GL's and have one straight from the tap, as this bottle tastes like a completely different beer to how it normally tastes for me.

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*
*sinkas:* a very drinkable if yet a little unusually flavoured beer, for some reason I assume there is only NS hops, but I got a real stone fruit flavour also, only crit was maybe a bit heavy in mouth feel for the abv, but het it was certianly enjoyable



*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.


*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too :-( Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year ! 
Churchy- Had a nice straw colour but had a really lemon bittery taste.

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!
*sinkas:* goat needs fuggin glasses, a nice rich and sparkling body, not cloudy, spritzy carbonation amplified the bitterness, but all together a great pale ale 


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!  
*sinkas:* nice punchy IPA, with a creaminess from the rabbit juice
Churchy- This was a little too bitter for me but still drank it.

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*kook:* Saison. Pours hazy golden in colour, with a persistent medium white head. Great aroma of pineapple, rotting fruit (in a good way!), apples, pears and spicy pepper. Mouthfeel is wonderful. Silky smooth in the beginning, yet still dry in the finish. Huge pineapple flavour, almost with some coconut there. Light peppery alcohol spice and some fruit derived sweetness too. Very drinkable stuff mika!


*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.
*Goat*: Based on the above comments, I opened this baby over the sink. No gushing, though there was a healthy hiss - a slow pour resulted in a decent pint with an inch of fluffy white head. Slighlty hazy copper colour. Sweet maltiness on the nose. Maltiness carries through to the taste with a hint of fruit. Not much in the way of bitterness or hop flavour. Like GL suggests, its a bit of a nostaglia trip for me.
*kook:* I didn't read any of this, and opened it haphazard. There was a little initial "spray" of beer, but no gushing or foaming. Took a little bit of time to off gas in the glass, but I think it adds to the experience. Colour is a slightly hazy light amber, with a huge (60% of glass) fluffy white head. Initial aroma is quite spicy, with light peppery alcohol notes. As it rests a bit, some great malt notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Nice light body, dry finish. Flavour is quite clean, nice honey-like malt notes, very balanced bitterness level. Some light earthy hop notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Very quaffable halfluck offering!


*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.
*Goat*: Not huge carbonation, but enough to develop a thinish white head. Not sure about the "belgian pear ester" - I think its more French/Swiss border pear... but there is definately that sort of fruit in the aroma in there. slightly hazy in with a golden straw colour. Nice full mouthfeel, slightly sweet - which works well with the moderatly alcoholy aftertaste. Nice beer.
*Churchy-* Lightly carbed and a honey kinda colour!Fruity flavour to hide the alcohol.Is that why my head is starting to spin and the fact I haven't eaten anything!
*kook:* This should have won the label comp (no offense Linc); boobs should always win. Pours a hazy orange colour with a short white head. Initially some light banana in the nose, then pear and peaches come through. As it warms a little, spice becomes more evident. Big mouthfeel, personally a little too full in the finish for me. Great flavours, pear, peaches, toffee apples and light peppery spice. Some citrus flavours there too. As noted by others, the alcohol is very well hidden. Personally I'd prefer this a few points drier, as I think there is a little too much sweetness. Still a great beer though, thanks Clay!


*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*


*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!


*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*
Churchy-Had to drink it now, nice dark colour almost black and good carbonation.Could really taste the chocolate malt and not over powering, very enjoyable to drink.

*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol: 
*Churchy-* This went down really well after a bike ride, nice aroma hops and bittering hops.
VtPA: The case of Cases case beer, loved it. More of a hop cordial really, totally imbalanced with a hop overload that worked well in a lower gravity beer.

*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.
*Churchy-*This was a nice beer Nev and my dad loved it as well.Hops were all together and carbonation just right.


*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.


*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.
*kook:* Quite dead on opening, squishy bottle. Poured with a bit of distance and it generated a tight, small off white head. Looks like a good cask ale actually, slightly hazy deep dark amber in colour, edging on brown. Brilliant hop aroma, juicy fruit, tropical fruits, fresh cut grass and floral notes all come through. Medium bodied, mouthfeel is accentuated by the low carbonation. Great melanoidiny background malt character, with some light toasty notes. The hops are the show here though, big, juicy fruit flavours and a nice firm (but in no way harsh) bitterness. Great beer, very drinkable and moreish.


*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.


*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*


*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
*VtPA:* Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.
*ausdb* I think I tasted this beer at the swap day as I remember Kenworthy pouring me a glass of something with Galaxy and NS at some stage, but this one to me was completely different. I pick a distinct NS gooseberry and cats pi$$ aroma and it is a lovely pale gold and straw colour but I am torn between deciding if it is just too overbittered with the Galaxy overload effect or signs of an infection when I taste it. I can taste the quinine/grapefruitiness that ant tastes but also get the sourness that others have picked. It would be really nice to see your recipe to compare your hopping schedule with my taste perceptions.
sinkas: unfortunatley my bottle opened, with a 2 foot gush, threid to drink the geiser,and it had a really odd harsh flavour, so vented the rest outside


*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.
sinkas: nice bananary aroma, drinkable but quite heavy in the clove flavour to me


----------



## WitWonder (12/1/10)

Where is GL? This thread needs some authoriti! (Cartman voice)

Big. Jobs.


----------



## Goat (12/1/10)

Can anyone ID this baby for me - I can't make any of the writing...

TIA


----------



## Goat (12/1/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !
*ausdb* First bottle of the case for me, no point trying to taste beers with a cold. Even after 3 weeks in my study it is very very very well carbonated even and even with a careful pour I only managed 1/3 beer with 2/3 rocky head in a pint glass. On the nose I get fruity but not distinctly cascade aroma's which is surprising considering the tweaking it received with the magic hop potion. Flavourwise there is a hint of dark malts but the carbonation was too high and the tended to overpower most of the flavours for me. I must go past GL's and have one straight from the tap, as this bottle tastes like a completely different beer to how it normally tastes for me.

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*
*sinkas:* a very drinkable if yet a little unusually flavoured beer, for some reason I assume there is only NS hops, but I got a real stone fruit flavour also, only crit was maybe a bit heavy in mouth feel for the abv, but het it was certianly enjoyable



*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.


*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too :-( Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year ! 
Churchy- Had a nice straw colour but had a really lemon bittery taste.

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!
*sinkas:* goat needs fuggin glasses, a nice rich and sparkling body, not cloudy, spritzy carbonation amplified the bitterness, but all together a great pale ale 
*MC*: Awesome aroma - to my nose more tropical and over-ripe grape than citrus. Nice toffee taste up front before the hops come smashing through with juicy flavours and a peppery grassiness which is never harsh. I found myself sucking my teeth between sips, so it must have been good..


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!  
*sinkas:* nice punchy IPA, with a creaminess from the rabbit juice
Churchy- This was a little too bitter for me but still drank it.

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*kook:* Saison. Pours hazy golden in colour, with a persistent medium white head. Great aroma of pineapple, rotting fruit (in a good way!), apples, pears and spicy pepper. Mouthfeel is wonderful. Silky smooth in the beginning, yet still dry in the finish. Huge pineapple flavour, almost with some coconut there. Light peppery alcohol spice and some fruit derived sweetness too. Very drinkable stuff mika!


*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.
*Goat*: Based on the above comments, I opened this baby over the sink. No gushing, though there was a healthy hiss - a slow pour resulted in a decent pint with an inch of fluffy white head. Slighlty hazy copper colour. Sweet maltiness on the nose. Maltiness carries through to the taste with a hint of fruit. Not much in the way of bitterness or hop flavour. Like GL suggests, its a bit of a nostaglia trip for me.
*kook:* I didn't read any of this, and opened it haphazard. There was a little initial "spray" of beer, but no gushing or foaming. Took a little bit of time to off gas in the glass, but I think it adds to the experience. Colour is a slightly hazy light amber, with a huge (60% of glass) fluffy white head. Initial aroma is quite spicy, with light peppery alcohol notes. As it rests a bit, some great malt notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Nice light body, dry finish. Flavour is quite clean, nice honey-like malt notes, very balanced bitterness level. Some light earthy hop notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Very quaffable halfluck offering!


*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.
*Goat*: Not huge carbonation, but enough to develop a thinish white head. Not sure about the "belgian pear ester" - I think its more French/Swiss border pear... but there is definately that sort of fruit in the aroma in there. slightly hazy in with a golden straw colour. Nice full mouthfeel, slightly sweet - which works well with the moderatly alcoholy aftertaste. Nice beer.
*Churchy-* Lightly carbed and a honey kinda colour!Fruity flavour to hide the alcohol.Is that why my head is starting to spin and the fact I haven't eaten anything!
*kook:* This should have won the label comp (no offense Linc); boobs should always win. Pours a hazy orange colour with a short white head. Initially some light banana in the nose, then pear and peaches come through. As it warms a little, spice becomes more evident. Big mouthfeel, personally a little too full in the finish for me. Great flavours, pear, peaches, toffee apples and light peppery spice. Some citrus flavours there too. As noted by others, the alcohol is very well hidden. Personally I'd prefer this a few points drier, as I think there is a little too much sweetness. Still a great beer though, thanks Clay!


*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*


*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!


*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*
Churchy-Had to drink it now, nice dark colour almost black and good carbonation.Could really taste the chocolate malt and not over powering, very enjoyable to drink.

*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol: 
*Churchy-* This went down really well after a bike ride, nice aroma hops and bittering hops.
*VtPA*: The case of Cases case beer, loved it. More of a hop cordial really, totally imbalanced with a hop overload that worked well in a lower gravity beer.
*Goat*: This is a goodun. Pours a bit hazy but with a nice deep colour. Head is a bit anxious, but decanting and then into a glass sorted that nicely. Is it my imagination or is there some hops in this sucker ?! Certainly does dominate the flavour - but in a good way. While the hop flavour /nose / bitterness are all good, I would love to taste this with a less pronounced involvement, cos I'm reminded of a Fullers ESB in the malt - very nice ! Don't know how you managed the body for 3.7%, but she's a wee ripper ! 

*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.
*Churchy-*This was a nice beer Nev and my dad loved it as well.Hops were all together and carbonation just right.


*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.
*Cubbie* First one for me. Poured very pale staw colour with a little bit of haze. Small tight head that lingered to near the end. Hint of banana and peach. Very easy to drink, do well as a session beer or just a nice cold referesher. For me I would like just a touch more body.

*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.
*kook:* Quite dead on opening, squishy bottle. Poured with a bit of distance and it generated a tight, small off white head. Looks like a good cask ale actually, slightly hazy deep dark amber in colour, edging on brown. Brilliant hop aroma, juicy fruit, tropical fruits, fresh cut grass and floral notes all come through. Medium bodied, mouthfeel is accentuated by the low carbonation. Great melanoidiny background malt character, with some light toasty notes. The hops are the show here though, big, juicy fruit flavours and a nice firm (but in no way harsh) bitterness. Great beer, very drinkable and moreish.


*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.


*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*


*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
*VtPA:* Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.
*ausdb* I think I tasted this beer at the swap day as I remember Kenworthy pouring me a glass of something with Galaxy and NS at some stage, but this one to me was completely different. I pick a distinct NS gooseberry and cats pi$$ aroma and it is a lovely pale gold and straw colour but I am torn between deciding if it is just too overbittered with the Galaxy overload effect or signs of an infection when I taste it. I can taste the quinine/grapefruitiness that ant tastes but also get the sourness that others have picked. It would be really nice to see your recipe to compare your hopping schedule with my taste perceptions.
sinkas: unfortunatley my bottle opened, with a 2 foot gush, threid to drink the geiser,and it had a really odd harsh flavour, so vented the rest outside


*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.
*sinkas*: nice bananary aroma, drinkable but quite heavy in the clove flavour to me
*MC*: Lovely banana bread aroma. To me, the clove was almost more of a cinamon flavour which was something I haven't encountered before, but I enjoyed it. Not quite as dry as I expected, but balanced and easy drinking.


----------



## thanme (14/1/10)

goat: The label looks like it could be mine, but not 100% sure..


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## mika (15/1/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !
*ausdb* First bottle of the case for me, no point trying to taste beers with a cold. Even after 3 weeks in my study it is very very very well carbonated even and even with a careful pour I only managed 1/3 beer with 2/3 rocky head in a pint glass. On the nose I get fruity but not distinctly cascade aroma's which is surprising considering the tweaking it received with the magic hop potion. Flavourwise there is a hint of dark malts but the carbonation was too high and the tended to overpower most of the flavours for me. I must go past GL's and have one straight from the tap, as this bottle tastes like a completely different beer to how it normally tastes for me.
*Cubbie* First pour produce a very large head, white a fluffy and hangs around. Lovely dark copper colour. Reasonably dry and perhaps a little over carbed. Honey and toffee in the aroma and on the pallet. Like the balance of the bitterns and hops. Nice all round beer, tasty.

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*
*sinkas:* a very drinkable if yet a little unusually flavoured beer, for some reason I assume there is only NS hops, but I got a real stone fruit flavour also, only crit was maybe a bit heavy in mouth feel for the abv, but het it was certianly enjoyable



*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.
*Asher* - Thick Shag Pile Magic Malt Carpet. It takes every bit of the 100IBU & ABV to keep this weave from floating away. Balanced. I made the same mistake Tony did! ( I have never had a beer that blew out my buds like this baby) Drink it alone and on its own! Tasty 


*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too :-( Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year ! 
*Churchy*- Had a nice straw colour but had a really lemon bittery taste.
*Asher* - Nice underlying malt flavours. Strong Butyric Rubber flavours dominate over esters. Tastes like a good recipe just a hickup at the fermentation stage.

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!
*sinkas:* goat needs fuggin glasses, a nice rich and sparkling body, not cloudy, spritzy carbonation amplified the bitterness, but all together a great pale ale 
*MC*: Awesome aroma - to my nose more tropical and over-ripe grape than citrus. Nice toffee taste up front before the hops come smashing through with juicy flavours and a peppery grassiness which is never harsh. I found myself sucking my teeth between sips, so it must have been good..
*Asher* 2/10 for trueness to style! I was expecting a murky underattenuated ale but was presented with a near brite beer with good foam stand that finished nice and dry. Critically, the hop profile felt a little one dimensional (dont know if more varietys in recipy would remedy. Maybe smaller additions over more times. Or maybe I should have let warm up a bit more)


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!  
*sinkas:* nice punchy IPA, with a creaminess from the rabbit juice
*Churchy*- This was a little too bitter for me but still drank it.

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*kook:* Saison. Pours hazy golden in colour, with a persistent medium white head. Great aroma of pineapple, rotting fruit (in a good way!), apples, pears and spicy pepper. Mouthfeel is wonderful. Silky smooth in the beginning, yet still dry in the finish. Huge pineapple flavour, almost with some coconut there. Light peppery alcohol spice and some fruit derived sweetness too. Very drinkable stuff mika!


*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.
*Goat*: Based on the above comments, I opened this baby over the sink. No gushing, though there was a healthy hiss - a slow pour resulted in a decent pint with an inch of fluffy white head. Slighlty hazy copper colour. Sweet maltiness on the nose. Maltiness carries through to the taste with a hint of fruit. Not much in the way of bitterness or hop flavour. Like GL suggests, its a bit of a nostaglia trip for me.
*kook:* I didn't read any of this, and opened it haphazard. There was a little initial "spray" of beer, but no gushing or foaming. Took a little bit of time to off gas in the glass, but I think it adds to the experience. Colour is a slightly hazy light amber, with a huge (60% of glass) fluffy white head. Initial aroma is quite spicy, with light peppery alcohol notes. As it rests a bit, some great malt notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Nice light body, dry finish. Flavour is quite clean, nice honey-like malt notes, very balanced bitterness level. Some light earthy hop notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Very quaffable halfluck offering!
*Dchap: *Big carb hiss but no gush. Nice coppery hue. This is my first Steam Beer experience and won't be my last  Light, balanced, bready aroma and on the palate too. I didn't get too much of the esters but perhaps a touch of honey. Thanks for your fine efforts Rob !
*Asher*- Opened and poured well into a wet glass. Aroma hints of northern brewer. Upon tasting was met by a huge carbonic bite fraught with spices & fusils. So I knocked a heap of carbonation out and this beer turned into something a little more malt driven with plenty of fruit. Finishing nice and dry, with a slight tannic harshness/earthiness complementing or thanks to the NB hopping.


*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.
*Goat*: Not huge carbonation, but enough to develop a thinish white head. Not sure about the "belgian pear ester" - I think its more French/Swiss border pear... but there is definately that sort of fruit in the aroma in there. slightly hazy in with a golden straw colour. Nice full mouthfeel, slightly sweet - which works well with the moderatly alcoholy aftertaste. Nice beer.
*Churchy-* Lightly carbed and a honey kinda colour!Fruity flavour to hide the alcohol.Is that why my head is starting to spin and the fact I haven't eaten anything!
*kook:* This should have won the label comp (no offense Linc); boobs should always win. Pours a hazy orange colour with a short white head. Initially some light banana in the nose, then pear and peaches come through. As it warms a little, spice becomes more evident. Big mouthfeel, personally a little too full in the finish for me. Great flavours, pear, peaches, toffee apples and light peppery spice. Some citrus flavours there too. As noted by others, the alcohol is very well hidden. Personally I'd prefer this a few points drier, as I think there is a little too much sweetness. Still a great beer though, thanks Clay!
*Asher*- smooth malt dominates for me. It hides the ABV very well before emerging as a warmth right on the finish. The esters a little frazzled by spices maybe from a ferment temp pushed to the upper limit of acceptable. Still a very drinkable beer containing plenty of those intangibles that just make feel like your back in Belgium.


*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*
*Cubbie*Pours very very pale, bubbly head that disappears almost immediately, little bit of chill haze.. Could wait a little while longer to open but it is well carbonated now. The tartness and sourness of the fermentation comes through though it is not overpowering. Lemon notes in the taste and aroma with no hop. I feel like I want to pour it over some ice and drink like a cider. Goes nice with the blue brie I am eating right now.

*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!
*Mika* :- Not bad, but well below the standard of Tasty V1.0 I got to sample back before Christmas. The hops are still strong but seem to be fading out. Power of suggestion or whatever, but I think I get some cardboard coming thru ? The malt profile is a lot more present as well though still comes across clean. I got a serious hop haze with the occassional floating bits/chunks, though nowhere near as bad as Rob's pic. Overall still a good beer and a welcome inclusion to the case as always.

*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*
*Churchy*-Had to drink it now, nice dark colour almost black and good carbonation.Could really taste the chocolate malt and not over powering, very enjoyable to drink.

*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol: 
*Churchy-* This went down really well after a bike ride, nice aroma hops and bittering hops.
*VtPA*: The case of Cases case beer, loved it. More of a hop cordial really, totally imbalanced with a hop overload that worked well in a lower gravity beer.
*Goat*: This is a goodun. Pours a bit hazy but with a nice deep colour. Head is a bit anxious, but decanting and then into a glass sorted that nicely. Is it my imagination or is there some hops in this sucker ?! Certainly does dominate the flavour - but in a good way. While the hop flavour /nose / bitterness are all good, I would love to taste this with a less pronounced involvement, cos I'm reminded of a Fullers ESB in the malt - very nice ! Don't know how you managed the body for 3.7%, but she's a wee ripper ! 
*Dchap: *Quite the challenge to offset that amount of alpha acid with that amount of gravity. Well done Case ! Loved the dark amber color. It would be interesting to try this less carbed up. It really packs a sharp punch up front that lingers on and on 

*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.
*Churchy-*This was a nice beer Nev and my dad loved it as well.Hops were all together and carbonation just right.
*Asher*- Ripe Bananna esters up front with a hint of spice to enhance. Esters were quickly swallowed up by melanoidins, caramels and dark toffee. This was probably due to low to moderate carbonation in this bottle. Flavours were all there with phelols contributing to a creamy warm finish Nice.
*Mika* :- I got the nice bready/dark malt flavours. If the banana's there it's very subdued (for me). I'd class it as very very similar to any German dunkel weizen I've tried. Enjoyed it, thanks Nev.

*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.
*Cubbie* First one for me. Poured very pale staw colour with a little bit of haze. Small tight head that lingered to near the end. Hint of banana and peach. Very easy to drink, do well as a session beer or just a nice cold referesher. For me I would like just a touch more body.
*Asher*- Dropped brite with a couple of weeks ccing. Bananna/fruit/lolly aromatics morphing into daicetyl to my sensitive palate... Gone after the first mouthful. A crisp, tasty thirst quencher. 
*Mika* :- I got more of an apricot and pear aroma from the opening rather than the Banana everyone's babbling about. Nice soft malt profile, seemed very clean and inoffensive to me. Was very glad for the keg filled bottles as it meant I could enjoy every last drop. Noice !

*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.
*kook:* Quite dead on opening, squishy bottle. Poured with a bit of distance and it generated a tight, small off white head. Looks like a good cask ale actually, slightly hazy deep dark amber in colour, edging on brown. Brilliant hop aroma, juicy fruit, tropical fruits, fresh cut grass and floral notes all come through. Medium bodied, mouthfeel is accentuated by the low carbonation. Great melanoidiny background malt character, with some light toasty notes. The hops are the show here though, big, juicy fruit flavours and a nice firm (but in no way harsh) bitterness. Great beer, very drinkable and moreish.
*Dchap: *Mmmmmm, nicely balanced with a lowish carb which worked well for this one I reckon. I really enjoyed the toastiness that popped out at the end  


*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.



*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*


*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
*VtPA:* Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.
*ausdb* I think I tasted this beer at the swap day as I remember Kenworthy pouring me a glass of something with Galaxy and NS at some stage, but this one to me was completely different. I pick a distinct NS gooseberry and cats pi$ aroma and it is a lovely pale gold and straw colour but I am torn between deciding if it is just too overbittered with the Galaxy overload effect or signs of an infection when I taste it. I can taste the quinine/grapefruitiness that ant tastes but also get the sourness that others have picked. It would be really nice to see your recipe to compare your hopping schedule with my taste perceptions.
sinkas: unfortunatley my bottle opened, with a 2 foot gush, threid to drink the geiser,and it had a really odd harsh flavour, so vented the rest outside
*MC*: Mine didn't gush, but the carbonation was insane. I struggled to pour less than 50% head and then it kept climbing out of the glass. The most turbulent carbonation I have ever seen - pretty cool actually, like a lava lamp on crack. Loved the hop aroma and the taste at the start of the mouthful was fantastic, but it turned nasty as I swallowed. There was a harsh bitterness and reading the reviews above, "quinine" (tonic water) seems to describe it best. I think a bug has beaten me to this beer which is a pisser because it started out beautifully.
*Dchap: *Not a gusher but a 10% beer 90% head scenario. That said that pulled the carb levels down and helped reduce the 'bite'. Nice floral aromas, big big bitterness and quinine is a good descriptor but I found it to be quite nice  Thanks bloke !

*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.
*sinkas*: nice bananary aroma, drinkable but quite heavy in the clove flavour to me
*MC*: Lovely banana bread aroma. To me, the clove was almost more of a cinamon flavour which was something I haven't encountered before, but I enjoyed it. Not quite as dry as I expected, but balanced and easy drinking.
*Asher*- Some nice banana aromatics. Flavour dominated by big spicy phenols which has me questioning ferment over recipe. Went well with Spaghetti & pork meatballs


----------



## brendanos (15/1/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !
*ausdb* First bottle of the case for me, no point trying to taste beers with a cold. Even after 3 weeks in my study it is very very very well carbonated even and even with a careful pour I only managed 1/3 beer with 2/3 rocky head in a pint glass. On the nose I get fruity but not distinctly cascade aroma's which is surprising considering the tweaking it received with the magic hop potion. Flavourwise there is a hint of dark malts but the carbonation was too high and the tended to overpower most of the flavours for me. I must go past GL's and have one straight from the tap, as this bottle tastes like a completely different beer to how it normally tastes for me.
*Cubbie* First pour produce a very large head, white a fluffy and hangs around. Lovely dark copper colour. Reasonably dry and perhaps a little over carbed. Honey and toffee in the aroma and on the pallet. Like the balance of the bitterns and hops. Nice all round beer, tasty.
*brendanos:* 15/1 huge carbonation, dense white head with large bubbles. Aroma of cordial (icey poles?), almost blackcurrent like fruitiness. Reasonably dry with a light toasty malt flavour and a biting carbonation that accentuates a lowish bitterness. Earthy, pithy (mandarin/grapefruit?), and lightly spice flavours create some interest but overall the beer is light, refreshing, and sessionable.

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*
*sinkas:* a very drinkable if yet a little unusually flavoured beer, for some reason I assume there is only NS hops, but I got a real stone fruit flavour also, only crit was maybe a bit heavy in mouth feel for the abv, but het it was certianly enjoyable



*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.
*Asher* - Thick Shag Pile Magic Malt Carpet. It takes every bit of the 100IBU & ABV to keep this weave from floating away. Balanced. I made the same mistake Tony did! ( I have never had a beer that blew out my buds like this baby) Drink it alone and on its own! Tasty 


*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too :-( Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year ! 
*Churchy*- Had a nice straw colour but had a really lemon bittery taste.
*Asher* - Nice underlying malt flavours. Strong Butyric Rubber flavours dominate over esters. Tastes like a good recipe just a hickup at the fermentation stage.

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!
*sinkas:* goat needs fuggin glasses, a nice rich and sparkling body, not cloudy, spritzy carbonation amplified the bitterness, but all together a great pale ale 
*MC*: Awesome aroma - to my nose more tropical and over-ripe grape than citrus. Nice toffee taste up front before the hops come smashing through with juicy flavours and a peppery grassiness which is never harsh. I found myself sucking my teeth between sips, so it must have been good..
*Asher* 2/10 for trueness to style! I was expecting a murky underattenuated ale but was presented with a near brite beer with good foam stand that finished nice and dry. Critically, the hop profile felt a little one dimensional (dont know if more varietys in recipy would remedy. Maybe smaller additions over more times. Or maybe I should have let warm up a bit more)


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!  
*sinkas:* nice punchy IPA, with a creaminess from the rabbit juice
*Churchy*- This was a little too bitter for me but still drank it.

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*kook:* Saison. Pours hazy golden in colour, with a persistent medium white head. Great aroma of pineapple, rotting fruit (in a good way!), apples, pears and spicy pepper. Mouthfeel is wonderful. Silky smooth in the beginning, yet still dry in the finish. Huge pineapple flavour, almost with some coconut there. Light peppery alcohol spice and some fruit derived sweetness too. Very drinkable stuff mika!


*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.
*Goat*: Based on the above comments, I opened this baby over the sink. No gushing, though there was a healthy hiss - a slow pour resulted in a decent pint with an inch of fluffy white head. Slighlty hazy copper colour. Sweet maltiness on the nose. Maltiness carries through to the taste with a hint of fruit. Not much in the way of bitterness or hop flavour. Like GL suggests, its a bit of a nostaglia trip for me.
*kook:* I didn't read any of this, and opened it haphazard. There was a little initial "spray" of beer, but no gushing or foaming. Took a little bit of time to off gas in the glass, but I think it adds to the experience. Colour is a slightly hazy light amber, with a huge (60% of glass) fluffy white head. Initial aroma is quite spicy, with light peppery alcohol notes. As it rests a bit, some great malt notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Nice light body, dry finish. Flavour is quite clean, nice honey-like malt notes, very balanced bitterness level. Some light earthy hop notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Very quaffable halfluck offering!
*Dchap: *Big carb hiss but no gush. Nice coppery hue. This is my first Steam Beer experience and won't be my last  Light, balanced, bready aroma and on the palate too. I didn't get too much of the esters but perhaps a touch of honey. Thanks for your fine efforts Rob !
*Asher*- Opened and poured well into a wet glass. Aroma hints of northern brewer. Upon tasting was met by a huge carbonic bite fraught with spices & fusils. So I knocked a heap of carbonation out and this beer turned into something a little more malt driven with plenty of fruit. Finishing nice and dry, with a slight tannic harshness/earthiness complementing or thanks to the NB hopping.


*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.
*Goat*: Not huge carbonation, but enough to develop a thinish white head. Not sure about the "belgian pear ester" - I think its more French/Swiss border pear... but there is definately that sort of fruit in the aroma in there. slightly hazy in with a golden straw colour. Nice full mouthfeel, slightly sweet - which works well with the moderatly alcoholy aftertaste. Nice beer.
*Churchy-* Lightly carbed and a honey kinda colour!Fruity flavour to hide the alcohol.Is that why my head is starting to spin and the fact I haven't eaten anything!
*kook:* This should have won the label comp (no offense Linc); boobs should always win. Pours a hazy orange colour with a short white head. Initially some light banana in the nose, then pear and peaches come through. As it warms a little, spice becomes more evident. Big mouthfeel, personally a little too full in the finish for me. Great flavours, pear, peaches, toffee apples and light peppery spice. Some citrus flavours there too. As noted by others, the alcohol is very well hidden. Personally I'd prefer this a few points drier, as I think there is a little too much sweetness. Still a great beer though, thanks Clay!
*Asher*- smooth malt dominates for me. It hides the ABV very well before emerging as a warmth right on the finish. The esters a little frazzled by spices maybe from a ferment temp pushed to the upper limit of acceptable. Still a very drinkable beer containing plenty of those intangibles that just make feel like your back in Belgium.


*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*
*Cubbie*Pours very very pale, bubbly head that disappears almost immediately, little bit of chill haze.. Could wait a little while longer to open but it is well carbonated now. The tartness and sourness of the fermentation comes through though it is not overpowering. Lemon notes in the taste and aroma with no hop. I feel like I want to pour it over some ice and drink like a cider. Goes nice with the blue brie I am eating right now.

*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!
*Mika* :- Not bad, but well below the standard of Tasty V1.0 I got to sample back before Christmas. The hops are still strong but seem to be fading out. Power of suggestion or whatever, but I think I get some cardboard coming thru ? The malt profile is a lot more present as well though still comes across clean. I got a serious hop haze with the occassional floating bits/chunks, though nowhere near as bad as Rob's pic. Overall still a good beer and a welcome inclusion to the case as always.
*brendanos:* 7/1 Brilliant (i guess I got lucky?) amber with large, dense fine white head - looks absolutely stunning. Huge greeting aroma of ripe, juicey tropical fruits, skunky, piney hops and vanilla ice cream. Very appetising! Strong but smooth bitterness, very well controlled. Great rich hop flavour supported by a light malt sweetness and medium body. A pleasure to drink. The bitterness is so damn good!!

*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*
*Churchy*-Had to drink it now, nice dark colour almost black and good carbonation.Could really taste the chocolate malt and not over powering, very enjoyable to drink.

*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol: 
*Churchy-* This went down really well after a bike ride, nice aroma hops and bittering hops.
*VtPA*: The case of Cases case beer, loved it. More of a hop cordial really, totally imbalanced with a hop overload that worked well in a lower gravity beer.
*Goat*: This is a goodun. Pours a bit hazy but with a nice deep colour. Head is a bit anxious, but decanting and then into a glass sorted that nicely. Is it my imagination or is there some hops in this sucker ?! Certainly does dominate the flavour - but in a good way. While the hop flavour /nose / bitterness are all good, I would love to taste this with a less pronounced involvement, cos I'm reminded of a Fullers ESB in the malt - very nice ! Don't know how you managed the body for 3.7%, but she's a wee ripper ! 
*Dchap: *Quite the challenge to offset that amount of alpha acid with that amount of gravity. Well done Case ! Loved the dark amber color. It would be interesting to try this less carbed up. It really packs a sharp punch up front that lingers on and on 

*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.
*Churchy-*This was a nice beer Nev and my dad loved it as well.Hops were all together and carbonation just right.
*Asher*- Ripe Bananna esters up front with a hint of spice to enhance. Esters were quickly swallowed up by melanoidins, caramels and dark toffee. This was probably due to low to moderate carbonation in this bottle. Flavours were all there with phelols contributing to a creamy warm finish Nice.
*Mika* :- I got the nice bready/dark malt flavours. If the banana's there it's very subdued (for me). I'd class it as very very similar to any German dunkel weizen I've tried. Enjoyed it, thanks Nev.

*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.
*Cubbie* First one for me. Poured very pale staw colour with a little bit of haze. Small tight head that lingered to near the end. Hint of banana and peach. Very easy to drink, do well as a session beer or just a nice cold referesher. For me I would like just a touch more body.
*Asher*- Dropped brite with a couple of weeks ccing. Bananna/fruit/lolly aromatics morphing into daicetyl to my sensitive palate... Gone after the first mouthful. A crisp, tasty thirst quencher. 
*Mika* :- I got more of an apricot and pear aroma from the opening rather than the Banana everyone's babbling about. Nice soft malt profile, seemed very clean and inoffensive to me. Was very glad for the keg filled bottles as it meant I could enjoy every last drop. Noice !

*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.
*kook:* Quite dead on opening, squishy bottle. Poured with a bit of distance and it generated a tight, small off white head. Looks like a good cask ale actually, slightly hazy deep dark amber in colour, edging on brown. Brilliant hop aroma, juicy fruit, tropical fruits, fresh cut grass and floral notes all come through. Medium bodied, mouthfeel is accentuated by the low carbonation. Great melanoidiny background malt character, with some light toasty notes. The hops are the show here though, big, juicy fruit flavours and a nice firm (but in no way harsh) bitterness. Great beer, very drinkable and moreish.
*Dchap: *Mmmmmm, nicely balanced with a lowish carb which worked well for this one I reckon. I really enjoyed the toastiness that popped out at the end  
*Asher*- Chestnut haze. Sweet floral hop aromas waft up despite carbonation levels. Crispy lemonade/frosty fruit hop flavours jump out above a complex roasty malt that morphs into a lingering bitterness. Quite drinkable. Like to try this on a hand pump. 

*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.



*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*


*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
*VtPA:* Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.
*ausdb* I think I tasted this beer at the swap day as I remember Kenworthy pouring me a glass of something with Galaxy and NS at some stage, but this one to me was completely different. I pick a distinct NS gooseberry and cats pi$ aroma and it is a lovely pale gold and straw colour but I am torn between deciding if it is just too overbittered with the Galaxy overload effect or signs of an infection when I taste it. I can taste the quinine/grapefruitiness that ant tastes but also get the sourness that others have picked. It would be really nice to see your recipe to compare your hopping schedule with my taste perceptions.
sinkas: unfortunatley my bottle opened, with a 2 foot gush, threid to drink the geiser,and it had a really odd harsh flavour, so vented the rest outside
*MC*: Mine didn't gush, but the carbonation was insane. I struggled to pour less than 50% head and then it kept climbing out of the glass. The most turbulent carbonation I have ever seen - pretty cool actually, like a lava lamp on crack. Loved the hop aroma and the taste at the start of the mouthful was fantastic, but it turned nasty as I swallowed. There was a harsh bitterness and reading the reviews above, "quinine" (tonic water) seems to describe it best. I think a bug has beaten me to this beer which is a pisser because it started out beautifully.
*Dchap: *Not a gusher but a 10% beer 90% head scenario. That said that pulled the carb levels down and helped reduce the 'bite'. Nice floral aromas, big big bitterness and quinine is a good descriptor but I found it to be quite nice  Thanks bloke !

*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.
*sinkas*: nice bananary aroma, drinkable but quite heavy in the clove flavour to me
*MC*: Lovely banana bread aroma. To me, the clove was almost more of a cinamon flavour which was something I haven't encountered before, but I enjoyed it. Not quite as dry as I expected, but balanced and easy drinking.
*Asher*- Some nice banana aromatics. Flavour dominated by big spicy phenols which has me questioning ferment over recipe. Went well with Spaghetti & pork meatballs


----------



## Online Brewing Supplies (15/1/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !
*ausdb* First bottle of the case for me, no point trying to taste beers with a cold. Even after 3 weeks in my study it is very very very well carbonated even and even with a careful pour I only managed 1/3 beer with 2/3 rocky head in a pint glass. On the nose I get fruity but not distinctly cascade aroma's which is surprising considering the tweaking it received with the magic hop potion. Flavourwise there is a hint of dark malts but the carbonation was too high and the tended to overpower most of the flavours for me. I must go past GL's and have one straight from the tap, as this bottle tastes like a completely different beer to how it normally tastes for me.
*Cubbie* First pour produce a very large head, white a fluffy and hangs around. Lovely dark copper colour. Reasonably dry and perhaps a little over carbed. Honey and toffee in the aroma and on the pallet. Like the balance of the bitterns and hops. Nice all round beer, tasty.
*brendanos:* 15/1 huge carbonation, dense white head with large bubbles. Aroma of cordial (icey poles?), almost blackcurrent like fruitiness. Reasonably dry with a light toasty malt flavour and a biting carbonation that accentuates a lowish bitterness. Earthy, pithy (mandarin/grapefruit?), and lightly spice flavours create some interest but overall the beer is light, refreshing, and sessionable.

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*
*sinkas:* a very drinkable if yet a little unusually flavoured beer, for some reason I assume there is only NS hops, but I got a real stone fruit flavour also, only crit was maybe a bit heavy in mouth feel for the abv, but het it was certianly enjoyable



*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.
*Asher* - Thick Shag Pile Magic Malt Carpet. It takes every bit of the 100IBU & ABV to keep this weave from floating away. Balanced. I made the same mistake Tony did! ( I have never had a beer that blew out my buds like this baby) Drink it alone and on its own! Tasty 


*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too :-( Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year ! 
*Churchy*- Had a nice straw colour but had a really lemon bittery taste.
*Asher* - Nice underlying malt flavours. Strong Butyric Rubber flavours dominate over esters. Tastes like a good recipe just a hickup at the fermentation stage.

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!
*sinkas:* goat needs fuggin glasses, a nice rich and sparkling body, not cloudy, spritzy carbonation amplified the bitterness, but all together a great pale ale 
*MC*: Awesome aroma - to my nose more tropical and over-ripe grape than citrus. Nice toffee taste up front before the hops come smashing through with juicy flavours and a peppery grassiness which is never harsh. I found myself sucking my teeth between sips, so it must have been good..
*Asher* 2/10 for trueness to style! I was expecting a murky underattenuated ale but was presented with a near brite beer with good foam stand that finished nice and dry. Critically, the hop profile felt a little one dimensional (dont know if more varietys in recipy would remedy. Maybe smaller additions over more times. Or maybe I should have let warm up a bit more)


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!  
*sinkas:* nice punchy IPA, with a creaminess from the rabbit juice
*Churchy*- This was a little too bitter for me but still drank it.

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*kook:* Saison. Pours hazy golden in colour, with a persistent medium white head. Great aroma of pineapple, rotting fruit (in a good way!), apples, pears and spicy pepper. Mouthfeel is wonderful. Silky smooth in the beginning, yet still dry in the finish. Huge pineapple flavour, almost with some coconut there. Light peppery alcohol spice and some fruit derived sweetness too. Very drinkable stuff mika!


*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.
*Goat*: Based on the above comments, I opened this baby over the sink. No gushing, though there was a healthy hiss - a slow pour resulted in a decent pint with an inch of fluffy white head. Slighlty hazy copper colour. Sweet maltiness on the nose. Maltiness carries through to the taste with a hint of fruit. Not much in the way of bitterness or hop flavour. Like GL suggests, its a bit of a nostaglia trip for me.
*kook:* I didn't read any of this, and opened it haphazard. There was a little initial "spray" of beer, but no gushing or foaming. Took a little bit of time to off gas in the glass, but I think it adds to the experience. Colour is a slightly hazy light amber, with a huge (60% of glass) fluffy white head. Initial aroma is quite spicy, with light peppery alcohol notes. As it rests a bit, some great malt notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Nice light body, dry finish. Flavour is quite clean, nice honey-like malt notes, very balanced bitterness level. Some light earthy hop notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Very quaffable halfluck offering!
*Dchap: *Big carb hiss but no gush. Nice coppery hue. This is my first Steam Beer experience and won't be my last  Light, balanced, bready aroma and on the palate too. I didn't get too much of the esters but perhaps a touch of honey. Thanks for your fine efforts Rob !
*Asher*- Opened and poured well into a wet glass. Aroma hints of northern brewer. Upon tasting was met by a huge carbonic bite fraught with spices & fusils. So I knocked a heap of carbonation out and this beer turned into something a little more malt driven with plenty of fruit. Finishing nice and dry, with a slight tannic harshness/earthiness complementing or thanks to the NB hopping.


*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.
*Goat*: Not huge carbonation, but enough to develop a thinish white head. Not sure about the "belgian pear ester" - I think its more French/Swiss border pear... but there is definately that sort of fruit in the aroma in there. slightly hazy in with a golden straw colour. Nice full mouthfeel, slightly sweet - which works well with the moderatly alcoholy aftertaste. Nice beer.
*Churchy-* Lightly carbed and a honey kinda colour!Fruity flavour to hide the alcohol.Is that why my head is starting to spin and the fact I haven't eaten anything!
*kook:* This should have won the label comp (no offense Linc); boobs should always win. Pours a hazy orange colour with a short white head. Initially some light banana in the nose, then pear and peaches come through. As it warms a little, spice becomes more evident. Big mouthfeel, personally a little too full in the finish for me. Great flavours, pear, peaches, toffee apples and light peppery spice. Some citrus flavours there too. As noted by others, the alcohol is very well hidden. Personally I'd prefer this a few points drier, as I think there is a little too much sweetness. Still a great beer though, thanks Clay!
*Asher*- smooth malt dominates for me. It hides the ABV very well before emerging as a warmth right on the finish. The esters a little frazzled by spices maybe from a ferment temp pushed to the upper limit of acceptable. Still a very drinkable beer containing plenty of those intangibles that just make feel like your back in Belgium.


*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*
*Cubbie*Pours very very pale, bubbly head that disappears almost immediately, little bit of chill haze.. Could wait a little while longer to open but it is well carbonated now. The tartness and sourness of the fermentation comes through though it is not overpowering. Lemon notes in the taste and aroma with no hop. I feel like I want to pour it over some ice and drink like a cider. Goes nice with the blue brie I am eating right now.

*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!
*Mika* :- Not bad, but well below the standard of Tasty V1.0 I got to sample back before Christmas. The hops are still strong but seem to be fading out. Power of suggestion or whatever, but I think I get some cardboard coming thru ? The malt profile is a lot more present as well though still comes across clean. I got a serious hop haze with the occassional floating bits/chunks, though nowhere near as bad as Rob's pic. Overall still a good beer and a welcome inclusion to the case as always.
*brendanos:* 7/1 Brilliant (i guess I got lucky?) amber with large, dense fine white head - looks absolutely stunning. Huge greeting aroma of ripe, juicey tropical fruits, skunky, piney hops and vanilla ice cream. Very appetising! Strong but smooth bitterness, very well controlled. Great rich hop flavour supported by a light malt sweetness and medium body. A pleasure to drink. The bitterness is so damn good!!

*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*
*Churchy*-Had to drink it now, nice dark colour almost black and good carbonation.Could really taste the chocolate malt and not over powering, very enjoyable to drink.

*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol: 
*Churchy-* This went down really well after a bike ride, nice aroma hops and bittering hops.
*VtPA*: The case of Cases case beer, loved it. More of a hop cordial really, totally imbalanced with a hop overload that worked well in a lower gravity beer.
*Goat*: This is a goodun. Pours a bit hazy but with a nice deep colour. Head is a bit anxious, but decanting and then into a glass sorted that nicely. Is it my imagination or is there some hops in this sucker ?! Certainly does dominate the flavour - but in a good way. While the hop flavour /nose / bitterness are all good, I would love to taste this with a less pronounced involvement, cos I'm reminded of a Fullers ESB in the malt - very nice ! Don't know how you managed the body for 3.7%, but she's a wee ripper ! 
*Dchap: *Quite the challenge to offset that amount of alpha acid with that amount of gravity. Well done Case ! Loved the dark amber color. It would be interesting to try this less carbed up. It really packs a sharp punch up front that lingers on and on 

*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.
*Churchy-*This was a nice beer Nev and my dad loved it as well.Hops were all together and carbonation just right.
*Asher*- Ripe Bananna esters up front with a hint of spice to enhance. Esters were quickly swallowed up by melanoidins, caramels and dark toffee. This was probably due to low to moderate carbonation in this bottle. Flavours were all there with phelols contributing to a creamy warm finish Nice.
*Mika* :- I got the nice bready/dark malt flavours. If the banana's there it's very subdued (for me). I'd class it as very very similar to any German dunkel weizen I've tried. Enjoyed it, thanks Nev.

*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.
*Cubbie* First one for me. Poured very pale staw colour with a little bit of haze. Small tight head that lingered to near the end. Hint of banana and peach. Very easy to drink, do well as a session beer or just a nice cold referesher. For me I would like just a touch more body.
*Asher*- Dropped brite with a couple of weeks ccing. Bananna/fruit/lolly aromatics morphing into daicetyl to my sensitive palate... Gone after the first mouthful. A crisp, tasty thirst quencher. 
*Mika* :- I got more of an apricot and pear aroma from the opening rather than the Banana everyone's babbling about. Nice soft malt profile, seemed very clean and inoffensive to me. Was very glad for the keg filled bottles as it meant I could enjoy every last drop. Noice !
*GB*Started out with a phsss but poured with a small head and a haze. I think it lost its carbonation on transfer which I think let this beer down. On the nose I got some sweet malt notes and a slight hint of the hops but it was over run by the esters. l know how hard these style of beers are to nail! I did like the balance of the sweet malt and the bitterness.The bitterness whilst being noticeable wasnt harsh and just lasted in my mouth long enough to enjoy. A medium bodied Aussie lager.Thanks Tony a good beer on a hot day.

*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.
*kook:* Quite dead on opening, squishy bottle. Poured with a bit of distance and it generated a tight, small off white head. Looks like a good cask ale actually, slightly hazy deep dark amber in colour, edging on brown. Brilliant hop aroma, juicy fruit, tropical fruits, fresh cut grass and floral notes all come through. Medium bodied, mouthfeel is accentuated by the low carbonation. Great melanoidiny background malt character, with some light toasty notes. The hops are the show here though, big, juicy fruit flavours and a nice firm (but in no way harsh) bitterness. Great beer, very drinkable and moreish.
*Dchap: *Mmmmmm, nicely balanced with a lowish carb which worked well for this one I reckon. I really enjoyed the toastiness that popped out at the end  
*Asher*- Chestnut haze. Sweet floral hop aromas waft up despite carbonation levels. Crispy lemonade/frosty fruit hop flavours jump out above a complex roasty malt that morphs into a lingering bitterness. Quite drinkable. Like to try this on a hand pump. 

*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.



*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*


*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
*VtPA:* Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.
*ausdb* I think I tasted this beer at the swap day as I remember Kenworthy pouring me a glass of something with Galaxy and NS at some stage, but this one to me was completely different. I pick a distinct NS gooseberry and cats pi$ aroma and it is a lovely pale gold and straw colour but I am torn between deciding if it is just too overbittered with the Galaxy overload effect or signs of an infection when I taste it. I can taste the quinine/grapefruitiness that ant tastes but also get the sourness that others have picked. It would be really nice to see your recipe to compare your hopping schedule with my taste perceptions.
sinkas: unfortunatley my bottle opened, with a 2 foot gush, threid to drink the geiser,and it had a really odd harsh flavour, so vented the rest outside
*MC*: Mine didn't gush, but the carbonation was insane. I struggled to pour less than 50% head and then it kept climbing out of the glass. The most turbulent carbonation I have ever seen - pretty cool actually, like a lava lamp on crack. Loved the hop aroma and the taste at the start of the mouthful was fantastic, but it turned nasty as I swallowed. There was a harsh bitterness and reading the reviews above, "quinine" (tonic water) seems to describe it best. I think a bug has beaten me to this beer which is a pisser because it started out beautifully.
*Dchap: *Not a gusher but a 10% beer 90% head scenario. That said that pulled the carb levels down and helped reduce the 'bite'. Nice floral aromas, big big bitterness and quinine is a good descriptor but I found it to be quite nice  Thanks bloke !

*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.
*sinkas*: nice bananary aroma, drinkable but quite heavy in the clove flavour to me
*MC*: Lovely banana bread aroma. To me, the clove was almost more of a cinamon flavour which was something I haven't encountered before, but I enjoyed it. Not quite as dry as I expected, but balanced and easy drinking.
*Asher*- Some nice banana aromatics. Flavour dominated by big spicy phenols which has me questioning ferment over recipe. Went well with Spaghetti & pork meatballs


----------



## brendanos (15/1/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee – very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed – kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !
*ausdb* First bottle of the case for me, no point trying to taste beers with a cold. Even after 3 weeks in my study it is very very very well carbonated even and even with a careful pour I only managed 1/3 beer with 2/3 rocky head in a pint glass. On the nose I get fruity but not distinctly cascade aroma's which is surprising considering the tweaking it received with the magic hop potion. Flavourwise there is a hint of dark malts but the carbonation was too high and the tended to overpower most of the flavours for me. I must go past GL's and have one straight from the tap, as this bottle tastes like a completely different beer to how it normally tastes for me.
*Cubbie* First pour produce a very large head, white a fluffy and hangs around. Lovely dark copper colour. Reasonably dry and perhaps a little over carbed. Honey and toffee in the aroma and on the pallet. Like the balance of the bitterns and hops. Nice all round beer, tasty.
*brendanos:* 15/1 huge carbonation, dense white head with large bubbles. Aroma of cordial (icey poles?), almost blackcurrent like fruitiness. Reasonably dry with a light toasty malt flavour and a biting carbonation that accentuates a lowish bitterness. Earthy, pithy (mandarin/grapefruit?), and lightly spice flavours create some interest but overall the beer is light, refreshing, and sessionable.

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*
*sinkas:* a very drinkable if yet a little unusually flavoured beer, for some reason I assume there is only NS hops, but I got a real stone fruit flavour also, only crit was maybe a bit heavy in mouth feel for the abv, but het it was certianly enjoyable



*Kook Everything but the… (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.
*Asher* - Thick Shag Pile Magic Malt Carpet. It takes every bit of the 100IBU & ABV to keep this weave from floating away. Balanced. I made the same mistake Tony did! ( I have never had a beer that blew out my buds like this baby) Drink it alone and on its own! Tasty 


*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too :-( Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year ! 
*Churchy*- Had a nice straw colour but had a really lemon bittery taste.
*Asher* - Nice underlying malt flavours. Strong Butyric Rubber flavours dominate over esters. Tastes like a good recipe just a hickup at the fermentation stage.

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failed—absolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!
*sinkas:* goat needs fuggin glasses, a nice rich and sparkling body, not cloudy, spritzy carbonation amplified the bitterness, but all together a great pale ale 
*MC*: Awesome aroma - to my nose more tropical and over-ripe grape than citrus. Nice toffee taste up front before the hops come smashing through with juicy flavours and a peppery grassiness which is never harsh. I found myself sucking my teeth between sips, so it must have been good..
*Asher* – 2/10 for trueness to style! I was expecting a murky underattenuated ale but was presented with a near brite beer with good foam stand that finished nice and dry. Critically, the hop profile felt a little one dimensional (don’t know if more varietys in recipy would remedy. Maybe smaller additions over more times. Or maybe I should have let warm up a bit more…)


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!  
*sinkas:* nice punchy IPA, with a creaminess from the rabbit juice
*Churchy*- This was a little too bitter for me but still drank it.

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*kook:* Saison. Pours hazy golden in colour, with a persistent medium white head. Great aroma of pineapple, rotting fruit (in a good way!), apples, pears and spicy pepper. Mouthfeel is wonderful. Silky smooth in the beginning, yet still dry in the finish. Huge pineapple flavour, almost with some coconut there. Light peppery alcohol spice and some fruit derived sweetness too. Very drinkable stuff mika!


*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.
*Goat*: Based on the above comments, I opened this baby over the sink. No gushing, though there was a healthy hiss - a slow pour resulted in a decent pint with an inch of fluffy white head. Slighlty hazy copper colour. Sweet maltiness on the nose. Maltiness carries through to the taste with a hint of fruit. Not much in the way of bitterness or hop flavour. Like GL suggests, its a bit of a nostaglia trip for me.
*kook:* I didn't read any of this, and opened it haphazard. There was a little initial "spray" of beer, but no gushing or foaming. Took a little bit of time to off gas in the glass, but I think it adds to the experience. Colour is a slightly hazy light amber, with a huge (60% of glass) fluffy white head. Initial aroma is quite spicy, with light peppery alcohol notes. As it rests a bit, some great malt notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Nice light body, dry finish. Flavour is quite clean, nice honey-like malt notes, very balanced bitterness level. Some light earthy hop notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Very quaffable halfluck offering!
*Dchap: *Big carb hiss but no gush. Nice coppery hue. This is my first Steam Beer experience and won't be my last  Light, balanced, bready aroma and on the palate too. I didn't get too much of the esters but perhaps a touch of honey. Thanks for your fine efforts Rob !
*Asher*- Opened and poured well into a wet glass. Aroma hints of northern brewer. Upon tasting was met by a huge carbonic bite fraught with spices & fusils. So I knocked a heap of carbonation out and this beer turned into something a little more malt driven with plenty of fruit. Finishing nice and dry, with a slight tannic harshness/earthiness complementing or thanks to the NB hopping.


*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.
*Goat*: Not huge carbonation, but enough to develop a thinish white head. Not sure about the "belgian pear ester" - I think its more French/Swiss border pear... but there is definately that sort of fruit in the aroma in there. slightly hazy in with a golden straw colour. Nice full mouthfeel, slightly sweet - which works well with the moderatly alcoholy aftertaste. Nice beer.
*Churchy-* Lightly carbed and a honey kinda colour!Fruity flavour to hide the alcohol.Is that why my head is starting to spin and the fact I haven't eaten anything!
*kook:* This should have won the label comp (no offense Linc); boobs should always win. Pours a hazy orange colour with a short white head. Initially some light banana in the nose, then pear and peaches come through. As it warms a little, spice becomes more evident. Big mouthfeel, personally a little too full in the finish for me. Great flavours, pear, peaches, toffee apples and light peppery spice. Some citrus flavours there too. As noted by others, the alcohol is very well hidden. Personally I'd prefer this a few points drier, as I think there is a little too much sweetness. Still a great beer though, thanks Clay!
*Asher*- smooth malt dominates for me. It hides the ABV very well before emerging as a warmth right on the finish. The esters a little frazzled by spices maybe from a ferment temp pushed to the upper limit of acceptable. Still a very drinkable beer containing plenty of those intangibles that just make feel like your back in Belgium.
*brendanos:* 15/1 Pours an almost brilliant orange with low head and low retention. Aroma dominated by tropical fruit salad candy and a lightly spicey phenolic, some fudge like malt character. Flavour is bready with a medium body which is balanced by the alcohol, carbonation and spice-like astringency. A nice, drinkable beer, though I think Asher & Kook are on the money - a cleaner ferment and slightly higher attenuation would be welcome improvements! I'm just a little concerned that much of the fruitiness may be acetaldehyde and am wondering if my body can break down a longneck's worth (no offense Clay!)

*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*
*Cubbie*Pours very very pale, bubbly head that disappears almost immediately, little bit of chill haze.. Could wait a little while longer to open but it is well carbonated now. The tartness and sourness of the fermentation comes through though it is not overpowering. Lemon notes in the taste and aroma with no hop. I feel like I want to pour it over some ice and drink like a cider. Goes nice with the blue brie I am eating right now.

*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!
*Mika* :- Not bad, but well below the standard of Tasty V1.0 I got to sample back before Christmas. The hops are still strong but seem to be fading out. Power of suggestion or whatever, but I think I get some cardboard coming thru ? The malt profile is a lot more present as well though still comes across clean. I got a serious hop haze with the occassional floating bits/chunks, though nowhere near as bad as Rob's pic. Overall still a good beer and a welcome inclusion to the case as always.
*brendanos:* 7/1 Brilliant (i guess I got lucky?) amber with large, dense fine white head - looks absolutely stunning. Huge greeting aroma of ripe, juicey tropical fruits, skunky, piney hops and vanilla ice cream. Very appetising! Strong but smooth bitterness, very well controlled. Great rich hop flavour supported by a light malt sweetness and medium body. A pleasure to drink. The bitterness is so damn good!!

*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*
*Churchy*-Had to drink it now, nice dark colour almost black and good carbonation.Could really taste the chocolate malt and not over powering, very enjoyable to drink.

*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol: 
*Churchy-* This went down really well after a bike ride, nice aroma hops and bittering hops.
*VtPA*: The case of Cases case beer, loved it. More of a hop cordial really, totally imbalanced with a hop overload that worked well in a lower gravity beer.
*Goat*: This is a goodun. Pours a bit hazy but with a nice deep colour. Head is a bit anxious, but decanting and then into a glass sorted that nicely. Is it my imagination or is there some hops in this sucker ?! Certainly does dominate the flavour - but in a good way. While the hop flavour /nose / bitterness are all good, I would love to taste this with a less pronounced involvement, cos I'm reminded of a Fullers ESB in the malt - very nice ! Don't know how you managed the body for 3.7%, but she's a wee ripper ! 
*Dchap: *Quite the challenge to offset that amount of alpha acid with that amount of gravity. Well done Case ! Loved the dark amber color. It would be interesting to try this less carbed up. It really packs a sharp punch up front that lingers on and on 

*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.
*Churchy-*This was a nice beer Nev and my dad loved it as well.Hops were all together and carbonation just right.
*Asher*- Ripe Bananna esters up front with a hint of spice to enhance. Esters were quickly swallowed up by melanoidins, caramels and dark toffee. This was probably due to low to moderate carbonation in this bottle. Flavours were all there with phelols contributing to a creamy warm finish – Nice.
*Mika* :- I got the nice bready/dark malt flavours. If the banana's there it's very subdued (for me). I'd class it as very very similar to any German dunkel weizen I've tried. Enjoyed it, thanks Nev.

*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.
*Cubbie* First one for me. Poured very pale staw colour with a little bit of haze. Small tight head that lingered to near the end. Hint of banana and peach. Very easy to drink, do well as a session beer or just a nice cold referesher. For me I would like just a touch more body.
*Asher*- Dropped brite with a couple of weeks cc’ing. Bananna/fruit/lolly aromatics morphing into daicetyl to my sensitive palate... Gone after the first mouthful. A crisp, tasty thirst quencher. 
*Mika* :- I got more of an apricot and pear aroma from the opening rather than the Banana everyone's babbling about. Nice soft malt profile, seemed very clean and inoffensive to me. Was very glad for the keg filled bottles as it meant I could enjoy every last drop. Noice !
*GB*Started out with a phsss but poured with a small head and a haze. I think it lost its carbonation on transfer which I think let this beer down. On the nose I got some sweet malt notes and a slight hint of the hops but it was over run by the esters. l know how hard these style of beers are to nail! I did like the balance of the sweet malt and the bitterness.The bitterness whilst being noticeable wasnt harsh and just lasted in my mouth long enough to enjoy. A medium bodied Aussie lager.Thanks Tony a good beer on a hot day.

*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.
*kook:* Quite dead on opening, squishy bottle. Poured with a bit of distance and it generated a tight, small off white head. Looks like a good cask ale actually, slightly hazy deep dark amber in colour, edging on brown. Brilliant hop aroma, juicy fruit, tropical fruits, fresh cut grass and floral notes all come through. Medium bodied, mouthfeel is accentuated by the low carbonation. Great melanoidiny background malt character, with some light toasty notes. The hops are the show here though, big, juicy fruit flavours and a nice firm (but in no way harsh) bitterness. Great beer, very drinkable and moreish.
*Dchap: *Mmmmmm, nicely balanced with a lowish carb which worked well for this one I reckon. I really enjoyed the toastiness that popped out at the end  
*Asher*- Chestnut haze. Sweet floral hop aromas waft up despite carbonation levels. Crispy lemonade/frosty fruit hop flavours jump out above a complex roasty malt that morphs into a lingering bitterness. Quite drinkable. Like to try this on a hand pump. 

*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.



*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*


*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
*VtPA:* Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.
*ausdb* I think I tasted this beer at the swap day as I remember Kenworthy pouring me a glass of something with Galaxy and NS at some stage, but this one to me was completely different. I pick a distinct NS gooseberry and cats pi$ aroma and it is a lovely pale gold and straw colour but I am torn between deciding if it is just too overbittered with the Galaxy overload effect or signs of an infection when I taste it. I can taste the quinine/grapefruitiness that ant tastes but also get the sourness that others have picked. It would be really nice to see your recipe to compare your hopping schedule with my taste perceptions.
sinkas: unfortunatley my bottle opened, with a 2 foot gush, threid to drink the geiser,and it had a really odd harsh flavour, so vented the rest outside
*MC*: Mine didn't gush, but the carbonation was insane. I struggled to pour less than 50% head and then it kept climbing out of the glass. The most turbulent carbonation I have ever seen - pretty cool actually, like a lava lamp on crack. Loved the hop aroma and the taste at the start of the mouthful was fantastic, but it turned nasty as I swallowed. There was a harsh bitterness and reading the reviews above, "quinine" (tonic water) seems to describe it best. I think a bug has beaten me to this beer which is a pisser because it started out beautifully.
*Dchap: *Not a gusher but a 10% beer 90% head scenario. That said that pulled the carb levels down and helped reduce the 'bite'. Nice floral aromas, big big bitterness and quinine is a good descriptor but I found it to be quite nice  Thanks bloke !

*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.
*sinkas*: nice bananary aroma, drinkable but quite heavy in the clove flavour to me
*MC*: Lovely banana bread aroma. To me, the clove was almost more of a cinamon flavour which was something I haven't encountered before, but I enjoyed it. Not quite as dry as I expected, but balanced and easy drinking.
*Asher*- Some nice banana aromatics. Flavour dominated by big spicy phenols which has me questioning ferment over recipe. Went well with Spaghetti & pork meatballs


----------



## Online Brewing Supplies (15/1/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !
*ausdb* First bottle of the case for me, no point trying to taste beers with a cold. Even after 3 weeks in my study it is very very very well carbonated even and even with a careful pour I only managed 1/3 beer with 2/3 rocky head in a pint glass. On the nose I get fruity but not distinctly cascade aroma's which is surprising considering the tweaking it received with the magic hop potion. Flavourwise there is a hint of dark malts but the carbonation was too high and the tended to overpower most of the flavours for me. I must go past GL's and have one straight from the tap, as this bottle tastes like a completely different beer to how it normally tastes for me.
*Cubbie* First pour produce a very large head, white a fluffy and hangs around. Lovely dark copper colour. Reasonably dry and perhaps a little over carbed. Honey and toffee in the aroma and on the pallet. Like the balance of the bitterns and hops. Nice all round beer, tasty.
*brendanos:* 15/1 huge carbonation, dense white head with large bubbles. Aroma of cordial (icey poles?), almost blackcurrent like fruitiness. Reasonably dry with a light toasty malt flavour and a biting carbonation that accentuates a lowish bitterness. Earthy, pithy (mandarin/grapefruit?), and lightly spice flavours create some interest but overall the beer is light, refreshing, and sessionable.

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*
*sinkas:* a very drinkable if yet a little unusually flavoured beer, for some reason I assume there is only NS hops, but I got a real stone fruit flavour also, only crit was maybe a bit heavy in mouth feel for the abv, but het it was certianly enjoyable



*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.
*Asher* - Thick Shag Pile Magic Malt Carpet. It takes every bit of the 100IBU & ABV to keep this weave from floating away. Balanced. I made the same mistake Tony did! ( I have never had a beer that blew out my buds like this baby) Drink it alone and on its own! Tasty 


*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too :-( Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year ! 
*Churchy*- Had a nice straw colour but had a really lemon bittery taste.
*Asher* - Nice underlying malt flavours. Strong Butyric Rubber flavours dominate over esters. Tastes like a good recipe just a hickup at the fermentation stage.

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!
*sinkas:* goat needs fuggin glasses, a nice rich and sparkling body, not cloudy, spritzy carbonation amplified the bitterness, but all together a great pale ale 
*MC*: Awesome aroma - to my nose more tropical and over-ripe grape than citrus. Nice toffee taste up front before the hops come smashing through with juicy flavours and a peppery grassiness which is never harsh. I found myself sucking my teeth between sips, so it must have been good..
*Asher* 2/10 for trueness to style! I was expecting a murky underattenuated ale but was presented with a near brite beer with good foam stand that finished nice and dry. Critically, the hop profile felt a little one dimensional (dont know if more varietys in recipy would remedy. Maybe smaller additions over more times. Or maybe I should have let warm up a bit more)


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!  
*sinkas:* nice punchy IPA, with a creaminess from the rabbit juice
*Churchy*- This was a little too bitter for me but still drank it.

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*kook:* Saison. Pours hazy golden in colour, with a persistent medium white head. Great aroma of pineapple, rotting fruit (in a good way!), apples, pears and spicy pepper. Mouthfeel is wonderful. Silky smooth in the beginning, yet still dry in the finish. Huge pineapple flavour, almost with some coconut there. Light peppery alcohol spice and some fruit derived sweetness too. Very drinkable stuff mika!


*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.
*Goat*: Based on the above comments, I opened this baby over the sink. No gushing, though there was a healthy hiss - a slow pour resulted in a decent pint with an inch of fluffy white head. Slighlty hazy copper colour. Sweet maltiness on the nose. Maltiness carries through to the taste with a hint of fruit. Not much in the way of bitterness or hop flavour. Like GL suggests, its a bit of a nostaglia trip for me.
*kook:* I didn't read any of this, and opened it haphazard. There was a little initial "spray" of beer, but no gushing or foaming. Took a little bit of time to off gas in the glass, but I think it adds to the experience. Colour is a slightly hazy light amber, with a huge (60% of glass) fluffy white head. Initial aroma is quite spicy, with light peppery alcohol notes. As it rests a bit, some great malt notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Nice light body, dry finish. Flavour is quite clean, nice honey-like malt notes, very balanced bitterness level. Some light earthy hop notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Very quaffable halfluck offering!
*Dchap: *Big carb hiss but no gush. Nice coppery hue. This is my first Steam Beer experience and won't be my last  Light, balanced, bready aroma and on the palate too. I didn't get too much of the esters but perhaps a touch of honey. Thanks for your fine efforts Rob !
*Asher*- Opened and poured well into a wet glass. Aroma hints of northern brewer. Upon tasting was met by a huge carbonic bite fraught with spices & fusils. So I knocked a heap of carbonation out and this beer turned into something a little more malt driven with plenty of fruit. Finishing nice and dry, with a slight tannic harshness/earthiness complementing or thanks to the NB hopping.


*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.
*Goat*: Not huge carbonation, but enough to develop a thinish white head. Not sure about the "belgian pear ester" - I think its more French/Swiss border pear... but there is definately that sort of fruit in the aroma in there. slightly hazy in with a golden straw colour. Nice full mouthfeel, slightly sweet - which works well with the moderatly alcoholy aftertaste. Nice beer.
*Churchy-* Lightly carbed and a honey kinda colour!Fruity flavour to hide the alcohol.Is that why my head is starting to spin and the fact I haven't eaten anything!
*kook:* This should have won the label comp (no offense Linc); boobs should always win. Pours a hazy orange colour with a short white head. Initially some light banana in the nose, then pear and peaches come through. As it warms a little, spice becomes more evident. Big mouthfeel, personally a little too full in the finish for me. Great flavours, pear, peaches, toffee apples and light peppery spice. Some citrus flavours there too. As noted by others, the alcohol is very well hidden. Personally I'd prefer this a few points drier, as I think there is a little too much sweetness. Still a great beer though, thanks Clay!
*Asher*- smooth malt dominates for me. It hides the ABV very well before emerging as a warmth right on the finish. The esters a little frazzled by spices maybe from a ferment temp pushed to the upper limit of acceptable. Still a very drinkable beer containing plenty of those intangibles that just make feel like your back in Belgium.
*brendanos:* 15/1 Pours an almost brilliant orange with low head and low retention. Aroma dominated by tropical fruit salad candy and a lightly spicey phenolic, some fudge like malt character. Flavour is bready with a medium body which is balanced by the alcohol, carbonation and spice-like astringency. A nice, drinkable beer, though I think Asher & Kook are on the money - a cleaner ferment and slightly higher attenuation would be welcome improvements! I'm just a little concerned that much of the fruitiness may be acetaldehyde and am wondering if my body can break down a longneck's worth (no offense Clay!)

*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*
*Cubbie*Pours very very pale, bubbly head that disappears almost immediately, little bit of chill haze.. Could wait a little while longer to open but it is well carbonated now. The tartness and sourness of the fermentation comes through though it is not overpowering. Lemon notes in the taste and aroma with no hop. I feel like I want to pour it over some ice and drink like a cider. Goes nice with the blue brie I am eating right now.

*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!
*Mika* :- Not bad, but well below the standard of Tasty V1.0 I got to sample back before Christmas. The hops are still strong but seem to be fading out. Power of suggestion or whatever, but I think I get some cardboard coming thru ? The malt profile is a lot more present as well though still comes across clean. I got a serious hop haze with the occassional floating bits/chunks, though nowhere near as bad as Rob's pic. Overall still a good beer and a welcome inclusion to the case as always.
*brendanos:* 7/1 Brilliant (i guess I got lucky?) amber with large, dense fine white head - looks absolutely stunning. Huge greeting aroma of ripe, juicey tropical fruits, skunky, piney hops and vanilla ice cream. Very appetising! Strong but smooth bitterness, very well controlled. Great rich hop flavour supported by a light malt sweetness and medium body. A pleasure to drink. The bitterness is so damn good!!

*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*
*Churchy*-Had to drink it now, nice dark colour almost black and good carbonation.Could really taste the chocolate malt and not over powering, very enjoyable to drink.

*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol: 
*Churchy-* This went down really well after a bike ride, nice aroma hops and bittering hops.
*VtPA*: The case of Cases case beer, loved it. More of a hop cordial really, totally imbalanced with a hop overload that worked well in a lower gravity beer.
*Goat*: This is a goodun. Pours a bit hazy but with a nice deep colour. Head is a bit anxious, but decanting and then into a glass sorted that nicely. Is it my imagination or is there some hops in this sucker ?! Certainly does dominate the flavour - but in a good way. While the hop flavour /nose / bitterness are all good, I would love to taste this with a less pronounced involvement, cos I'm reminded of a Fullers ESB in the malt - very nice ! Don't know how you managed the body for 3.7%, but she's a wee ripper ! 
*Dchap: *Quite the challenge to offset that amount of alpha acid with that amount of gravity. Well done Case ! Loved the dark amber color. It would be interesting to try this less carbed up. It really packs a sharp punch up front that lingers on and on 

*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.
*Churchy-*This was a nice beer Nev and my dad loved it as well.Hops were all together and carbonation just right.
*Asher*- Ripe Bananna esters up front with a hint of spice to enhance. Esters were quickly swallowed up by melanoidins, caramels and dark toffee. This was probably due to low to moderate carbonation in this bottle. Flavours were all there with phelols contributing to a creamy warm finish Nice.
*Mika* :- I got the nice bready/dark malt flavours. If the banana's there it's very subdued (for me). I'd class it as very very similar to any German dunkel weizen I've tried. Enjoyed it, thanks Nev.

*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.
*Cubbie* First one for me. Poured very pale staw colour with a little bit of haze. Small tight head that lingered to near the end. Hint of banana and peach. Very easy to drink, do well as a session beer or just a nice cold referesher. For me I would like just a touch more body.
*Asher*- Dropped brite with a couple of weeks ccing. Bananna/fruit/lolly aromatics morphing into daicetyl to my sensitive palate... Gone after the first mouthful. A crisp, tasty thirst quencher. 
*Mika* :- I got more of an apricot and pear aroma from the opening rather than the Banana everyone's babbling about. Nice soft malt profile, seemed very clean and inoffensive to me. Was very glad for the keg filled bottles as it meant I could enjoy every last drop. Noice !
*GB*Started out with a phsss but poured with a small head and a haze. I think it lost its carbonation on transfer which I think let this beer down. On the nose I got some sweet malt notes and a slight hint of the hops but it was over run by the esters. l know how hard these style of beers are to nail! I did like the balance of the sweet malt and the bitterness.The bitterness whilst being noticeable wasnt harsh and just lasted in my mouth long enough to enjoy. A medium bodied Aussie lager.Thanks Tony a good beer on a hot day.

*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.
*kook:* Quite dead on opening, squishy bottle. Poured with a bit of distance and it generated a tight, small off white head. Looks like a good cask ale actually, slightly hazy deep dark amber in colour, edging on brown. Brilliant hop aroma, juicy fruit, tropical fruits, fresh cut grass and floral notes all come through. Medium bodied, mouthfeel is accentuated by the low carbonation. Great melanoidiny background malt character, with some light toasty notes. The hops are the show here though, big, juicy fruit flavours and a nice firm (but in no way harsh) bitterness. Great beer, very drinkable and moreish.
*Dchap: *Mmmmmm, nicely balanced with a lowish carb which worked well for this one I reckon. I really enjoyed the toastiness that popped out at the end  
*Asher*- Chestnut haze. Sweet floral hop aromas waft up despite carbonation levels. Crispy lemonade/frosty fruit hop flavours jump out above a complex roasty malt that morphs into a lingering bitterness. Quite drinkable. Like to try this on a hand pump. 

*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.



*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*


*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
*VtPA:* Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.
*ausdb* I think I tasted this beer at the swap day as I remember Kenworthy pouring me a glass of something with Galaxy and NS at some stage, but this one to me was completely different. I pick a distinct NS gooseberry and cats pi$ aroma and it is a lovely pale gold and straw colour but I am torn between deciding if it is just too overbittered with the Galaxy overload effect or signs of an infection when I taste it. I can taste the quinine/grapefruitiness that ant tastes but also get the sourness that others have picked. It would be really nice to see your recipe to compare your hopping schedule with my taste perceptions.
sinkas: unfortunatley my bottle opened, with a 2 foot gush, threid to drink the geiser,and it had a really odd harsh flavour, so vented the rest outside
*MC*: Mine didn't gush, but the carbonation was insane. I struggled to pour less than 50% head and then it kept climbing out of the glass. The most turbulent carbonation I have ever seen - pretty cool actually, like a lava lamp on crack. Loved the hop aroma and the taste at the start of the mouthful was fantastic, but it turned nasty as I swallowed. There was a harsh bitterness and reading the reviews above, "quinine" (tonic water) seems to describe it best. I think a bug has beaten me to this beer which is a pisser because it started out beautifully.
*Dchap: *Not a gusher but a 10% beer 90% head scenario. That said that pulled the carb levels down and helped reduce the 'bite'. Nice floral aromas, big big bitterness and quinine is a good descriptor but I found it to be quite nice  Thanks bloke !
*GB* Poured well with a lot of carbonation to support a head that lasted till the end. Heaps of hop profiles happening, including most of those hops I dont like, funny lager drinker me. It did present as hazy but this could just be hop haze ? Good colour for this style of ale. I thought there was some sourness initially (faded as it settled) on the nose but could not find it in the mouth, I have put it down to carbonic acid nose bite.The body is well structured to support the bitterness but the bitterness kept wacking me back every time I licked my lips. Mate I am burping up hops and stir fried noodles and enjoying the contrast of the two flavors. I think it works but Im sure my lips are being embalmed in hop bittering acids .I would like to know your water profile to see why the bitterness is intense. Thanks its a very interesting beer and Im sure I will be tasting it for the rest of the night. Burp....

*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.
*sinkas*: nice bananary aroma, drinkable but quite heavy in the clove flavour to me
*MC*: Lovely banana bread aroma. To me, the clove was almost more of a cinamon flavour which was something I haven't encountered before, but I enjoyed it. Not quite as dry as I expected, but balanced and easy drinking.
*Asher*- Some nice banana aromatics. Flavour dominated by big spicy phenols which has me questioning ferment over recipe. Went well with Spaghetti & pork meatballs


----------



## kook (16/1/10)

Vlad the Pale Aler said:


> BUM!



Agreed.


----------



## Goat (17/1/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !
*ausdb* First bottle of the case for me, no point trying to taste beers with a cold. Even after 3 weeks in my study it is very very very well carbonated even and even with a careful pour I only managed 1/3 beer with 2/3 rocky head in a pint glass. On the nose I get fruity but not distinctly cascade aroma's which is surprising considering the tweaking it received with the magic hop potion. Flavourwise there is a hint of dark malts but the carbonation was too high and the tended to overpower most of the flavours for me. I must go past GL's and have one straight from the tap, as this bottle tastes like a completely different beer to how it normally tastes for me.
*Cubbie* First pour produce a very large head, white a fluffy and hangs around. Lovely dark copper colour. Reasonably dry and perhaps a little over carbed. Honey and toffee in the aroma and on the pallet. Like the balance of the bitterns and hops. Nice all round beer, tasty.
*brendanos:* 15/1 huge carbonation, dense white head with large bubbles. Aroma of cordial (icey poles?), almost blackcurrent like fruitiness. Reasonably dry with a light toasty malt flavour and a biting carbonation that accentuates a lowish bitterness. Earthy, pithy (mandarin/grapefruit?), and lightly spice flavours create some interest but overall the beer is light, refreshing, and sessionable.

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*
*sinkas:* a very drinkable if yet a little unusually flavoured beer, for some reason I assume there is only NS hops, but I got a real stone fruit flavour also, only crit was maybe a bit heavy in mouth feel for the abv, but het it was certianly enjoyable


*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.
*Asher* - Thick Shag Pile Magic Malt Carpet. It takes every bit of the 100IBU & ABV to keep this weave from floating away. Balanced. I made the same mistake Tony did! ( I have never had a beer that blew out my buds like this baby) Drink it alone and on its own! Tasty 


*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too :-( Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year ! 
*Churchy*- Had a nice straw colour but had a really lemon bittery taste.
*Asher* - Nice underlying malt flavours. Strong Butyric Rubber flavours dominate over esters. Tastes like a good recipe just a hickup at the fermentation stage.

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!
*sinkas:* goat needs fuggin glasses, a nice rich and sparkling body, not cloudy, spritzy carbonation amplified the bitterness, but all together a great pale ale 
*MC*: Awesome aroma - to my nose more tropical and over-ripe grape than citrus. Nice toffee taste up front before the hops come smashing through with juicy flavours and a peppery grassiness which is never harsh. I found myself sucking my teeth between sips, so it must have been good..
*Asher* 2/10 for trueness to style! I was expecting a murky underattenuated ale but was presented with a near brite beer with good foam stand that finished nice and dry. Critically, the hop profile felt a little one dimensional (dont know if more varietys in recipy would remedy. Maybe smaller additions over more times. Or maybe I should have let warm up a bit more)


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!  
*sinkas:* nice punchy IPA, with a creaminess from the rabbit juice
*Churchy*- This was a little too bitter for me but still drank it.
*Goat*: I am drinking this side by side with a white rabbit ale and there is a definite close similarity in terms of colour and the dense creamy head - the commercial is a bit brighter (being not bottle conditioned etc). on the nose, I'm getting a bit of smokey.... <has taste>.... have you used that bloody bacon grain stuff ? Definatley getting strong rauchmalt flavour in that. As a result, I will refrain from further comment on the taste - eveything has turned bacon. Quite well balanced with moderate bitterness. Good mouth feel - creamier and fuller than the domesticated version. I find the commercial version a little bland, there is nothing in there that stands out - I was expecting a bit malt hit, but i don't get that at all.

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*kook:* Saison. Pours hazy golden in colour, with a persistent medium white head. Great aroma of pineapple, rotting fruit (in a good way!), apples, pears and spicy pepper. Mouthfeel is wonderful. Silky smooth in the beginning, yet still dry in the finish. Huge pineapple flavour, almost with some coconut there. Light peppery alcohol spice and some fruit derived sweetness too. Very drinkable stuff mika!
*Goat*: Pours with a keen fluffy head that has settled into a dense white layer with lacing on the glass. Colour exactly as Kook writes. Subtle spiciness with fruity highlights - pear being my best approximation. Finish is slightly sweet but not cloying. I'd like to taste this alonside a Leffe Blonde, cos I reckon its bloody close. Very drinkable beer. 


*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.
*Goat*: Based on the above comments, I opened this baby over the sink. No gushing, though there was a healthy hiss - a slow pour resulted in a decent pint with an inch of fluffy white head. Slighlty hazy copper colour. Sweet maltiness on the nose. Maltiness carries through to the taste with a hint of fruit. Not much in the way of bitterness or hop flavour. Like GL suggests, its a bit of a nostaglia trip for me.
*kook:* I didn't read any of this, and opened it haphazard. There was a little initial "spray" of beer, but no gushing or foaming. Took a little bit of time to off gas in the glass, but I think it adds to the experience. Colour is a slightly hazy light amber, with a huge (60% of glass) fluffy white head. Initial aroma is quite spicy, with light peppery alcohol notes. As it rests a bit, some great malt notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Nice light body, dry finish. Flavour is quite clean, nice honey-like malt notes, very balanced bitterness level. Some light earthy hop notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Very quaffable halfluck offering!
*Dchap: *Big carb hiss but no gush. Nice coppery hue. This is my first Steam Beer experience and won't be my last  Light, balanced, bready aroma and on the palate too. I didn't get too much of the esters but perhaps a touch of honey. Thanks for your fine efforts Rob !
*Asher*- Opened and poured well into a wet glass. Aroma hints of northern brewer. Upon tasting was met by a huge carbonic bite fraught with spices & fusils. So I knocked a heap of carbonation out and this beer turned into something a little more malt driven with plenty of fruit. Finishing nice and dry, with a slight tannic harshness/earthiness complementing or thanks to the NB hopping.


*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.
*Goat*: Not huge carbonation, but enough to develop a thinish white head. Not sure about the "belgian pear ester" - I think its more French/Swiss border pear... but there is definately that sort of fruit in the aroma in there. slightly hazy in with a golden straw colour. Nice full mouthfeel, slightly sweet - which works well with the moderatly alcoholy aftertaste. Nice beer.
*Churchy-* Lightly carbed and a honey kinda colour!Fruity flavour to hide the alcohol.Is that why my head is starting to spin and the fact I haven't eaten anything!
*kook:* This should have won the label comp (no offense Linc); boobs should always win. Pours a hazy orange colour with a short white head. Initially some light banana in the nose, then pear and peaches come through. As it warms a little, spice becomes more evident. Big mouthfeel, personally a little too full in the finish for me. Great flavours, pear, peaches, toffee apples and light peppery spice. Some citrus flavours there too. As noted by others, the alcohol is very well hidden. Personally I'd prefer this a few points drier, as I think there is a little too much sweetness. Still a great beer though, thanks Clay!
*Asher*- smooth malt dominates for me. It hides the ABV very well before emerging as a warmth right on the finish. The esters a little frazzled by spices maybe from a ferment temp pushed to the upper limit of acceptable. Still a very drinkable beer containing plenty of those intangibles that just make feel like your back in Belgium.
*brendanos:* 15/1 Pours an almost brilliant orange with low head and low retention. Aroma dominated by tropical fruit salad candy and a lightly spicey phenolic, some fudge like malt character. Flavour is bready with a medium body which is balanced by the alcohol, carbonation and spice-like astringency. A nice, drinkable beer, though I think Asher & Kook are on the money - a cleaner ferment and slightly higher attenuation would be welcome improvements! I'm just a little concerned that much of the fruitiness may be acetaldehyde and am wondering if my body can break down a longneck's worth (no offense Clay!)

*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*
*Cubbie*Pours very very pale, bubbly head that disappears almost immediately, little bit of chill haze.. Could wait a little while longer to open but it is well carbonated now. The tartness and sourness of the fermentation comes through though it is not overpowering. Lemon notes in the taste and aroma with no hop. I feel like I want to pour it over some ice and drink like a cider. Goes nice with the blue brie I am eating right now.

*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!
*Mika* :- Not bad, but well below the standard of Tasty V1.0 I got to sample back before Christmas. The hops are still strong but seem to be fading out. Power of suggestion or whatever, but I think I get some cardboard coming thru ? The malt profile is a lot more present as well though still comes across clean. I got a serious hop haze with the occassional floating bits/chunks, though nowhere near as bad as Rob's pic. Overall still a good beer and a welcome inclusion to the case as always.
*brendanos:* 7/1 Brilliant (i guess I got lucky?) amber with large, dense fine white head - looks absolutely stunning. Huge greeting aroma of ripe, juicey tropical fruits, skunky, piney hops and vanilla ice cream. Very appetising! Strong but smooth bitterness, very well controlled. Great rich hop flavour supported by a light malt sweetness and medium body. A pleasure to drink. The bitterness is so damn good!!

*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*
*Churchy*-Had to drink it now, nice dark colour almost black and good carbonation.Could really taste the chocolate malt and not over powering, very enjoyable to drink.

*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol: 
*Churchy-* This went down really well after a bike ride, nice aroma hops and bittering hops.
*VtPA*: The case of Cases case beer, loved it. More of a hop cordial really, totally imbalanced with a hop overload that worked well in a lower gravity beer.
*Goat*: This is a goodun. Pours a bit hazy but with a nice deep colour. Head is a bit anxious, but decanting and then into a glass sorted that nicely. Is it my imagination or is there some hops in this sucker ?! Certainly does dominate the flavour - but in a good way. While the hop flavour /nose / bitterness are all good, I would love to taste this with a less pronounced involvement, cos I'm reminded of a Fullers ESB in the malt - very nice ! Don't know how you managed the body for 3.7%, but she's a wee ripper ! 
*Dchap: *Quite the challenge to offset that amount of alpha acid with that amount of gravity. Well done Case ! Loved the dark amber color. It would be interesting to try this less carbed up. It really packs a sharp punch up front that lingers on and on 

*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.
*Churchy-*This was a nice beer Nev and my dad loved it as well.Hops were all together and carbonation just right.
*Asher*- Ripe Bananna esters up front with a hint of spice to enhance. Esters were quickly swallowed up by melanoidins, caramels and dark toffee. This was probably due to low to moderate carbonation in this bottle. Flavours were all there with phelols contributing to a creamy warm finish Nice.
*Mika* :- I got the nice bready/dark malt flavours. If the banana's there it's very subdued (for me). I'd class it as very very similar to any German dunkel weizen I've tried. Enjoyed it, thanks Nev.

*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.
*Cubbie* First one for me. Poured very pale staw colour with a little bit of haze. Small tight head that lingered to near the end. Hint of banana and peach. Very easy to drink, do well as a session beer or just a nice cold referesher. For me I would like just a touch more body.
*Asher*- Dropped brite with a couple of weeks ccing. Bananna/fruit/lolly aromatics morphing into daicetyl to my sensitive palate... Gone after the first mouthful. A crisp, tasty thirst quencher. 
*Mika* :- I got more of an apricot and pear aroma from the opening rather than the Banana everyone's babbling about. Nice soft malt profile, seemed very clean and inoffensive to me. Was very glad for the keg filled bottles as it meant I could enjoy every last drop. Noice !
*GB*Started out with a phsss but poured with a small head and a haze. I think it lost its carbonation on transfer which I think let this beer down. On the nose I got some sweet malt notes and a slight hint of the hops but it was over run by the esters. l know how hard these style of beers are to nail! I did like the balance of the sweet malt and the bitterness.The bitterness whilst being noticeable wasnt harsh and just lasted in my mouth long enough to enjoy. A medium bodied Aussie lager.Thanks Tony a good beer on a hot day.

*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.
*kook:* Quite dead on opening, squishy bottle. Poured with a bit of distance and it generated a tight, small off white head. Looks like a good cask ale actually, slightly hazy deep dark amber in colour, edging on brown. Brilliant hop aroma, juicy fruit, tropical fruits, fresh cut grass and floral notes all come through. Medium bodied, mouthfeel is accentuated by the low carbonation. Great melanoidiny background malt character, with some light toasty notes. The hops are the show here though, big, juicy fruit flavours and a nice firm (but in no way harsh) bitterness. Great beer, very drinkable and moreish.
*Dchap: *Mmmmmm, nicely balanced with a lowish carb which worked well for this one I reckon. I really enjoyed the toastiness that popped out at the end  
*Asher*- Chestnut haze. Sweet floral hop aromas waft up despite carbonation levels. Crispy lemonade/frosty fruit hop flavours jump out above a complex roasty malt that morphs into a lingering bitterness. Quite drinkable. Like to try this on a hand pump. 

*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.



*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*


*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
*VtPA:* Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.
*ausdb* I think I tasted this beer at the swap day as I remember Kenworthy pouring me a glass of something with Galaxy and NS at some stage, but this one to me was completely different. I pick a distinct NS gooseberry and cats pi$ aroma and it is a lovely pale gold and straw colour but I am torn between deciding if it is just too overbittered with the Galaxy overload effect or signs of an infection when I taste it. I can taste the quinine/grapefruitiness that ant tastes but also get the sourness that others have picked. It would be really nice to see your recipe to compare your hopping schedule with my taste perceptions.
sinkas: unfortunatley my bottle opened, with a 2 foot gush, threid to drink the geiser,and it had a really odd harsh flavour, so vented the rest outside
*MC*: Mine didn't gush, but the carbonation was insane. I struggled to pour less than 50% head and then it kept climbing out of the glass. The most turbulent carbonation I have ever seen - pretty cool actually, like a lava lamp on crack. Loved the hop aroma and the taste at the start of the mouthful was fantastic, but it turned nasty as I swallowed. There was a harsh bitterness and reading the reviews above, "quinine" (tonic water) seems to describe it best. I think a bug has beaten me to this beer which is a pisser because it started out beautifully.
*Dchap: *Not a gusher but a 10% beer 90% head scenario. That said that pulled the carb levels down and helped reduce the 'bite'. Nice floral aromas, big big bitterness and quinine is a good descriptor but I found it to be quite nice  Thanks bloke !
*GB* Poured well with a lot of carbonation to support a head that lasted till the end. Heaps of hop profiles happening, including most of those hops I dont like, funny lager drinker me. It did present as hazy but this could just be hop haze ? Good colour for this style of ale. I thought there was some sourness initially (faded as it settled) on the nose but could not find it in the mouth, I have put it down to carbonic acid nose bite.The body is well structured to support the bitterness but the bitterness kept wacking me back every time I licked my lips. Mate I am burping up hops and stir fried noodles and enjoying the contrast of the two flavors. I think it works but Im sure my lips are being embalmed in hop bittering acids .I would like to know your water profile to see why the bitterness is intense. Thanks its a very interesting beer and Im sure I will be tasting it for the rest of the night. Burp....

*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.
*sinkas*: nice bananary aroma, drinkable but quite heavy in the clove flavour to me
*MC*: Lovely banana bread aroma. To me, the clove was almost more of a cinamon flavour which was something I haven't encountered before, but I enjoyed it. Not quite as dry as I expected, but balanced and easy drinking.
*Asher*- Some nice banana aromatics. Flavour dominated by big spicy phenols which has me questioning ferment over recipe. Went well with Spaghetti & pork meatballs


----------



## mika (19/1/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !
*ausdb* First bottle of the case for me, no point trying to taste beers with a cold. Even after 3 weeks in my study it is very very very well carbonated even and even with a careful pour I only managed 1/3 beer with 2/3 rocky head in a pint glass. On the nose I get fruity but not distinctly cascade aroma's which is surprising considering the tweaking it received with the magic hop potion. Flavourwise there is a hint of dark malts but the carbonation was too high and the tended to overpower most of the flavours for me. I must go past GL's and have one straight from the tap, as this bottle tastes like a completely different beer to how it normally tastes for me.
*Cubbie* First pour produce a very large head, white a fluffy and hangs around. Lovely dark copper colour. Reasonably dry and perhaps a little over carbed. Honey and toffee in the aroma and on the pallet. Like the balance of the bitterns and hops. Nice all round beer, tasty.
*brendanos:* 15/1 huge carbonation, dense white head with large bubbles. Aroma of cordial (icey poles?), almost blackcurrent like fruitiness. Reasonably dry with a light toasty malt flavour and a biting carbonation that accentuates a lowish bitterness. Earthy, pithy (mandarin/grapefruit?), and lightly spice flavours create some interest but overall the beer is light, refreshing, and sessionable.

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*
*sinkas:* a very drinkable if yet a little unusually flavoured beer, for some reason I assume there is only NS hops, but I got a real stone fruit flavour also, only crit was maybe a bit heavy in mouth feel for the abv, but het it was certianly enjoyable


*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.
*Asher* - Thick Shag Pile Magic Malt Carpet. It takes every bit of the 100IBU & ABV to keep this weave from floating away. Balanced. I made the same mistake Tony did! ( I have never had a beer that blew out my buds like this baby) Drink it alone and on its own! Tasty 


*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too :-( Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year ! 
*Churchy*- Had a nice straw colour but had a really lemon bittery taste.
*Asher* - Nice underlying malt flavours. Strong Butyric Rubber flavours dominate over esters. Tastes like a good recipe just a hickup at the fermentation stage.

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!
*sinkas:* goat needs fuggin glasses, a nice rich and sparkling body, not cloudy, spritzy carbonation amplified the bitterness, but all together a great pale ale 
*MC*: Awesome aroma - to my nose more tropical and over-ripe grape than citrus. Nice toffee taste up front before the hops come smashing through with juicy flavours and a peppery grassiness which is never harsh. I found myself sucking my teeth between sips, so it must have been good..
*Asher* 2/10 for trueness to style! I was expecting a murky underattenuated ale but was presented with a near brite beer with good foam stand that finished nice and dry. Critically, the hop profile felt a little one dimensional (dont know if more varietys in recipy would remedy. Maybe smaller additions over more times. Or maybe I should have let warm up a bit more)


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!  
*sinkas:* nice punchy IPA, with a creaminess from the rabbit juice
*Churchy*- This was a little too bitter for me but still drank it.
*Goat*: I am drinking this side by side with a white rabbit ale and there is a definite close similarity in terms of colour and the dense creamy head - the commercial is a bit brighter (being not bottle conditioned etc). on the nose, I'm getting a bit of smokey.... <has taste>.... have you used that bloody bacon grain stuff ? Definatley getting strong rauchmalt flavour in that. As a result, I will refrain from further comment on the taste - eveything has turned bacon. Quite well balanced with moderate bitterness. Good mouth feel - creamier and fuller than the domesticated version. I find the commercial version a little bland, there is nothing in there that stands out - I was expecting a bit malt hit, but i don't get that at all.

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*kook:* Saison. Pours hazy golden in colour, with a persistent medium white head. Great aroma of pineapple, rotting fruit (in a good way!), apples, pears and spicy pepper. Mouthfeel is wonderful. Silky smooth in the beginning, yet still dry in the finish. Huge pineapple flavour, almost with some coconut there. Light peppery alcohol spice and some fruit derived sweetness too. Very drinkable stuff mika!
*Goat*: Pours with a keen fluffy head that has settled into a dense white layer with lacing on the glass. Colour exactly as Kook writes. Subtle spiciness with fruity highlights - pear being my best approximation. Finish is slightly sweet but not cloying. I'd like to taste this alonside a Leffe Blonde, cos I reckon its bloody close. Very drinkable beer. 


*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.
*Goat*: Based on the above comments, I opened this baby over the sink. No gushing, though there was a healthy hiss - a slow pour resulted in a decent pint with an inch of fluffy white head. Slighlty hazy copper colour. Sweet maltiness on the nose. Maltiness carries through to the taste with a hint of fruit. Not much in the way of bitterness or hop flavour. Like GL suggests, its a bit of a nostaglia trip for me.
*kook:* I didn't read any of this, and opened it haphazard. There was a little initial "spray" of beer, but no gushing or foaming. Took a little bit of time to off gas in the glass, but I think it adds to the experience. Colour is a slightly hazy light amber, with a huge (60% of glass) fluffy white head. Initial aroma is quite spicy, with light peppery alcohol notes. As it rests a bit, some great malt notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Nice light body, dry finish. Flavour is quite clean, nice honey-like malt notes, very balanced bitterness level. Some light earthy hop notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Very quaffable halfluck offering!
*Dchap: *Big carb hiss but no gush. Nice coppery hue. This is my first Steam Beer experience and won't be my last  Light, balanced, bready aroma and on the palate too. I didn't get too much of the esters but perhaps a touch of honey. Thanks for your fine efforts Rob !
*Asher*- Opened and poured well into a wet glass. Aroma hints of northern brewer. Upon tasting was met by a huge carbonic bite fraught with spices & fusils. So I knocked a heap of carbonation out and this beer turned into something a little more malt driven with plenty of fruit. Finishing nice and dry, with a slight tannic harshness/earthiness complementing or thanks to the NB hopping.


*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.
*Goat*: Not huge carbonation, but enough to develop a thinish white head. Not sure about the "belgian pear ester" - I think its more French/Swiss border pear... but there is definately that sort of fruit in the aroma in there. slightly hazy in with a golden straw colour. Nice full mouthfeel, slightly sweet - which works well with the moderatly alcoholy aftertaste. Nice beer.
*Churchy-* Lightly carbed and a honey kinda colour!Fruity flavour to hide the alcohol.Is that why my head is starting to spin and the fact I haven't eaten anything!
*kook:* This should have won the label comp (no offense Linc); boobs should always win. Pours a hazy orange colour with a short white head. Initially some light banana in the nose, then pear and peaches come through. As it warms a little, spice becomes more evident. Big mouthfeel, personally a little too full in the finish for me. Great flavours, pear, peaches, toffee apples and light peppery spice. Some citrus flavours there too. As noted by others, the alcohol is very well hidden. Personally I'd prefer this a few points drier, as I think there is a little too much sweetness. Still a great beer though, thanks Clay!
*Asher*- smooth malt dominates for me. It hides the ABV very well before emerging as a warmth right on the finish. The esters a little frazzled by spices maybe from a ferment temp pushed to the upper limit of acceptable. Still a very drinkable beer containing plenty of those intangibles that just make feel like your back in Belgium.
*brendanos:* 15/1 Pours an almost brilliant orange with low head and low retention. Aroma dominated by tropical fruit salad candy and a lightly spicey phenolic, some fudge like malt character. Flavour is bready with a medium body which is balanced by the alcohol, carbonation and spice-like astringency. A nice, drinkable beer, though I think Asher & Kook are on the money - a cleaner ferment and slightly higher attenuation would be welcome improvements! I'm just a little concerned that much of the fruitiness may be acetaldehyde and am wondering if my body can break down a longneck's worth (no offense Clay!)

*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*
*Cubbie*Pours very very pale, bubbly head that disappears almost immediately, little bit of chill haze.. Could wait a little while longer to open but it is well carbonated now. The tartness and sourness of the fermentation comes through though it is not overpowering. Lemon notes in the taste and aroma with no hop. I feel like I want to pour it over some ice and drink like a cider. Goes nice with the blue brie I am eating right now.

*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!
*Mika* :- Not bad, but well below the standard of Tasty V1.0 I got to sample back before Christmas. The hops are still strong but seem to be fading out. Power of suggestion or whatever, but I think I get some cardboard coming thru ? The malt profile is a lot more present as well though still comes across clean. I got a serious hop haze with the occassional floating bits/chunks, though nowhere near as bad as Rob's pic. Overall still a good beer and a welcome inclusion to the case as always.
*brendanos:* 7/1 Brilliant (i guess I got lucky?) amber with large, dense fine white head - looks absolutely stunning. Huge greeting aroma of ripe, juicey tropical fruits, skunky, piney hops and vanilla ice cream. Very appetising! Strong but smooth bitterness, very well controlled. Great rich hop flavour supported by a light malt sweetness and medium body. A pleasure to drink. The bitterness is so damn good!!

*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*
*Churchy*-Had to drink it now, nice dark colour almost black and good carbonation.Could really taste the chocolate malt and not over powering, very enjoyable to drink.

*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol: 
*Churchy-* This went down really well after a bike ride, nice aroma hops and bittering hops.
*VtPA*: The case of Cases case beer, loved it. More of a hop cordial really, totally imbalanced with a hop overload that worked well in a lower gravity beer.
*Goat*: This is a goodun. Pours a bit hazy but with a nice deep colour. Head is a bit anxious, but decanting and then into a glass sorted that nicely. Is it my imagination or is there some hops in this sucker ?! Certainly does dominate the flavour - but in a good way. While the hop flavour /nose / bitterness are all good, I would love to taste this with a less pronounced involvement, cos I'm reminded of a Fullers ESB in the malt - very nice ! Don't know how you managed the body for 3.7%, but she's a wee ripper ! 
*Dchap: *Quite the challenge to offset that amount of alpha acid with that amount of gravity. Well done Case ! Loved the dark amber color. It would be interesting to try this less carbed up. It really packs a sharp punch up front that lingers on and on 

*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.
*Churchy-*This was a nice beer Nev and my dad loved it as well.Hops were all together and carbonation just right.
*Asher*- Ripe Bananna esters up front with a hint of spice to enhance. Esters were quickly swallowed up by melanoidins, caramels and dark toffee. This was probably due to low to moderate carbonation in this bottle. Flavours were all there with phelols contributing to a creamy warm finish Nice.
*Mika* :- I got the nice bready/dark malt flavours. If the banana's there it's very subdued (for me). I'd class it as very very similar to any German dunkel weizen I've tried. Enjoyed it, thanks Nev.

*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.
*Cubbie* First one for me. Poured very pale staw colour with a little bit of haze. Small tight head that lingered to near the end. Hint of banana and peach. Very easy to drink, do well as a session beer or just a nice cold referesher. For me I would like just a touch more body.
*Asher*- Dropped brite with a couple of weeks ccing. Bananna/fruit/lolly aromatics morphing into daicetyl to my sensitive palate... Gone after the first mouthful. A crisp, tasty thirst quencher. 
*Mika* :- I got more of an apricot and pear aroma from the opening rather than the Banana everyone's babbling about. Nice soft malt profile, seemed very clean and inoffensive to me. Was very glad for the keg filled bottles as it meant I could enjoy every last drop. Noice !
*GB*Started out with a phsss but poured with a small head and a haze. I think it lost its carbonation on transfer which I think let this beer down. On the nose I got some sweet malt notes and a slight hint of the hops but it was over run by the esters. l know how hard these style of beers are to nail! I did like the balance of the sweet malt and the bitterness.The bitterness whilst being noticeable wasnt harsh and just lasted in my mouth long enough to enjoy. A medium bodied Aussie lager.Thanks Tony a good beer on a hot day.

*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.
*kook:* Quite dead on opening, squishy bottle. Poured with a bit of distance and it generated a tight, small off white head. Looks like a good cask ale actually, slightly hazy deep dark amber in colour, edging on brown. Brilliant hop aroma, juicy fruit, tropical fruits, fresh cut grass and floral notes all come through. Medium bodied, mouthfeel is accentuated by the low carbonation. Great melanoidiny background malt character, with some light toasty notes. The hops are the show here though, big, juicy fruit flavours and a nice firm (but in no way harsh) bitterness. Great beer, very drinkable and moreish.
*Dchap: *Mmmmmm, nicely balanced with a lowish carb which worked well for this one I reckon. I really enjoyed the toastiness that popped out at the end  
*Asher*- Chestnut haze. Sweet floral hop aromas waft up despite carbonation levels. Crispy lemonade/frosty fruit hop flavours jump out above a complex roasty malt that morphs into a lingering bitterness. Quite drinkable. Like to try this on a hand pump. 

*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.



*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*
*Cubbie* Thought I would try and review my own beer. Pours deep brown with hints of copper. Tight tan head although it was not lasting. Alcohol and small amount of chocolate on the nose same in the taste. Slightly dry. This is quite different to the sample that I shared at the case swap (different batch), I would say Roy has short changed me on one of the speciality malts. Still fairly clean beer, will be better with a bit more time. Not sure I am on style here.

*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
*VtPA:* Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.
*ausdb* I think I tasted this beer at the swap day as I remember Kenworthy pouring me a glass of something with Galaxy and NS at some stage, but this one to me was completely different. I pick a distinct NS gooseberry and cats pi$ aroma and it is a lovely pale gold and straw colour but I am torn between deciding if it is just too overbittered with the Galaxy overload effect or signs of an infection when I taste it. I can taste the quinine/grapefruitiness that ant tastes but also get the sourness that others have picked. It would be really nice to see your recipe to compare your hopping schedule with my taste perceptions.
sinkas: unfortunatley my bottle opened, with a 2 foot gush, threid to drink the geiser,and it had a really odd harsh flavour, so vented the rest outside
*MC*: Mine didn't gush, but the carbonation was insane. I struggled to pour less than 50% head and then it kept climbing out of the glass. The most turbulent carbonation I have ever seen - pretty cool actually, like a lava lamp on crack. Loved the hop aroma and the taste at the start of the mouthful was fantastic, but it turned nasty as I swallowed. There was a harsh bitterness and reading the reviews above, "quinine" (tonic water) seems to describe it best. I think a bug has beaten me to this beer which is a pisser because it started out beautifully.
*Dchap: *Not a gusher but a 10% beer 90% head scenario. That said that pulled the carb levels down and helped reduce the 'bite'. Nice floral aromas, big big bitterness and quinine is a good descriptor but I found it to be quite nice  Thanks bloke !
*GB* Poured well with a lot of carbonation to support a head that lasted till the end. Heaps of hop profiles happening, including most of those hops I dont like, funny lager drinker me. It did present as hazy but this could just be hop haze ? Good colour for this style of ale. I thought there was some sourness initially (faded as it settled) on the nose but could not find it in the mouth, I have put it down to carbonic acid nose bite.The body is well structured to support the bitterness but the bitterness kept wacking me back every time I licked my lips. Mate I am burping up hops and stir fried noodles and enjoying the contrast of the two flavors. I think it works but Im sure my lips are being embalmed in hop bittering acids .I would like to know your water profile to see why the bitterness is intense. Thanks its a very interesting beer and Im sure I will be tasting it for the rest of the night. Burp....
*Mika* :- Low carb with a very thin head that must have had something better to do because it didn't hang around. My version really wasn't that bitter. It was perhaps a little harsh(ish) but I find that more of a character of the Nelson Sauvin hops than anything the brewer has done wrong. Hop flavour was nice, but certainly not huge for style, it did balance pretty well with the body of the beer, though I'd personally like to see more hop flavour and bitterness, though others reviews say otherwise. I could taste a little background malt flavour that I wasn't a huge fan of, but can't really put it down to anything, perhaps just JW malt (WAG).

*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.
*sinkas*: nice bananary aroma, drinkable but quite heavy in the clove flavour to me
*MC*: Lovely banana bread aroma. To me, the clove was almost more of a cinamon flavour which was something I haven't encountered before, but I enjoyed it. Not quite as dry as I expected, but balanced and easy drinking.
*Asher*- Some nice banana aromatics. Flavour dominated by big spicy phenols which has me questioning ferment over recipe. Went well with Spaghetti & pork meatballs


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## mika (20/1/10)

BUM !


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## randyrob (20/1/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !
*ausdb* First bottle of the case for me, no point trying to taste beers with a cold. Even after 3 weeks in my study it is very very very well carbonated even and even with a careful pour I only managed 1/3 beer with 2/3 rocky head in a pint glass. On the nose I get fruity but not distinctly cascade aroma's which is surprising considering the tweaking it received with the magic hop potion. Flavourwise there is a hint of dark malts but the carbonation was too high and the tended to overpower most of the flavours for me. I must go past GL's and have one straight from the tap, as this bottle tastes like a completely different beer to how it normally tastes for me.
*Cubbie* First pour produce a very large head, white a fluffy and hangs around. Lovely dark copper colour. Reasonably dry and perhaps a little over carbed. Honey and toffee in the aroma and on the pallet. Like the balance of the bitterns and hops. Nice all round beer, tasty.
*brendanos:* 15/1 huge carbonation, dense white head with large bubbles. Aroma of cordial (icey poles?), almost blackcurrent like fruitiness. Reasonably dry with a light toasty malt flavour and a biting carbonation that accentuates a lowish bitterness. Earthy, pithy (mandarin/grapefruit?), and lightly spice flavours create some interest but overall the beer is light, refreshing, and sessionable.

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*
*sinkas:* a very drinkable if yet a little unusually flavoured beer, for some reason I assume there is only NS hops, but I got a real stone fruit flavour also, only crit was maybe a bit heavy in mouth feel for the abv, but het it was certianly enjoyable


*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.
*Asher* - Thick Shag Pile Magic Malt Carpet. It takes every bit of the 100IBU & ABV to keep this weave from floating away. Balanced. I made the same mistake Tony did! ( I have never had a beer that blew out my buds like this baby) Drink it alone and on its own! Tasty 


*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too :-( Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year ! 
*Churchy*- Had a nice straw colour but had a really lemon bittery taste.
*Asher* - Nice underlying malt flavours. Strong Butyric Rubber flavours dominate over esters. Tastes like a good recipe just a hickup at the fermentation stage.

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!
*sinkas:* goat needs fuggin glasses, a nice rich and sparkling body, not cloudy, spritzy carbonation amplified the bitterness, but all together a great pale ale 
*MC*: Awesome aroma - to my nose more tropical and over-ripe grape than citrus. Nice toffee taste up front before the hops come smashing through with juicy flavours and a peppery grassiness which is never harsh. I found myself sucking my teeth between sips, so it must have been good..
*Asher* 2/10 for trueness to style! I was expecting a murky underattenuated ale but was presented with a near brite beer with good foam stand that finished nice and dry. Critically, the hop profile felt a little one dimensional (dont know if more varietys in recipy would remedy. Maybe smaller additions over more times. Or maybe I should have let warm up a bit more)


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!  
*sinkas:* nice punchy IPA, with a creaminess from the rabbit juice
*Churchy*- This was a little too bitter for me but still drank it.
*Goat*: I am drinking this side by side with a white rabbit ale and there is a definite close similarity in terms of colour and the dense creamy head - the commercial is a bit brighter (being not bottle conditioned etc). on the nose, I'm getting a bit of smokey.... <has taste>.... have you used that bloody bacon grain stuff ? Definatley getting strong rauchmalt flavour in that. As a result, I will refrain from further comment on the taste - eveything has turned bacon. Quite well balanced with moderate bitterness. Good mouth feel - creamier and fuller than the domesticated version. I find the commercial version a little bland, there is nothing in there that stands out - I was expecting a bit malt hit, but i don't get that at all.

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*kook:* Saison. Pours hazy golden in colour, with a persistent medium white head. Great aroma of pineapple, rotting fruit (in a good way!), apples, pears and spicy pepper. Mouthfeel is wonderful. Silky smooth in the beginning, yet still dry in the finish. Huge pineapple flavour, almost with some coconut there. Light peppery alcohol spice and some fruit derived sweetness too. Very drinkable stuff mika!
*Goat*: Pours with a keen fluffy head that has settled into a dense white layer with lacing on the glass. Colour exactly as Kook writes. Subtle spiciness with fruity highlights - pear being my best approximation. Finish is slightly sweet but not cloying. I'd like to taste this alonside a Leffe Blonde, cos I reckon its bloody close. Very drinkable beer. 


*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.
*Goat*: Based on the above comments, I opened this baby over the sink. No gushing, though there was a healthy hiss - a slow pour resulted in a decent pint with an inch of fluffy white head. Slighlty hazy copper colour. Sweet maltiness on the nose. Maltiness carries through to the taste with a hint of fruit. Not much in the way of bitterness or hop flavour. Like GL suggests, its a bit of a nostaglia trip for me.
*kook:* I didn't read any of this, and opened it haphazard. There was a little initial "spray" of beer, but no gushing or foaming. Took a little bit of time to off gas in the glass, but I think it adds to the experience. Colour is a slightly hazy light amber, with a huge (60% of glass) fluffy white head. Initial aroma is quite spicy, with light peppery alcohol notes. As it rests a bit, some great malt notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Nice light body, dry finish. Flavour is quite clean, nice honey-like malt notes, very balanced bitterness level. Some light earthy hop notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Very quaffable halfluck offering!
*Dchap: *Big carb hiss but no gush. Nice coppery hue. This is my first Steam Beer experience and won't be my last  Light, balanced, bready aroma and on the palate too. I didn't get too much of the esters but perhaps a touch of honey. Thanks for your fine efforts Rob !
*Asher*- Opened and poured well into a wet glass. Aroma hints of northern brewer. Upon tasting was met by a huge carbonic bite fraught with spices & fusils. So I knocked a heap of carbonation out and this beer turned into something a little more malt driven with plenty of fruit. Finishing nice and dry, with a slight tannic harshness/earthiness complementing or thanks to the NB hopping.


*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.
*Goat*: Not huge carbonation, but enough to develop a thinish white head. Not sure about the "belgian pear ester" - I think its more French/Swiss border pear... but there is definately that sort of fruit in the aroma in there. slightly hazy in with a golden straw colour. Nice full mouthfeel, slightly sweet - which works well with the moderatly alcoholy aftertaste. Nice beer.
*Churchy-* Lightly carbed and a honey kinda colour!Fruity flavour to hide the alcohol.Is that why my head is starting to spin and the fact I haven't eaten anything!
*kook:* This should have won the label comp (no offense Linc); boobs should always win. Pours a hazy orange colour with a short white head. Initially some light banana in the nose, then pear and peaches come through. As it warms a little, spice becomes more evident. Big mouthfeel, personally a little too full in the finish for me. Great flavours, pear, peaches, toffee apples and light peppery spice. Some citrus flavours there too. As noted by others, the alcohol is very well hidden. Personally I'd prefer this a few points drier, as I think there is a little too much sweetness. Still a great beer though, thanks Clay!
*Asher*- smooth malt dominates for me. It hides the ABV very well before emerging as a warmth right on the finish. The esters a little frazzled by spices maybe from a ferment temp pushed to the upper limit of acceptable. Still a very drinkable beer containing plenty of those intangibles that just make feel like your back in Belgium.
*brendanos:* 15/1 Pours an almost brilliant orange with low head and low retention. Aroma dominated by tropical fruit salad candy and a lightly spicey phenolic, some fudge like malt character. Flavour is bready with a medium body which is balanced by the alcohol, carbonation and spice-like astringency. A nice, drinkable beer, though I think Asher & Kook are on the money - a cleaner ferment and slightly higher attenuation would be welcome improvements! I'm just a little concerned that much of the fruitiness may be acetaldehyde and am wondering if my body can break down a longneck's worth (no offense Clay!)

*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*
*Cubbie*Pours very very pale, bubbly head that disappears almost immediately, little bit of chill haze.. Could wait a little while longer to open but it is well carbonated now. The tartness and sourness of the fermentation comes through though it is not overpowering. Lemon notes in the taste and aroma with no hop. I feel like I want to pour it over some ice and drink like a cider. Goes nice with the blue brie I am eating right now.

*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*
*RR* Feeling thirsty, i dove into some of my bottle stores and cracked what i thought was one of my bottled porters to see how it was going, i had a quick whiff and noticed it had a bit of a amarillo? hop flavour and then had a look and thought to myself hey it's a bit lighter than my porter is, then it clicked to me that bf's contribution was unlabeled, i was definitely a welcome change from what i was expecting to drink so in my case the "no label" worked a treat!
I really enjoyed this beer, had no idea what style it was or anything like that just thought it was a good honest drinking beer if that makes sense. I thought it was well balanced. Nice and malty up front then a bit of a lingering bitterness with a bit of an english? yeast ester thing going on. i'll have to look the recipe up to confirm these thing i could be way off the bat but that's what i got out of it. when i found this thread again suprised no one else has cracked it yet? 


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!
*Mika* :- Not bad, but well below the standard of Tasty V1.0 I got to sample back before Christmas. The hops are still strong but seem to be fading out. Power of suggestion or whatever, but I think I get some cardboard coming thru ? The malt profile is a lot more present as well though still comes across clean. I got a serious hop haze with the occassional floating bits/chunks, though nowhere near as bad as Rob's pic. Overall still a good beer and a welcome inclusion to the case as always.
*brendanos:* 7/1 Brilliant (i guess I got lucky?) amber with large, dense fine white head - looks absolutely stunning. Huge greeting aroma of ripe, juicey tropical fruits, skunky, piney hops and vanilla ice cream. Very appetising! Strong but smooth bitterness, very well controlled. Great rich hop flavour supported by a light malt sweetness and medium body. A pleasure to drink. The bitterness is so damn good!!
MC:Mine was quite hazy and came complete with flowers floating on the head. I loved this beer and was very impressed. Brendan's description - "controlled" - nails it. Bigger beers can get a bit clumsy, but this one was smooth and balanced throughout.

*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*
*Churchy*-Had to drink it now, nice dark colour almost black and good carbonation.Could really taste the chocolate malt and not over powering, very enjoyable to drink.

*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol: 
*Churchy-* This went down really well after a bike ride, nice aroma hops and bittering hops.
*VtPA*: The case of Cases case beer, loved it. More of a hop cordial really, totally imbalanced with a hop overload that worked well in a lower gravity beer.
*Goat*: This is a goodun. Pours a bit hazy but with a nice deep colour. Head is a bit anxious, but decanting and then into a glass sorted that nicely. Is it my imagination or is there some hops in this sucker ?! Certainly does dominate the flavour - but in a good way. While the hop flavour /nose / bitterness are all good, I would love to taste this with a less pronounced involvement, cos I'm reminded of a Fullers ESB in the malt - very nice ! Don't know how you managed the body for 3.7%, but she's a wee ripper ! 
*Dchap: *Quite the challenge to offset that amount of alpha acid with that amount of gravity. Well done Case ! Loved the dark amber color. It would be interesting to try this less carbed up. It really packs a sharp punch up front that lingers on and on 

*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.
*Churchy-*This was a nice beer Nev and my dad loved it as well.Hops were all together and carbonation just right.
*Asher*- Ripe Bananna esters up front with a hint of spice to enhance. Esters were quickly swallowed up by melanoidins, caramels and dark toffee. This was probably due to low to moderate carbonation in this bottle. Flavours were all there with phelols contributing to a creamy warm finish Nice.
*Mika* :- I got the nice bready/dark malt flavours. If the banana's there it's very subdued (for me). I'd class it as very very similar to any German dunkel weizen I've tried. Enjoyed it, thanks Nev.

*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.
*Cubbie* First one for me. Poured very pale staw colour with a little bit of haze. Small tight head that lingered to near the end. Hint of banana and peach. Very easy to drink, do well as a session beer or just a nice cold referesher. For me I would like just a touch more body.
*Asher*- Dropped brite with a couple of weeks ccing. Bananna/fruit/lolly aromatics morphing into daicetyl to my sensitive palate... Gone after the first mouthful. A crisp, tasty thirst quencher. 
*Mika* :- I got more of an apricot and pear aroma from the opening rather than the Banana everyone's babbling about. Nice soft malt profile, seemed very clean and inoffensive to me. Was very glad for the keg filled bottles as it meant I could enjoy every last drop. Noice !
*GB*Started out with a phsss but poured with a small head and a haze. I think it lost its carbonation on transfer which I think let this beer down. On the nose I got some sweet malt notes and a slight hint of the hops but it was over run by the esters. l know how hard these style of beers are to nail! I did like the balance of the sweet malt and the bitterness.The bitterness whilst being noticeable wasnt harsh and just lasted in my mouth long enough to enjoy. A medium bodied Aussie lager.Thanks Tony a good beer on a hot day.

*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.
*kook:* Quite dead on opening, squishy bottle. Poured with a bit of distance and it generated a tight, small off white head. Looks like a good cask ale actually, slightly hazy deep dark amber in colour, edging on brown. Brilliant hop aroma, juicy fruit, tropical fruits, fresh cut grass and floral notes all come through. Medium bodied, mouthfeel is accentuated by the low carbonation. Great melanoidiny background malt character, with some light toasty notes. The hops are the show here though, big, juicy fruit flavours and a nice firm (but in no way harsh) bitterness. Great beer, very drinkable and moreish.
*Dchap: *Mmmmmm, nicely balanced with a lowish carb which worked well for this one I reckon. I really enjoyed the toastiness that popped out at the end  
*Asher*- Chestnut haze. Sweet floral hop aromas waft up despite carbonation levels. Crispy lemonade/frosty fruit hop flavours jump out above a complex roasty malt that morphs into a lingering bitterness. Quite drinkable. Like to try this on a hand pump. 

*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.



*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*
*Cubbie* Thought I would try and review my own beer. Pours deep brown with hints of copper. Tight tan head although it was not lasting. Alcohol and small amount of chocolate on the nose same in the taste. Slightly dry. This is quite different to the sample that I shared at the case swap (different batch), I would say Roy has short changed me on one of the speciality malts. Still fairly clean beer, will be better with a bit more time. Not sure I am on style here.

*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
*VtPA:* Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.
*ausdb* I think I tasted this beer at the swap day as I remember Kenworthy pouring me a glass of something with Galaxy and NS at some stage, but this one to me was completely different. I pick a distinct NS gooseberry and cats pi$ aroma and it is a lovely pale gold and straw colour but I am torn between deciding if it is just too overbittered with the Galaxy overload effect or signs of an infection when I taste it. I can taste the quinine/grapefruitiness that ant tastes but also get the sourness that others have picked. It would be really nice to see your recipe to compare your hopping schedule with my taste perceptions.
sinkas: unfortunatley my bottle opened, with a 2 foot gush, threid to drink the geiser,and it had a really odd harsh flavour, so vented the rest outside
*MC*: Mine didn't gush, but the carbonation was insane. I struggled to pour less than 50% head and then it kept climbing out of the glass. The most turbulent carbonation I have ever seen - pretty cool actually, like a lava lamp on crack. Loved the hop aroma and the taste at the start of the mouthful was fantastic, but it turned nasty as I swallowed. There was a harsh bitterness and reading the reviews above, "quinine" (tonic water) seems to describe it best. I think a bug has beaten me to this beer which is a pisser because it started out beautifully.
*Dchap: *Not a gusher but a 10% beer 90% head scenario. That said that pulled the carb levels down and helped reduce the 'bite'. Nice floral aromas, big big bitterness and quinine is a good descriptor but I found it to be quite nice  Thanks bloke !
*GB* Poured well with a lot of carbonation to support a head that lasted till the end. Heaps of hop profiles happening, including most of those hops I dont like, funny lager drinker me. It did present as hazy but this could just be hop haze ? Good colour for this style of ale. I thought there was some sourness initially (faded as it settled) on the nose but could not find it in the mouth, I have put it down to carbonic acid nose bite.The body is well structured to support the bitterness but the bitterness kept wacking me back every time I licked my lips. Mate I am burping up hops and stir fried noodles and enjoying the contrast of the two flavors. I think it works but Im sure my lips are being embalmed in hop bittering acids .I would like to know your water profile to see why the bitterness is intense. Thanks its a very interesting beer and Im sure I will be tasting it for the rest of the night. Burp....
*Mika* :- Low carb with a very thin head that must have had something better to do because it didn't hang around. My version really wasn't that bitter. It was perhaps a little harsh(ish) but I find that more of a character of the Nelson Sauvin hops than anything the brewer has done wrong. Hop flavour was nice, but certainly not huge for style, it did balance pretty well with the body of the beer, though I'd personally like to see more hop flavour and bitterness, though others reviews say otherwise. I could taste a little background malt flavour that I wasn't a huge fan of, but can't really put it down to anything, perhaps just JW malt (WAG).

*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.
*sinkas*: nice bananary aroma, drinkable but quite heavy in the clove flavour to me
*MC*: Lovely banana bread aroma. To me, the clove was almost more of a cinamon flavour which was something I haven't encountered before, but I enjoyed it. Not quite as dry as I expected, but balanced and easy drinking.
*Asher*- Some nice banana aromatics. Flavour dominated by big spicy phenols which has me questioning ferment over recipe. Went well with Spaghetti & pork meatballs


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## randyrob (20/1/10)

Dear Simon,

You Boast a "Single Post Thread" but this thing is starting to spand the entire galaxy.
i don't know about anyone else but i'm starting to get worried you've gone awol :blink: 

Yours Sincerely
Rob.


P.s. the only thing that seems appropriate now is BUM!


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## brendanos (22/1/10)

I'm disoriented by the hustle and bustle of all these posts and despondant that even meaningless jibber jabber such as this post may remain unmoderated.... FOREVER.......


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## mika (22/1/10)

brendanos said:


> I'm disoriented by the hustle and bustle of all these posts and despondant that even meaningless jibber jabber such as this post may remain unmoderated.... FOREVER.......



Brendan, I'd like to lay your fears to rest and ease your mind that as soon as the capn returns everything will be...... ahh, stuff it...... BUM !


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## Asher (22/1/10)

You guys can go a long way to cleaning this thread up by yourselves.... by just deleting your own obsolete postings!


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## brendanos (23/1/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !
*ausdb* First bottle of the case for me, no point trying to taste beers with a cold. Even after 3 weeks in my study it is very very very well carbonated even and even with a careful pour I only managed 1/3 beer with 2/3 rocky head in a pint glass. On the nose I get fruity but not distinctly cascade aroma's which is surprising considering the tweaking it received with the magic hop potion. Flavourwise there is a hint of dark malts but the carbonation was too high and the tended to overpower most of the flavours for me. I must go past GL's and have one straight from the tap, as this bottle tastes like a completely different beer to how it normally tastes for me.
*Cubbie* First pour produce a very large head, white a fluffy and hangs around. Lovely dark copper colour. Reasonably dry and perhaps a little over carbed. Honey and toffee in the aroma and on the pallet. Like the balance of the bitterns and hops. Nice all round beer, tasty.
*brendanos:* 15/1 huge carbonation, dense white head with large bubbles. Aroma of cordial (icey poles?), almost blackcurrent like fruitiness. Reasonably dry with a light toasty malt flavour and a biting carbonation that accentuates a lowish bitterness. Earthy, pithy (mandarin/grapefruit?), and lightly spice flavours create some interest but overall the beer is light, refreshing, and sessionable.

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*
*sinkas:* a very drinkable if yet a little unusually flavoured beer, for some reason I assume there is only NS hops, but I got a real stone fruit flavour also, only crit was maybe a bit heavy in mouth feel for the abv, but het it was certianly enjoyable


*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.
*Asher* - Thick Shag Pile Magic Malt Carpet. It takes every bit of the 100IBU & ABV to keep this weave from floating away. Balanced. I made the same mistake Tony did! ( I have never had a beer that blew out my buds like this baby) Drink it alone and on its own! Tasty 


*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too :-( Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year ! 
*Churchy*- Had a nice straw colour but had a really lemon bittery taste.
*Asher* - Nice underlying malt flavours. Strong Butyric Rubber flavours dominate over esters. Tastes like a good recipe just a hickup at the fermentation stage.

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!
*sinkas:* goat needs fuggin glasses, a nice rich and sparkling body, not cloudy, spritzy carbonation amplified the bitterness, but all together a great pale ale 
*MC*: Awesome aroma - to my nose more tropical and over-ripe grape than citrus. Nice toffee taste up front before the hops come smashing through with juicy flavours and a peppery grassiness which is never harsh. I found myself sucking my teeth between sips, so it must have been good..
*Asher* 2/10 for trueness to style! I was expecting a murky underattenuated ale but was presented with a near brite beer with good foam stand that finished nice and dry. Critically, the hop profile felt a little one dimensional (dont know if more varietys in recipy would remedy. Maybe smaller additions over more times. Or maybe I should have let warm up a bit more)
*brendanos:* 22/1 Beautiful copper colour (seems clear to me!) with dense creamy white head with awesome retention. Toffee and caramel malt aroma with perhaps a hint of butter, and a moderate US hop aroma (juicey fruits). Aroma is very pleasant, clean and humble. Flavour is a good balance of hops (starfruit, resinous, stonefruit) and light malt (caramel). Medium bodied and decidedly bitter though particularly smooth and elegant. Finishes smooth with a lingering soft bitterness and hop/malt flavours. Overall clean, deftly balanced and very enjoyable.


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!  
*sinkas:* nice punchy IPA, with a creaminess from the rabbit juice
*Churchy*- This was a little too bitter for me but still drank it.
*Goat*: I am drinking this side by side with a white rabbit ale and there is a definite close similarity in terms of colour and the dense creamy head - the commercial is a bit brighter (being not bottle conditioned etc). on the nose, I'm getting a bit of smokey.... <has taste>.... have you used that bloody bacon grain stuff ? Definatley getting strong rauchmalt flavour in that. As a result, I will refrain from further comment on the taste - eveything has turned bacon. Quite well balanced with moderate bitterness. Good mouth feel - creamier and fuller than the domesticated version. I find the commercial version a little bland, there is nothing in there that stands out - I was expecting a bit malt hit, but i don't get that at all.

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*kook:* Saison. Pours hazy golden in colour, with a persistent medium white head. Great aroma of pineapple, rotting fruit (in a good way!), apples, pears and spicy pepper. Mouthfeel is wonderful. Silky smooth in the beginning, yet still dry in the finish. Huge pineapple flavour, almost with some coconut there. Light peppery alcohol spice and some fruit derived sweetness too. Very drinkable stuff mika!
*Goat*: Pours with a keen fluffy head that has settled into a dense white layer with lacing on the glass. Colour exactly as Kook writes. Subtle spiciness with fruity highlights - pear being my best approximation. Finish is slightly sweet but not cloying. I'd like to taste this alonside a Leffe Blonde, cos I reckon its bloody close. Very drinkable beer. 


*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.
*Goat*: Based on the above comments, I opened this baby over the sink. No gushing, though there was a healthy hiss - a slow pour resulted in a decent pint with an inch of fluffy white head. Slighlty hazy copper colour. Sweet maltiness on the nose. Maltiness carries through to the taste with a hint of fruit. Not much in the way of bitterness or hop flavour. Like GL suggests, its a bit of a nostaglia trip for me.
*kook:* I didn't read any of this, and opened it haphazard. There was a little initial "spray" of beer, but no gushing or foaming. Took a little bit of time to off gas in the glass, but I think it adds to the experience. Colour is a slightly hazy light amber, with a huge (60% of glass) fluffy white head. Initial aroma is quite spicy, with light peppery alcohol notes. As it rests a bit, some great malt notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Nice light body, dry finish. Flavour is quite clean, nice honey-like malt notes, very balanced bitterness level. Some light earthy hop notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Very quaffable halfluck offering!
*Dchap: *Big carb hiss but no gush. Nice coppery hue. This is my first Steam Beer experience and won't be my last  Light, balanced, bready aroma and on the palate too. I didn't get too much of the esters but perhaps a touch of honey. Thanks for your fine efforts Rob !
*Asher*- Opened and poured well into a wet glass. Aroma hints of northern brewer. Upon tasting was met by a huge carbonic bite fraught with spices & fusils. So I knocked a heap of carbonation out and this beer turned into something a little more malt driven with plenty of fruit. Finishing nice and dry, with a slight tannic harshness/earthiness complementing or thanks to the NB hopping.


*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.
*Goat*: Not huge carbonation, but enough to develop a thinish white head. Not sure about the "belgian pear ester" - I think its more French/Swiss border pear... but there is definately that sort of fruit in the aroma in there. slightly hazy in with a golden straw colour. Nice full mouthfeel, slightly sweet - which works well with the moderatly alcoholy aftertaste. Nice beer.
*Churchy-* Lightly carbed and a honey kinda colour!Fruity flavour to hide the alcohol.Is that why my head is starting to spin and the fact I haven't eaten anything!
*kook:* This should have won the label comp (no offense Linc); boobs should always win. Pours a hazy orange colour with a short white head. Initially some light banana in the nose, then pear and peaches come through. As it warms a little, spice becomes more evident. Big mouthfeel, personally a little too full in the finish for me. Great flavours, pear, peaches, toffee apples and light peppery spice. Some citrus flavours there too. As noted by others, the alcohol is very well hidden. Personally I'd prefer this a few points drier, as I think there is a little too much sweetness. Still a great beer though, thanks Clay!
*Asher*- smooth malt dominates for me. It hides the ABV very well before emerging as a warmth right on the finish. The esters a little frazzled by spices maybe from a ferment temp pushed to the upper limit of acceptable. Still a very drinkable beer containing plenty of those intangibles that just make feel like your back in Belgium.
*brendanos:* 15/1 Pours an almost brilliant orange with low head and low retention. Aroma dominated by tropical fruit salad candy and a lightly spicey phenolic, some fudge like malt character. Flavour is bready with a medium body which is balanced by the alcohol, carbonation and spice-like astringency. A nice, drinkable beer, though I think Asher & Kook are on the money - a cleaner ferment and slightly higher attenuation would be welcome improvements! I'm just a little concerned that much of the fruitiness may be acetaldehyde and am wondering if my body can break down a longneck's worth (no offense Clay!)

*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*
*Cubbie*Pours very very pale, bubbly head that disappears almost immediately, little bit of chill haze.. Could wait a little while longer to open but it is well carbonated now. The tartness and sourness of the fermentation comes through though it is not overpowering. Lemon notes in the taste and aroma with no hop. I feel like I want to pour it over some ice and drink like a cider. Goes nice with the blue brie I am eating right now.

*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*
*RR* Feeling thirsty, i dove into some of my bottle stores and cracked what i thought was one of my bottled porters to see how it was going, i had a quick whiff and noticed it had a bit of a amarillo? hop flavour and then had a look and thought to myself hey it's a bit lighter than my porter is, then it clicked to me that bf's contribution was unlabeled, i was definitely a welcome change from what i was expecting to drink so in my case the "no label" worked a treat!
I really enjoyed this beer, had no idea what style it was or anything like that just thought it was a good honest drinking beer if that makes sense. I thought it was well balanced. Nice and malty up front then a bit of a lingering bitterness with a bit of an english? yeast ester thing going on. i'll have to look the recipe up to confirm these thing i could be way off the bat but that's what i got out of it. when i found this thread again suprised no one else has cracked it yet? 


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!
*Mika* :- Not bad, but well below the standard of Tasty V1.0 I got to sample back before Christmas. The hops are still strong but seem to be fading out. Power of suggestion or whatever, but I think I get some cardboard coming thru ? The malt profile is a lot more present as well though still comes across clean. I got a serious hop haze with the occassional floating bits/chunks, though nowhere near as bad as Rob's pic. Overall still a good beer and a welcome inclusion to the case as always.
*brendanos:* 7/1 Brilliant (i guess I got lucky?) amber with large, dense fine white head - looks absolutely stunning. Huge greeting aroma of ripe, juicey tropical fruits, skunky, piney hops and vanilla ice cream. Very appetising! Strong but smooth bitterness, very well controlled. Great rich hop flavour supported by a light malt sweetness and medium body. A pleasure to drink. The bitterness is so damn good!!
MC:Mine was quite hazy and came complete with flowers floating on the head. I loved this beer and was very impressed. Brendan's description - "controlled" - nails it. Bigger beers can get a bit clumsy, but this one was smooth and balanced throughout.

*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*
*Churchy*-Had to drink it now, nice dark colour almost black and good carbonation.Could really taste the chocolate malt and not over powering, very enjoyable to drink.

*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol: 
*Churchy-* This went down really well after a bike ride, nice aroma hops and bittering hops.
*VtPA*: The case of Cases case beer, loved it. More of a hop cordial really, totally imbalanced with a hop overload that worked well in a lower gravity beer.
*Goat*: This is a goodun. Pours a bit hazy but with a nice deep colour. Head is a bit anxious, but decanting and then into a glass sorted that nicely. Is it my imagination or is there some hops in this sucker ?! Certainly does dominate the flavour - but in a good way. While the hop flavour /nose / bitterness are all good, I would love to taste this with a less pronounced involvement, cos I'm reminded of a Fullers ESB in the malt - very nice ! Don't know how you managed the body for 3.7%, but she's a wee ripper ! 
*Dchap: *Quite the challenge to offset that amount of alpha acid with that amount of gravity. Well done Case ! Loved the dark amber color. It would be interesting to try this less carbed up. It really packs a sharp punch up front that lingers on and on 

*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.
*Churchy-*This was a nice beer Nev and my dad loved it as well.Hops were all together and carbonation just right.
*Asher*- Ripe Bananna esters up front with a hint of spice to enhance. Esters were quickly swallowed up by melanoidins, caramels and dark toffee. This was probably due to low to moderate carbonation in this bottle. Flavours were all there with phelols contributing to a creamy warm finish Nice.
*Mika* :- I got the nice bready/dark malt flavours. If the banana's there it's very subdued (for me). I'd class it as very very similar to any German dunkel weizen I've tried. Enjoyed it, thanks Nev.

*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.
*Cubbie* First one for me. Poured very pale staw colour with a little bit of haze. Small tight head that lingered to near the end. Hint of banana and peach. Very easy to drink, do well as a session beer or just a nice cold referesher. For me I would like just a touch more body.
*Asher*- Dropped brite with a couple of weeks ccing. Bananna/fruit/lolly aromatics morphing into daicetyl to my sensitive palate... Gone after the first mouthful. A crisp, tasty thirst quencher. 
*Mika* :- I got more of an apricot and pear aroma from the opening rather than the Banana everyone's babbling about. Nice soft malt profile, seemed very clean and inoffensive to me. Was very glad for the keg filled bottles as it meant I could enjoy every last drop. Noice !
*GB*Started out with a phsss but poured with a small head and a haze. I think it lost its carbonation on transfer which I think let this beer down. On the nose I got some sweet malt notes and a slight hint of the hops but it was over run by the esters. l know how hard these style of beers are to nail! I did like the balance of the sweet malt and the bitterness.The bitterness whilst being noticeable wasnt harsh and just lasted in my mouth long enough to enjoy. A medium bodied Aussie lager.Thanks Tony a good beer on a hot day.

*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.
*kook:* Quite dead on opening, squishy bottle. Poured with a bit of distance and it generated a tight, small off white head. Looks like a good cask ale actually, slightly hazy deep dark amber in colour, edging on brown. Brilliant hop aroma, juicy fruit, tropical fruits, fresh cut grass and floral notes all come through. Medium bodied, mouthfeel is accentuated by the low carbonation. Great melanoidiny background malt character, with some light toasty notes. The hops are the show here though, big, juicy fruit flavours and a nice firm (but in no way harsh) bitterness. Great beer, very drinkable and moreish.
*Dchap: *Mmmmmm, nicely balanced with a lowish carb which worked well for this one I reckon. I really enjoyed the toastiness that popped out at the end  
*Asher*- Chestnut haze. Sweet floral hop aromas waft up despite carbonation levels. Crispy lemonade/frosty fruit hop flavours jump out above a complex roasty malt that morphs into a lingering bitterness. Quite drinkable. Like to try this on a hand pump. 

*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.



*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*
*Cubbie* Thought I would try and review my own beer. Pours deep brown with hints of copper. Tight tan head although it was not lasting. Alcohol and small amount of chocolate on the nose same in the taste. Slightly dry. This is quite different to the sample that I shared at the case swap (different batch), I would say Roy has short changed me on one of the speciality malts. Still fairly clean beer, will be better with a bit more time. Not sure I am on style here.

*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
*VtPA:* Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.
*ausdb* I think I tasted this beer at the swap day as I remember Kenworthy pouring me a glass of something with Galaxy and NS at some stage, but this one to me was completely different. I pick a distinct NS gooseberry and cats pi$ aroma and it is a lovely pale gold and straw colour but I am torn between deciding if it is just too overbittered with the Galaxy overload effect or signs of an infection when I taste it. I can taste the quinine/grapefruitiness that ant tastes but also get the sourness that others have picked. It would be really nice to see your recipe to compare your hopping schedule with my taste perceptions.
sinkas: unfortunatley my bottle opened, with a 2 foot gush, threid to drink the geiser,and it had a really odd harsh flavour, so vented the rest outside
*MC*: Mine didn't gush, but the carbonation was insane. I struggled to pour less than 50% head and then it kept climbing out of the glass. The most turbulent carbonation I have ever seen - pretty cool actually, like a lava lamp on crack. Loved the hop aroma and the taste at the start of the mouthful was fantastic, but it turned nasty as I swallowed. There was a harsh bitterness and reading the reviews above, "quinine" (tonic water) seems to describe it best. I think a bug has beaten me to this beer which is a pisser because it started out beautifully.
*Dchap: *Not a gusher but a 10% beer 90% head scenario. That said that pulled the carb levels down and helped reduce the 'bite'. Nice floral aromas, big big bitterness and quinine is a good descriptor but I found it to be quite nice  Thanks bloke !
*GB* Poured well with a lot of carbonation to support a head that lasted till the end. Heaps of hop profiles happening, including most of those hops I dont like, funny lager drinker me. It did present as hazy but this could just be hop haze ? Good colour for this style of ale. I thought there was some sourness initially (faded as it settled) on the nose but could not find it in the mouth, I have put it down to carbonic acid nose bite.The body is well structured to support the bitterness but the bitterness kept wacking me back every time I licked my lips. Mate I am burping up hops and stir fried noodles and enjoying the contrast of the two flavors. I think it works but Im sure my lips are being embalmed in hop bittering acids .I would like to know your water profile to see why the bitterness is intense. Thanks its a very interesting beer and Im sure I will be tasting it for the rest of the night. Burp....
*Mika* :- Low carb with a very thin head that must have had something better to do because it didn't hang around. My version really wasn't that bitter. It was perhaps a little harsh(ish) but I find that more of a character of the Nelson Sauvin hops than anything the brewer has done wrong. Hop flavour was nice, but certainly not huge for style, it did balance pretty well with the body of the beer, though I'd personally like to see more hop flavour and bitterness, though others reviews say otherwise. I could taste a little background malt flavour that I wasn't a huge fan of, but can't really put it down to anything, perhaps just JW malt (WAG).

*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.
*sinkas*: nice bananary aroma, drinkable but quite heavy in the clove flavour to me
*MC*: Lovely banana bread aroma. To me, the clove was almost more of a cinamon flavour which was something I haven't encountered before, but I enjoyed it. Not quite as dry as I expected, but balanced and easy drinking.
*Asher*- Some nice banana aromatics. Flavour dominated by big spicy phenols which has me questioning ferment over recipe. Went well with Spaghetti & pork meatballs


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## brendanos (23/1/10)

Asher said:


> You guys can go a long way to cleaning this thread up by yourselves.... by just deleting your own obsolete postings!



Sorry Asher, it's all or nothing for me.


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## randyrob (23/1/10)

Asher said:


> You guys can go a long way to cleaning this thread up by yourselves.... by just deleting your own obsolete postings!




Self Moderation?

it's never been one of my strong points....


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## kook (24/1/10)

BUM!


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## kook (24/1/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !
*ausdb* First bottle of the case for me, no point trying to taste beers with a cold. Even after 3 weeks in my study it is very very very well carbonated even and even with a careful pour I only managed 1/3 beer with 2/3 rocky head in a pint glass. On the nose I get fruity but not distinctly cascade aroma's which is surprising considering the tweaking it received with the magic hop potion. Flavourwise there is a hint of dark malts but the carbonation was too high and the tended to overpower most of the flavours for me. I must go past GL's and have one straight from the tap, as this bottle tastes like a completely different beer to how it normally tastes for me.
*Cubbie* First pour produce a very large head, white a fluffy and hangs around. Lovely dark copper colour. Reasonably dry and perhaps a little over carbed. Honey and toffee in the aroma and on the pallet. Like the balance of the bitterns and hops. Nice all round beer, tasty.
*brendanos:* 15/1 huge carbonation, dense white head with large bubbles. Aroma of cordial (icey poles?), almost blackcurrent like fruitiness. Reasonably dry with a light toasty malt flavour and a biting carbonation that accentuates a lowish bitterness. Earthy, pithy (mandarin/grapefruit?), and lightly spice flavours create some interest but overall the beer is light, refreshing, and sessionable.

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*
*sinkas:* a very drinkable if yet a little unusually flavoured beer, for some reason I assume there is only NS hops, but I got a real stone fruit flavour also, only crit was maybe a bit heavy in mouth feel for the abv, but het it was certianly enjoyable
*kook:* Nice aroma - banana, fresh bready yeast, light toast and spice. Muddy light brown in colour, almost tarnished bronze. Persistent medium white head. Flavour was a strange mix of rubbery plastic, fruity hops and light spice. Medium-full bodied, but dry in the finish. Interesting, but the plasticy flavour was a little offputting and overpowering, suspect this was a fermentation byproduct?


*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.
*Asher* - Thick Shag Pile Magic Malt Carpet. It takes every bit of the 100IBU & ABV to keep this weave from floating away. Balanced. I made the same mistake Tony did! ( I have never had a beer that blew out my buds like this baby) Drink it alone and on its own! Tasty 


*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too :-( Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year ! 
*Churchy*- Had a nice straw colour but had a really lemon bittery taste.
*Asher* - Nice underlying malt flavours. Strong Butyric Rubber flavours dominate over esters. Tastes like a good recipe just a hickup at the fermentation stage.

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!
*sinkas:* goat needs fuggin glasses, a nice rich and sparkling body, not cloudy, spritzy carbonation amplified the bitterness, but all together a great pale ale 
*MC*: Awesome aroma - to my nose more tropical and over-ripe grape than citrus. Nice toffee taste up front before the hops come smashing through with juicy flavours and a peppery grassiness which is never harsh. I found myself sucking my teeth between sips, so it must have been good..
*Asher* 2/10 for trueness to style! I was expecting a murky underattenuated ale but was presented with a near brite beer with good foam stand that finished nice and dry. Critically, the hop profile felt a little one dimensional (dont know if more varietys in recipy would remedy. Maybe smaller additions over more times. Or maybe I should have let warm up a bit more)
*brendanos:* 22/1 Beautiful copper colour (seems clear to me!) with dense creamy white head with awesome retention. Toffee and caramel malt aroma with perhaps a hint of butter, and a moderate US hop aroma (juicey fruits). Aroma is very pleasant, clean and humble. Flavour is a good balance of hops (starfruit, resinous, stonefruit) and light malt (caramel). Medium bodied and decidedly bitter though particularly smooth and elegant. Finishes smooth with a lingering soft bitterness and hop/malt flavours. Overall clean, deftly balanced and very enjoyable.


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!  
*sinkas:* nice punchy IPA, with a creaminess from the rabbit juice
*Churchy*- This was a little too bitter for me but still drank it.
*Goat*: I am drinking this side by side with a white rabbit ale and there is a definite close similarity in terms of colour and the dense creamy head - the commercial is a bit brighter (being not bottle conditioned etc). on the nose, I'm getting a bit of smokey.... <has taste>.... have you used that bloody bacon grain stuff ? Definatley getting strong rauchmalt flavour in that. As a result, I will refrain from further comment on the taste - eveything has turned bacon. Quite well balanced with moderate bitterness. Good mouth feel - creamier and fuller than the domesticated version. I find the commercial version a little bland, there is nothing in there that stands out - I was expecting a bit malt hit, but i don't get that at all.

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*kook:* Saison. Pours hazy golden in colour, with a persistent medium white head. Great aroma of pineapple, rotting fruit (in a good way!), apples, pears and spicy pepper. Mouthfeel is wonderful. Silky smooth in the beginning, yet still dry in the finish. Huge pineapple flavour, almost with some coconut there. Light peppery alcohol spice and some fruit derived sweetness too. Very drinkable stuff mika!
*Goat*: Pours with a keen fluffy head that has settled into a dense white layer with lacing on the glass. Colour exactly as Kook writes. Subtle spiciness with fruity highlights - pear being my best approximation. Finish is slightly sweet but not cloying. I'd like to taste this alonside a Leffe Blonde, cos I reckon its bloody close. Very drinkable beer. 


*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.
*Goat*: Based on the above comments, I opened this baby over the sink. No gushing, though there was a healthy hiss - a slow pour resulted in a decent pint with an inch of fluffy white head. Slighlty hazy copper colour. Sweet maltiness on the nose. Maltiness carries through to the taste with a hint of fruit. Not much in the way of bitterness or hop flavour. Like GL suggests, its a bit of a nostaglia trip for me.
*kook:* I didn't read any of this, and opened it haphazard. There was a little initial "spray" of beer, but no gushing or foaming. Took a little bit of time to off gas in the glass, but I think it adds to the experience. Colour is a slightly hazy light amber, with a huge (60% of glass) fluffy white head. Initial aroma is quite spicy, with light peppery alcohol notes. As it rests a bit, some great malt notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Nice light body, dry finish. Flavour is quite clean, nice honey-like malt notes, very balanced bitterness level. Some light earthy hop notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Very quaffable halfluck offering!
*Dchap: *Big carb hiss but no gush. Nice coppery hue. This is my first Steam Beer experience and won't be my last  Light, balanced, bready aroma and on the palate too. I didn't get too much of the esters but perhaps a touch of honey. Thanks for your fine efforts Rob !
*Asher*- Opened and poured well into a wet glass. Aroma hints of northern brewer. Upon tasting was met by a huge carbonic bite fraught with spices & fusils. So I knocked a heap of carbonation out and this beer turned into something a little more malt driven with plenty of fruit. Finishing nice and dry, with a slight tannic harshness/earthiness complementing or thanks to the NB hopping.


*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.
*Goat*: Not huge carbonation, but enough to develop a thinish white head. Not sure about the "belgian pear ester" - I think its more French/Swiss border pear... but there is definately that sort of fruit in the aroma in there. slightly hazy in with a golden straw colour. Nice full mouthfeel, slightly sweet - which works well with the moderatly alcoholy aftertaste. Nice beer.
*Churchy-* Lightly carbed and a honey kinda colour!Fruity flavour to hide the alcohol.Is that why my head is starting to spin and the fact I haven't eaten anything!
*kook:* This should have won the label comp (no offense Linc); boobs should always win. Pours a hazy orange colour with a short white head. Initially some light banana in the nose, then pear and peaches come through. As it warms a little, spice becomes more evident. Big mouthfeel, personally a little too full in the finish for me. Great flavours, pear, peaches, toffee apples and light peppery spice. Some citrus flavours there too. As noted by others, the alcohol is very well hidden. Personally I'd prefer this a few points drier, as I think there is a little too much sweetness. Still a great beer though, thanks Clay!
*Asher*- smooth malt dominates for me. It hides the ABV very well before emerging as a warmth right on the finish. The esters a little frazzled by spices maybe from a ferment temp pushed to the upper limit of acceptable. Still a very drinkable beer containing plenty of those intangibles that just make feel like your back in Belgium.
*brendanos:* 15/1 Pours an almost brilliant orange with low head and low retention. Aroma dominated by tropical fruit salad candy and a lightly spicey phenolic, some fudge like malt character. Flavour is bready with a medium body which is balanced by the alcohol, carbonation and spice-like astringency. A nice, drinkable beer, though I think Asher & Kook are on the money - a cleaner ferment and slightly higher attenuation would be welcome improvements! I'm just a little concerned that much of the fruitiness may be acetaldehyde and am wondering if my body can break down a longneck's worth (no offense Clay!)

*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*
*Cubbie*Pours very very pale, bubbly head that disappears almost immediately, little bit of chill haze.. Could wait a little while longer to open but it is well carbonated now. The tartness and sourness of the fermentation comes through though it is not overpowering. Lemon notes in the taste and aroma with no hop. I feel like I want to pour it over some ice and drink like a cider. Goes nice with the blue brie I am eating right now.

*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*
*RR* Feeling thirsty, i dove into some of my bottle stores and cracked what i thought was one of my bottled porters to see how it was going, i had a quick whiff and noticed it had a bit of a amarillo? hop flavour and then had a look and thought to myself hey it's a bit lighter than my porter is, then it clicked to me that bf's contribution was unlabeled, i was definitely a welcome change from what i was expecting to drink so in my case the "no label" worked a treat!
I really enjoyed this beer, had no idea what style it was or anything like that just thought it was a good honest drinking beer if that makes sense. I thought it was well balanced. Nice and malty up front then a bit of a lingering bitterness with a bit of an english? yeast ester thing going on. i'll have to look the recipe up to confirm these thing i could be way off the bat but that's what i got out of it. when i found this thread again suprised no one else has cracked it yet? 


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!
*Mika* :- Not bad, but well below the standard of Tasty V1.0 I got to sample back before Christmas. The hops are still strong but seem to be fading out. Power of suggestion or whatever, but I think I get some cardboard coming thru ? The malt profile is a lot more present as well though still comes across clean. I got a serious hop haze with the occassional floating bits/chunks, though nowhere near as bad as Rob's pic. Overall still a good beer and a welcome inclusion to the case as always.
*brendanos:* 7/1 Brilliant (i guess I got lucky?) amber with large, dense fine white head - looks absolutely stunning. Huge greeting aroma of ripe, juicey tropical fruits, skunky, piney hops and vanilla ice cream. Very appetising! Strong but smooth bitterness, very well controlled. Great rich hop flavour supported by a light malt sweetness and medium body. A pleasure to drink. The bitterness is so damn good!!
MC:Mine was quite hazy and came complete with flowers floating on the head. I loved this beer and was very impressed. Brendan's description - "controlled" - nails it. Bigger beers can get a bit clumsy, but this one was smooth and balanced throughout.

*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*
*Churchy*-Had to drink it now, nice dark colour almost black and good carbonation.Could really taste the chocolate malt and not over powering, very enjoyable to drink.

*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol: 
*Churchy-* This went down really well after a bike ride, nice aroma hops and bittering hops.
*VtPA*: The case of Cases case beer, loved it. More of a hop cordial really, totally imbalanced with a hop overload that worked well in a lower gravity beer.
*Goat*: This is a goodun. Pours a bit hazy but with a nice deep colour. Head is a bit anxious, but decanting and then into a glass sorted that nicely. Is it my imagination or is there some hops in this sucker ?! Certainly does dominate the flavour - but in a good way. While the hop flavour /nose / bitterness are all good, I would love to taste this with a less pronounced involvement, cos I'm reminded of a Fullers ESB in the malt - very nice ! Don't know how you managed the body for 3.7%, but she's a wee ripper ! 
*Dchap: *Quite the challenge to offset that amount of alpha acid with that amount of gravity. Well done Case ! Loved the dark amber color. It would be interesting to try this less carbed up. It really packs a sharp punch up front that lingers on and on 
*MC*: A crime against nature, but a very tasty one.

*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.
*Churchy-*This was a nice beer Nev and my dad loved it as well.Hops were all together and carbonation just right.
*Asher*- Ripe Bananna esters up front with a hint of spice to enhance. Esters were quickly swallowed up by melanoidins, caramels and dark toffee. This was probably due to low to moderate carbonation in this bottle. Flavours were all there with phelols contributing to a creamy warm finish Nice.
*Mika* :- I got the nice bready/dark malt flavours. If the banana's there it's very subdued (for me). I'd class it as very very similar to any German dunkel weizen I've tried. Enjoyed it, thanks Nev.

*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.
*Cubbie* First one for me. Poured very pale staw colour with a little bit of haze. Small tight head that lingered to near the end. Hint of banana and peach. Very easy to drink, do well as a session beer or just a nice cold referesher. For me I would like just a touch more body.
*Asher*- Dropped brite with a couple of weeks ccing. Bananna/fruit/lolly aromatics morphing into daicetyl to my sensitive palate... Gone after the first mouthful. A crisp, tasty thirst quencher. 
*Mika* :- I got more of an apricot and pear aroma from the opening rather than the Banana everyone's babbling about. Nice soft malt profile, seemed very clean and inoffensive to me. Was very glad for the keg filled bottles as it meant I could enjoy every last drop. Noice !
*GB*Started out with a phsss but poured with a small head and a haze. I think it lost its carbonation on transfer which I think let this beer down. On the nose I got some sweet malt notes and a slight hint of the hops but it was over run by the esters. l know how hard these style of beers are to nail! I did like the balance of the sweet malt and the bitterness.The bitterness whilst being noticeable wasnt harsh and just lasted in my mouth long enough to enjoy. A medium bodied Aussie lager.Thanks Tony a good beer on a hot day.

*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.
*kook:* Quite dead on opening, squishy bottle. Poured with a bit of distance and it generated a tight, small off white head. Looks like a good cask ale actually, slightly hazy deep dark amber in colour, edging on brown. Brilliant hop aroma, juicy fruit, tropical fruits, fresh cut grass and floral notes all come through. Medium bodied, mouthfeel is accentuated by the low carbonation. Great melanoidiny background malt character, with some light toasty notes. The hops are the show here though, big, juicy fruit flavours and a nice firm (but in no way harsh) bitterness. Great beer, very drinkable and moreish.
*Dchap: *Mmmmmm, nicely balanced with a lowish carb which worked well for this one I reckon. I really enjoyed the toastiness that popped out at the end  
*Asher*- Chestnut haze. Sweet floral hop aromas waft up despite carbonation levels. Crispy lemonade/frosty fruit hop flavours jump out above a complex roasty malt that morphs into a lingering bitterness. Quite drinkable. Like to try this on a hand pump. 

*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.



*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*
*Cubbie* Thought I would try and review my own beer. Pours deep brown with hints of copper. Tight tan head although it was not lasting. Alcohol and small amount of chocolate on the nose same in the taste. Slightly dry. This is quite different to the sample that I shared at the case swap (different batch), I would say Roy has short changed me on one of the speciality malts. Still fairly clean beer, will be better with a bit more time. Not sure I am on style here.

*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
*VtPA:* Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.
*ausdb* I think I tasted this beer at the swap day as I remember Kenworthy pouring me a glass of something with Galaxy and NS at some stage, but this one to me was completely different. I pick a distinct NS gooseberry and cats pi$ aroma and it is a lovely pale gold and straw colour but I am torn between deciding if it is just too overbittered with the Galaxy overload effect or signs of an infection when I taste it. I can taste the quinine/grapefruitiness that ant tastes but also get the sourness that others have picked. It would be really nice to see your recipe to compare your hopping schedule with my taste perceptions.
sinkas: unfortunatley my bottle opened, with a 2 foot gush, threid to drink the geiser,and it had a really odd harsh flavour, so vented the rest outside
*MC*: Mine didn't gush, but the carbonation was insane. I struggled to pour less than 50% head and then it kept climbing out of the glass. The most turbulent carbonation I have ever seen - pretty cool actually, like a lava lamp on crack. Loved the hop aroma and the taste at the start of the mouthful was fantastic, but it turned nasty as I swallowed. There was a harsh bitterness and reading the reviews above, "quinine" (tonic water) seems to describe it best. I think a bug has beaten me to this beer which is a pisser because it started out beautifully.
*Dchap: *Not a gusher but a 10% beer 90% head scenario. That said that pulled the carb levels down and helped reduce the 'bite'. Nice floral aromas, big big bitterness and quinine is a good descriptor but I found it to be quite nice  Thanks bloke !
*GB* Poured well with a lot of carbonation to support a head that lasted till the end. Heaps of hop profiles happening, including most of those hops I dont like, funny lager drinker me. It did present as hazy but this could just be hop haze ? Good colour for this style of ale. I thought there was some sourness initially (faded as it settled) on the nose but could not find it in the mouth, I have put it down to carbonic acid nose bite.The body is well structured to support the bitterness but the bitterness kept wacking me back every time I licked my lips. Mate I am burping up hops and stir fried noodles and enjoying the contrast of the two flavors. I think it works but Im sure my lips are being embalmed in hop bittering acids .I would like to know your water profile to see why the bitterness is intense. Thanks its a very interesting beer and Im sure I will be tasting it for the rest of the night. Burp....
*Mika* :- Low carb with a very thin head that must have had something better to do because it didn't hang around. My version really wasn't that bitter. It was perhaps a little harsh(ish) but I find that more of a character of the Nelson Sauvin hops than anything the brewer has done wrong. Hop flavour was nice, but certainly not huge for style, it did balance pretty well with the body of the beer, though I'd personally like to see more hop flavour and bitterness, though others reviews say otherwise. I could taste a little background malt flavour that I wasn't a huge fan of, but can't really put it down to anything, perhaps just JW malt (WAG).

*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.
*sinkas*: nice bananary aroma, drinkable but quite heavy in the clove flavour to me
*MC*: Lovely banana bread aroma. To me, the clove was almost more of a cinamon flavour which was something I haven't encountered before, but I enjoyed it. Not quite as dry as I expected, but balanced and easy drinking.
*Asher*- Some nice banana aromatics. Flavour dominated by big spicy phenols which has me questioning ferment over recipe. Went well with Spaghetti & pork meatballs


----------



## brendanos (25/1/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !
*ausdb* First bottle of the case for me, no point trying to taste beers with a cold. Even after 3 weeks in my study it is very very very well carbonated even and even with a careful pour I only managed 1/3 beer with 2/3 rocky head in a pint glass. On the nose I get fruity but not distinctly cascade aroma's which is surprising considering the tweaking it received with the magic hop potion. Flavourwise there is a hint of dark malts but the carbonation was too high and the tended to overpower most of the flavours for me. I must go past GL's and have one straight from the tap, as this bottle tastes like a completely different beer to how it normally tastes for me.
*Cubbie* First pour produce a very large head, white a fluffy and hangs around. Lovely dark copper colour. Reasonably dry and perhaps a little over carbed. Honey and toffee in the aroma and on the pallet. Like the balance of the bitterns and hops. Nice all round beer, tasty.
*brendanos:* 15/1 huge carbonation, dense white head with large bubbles. Aroma of cordial (icey poles?), almost blackcurrent like fruitiness. Reasonably dry with a light toasty malt flavour and a biting carbonation that accentuates a lowish bitterness. Earthy, pithy (mandarin/grapefruit?), and lightly spice flavours create some interest but overall the beer is light, refreshing, and sessionable.

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*
*sinkas:* a very drinkable if yet a little unusually flavoured beer, for some reason I assume there is only NS hops, but I got a real stone fruit flavour also, only crit was maybe a bit heavy in mouth feel for the abv, but het it was certianly enjoyable
*kook:* Nice aroma - banana, fresh bready yeast, light toast and spice. Muddy light brown in colour, almost tarnished bronze. Persistent medium white head. Flavour was a strange mix of rubbery plastic, fruity hops and light spice. Medium-full bodied, but dry in the finish. Interesting, but the plasticy flavour was a little offputting and overpowering, suspect this was a fermentation byproduct?


*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.
*Asher* - Thick Shag Pile Magic Malt Carpet. It takes every bit of the 100IBU & ABV to keep this weave from floating away. Balanced. I made the same mistake Tony did! ( I have never had a beer that blew out my buds like this baby) Drink it alone and on its own! Tasty 


*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too. Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year !
*Churchy*- Had a nice straw colour but had a really lemon bittery taste.
*Asher* - Nice underlying malt flavours. Strong Butyric Rubber flavours dominate over esters. Tastes like a good recipe just a hickup at the fermentation stage.

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!
*sinkas:* goat needs fuggin glasses, a nice rich and sparkling body, not cloudy, spritzy carbonation amplified the bitterness, but all together a great pale ale 
*MC*: Awesome aroma - to my nose more tropical and over-ripe grape than citrus. Nice toffee taste up front before the hops come smashing through with juicy flavours and a peppery grassiness which is never harsh. I found myself sucking my teeth between sips, so it must have been good..
*Asher* 2/10 for trueness to style! I was expecting a murky underattenuated ale but was presented with a near brite beer with good foam stand that finished nice and dry. Critically, the hop profile felt a little one dimensional (dont know if more varietys in recipy would remedy. Maybe smaller additions over more times. Or maybe I should have let warm up a bit more)
*brendanos:* 22/1 Beautiful copper colour (seems clear to me!) with dense creamy white head with awesome retention. Toffee and caramel malt aroma with perhaps a hint of butter, and a moderate US hop aroma (juicey fruits). Aroma is very pleasant, clean and humble. Flavour is a good balance of hops (starfruit, resinous, stonefruit) and light malt (caramel). Medium bodied and decidedly bitter though particularly smooth and elegant. Finishes smooth with a lingering soft bitterness and hop/malt flavours. Overall clean, deftly balanced and very enjoyable.


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!
*sinkas:* nice punchy IPA, with a creaminess from the rabbit juice
*Churchy*- This was a little too bitter for me but still drank it.
*Goat*: I am drinking this side by side with a white rabbit ale and there is a definite close similarity in terms of colour and the dense creamy head - the commercial is a bit brighter (being not bottle conditioned etc). on the nose, I'm getting a bit of smokey.... <has taste>.... have you used that bloody bacon grain stuff ? Definatley getting strong rauchmalt flavour in that. As a result, I will refrain from further comment on the taste - eveything has turned bacon. Quite well balanced with moderate bitterness. Good mouth feel - creamier and fuller than the domesticated version. I find the commercial version a little bland, there is nothing in there that stands out - I was expecting a bit malt hit, but i don't get that at all.

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*kook:* Saison. Pours hazy golden in colour, with a persistent medium white head. Great aroma of pineapple, rotting fruit (in a good way!), apples, pears and spicy pepper. Mouthfeel is wonderful. Silky smooth in the beginning, yet still dry in the finish. Huge pineapple flavour, almost with some coconut there. Light peppery alcohol spice and some fruit derived sweetness too. Very drinkable stuff mika!
*Goat*: Pours with a keen fluffy head that has settled into a dense white layer with lacing on the glass. Colour exactly as Kook writes. Subtle spiciness with fruity highlights - pear being my best approximation. Finish is slightly sweet but not cloying. I'd like to taste this alonside a Leffe Blonde, cos I reckon its bloody close. Very drinkable beer. 


*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.
*Goat*: Based on the above comments, I opened this baby over the sink. No gushing, though there was a healthy hiss - a slow pour resulted in a decent pint with an inch of fluffy white head. Slighlty hazy copper colour. Sweet maltiness on the nose. Maltiness carries through to the taste with a hint of fruit. Not much in the way of bitterness or hop flavour. Like GL suggests, its a bit of a nostaglia trip for me.
*kook:* I didn't read any of this, and opened it haphazard. There was a little initial "spray" of beer, but no gushing or foaming. Took a little bit of time to off gas in the glass, but I think it adds to the experience. Colour is a slightly hazy light amber, with a huge (60% of glass) fluffy white head. Initial aroma is quite spicy, with light peppery alcohol notes. As it rests a bit, some great malt notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Nice light body, dry finish. Flavour is quite clean, nice honey-like malt notes, very balanced bitterness level. Some light earthy hop notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Very quaffable halfluck offering!
*Dchap: *Big carb hiss but no gush. Nice coppery hue. This is my first Steam Beer experience and won't be my last. Light, balanced, bready aroma and on the palate too. I didn't get too much of the esters but perhaps a touch of honey. Thanks for your fine efforts Rob !
*Asher*- Opened and poured well into a wet glass. Aroma hints of northern brewer. Upon tasting was met by a huge carbonic bite fraught with spices & fusils. So I knocked a heap of carbonation out and this beer turned into something a little more malt driven with plenty of fruit. Finishing nice and dry, with a slight tannic harshness/earthiness complementing or thanks to the NB hopping.


*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.
*Goat*: Not huge carbonation, but enough to develop a thinish white head. Not sure about the "belgian pear ester" - I think its more French/Swiss border pear... but there is definately that sort of fruit in the aroma in there. slightly hazy in with a golden straw colour. Nice full mouthfeel, slightly sweet - which works well with the moderatly alcoholy aftertaste. Nice beer.
*Churchy-* Lightly carbed and a honey kinda colour!Fruity flavour to hide the alcohol.Is that why my head is starting to spin and the fact I haven't eaten anything!
*kook:* This should have won the label comp (no offense Linc); boobs should always win. Pours a hazy orange colour with a short white head. Initially some light banana in the nose, then pear and peaches come through. As it warms a little, spice becomes more evident. Big mouthfeel, personally a little too full in the finish for me. Great flavours, pear, peaches, toffee apples and light peppery spice. Some citrus flavours there too. As noted by others, the alcohol is very well hidden. Personally I'd prefer this a few points drier, as I think there is a little too much sweetness. Still a great beer though, thanks Clay!
*Asher*- smooth malt dominates for me. It hides the ABV very well before emerging as a warmth right on the finish. The esters a little frazzled by spices maybe from a ferment temp pushed to the upper limit of acceptable. Still a very drinkable beer containing plenty of those intangibles that just make feel like your back in Belgium.
*brendanos:* 15/1 Pours an almost brilliant orange with low head and low retention. Aroma dominated by tropical fruit salad candy and a lightly spicey phenolic, some fudge like malt character. Flavour is bready with a medium body which is balanced by the alcohol, carbonation and spice-like astringency. A nice, drinkable beer, though I think Asher & Kook are on the money - a cleaner ferment and slightly higher attenuation would be welcome improvements! I'm just a little concerned that much of the fruitiness may be acetaldehyde and am wondering if my body can break down a longneck's worth (no offense Clay!)

*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*
*Cubbie*Pours very very pale, bubbly head that disappears almost immediately, little bit of chill haze.. Could wait a little while longer to open but it is well carbonated now. The tartness and sourness of the fermentation comes through though it is not overpowering. Lemon notes in the taste and aroma with no hop. I feel like I want to pour it over some ice and drink like a cider. Goes nice with the blue brie I am eating right now.

*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*
*RR* Feeling thirsty, i dove into some of my bottle stores and cracked what i thought was one of my bottled porters to see how it was going, i had a quick whiff and noticed it had a bit of a amarillo? hop flavour and then had a look and thought to myself hey it's a bit lighter than my porter is, then it clicked to me that bf's contribution was unlabeled, i was definitely a welcome change from what i was expecting to drink so in my case the "no label" worked a treat!
I really enjoyed this beer, had no idea what style it was or anything like that just thought it was a good honest drinking beer if that makes sense. I thought it was well balanced. Nice and malty up front then a bit of a lingering bitterness with a bit of an english? yeast ester thing going on. i'll have to look the recipe up to confirm these thing i could be way off the bat but that's what i got out of it. when i found this thread again suprised no one else has cracked it yet? 


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!
*Mika* :- Not bad, but well below the standard of Tasty V1.0 I got to sample back before Christmas. The hops are still strong but seem to be fading out. Power of suggestion or whatever, but I think I get some cardboard coming thru ? The malt profile is a lot more present as well though still comes across clean. I got a serious hop haze with the occassional floating bits/chunks, though nowhere near as bad as Rob's pic. Overall still a good beer and a welcome inclusion to the case as always.
*brendanos:* 7/1 Brilliant (i guess I got lucky?) amber with large, dense fine white head - looks absolutely stunning. Huge greeting aroma of ripe, juicey tropical fruits, skunky, piney hops and vanilla ice cream. Very appetising! Strong but smooth bitterness, very well controlled. Great rich hop flavour supported by a light malt sweetness and medium body. A pleasure to drink. The bitterness is so damn good!!
MC:Mine was quite hazy and came complete with flowers floating on the head. I loved this beer and was very impressed. Brendan's description - "controlled" - nails it. Bigger beers can get a bit clumsy, but this one was smooth and balanced throughout.

*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*
*Churchy*-Had to drink it now, nice dark colour almost black and good carbonation.Could really taste the chocolate malt and not over powering, very enjoyable to drink.

*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol: 
*Churchy-* This went down really well after a bike ride, nice aroma hops and bittering hops.
*VtPA*: The case of Cases case beer, loved it. More of a hop cordial really, totally imbalanced with a hop overload that worked well in a lower gravity beer.
*Goat*: This is a goodun. Pours a bit hazy but with a nice deep colour. Head is a bit anxious, but decanting and then into a glass sorted that nicely. Is it my imagination or is there some hops in this sucker ?! Certainly does dominate the flavour - but in a good way. While the hop flavour /nose / bitterness are all good, I would love to taste this with a less pronounced involvement, cos I'm reminded of a Fullers ESB in the malt - very nice ! Don't know how you managed the body for 3.7%, but she's a wee ripper ! 
*Dchap: *Quite the challenge to offset that amount of alpha acid with that amount of gravity. Well done Case ! Loved the dark amber color. It would be interesting to try this less carbed up. It really packs a sharp punch up front that lingers on and on 
*MC*: A crime against nature, but a very tasty one.

*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.
*Churchy-*This was a nice beer Nev and my dad loved it as well.Hops were all together and carbonation just right.
*Asher*- Ripe Bananna esters up front with a hint of spice to enhance. Esters were quickly swallowed up by melanoidins, caramels and dark toffee. This was probably due to low to moderate carbonation in this bottle. Flavours were all there with phelols contributing to a creamy warm finish Nice.
*Mika* :- I got the nice bready/dark malt flavours. If the banana's there it's very subdued (for me). I'd class it as very very similar to any German dunkel weizen I've tried. Enjoyed it, thanks Nev.

*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.
*Cubbie* First one for me. Poured very pale staw colour with a little bit of haze. Small tight head that lingered to near the end. Hint of banana and peach. Very easy to drink, do well as a session beer or just a nice cold referesher. For me I would like just a touch more body.
*Asher*- Dropped brite with a couple of weeks ccing. Bananna/fruit/lolly aromatics morphing into daicetyl to my sensitive palate... Gone after the first mouthful. A crisp, tasty thirst quencher. 
*Mika* :- I got more of an apricot and pear aroma from the opening rather than the Banana everyone's babbling about. Nice soft malt profile, seemed very clean and inoffensive to me. Was very glad for the keg filled bottles as it meant I could enjoy every last drop. Noice !
*GB*Started out with a phsss but poured with a small head and a haze. I think it lost its carbonation on transfer which I think let this beer down. On the nose I got some sweet malt notes and a slight hint of the hops but it was over run by the esters. l know how hard these style of beers are to nail! I did like the balance of the sweet malt and the bitterness.The bitterness whilst being noticeable wasnt harsh and just lasted in my mouth long enough to enjoy. A medium bodied Aussie lager.Thanks Tony a good beer on a hot day.

*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.
*kook:* Quite dead on opening, squishy bottle. Poured with a bit of distance and it generated a tight, small off white head. Looks like a good cask ale actually, slightly hazy deep dark amber in colour, edging on brown. Brilliant hop aroma, juicy fruit, tropical fruits, fresh cut grass and floral notes all come through. Medium bodied, mouthfeel is accentuated by the low carbonation. Great melanoidiny background malt character, with some light toasty notes. The hops are the show here though, big, juicy fruit flavours and a nice firm (but in no way harsh) bitterness. Great beer, very drinkable and moreish.
*Dchap: *Mmmmmm, nicely balanced with a lowish carb which worked well for this one I reckon. I really enjoyed the toastiness that popped out at the end  
*Asher*- Chestnut haze. Sweet floral hop aromas waft up despite carbonation levels. Crispy lemonade/frosty fruit hop flavours jump out above a complex roasty malt that morphs into a lingering bitterness. Quite drinkable. Like to try this on a hand pump. 

*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.



*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*
*Cubbie* Thought I would try and review my own beer. Pours deep brown with hints of copper. Tight tan head although it was not lasting. Alcohol and small amount of chocolate on the nose same in the taste. Slightly dry. This is quite different to the sample that I shared at the case swap (different batch), I would say Roy has short changed me on one of the speciality malts. Still fairly clean beer, will be better with a bit more time. Not sure I am on style here.

*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
*VtPA:* Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.
*ausdb* I think I tasted this beer at the swap day as I remember Kenworthy pouring me a glass of something with Galaxy and NS at some stage, but this one to me was completely different. I pick a distinct NS gooseberry and cats pi$ aroma and it is a lovely pale gold and straw colour but I am torn between deciding if it is just too overbittered with the Galaxy overload effect or signs of an infection when I taste it. I can taste the quinine/grapefruitiness that ant tastes but also get the sourness that others have picked. It would be really nice to see your recipe to compare your hopping schedule with my taste perceptions.
sinkas: unfortunatley my bottle opened, with a 2 foot gush, threid to drink the geiser,and it had a really odd harsh flavour, so vented the rest outside
*MC*: Mine didn't gush, but the carbonation was insane. I struggled to pour less than 50% head and then it kept climbing out of the glass. The most turbulent carbonation I have ever seen - pretty cool actually, like a lava lamp on crack. Loved the hop aroma and the taste at the start of the mouthful was fantastic, but it turned nasty as I swallowed. There was a harsh bitterness and reading the reviews above, "quinine" (tonic water) seems to describe it best. I think a bug has beaten me to this beer which is a pisser because it started out beautifully.
*Dchap: *Not a gusher but a 10% beer 90% head scenario. That said that pulled the carb levels down and helped reduce the 'bite'. Nice floral aromas, big big bitterness and quinine is a good descriptor but I found it to be quite nice  Thanks bloke !
*GB* Poured well with a lot of carbonation to support a head that lasted till the end. Heaps of hop profiles happening, including most of those hops I dont like, funny lager drinker me. It did present as hazy but this could just be hop haze ? Good colour for this style of ale. I thought there was some sourness initially (faded as it settled) on the nose but could not find it in the mouth, I have put it down to carbonic acid nose bite.The body is well structured to support the bitterness but the bitterness kept wacking me back every time I licked my lips. Mate I am burping up hops and stir fried noodles and enjoying the contrast of the two flavors. I think it works but Im sure my lips are being embalmed in hop bittering acids .I would like to know your water profile to see why the bitterness is intense. Thanks its a very interesting beer and Im sure I will be tasting it for the rest of the night. Burp....
*Mika* :- Low carb with a very thin head that must have had something better to do because it didn't hang around. My version really wasn't that bitter. It was perhaps a little harsh(ish) but I find that more of a character of the Nelson Sauvin hops than anything the brewer has done wrong. Hop flavour was nice, but certainly not huge for style, it did balance pretty well with the body of the beer, though I'd personally like to see more hop flavour and bitterness, though others reviews say otherwise. I could taste a little background malt flavour that I wasn't a huge fan of, but can't really put it down to anything, perhaps just JW malt (WAG).
*brendanos:* 24/1 Gusher. Carefully decanted a pint of foam. White pepper, cape gooseberry, jalapeno pepper, stewed fruit, ripe cherry (varnish?) and moderate pointy alcohol aromas. Flavour is fruity with a dry, tart, woody character akin to a saison. Hop flavour is quite pleasant and bitterness restrained, which avoids conflict with high carbonation, spice and alcohol. A savoury, green fruit flavour lasts into finish. Interesting and quite drinkable, despite losing most of the bottle down the sink.

*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.
*sinkas*: nice bananary aroma, drinkable but quite heavy in the clove flavour to me
*MC*: Lovely banana bread aroma. To me, the clove was almost more of a cinamon flavour which was something I haven't encountered before, but I enjoyed it. Not quite as dry as I expected, but balanced and easy drinking.
*Asher*- Some nice banana aromatics. Flavour dominated by big spicy phenols which has me questioning ferment over recipe. Went well with Spaghetti & pork meatballs


----------



## churchy (29/1/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !
*ausdb* First bottle of the case for me, no point trying to taste beers with a cold. Even after 3 weeks in my study it is very very very well carbonated even and even with a careful pour I only managed 1/3 beer with 2/3 rocky head in a pint glass. On the nose I get fruity but not distinctly cascade aroma's which is surprising considering the tweaking it received with the magic hop potion. Flavourwise there is a hint of dark malts but the carbonation was too high and the tended to overpower most of the flavours for me. I must go past GL's and have one straight from the tap, as this bottle tastes like a completely different beer to how it normally tastes for me.
*Cubbie* First pour produce a very large head, white a fluffy and hangs around. Lovely dark copper colour. Reasonably dry and perhaps a little over carbed. Honey and toffee in the aroma and on the pallet. Like the balance of the bitterns and hops. Nice all round beer, tasty.
*brendanos:* 15/1 huge carbonation, dense white head with large bubbles. Aroma of cordial (icey poles?), almost blackcurrent like fruitiness. Reasonably dry with a light toasty malt flavour and a biting carbonation that accentuates a lowish bitterness. Earthy, pithy (mandarin/grapefruit?), and lightly spice flavours create some interest but overall the beer is light, refreshing, and sessionable.

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*
*sinkas:* a very drinkable if yet a little unusually flavoured beer, for some reason I assume there is only NS hops, but I got a real stone fruit flavour also, only crit was maybe a bit heavy in mouth feel for the abv, but het it was certianly enjoyable
*kook:* Nice aroma - banana, fresh bready yeast, light toast and spice. Muddy light brown in colour, almost tarnished bronze. Persistent medium white head. Flavour was a strange mix of rubbery plastic, fruity hops and light spice. Medium-full bodied, but dry in the finish. Interesting, but the plasticy flavour was a little offputting and overpowering, suspect this was a fermentation byproduct?
*MC*: Quite hazy with a fantastic pillowy head which lasted the distance. I've just read your recipe and wouldn't have picked this as an extract-only beer. A mix of fruit and spice with a nice bitter finish. This went down easily on a muggy night.


*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.
*Asher* - Thick Shag Pile Magic Malt Carpet. It takes every bit of the 100IBU & ABV to keep this weave from floating away. Balanced. I made the same mistake Tony did! ( I have never had a beer that blew out my buds like this baby) Drink it alone and on its own! Tasty 


*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too. Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year !
*Churchy*- Had a nice straw colour but had a really lemon bittery taste.
*Asher* - Nice underlying malt flavours. Strong Butyric Rubber flavours dominate over esters. Tastes like a good recipe just a hickup at the fermentation stage.

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!
*sinkas:* goat needs fuggin glasses, a nice rich and sparkling body, not cloudy, spritzy carbonation amplified the bitterness, but all together a great pale ale 
*MC*: Awesome aroma - to my nose more tropical and over-ripe grape than citrus. Nice toffee taste up front before the hops come smashing through with juicy flavours and a peppery grassiness which is never harsh. I found myself sucking my teeth between sips, so it must have been good..
*Asher* 2/10 for trueness to style! I was expecting a murky underattenuated ale but was presented with a near brite beer with good foam stand that finished nice and dry. Critically, the hop profile felt a little one dimensional (don't know if more varietys in recipy would remedy. Maybe smaller additions over more times. Or maybe I should have let warm up a bit more)
*brendanos:* 22/1 Beautiful copper colour (seems clear to me!) with dense creamy white head with awesome retention. Toffee and caramel malt aroma with perhaps a hint of butter, and a moderate US hop aroma (juicey fruits). Aroma is very pleasant, clean and humble. Flavour is a good balance of hops (starfruit, resinous, stonefruit) and light malt (caramel). Medium bodied and decidedly bitter though particularly smooth and elegant. Finishes smooth with a lingering soft bitterness and hop/malt flavours. Overall clean, deftly balanced and very enjoyable.


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!
*sinkas:* nice punchy IPA, with a creaminess from the rabbit juice
*Churchy*- This was a little too bitter for me but still drank it.
*Goat*: I am drinking this side by side with a white rabbit ale and there is a definite close similarity in terms of colour and the dense creamy head - the commercial is a bit brighter (being not bottle conditioned etc). on the nose, I'm getting a bit of smokey.... <has taste>.... have you used that bloody bacon grain stuff ? Definatley getting strong rauchmalt flavour in that. As a result, I will refrain from further comment on the taste - eveything has turned bacon. Quite well balanced with moderate bitterness. Good mouth feel - creamier and fuller than the domesticated version. I find the commercial version a little bland, there is nothing in there that stands out - I was expecting a bit malt hit, but i don't get that at all.

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*kook:* Saison. Pours hazy golden in colour, with a persistent medium white head. Great aroma of pineapple, rotting fruit (in a good way!), apples, pears and spicy pepper. Mouthfeel is wonderful. Silky smooth in the beginning, yet still dry in the finish. Huge pineapple flavour, almost with some coconut there. Light peppery alcohol spice and some fruit derived sweetness too. Very drinkable stuff mika!
*Goat*: Pours with a keen fluffy head that has settled into a dense white layer with lacing on the glass. Colour exactly as Kook writes. Subtle spiciness with fruity highlights - pear being my best approximation. Finish is slightly sweet but not cloying. I'd like to taste this alonside a Leffe Blonde, cos I reckon its bloody close. Very drinkable beer. 
Churchy-Like the other guys pours with a nice head, very fruity almost like fruity lexia wine.Very nice to drink.

*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.
*Goat*: Based on the above comments, I opened this baby over the sink. No gushing, though there was a healthy hiss - a slow pour resulted in a decent pint with an inch of fluffy white head. Slighlty hazy copper colour. Sweet maltiness on the nose. Maltiness carries through to the taste with a hint of fruit. Not much in the way of bitterness or hop flavour. Like GL suggests, its a bit of a nostaglia trip for me.
*kook:* I didn't read any of this, and opened it haphazard. There was a little initial "spray" of beer, but no gushing or foaming. Took a little bit of time to off gas in the glass, but I think it adds to the experience. Colour is a slightly hazy light amber, with a huge (60% of glass) fluffy white head. Initial aroma is quite spicy, with light peppery alcohol notes. As it rests a bit, some great malt notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Nice light body, dry finish. Flavour is quite clean, nice honey-like malt notes, very balanced bitterness level. Some light earthy hop notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Very quaffable halfluck offering!
*Dchap: *Big carb hiss but no gush. Nice coppery hue. This is my first Steam Beer experience and won't be my last. Light, balanced, bready aroma and on the palate too. I didn't get too much of the esters but perhaps a touch of honey. Thanks for your fine efforts Rob !
*Asher*- Opened and poured well into a wet glass. Aroma hints of northern brewer. Upon tasting was met by a huge carbonic bite fraught with spices & fusils. So I knocked a heap of carbonation out and this beer turned into something a little more malt driven with plenty of fruit. Finishing nice and dry, with a slight tannic harshness/earthiness complementing or thanks to the NB hopping.


*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.
*Goat*: Not huge carbonation, but enough to develop a thinish white head. Not sure about the "belgian pear ester" - I think its more French/Swiss border pear... but there is definately that sort of fruit in the aroma in there. slightly hazy in with a golden straw colour. Nice full mouthfeel, slightly sweet - which works well with the moderatly alcoholy aftertaste. Nice beer.
*Churchy-* Lightly carbed and a honey kinda colour!Fruity flavour to hide the alcohol.Is that why my head is starting to spin and the fact I haven't eaten anything!
*kook:* This should have won the label comp (no offense Linc); boobs should always win. Pours a hazy orange colour with a short white head. Initially some light banana in the nose, then pear and peaches come through. As it warms a little, spice becomes more evident. Big mouthfeel, personally a little too full in the finish for me. Great flavours, pear, peaches, toffee apples and light peppery spice. Some citrus flavours there too. As noted by others, the alcohol is very well hidden. Personally I'd prefer this a few points drier, as I think there is a little too much sweetness. Still a great beer though, thanks Clay!
*Asher*- smooth malt dominates for me. It hides the ABV very well before emerging as a warmth right on the finish. The esters a little frazzled by spices maybe from a ferment temp pushed to the upper limit of acceptable. Still a very drinkable beer containing plenty of those intangibles that just make feel like your back in Belgium.
*brendanos:* 15/1 Pours an almost brilliant orange with low head and low retention. Aroma dominated by tropical fruit salad candy and a lightly spicey phenolic, some fudge like malt character. Flavour is bready with a medium body which is balanced by the alcohol, carbonation and spice-like astringency. A nice, drinkable beer, though I think Asher & Kook are on the money - a cleaner ferment and slightly higher attenuation would be welcome improvements! I'm just a little concerned that much of the fruitiness may be acetaldehyde and am wondering if my body can break down a longneck's worth (no offense Clay!)

*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*
*Cubbie*Pours very very pale, bubbly head that disappears almost immediately, little bit of chill haze.. Could wait a little while longer to open but it is well carbonated now. The tartness and sourness of the fermentation comes through though it is not overpowering. Lemon notes in the taste and aroma with no hop. I feel like I want to pour it over some ice and drink like a cider. Goes nice with the blue brie I am eating right now.

*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*
*RR* Feeling thirsty, i dove into some of my bottle stores and cracked what i thought was one of my bottled porters to see how it was going, i had a quick whiff and noticed it had a bit of a amarillo? hop flavour and then had a look and thought to myself hey it's a bit lighter than my porter is, then it clicked to me that bf's contribution was unlabeled, i was definitely a welcome change from what i was expecting to drink so in my case the "no label" worked a treat!
I really enjoyed this beer, had no idea what style it was or anything like that just thought it was a good honest drinking beer if that makes sense. I thought it was well balanced. Nice and malty up front then a bit of a lingering bitterness with a bit of an english? yeast ester thing going on. i'll have to look the recipe up to confirm these thing i could be way off the bat but that's what i got out of it. when i found this thread again suprised no one else has cracked it yet? 


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!
*Mika* :- Not bad, but well below the standard of Tasty V1.0 I got to sample back before Christmas. The hops are still strong but seem to be fading out. Power of suggestion or whatever, but I think I get some cardboard coming thru ? The malt profile is a lot more present as well though still comes across clean. I got a serious hop haze with the occassional floating bits/chunks, though nowhere near as bad as Rob's pic. Overall still a good beer and a welcome inclusion to the case as always.
*brendanos:* 7/1 Brilliant (i guess I got lucky?) amber with large, dense fine white head - looks absolutely stunning. Huge greeting aroma of ripe, juicey tropical fruits, skunky, piney hops and vanilla ice cream. Very appetising! Strong but smooth bitterness, very well controlled. Great rich hop flavour supported by a light malt sweetness and medium body. A pleasure to drink. The bitterness is so damn good!!
MC:Mine was quite hazy and came complete with flowers floating on the head. I loved this beer and was very impressed. Brendan's description - "controlled" - nails it. Bigger beers can get a bit clumsy, but this one was smooth and balanced throughout.

*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*
*Churchy*-Had to drink it now, nice dark colour almost black and good carbonation.Could really taste the chocolate malt and not over powering, very enjoyable to drink.

*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol: 
*Churchy-* This went down really well after a bike ride, nice aroma hops and bittering hops.
*VtPA*: The case of Cases case beer, loved it. More of a hop cordial really, totally imbalanced with a hop overload that worked well in a lower gravity beer.
*Goat*: This is a goodun. Pours a bit hazy but with a nice deep colour. Head is a bit anxious, but decanting and then into a glass sorted that nicely. Is it my imagination or is there some hops in this sucker ?! Certainly does dominate the flavour - but in a good way. While the hop flavour /nose / bitterness are all good, I would love to taste this with a less pronounced involvement, cos I'm reminded of a Fullers ESB in the malt - very nice ! Don't know how you managed the body for 3.7%, but she's a wee ripper ! 
*Dchap: *Quite the challenge to offset that amount of alpha acid with that amount of gravity. Well done Case ! Loved the dark amber color. It would be interesting to try this less carbed up. It really packs a sharp punch up front that lingers on and on 
*MC*: A crime against nature, but a very tasty one.

*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.
*Churchy-*This was a nice beer Nev and my dad loved it as well.Hops were all together and carbonation just right.
*Asher*- Ripe Bananna esters up front with a hint of spice to enhance. Esters were quickly swallowed up by melanoidins, caramels and dark toffee. This was probably due to low to moderate carbonation in this bottle. Flavours were all there with phelols contributing to a creamy warm finish Nice.
*Mika* :- I got the nice bready/dark malt flavours. If the banana's there it's very subdued (for me). I'd class it as very very similar to any German dunkel weizen I've tried. Enjoyed it, thanks Nev.

*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.
*Cubbie* First one for me. Poured very pale staw colour with a little bit of haze. Small tight head that lingered to near the end. Hint of banana and peach. Very easy to drink, do well as a session beer or just a nice cold referesher. For me I would like just a touch more body.
*Asher*- Dropped brite with a couple of weeks cc'ing. Bananna/fruit/lolly aromatics morphing into daicetyl to my sensitive palate... Gone after the first mouthful. A crisp, tasty thirst quencher. 
*Mika* :- I got more of an apricot and pear aroma from the opening rather than the Banana everyone's babbling about. Nice soft malt profile, seemed very clean and inoffensive to me. Was very glad for the keg filled bottles as it meant I could enjoy every last drop. Noice !
*GB*Started out with a phsss but poured with a small head and a haze. I think it lost its carbonation on transfer which I think let this beer down. On the nose I got some sweet malt notes and a slight hint of the hops but it was over run by the esters. l know how hard these style of beers are to nail! I did like the balance of the sweet malt and the bitterness.The bitterness whilst being noticeable wasnt harsh and just lasted in my mouth long enough to enjoy. A medium bodied Aussie lager.Thanks Tony a good beer on a hot day.

*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.
*kook:* Quite dead on opening, squishy bottle. Poured with a bit of distance and it generated a tight, small off white head. Looks like a good cask ale actually, slightly hazy deep dark amber in colour, edging on brown. Brilliant hop aroma, juicy fruit, tropical fruits, fresh cut grass and floral notes all come through. Medium bodied, mouthfeel is accentuated by the low carbonation. Great melanoidiny background malt character, with some light toasty notes. The hops are the show here though, big, juicy fruit flavours and a nice firm (but in no way harsh) bitterness. Great beer, very drinkable and moreish.
*Dchap: *Mmmmmm, nicely balanced with a lowish carb which worked well for this one I reckon. I really enjoyed the toastiness that popped out at the end  
*Asher*- Chestnut haze. Sweet floral hop aromas waft up despite carbonation levels. Crispy lemonade/frosty fruit hop flavours jump out above a complex roasty malt that morphs into a lingering bitterness. Quite drinkable. Like to try this on a hand pump. 

*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.



*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*
*Cubbie* Thought I would try and review my own beer. Pours deep brown with hints of copper. Tight tan head although it was not lasting. Alcohol and small amount of chocolate on the nose same in the taste. Slightly dry. This is quite different to the sample that I shared at the case swap (different batch), I would say Roy has short changed me on one of the speciality malts. Still fairly clean beer, will be better with a bit more time. Not sure I am on style here.

*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
*VtPA:* Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.
*ausdb* I think I tasted this beer at the swap day as I remember Kenworthy pouring me a glass of something with Galaxy and NS at some stage, but this one to me was completely different. I pick a distinct NS gooseberry and cats pi$ aroma and it is a lovely pale gold and straw colour but I am torn between deciding if it is just too overbittered with the Galaxy overload effect or signs of an infection when I taste it. I can taste the quinine/grapefruitiness that ant tastes but also get the sourness that others have picked. It would be really nice to see your recipe to compare your hopping schedule with my taste perceptions.
sinkas: unfortunatley my bottle opened, with a 2 foot gush, threid to drink the geiser,and it had a really odd harsh flavour, so vented the rest outside
*MC*: Mine didn't gush, but the carbonation was insane. I struggled to pour less than 50% head and then it kept climbing out of the glass. The most turbulent carbonation I have ever seen - pretty cool actually, like a lava lamp on crack. Loved the hop aroma and the taste at the start of the mouthful was fantastic, but it turned nasty as I swallowed. There was a harsh bitterness and reading the reviews above, "quinine" (tonic water) seems to describe it best. I think a bug has beaten me to this beer which is a pisser because it started out beautifully.
*Dchap: *Not a gusher but a 10% beer 90% head scenario. That said that pulled the carb levels down and helped reduce the 'bite'. Nice floral aromas, big big bitterness and quinine is a good descriptor but I found it to be quite nice  Thanks bloke !
*GB* Poured well with a lot of carbonation to support a head that lasted till the end. Heaps of hop profiles happening, including most of those hops I dont like, funny lager drinker me. It did present as hazy but this could just be hop haze ? Good colour for this style of ale. I thought there was some sourness initially (faded as it settled) on the nose but could not find it in the mouth, I have put it down to carbonic acid nose bite.The body is well structured to support the bitterness but the bitterness kept wacking me back every time I licked my lips. Mate I am burping up hops and stir fried noodles and enjoying the contrast of the two flavors. I think it works but Im sure my lips are being embalmed in hop bittering acids .I would like to know your water profile to see why the bitterness is intense. Thanks its a very interesting beer and Im sure I will be tasting it for the rest of the night. Burp....
*Mika* :- Low carb with a very thin head that must have had something better to do because it didn't hang around. My version really wasn't that bitter. It was perhaps a little harsh(ish) but I find that more of a character of the Nelson Sauvin hops than anything the brewer has done wrong. Hop flavour was nice, but certainly not huge for style, it did balance pretty well with the body of the beer, though I'd personally like to see more hop flavour and bitterness, though others reviews say otherwise. I could taste a little background malt flavour that I wasn't a huge fan of, but can't really put it down to anything, perhaps just JW malt (WAG).
*brendanos:* 24/1 Gusher. Carefully decanted a pint of foam. White pepper, cape gooseberry, jalapeno pepper, stewed fruit, ripe cherry (varnish?) and moderate pointy alcohol aromas. Flavour is fruity with a dry, tart, woody character akin to a saison. Hop flavour is quite pleasant and bitterness restrained, which avoids conflict with high carbonation, spice and alcohol. A savoury, green fruit flavour lasts into finish. Interesting and quite drinkable, despite losing most of the bottle down the sink.

*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.
*sinkas*: nice bananary aroma, drinkable but quite heavy in the clove flavour to me
*MC*: Lovely banana bread aroma. To me, the clove was almost more of a cinamon flavour which was something I haven't encountered before, but I enjoyed it. Not quite as dry as I expected, but balanced and easy drinking.
*Asher*- Some nice banana aromatics. Flavour dominated by big spicy phenols which has me questioning ferment over recipe. Went well with Spaghetti & pork meatballs


----------



## clay (30/1/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !
*ausdb* First bottle of the case for me, no point trying to taste beers with a cold. Even after 3 weeks in my study it is very very very well carbonated even and even with a careful pour I only managed 1/3 beer with 2/3 rocky head in a pint glass. On the nose I get fruity but not distinctly cascade aroma's which is surprising considering the tweaking it received with the magic hop potion. Flavourwise there is a hint of dark malts but the carbonation was too high and the tended to overpower most of the flavours for me. I must go past GL's and have one straight from the tap, as this bottle tastes like a completely different beer to how it normally tastes for me.
*Cubbie* First pour produce a very large head, white a fluffy and hangs around. Lovely dark copper colour. Reasonably dry and perhaps a little over carbed. Honey and toffee in the aroma and on the pallet. Like the balance of the bitterns and hops. Nice all round beer, tasty.
*brendanos:* 15/1 huge carbonation, dense white head with large bubbles. Aroma of cordial (icey poles?), almost blackcurrent like fruitiness. Reasonably dry with a light toasty malt flavour and a biting carbonation that accentuates a lowish bitterness. Earthy, pithy (mandarin/grapefruit?), and lightly spice flavours create some interest but overall the beer is light, refreshing, and sessionable.

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*
*sinkas:* a very drinkable if yet a little unusually flavoured beer, for some reason I assume there is only NS hops, but I got a real stone fruit flavour also, only crit was maybe a bit heavy in mouth feel for the abv, but het it was certianly enjoyable
*kook:* Nice aroma - banana, fresh bready yeast, light toast and spice. Muddy light brown in colour, almost tarnished bronze. Persistent medium white head. Flavour was a strange mix of rubbery plastic, fruity hops and light spice. Medium-full bodied, but dry in the finish. Interesting, but the plasticy flavour was a little offputting and overpowering, suspect this was a fermentation byproduct?
*MC*: Quite hazy with a fantastic pillowy head which lasted the distance. I've just read your recipe and wouldn't have picked this as an extract-only beer. A mix of fruit and spice with a nice bitter finish. This went down easily on a muggy night.


*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.
*Asher* - Thick Shag Pile Magic Malt Carpet. It takes every bit of the 100IBU & ABV to keep this weave from floating away. Balanced. I made the same mistake Tony did! ( I have never had a beer that blew out my buds like this baby) Drink it alone and on its own! Tasty 


*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too. Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year !
*Churchy*- Had a nice straw colour but had a really lemon bittery taste.
*Asher* - Nice underlying malt flavours. Strong Butyric Rubber flavours dominate over esters. Tastes like a good recipe just a hickup at the fermentation stage.

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!
*sinkas:* goat needs fuggin glasses, a nice rich and sparkling body, not cloudy, spritzy carbonation amplified the bitterness, but all together a great pale ale 
*MC*: Awesome aroma - to my nose more tropical and over-ripe grape than citrus. Nice toffee taste up front before the hops come smashing through with juicy flavours and a peppery grassiness which is never harsh. I found myself sucking my teeth between sips, so it must have been good..
*Asher* 2/10 for trueness to style! I was expecting a murky underattenuated ale but was presented with a near brite beer with good foam stand that finished nice and dry. Critically, the hop profile felt a little one dimensional (don't know if more varietys in recipy would remedy. Maybe smaller additions over more times. Or maybe I should have let warm up a bit more)
*brendanos:* 22/1 Beautiful copper colour (seems clear to me!) with dense creamy white head with awesome retention. Toffee and caramel malt aroma with perhaps a hint of butter, and a moderate US hop aroma (juicey fruits). Aroma is very pleasant, clean and humble. Flavour is a good balance of hops (starfruit, resinous, stonefruit) and light malt (caramel). Medium bodied and decidedly bitter though particularly smooth and elegant. Finishes smooth with a lingering soft bitterness and hop/malt flavours. Overall clean, deftly balanced and very enjoyable.


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!
*sinkas:* nice punchy IPA, with a creaminess from the rabbit juice
*Churchy*- This was a little too bitter for me but still drank it.
*Goat*: I am drinking this side by side with a white rabbit ale and there is a definite close similarity in terms of colour and the dense creamy head - the commercial is a bit brighter (being not bottle conditioned etc). on the nose, I'm getting a bit of smokey.... <has taste>.... have you used that bloody bacon grain stuff ? Definatley getting strong rauchmalt flavour in that. As a result, I will refrain from further comment on the taste - eveything has turned bacon. Quite well balanced with moderate bitterness. Good mouth feel - creamier and fuller than the domesticated version. I find the commercial version a little bland, there is nothing in there that stands out - I was expecting a bit malt hit, but i don't get that at all.

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*kook:* Saison. Pours hazy golden in colour, with a persistent medium white head. Great aroma of pineapple, rotting fruit (in a good way!), apples, pears and spicy pepper. Mouthfeel is wonderful. Silky smooth in the beginning, yet still dry in the finish. Huge pineapple flavour, almost with some coconut there. Light peppery alcohol spice and some fruit derived sweetness too. Very drinkable stuff mika!
*Goat*: Pours with a keen fluffy head that has settled into a dense white layer with lacing on the glass. Colour exactly as Kook writes. Subtle spiciness with fruity highlights - pear being my best approximation. Finish is slightly sweet but not cloying. I'd like to taste this alonside a Leffe Blonde, cos I reckon its bloody close. Very drinkable beer. 
Churchy-Like the other guys pours with a nice head, very fruity almost like fruity lexia wine.Very nice to drink.

*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.
*Goat*: Based on the above comments, I opened this baby over the sink. No gushing, though there was a healthy hiss - a slow pour resulted in a decent pint with an inch of fluffy white head. Slighlty hazy copper colour. Sweet maltiness on the nose. Maltiness carries through to the taste with a hint of fruit. Not much in the way of bitterness or hop flavour. Like GL suggests, its a bit of a nostaglia trip for me.
*kook:* I didn't read any of this, and opened it haphazard. There was a little initial "spray" of beer, but no gushing or foaming. Took a little bit of time to off gas in the glass, but I think it adds to the experience. Colour is a slightly hazy light amber, with a huge (60% of glass) fluffy white head. Initial aroma is quite spicy, with light peppery alcohol notes. As it rests a bit, some great malt notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Nice light body, dry finish. Flavour is quite clean, nice honey-like malt notes, very balanced bitterness level. Some light earthy hop notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Very quaffable halfluck offering!
*Dchap: *Big carb hiss but no gush. Nice coppery hue. This is my first Steam Beer experience and won't be my last. Light, balanced, bready aroma and on the palate too. I didn't get too much of the esters but perhaps a touch of honey. Thanks for your fine efforts Rob !
*Asher*- Opened and poured well into a wet glass. Aroma hints of northern brewer. Upon tasting was met by a huge carbonic bite fraught with spices & fusils. So I knocked a heap of carbonation out and this beer turned into something a little more malt driven with plenty of fruit. Finishing nice and dry, with a slight tannic harshness/earthiness complementing or thanks to the NB hopping.


*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.
*Goat*: Not huge carbonation, but enough to develop a thinish white head. Not sure about the "belgian pear ester" - I think its more French/Swiss border pear... but there is definately that sort of fruit in the aroma in there. slightly hazy in with a golden straw colour. Nice full mouthfeel, slightly sweet - which works well with the moderatly alcoholy aftertaste. Nice beer.
*Churchy-* Lightly carbed and a honey kinda colour!Fruity flavour to hide the alcohol.Is that why my head is starting to spin and the fact I haven't eaten anything!
*kook:* This should have won the label comp (no offense Linc); boobs should always win. Pours a hazy orange colour with a short white head. Initially some light banana in the nose, then pear and peaches come through. As it warms a little, spice becomes more evident. Big mouthfeel, personally a little too full in the finish for me. Great flavours, pear, peaches, toffee apples and light peppery spice. Some citrus flavours there too. As noted by others, the alcohol is very well hidden. Personally I'd prefer this a few points drier, as I think there is a little too much sweetness. Still a great beer though, thanks Clay!
*Asher*- smooth malt dominates for me. It hides the ABV very well before emerging as a warmth right on the finish. The esters a little frazzled by spices maybe from a ferment temp pushed to the upper limit of acceptable. Still a very drinkable beer containing plenty of those intangibles that just make feel like your back in Belgium.
*brendanos:* 15/1 Pours an almost brilliant orange with low head and low retention. Aroma dominated by tropical fruit salad candy and a lightly spicey phenolic, some fudge like malt character. Flavour is bready with a medium body which is balanced by the alcohol, carbonation and spice-like astringency. A nice, drinkable beer, though I think Asher & Kook are on the money - a cleaner ferment and slightly higher attenuation would be welcome improvements! I'm just a little concerned that much of the fruitiness may be acetaldehyde and am wondering if my body can break down a longneck's worth (no offense Clay!)

*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*
*Cubbie*Pours very very pale, bubbly head that disappears almost immediately, little bit of chill haze.. Could wait a little while longer to open but it is well carbonated now. The tartness and sourness of the fermentation comes through though it is not overpowering. Lemon notes in the taste and aroma with no hop. I feel like I want to pour it over some ice and drink like a cider. Goes nice with the blue brie I am eating right now.

*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*
*RR* Feeling thirsty, i dove into some of my bottle stores and cracked what i thought was one of my bottled porters to see how it was going, i had a quick whiff and noticed it had a bit of a amarillo? hop flavour and then had a look and thought to myself hey it's a bit lighter than my porter is, then it clicked to me that bf's contribution was unlabeled, i was definitely a welcome change from what i was expecting to drink so in my case the "no label" worked a treat!
I really enjoyed this beer, had no idea what style it was or anything like that just thought it was a good honest drinking beer if that makes sense. I thought it was well balanced. Nice and malty up front then a bit of a lingering bitterness with a bit of an english? yeast ester thing going on. i'll have to look the recipe up to confirm these thing i could be way off the bat but that's what i got out of it. when i found this thread again suprised no one else has cracked it yet? 


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!
*Mika* :- Not bad, but well below the standard of Tasty V1.0 I got to sample back before Christmas. The hops are still strong but seem to be fading out. Power of suggestion or whatever, but I think I get some cardboard coming thru ? The malt profile is a lot more present as well though still comes across clean. I got a serious hop haze with the occassional floating bits/chunks, though nowhere near as bad as Rob's pic. Overall still a good beer and a welcome inclusion to the case as always.
*brendanos:* 7/1 Brilliant (i guess I got lucky?) amber with large, dense fine white head - looks absolutely stunning. Huge greeting aroma of ripe, juicey tropical fruits, skunky, piney hops and vanilla ice cream. Very appetising! Strong but smooth bitterness, very well controlled. Great rich hop flavour supported by a light malt sweetness and medium body. A pleasure to drink. The bitterness is so damn good!!
MC:Mine was quite hazy and came complete with flowers floating on the head. I loved this beer and was very impressed. Brendan's description - "controlled" - nails it. Bigger beers can get a bit clumsy, but this one was smooth and balanced throughout.

*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*
*Churchy*-Had to drink it now, nice dark colour almost black and good carbonation.Could really taste the chocolate malt and not over powering, very enjoyable to drink.

*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol: 
*Churchy-* This went down really well after a bike ride, nice aroma hops and bittering hops.
*VtPA*: The case of Cases case beer, loved it. More of a hop cordial really, totally imbalanced with a hop overload that worked well in a lower gravity beer.
*Goat*: This is a goodun. Pours a bit hazy but with a nice deep colour. Head is a bit anxious, but decanting and then into a glass sorted that nicely. Is it my imagination or is there some hops in this sucker ?! Certainly does dominate the flavour - but in a good way. While the hop flavour /nose / bitterness are all good, I would love to taste this with a less pronounced involvement, cos I'm reminded of a Fullers ESB in the malt - very nice ! Don't know how you managed the body for 3.7%, but she's a wee ripper ! 
*Dchap: *Quite the challenge to offset that amount of alpha acid with that amount of gravity. Well done Case ! Loved the dark amber color. It would be interesting to try this less carbed up. It really packs a sharp punch up front that lingers on and on 
*MC*: A crime against nature, but a very tasty one.

*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.
*Churchy-*This was a nice beer Nev and my dad loved it as well.Hops were all together and carbonation just right.
*Asher*- Ripe Bananna esters up front with a hint of spice to enhance. Esters were quickly swallowed up by melanoidins, caramels and dark toffee. This was probably due to low to moderate carbonation in this bottle. Flavours were all there with phelols contributing to a creamy warm finish Nice.
*Mika* :- I got the nice bready/dark malt flavours. If the banana's there it's very subdued (for me). I'd class it as very very similar to any German dunkel weizen I've tried. Enjoyed it, thanks Nev.

*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.
*Cubbie* First one for me. Poured very pale staw colour with a little bit of haze. Small tight head that lingered to near the end. Hint of banana and peach. Very easy to drink, do well as a session beer or just a nice cold referesher. For me I would like just a touch more body.
*Asher*- Dropped brite with a couple of weeks cc'ing. Bananna/fruit/lolly aromatics morphing into daicetyl to my sensitive palate... Gone after the first mouthful. A crisp, tasty thirst quencher. 
*Mika* :- I got more of an apricot and pear aroma from the opening rather than the Banana everyone's babbling about. Nice soft malt profile, seemed very clean and inoffensive to me. Was very glad for the keg filled bottles as it meant I could enjoy every last drop. Noice !
*GB*Started out with a phsss but poured with a small head and a haze. I think it lost its carbonation on transfer which I think let this beer down. On the nose I got some sweet malt notes and a slight hint of the hops but it was over run by the esters. l know how hard these style of beers are to nail! I did like the balance of the sweet malt and the bitterness.The bitterness whilst being noticeable wasnt harsh and just lasted in my mouth long enough to enjoy. A medium bodied Aussie lager.Thanks Tony a good beer on a hot day.

*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.
*kook:* Quite dead on opening, squishy bottle. Poured with a bit of distance and it generated a tight, small off white head. Looks like a good cask ale actually, slightly hazy deep dark amber in colour, edging on brown. Brilliant hop aroma, juicy fruit, tropical fruits, fresh cut grass and floral notes all come through. Medium bodied, mouthfeel is accentuated by the low carbonation. Great melanoidiny background malt character, with some light toasty notes. The hops are the show here though, big, juicy fruit flavours and a nice firm (but in no way harsh) bitterness. Great beer, very drinkable and moreish.
*Dchap: *Mmmmmm, nicely balanced with a lowish carb which worked well for this one I reckon. I really enjoyed the toastiness that popped out at the end  
*Asher*- Chestnut haze. Sweet floral hop aromas waft up despite carbonation levels. Crispy lemonade/frosty fruit hop flavours jump out above a complex roasty malt that morphs into a lingering bitterness. Quite drinkable. Like to try this on a hand pump. 

*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.



*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*
*Cubbie* Thought I would try and review my own beer. Pours deep brown with hints of copper. Tight tan head although it was not lasting. Alcohol and small amount of chocolate on the nose same in the taste. Slightly dry. This is quite different to the sample that I shared at the case swap (different batch), I would say Roy has short changed me on one of the speciality malts. Still fairly clean beer, will be better with a bit more time. Not sure I am on style here.

*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
*VtPA:* Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.
*ausdb* I think I tasted this beer at the swap day as I remember Kenworthy pouring me a glass of something with Galaxy and NS at some stage, but this one to me was completely different. I pick a distinct NS gooseberry and cats pi$ aroma and it is a lovely pale gold and straw colour but I am torn between deciding if it is just too overbittered with the Galaxy overload effect or signs of an infection when I taste it. I can taste the quinine/grapefruitiness that ant tastes but also get the sourness that others have picked. It would be really nice to see your recipe to compare your hopping schedule with my taste perceptions.
sinkas: unfortunatley my bottle opened, with a 2 foot gush, threid to drink the geiser,and it had a really odd harsh flavour, so vented the rest outside
*MC*: Mine didn't gush, but the carbonation was insane. I struggled to pour less than 50% head and then it kept climbing out of the glass. The most turbulent carbonation I have ever seen - pretty cool actually, like a lava lamp on crack. Loved the hop aroma and the taste at the start of the mouthful was fantastic, but it turned nasty as I swallowed. There was a harsh bitterness and reading the reviews above, "quinine" (tonic water) seems to describe it best. I think a bug has beaten me to this beer which is a pisser because it started out beautifully.
*Dchap: *Not a gusher but a 10% beer 90% head scenario. That said that pulled the carb levels down and helped reduce the 'bite'. Nice floral aromas, big big bitterness and quinine is a good descriptor but I found it to be quite nice  Thanks bloke !
*GB* Poured well with a lot of carbonation to support a head that lasted till the end. Heaps of hop profiles happening, including most of those hops I dont like, funny lager drinker me. It did present as hazy but this could just be hop haze ? Good colour for this style of ale. I thought there was some sourness initially (faded as it settled) on the nose but could not find it in the mouth, I have put it down to carbonic acid nose bite.The body is well structured to support the bitterness but the bitterness kept wacking me back every time I licked my lips. Mate I am burping up hops and stir fried noodles and enjoying the contrast of the two flavors. I think it works but Im sure my lips are being embalmed in hop bittering acids .I would like to know your water profile to see why the bitterness is intense. Thanks its a very interesting beer and Im sure I will be tasting it for the rest of the night. Burp....
*Mika* :- Low carb with a very thin head that must have had something better to do because it didn't hang around. My version really wasn't that bitter. It was perhaps a little harsh(ish) but I find that more of a character of the Nelson Sauvin hops than anything the brewer has done wrong. Hop flavour was nice, but certainly not huge for style, it did balance pretty well with the body of the beer, though I'd personally like to see more hop flavour and bitterness, though others reviews say otherwise. I could taste a little background malt flavour that I wasn't a huge fan of, but can't really put it down to anything, perhaps just JW malt (WAG).
*brendanos:* 24/1 Gusher. Carefully decanted a pint of foam. White pepper, cape gooseberry, jalapeno pepper, stewed fruit, ripe cherry (varnish?) and moderate pointy alcohol aromas. Flavour is fruity with a dry, tart, woody character akin to a saison. Hop flavour is quite pleasant and bitterness restrained, which avoids conflict with high carbonation, spice and alcohol. A savoury, green fruit flavour lasts into finish. Interesting and quite drinkable, despite losing most of the bottle down the sink.
clay: opened with a huge hiss and while it didn't gush from the bottle the glass did pour 3/4 soft head. Nice fruity aroma. The first thing that hits my mouth is bitterness but as I keep drinking this turns more into sour or tart. Don't know if this is intentional but kind of reminds my of a young bottle of Orval. totally hit the spot after work on a stinking hot day. Took four glasses of foam to finish the bottle but I wish I had another in the fridge. Lovely beer.

*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.
*sinkas*: nice bananary aroma, drinkable but quite heavy in the clove flavour to me
*MC*: Lovely banana bread aroma. To me, the clove was almost more of a cinamon flavour which was something I haven't encountered before, but I enjoyed it. Not quite as dry as I expected, but balanced and easy drinking.
*Asher*- Some nice banana aromatics. Flavour dominated by big spicy phenols which has me questioning ferment over recipe. Went well with Spaghetti & pork meatballs


----------



## kook (30/1/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !
*ausdb* First bottle of the case for me, no point trying to taste beers with a cold. Even after 3 weeks in my study it is very very very well carbonated even and even with a careful pour I only managed 1/3 beer with 2/3 rocky head in a pint glass. On the nose I get fruity but not distinctly cascade aroma's which is surprising considering the tweaking it received with the magic hop potion. Flavourwise there is a hint of dark malts but the carbonation was too high and the tended to overpower most of the flavours for me. I must go past GL's and have one straight from the tap, as this bottle tastes like a completely different beer to how it normally tastes for me.
*Cubbie* First pour produce a very large head, white a fluffy and hangs around. Lovely dark copper colour. Reasonably dry and perhaps a little over carbed. Honey and toffee in the aroma and on the pallet. Like the balance of the bitterns and hops. Nice all round beer, tasty.
*brendanos:* 15/1 huge carbonation, dense white head with large bubbles. Aroma of cordial (icey poles?), almost blackcurrent like fruitiness. Reasonably dry with a light toasty malt flavour and a biting carbonation that accentuates a lowish bitterness. Earthy, pithy (mandarin/grapefruit?), and lightly spice flavours create some interest but overall the beer is light, refreshing, and sessionable.

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*
*sinkas:* a very drinkable if yet a little unusually flavoured beer, for some reason I assume there is only NS hops, but I got a real stone fruit flavour also, only crit was maybe a bit heavy in mouth feel for the abv, but het it was certianly enjoyable
*kook:* Nice aroma - banana, fresh bready yeast, light toast and spice. Muddy light brown in colour, almost tarnished bronze. Persistent medium white head. Flavour was a strange mix of rubbery plastic, fruity hops and light spice. Medium-full bodied, but dry in the finish. Interesting, but the plasticy flavour was a little offputting and overpowering, suspect this was a fermentation byproduct?
*MC*: Quite hazy with a fantastic pillowy head which lasted the distance. I've just read your recipe and wouldn't have picked this as an extract-only beer. A mix of fruit and spice with a nice bitter finish. This went down easily on a muggy night.


*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.
*Asher* - Thick Shag Pile Magic Malt Carpet. It takes every bit of the 100IBU & ABV to keep this weave from floating away. Balanced. I made the same mistake Tony did! ( I have never had a beer that blew out my buds like this baby) Drink it alone and on its own! Tasty 


*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too. Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year !
*Churchy*- Had a nice straw colour but had a really lemon bittery taste.
*Asher* - Nice underlying malt flavours. Strong Butyric Rubber flavours dominate over esters. Tastes like a good recipe just a hickup at the fermentation stage.

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!
*sinkas:* goat needs fuggin glasses, a nice rich and sparkling body, not cloudy, spritzy carbonation amplified the bitterness, but all together a great pale ale 
*MC*: Awesome aroma - to my nose more tropical and over-ripe grape than citrus. Nice toffee taste up front before the hops come smashing through with juicy flavours and a peppery grassiness which is never harsh. I found myself sucking my teeth between sips, so it must have been good..
*Asher* 2/10 for trueness to style! I was expecting a murky underattenuated ale but was presented with a near brite beer with good foam stand that finished nice and dry. Critically, the hop profile felt a little one dimensional (don't know if more varietys in recipy would remedy. Maybe smaller additions over more times. Or maybe I should have let warm up a bit more)
*brendanos:* 22/1 Beautiful copper colour (seems clear to me!) with dense creamy white head with awesome retention. Toffee and caramel malt aroma with perhaps a hint of butter, and a moderate US hop aroma (juicey fruits). Aroma is very pleasant, clean and humble. Flavour is a good balance of hops (starfruit, resinous, stonefruit) and light malt (caramel). Medium bodied and decidedly bitter though particularly smooth and elegant. Finishes smooth with a lingering soft bitterness and hop/malt flavours. Overall clean, deftly balanced and very enjoyable.


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!
*sinkas:* nice punchy IPA, with a creaminess from the rabbit juice
*Churchy*- This was a little too bitter for me but still drank it.
*Goat*: I am drinking this side by side with a white rabbit ale and there is a definite close similarity in terms of colour and the dense creamy head - the commercial is a bit brighter (being not bottle conditioned etc). on the nose, I'm getting a bit of smokey.... <has taste>.... have you used that bloody bacon grain stuff ? Definatley getting strong rauchmalt flavour in that. As a result, I will refrain from further comment on the taste - eveything has turned bacon. Quite well balanced with moderate bitterness. Good mouth feel - creamier and fuller than the domesticated version. I find the commercial version a little bland, there is nothing in there that stands out - I was expecting a bit malt hit, but i don't get that at all.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark brown with ruby highlights. Very lively initially, large, thick and tight off white head. Definite grassy hop aroma, with some pine notes behind. Great malt notes, caramel, chocolate and a nice roast note. High bitterness, possibly accentuated by the roast malt? Helps to cut through the malt though, and leave a very dry finish which makes you immediately crave more. Medium-full bodied, very smooth too. This beer is a bit like boxing. You get punched in the face (by bitter, pungent hops) but immediately want to go back for more! Tasty stuff Darryn.

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*kook:* Saison. Pours hazy golden in colour, with a persistent medium white head. Great aroma of pineapple, rotting fruit (in a good way!), apples, pears and spicy pepper. Mouthfeel is wonderful. Silky smooth in the beginning, yet still dry in the finish. Huge pineapple flavour, almost with some coconut there. Light peppery alcohol spice and some fruit derived sweetness too. Very drinkable stuff mika!
*Goat*: Pours with a keen fluffy head that has settled into a dense white layer with lacing on the glass. Colour exactly as Kook writes. Subtle spiciness with fruity highlights - pear being my best approximation. Finish is slightly sweet but not cloying. I'd like to taste this alonside a Leffe Blonde, cos I reckon its bloody close. Very drinkable beer. 
Churchy-Like the other guys pours with a nice head, very fruity almost like fruity lexia wine.Very nice to drink.

*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.
*Goat*: Based on the above comments, I opened this baby over the sink. No gushing, though there was a healthy hiss - a slow pour resulted in a decent pint with an inch of fluffy white head. Slighlty hazy copper colour. Sweet maltiness on the nose. Maltiness carries through to the taste with a hint of fruit. Not much in the way of bitterness or hop flavour. Like GL suggests, its a bit of a nostaglia trip for me.
*kook:* I didn't read any of this, and opened it haphazard. There was a little initial "spray" of beer, but no gushing or foaming. Took a little bit of time to off gas in the glass, but I think it adds to the experience. Colour is a slightly hazy light amber, with a huge (60% of glass) fluffy white head. Initial aroma is quite spicy, with light peppery alcohol notes. As it rests a bit, some great malt notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Nice light body, dry finish. Flavour is quite clean, nice honey-like malt notes, very balanced bitterness level. Some light earthy hop notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Very quaffable halfluck offering!
*Dchap: *Big carb hiss but no gush. Nice coppery hue. This is my first Steam Beer experience and won't be my last. Light, balanced, bready aroma and on the palate too. I didn't get too much of the esters but perhaps a touch of honey. Thanks for your fine efforts Rob !
*Asher*- Opened and poured well into a wet glass. Aroma hints of northern brewer. Upon tasting was met by a huge carbonic bite fraught with spices & fusils. So I knocked a heap of carbonation out and this beer turned into something a little more malt driven with plenty of fruit. Finishing nice and dry, with a slight tannic harshness/earthiness complementing or thanks to the NB hopping.


*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.
*Goat*: Not huge carbonation, but enough to develop a thinish white head. Not sure about the "belgian pear ester" - I think its more French/Swiss border pear... but there is definately that sort of fruit in the aroma in there. slightly hazy in with a golden straw colour. Nice full mouthfeel, slightly sweet - which works well with the moderatly alcoholy aftertaste. Nice beer.
*Churchy-* Lightly carbed and a honey kinda colour!Fruity flavour to hide the alcohol.Is that why my head is starting to spin and the fact I haven't eaten anything!
*kook:* This should have won the label comp (no offense Linc); boobs should always win. Pours a hazy orange colour with a short white head. Initially some light banana in the nose, then pear and peaches come through. As it warms a little, spice becomes more evident. Big mouthfeel, personally a little too full in the finish for me. Great flavours, pear, peaches, toffee apples and light peppery spice. Some citrus flavours there too. As noted by others, the alcohol is very well hidden. Personally I'd prefer this a few points drier, as I think there is a little too much sweetness. Still a great beer though, thanks Clay!
*Asher*- smooth malt dominates for me. It hides the ABV very well before emerging as a warmth right on the finish. The esters a little frazzled by spices maybe from a ferment temp pushed to the upper limit of acceptable. Still a very drinkable beer containing plenty of those intangibles that just make feel like your back in Belgium.
*brendanos:* 15/1 Pours an almost brilliant orange with low head and low retention. Aroma dominated by tropical fruit salad candy and a lightly spicey phenolic, some fudge like malt character. Flavour is bready with a medium body which is balanced by the alcohol, carbonation and spice-like astringency. A nice, drinkable beer, though I think Asher & Kook are on the money - a cleaner ferment and slightly higher attenuation would be welcome improvements! I'm just a little concerned that much of the fruitiness may be acetaldehyde and am wondering if my body can break down a longneck's worth (no offense Clay!)

*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*
*Cubbie*Pours very very pale, bubbly head that disappears almost immediately, little bit of chill haze.. Could wait a little while longer to open but it is well carbonated now. The tartness and sourness of the fermentation comes through though it is not overpowering. Lemon notes in the taste and aroma with no hop. I feel like I want to pour it over some ice and drink like a cider. Goes nice with the blue brie I am eating right now.

*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*
*RR* Feeling thirsty, i dove into some of my bottle stores and cracked what i thought was one of my bottled porters to see how it was going, i had a quick whiff and noticed it had a bit of a amarillo? hop flavour and then had a look and thought to myself hey it's a bit lighter than my porter is, then it clicked to me that bf's contribution was unlabeled, i was definitely a welcome change from what i was expecting to drink so in my case the "no label" worked a treat!
I really enjoyed this beer, had no idea what style it was or anything like that just thought it was a good honest drinking beer if that makes sense. I thought it was well balanced. Nice and malty up front then a bit of a lingering bitterness with a bit of an english? yeast ester thing going on. i'll have to look the recipe up to confirm these thing i could be way off the bat but that's what i got out of it. when i found this thread again suprised no one else has cracked it yet? 


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!
*Mika* :- Not bad, but well below the standard of Tasty V1.0 I got to sample back before Christmas. The hops are still strong but seem to be fading out. Power of suggestion or whatever, but I think I get some cardboard coming thru ? The malt profile is a lot more present as well though still comes across clean. I got a serious hop haze with the occassional floating bits/chunks, though nowhere near as bad as Rob's pic. Overall still a good beer and a welcome inclusion to the case as always.
*brendanos:* 7/1 Brilliant (i guess I got lucky?) amber with large, dense fine white head - looks absolutely stunning. Huge greeting aroma of ripe, juicey tropical fruits, skunky, piney hops and vanilla ice cream. Very appetising! Strong but smooth bitterness, very well controlled. Great rich hop flavour supported by a light malt sweetness and medium body. A pleasure to drink. The bitterness is so damn good!!
MC:Mine was quite hazy and came complete with flowers floating on the head. I loved this beer and was very impressed. Brendan's description - "controlled" - nails it. Bigger beers can get a bit clumsy, but this one was smooth and balanced throughout.

*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*
*Churchy*-Had to drink it now, nice dark colour almost black and good carbonation.Could really taste the chocolate malt and not over powering, very enjoyable to drink.

*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol: 
*Churchy-* This went down really well after a bike ride, nice aroma hops and bittering hops.
*VtPA*: The case of Cases case beer, loved it. More of a hop cordial really, totally imbalanced with a hop overload that worked well in a lower gravity beer.
*Goat*: This is a goodun. Pours a bit hazy but with a nice deep colour. Head is a bit anxious, but decanting and then into a glass sorted that nicely. Is it my imagination or is there some hops in this sucker ?! Certainly does dominate the flavour - but in a good way. While the hop flavour /nose / bitterness are all good, I would love to taste this with a less pronounced involvement, cos I'm reminded of a Fullers ESB in the malt - very nice ! Don't know how you managed the body for 3.7%, but she's a wee ripper ! 
*Dchap: *Quite the challenge to offset that amount of alpha acid with that amount of gravity. Well done Case ! Loved the dark amber color. It would be interesting to try this less carbed up. It really packs a sharp punch up front that lingers on and on 
*MC*: A crime against nature, but a very tasty one.

*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.
*Churchy-*This was a nice beer Nev and my dad loved it as well.Hops were all together and carbonation just right.
*Asher*- Ripe Bananna esters up front with a hint of spice to enhance. Esters were quickly swallowed up by melanoidins, caramels and dark toffee. This was probably due to low to moderate carbonation in this bottle. Flavours were all there with phelols contributing to a creamy warm finish Nice.
*Mika* :- I got the nice bready/dark malt flavours. If the banana's there it's very subdued (for me). I'd class it as very very similar to any German dunkel weizen I've tried. Enjoyed it, thanks Nev.

*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.
*Cubbie* First one for me. Poured very pale staw colour with a little bit of haze. Small tight head that lingered to near the end. Hint of banana and peach. Very easy to drink, do well as a session beer or just a nice cold referesher. For me I would like just a touch more body.
*Asher*- Dropped brite with a couple of weeks cc'ing. Bananna/fruit/lolly aromatics morphing into daicetyl to my sensitive palate... Gone after the first mouthful. A crisp, tasty thirst quencher. 
*Mika* :- I got more of an apricot and pear aroma from the opening rather than the Banana everyone's babbling about. Nice soft malt profile, seemed very clean and inoffensive to me. Was very glad for the keg filled bottles as it meant I could enjoy every last drop. Noice !
*GB*Started out with a phsss but poured with a small head and a haze. I think it lost its carbonation on transfer which I think let this beer down. On the nose I got some sweet malt notes and a slight hint of the hops but it was over run by the esters. l know how hard these style of beers are to nail! I did like the balance of the sweet malt and the bitterness.The bitterness whilst being noticeable wasnt harsh and just lasted in my mouth long enough to enjoy. A medium bodied Aussie lager.Thanks Tony a good beer on a hot day.

*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.
*kook:* Quite dead on opening, squishy bottle. Poured with a bit of distance and it generated a tight, small off white head. Looks like a good cask ale actually, slightly hazy deep dark amber in colour, edging on brown. Brilliant hop aroma, juicy fruit, tropical fruits, fresh cut grass and floral notes all come through. Medium bodied, mouthfeel is accentuated by the low carbonation. Great melanoidiny background malt character, with some light toasty notes. The hops are the show here though, big, juicy fruit flavours and a nice firm (but in no way harsh) bitterness. Great beer, very drinkable and moreish.
*Dchap: *Mmmmmm, nicely balanced with a lowish carb which worked well for this one I reckon. I really enjoyed the toastiness that popped out at the end  
*Asher*- Chestnut haze. Sweet floral hop aromas waft up despite carbonation levels. Crispy lemonade/frosty fruit hop flavours jump out above a complex roasty malt that morphs into a lingering bitterness. Quite drinkable. Like to try this on a hand pump. 

*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.



*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*
*Cubbie* Thought I would try and review my own beer. Pours deep brown with hints of copper. Tight tan head although it was not lasting. Alcohol and small amount of chocolate on the nose same in the taste. Slightly dry. This is quite different to the sample that I shared at the case swap (different batch), I would say Roy has short changed me on one of the speciality malts. Still fairly clean beer, will be better with a bit more time. Not sure I am on style here.

*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
*VtPA:* Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.
*ausdb* I think I tasted this beer at the swap day as I remember Kenworthy pouring me a glass of something with Galaxy and NS at some stage, but this one to me was completely different. I pick a distinct NS gooseberry and cats pi$ aroma and it is a lovely pale gold and straw colour but I am torn between deciding if it is just too overbittered with the Galaxy overload effect or signs of an infection when I taste it. I can taste the quinine/grapefruitiness that ant tastes but also get the sourness that others have picked. It would be really nice to see your recipe to compare your hopping schedule with my taste perceptions.
sinkas: unfortunatley my bottle opened, with a 2 foot gush, threid to drink the geiser,and it had a really odd harsh flavour, so vented the rest outside
*MC*: Mine didn't gush, but the carbonation was insane. I struggled to pour less than 50% head and then it kept climbing out of the glass. The most turbulent carbonation I have ever seen - pretty cool actually, like a lava lamp on crack. Loved the hop aroma and the taste at the start of the mouthful was fantastic, but it turned nasty as I swallowed. There was a harsh bitterness and reading the reviews above, "quinine" (tonic water) seems to describe it best. I think a bug has beaten me to this beer which is a pisser because it started out beautifully.
*Dchap: *Not a gusher but a 10% beer 90% head scenario. That said that pulled the carb levels down and helped reduce the 'bite'. Nice floral aromas, big big bitterness and quinine is a good descriptor but I found it to be quite nice  Thanks bloke !
*GB* Poured well with a lot of carbonation to support a head that lasted till the end. Heaps of hop profiles happening, including most of those hops I dont like, funny lager drinker me. It did present as hazy but this could just be hop haze ? Good colour for this style of ale. I thought there was some sourness initially (faded as it settled) on the nose but could not find it in the mouth, I have put it down to carbonic acid nose bite.The body is well structured to support the bitterness but the bitterness kept wacking me back every time I licked my lips. Mate I am burping up hops and stir fried noodles and enjoying the contrast of the two flavors. I think it works but Im sure my lips are being embalmed in hop bittering acids .I would like to know your water profile to see why the bitterness is intense. Thanks its a very interesting beer and Im sure I will be tasting it for the rest of the night. Burp....
*Mika* :- Low carb with a very thin head that must have had something better to do because it didn't hang around. My version really wasn't that bitter. It was perhaps a little harsh(ish) but I find that more of a character of the Nelson Sauvin hops than anything the brewer has done wrong. Hop flavour was nice, but certainly not huge for style, it did balance pretty well with the body of the beer, though I'd personally like to see more hop flavour and bitterness, though others reviews say otherwise. I could taste a little background malt flavour that I wasn't a huge fan of, but can't really put it down to anything, perhaps just JW malt (WAG).
*brendanos:* 24/1 Gusher. Carefully decanted a pint of foam. White pepper, cape gooseberry, jalapeno pepper, stewed fruit, ripe cherry (varnish?) and moderate pointy alcohol aromas. Flavour is fruity with a dry, tart, woody character akin to a saison. Hop flavour is quite pleasant and bitterness restrained, which avoids conflict with high carbonation, spice and alcohol. A savoury, green fruit flavour lasts into finish. Interesting and quite drinkable, despite losing most of the bottle down the sink.
clay: opened with a huge hiss and while it didn't gush from the bottle the glass did pour 3/4 soft head. Nice fruity aroma. The first thing that hits my mouth is bitterness but as I keep drinking this turns more into sour or tart. Don't know if this is intentional but kind of reminds my of a young bottle of Orval. totally hit the spot after work on a stinking hot day. Took four glasses of foam to finish the bottle but I wish I had another in the fridge. Lovely beer.

*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.
*sinkas*: nice bananary aroma, drinkable but quite heavy in the clove flavour to me
*MC*: Lovely banana bread aroma. To me, the clove was almost more of a cinamon flavour which was something I haven't encountered before, but I enjoyed it. Not quite as dry as I expected, but balanced and easy drinking.
*Asher*- Some nice banana aromatics. Flavour dominated by big spicy phenols which has me questioning ferment over recipe. Went well with Spaghetti & pork meatballs


----------



## cubbie (1/2/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaffable.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee – very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed – kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !
*ausdb* First bottle of the case for me, no point trying to taste beers with a cold. Even after 3 weeks in my study it is very very very well carbonated even and even with a careful pour I only managed 1/3 beer with 2/3 rocky head in a pint glass. On the nose I get fruity but not distinctly cascade aroma's which is surprising considering the tweaking it received with the magic hop potion. Flavourwise there is a hint of dark malts but the carbonation was too high and the tended to overpower most of the flavours for me. I must go past GL's and have one straight from the tap, as this bottle tastes like a completely different beer to how it normally tastes for me.
*Cubbie* First pour produce a very large head, white a fluffy and hangs around. Lovely dark copper colour. Reasonably dry and perhaps a little over carbed. Honey and toffee in the aroma and on the pallet. Like the balance of the bitterns and hops. Nice all round beer, tasty.
*brendanos:* 15/1 huge carbonation, dense white head with large bubbles. Aroma of cordial (icey poles?), almost blackcurrent like fruitiness. Reasonably dry with a light toasty malt flavour and a biting carbonation that accentuates a lowish bitterness. Earthy, pithy (mandarin/grapefruit?), and lightly spice flavours create some interest but overall the beer is light, refreshing, and sessionable.

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*
*sinkas:* a very drinkable if yet a little unusually flavoured beer, for some reason I assume there is only NS hops, but I got a real stone fruit flavour also, only crit was maybe a bit heavy in mouth feel for the abv, but het it was certianly enjoyable
*kook:* Nice aroma - banana, fresh bready yeast, light toast and spice. Muddy light brown in colour, almost tarnished bronze. Persistent medium white head. Flavour was a strange mix of rubbery plastic, fruity hops and light spice. Medium-full bodied, but dry in the finish. Interesting, but the plasticy flavour was a little offputting and overpowering, suspect this was a fermentation byproduct?
*MC*: Quite hazy with a fantastic pillowy head which lasted the distance. I've just read your recipe and wouldn't have picked this as an extract-only beer. A mix of fruit and spice with a nice bitter finish. This went down easily on a muggy night.


*Kook Everything but the… (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.
*Asher* - Thick Shag Pile Magic Malt Carpet. It takes every bit of the 100IBU & ABV to keep this weave from floating away. Balanced. I made the same mistake Tony did! ( I have never had a beer that blew out my buds like this baby) Drink it alone and on its own! Tasty 


*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too. Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year !
*Churchy*- Had a nice straw colour but had a really lemon bittery taste.
*Asher* - Nice underlying malt flavours. Strong Butyric Rubber flavours dominate over esters. Tastes like a good recipe just a hickup at the fermentation stage.
*MC*: I can't tell you what went wrong, but I'm guessing it's either an infection or really unhappy yeast. Was the one I tasted at the swap from the same batch, because that one was fine?
*Cubbie*: I tried this one Australia day and did not take notes however, it poured nicely with good head retention It had the backbone of a Hefe but I feel there may have been some issues with the fermentation. I did an American Hefe with proculture recently and it had some very similar notes to it. My Hefe had a horrible fermentation. So I am guessing this may be the issue. Still I enjoyed drinking a fellow home brewers beer

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failed—absolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!
*sinkas:* goat needs fuggin glasses, a nice rich and sparkling body, not cloudy, spritzy carbonation amplified the bitterness, but all together a great pale ale 
*MC*: Awesome aroma - to my nose more tropical and over-ripe grape than citrus. Nice toffee taste up front before the hops come smashing through with juicy flavours and a peppery grassiness which is never harsh. I found myself sucking my teeth between sips, so it must have been good..
*Asher* – 2/10 for trueness to style! I was expecting a murky underattenuated ale but was presented with a near brite beer with good foam stand that finished nice and dry. Critically, the hop profile felt a little one dimensional (don't know if more varietys in recipy would remedy. Maybe smaller additions over more times. Or maybe I should have let warm up a bit more…)
*brendanos:* 22/1 Beautiful copper colour (seems clear to me!) with dense creamy white head with awesome retention. Toffee and caramel malt aroma with perhaps a hint of butter, and a moderate US hop aroma (juicey fruits). Aroma is very pleasant, clean and humble. Flavour is a good balance of hops (starfruit, resinous, stonefruit) and light malt (caramel). Medium bodied and decidedly bitter though particularly smooth and elegant. Finishes smooth with a lingering soft bitterness and hop/malt flavours. Overall clean, deftly balanced and very enjoyable.


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!
*sinkas:* nice punchy IPA, with a creaminess from the rabbit juice
*Churchy*- This was a little too bitter for me but still drank it.
*Goat*: I am drinking this side by side with a white rabbit ale and there is a definite close similarity in terms of colour and the dense creamy head - the commercial is a bit brighter (being not bottle conditioned etc). on the nose, I'm getting a bit of smokey.... <has taste>.... have you used that bloody bacon grain stuff ? Definatley getting strong rauchmalt flavour in that. As a result, I will refrain from further comment on the taste - eveything has turned bacon. Quite well balanced with moderate bitterness. Good mouth feel - creamier and fuller than the domesticated version. I find the commercial version a little bland, there is nothing in there that stands out - I was expecting a bit malt hit, but i don't get that at all.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark brown with ruby highlights. Very lively initially, large, thick and tight off white head. Definite grassy hop aroma, with some pine notes behind. Great malt notes, caramel, chocolate and a nice roast note. High bitterness, possibly accentuated by the roast malt? Helps to cut through the malt though, and leave a very dry finish which makes you immediately crave more. Medium-full bodied, very smooth too. This beer is a bit like boxing. You get punched in the face (by bitter, pungent hops) but immediately want to go back for more! Tasty stuff Darryn.

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*kook:* Saison. Pours hazy golden in colour, with a persistent medium white head. Great aroma of pineapple, rotting fruit (in a good way!), apples, pears and spicy pepper. Mouthfeel is wonderful. Silky smooth in the beginning, yet still dry in the finish. Huge pineapple flavour, almost with some coconut there. Light peppery alcohol spice and some fruit derived sweetness too. Very drinkable stuff mika!
*Goat*: Pours with a keen fluffy head that has settled into a dense white layer with lacing on the glass. Colour exactly as Kook writes. Subtle spiciness with fruity highlights - pear being my best approximation. Finish is slightly sweet but not cloying. I'd like to taste this alonside a Leffe Blonde, cos I reckon its bloody close. Very drinkable beer. 
Churchy-Like the other guys pours with a nice head, very fruity almost like fruity lexia wine.Very nice to drink.

*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.
*Goat*: Based on the above comments, I opened this baby over the sink. No gushing, though there was a healthy hiss - a slow pour resulted in a decent pint with an inch of fluffy white head. Slighlty hazy copper colour. Sweet maltiness on the nose. Maltiness carries through to the taste with a hint of fruit. Not much in the way of bitterness or hop flavour. Like GL suggests, its a bit of a nostaglia trip for me.
*kook:* I didn't read any of this, and opened it haphazard. There was a little initial "spray" of beer, but no gushing or foaming. Took a little bit of time to off gas in the glass, but I think it adds to the experience. Colour is a slightly hazy light amber, with a huge (60% of glass) fluffy white head. Initial aroma is quite spicy, with light peppery alcohol notes. As it rests a bit, some great malt notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Nice light body, dry finish. Flavour is quite clean, nice honey-like malt notes, very balanced bitterness level. Some light earthy hop notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Very quaffable halfluck offering!
*Dchap: *Big carb hiss but no gush. Nice coppery hue. This is my first Steam Beer experience and won't be my last. Light, balanced, bready aroma and on the palate too. I didn't get too much of the esters but perhaps a touch of honey. Thanks for your fine efforts Rob !
*Asher*- Opened and poured well into a wet glass. Aroma hints of northern brewer. Upon tasting was met by a huge carbonic bite fraught with spices & fusils. So I knocked a heap of carbonation out and this beer turned into something a little more malt driven with plenty of fruit. Finishing nice and dry, with a slight tannic harshness/earthiness complementing or thanks to the NB hopping.


*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.
*Goat*: Not huge carbonation, but enough to develop a thinish white head. Not sure about the "belgian pear ester" - I think its more French/Swiss border pear... but there is definately that sort of fruit in the aroma in there. slightly hazy in with a golden straw colour. Nice full mouthfeel, slightly sweet - which works well with the moderatly alcoholy aftertaste. Nice beer.
*Churchy-* Lightly carbed and a honey kinda colour!Fruity flavour to hide the alcohol.Is that why my head is starting to spin and the fact I haven't eaten anything!
*kook:* This should have won the label comp (no offense Linc); boobs should always win. Pours a hazy orange colour with a short white head. Initially some light banana in the nose, then pear and peaches come through. As it warms a little, spice becomes more evident. Big mouthfeel, personally a little too full in the finish for me. Great flavours, pear, peaches, toffee apples and light peppery spice. Some citrus flavours there too. As noted by others, the alcohol is very well hidden. Personally I'd prefer this a few points drier, as I think there is a little too much sweetness. Still a great beer though, thanks Clay!
*Asher*- smooth malt dominates for me. It hides the ABV very well before emerging as a warmth right on the finish. The esters a little frazzled by spices maybe from a ferment temp pushed to the upper limit of acceptable. Still a very drinkable beer containing plenty of those intangibles that just make feel like your back in Belgium.
*brendanos:* 15/1 Pours an almost brilliant orange with low head and low retention. Aroma dominated by tropical fruit salad candy and a lightly spicey phenolic, some fudge like malt character. Flavour is bready with a medium body which is balanced by the alcohol, carbonation and spice-like astringency. A nice, drinkable beer, though I think Asher & Kook are on the money - a cleaner ferment and slightly higher attenuation would be welcome improvements! I'm just a little concerned that much of the fruitiness may be acetaldehyde and am wondering if my body can break down a longneck's worth (no offense Clay!)

*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*
*Cubbie*Pours very very pale, bubbly head that disappears almost immediately, little bit of chill haze.. Could wait a little while longer to open but it is well carbonated now. The tartness and sourness of the fermentation comes through though it is not overpowering. Lemon notes in the taste and aroma with no hop. I feel like I want to pour it over some ice and drink like a cider. Goes nice with the blue brie I am eating right now.

*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*
*RR* Feeling thirsty, i dove into some of my bottle stores and cracked what i thought was one of my bottled porters to see how it was going, i had a quick whiff and noticed it had a bit of a amarillo? hop flavour and then had a look and thought to myself hey it's a bit lighter than my porter is, then it clicked to me that bf's contribution was unlabeled, i was definitely a welcome change from what i was expecting to drink so in my case the "no label" worked a treat!
I really enjoyed this beer, had no idea what style it was or anything like that just thought it was a good honest drinking beer if that makes sense. I thought it was well balanced. Nice and malty up front then a bit of a lingering bitterness with a bit of an english? yeast ester thing going on. i'll have to look the recipe up to confirm these thing i could be way off the bat but that's what i got out of it. when i found this thread again suprised no one else has cracked it yet? 


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!
*Mika* :- Not bad, but well below the standard of Tasty V1.0 I got to sample back before Christmas. The hops are still strong but seem to be fading out. Power of suggestion or whatever, but I think I get some cardboard coming thru ? The malt profile is a lot more present as well though still comes across clean. I got a serious hop haze with the occassional floating bits/chunks, though nowhere near as bad as Rob's pic. Overall still a good beer and a welcome inclusion to the case as always.
*brendanos:* 7/1 Brilliant (i guess I got lucky?) amber with large, dense fine white head - looks absolutely stunning. Huge greeting aroma of ripe, juicey tropical fruits, skunky, piney hops and vanilla ice cream. Very appetising! Strong but smooth bitterness, very well controlled. Great rich hop flavour supported by a light malt sweetness and medium body. A pleasure to drink. The bitterness is so damn good!!
MC:Mine was quite hazy and came complete with flowers floating on the head. I loved this beer and was very impressed. Brendan's description - "controlled" - nails it. Bigger beers can get a bit clumsy, but this one was smooth and balanced throughout.

*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*
*Churchy*-Had to drink it now, nice dark colour almost black and good carbonation.Could really taste the chocolate malt and not over powering, very enjoyable to drink.

*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol: 
*Churchy-* This went down really well after a bike ride, nice aroma hops and bittering hops.
*VtPA*: The case of Cases case beer, loved it. More of a hop cordial really, totally imbalanced with a hop overload that worked well in a lower gravity beer.
*Goat*: This is a goodun. Pours a bit hazy but with a nice deep colour. Head is a bit anxious, but decanting and then into a glass sorted that nicely. Is it my imagination or is there some hops in this sucker ?! Certainly does dominate the flavour - but in a good way. While the hop flavour /nose / bitterness are all good, I would love to taste this with a less pronounced involvement, cos I'm reminded of a Fullers ESB in the malt - very nice ! Don't know how you managed the body for 3.7%, but she's a wee ripper ! 
*Dchap: *Quite the challenge to offset that amount of alpha acid with that amount of gravity. Well done Case ! Loved the dark amber color. It would be interesting to try this less carbed up. It really packs a sharp punch up front that lingers on and on 
*MC*: A crime against nature, but a very tasty one.

*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.
*Churchy-*This was a nice beer Nev and my dad loved it as well.Hops were all together and carbonation just right.
*Asher*- Ripe Bananna esters up front with a hint of spice to enhance. Esters were quickly swallowed up by melanoidins, caramels and dark toffee. This was probably due to low to moderate carbonation in this bottle. Flavours were all there with phelols contributing to a creamy warm finish – Nice.
*Mika* :- I got the nice bready/dark malt flavours. If the banana's there it's very subdued (for me). I'd class it as very very similar to any German dunkel weizen I've tried. Enjoyed it, thanks Nev.

*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.
*Cubbie* First one for me. Poured very pale staw colour with a little bit of haze. Small tight head that lingered to near the end. Hint of banana and peach. Very easy to drink, do well as a session beer or just a nice cold referesher. For me I would like just a touch more body.
*Asher*- Dropped brite with a couple of weeks cc'ing. Bananna/fruit/lolly aromatics morphing into daicetyl to my sensitive palate... Gone after the first mouthful. A crisp, tasty thirst quencher. 
*Mika* :- I got more of an apricot and pear aroma from the opening rather than the Banana everyone's babbling about. Nice soft malt profile, seemed very clean and inoffensive to me. Was very glad for the keg filled bottles as it meant I could enjoy every last drop. Noice !
*GB*Started out with a phsss but poured with a small head and a haze. I think it lost its carbonation on transfer which I think let this beer down. On the nose I got some sweet malt notes and a slight hint of the hops but it was over run by the esters. l know how hard these style of beers are to nail! I did like the balance of the sweet malt and the bitterness.The bitterness whilst being noticeable wasnt harsh and just lasted in my mouth long enough to enjoy. A medium bodied Aussie lager.Thanks Tony a good beer on a hot day.

*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.
*kook:* Quite dead on opening, squishy bottle. Poured with a bit of distance and it generated a tight, small off white head. Looks like a good cask ale actually, slightly hazy deep dark amber in colour, edging on brown. Brilliant hop aroma, juicy fruit, tropical fruits, fresh cut grass and floral notes all come through. Medium bodied, mouthfeel is accentuated by the low carbonation. Great melanoidiny background malt character, with some light toasty notes. The hops are the show here though, big, juicy fruit flavours and a nice firm (but in no way harsh) bitterness. Great beer, very drinkable and moreish.
*Dchap: *Mmmmmm, nicely balanced with a lowish carb which worked well for this one I reckon. I really enjoyed the toastiness that popped out at the end  
*Asher*- Chestnut haze. Sweet floral hop aromas waft up despite carbonation levels. Crispy lemonade/frosty fruit hop flavours jump out above a complex roasty malt that morphs into a lingering bitterness. Quite drinkable. Like to try this on a hand pump. 

*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.



*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*
*Cubbie* Thought I would try and review my own beer. Pours deep brown with hints of copper. Tight tan head although it was not lasting. Alcohol and small amount of chocolate on the nose same in the taste. Slightly dry. This is quite different to the sample that I shared at the case swap (different batch), I would say Roy has short changed me on one of the speciality malts. Still fairly clean beer, will be better with a bit more time. Not sure I am on style here.

*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
*VtPA:* Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.
*ausdb* I think I tasted this beer at the swap day as I remember Kenworthy pouring me a glass of something with Galaxy and NS at some stage, but this one to me was completely different. I pick a distinct NS gooseberry and cats pi$ aroma and it is a lovely pale gold and straw colour but I am torn between deciding if it is just too overbittered with the Galaxy overload effect or signs of an infection when I taste it. I can taste the quinine/grapefruitiness that ant tastes but also get the sourness that others have picked. It would be really nice to see your recipe to compare your hopping schedule with my taste perceptions.
sinkas: unfortunatley my bottle opened, with a 2 foot gush, threid to drink the geiser,and it had a really odd harsh flavour, so vented the rest outside
*MC*: Mine didn't gush, but the carbonation was insane. I struggled to pour less than 50% head and then it kept climbing out of the glass. The most turbulent carbonation I have ever seen - pretty cool actually, like a lava lamp on crack. Loved the hop aroma and the taste at the start of the mouthful was fantastic, but it turned nasty as I swallowed. There was a harsh bitterness and reading the reviews above, "quinine" (tonic water) seems to describe it best. I think a bug has beaten me to this beer which is a pisser because it started out beautifully.
*Dchap: *Not a gusher but a 10% beer 90% head scenario. That said that pulled the carb levels down and helped reduce the 'bite'. Nice floral aromas, big big bitterness and quinine is a good descriptor but I found it to be quite nice  Thanks bloke !
*GB* Poured well with a lot of carbonation to support a head that lasted till the end. Heaps of hop profiles happening, including most of those hops I dont like, funny lager drinker me. It did present as hazy but this could just be hop haze ? Good colour for this style of ale. I thought there was some sourness initially (faded as it settled) on the nose but could not find it in the mouth, I have put it down to carbonic acid nose bite.The body is well structured to support the bitterness but the bitterness kept wacking me back every time I licked my lips. Mate I am burping up hops and stir fried noodles and enjoying the contrast of the two flavors. I think it works but Im sure my lips are being embalmed in hop bittering acids .I would like to know your water profile to see why the bitterness is intense. Thanks its a very interesting beer and Im sure I will be tasting it for the rest of the night. Burp....
*Mika* :- Low carb with a very thin head that must have had something better to do because it didn't hang around. My version really wasn't that bitter. It was perhaps a little harsh(ish) but I find that more of a character of the Nelson Sauvin hops than anything the brewer has done wrong. Hop flavour was nice, but certainly not huge for style, it did balance pretty well with the body of the beer, though I'd personally like to see more hop flavour and bitterness, though others reviews say otherwise. I could taste a little background malt flavour that I wasn't a huge fan of, but can't really put it down to anything, perhaps just JW malt (WAG).
*brendanos:* 24/1 Gusher. Carefully decanted a pint of foam. White pepper, cape gooseberry, jalapeno pepper, stewed fruit, ripe cherry (varnish?) and moderate pointy alcohol aromas. Flavour is fruity with a dry, tart, woody character akin to a saison. Hop flavour is quite pleasant and bitterness restrained, which avoids conflict with high carbonation, spice and alcohol. A savoury, green fruit flavour lasts into finish. Interesting and quite drinkable, despite losing most of the bottle down the sink.
clay: opened with a huge hiss and while it didn't gush from the bottle the glass did pour 3/4 soft head. Nice fruity aroma. The first thing that hits my mouth is bitterness but as I keep drinking this turns more into sour or tart. Don't know if this is intentional but kind of reminds my of a young bottle of Orval. totally hit the spot after work on a stinking hot day. Took four glasses of foam to finish the bottle but I wish I had another in the fridge. Lovely beer.
*Cubbie*: A little hard seeing the beer through all the head, needless to say a bit high on the carbonation. Another beer I drank Australia day without notes. Definite sourness/ tartness to the beer, with memories of the Big Helga I had the night before that was infected and rather sour, this one did not sit so well on my pallet. Hidden behind the sourness was a nice hop flavour. I would like to try this one again, but without the sourness.

*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.
*sinkas*: nice bananary aroma, drinkable but quite heavy in the clove flavour to me
*MC*: Lovely banana bread aroma. To me, the clove was almost more of a cinamon flavour which was something I haven't encountered before, but I enjoyed it. Not quite as dry as I expected, but balanced and easy drinking.
*Asher*- Some nice banana aromatics. Flavour dominated by big spicy phenols which has me questioning ferment over recipe. Went well with Spaghetti & pork meatballs


----------



## brendanos (1/2/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaff[able.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee – very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed – kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !
*ausdb* First bottle of the case for me, no point trying to taste beers with a cold. Even after 3 weeks in my study it is very very very well carbonated even and even with a careful pour I only managed 1/3 beer with 2/3 rocky head in a pint glass. On the nose I get fruity but not distinctly cascade aroma's which is surprising considering the tweaking it received with the magic hop potion. Flavourwise there is a hint of dark malts but the carbonation was too high and the tended to overpower most of the flavours for me. I must go past GL's and have one straight from the tap, as this bottle tastes like a completely different beer to how it normally tastes for me.
*Cubbie* First pour produce a very large head, white a fluffy and hangs around. Lovely dark copper colour. Reasonably dry and perhaps a little over carbed. Honey and toffee in the aroma and on the pallet. Like the balance of the bitterns and hops. Nice all round beer, tasty.
*brendanos:* 15/1 huge carbonation, dense white head with large bubbles. Aroma of cordial (icey poles?), almost blackcurrent like fruitiness. Reasonably dry with a light toasty malt flavour and a biting carbonation that accentuates a lowish bitterness. Earthy, pithy (mandarin/grapefruit?), and lightly spice flavours create some interest but overall the beer is light, refreshing, and sessionable.

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*
*sinkas:* a very drinkable if yet a little unusually flavoured beer, for some reason I assume there is only NS hops, but I got a real stone fruit flavour also, only crit was maybe a bit heavy in mouth feel for the abv, but het it was certianly enjoyable
*kook:* Nice aroma - banana, fresh bready yeast, light toast and spice. Muddy light brown in colour, almost tarnished bronze. Persistent medium white head. Flavour was a strange mix of rubbery plastic, fruity hops and light spice. Medium-full bodied, but dry in the finish. Interesting, but the plasticy flavour was a little offputting and overpowering, suspect this was a fermentation byproduct?
*MC*: Quite hazy with a fantastic pillowy head which lasted the distance. I've just read your recipe and wouldn't have picked this as an extract-only beer. A mix of fruit and spice with a nice bitter finish. This went down easily on a muggy night.


*Kook Everything but the… (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.
*Asher* - Thick Shag Pile Magic Malt Carpet. It takes every bit of the 100IBU & ABV to keep this weave from floating away. Balanced. I made the same mistake Tony did! ( I have never had a beer that blew out my buds like this baby) Drink it alone and on its own! Tasty 


*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too. Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year !
*Churchy*- Had a nice straw colour but had a really lemon bittery taste.
*Asher* - Nice underlying malt flavours. Strong Butyric Rubber flavours dominate over esters. Tastes like a good recipe just a hickup at the fermentation stage.
*MC*: I can't tell you what went wrong, but I'm guessing it's either an infection or really unhappy yeast. Was the one I tasted at the swap from the same batch, because that one was fine?
*Cubbie*: I tried this one Australia day and did not take notes however, it poured nicely with good head retention It had the backbone of a Hefe but I feel there may have been some issues with the fermentation. I did an American Hefe with proculture recently and it had some very similar notes to it. My Hefe had a horrible fermentation. So I am guessing this may be the issue. Still I enjoyed drinking a fellow home brewers beer
*brendanos*: 1/2 The aroma is dominated for me by sulfur - rotten eggs/eggy farts, body odour, sea water and (possibly not a sulfur compound) sausages. It could be as simple as extending your boil to reduce DMS and SSM and similarly chilling faster post-boil. If these things are in order, then I'd say the problem is bacteria. The flavour seems rather clean, light, spritzy, bready, but for me the aroma is too offputting. I hope this isn't rude - but I think I now know what "enteric character" refers to in the BJCP guidelines.

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failed—absolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!
*sinkas:* goat needs fuggin glasses, a nice rich and sparkling body, not cloudy, spritzy carbonation amplified the bitterness, but all together a great pale ale 
*MC*: Awesome aroma - to my nose more tropical and over-ripe grape than citrus. Nice toffee taste up front before the hops come smashing through with juicy flavours and a peppery grassiness which is never harsh. I found myself sucking my teeth between sips, so it must have been good..
*Asher* – 2/10 for trueness to style! I was expecting a murky underattenuated ale but was presented with a near brite beer with good foam stand that finished nice and dry. Critically, the hop profile felt a little one dimensional (don't know if more varietys in recipy would remedy. Maybe smaller additions over more times. Or maybe I should have let warm up a bit more…)
*brendanos:* 22/1 Beautiful copper colour (seems clear to me!) with dense creamy white head with awesome retention. Toffee and caramel malt aroma with perhaps a hint of butter, and a moderate US hop aroma (juicey fruits). Aroma is very pleasant, clean and humble. Flavour is a good balance of hops (starfruit, resinous, stonefruit) and light malt (caramel). Medium bodied and decidedly bitter though particularly smooth and elegant. Finishes smooth with a lingering soft bitterness and hop/malt flavours. Overall clean, deftly balanced and very enjoyable.


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!
*sinkas:* nice punchy IPA, with a creaminess from the rabbit juice
*Churchy*- This was a little too bitter for me but still drank it.
*Goat*: I am drinking this side by side with a white rabbit ale and there is a definite close similarity in terms of colour and the dense creamy head - the commercial is a bit brighter (being not bottle conditioned etc). on the nose, I'm getting a bit of smokey.... <has taste>.... have you used that bloody bacon grain stuff ? Definatley getting strong rauchmalt flavour in that. As a result, I will refrain from further comment on the taste - eveything has turned bacon. Quite well balanced with moderate bitterness. Good mouth feel - creamier and fuller than the domesticated version. I find the commercial version a little bland, there is nothing in there that stands out - I was expecting a bit malt hit, but i don't get that at all.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark brown with ruby highlights. Very lively initially, large, thick and tight off white head. Definite grassy hop aroma, with some pine notes behind. Great malt notes, caramel, chocolate and a nice roast note. High bitterness, possibly accentuated by the roast malt? Helps to cut through the malt though, and leave a very dry finish which makes you immediately crave more. Medium-full bodied, very smooth too. This beer is a bit like boxing. You get punched in the face (by bitter, pungent hops) but immediately want to go back for more! Tasty stuff Darryn.

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*kook:* Saison. Pours hazy golden in colour, with a persistent medium white head. Great aroma of pineapple, rotting fruit (in a good way!), apples, pears and spicy pepper. Mouthfeel is wonderful. Silky smooth in the beginning, yet still dry in the finish. Huge pineapple flavour, almost with some coconut there. Light peppery alcohol spice and some fruit derived sweetness too. Very drinkable stuff mika!
*Goat*: Pours with a keen fluffy head that has settled into a dense white layer with lacing on the glass. Colour exactly as Kook writes. Subtle spiciness with fruity highlights - pear being my best approximation. Finish is slightly sweet but not cloying. I'd like to taste this alonside a Leffe Blonde, cos I reckon its bloody close. Very drinkable beer. 
Churchy-Like the other guys pours with a nice head, very fruity almost like fruity lexia wine.Very nice to drink.

*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.
*Goat*: Based on the above comments, I opened this baby over the sink. No gushing, though there was a healthy hiss - a slow pour resulted in a decent pint with an inch of fluffy white head. Slighlty hazy copper colour. Sweet maltiness on the nose. Maltiness carries through to the taste with a hint of fruit. Not much in the way of bitterness or hop flavour. Like GL suggests, its a bit of a nostaglia trip for me.
*kook:* I didn't read any of this, and opened it haphazard. There was a little initial "spray" of beer, but no gushing or foaming. Took a little bit of time to off gas in the glass, but I think it adds to the experience. Colour is a slightly hazy light amber, with a huge (60% of glass) fluffy white head. Initial aroma is quite spicy, with light peppery alcohol notes. As it rests a bit, some great malt notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Nice light body, dry finish. Flavour is quite clean, nice honey-like malt notes, very balanced bitterness level. Some light earthy hop notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Very quaffable halfluck offering!
*Dchap: *Big carb hiss but no gush. Nice coppery hue. This is my first Steam Beer experience and won't be my last. Light, balanced, bready aroma and on the palate too. I didn't get too much of the esters but perhaps a touch of honey. Thanks for your fine efforts Rob !
*Asher*- Opened and poured well into a wet glass. Aroma hints of northern brewer. Upon tasting was met by a huge carbonic bite fraught with spices & fusils. So I knocked a heap of carbonation out and this beer turned into something a little more malt driven with plenty of fruit. Finishing nice and dry, with a slight tannic harshness/earthiness complementing or thanks to the NB hopping.


*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.
*Goat*: Not huge carbonation, but enough to develop a thinish white head. Not sure about the "belgian pear ester" - I think its more French/Swiss border pear... but there is definately that sort of fruit in the aroma in there. slightly hazy in with a golden straw colour. Nice full mouthfeel, slightly sweet - which works well with the moderatly alcoholy aftertaste. Nice beer.
*Churchy-* Lightly carbed and a honey kinda colour!Fruity flavour to hide the alcohol.Is that why my head is starting to spin and the fact I haven't eaten anything!
*kook:* This should have won the label comp (no offense Linc); boobs should always win. Pours a hazy orange colour with a short white head. Initially some light banana in the nose, then pear and peaches come through. As it warms a little, spice becomes more evident. Big mouthfeel, personally a little too full in the finish for me. Great flavours, pear, peaches, toffee apples and light peppery spice. Some citrus flavours there too. As noted by others, the alcohol is very well hidden. Personally I'd prefer this a few points drier, as I think there is a little too much sweetness. Still a great beer though, thanks Clay!
*Asher*- smooth malt dominates for me. It hides the ABV very well before emerging as a warmth right on the finish. The esters a little frazzled by spices maybe from a ferment temp pushed to the upper limit of acceptable. Still a very drinkable beer containing plenty of those intangibles that just make feel like your back in Belgium.
*brendanos:* 15/1 Pours an almost brilliant orange with low head and low retention. Aroma dominated by tropical fruit salad candy and a lightly spicey phenolic, some fudge like malt character. Flavour is bready with a medium body which is balanced by the alcohol, carbonation and spice-like astringency. A nice, drinkable beer, though I think Asher & Kook are on the money - a cleaner ferment and slightly higher attenuation would be welcome improvements! I'm just a little concerned that much of the fruitiness may be acetaldehyde and am wondering if my body can break down a longneck's worth (no offense Clay!)

*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*
*Cubbie*Pours very very pale, bubbly head that disappears almost immediately, little bit of chill haze.. Could wait a little while longer to open but it is well carbonated now. The tartness and sourness of the fermentation comes through though it is not overpowering. Lemon notes in the taste and aroma with no hop. I feel like I want to pour it over some ice and drink like a cider. Goes nice with the blue brie I am eating right now.

*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*
*RR* Feeling thirsty, i dove into some of my bottle stores and cracked what i thought was one of my bottled porters to see how it was going, i had a quick whiff and noticed it had a bit of a amarillo? hop flavour and then had a look and thought to myself hey it's a bit lighter than my porter is, then it clicked to me that bf's contribution was unlabeled, i was definitely a welcome change from what i was expecting to drink so in my case the "no label" worked a treat!
I really enjoyed this beer, had no idea what style it was or anything like that just thought it was a good honest drinking beer if that makes sense. I thought it was well balanced. Nice and malty up front then a bit of a lingering bitterness with a bit of an english? yeast ester thing going on. i'll have to look the recipe up to confirm these thing i could be way off the bat but that's what i got out of it. when i found this thread again suprised no one else has cracked it yet? 


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!
*Mika* :- Not bad, but well below the standard of Tasty V1.0 I got to sample back before Christmas. The hops are still strong but seem to be fading out. Power of suggestion or whatever, but I think I get some cardboard coming thru ? The malt profile is a lot more present as well though still comes across clean. I got a serious hop haze with the occassional floating bits/chunks, though nowhere near as bad as Rob's pic. Overall still a good beer and a welcome inclusion to the case as always.
*brendanos:* 7/1 Brilliant (i guess I got lucky?) amber with large, dense fine white head - looks absolutely stunning. Huge greeting aroma of ripe, juicey tropical fruits, skunky, piney hops and vanilla ice cream. Very appetising! Strong but smooth bitterness, very well controlled. Great rich hop flavour supported by a light malt sweetness and medium body. A pleasure to drink. The bitterness is so damn good!!
MC:Mine was quite hazy and came complete with flowers floating on the head. I loved this beer and was very impressed. Brendan's description - "controlled" - nails it. Bigger beers can get a bit clumsy, but this one was smooth and balanced throughout.

*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*
*Churchy*-Had to drink it now, nice dark colour almost black and good carbonation.Could really taste the chocolate malt and not over powering, very enjoyable to drink.

*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol: 
*Churchy-* This went down really well after a bike ride, nice aroma hops and bittering hops.
*VtPA*: The case of Cases case beer, loved it. More of a hop cordial really, totally imbalanced with a hop overload that worked well in a lower gravity beer.
*Goat*: This is a goodun. Pours a bit hazy but with a nice deep colour. Head is a bit anxious, but decanting and then into a glass sorted that nicely. Is it my imagination or is there some hops in this sucker ?! Certainly does dominate the flavour - but in a good way. While the hop flavour /nose / bitterness are all good, I would love to taste this with a less pronounced involvement, cos I'm reminded of a Fullers ESB in the malt - very nice ! Don't know how you managed the body for 3.7%, but she's a wee ripper ! 
*Dchap: *Quite the challenge to offset that amount of alpha acid with that amount of gravity. Well done Case ! Loved the dark amber color. It would be interesting to try this less carbed up. It really packs a sharp punch up front that lingers on and on 
*MC*: A crime against nature, but a very tasty one.

*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.
*Churchy-*This was a nice beer Nev and my dad loved it as well.Hops were all together and carbonation just right.
*Asher*- Ripe Bananna esters up front with a hint of spice to enhance. Esters were quickly swallowed up by melanoidins, caramels and dark toffee. This was probably due to low to moderate carbonation in this bottle. Flavours were all there with phelols contributing to a creamy warm finish – Nice.
*Mika* :- I got the nice bready/dark malt flavours. If the banana's there it's very subdued (for me). I'd class it as very very similar to any German dunkel weizen I've tried. Enjoyed it, thanks Nev.
*brendanos* 30/1 Delayed note writing here but I remember a toffee-ish candy like dark sugary flavour and distinct roast note. Esters and phenols were subdued compared to other flavours. Nice beer Nev but (after looking at the recipe just now to confirm my spider senses) I would have preferred if you had left the specialty malts out!

*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.
*Cubbie* First one for me. Poured very pale staw colour with a little bit of haze. Small tight head that lingered to near the end. Hint of banana and peach. Very easy to drink, do well as a session beer or just a nice cold referesher. For me I would like just a touch more body.
*Asher*- Dropped brite with a couple of weeks cc'ing. Bananna/fruit/lolly aromatics morphing into daicetyl to my sensitive palate... Gone after the first mouthful. A crisp, tasty thirst quencher. 
*Mika* :- I got more of an apricot and pear aroma from the opening rather than the Banana everyone's babbling about. Nice soft malt profile, seemed very clean and inoffensive to me. Was very glad for the keg filled bottles as it meant I could enjoy every last drop. Noice !
*GB*Started out with a phsss but poured with a small head and a haze. I think it lost its carbonation on transfer which I think let this beer down. On the nose I got some sweet malt notes and a slight hint of the hops but it was over run by the esters. l know how hard these style of beers are to nail! I did like the balance of the sweet malt and the bitterness.The bitterness whilst being noticeable wasnt harsh and just lasted in my mouth long enough to enjoy. A medium bodied Aussie lager.Thanks Tony a good beer on a hot day.

*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.
*kook:* Quite dead on opening, squishy bottle. Poured with a bit of distance and it generated a tight, small off white head. Looks like a good cask ale actually, slightly hazy deep dark amber in colour, edging on brown. Brilliant hop aroma, juicy fruit, tropical fruits, fresh cut grass and floral notes all come through. Medium bodied, mouthfeel is accentuated by the low carbonation. Great melanoidiny background malt character, with some light toasty notes. The hops are the show here though, big, juicy fruit flavours and a nice firm (but in no way harsh) bitterness. Great beer, very drinkable and moreish.
*Dchap: *Mmmmmm, nicely balanced with a lowish carb which worked well for this one I reckon. I really enjoyed the toastiness that popped out at the end  
*Asher*- Chestnut haze. Sweet floral hop aromas waft up despite carbonation levels. Crispy lemonade/frosty fruit hop flavours jump out above a complex roasty malt that morphs into a lingering bitterness. Quite drinkable. Like to try this on a hand pump. 

*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.



*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*
*Cubbie* Thought I would try and review my own beer. Pours deep brown with hints of copper. Tight tan head although it was not lasting. Alcohol and small amount of chocolate on the nose same in the taste. Slightly dry. This is quite different to the sample that I shared at the case swap (different batch), I would say Roy has short changed me on one of the speciality malts. Still fairly clean beer, will be better with a bit more time. Not sure I am on style here.

*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
*VtPA:* Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.
*ausdb* I think I tasted this beer at the swap day as I remember Kenworthy pouring me a glass of something with Galaxy and NS at some stage, but this one to me was completely different. I pick a distinct NS gooseberry and cats pi$ aroma and it is a lovely pale gold and straw colour but I am torn between deciding if it is just too overbittered with the Galaxy overload effect or signs of an infection when I taste it. I can taste the quinine/grapefruitiness that ant tastes but also get the sourness that others have picked. It would be really nice to see your recipe to compare your hopping schedule with my taste perceptions.
sinkas: unfortunatley my bottle opened, with a 2 foot gush, threid to drink the geiser,and it had a really odd harsh flavour, so vented the rest outside
*MC*: Mine didn't gush, but the carbonation was insane. I struggled to pour less than 50% head and then it kept climbing out of the glass. The most turbulent carbonation I have ever seen - pretty cool actually, like a lava lamp on crack. Loved the hop aroma and the taste at the start of the mouthful was fantastic, but it turned nasty as I swallowed. There was a harsh bitterness and reading the reviews above, "quinine" (tonic water) seems to describe it best. I think a bug has beaten me to this beer which is a pisser because it started out beautifully.
*Dchap: *Not a gusher but a 10% beer 90% head scenario. That said that pulled the carb levels down and helped reduce the 'bite'. Nice floral aromas, big big bitterness and quinine is a good descriptor but I found it to be quite nice  Thanks bloke !
*GB* Poured well with a lot of carbonation to support a head that lasted till the end. Heaps of hop profiles happening, including most of those hops I dont like, funny lager drinker me. It did present as hazy but this could just be hop haze ? Good colour for this style of ale. I thought there was some sourness initially (faded as it settled) on the nose but could not find it in the mouth, I have put it down to carbonic acid nose bite.The body is well structured to support the bitterness but the bitterness kept wacking me back every time I licked my lips. Mate I am burping up hops and stir fried noodles and enjoying the contrast of the two flavors. I think it works but Im sure my lips are being embalmed in hop bittering acids .I would like to know your water profile to see why the bitterness is intense. Thanks its a very interesting beer and Im sure I will be tasting it for the rest of the night. Burp....
*Mika* :- Low carb with a very thin head that must have had something better to do because it didn't hang around. My version really wasn't that bitter. It was perhaps a little harsh(ish) but I find that more of a character of the Nelson Sauvin hops than anything the brewer has done wrong. Hop flavour was nice, but certainly not huge for style, it did balance pretty well with the body of the beer, though I'd personally like to see more hop flavour and bitterness, though others reviews say otherwise. I could taste a little background malt flavour that I wasn't a huge fan of, but can't really put it down to anything, perhaps just JW malt (WAG).
*brendanos:* 24/1 Gusher. Carefully decanted a pint of foam. White pepper, cape gooseberry, jalapeno pepper, stewed fruit, ripe cherry (varnish?) and moderate pointy alcohol aromas. Flavour is fruity with a dry, tart, woody character akin to a saison. Hop flavour is quite pleasant and bitterness restrained, which avoids conflict with high carbonation, spice and alcohol. A savoury, green fruit flavour lasts into finish. Interesting and quite drinkable, despite losing most of the bottle down the sink.
clay: opened with a huge hiss and while it didn't gush from the bottle the glass did pour 3/4 soft head. Nice fruity aroma. The first thing that hits my mouth is bitterness but as I keep drinking this turns more into sour or tart. Don't know if this is intentional but kind of reminds my of a young bottle of Orval. totally hit the spot after work on a stinking hot day. Took four glasses of foam to finish the bottle but I wish I had another in the fridge. Lovely beer.
*Cubbie*: A little hard seeing the beer through all the head, needless to say a bit high on the carbonation. Another beer I drank Australia day without notes. Definite sourness/ tartness to the beer, with memories of the Big Helga I had the night before that was infected and rather sour, this one did not sit so well on my pallet. Hidden behind the sourness was a nice hop flavour. I would like to try this one again, but without the sourness.

*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.
*sinkas*: nice bananary aroma, drinkable but quite heavy in the clove flavour to me
*MC*: Lovely banana bread aroma. To me, the clove was almost more of a cinamon flavour which was something I haven't encountered before, but I enjoyed it. Not quite as dry as I expected, but balanced and easy drinking.
*Asher*- Some nice banana aromatics. Flavour dominated by big spicy phenols which has me questioning ferment over recipe. Went well with Spaghetti & pork meatballs


----------



## brendanos (6/2/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaff[able.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !
*ausdb* First bottle of the case for me, no point trying to taste beers with a cold. Even after 3 weeks in my study it is very very very well carbonated even and even with a careful pour I only managed 1/3 beer with 2/3 rocky head in a pint glass. On the nose I get fruity but not distinctly cascade aroma's which is surprising considering the tweaking it received with the magic hop potion. Flavourwise there is a hint of dark malts but the carbonation was too high and the tended to overpower most of the flavours for me. I must go past GL's and have one straight from the tap, as this bottle tastes like a completely different beer to how it normally tastes for me.
*Cubbie* First pour produce a very large head, white a fluffy and hangs around. Lovely dark copper colour. Reasonably dry and perhaps a little over carbed. Honey and toffee in the aroma and on the pallet. Like the balance of the bitterns and hops. Nice all round beer, tasty.
*brendanos:* 15/1 huge carbonation, dense white head with large bubbles. Aroma of cordial (icey poles?), almost blackcurrent like fruitiness. Reasonably dry with a light toasty malt flavour and a biting carbonation that accentuates a lowish bitterness. Earthy, pithy (mandarin/grapefruit?), and lightly spice flavours create some interest but overall the beer is light, refreshing, and sessionable.

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*
*sinkas:* a very drinkable if yet a little unusually flavoured beer, for some reason I assume there is only NS hops, but I got a real stone fruit flavour also, only crit was maybe a bit heavy in mouth feel for the abv, but het it was certianly enjoyable
*kook:* Nice aroma - banana, fresh bready yeast, light toast and spice. Muddy light brown in colour, almost tarnished bronze. Persistent medium white head. Flavour was a strange mix of rubbery plastic, fruity hops and light spice. Medium-full bodied, but dry in the finish. Interesting, but the plasticy flavour was a little offputting and overpowering, suspect this was a fermentation byproduct?
*MC*: Quite hazy with a fantastic pillowy head which lasted the distance. I've just read your recipe and wouldn't have picked this as an extract-only beer. A mix of fruit and spice with a nice bitter finish. This went down easily on a muggy night.
*brendanos*: 3/2 Two inches of foam burst out of the beer as I loosened the cap. Poured a murky brown with a large fluffy white head. Phenolic aroma (plastic/spice) with some marmalade jam fruitiness, stonefruit, a nutty, biscuit like (honey, toasted oats) malt aroma comes through as it warms up. Bitterness medium accentuated by a high-ish carbonation. Med body. Drinkable despite the prominent phenolic character which is usually a dealbreaker for me.

*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.
*Asher* - Thick Shag Pile Magic Malt Carpet. It takes every bit of the 100IBU & ABV to keep this weave from floating away. Balanced. I made the same mistake Tony did! ( I have never had a beer that blew out my buds like this baby) Drink it alone and on its own! Tasty 


*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too. Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year !
*Churchy*- Had a nice straw colour but had a really lemon bittery taste.
*Asher* - Nice underlying malt flavours. Strong Butyric Rubber flavours dominate over esters. Tastes like a good recipe just a hickup at the fermentation stage.
*MC*: I can't tell you what went wrong, but I'm guessing it's either an infection or really unhappy yeast. Was the one I tasted at the swap from the same batch, because that one was fine?
*Cubbie*: I tried this one Australia day and did not take notes however, it poured nicely with good head retention It had the backbone of a Hefe but I feel there may have been some issues with the fermentation. I did an American Hefe with proculture recently and it had some very similar notes to it. My Hefe had a horrible fermentation. So I am guessing this may be the issue. Still I enjoyed drinking a fellow home brewers beer
*brendanos*: 1/2 The aroma is dominated for me by sulfur - rotten eggs/eggy farts, body odour, sea water and (possibly not a sulfur compound) sausages. It could be as simple as extending your boil to reduce DMS and SSM and similarly chilling faster post-boil. If these things are in order, then I'd say the problem is bacteria. The flavour seems rather clean, light, spritzy, bready, but for me the aroma is too offputting. I hope this isn't rude - but I think I now know what "enteric character" refers to in the BJCP guidelines.

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!
*sinkas:* goat needs fuggin glasses, a nice rich and sparkling body, not cloudy, spritzy carbonation amplified the bitterness, but all together a great pale ale 
*MC*: Awesome aroma - to my nose more tropical and over-ripe grape than citrus. Nice toffee taste up front before the hops come smashing through with juicy flavours and a peppery grassiness which is never harsh. I found myself sucking my teeth between sips, so it must have been good..
*Asher* 2/10 for trueness to style! I was expecting a murky underattenuated ale but was presented with a near brite beer with good foam stand that finished nice and dry. Critically, the hop profile felt a little one dimensional (don't know if more varietys in recipy would remedy. Maybe smaller additions over more times. Or maybe I should have let warm up a bit more)
*brendanos:* 22/1 Beautiful copper colour (seems clear to me!) with dense creamy white head with awesome retention. Toffee and caramel malt aroma with perhaps a hint of butter, and a moderate US hop aroma (juicey fruits). Aroma is very pleasant, clean and humble. Flavour is a good balance of hops (starfruit, resinous, stonefruit) and light malt (caramel). Medium bodied and decidedly bitter though particularly smooth and elegant. Finishes smooth with a lingering soft bitterness and hop/malt flavours. Overall clean, deftly balanced and very enjoyable.


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!
*sinkas:* nice punchy IPA, with a creaminess from the rabbit juice
*Churchy*- This was a little too bitter for me but still drank it.
*Goat*: I am drinking this side by side with a white rabbit ale and there is a definite close similarity in terms of colour and the dense creamy head - the commercial is a bit brighter (being not bottle conditioned etc). on the nose, I'm getting a bit of smokey.... <has taste>.... have you used that bloody bacon grain stuff ? Definatley getting strong rauchmalt flavour in that. As a result, I will refrain from further comment on the taste - eveything has turned bacon. Quite well balanced with moderate bitterness. Good mouth feel - creamier and fuller than the domesticated version. I find the commercial version a little bland, there is nothing in there that stands out - I was expecting a bit malt hit, but i don't get that at all.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark brown with ruby highlights. Very lively initially, large, thick and tight off white head. Definite grassy hop aroma, with some pine notes behind. Great malt notes, caramel, chocolate and a nice roast note. High bitterness, possibly accentuated by the roast malt? Helps to cut through the malt though, and leave a very dry finish which makes you immediately crave more. Medium-full bodied, very smooth too. This beer is a bit like boxing. You get punched in the face (by bitter, pungent hops) but immediately want to go back for more! Tasty stuff Darryn.

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*kook:* Saison. Pours hazy golden in colour, with a persistent medium white head. Great aroma of pineapple, rotting fruit (in a good way!), apples, pears and spicy pepper. Mouthfeel is wonderful. Silky smooth in the beginning, yet still dry in the finish. Huge pineapple flavour, almost with some coconut there. Light peppery alcohol spice and some fruit derived sweetness too. Very drinkable stuff mika!
*Goat*: Pours with a keen fluffy head that has settled into a dense white layer with lacing on the glass. Colour exactly as Kook writes. Subtle spiciness with fruity highlights - pear being my best approximation. Finish is slightly sweet but not cloying. I'd like to taste this alonside a Leffe Blonde, cos I reckon its bloody close. Very drinkable beer. 
Churchy-Like the other guys pours with a nice head, very fruity almost like fruity lexia wine.Very nice to drink.

*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.
*Goat*: Based on the above comments, I opened this baby over the sink. No gushing, though there was a healthy hiss - a slow pour resulted in a decent pint with an inch of fluffy white head. Slighlty hazy copper colour. Sweet maltiness on the nose. Maltiness carries through to the taste with a hint of fruit. Not much in the way of bitterness or hop flavour. Like GL suggests, its a bit of a nostaglia trip for me.
*kook:* I didn't read any of this, and opened it haphazard. There was a little initial "spray" of beer, but no gushing or foaming. Took a little bit of time to off gas in the glass, but I think it adds to the experience. Colour is a slightly hazy light amber, with a huge (60% of glass) fluffy white head. Initial aroma is quite spicy, with light peppery alcohol notes. As it rests a bit, some great malt notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Nice light body, dry finish. Flavour is quite clean, nice honey-like malt notes, very balanced bitterness level. Some light earthy hop notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Very quaffable halfluck offering!
*Dchap: *Big carb hiss but no gush. Nice coppery hue. This is my first Steam Beer experience and won't be my last. Light, balanced, bready aroma and on the palate too. I didn't get too much of the esters but perhaps a touch of honey. Thanks for your fine efforts Rob !
*Asher*- Opened and poured well into a wet glass. Aroma hints of northern brewer. Upon tasting was met by a huge carbonic bite fraught with spices & fusils. So I knocked a heap of carbonation out and this beer turned into something a little more malt driven with plenty of fruit. Finishing nice and dry, with a slight tannic harshness/earthiness complementing or thanks to the NB hopping.


*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.
*Goat*: Not huge carbonation, but enough to develop a thinish white head. Not sure about the "belgian pear ester" - I think its more French/Swiss border pear... but there is definately that sort of fruit in the aroma in there. slightly hazy in with a golden straw colour. Nice full mouthfeel, slightly sweet - which works well with the moderatly alcoholy aftertaste. Nice beer.
*Churchy-* Lightly carbed and a honey kinda colour!Fruity flavour to hide the alcohol.Is that why my head is starting to spin and the fact I haven't eaten anything!
*kook:* This should have won the label comp (no offense Linc); boobs should always win. Pours a hazy orange colour with a short white head. Initially some light banana in the nose, then pear and peaches come through. As it warms a little, spice becomes more evident. Big mouthfeel, personally a little too full in the finish for me. Great flavours, pear, peaches, toffee apples and light peppery spice. Some citrus flavours there too. As noted by others, the alcohol is very well hidden. Personally I'd prefer this a few points drier, as I think there is a little too much sweetness. Still a great beer though, thanks Clay!
*Asher*- smooth malt dominates for me. It hides the ABV very well before emerging as a warmth right on the finish. The esters a little frazzled by spices maybe from a ferment temp pushed to the upper limit of acceptable. Still a very drinkable beer containing plenty of those intangibles that just make feel like your back in Belgium.
*brendanos:* 15/1 Pours an almost brilliant orange with low head and low retention. Aroma dominated by tropical fruit salad candy and a lightly spicey phenolic, some fudge like malt character. Flavour is bready with a medium body which is balanced by the alcohol, carbonation and spice-like astringency. A nice, drinkable beer, though I think Asher & Kook are on the money - a cleaner ferment and slightly higher attenuation would be welcome improvements! I'm just a little concerned that much of the fruitiness may be acetaldehyde and am wondering if my body can break down a longneck's worth (no offense Clay!)

*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*
*Cubbie*Pours very very pale, bubbly head that disappears almost immediately, little bit of chill haze.. Could wait a little while longer to open but it is well carbonated now. The tartness and sourness of the fermentation comes through though it is not overpowering. Lemon notes in the taste and aroma with no hop. I feel like I want to pour it over some ice and drink like a cider. Goes nice with the blue brie I am eating right now.

*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*
*RR* Feeling thirsty, i dove into some of my bottle stores and cracked what i thought was one of my bottled porters to see how it was going, i had a quick whiff and noticed it had a bit of a amarillo? hop flavour and then had a look and thought to myself hey it's a bit lighter than my porter is, then it clicked to me that bf's contribution was unlabeled, i was definitely a welcome change from what i was expecting to drink so in my case the "no label" worked a treat!
I really enjoyed this beer, had no idea what style it was or anything like that just thought it was a good honest drinking beer if that makes sense. I thought it was well balanced. Nice and malty up front then a bit of a lingering bitterness with a bit of an english? yeast ester thing going on. i'll have to look the recipe up to confirm these thing i could be way off the bat but that's what i got out of it. when i found this thread again suprised no one else has cracked it yet? 


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!
*Mika* :- Not bad, but well below the standard of Tasty V1.0 I got to sample back before Christmas. The hops are still strong but seem to be fading out. Power of suggestion or whatever, but I think I get some cardboard coming thru ? The malt profile is a lot more present as well though still comes across clean. I got a serious hop haze with the occassional floating bits/chunks, though nowhere near as bad as Rob's pic. Overall still a good beer and a welcome inclusion to the case as always.
*brendanos:* 7/1 Brilliant (i guess I got lucky?) amber with large, dense fine white head - looks absolutely stunning. Huge greeting aroma of ripe, juicey tropical fruits, skunky, piney hops and vanilla ice cream. Very appetising! Strong but smooth bitterness, very well controlled. Great rich hop flavour supported by a light malt sweetness and medium body. A pleasure to drink. The bitterness is so damn good!!
MC:Mine was quite hazy and came complete with flowers floating on the head. I loved this beer and was very impressed. Brendan's description - "controlled" - nails it. Bigger beers can get a bit clumsy, but this one was smooth and balanced throughout.

*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*
*Churchy*-Had to drink it now, nice dark colour almost black and good carbonation.Could really taste the chocolate malt and not over powering, very enjoyable to drink.

*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol: 
*Churchy-* This went down really well after a bike ride, nice aroma hops and bittering hops.
*VtPA*: The case of Cases case beer, loved it. More of a hop cordial really, totally imbalanced with a hop overload that worked well in a lower gravity beer.
*Goat*: This is a goodun. Pours a bit hazy but with a nice deep colour. Head is a bit anxious, but decanting and then into a glass sorted that nicely. Is it my imagination or is there some hops in this sucker ?! Certainly does dominate the flavour - but in a good way. While the hop flavour /nose / bitterness are all good, I would love to taste this with a less pronounced involvement, cos I'm reminded of a Fullers ESB in the malt - very nice ! Don't know how you managed the body for 3.7%, but she's a wee ripper ! 
*Dchap: *Quite the challenge to offset that amount of alpha acid with that amount of gravity. Well done Case ! Loved the dark amber color. It would be interesting to try this less carbed up. It really packs a sharp punch up front that lingers on and on 
*MC*: A crime against nature, but a very tasty one.

*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.
*Churchy-*This was a nice beer Nev and my dad loved it as well.Hops were all together and carbonation just right.
*Asher*- Ripe Bananna esters up front with a hint of spice to enhance. Esters were quickly swallowed up by melanoidins, caramels and dark toffee. This was probably due to low to moderate carbonation in this bottle. Flavours were all there with phelols contributing to a creamy warm finish Nice.
*Mika* :- I got the nice bready/dark malt flavours. If the banana's there it's very subdued (for me). I'd class it as very very similar to any German dunkel weizen I've tried. Enjoyed it, thanks Nev.
*brendanos* 30/1 Delayed note writing here but I remember a toffee-ish candy like dark sugary flavour and distinct roast note. Esters and phenols were subdued compared to other flavours. Nice beer Nev but (after looking at the recipe just now to confirm my spider senses) I would have preferred if you had left the specialty malts out!

*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.
*Cubbie* First one for me. Poured very pale staw colour with a little bit of haze. Small tight head that lingered to near the end. Hint of banana and peach. Very easy to drink, do well as a session beer or just a nice cold referesher. For me I would like just a touch more body.
*Asher*- Dropped brite with a couple of weeks cc'ing. Bananna/fruit/lolly aromatics morphing into daicetyl to my sensitive palate... Gone after the first mouthful. A crisp, tasty thirst quencher. 
*Mika* :- I got more of an apricot and pear aroma from the opening rather than the Banana everyone's babbling about. Nice soft malt profile, seemed very clean and inoffensive to me. Was very glad for the keg filled bottles as it meant I could enjoy every last drop. Noice !
*GB*Started out with a phsss but poured with a small head and a haze. I think it lost its carbonation on transfer which I think let this beer down. On the nose I got some sweet malt notes and a slight hint of the hops but it was over run by the esters. l know how hard these style of beers are to nail! I did like the balance of the sweet malt and the bitterness.The bitterness whilst being noticeable wasnt harsh and just lasted in my mouth long enough to enjoy. A medium bodied Aussie lager.Thanks Tony a good beer on a hot day.
*brendanos*: 2/2 Bright, light soft malty aroma, with an allusion to the faint skunk and veg of aussie lager - but restrained enough to be complimentary and very pleasant. Very refreshing and a lovely beer - I wish more Aussie lagers tasted like this. Thankyou Tony!

*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.
*kook:* Quite dead on opening, squishy bottle. Poured with a bit of distance and it generated a tight, small off white head. Looks like a good cask ale actually, slightly hazy deep dark amber in colour, edging on brown. Brilliant hop aroma, juicy fruit, tropical fruits, fresh cut grass and floral notes all come through. Medium bodied, mouthfeel is accentuated by the low carbonation. Great melanoidiny background malt character, with some light toasty notes. The hops are the show here though, big, juicy fruit flavours and a nice firm (but in no way harsh) bitterness. Great beer, very drinkable and moreish.
*Dchap: *Mmmmmm, nicely balanced with a lowish carb which worked well for this one I reckon. I really enjoyed the toastiness that popped out at the end  
*Asher*- Chestnut haze. Sweet floral hop aromas waft up despite carbonation levels. Crispy lemonade/frosty fruit hop flavours jump out above a complex roasty malt that morphs into a lingering bitterness. Quite drinkable. Like to try this on a hand pump. 

*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.



*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*
*Cubbie* Thought I would try and review my own beer. Pours deep brown with hints of copper. Tight tan head although it was not lasting. Alcohol and small amount of chocolate on the nose same in the taste. Slightly dry. This is quite different to the sample that I shared at the case swap (different batch), I would say Roy has short changed me on one of the speciality malts. Still fairly clean beer, will be better with a bit more time. Not sure I am on style here.

*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
*VtPA:* Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.
*ausdb* I think I tasted this beer at the swap day as I remember Kenworthy pouring me a glass of something with Galaxy and NS at some stage, but this one to me was completely different. I pick a distinct NS gooseberry and cats pi$ aroma and it is a lovely pale gold and straw colour but I am torn between deciding if it is just too overbittered with the Galaxy overload effect or signs of an infection when I taste it. I can taste the quinine/grapefruitiness that ant tastes but also get the sourness that others have picked. It would be really nice to see your recipe to compare your hopping schedule with my taste perceptions.
sinkas: unfortunatley my bottle opened, with a 2 foot gush, threid to drink the geiser,and it had a really odd harsh flavour, so vented the rest outside
*MC*: Mine didn't gush, but the carbonation was insane. I struggled to pour less than 50% head and then it kept climbing out of the glass. The most turbulent carbonation I have ever seen - pretty cool actually, like a lava lamp on crack. Loved the hop aroma and the taste at the start of the mouthful was fantastic, but it turned nasty as I swallowed. There was a harsh bitterness and reading the reviews above, "quinine" (tonic water) seems to describe it best. I think a bug has beaten me to this beer which is a pisser because it started out beautifully.
*Dchap: *Not a gusher but a 10% beer 90% head scenario. That said that pulled the carb levels down and helped reduce the 'bite'. Nice floral aromas, big big bitterness and quinine is a good descriptor but I found it to be quite nice  Thanks bloke !
*GB* Poured well with a lot of carbonation to support a head that lasted till the end. Heaps of hop profiles happening, including most of those hops I dont like, funny lager drinker me. It did present as hazy but this could just be hop haze ? Good colour for this style of ale. I thought there was some sourness initially (faded as it settled) on the nose but could not find it in the mouth, I have put it down to carbonic acid nose bite.The body is well structured to support the bitterness but the bitterness kept wacking me back every time I licked my lips. Mate I am burping up hops and stir fried noodles and enjoying the contrast of the two flavors. I think it works but Im sure my lips are being embalmed in hop bittering acids .I would like to know your water profile to see why the bitterness is intense. Thanks its a very interesting beer and Im sure I will be tasting it for the rest of the night. Burp....
*Mika* :- Low carb with a very thin head that must have had something better to do because it didn't hang around. My version really wasn't that bitter. It was perhaps a little harsh(ish) but I find that more of a character of the Nelson Sauvin hops than anything the brewer has done wrong. Hop flavour was nice, but certainly not huge for style, it did balance pretty well with the body of the beer, though I'd personally like to see more hop flavour and bitterness, though others reviews say otherwise. I could taste a little background malt flavour that I wasn't a huge fan of, but can't really put it down to anything, perhaps just JW malt (WAG).
*brendanos:* 24/1 Gusher. Carefully decanted a pint of foam. White pepper, cape gooseberry, jalapeno pepper, stewed fruit, ripe cherry (varnish?) and moderate pointy alcohol aromas. Flavour is fruity with a dry, tart, woody character akin to a saison. Hop flavour is quite pleasant and bitterness restrained, which avoids conflict with high carbonation, spice and alcohol. A savoury, green fruit flavour lasts into finish. Interesting and quite drinkable, despite losing most of the bottle down the sink.
clay: opened with a huge hiss and while it didn't gush from the bottle the glass did pour 3/4 soft head. Nice fruity aroma. The first thing that hits my mouth is bitterness but as I keep drinking this turns more into sour or tart. Don't know if this is intentional but kind of reminds my of a young bottle of Orval. totally hit the spot after work on a stinking hot day. Took four glasses of foam to finish the bottle but I wish I had another in the fridge. Lovely beer.
*Cubbie*: A little hard seeing the beer through all the head, needless to say a bit high on the carbonation. Another beer I drank Australia day without notes. Definite sourness/ tartness to the beer, with memories of the Big Helga I had the night before that was infected and rather sour, this one did not sit so well on my pallet. Hidden behind the sourness was a nice hop flavour. I would like to try this one again, but without the sourness.

*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.
*sinkas*: nice bananary aroma, drinkable but quite heavy in the clove flavour to me
*MC*: Lovely banana bread aroma. To me, the clove was almost more of a cinamon flavour which was something I haven't encountered before, but I enjoyed it. Not quite as dry as I expected, but balanced and easy drinking.
*Asher*- Some nice banana aromatics. Flavour dominated by big spicy phenols which has me questioning ferment over recipe. Went well with Spaghetti & pork meatballs


----------



## Online Brewing Supplies (11/2/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaff[able.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !
*ausdb* First bottle of the case for me, no point trying to taste beers with a cold. Even after 3 weeks in my study it is very very very well carbonated even and even with a careful pour I only managed 1/3 beer with 2/3 rocky head in a pint glass. On the nose I get fruity but not distinctly cascade aroma's which is surprising considering the tweaking it received with the magic hop potion. Flavourwise there is a hint of dark malts but the carbonation was too high and the tended to overpower most of the flavours for me. I must go past GL's and have one straight from the tap, as this bottle tastes like a completely different beer to how it normally tastes for me.
*Cubbie* First pour produce a very large head, white a fluffy and hangs around. Lovely dark copper colour. Reasonably dry and perhaps a little over carbed. Honey and toffee in the aroma and on the pallet. Like the balance of the bitterns and hops. Nice all round beer, tasty.
*brendanos:* 15/1 huge carbonation, dense white head with large bubbles. Aroma of cordial (icey poles?), almost blackcurrent like fruitiness. Reasonably dry with a light toasty malt flavour and a biting carbonation that accentuates a lowish bitterness. Earthy, pithy (mandarin/grapefruit?), and lightly spice flavours create some interest but overall the beer is light, refreshing, and sessionable.

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*
*sinkas:* a very drinkable if yet a little unusually flavoured beer, for some reason I assume there is only NS hops, but I got a real stone fruit flavour also, only crit was maybe a bit heavy in mouth feel for the abv, but het it was certianly enjoyable
*kook:* Nice aroma - banana, fresh bready yeast, light toast and spice. Muddy light brown in colour, almost tarnished bronze. Persistent medium white head. Flavour was a strange mix of rubbery plastic, fruity hops and light spice. Medium-full bodied, but dry in the finish. Interesting, but the plasticy flavour was a little offputting and overpowering, suspect this was a fermentation byproduct?
*MC*: Quite hazy with a fantastic pillowy head which lasted the distance. I've just read your recipe and wouldn't have picked this as an extract-only beer. A mix of fruit and spice with a nice bitter finish. This went down easily on a muggy night.
*brendanos*: 3/2 Two inches of foam burst out of the beer as I loosened the cap. Poured a murky brown with a large fluffy white head. Phenolic aroma (plastic/spice) with some marmalade jam fruitiness, stonefruit, a nutty, biscuit like (honey, toasted oats) malt aroma comes through as it warms up. Bitterness medium accentuated by a high-ish carbonation. Med body. Drinkable despite the prominent phenolic character which is usually a dealbreaker for me.

*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.
*Asher* - Thick Shag Pile Magic Malt Carpet. It takes every bit of the 100IBU & ABV to keep this weave from floating away. Balanced. I made the same mistake Tony did! ( I have never had a beer that blew out my buds like this baby) Drink it alone and on its own! Tasty 


*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too. Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year !
*Churchy*- Had a nice straw colour but had a really lemon bittery taste.
*Asher* - Nice underlying malt flavours. Strong Butyric Rubber flavours dominate over esters. Tastes like a good recipe just a hickup at the fermentation stage.
*MC*: I can't tell you what went wrong, but I'm guessing it's either an infection or really unhappy yeast. Was the one I tasted at the swap from the same batch, because that one was fine?
*Cubbie*: I tried this one Australia day and did not take notes however, it poured nicely with good head retention It had the backbone of a Hefe but I feel there may have been some issues with the fermentation. I did an American Hefe with proculture recently and it had some very similar notes to it. My Hefe had a horrible fermentation. So I am guessing this may be the issue. Still I enjoyed drinking a fellow home brewers beer
*brendanos*: 1/2 The aroma is dominated for me by sulfur - rotten eggs/eggy farts, body odour, sea water and (possibly not a sulfur compound) sausages. It could be as simple as extending your boil to reduce DMS and SSM and similarly chilling faster post-boil. If these things are in order, then I'd say the problem is bacteria. The flavour seems rather clean, light, spritzy, bready, but for me the aroma is too offputting. I hope this isn't rude - but I think I now know what "enteric character" refers to in the BJCP guidelines.

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!
*sinkas:* goat needs fuggin glasses, a nice rich and sparkling body, not cloudy, spritzy carbonation amplified the bitterness, but all together a great pale ale 
*MC*: Awesome aroma - to my nose more tropical and over-ripe grape than citrus. Nice toffee taste up front before the hops come smashing through with juicy flavours and a peppery grassiness which is never harsh. I found myself sucking my teeth between sips, so it must have been good..
*Asher* 2/10 for trueness to style! I was expecting a murky underattenuated ale but was presented with a near brite beer with good foam stand that finished nice and dry. Critically, the hop profile felt a little one dimensional (don't know if more varietys in recipy would remedy. Maybe smaller additions over more times. Or maybe I should have let warm up a bit more)
*brendanos:* 22/1 Beautiful copper colour (seems clear to me!) with dense creamy white head with awesome retention. Toffee and caramel malt aroma with perhaps a hint of butter, and a moderate US hop aroma (juicey fruits). Aroma is very pleasant, clean and humble. Flavour is a good balance of hops (starfruit, resinous, stonefruit) and light malt (caramel). Medium bodied and decidedly bitter though particularly smooth and elegant. Finishes smooth with a lingering soft bitterness and hop/malt flavours. Overall clean, deftly balanced and very enjoyable.


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!
*sinkas:* nice punchy IPA, with a creaminess from the rabbit juice
*Churchy*- This was a little too bitter for me but still drank it.
*Goat*: I am drinking this side by side with a white rabbit ale and there is a definite close similarity in terms of colour and the dense creamy head - the commercial is a bit brighter (being not bottle conditioned etc). on the nose, I'm getting a bit of smokey.... <has taste>.... have you used that bloody bacon grain stuff ? Definatley getting strong rauchmalt flavour in that. As a result, I will refrain from further comment on the taste - eveything has turned bacon. Quite well balanced with moderate bitterness. Good mouth feel - creamier and fuller than the domesticated version. I find the commercial version a little bland, there is nothing in there that stands out - I was expecting a bit malt hit, but i don't get that at all.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark brown with ruby highlights. Very lively initially, large, thick and tight off white head. Definite grassy hop aroma, with some pine notes behind. Great malt notes, caramel, chocolate and a nice roast note. High bitterness, possibly accentuated by the roast malt? Helps to cut through the malt though, and leave a very dry finish which makes you immediately crave more. Medium-full bodied, very smooth too. This beer is a bit like boxing. You get punched in the face (by bitter, pungent hops) but immediately want to go back for more! Tasty stuff Darryn.

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*kook:* Saison. Pours hazy golden in colour, with a persistent medium white head. Great aroma of pineapple, rotting fruit (in a good way!), apples, pears and spicy pepper. Mouthfeel is wonderful. Silky smooth in the beginning, yet still dry in the finish. Huge pineapple flavour, almost with some coconut there. Light peppery alcohol spice and some fruit derived sweetness too. Very drinkable stuff mika!
*Goat*: Pours with a keen fluffy head that has settled into a dense white layer with lacing on the glass. Colour exactly as Kook writes. Subtle spiciness with fruity highlights - pear being my best approximation. Finish is slightly sweet but not cloying. I'd like to taste this alonside a Leffe Blonde, cos I reckon its bloody close. Very drinkable beer. 
Churchy-Like the other guys pours with a nice head, very fruity almost like fruity lexia wine.Very nice to drink.

*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.
*Goat*: Based on the above comments, I opened this baby over the sink. No gushing, though there was a healthy hiss - a slow pour resulted in a decent pint with an inch of fluffy white head. Slighlty hazy copper colour. Sweet maltiness on the nose. Maltiness carries through to the taste with a hint of fruit. Not much in the way of bitterness or hop flavour. Like GL suggests, its a bit of a nostaglia trip for me.
*kook:* I didn't read any of this, and opened it haphazard. There was a little initial "spray" of beer, but no gushing or foaming. Took a little bit of time to off gas in the glass, but I think it adds to the experience. Colour is a slightly hazy light amber, with a huge (60% of glass) fluffy white head. Initial aroma is quite spicy, with light peppery alcohol notes. As it rests a bit, some great malt notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Nice light body, dry finish. Flavour is quite clean, nice honey-like malt notes, very balanced bitterness level. Some light earthy hop notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Very quaffable halfluck offering!
*Dchap: *Big carb hiss but no gush. Nice coppery hue. This is my first Steam Beer experience and won't be my last. Light, balanced, bready aroma and on the palate too. I didn't get too much of the esters but perhaps a touch of honey. Thanks for your fine efforts Rob !
*Asher*- Opened and poured well into a wet glass. Aroma hints of northern brewer. Upon tasting was met by a huge carbonic bite fraught with spices & fusils. So I knocked a heap of carbonation out and this beer turned into something a little more malt driven with plenty of fruit. Finishing nice and dry, with a slight tannic harshness/earthiness complementing or thanks to the NB hopping.


*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.
*Goat*: Not huge carbonation, but enough to develop a thinish white head. Not sure about the "belgian pear ester" - I think its more French/Swiss border pear... but there is definately that sort of fruit in the aroma in there. slightly hazy in with a golden straw colour. Nice full mouthfeel, slightly sweet - which works well with the moderatly alcoholy aftertaste. Nice beer.
*Churchy-* Lightly carbed and a honey kinda colour!Fruity flavour to hide the alcohol.Is that why my head is starting to spin and the fact I haven't eaten anything!
*kook:* This should have won the label comp (no offense Linc); boobs should always win. Pours a hazy orange colour with a short white head. Initially some light banana in the nose, then pear and peaches come through. As it warms a little, spice becomes more evident. Big mouthfeel, personally a little too full in the finish for me. Great flavours, pear, peaches, toffee apples and light peppery spice. Some citrus flavours there too. As noted by others, the alcohol is very well hidden. Personally I'd prefer this a few points drier, as I think there is a little too much sweetness. Still a great beer though, thanks Clay!
*Asher*- smooth malt dominates for me. It hides the ABV very well before emerging as a warmth right on the finish. The esters a little frazzled by spices maybe from a ferment temp pushed to the upper limit of acceptable. Still a very drinkable beer containing plenty of those intangibles that just make feel like your back in Belgium.
*brendanos:* 15/1 Pours an almost brilliant orange with low head and low retention. Aroma dominated by tropical fruit salad candy and a lightly spicey phenolic, some fudge like malt character. Flavour is bready with a medium body which is balanced by the alcohol, carbonation and spice-like astringency. A nice, drinkable beer, though I think Asher & Kook are on the money - a cleaner ferment and slightly higher attenuation would be welcome improvements! I'm just a little concerned that much of the fruitiness may be acetaldehyde and am wondering if my body can break down a longneck's worth (no offense Clay!)
<B> GB</B>The color tone of a newly bruise apple, it pleases the eye.Poured with out any fuss or head but this didnt bother me at all.Typical belgian nose presenting phenolics and a sweet malt underbelly.I am getting some apple pie notes as it warms. It does have some acetaldhyde but it adds to the character of this beer and goes well with the dry pear notes as well. I like it, my head may not in the morning though.Cheers GB

*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*
*Cubbie*Pours very very pale, bubbly head that disappears almost immediately, little bit of chill haze.. Could wait a little while longer to open but it is well carbonated now. The tartness and sourness of the fermentation comes through though it is not overpowering. Lemon notes in the taste and aroma with no hop. I feel like I want to pour it over some ice and drink like a cider. Goes nice with the blue brie I am eating right now.

*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*
*RR* Feeling thirsty, i dove into some of my bottle stores and cracked what i thought was one of my bottled porters to see how it was going, i had a quick whiff and noticed it had a bit of a amarillo? hop flavour and then had a look and thought to myself hey it's a bit lighter than my porter is, then it clicked to me that bf's contribution was unlabeled, i was definitely a welcome change from what i was expecting to drink so in my case the "no label" worked a treat!
I really enjoyed this beer, had no idea what style it was or anything like that just thought it was a good honest drinking beer if that makes sense. I thought it was well balanced. Nice and malty up front then a bit of a lingering bitterness with a bit of an english? yeast ester thing going on. i'll have to look the recipe up to confirm these thing i could be way off the bat but that's what i got out of it. when i found this thread again suprised no one else has cracked it yet? 


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!
*Mika* :- Not bad, but well below the standard of Tasty V1.0 I got to sample back before Christmas. The hops are still strong but seem to be fading out. Power of suggestion or whatever, but I think I get some cardboard coming thru ? The malt profile is a lot more present as well though still comes across clean. I got a serious hop haze with the occassional floating bits/chunks, though nowhere near as bad as Rob's pic. Overall still a good beer and a welcome inclusion to the case as always.
*brendanos:* 7/1 Brilliant (i guess I got lucky?) amber with large, dense fine white head - looks absolutely stunning. Huge greeting aroma of ripe, juicey tropical fruits, skunky, piney hops and vanilla ice cream. Very appetising! Strong but smooth bitterness, very well controlled. Great rich hop flavour supported by a light malt sweetness and medium body. A pleasure to drink. The bitterness is so damn good!!
MC:Mine was quite hazy and came complete with flowers floating on the head. I loved this beer and was very impressed. Brendan's description - "controlled" - nails it. Bigger beers can get a bit clumsy, but this one was smooth and balanced throughout.

*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*
*Churchy*-Had to drink it now, nice dark colour almost black and good carbonation.Could really taste the chocolate malt and not over powering, very enjoyable to drink.

*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol: 
*Churchy-* This went down really well after a bike ride, nice aroma hops and bittering hops.
*VtPA*: The case of Cases case beer, loved it. More of a hop cordial really, totally imbalanced with a hop overload that worked well in a lower gravity beer.
*Goat*: This is a goodun. Pours a bit hazy but with a nice deep colour. Head is a bit anxious, but decanting and then into a glass sorted that nicely. Is it my imagination or is there some hops in this sucker ?! Certainly does dominate the flavour - but in a good way. While the hop flavour /nose / bitterness are all good, I would love to taste this with a less pronounced involvement, cos I'm reminded of a Fullers ESB in the malt - very nice ! Don't know how you managed the body for 3.7%, but she's a wee ripper ! 
*Dchap: *Quite the challenge to offset that amount of alpha acid with that amount of gravity. Well done Case ! Loved the dark amber color. It would be interesting to try this less carbed up. It really packs a sharp punch up front that lingers on and on 
*MC*: A crime against nature, but a very tasty one.

*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.
*Churchy-*This was a nice beer Nev and my dad loved it as well.Hops were all together and carbonation just right.
*Asher*- Ripe Bananna esters up front with a hint of spice to enhance. Esters were quickly swallowed up by melanoidins, caramels and dark toffee. This was probably due to low to moderate carbonation in this bottle. Flavours were all there with phelols contributing to a creamy warm finish Nice.
*Mika* :- I got the nice bready/dark malt flavours. If the banana's there it's very subdued (for me). I'd class it as very very similar to any German dunkel weizen I've tried. Enjoyed it, thanks Nev.
*brendanos* 30/1 Delayed note writing here but I remember a toffee-ish candy like dark sugary flavour and distinct roast note. Esters and phenols were subdued compared to other flavours. Nice beer Nev but (after looking at the recipe just now to confirm my spider senses) I would have preferred if you had left the specialty malts out!

*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.
*Cubbie* First one for me. Poured very pale staw colour with a little bit of haze. Small tight head that lingered to near the end. Hint of banana and peach. Very easy to drink, do well as a session beer or just a nice cold referesher. For me I would like just a touch more body.
*Asher*- Dropped brite with a couple of weeks cc'ing. Bananna/fruit/lolly aromatics morphing into daicetyl to my sensitive palate... Gone after the first mouthful. A crisp, tasty thirst quencher. 
*Mika* :- I got more of an apricot and pear aroma from the opening rather than the Banana everyone's babbling about. Nice soft malt profile, seemed very clean and inoffensive to me. Was very glad for the keg filled bottles as it meant I could enjoy every last drop. Noice !
*GB*Started out with a phsss but poured with a small head and a haze. I think it lost its carbonation on transfer which I think let this beer down. On the nose I got some sweet malt notes and a slight hint of the hops but it was over run by the esters. l know how hard these style of beers are to nail! I did like the balance of the sweet malt and the bitterness.The bitterness whilst being noticeable wasnt harsh and just lasted in my mouth long enough to enjoy. A medium bodied Aussie lager.Thanks Tony a good beer on a hot day.
*brendanos*: 2/2 Bright, light soft malty aroma, with an allusion to the faint skunk and veg of aussie lager - but restrained enough to be complimentary and very pleasant. Very refreshing and a lovely beer - I wish more Aussie lagers tasted like this. Thankyou Tony!

*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.
*kook:* Quite dead on opening, squishy bottle. Poured with a bit of distance and it generated a tight, small off white head. Looks like a good cask ale actually, slightly hazy deep dark amber in colour, edging on brown. Brilliant hop aroma, juicy fruit, tropical fruits, fresh cut grass and floral notes all come through. Medium bodied, mouthfeel is accentuated by the low carbonation. Great melanoidiny background malt character, with some light toasty notes. The hops are the show here though, big, juicy fruit flavours and a nice firm (but in no way harsh) bitterness. Great beer, very drinkable and moreish.
*Dchap: *Mmmmmm, nicely balanced with a lowish carb which worked well for this one I reckon. I really enjoyed the toastiness that popped out at the end  
*Asher*- Chestnut haze. Sweet floral hop aromas waft up despite carbonation levels. Crispy lemonade/frosty fruit hop flavours jump out above a complex roasty malt that morphs into a lingering bitterness. Quite drinkable. Like to try this on a hand pump. 

*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*
*MC*: Certainly a pretty beer. Crystal clear with a shaving cream head which lasted all the way. Nice floral and fruity aroma. Flavour is balanced towards the hops but the malt character is certainly there to hold it up. Clean, lingering bitterness. An impressive British session ale with a slight new-world twist.


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.



*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*
*Cubbie* Thought I would try and review my own beer. Pours deep brown with hints of copper. Tight tan head although it was not lasting. Alcohol and small amount of chocolate on the nose same in the taste. Slightly dry. This is quite different to the sample that I shared at the case swap (different batch), I would say Roy has short changed me on one of the speciality malts. Still fairly clean beer, will be better with a bit more time. Not sure I am on style here.

*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
*VtPA:* Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.
*ausdb* I think I tasted this beer at the swap day as I remember Kenworthy pouring me a glass of something with Galaxy and NS at some stage, but this one to me was completely different. I pick a distinct NS gooseberry and cats pi$ aroma and it is a lovely pale gold and straw colour but I am torn between deciding if it is just too overbittered with the Galaxy overload effect or signs of an infection when I taste it. I can taste the quinine/grapefruitiness that ant tastes but also get the sourness that others have picked. It would be really nice to see your recipe to compare your hopping schedule with my taste perceptions.
sinkas: unfortunatley my bottle opened, with a 2 foot gush, threid to drink the geiser,and it had a really odd harsh flavour, so vented the rest outside
*MC*: Mine didn't gush, but the carbonation was insane. I struggled to pour less than 50% head and then it kept climbing out of the glass. The most turbulent carbonation I have ever seen - pretty cool actually, like a lava lamp on crack. Loved the hop aroma and the taste at the start of the mouthful was fantastic, but it turned nasty as I swallowed. There was a harsh bitterness and reading the reviews above, "quinine" (tonic water) seems to describe it best. I think a bug has beaten me to this beer which is a pisser because it started out beautifully.
*Dchap: *Not a gusher but a 10% beer 90% head scenario. That said that pulled the carb levels down and helped reduce the 'bite'. Nice floral aromas, big big bitterness and quinine is a good descriptor but I found it to be quite nice  Thanks bloke !
*GB* Poured well with a lot of carbonation to support a head that lasted till the end. Heaps of hop profiles happening, including most of those hops I dont like, funny lager drinker me. It did present as hazy but this could just be hop haze ? Good colour for this style of ale. I thought there was some sourness initially (faded as it settled) on the nose but could not find it in the mouth, I have put it down to carbonic acid nose bite.The body is well structured to support the bitterness but the bitterness kept wacking me back every time I licked my lips. Mate I am burping up hops and stir fried noodles and enjoying the contrast of the two flavors. I think it works but Im sure my lips are being embalmed in hop bittering acids .I would like to know your water profile to see why the bitterness is intense. Thanks its a very interesting beer and Im sure I will be tasting it for the rest of the night. Burp....
*Mika* :- Low carb with a very thin head that must have had something better to do because it didn't hang around. My version really wasn't that bitter. It was perhaps a little harsh(ish) but I find that more of a character of the Nelson Sauvin hops than anything the brewer has done wrong. Hop flavour was nice, but certainly not huge for style, it did balance pretty well with the body of the beer, though I'd personally like to see more hop flavour and bitterness, though others reviews say otherwise. I could taste a little background malt flavour that I wasn't a huge fan of, but can't really put it down to anything, perhaps just JW malt (WAG).
*brendanos:* 24/1 Gusher. Carefully decanted a pint of foam. White pepper, cape gooseberry, jalapeno pepper, stewed fruit, ripe cherry (varnish?) and moderate pointy alcohol aromas. Flavour is fruity with a dry, tart, woody character akin to a saison. Hop flavour is quite pleasant and bitterness restrained, which avoids conflict with high carbonation, spice and alcohol. A savoury, green fruit flavour lasts into finish. Interesting and quite drinkable, despite losing most of the bottle down the sink.
clay: opened with a huge hiss and while it didn't gush from the bottle the glass did pour 3/4 soft head. Nice fruity aroma. The first thing that hits my mouth is bitterness but as I keep drinking this turns more into sour or tart. Don't know if this is intentional but kind of reminds my of a young bottle of Orval. totally hit the spot after work on a stinking hot day. Took four glasses of foam to finish the bottle but I wish I had another in the fridge. Lovely beer.
*Cubbie*: A little hard seeing the beer through all the head, needless to say a bit high on the carbonation. Another beer I drank Australia day without notes. Definite sourness/ tartness to the beer, with memories of the Big Helga I had the night before that was infected and rather sour, this one did not sit so well on my pallet. Hidden behind the sourness was a nice hop flavour. I would like to try this one again, but without the sourness.

*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.
*sinkas*: nice bananary aroma, drinkable but quite heavy in the clove flavour to me
*MC*: Lovely banana bread aroma. To me, the clove was almost more of a cinamon flavour which was something I haven't encountered before, but I enjoyed it. Not quite as dry as I expected, but balanced and easy drinking.
*Asher*- Some nice banana aromatics. Flavour dominated by big spicy phenols which has me questioning ferment over recipe. Went well with Spaghetti & pork meatballs


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## thanme (21/2/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaff[able.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !
*ausdb* First bottle of the case for me, no point trying to taste beers with a cold. Even after 3 weeks in my study it is very very very well carbonated even and even with a careful pour I only managed 1/3 beer with 2/3 rocky head in a pint glass. On the nose I get fruity but not distinctly cascade aroma's which is surprising considering the tweaking it received with the magic hop potion. Flavourwise there is a hint of dark malts but the carbonation was too high and the tended to overpower most of the flavours for me. I must go past GL's and have one straight from the tap, as this bottle tastes like a completely different beer to how it normally tastes for me.
*Cubbie* First pour produce a very large head, white a fluffy and hangs around. Lovely dark copper colour. Reasonably dry and perhaps a little over carbed. Honey and toffee in the aroma and on the pallet. Like the balance of the bitterns and hops. Nice all round beer, tasty.
*brendanos:* 15/1 huge carbonation, dense white head with large bubbles. Aroma of cordial (icey poles?), almost blackcurrent like fruitiness. Reasonably dry with a light toasty malt flavour and a biting carbonation that accentuates a lowish bitterness. Earthy, pithy (mandarin/grapefruit?), and lightly spice flavours create some interest but overall the beer is light, refreshing, and sessionable.

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*
*sinkas:* a very drinkable if yet a little unusually flavoured beer, for some reason I assume there is only NS hops, but I got a real stone fruit flavour also, only crit was maybe a bit heavy in mouth feel for the abv, but het it was certianly enjoyable
*kook:* Nice aroma - banana, fresh bready yeast, light toast and spice. Muddy light brown in colour, almost tarnished bronze. Persistent medium white head. Flavour was a strange mix of rubbery plastic, fruity hops and light spice. Medium-full bodied, but dry in the finish. Interesting, but the plasticy flavour was a little offputting and overpowering, suspect this was a fermentation byproduct?
*MC*: Quite hazy with a fantastic pillowy head which lasted the distance. I've just read your recipe and wouldn't have picked this as an extract-only beer. A mix of fruit and spice with a nice bitter finish. This went down easily on a muggy night.
*brendanos*: 3/2 Two inches of foam burst out of the beer as I loosened the cap. Poured a murky brown with a large fluffy white head. Phenolic aroma (plastic/spice) with some marmalade jam fruitiness, stonefruit, a nutty, biscuit like (honey, toasted oats) malt aroma comes through as it warms up. Bitterness medium accentuated by a high-ish carbonation. Med body. Drinkable despite the prominent phenolic character which is usually a dealbreaker for me.

*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.
*Asher* - Thick Shag Pile Magic Malt Carpet. It takes every bit of the 100IBU & ABV to keep this weave from floating away. Balanced. I made the same mistake Tony did! ( I have never had a beer that blew out my buds like this baby) Drink it alone and on its own! Tasty 
*NME:* I was really looking forward to this beer for some reason. It sounded interesting. The smell of this was deliciously overwhelming. It might be my lacking experience, but it almost had a sweet caramelly smell to it, with a fruitish smell. The colour was a really nice deep orange, and it poured with a thin white head. Taste wise, I had a huge smack of bitterness that very quickly mellowed out into what I assume is a galaxy flavour. I like this a lot. I haven't like the few IPA's I've ever tried (commercially I mean), but this beer really pulls everything together, and in a way that forces me to enjoy it slowly. You're onto a winner there. Thanks Doug!


*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too. Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year !
*Churchy*- Had a nice straw colour but had a really lemon bittery taste.
*Asher* - Nice underlying malt flavours. Strong Butyric Rubber flavours dominate over esters. Tastes like a good recipe just a hickup at the fermentation stage.
*MC*: I can't tell you what went wrong, but I'm guessing it's either an infection or really unhappy yeast. Was the one I tasted at the swap from the same batch, because that one was fine?
*Cubbie*: I tried this one Australia day and did not take notes however, it poured nicely with good head retention It had the backbone of a Hefe but I feel there may have been some issues with the fermentation. I did an American Hefe with proculture recently and it had some very similar notes to it. My Hefe had a horrible fermentation. So I am guessing this may be the issue. Still I enjoyed drinking a fellow home brewers beer
*brendanos*: 1/2 The aroma is dominated for me by sulfur - rotten eggs/eggy farts, body odour, sea water and (possibly not a sulfur compound) sausages. It could be as simple as extending your boil to reduce DMS and SSM and similarly chilling faster post-boil. If these things are in order, then I'd say the problem is bacteria. The flavour seems rather clean, light, spritzy, bready, but for me the aroma is too offputting. I hope this isn't rude - but I think I now know what "enteric character" refers to in the BJCP guidelines.

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little. The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!
*sinkas:* goat needs fuggin glasses, a nice rich and sparkling body, not cloudy, spritzy carbonation amplified the bitterness, but all together a great pale ale 
*MC*: Awesome aroma - to my nose more tropical and over-ripe grape than citrus. Nice toffee taste up front before the hops come smashing through with juicy flavours and a peppery grassiness which is never harsh. I found myself sucking my teeth between sips, so it must have been good..
*Asher* 2/10 for trueness to style! I was expecting a murky underattenuated ale but was presented with a near brite beer with good foam stand that finished nice and dry. Critically, the hop profile felt a little one dimensional (don't know if more varietys in recipy would remedy. Maybe smaller additions over more times. Or maybe I should have let warm up a bit more)
*brendanos:* 22/1 Beautiful copper colour (seems clear to me!) with dense creamy white head with awesome retention. Toffee and caramel malt aroma with perhaps a hint of butter, and a moderate US hop aroma (juicey fruits). Aroma is very pleasant, clean and humble. Flavour is a good balance of hops (starfruit, resinous, stonefruit) and light malt (caramel). Medium bodied and decidedly bitter though particularly smooth and elegant. Finishes smooth with a lingering soft bitterness and hop/malt flavours. Overall clean, deftly balanced and very enjoyable.


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!
*sinkas:* nice punchy IPA, with a creaminess from the rabbit juice
*Churchy*- This was a little too bitter for me but still drank it.
*Goat*: I am drinking this side by side with a white rabbit ale and there is a definite close similarity in terms of colour and the dense creamy head - the commercial is a bit brighter (being not bottle conditioned etc). on the nose, I'm getting a bit of smokey.... <has taste>.... have you used that bloody bacon grain stuff ? Definatley getting strong rauchmalt flavour in that. As a result, I will refrain from further comment on the taste - eveything has turned bacon. Quite well balanced with moderate bitterness. Good mouth feel - creamier and fuller than the domesticated version. I find the commercial version a little bland, there is nothing in there that stands out - I was expecting a bit malt hit, but i don't get that at all.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark brown with ruby highlights. Very lively initially, large, thick and tight off white head. Definite grassy hop aroma, with some pine notes behind. Great malt notes, caramel, chocolate and a nice roast note. High bitterness, possibly accentuated by the roast malt? Helps to cut through the malt though, and leave a very dry finish which makes you immediately crave more. Medium-full bodied, very smooth too. This beer is a bit like boxing. You get punched in the face (by bitter, pungent hops) but immediately want to go back for more! Tasty stuff Darryn.
MC: Drank this one in the dark, so I can't comment on the colour or clarity, but the head was thick and creamy and lasted all the way. Grassy aroma with some citrus trying to get through as well. The full mouth feel and malty sweetness provided a good platform for the hop assault which I found to be quite minty and grassy. A touch too bitter for my tastes, but very enjoyable all the same.

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*kook:* Saison. Pours hazy golden in colour, with a persistent medium white head. Great aroma of pineapple, rotting fruit (in a good way!), apples, pears and spicy pepper. Mouthfeel is wonderful. Silky smooth in the beginning, yet still dry in the finish. Huge pineapple flavour, almost with some coconut there. Light peppery alcohol spice and some fruit derived sweetness too. Very drinkable stuff mika!
*Goat*: Pours with a keen fluffy head that has settled into a dense white layer with lacing on the glass. Colour exactly as Kook writes. Subtle spiciness with fruity highlights - pear being my best approximation. Finish is slightly sweet but not cloying. I'd like to taste this alonside a Leffe Blonde, cos I reckon its bloody close. Very drinkable beer. 
Churchy-Like the other guys pours with a nice head, very fruity almost like fruity lexia wine.Very nice to drink.

*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.
*Goat*: Based on the above comments, I opened this baby over the sink. No gushing, though there was a healthy hiss - a slow pour resulted in a decent pint with an inch of fluffy white head. Slighlty hazy copper colour. Sweet maltiness on the nose. Maltiness carries through to the taste with a hint of fruit. Not much in the way of bitterness or hop flavour. Like GL suggests, its a bit of a nostaglia trip for me.
*kook:* I didn't read any of this, and opened it haphazard. There was a little initial "spray" of beer, but no gushing or foaming. Took a little bit of time to off gas in the glass, but I think it adds to the experience. Colour is a slightly hazy light amber, with a huge (60% of glass) fluffy white head. Initial aroma is quite spicy, with light peppery alcohol notes. As it rests a bit, some great malt notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Nice light body, dry finish. Flavour is quite clean, nice honey-like malt notes, very balanced bitterness level. Some light earthy hop notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Very quaffable halfluck offering!
*Dchap: *Big carb hiss but no gush. Nice coppery hue. This is my first Steam Beer experience and won't be my last. Light, balanced, bready aroma and on the palate too. I didn't get too much of the esters but perhaps a touch of honey. Thanks for your fine efforts Rob !
*Asher*- Opened and poured well into a wet glass. Aroma hints of northern brewer. Upon tasting was met by a huge carbonic bite fraught with spices & fusils. So I knocked a heap of carbonation out and this beer turned into something a little more malt driven with plenty of fruit. Finishing nice and dry, with a slight tannic harshness/earthiness complementing or thanks to the NB hopping.
*NME:* I've never really had a steam beer before. It poured a cloudy darkish orange colour with a nice fluffy white head. I'm not sure how well my smell receptors are working today, but the aroma was kind of subdued, but as I got through it a sort of bready type smell came through. I think after a taste, I've become friends with the style. It's almost as though you can tell it's done by a yeast outside it's comfort zone, I find really refreshing. I definitely get a light wheaty taste from it with a touch of sweetness and not really any hop character. Given that my airconditioner just died, this beer hit the spot in the best way. Cheers!


*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.
*Goat*: Not huge carbonation, but enough to develop a thinish white head. Not sure about the "belgian pear ester" - I think its more French/Swiss border pear... but there is definately that sort of fruit in the aroma in there. slightly hazy in with a golden straw colour. Nice full mouthfeel, slightly sweet - which works well with the moderatly alcoholy aftertaste. Nice beer.
*Churchy-* Lightly carbed and a honey kinda colour!Fruity flavour to hide the alcohol.Is that why my head is starting to spin and the fact I haven't eaten anything!
*kook:* This should have won the label comp (no offense Linc); boobs should always win. Pours a hazy orange colour with a short white head. Initially some light banana in the nose, then pear and peaches come through. As it warms a little, spice becomes more evident. Big mouthfeel, personally a little too full in the finish for me. Great flavours, pear, peaches, toffee apples and light peppery spice. Some citrus flavours there too. As noted by others, the alcohol is very well hidden. Personally I'd prefer this a few points drier, as I think there is a little too much sweetness. Still a great beer though, thanks Clay!
*Asher*- smooth malt dominates for me. It hides the ABV very well before emerging as a warmth right on the finish. The esters a little frazzled by spices maybe from a ferment temp pushed to the upper limit of acceptable. Still a very drinkable beer containing plenty of those intangibles that just make feel like your back in Belgium.
*brendanos:* 15/1 Pours an almost brilliant orange with low head and low retention. Aroma dominated by tropical fruit salad candy and a lightly spicey phenolic, some fudge like malt character. Flavour is bready with a medium body which is balanced by the alcohol, carbonation and spice-like astringency. A nice, drinkable beer, though I think Asher & Kook are on the money - a cleaner ferment and slightly higher attenuation would be welcome improvements! I'm just a little concerned that much of the fruitiness may be acetaldehyde and am wondering if my body can break down a longneck's worth (no offense Clay!)
<B> GB</B>The color tone of a newly bruise apple, it pleases the eye.Poured with out any fuss or head but this didnt bother me at all.Typical belgian nose presenting phenolics and a sweet malt underbelly.I am getting some apple pie notes as it warms. It does have some acetaldhyde but it adds to the character of this beer and goes well with the dry pear notes as well. I like it, my head may not in the morning though.Cheers GB
*NME:* Poured with a really nice white head which sadly disapated quite quickly. Colourwise it was kind of a deepish blonde.
The armoa is fantastic. Could pick up on a fruity smell, and it smelled quite strong.
It had a really nice mouth feel, with the flavour basically backing up the armoa. Doesn't taste too strong and is deliciously smooth. I haven't had a belgian blonde in any form for awhile, but this is great representation.

*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*
*Cubbie*Pours very very pale, bubbly head that disappears almost immediately, little bit of chill haze.. Could wait a little while longer to open but it is well carbonated now. The tartness and sourness of the fermentation comes through though it is not overpowering. Lemon notes in the taste and aroma with no hop. I feel like I want to pour it over some ice and drink like a cider. Goes nice with the blue brie I am eating right now.
*MC:*Very pale straw colour and quite bright. Plenty of carbonation but zero head retention, which I understand to be normal for the style. The overwhelming aroma and flavour was lime juice. Very refreshing on a muggy night. Pathogens never tasted so good.

*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*
*RR* Feeling thirsty, i dove into some of my bottle stores and cracked what i thought was one of my bottled porters to see how it was going, i had a quick whiff and noticed it had a bit of a amarillo? hop flavour and then had a look and thought to myself hey it's a bit lighter than my porter is, then it clicked to me that bf's contribution was unlabeled, i was definitely a welcome change from what i was expecting to drink so in my case the "no label" worked a treat!
I really enjoyed this beer, had no idea what style it was or anything like that just thought it was a good honest drinking beer if that makes sense. I thought it was well balanced. Nice and malty up front then a bit of a lingering bitterness with a bit of an english? yeast ester thing going on. i'll have to look the recipe up to confirm these thing i could be way off the bat but that's what i got out of it. when i found this thread again suprised no one else has cracked it yet? 
*NME:* Poured with no head. Muddy brown colour. Big, big hop aroma. Bitterness is pretty full on, but it balances out really well. Has a big body and a slight grassy and grapefruit taste to it.


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!
*Mika* :- Not bad, but well below the standard of Tasty V1.0 I got to sample back before Christmas. The hops are still strong but seem to be fading out. Power of suggestion or whatever, but I think I get some cardboard coming thru ? The malt profile is a lot more present as well though still comes across clean. I got a serious hop haze with the occassional floating bits/chunks, though nowhere near as bad as Rob's pic. Overall still a good beer and a welcome inclusion to the case as always.
*brendanos:* 7/1 Brilliant (i guess I got lucky?) amber with large, dense fine white head - looks absolutely stunning. Huge greeting aroma of ripe, juicey tropical fruits, skunky, piney hops and vanilla ice cream. Very appetising! Strong but smooth bitterness, very well controlled. Great rich hop flavour supported by a light malt sweetness and medium body. A pleasure to drink. The bitterness is so damn good!!
*MC:* Mine was quite hazy and came complete with flowers floating on the head. I loved this beer and was very impressed. Brendan's description - "controlled" - nails it. Bigger beers can get a bit clumsy, but this one was smooth and balanced throughout.

*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*
*Churchy*-Had to drink it now, nice dark colour almost black and good carbonation.Could really taste the chocolate malt and not over powering, very enjoyable to drink.
*NME:* This beer swallowed light. It was our last taster for a night, and none of us have really had stout that isn't guinness. The smell had a really nice chocolate syrup smell to it. Taste wise, it has a very toasted oat taste, but it's a bit hard to find amongst the aroma. Aftertaste has a delicious coffee flavour to it. We left to last, given it was a stout, but it was a favourite, even amongst the non beer drinkers.

*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol: 
*Churchy-* This went down really well after a bike ride, nice aroma hops and bittering hops.
*VtPA*: The case of Cases case beer, loved it. More of a hop cordial really, totally imbalanced with a hop overload that worked well in a lower gravity beer.
*Goat*: This is a goodun. Pours a bit hazy but with a nice deep colour. Head is a bit anxious, but decanting and then into a glass sorted that nicely. Is it my imagination or is there some hops in this sucker ?! Certainly does dominate the flavour - but in a good way. While the hop flavour /nose / bitterness are all good, I would love to taste this with a less pronounced involvement, cos I'm reminded of a Fullers ESB in the malt - very nice ! Don't know how you managed the body for 3.7%, but she's a wee ripper ! 
*Dchap: *Quite the challenge to offset that amount of alpha acid with that amount of gravity. Well done Case ! Loved the dark amber color. It would be interesting to try this less carbed up. It really packs a sharp punch up front that lingers on and on 
*MC*: A crime against nature, but a very tasty one.

*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.
*Churchy-*This was a nice beer Nev and my dad loved it as well.Hops were all together and carbonation just right.
*Asher*- Ripe Bananna esters up front with a hint of spice to enhance. Esters were quickly swallowed up by melanoidins, caramels and dark toffee. This was probably due to low to moderate carbonation in this bottle. Flavours were all there with phelols contributing to a creamy warm finish Nice.
*Mika* :- I got the nice bready/dark malt flavours. If the banana's there it's very subdued (for me). I'd class it as very very similar to any German dunkel weizen I've tried. Enjoyed it, thanks Nev.
*brendanos* 30/1 Delayed note writing here but I remember a toffee-ish candy like dark sugary flavour and distinct roast note. Esters and phenols were subdued compared to other flavours. Nice beer Nev but (after looking at the recipe just now to confirm my spider senses) I would have preferred if you had left the specialty malts out!
*NME:* Pours a really nice browny colour with a thin head. Smells wheaty and bananary, has a great mouthfeel for a wheat beer and tastes great.

*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*
*NME:* Headless, murky brown colour. Very sweet scent. Very fizzy taste which someone described as 'fizzy apricot nectar'. I picked up a slight plasticy taste, but I don't really know what to call it.


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.
*Cubbie* First one for me. Poured very pale staw colour with a little bit of haze. Small tight head that lingered to near the end. Hint of banana and peach. Very easy to drink, do well as a session beer or just a nice cold referesher. For me I would like just a touch more body.
*Asher*- Dropped brite with a couple of weeks cc'ing. Bananna/fruit/lolly aromatics morphing into daicetyl to my sensitive palate... Gone after the first mouthful. A crisp, tasty thirst quencher. 
*Mika* :- I got more of an apricot and pear aroma from the opening rather than the Banana everyone's babbling about. Nice soft malt profile, seemed very clean and inoffensive to me. Was very glad for the keg filled bottles as it meant I could enjoy every last drop. Noice !
*GB*Started out with a phsss but poured with a small head and a haze. I think it lost its carbonation on transfer which I think let this beer down. On the nose I got some sweet malt notes and a slight hint of the hops but it was over run by the esters. l know how hard these style of beers are to nail! I did like the balance of the sweet malt and the bitterness.The bitterness whilst being noticeable wasnt harsh and just lasted in my mouth long enough to enjoy. A medium bodied Aussie lager.Thanks Tony a good beer on a hot day.
*brendanos*: 2/2 Bright, light soft malty aroma, with an allusion to the faint skunk and veg of aussie lager - but restrained enough to be complimentary and very pleasant. Very refreshing and a lovely beer - I wish more Aussie lagers tasted like this. Thankyou Tony!

*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.
*kook:* Quite dead on opening, squishy bottle. Poured with a bit of distance and it generated a tight, small off white head. Looks like a good cask ale actually, slightly hazy deep dark amber in colour, edging on brown. Brilliant hop aroma, juicy fruit, tropical fruits, fresh cut grass and floral notes all come through. Medium bodied, mouthfeel is accentuated by the low carbonation. Great melanoidiny background malt character, with some light toasty notes. The hops are the show here though, big, juicy fruit flavours and a nice firm (but in no way harsh) bitterness. Great beer, very drinkable and moreish.
*Dchap: *Mmmmmm, nicely balanced with a lowish carb which worked well for this one I reckon. I really enjoyed the toastiness that popped out at the end  
*Asher*- Chestnut haze. Sweet floral hop aromas waft up despite carbonation levels. Crispy lemonade/frosty fruit hop flavours jump out above a complex roasty malt that morphs into a lingering bitterness. Quite drinkable. Like to try this on a hand pump. 
*NME:* Poured with a very thin head. Was a really nice deep amber colour.
Aroma wise it was very hoppy, and unique, given I've never even heard of the hops in this beer 
Flavour was great. Tasted quite hoppy/grassy with a little malt backbone. It seems maybe a little light on carbonation, but definitely drinkable. I could drink a lot of this quite easily!

*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*
*MC*: Certainly a pretty beer. Crystal clear with a shaving cream head which lasted all the way. Nice floral and fruity aroma. Flavour is balanced towards the hops but the malt character is certainly there to hold it up. Clean, lingering bitterness. An impressive British session ale with a slight new-world twist.


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.
*NME:* This has a nice fully white head, and is a really nice deep amber/brown colour. Definitely a malty smell, is full bodied and has a really nice nutty aftertaste. I like!



*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*
*Cubbie* Thought I would try and review my own beer. Pours deep brown with hints of copper. Tight tan head although it was not lasting. Alcohol and small amount of chocolate on the nose same in the taste. Slightly dry. This is quite different to the sample that I shared at the case swap (different batch), I would say Roy has short changed me on one of the speciality malts. Still fairly clean beer, will be better with a bit more time. Not sure I am on style here.

*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
*VtPA:* Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.
*ausdb* I think I tasted this beer at the swap day as I remember Kenworthy pouring me a glass of something with Galaxy and NS at some stage, but this one to me was completely different. I pick a distinct NS gooseberry and cats pi$ aroma and it is a lovely pale gold and straw colour but I am torn between deciding if it is just too overbittered with the Galaxy overload effect or signs of an infection when I taste it. I can taste the quinine/grapefruitiness that ant tastes but also get the sourness that others have picked. It would be really nice to see your recipe to compare your hopping schedule with my taste perceptions.
sinkas: unfortunatley my bottle opened, with a 2 foot gush, threid to drink the geiser,and it had a really odd harsh flavour, so vented the rest outside
*MC*: Mine didn't gush, but the carbonation was insane. I struggled to pour less than 50% head and then it kept climbing out of the glass. The most turbulent carbonation I have ever seen - pretty cool actually, like a lava lamp on crack. Loved the hop aroma and the taste at the start of the mouthful was fantastic, but it turned nasty as I swallowed. There was a harsh bitterness and reading the reviews above, "quinine" (tonic water) seems to describe it best. I think a bug has beaten me to this beer which is a pisser because it started out beautifully.
*Dchap: *Not a gusher but a 10% beer 90% head scenario. That said that pulled the carb levels down and helped reduce the 'bite'. Nice floral aromas, big big bitterness and quinine is a good descriptor but I found it to be quite nice  Thanks bloke !
*GB* Poured well with a lot of carbonation to support a head that lasted till the end. Heaps of hop profiles happening, including most of those hops I dont like, funny lager drinker me. It did present as hazy but this could just be hop haze ? Good colour for this style of ale. I thought there was some sourness initially (faded as it settled) on the nose but could not find it in the mouth, I have put it down to carbonic acid nose bite.The body is well structured to support the bitterness but the bitterness kept wacking me back every time I licked my lips. Mate I am burping up hops and stir fried noodles and enjoying the contrast of the two flavors. I think it works but Im sure my lips are being embalmed in hop bittering acids .I would like to know your water profile to see why the bitterness is intense. Thanks its a very interesting beer and Im sure I will be tasting it for the rest of the night. Burp....
*Mika* :- Low carb with a very thin head that must have had something better to do because it didn't hang around. My version really wasn't that bitter. It was perhaps a little harsh(ish) but I find that more of a character of the Nelson Sauvin hops than anything the brewer has done wrong. Hop flavour was nice, but certainly not huge for style, it did balance pretty well with the body of the beer, though I'd personally like to see more hop flavour and bitterness, though others reviews say otherwise. I could taste a little background malt flavour that I wasn't a huge fan of, but can't really put it down to anything, perhaps just JW malt (WAG).
*brendanos:* 24/1 Gusher. Carefully decanted a pint of foam. White pepper, cape gooseberry, jalapeno pepper, stewed fruit, ripe cherry (varnish?) and moderate pointy alcohol aromas. Flavour is fruity with a dry, tart, woody character akin to a saison. Hop flavour is quite pleasant and bitterness restrained, which avoids conflict with high carbonation, spice and alcohol. A savoury, green fruit flavour lasts into finish. Interesting and quite drinkable, despite losing most of the bottle down the sink.
clay: opened with a huge hiss and while it didn't gush from the bottle the glass did pour 3/4 soft head. Nice fruity aroma. The first thing that hits my mouth is bitterness but as I keep drinking this turns more into sour or tart. Don't know if this is intentional but kind of reminds my of a young bottle of Orval. totally hit the spot after work on a stinking hot day. Took four glasses of foam to finish the bottle but I wish I had another in the fridge. Lovely beer.
*Cubbie*: A little hard seeing the beer through all the head, needless to say a bit high on the carbonation. Another beer I drank Australia day without notes. Definite sourness/ tartness to the beer, with memories of the Big Helga I had the night before that was infected and rather sour, this one did not sit so well on my pallet. Hidden behind the sourness was a nice hop flavour. I would like to try this one again, but without the sourness.

*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.
*sinkas*: nice bananary aroma, drinkable but quite heavy in the clove flavour to me
*MC*: Lovely banana bread aroma. To me, the clove was almost more of a cinamon flavour which was something I haven't encountered before, but I enjoyed it. Not quite as dry as I expected, but balanced and easy drinking.
*Asher*- Some nice banana aromatics. Flavour dominated by big spicy phenols which has me questioning ferment over recipe. Went well with Spaghetti & pork meatballs


----------



## Tony M (28/2/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaff[able.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !
*ausdb* First bottle of the case for me, no point trying to taste beers with a cold. Even after 3 weeks in my study it is very very very well carbonated even and even with a careful pour I only managed 1/3 beer with 2/3 rocky head in a pint glass. On the nose I get fruity but not distinctly cascade aroma's which is surprising considering the tweaking it received with the magic hop potion. Flavourwise there is a hint of dark malts but the carbonation was too high and the tended to overpower most of the flavours for me. I must go past GL's and have one straight from the tap, as this bottle tastes like a completely different beer to how it normally tastes for me.
*Cubbie* First pour produce a very large head, white a fluffy and hangs around. Lovely dark copper colour. Reasonably dry and perhaps a little over carbed. Honey and toffee in the aroma and on the pallet. Like the balance of the bitterns and hops. Nice all round beer, tasty.
*brendanos:* 15/1 huge carbonation, dense white head with large bubbles. Aroma of cordial (icey poles?), almost blackcurrent like fruitiness. Reasonably dry with a light toasty malt flavour and a biting carbonation that accentuates a lowish bitterness. Earthy, pithy (mandarin/grapefruit?), and lightly spice flavours create some interest but overall the beer is light, refreshing, and sessionable.

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*
*sinkas:* a very drinkable if yet a little unusually flavoured beer, for some reason I assume there is only NS hops, but I got a real stone fruit flavour also, only crit was maybe a bit heavy in mouth feel for the abv, but het it was certianly enjoyable
*kook:* Nice aroma - banana, fresh bready yeast, light toast and spice. Muddy light brown in colour, almost tarnished bronze. Persistent medium white head. Flavour was a strange mix of rubbery plastic, fruity hops and light spice. Medium-full bodied, but dry in the finish. Interesting, but the plasticy flavour was a little offputting and overpowering, suspect this was a fermentation byproduct?
*MC*: Quite hazy with a fantastic pillowy head which lasted the distance. I've just read your recipe and wouldn't have picked this as an extract-only beer. A mix of fruit and spice with a nice bitter finish. This went down easily on a muggy night.
*brendanos*: 3/2 Two inches of foam burst out of the beer as I loosened the cap. Poured a murky brown with a large fluffy white head. Phenolic aroma (plastic/spice) with some marmalade jam fruitiness, stonefruit, a nutty, biscuit like (honey, toasted oats) malt aroma comes through as it warms up. Bitterness medium accentuated by a high-ish carbonation. Med body. Drinkable despite the prominent phenolic character which is usually a dealbreaker for me.

*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.
*Asher* - Thick Shag Pile Magic Malt Carpet. It takes every bit of the 100IBU & ABV to keep this weave from floating away. Balanced. I made the same mistake Tony did! ( I have never had a beer that blew out my buds like this baby) Drink it alone and on its own! Tasty 
*NME:* I was really looking forward to this beer for some reason. It sounded interesting. The smell of this was deliciously overwhelming. It might be my lacking experience, but it almost had a sweet caramelly smell to it, with a fruitish smell. The colour was a really nice deep orange, and it poured with a thin white head. Taste wise, I had a huge smack of bitterness that very quickly mellowed out into what I assume is a galaxy flavour. I like this a lot. I haven't like the few IPA's I've ever tried (commercially I mean), but this beer really pulls everything together, and in a way that forces me to enjoy it slowly. You're onto a winner there. Thanks Doug!


*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too. Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year !
*Churchy*- Had a nice straw colour but had a really lemon bittery taste.
*Asher* - Nice underlying malt flavours. Strong Butyric Rubber flavours dominate over esters. Tastes like a good recipe just a hickup at the fermentation stage.
*MC*: I can't tell you what went wrong, but I'm guessing it's either an infection or really unhappy yeast. Was the one I tasted at the swap from the same batch, because that one was fine?
*Cubbie*: I tried this one Australia day and did not take notes however, it poured nicely with good head retention It had the backbone of a Hefe but I feel there may have been some issues with the fermentation. I did an American Hefe with proculture recently and it had some very similar notes to it. My Hefe had a horrible fermentation. So I am guessing this may be the issue. Still I enjoyed drinking a fellow home brewers beer
*brendanos*: 1/2 The aroma is dominated for me by sulfur - rotten eggs/eggy farts, body odour, sea water and (possibly not a sulfur compound) sausages. It could be as simple as extending your boil to reduce DMS and SSM and similarly chilling faster post-boil. If these things are in order, then I'd say the problem is bacteria. The flavour seems rather clean, light, spritzy, bready, but for me the aroma is too offputting. I hope this isn't rude - but I think I now know what "enteric character" refers to in the BJCP guidelines.

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little. The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!
*sinkas:* goat needs fuggin glasses, a nice rich and sparkling body, not cloudy, spritzy carbonation amplified the bitterness, but all together a great pale ale 
*MC*: Awesome aroma - to my nose more tropical and over-ripe grape than citrus. Nice toffee taste up front before the hops come smashing through with juicy flavours and a peppery grassiness which is never harsh. I found myself sucking my teeth between sips, so it must have been good..
*Asher* 2/10 for trueness to style! I was expecting a murky underattenuated ale but was presented with a near brite beer with good foam stand that finished nice and dry. Critically, the hop profile felt a little one dimensional (don't know if more varietys in recipy would remedy. Maybe smaller additions over more times. Or maybe I should have let warm up a bit more)
*brendanos:* 22/1 Beautiful copper colour (seems clear to me!) with dense creamy white head with awesome retention. Toffee and caramel malt aroma with perhaps a hint of butter, and a moderate US hop aroma (juicey fruits). Aroma is very pleasant, clean and humble. Flavour is a good balance of hops (starfruit, resinous, stonefruit) and light malt (caramel). Medium bodied and decidedly bitter though particularly smooth and elegant. Finishes smooth with a lingering soft bitterness and hop/malt flavours. Overall clean, deftly balanced and very enjoyable.


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!
*sinkas:* nice punchy IPA, with a creaminess from the rabbit juice
*Churchy*- This was a little too bitter for me but still drank it.
*Goat*: I am drinking this side by side with a white rabbit ale and there is a definite close similarity in terms of colour and the dense creamy head - the commercial is a bit brighter (being not bottle conditioned etc). on the nose, I'm getting a bit of smokey.... <has taste>.... have you used that bloody bacon grain stuff ? Definatley getting strong rauchmalt flavour in that. As a result, I will refrain from further comment on the taste - eveything has turned bacon. Quite well balanced with moderate bitterness. Good mouth feel - creamier and fuller than the domesticated version. I find the commercial version a little bland, there is nothing in there that stands out - I was expecting a bit malt hit, but i don't get that at all.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark brown with ruby highlights. Very lively initially, large, thick and tight off white head. Definite grassy hop aroma, with some pine notes behind. Great malt notes, caramel, chocolate and a nice roast note. High bitterness, possibly accentuated by the roast malt? Helps to cut through the malt though, and leave a very dry finish which makes you immediately crave more. Medium-full bodied, very smooth too. This beer is a bit like boxing. You get punched in the face (by bitter, pungent hops) but immediately want to go back for more! Tasty stuff Darryn.
MC: Drank this one in the dark, so I can't comment on the colour or clarity, but the head was thick and creamy and lasted all the way. Grassy aroma with some citrus trying to get through as well. The full mouth feel and malty sweetness provided a good platform for the hop assault which I found to be quite minty and grassy. A touch too bitter for my tastes, but very enjoyable all the same.

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*kook:* Saison. Pours hazy golden in colour, with a persistent medium white head. Great aroma of pineapple, rotting fruit (in a good way!), apples, pears and spicy pepper. Mouthfeel is wonderful. Silky smooth in the beginning, yet still dry in the finish. Huge pineapple flavour, almost with some coconut there. Light peppery alcohol spice and some fruit derived sweetness too. Very drinkable stuff mika!
*Goat*: Pours with a keen fluffy head that has settled into a dense white layer with lacing on the glass. Colour exactly as Kook writes. Subtle spiciness with fruity highlights - pear being my best approximation. Finish is slightly sweet but not cloying. I'd like to taste this alonside a Leffe Blonde, cos I reckon its bloody close. Very drinkable beer. 
Churchy-Like the other guys pours with a nice head, very fruity almost like fruity lexia wine.Very nice to drink.

*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.
*Goat*: Based on the above comments, I opened this baby over the sink. No gushing, though there was a healthy hiss - a slow pour resulted in a decent pint with an inch of fluffy white head. Slighlty hazy copper colour. Sweet maltiness on the nose. Maltiness carries through to the taste with a hint of fruit. Not much in the way of bitterness or hop flavour. Like GL suggests, its a bit of a nostaglia trip for me.
*kook:* I didn't read any of this, and opened it haphazard. There was a little initial "spray" of beer, but no gushing or foaming. Took a little bit of time to off gas in the glass, but I think it adds to the experience. Colour is a slightly hazy light amber, with a huge (60% of glass) fluffy white head. Initial aroma is quite spicy, with light peppery alcohol notes. As it rests a bit, some great malt notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Nice light body, dry finish. Flavour is quite clean, nice honey-like malt notes, very balanced bitterness level. Some light earthy hop notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Very quaffable halfluck offering!
*Dchap: *Big carb hiss but no gush. Nice coppery hue. This is my first Steam Beer experience and won't be my last. Light, balanced, bready aroma and on the palate too. I didn't get too much of the esters but perhaps a touch of honey. Thanks for your fine efforts Rob !
*Asher*- Opened and poured well into a wet glass. Aroma hints of northern brewer. Upon tasting was met by a huge carbonic bite fraught with spices & fusils. So I knocked a heap of carbonation out and this beer turned into something a little more malt driven with plenty of fruit. Finishing nice and dry, with a slight tannic harshness/earthiness complementing or thanks to the NB hopping.
*NME:* I've never really had a steam beer before. It poured a cloudy darkish orange colour with a nice fluffy white head. I'm not sure how well my smell receptors are working today, but the aroma was kind of subdued, but as I got through it a sort of bready type smell came through. I think after a taste, I've become friends with the style. It's almost as though you can tell it's done by a yeast outside it's comfort zone, I find really refreshing. I definitely get a light wheaty taste from it with a touch of sweetness and not really any hop character. Given that my airconditioner just died, this beer hit the spot in the best way. Cheers!


*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.
*Goat*: Not huge carbonation, but enough to develop a thinish white head. Not sure about the "belgian pear ester" - I think its more French/Swiss border pear... but there is definately that sort of fruit in the aroma in there. slightly hazy in with a golden straw colour. Nice full mouthfeel, slightly sweet - which works well with the moderatly alcoholy aftertaste. Nice beer.
*Churchy-* Lightly carbed and a honey kinda colour!Fruity flavour to hide the alcohol.Is that why my head is starting to spin and the fact I haven't eaten anything!
*kook:* This should have won the label comp (no offense Linc); boobs should always win. Pours a hazy orange colour with a short white head. Initially some light banana in the nose, then pear and peaches come through. As it warms a little, spice becomes more evident. Big mouthfeel, personally a little too full in the finish for me. Great flavours, pear, peaches, toffee apples and light peppery spice. Some citrus flavours there too. As noted by others, the alcohol is very well hidden. Personally I'd prefer this a few points drier, as I think there is a little too much sweetness. Still a great beer though, thanks Clay!
*Asher*- smooth malt dominates for me. It hides the ABV very well before emerging as a warmth right on the finish. The esters a little frazzled by spices maybe from a ferment temp pushed to the upper limit of acceptable. Still a very drinkable beer containing plenty of those intangibles that just make feel like your back in Belgium.
*brendanos:* 15/1 Pours an almost brilliant orange with low head and low retention. Aroma dominated by tropical fruit salad candy and a lightly spicey phenolic, some fudge like malt character. Flavour is bready with a medium body which is balanced by the alcohol, carbonation and spice-like astringency. A nice, drinkable beer, though I think Asher & Kook are on the money - a cleaner ferment and slightly higher attenuation would be welcome improvements! I'm just a little concerned that much of the fruitiness may be acetaldehyde and am wondering if my body can break down a longneck's worth (no offense Clay!)
<B> GB</B>The color tone of a newly bruise apple, it pleases the eye.Poured with out any fuss or head but this didnt bother me at all.Typical belgian nose presenting phenolics and a sweet malt underbelly.I am getting some apple pie notes as it warms. It does have some acetaldhyde but it adds to the character of this beer and goes well with the dry pear notes as well. I like it, my head may not in the morning though.Cheers GB
*NME:* Poured with a really nice white head which sadly disapated quite quickly. Colourwise it was kind of a deepish blonde.
The armoa is fantastic. Could pick up on a fruity smell, and it smelled quite strong.
It had a really nice mouth feel, with the flavour basically backing up the armoa. Doesn't taste too strong and is deliciously smooth. I haven't had a belgian blonde in any form for awhile, but this is great representation.

*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*
*Cubbie*Pours very very pale, bubbly head that disappears almost immediately, little bit of chill haze.. Could wait a little while longer to open but it is well carbonated now. The tartness and sourness of the fermentation comes through though it is not overpowering. Lemon notes in the taste and aroma with no hop. I feel like I want to pour it over some ice and drink like a cider. Goes nice with the blue brie I am eating right now.
*MC:*Very pale straw colour and quite bright. Plenty of carbonation but zero head retention, which I understand to be normal for the style. The overwhelming aroma and flavour was lime juice. Very refreshing on a muggy night. Pathogens never tasted so good.
TonyM (27/02). Like MC, I'm just not into weird cultures and I even had to dig up the guidelines to see what I was supposed to be consuming. I was at the BBQ in 40C heat and trying to bludgeon myself into a state of cool with an ugly APA when I remembered this thing which had been languishing in the bottom of the fridge for two months. It was a delight to drink with a tartness and a generous spritz that refreshed the soul and as far as I could tell, fitted the guidelines admirably. I still cant see myself ploughing thru 20 litres of it as an everyday quaffer, but Brendan, you made my day this time.

*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*
*RR* Feeling thirsty, i dove into some of my bottle stores and cracked what i thought was one of my bottled porters to see how it was going, i had a quick whiff and noticed it had a bit of a amarillo? hop flavour and then had a look and thought to myself hey it's a bit lighter than my porter is, then it clicked to me that bf's contribution was unlabeled, i was definitely a welcome change from what i was expecting to drink so in my case the "no label" worked a treat!
I really enjoyed this beer, had no idea what style it was or anything like that just thought it was a good honest drinking beer if that makes sense. I thought it was well balanced. Nice and malty up front then a bit of a lingering bitterness with a bit of an english? yeast ester thing going on. i'll have to look the recipe up to confirm these thing i could be way off the bat but that's what i got out of it. when i found this thread again suprised no one else has cracked it yet? 
*NME:* Poured with no head. Muddy brown colour. Big, big hop aroma. Bitterness is pretty full on, but it balances out really well. Has a big body and a slight grassy and grapefruit taste to it.


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!
*Mika* :- Not bad, but well below the standard of Tasty V1.0 I got to sample back before Christmas. The hops are still strong but seem to be fading out. Power of suggestion or whatever, but I think I get some cardboard coming thru ? The malt profile is a lot more present as well though still comes across clean. I got a serious hop haze with the occassional floating bits/chunks, though nowhere near as bad as Rob's pic. Overall still a good beer and a welcome inclusion to the case as always.
*brendanos:* 7/1 Brilliant (i guess I got lucky?) amber with large, dense fine white head - looks absolutely stunning. Huge greeting aroma of ripe, juicey tropical fruits, skunky, piney hops and vanilla ice cream. Very appetising! Strong but smooth bitterness, very well controlled. Great rich hop flavour supported by a light malt sweetness and medium body. A pleasure to drink. The bitterness is so damn good!!
*MC:* Mine was quite hazy and came complete with flowers floating on the head. I loved this beer and was very impressed. Brendan's description - "controlled" - nails it. Bigger beers can get a bit clumsy, but this one was smooth and balanced throughout.

*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*
*Churchy*-Had to drink it now, nice dark colour almost black and good carbonation.Could really taste the chocolate malt and not over powering, very enjoyable to drink.
*NME:* This beer swallowed light. It was our last taster for a night, and none of us have really had stout that isn't guinness. The smell had a really nice chocolate syrup smell to it. Taste wise, it has a very toasted oat taste, but it's a bit hard to find amongst the aroma. Aftertaste has a delicious coffee flavour to it. We left to last, given it was a stout, but it was a favourite, even amongst the non beer drinkers.

*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol: 
*Churchy-* This went down really well after a bike ride, nice aroma hops and bittering hops.
*VtPA*: The case of Cases case beer, loved it. More of a hop cordial really, totally imbalanced with a hop overload that worked well in a lower gravity beer.
*Goat*: This is a goodun. Pours a bit hazy but with a nice deep colour. Head is a bit anxious, but decanting and then into a glass sorted that nicely. Is it my imagination or is there some hops in this sucker ?! Certainly does dominate the flavour - but in a good way. While the hop flavour /nose / bitterness are all good, I would love to taste this with a less pronounced involvement, cos I'm reminded of a Fullers ESB in the malt - very nice ! Don't know how you managed the body for 3.7%, but she's a wee ripper ! 
*Dchap: *Quite the challenge to offset that amount of alpha acid with that amount of gravity. Well done Case ! Loved the dark amber color. It would be interesting to try this less carbed up. It really packs a sharp punch up front that lingers on and on 
*MC*: A crime against nature, but a very tasty one.

*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.
*Churchy-*This was a nice beer Nev and my dad loved it as well.Hops were all together and carbonation just right.
*Asher*- Ripe Bananna esters up front with a hint of spice to enhance. Esters were quickly swallowed up by melanoidins, caramels and dark toffee. This was probably due to low to moderate carbonation in this bottle. Flavours were all there with phelols contributing to a creamy warm finish Nice.
*Mika* :- I got the nice bready/dark malt flavours. If the banana's there it's very subdued (for me). I'd class it as very very similar to any German dunkel weizen I've tried. Enjoyed it, thanks Nev.
*brendanos* 30/1 Delayed note writing here but I remember a toffee-ish candy like dark sugary flavour and distinct roast note. Esters and phenols were subdued compared to other flavours. Nice beer Nev but (after looking at the recipe just now to confirm my spider senses) I would have preferred if you had left the specialty malts out!
*NME:* Pours a really nice browny colour with a thin head. Smells wheaty and bananary, has a great mouthfeel for a wheat beer and tastes great.

*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*
*NME:* Headless, murky brown colour. Very sweet scent. Very fizzy taste which someone described as 'fizzy apricot nectar'. I picked up a slight plasticy taste, but I don't really know what to call it.


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.
*Cubbie* First one for me. Poured very pale staw colour with a little bit of haze. Small tight head that lingered to near the end. Hint of banana and peach. Very easy to drink, do well as a session beer or just a nice cold referesher. For me I would like just a touch more body.
*Asher*- Dropped brite with a couple of weeks cc'ing. Bananna/fruit/lolly aromatics morphing into daicetyl to my sensitive palate... Gone after the first mouthful. A crisp, tasty thirst quencher. 
*Mika* :- I got more of an apricot and pear aroma from the opening rather than the Banana everyone's babbling about. Nice soft malt profile, seemed very clean and inoffensive to me. Was very glad for the keg filled bottles as it meant I could enjoy every last drop. Noice !
*GB*Started out with a phsss but poured with a small head and a haze. I think it lost its carbonation on transfer which I think let this beer down. On the nose I got some sweet malt notes and a slight hint of the hops but it was over run by the esters. l know how hard these style of beers are to nail! I did like the balance of the sweet malt and the bitterness.The bitterness whilst being noticeable wasnt harsh and just lasted in my mouth long enough to enjoy. A medium bodied Aussie lager.Thanks Tony a good beer on a hot day.
*brendanos*: 2/2 Bright, light soft malty aroma, with an allusion to the faint skunk and veg of aussie lager - but restrained enough to be complimentary and very pleasant. Very refreshing and a lovely beer - I wish more Aussie lagers tasted like this. Thankyou Tony!

*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.
*kook:* Quite dead on opening, squishy bottle. Poured with a bit of distance and it generated a tight, small off white head. Looks like a good cask ale actually, slightly hazy deep dark amber in colour, edging on brown. Brilliant hop aroma, juicy fruit, tropical fruits, fresh cut grass and floral notes all come through. Medium bodied, mouthfeel is accentuated by the low carbonation. Great melanoidiny background malt character, with some light toasty notes. The hops are the show here though, big, juicy fruit flavours and a nice firm (but in no way harsh) bitterness. Great beer, very drinkable and moreish.
*Dchap: *Mmmmmm, nicely balanced with a lowish carb which worked well for this one I reckon. I really enjoyed the toastiness that popped out at the end  
*Asher*- Chestnut haze. Sweet floral hop aromas waft up despite carbonation levels. Crispy lemonade/frosty fruit hop flavours jump out above a complex roasty malt that morphs into a lingering bitterness. Quite drinkable. Like to try this on a hand pump. 
*NME:* Poured with a very thin head. Was a really nice deep amber colour.
Aroma wise it was very hoppy, and unique, given I've never even heard of the hops in this beer 
Flavour was great. Tasted quite hoppy/grassy with a little malt backbone. It seems maybe a little light on carbonation, but definitely drinkable. I could drink a lot of this quite easily!

*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*
*MC*: Certainly a pretty beer. Crystal clear with a shaving cream head which lasted all the way. Nice floral and fruity aroma. Flavour is balanced towards the hops but the malt character is certainly there to hold it up. Clean, lingering bitterness. An impressive British session ale with a slight new-world twist.


*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.
*NME:* This has a nice fully white head, and is a really nice deep amber/brown colour. Definitely a malty smell, is full bodied and has a really nice nutty aftertaste. I like!



*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*
*Cubbie* Thought I would try and review my own beer. Pours deep brown with hints of copper. Tight tan head although it was not lasting. Alcohol and small amount of chocolate on the nose same in the taste. Slightly dry. This is quite different to the sample that I shared at the case swap (different batch), I would say Roy has short changed me on one of the speciality malts. Still fairly clean beer, will be better with a bit more time. Not sure I am on style here.

*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
*VtPA:* Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.
*ausdb* I think I tasted this beer at the swap day as I remember Kenworthy pouring me a glass of something with Galaxy and NS at some stage, but this one to me was completely different. I pick a distinct NS gooseberry and cats pi$ aroma and it is a lovely pale gold and straw colour but I am torn between deciding if it is just too overbittered with the Galaxy overload effect or signs of an infection when I taste it. I can taste the quinine/grapefruitiness that ant tastes but also get the sourness that others have picked. It would be really nice to see your recipe to compare your hopping schedule with my taste perceptions.
sinkas: unfortunatley my bottle opened, with a 2 foot gush, threid to drink the geiser,and it had a really odd harsh flavour, so vented the rest outside
*MC*: Mine didn't gush, but the carbonation was insane. I struggled to pour less than 50% head and then it kept climbing out of the glass. The most turbulent carbonation I have ever seen - pretty cool actually, like a lava lamp on crack. Loved the hop aroma and the taste at the start of the mouthful was fantastic, but it turned nasty as I swallowed. There was a harsh bitterness and reading the reviews above, "quinine" (tonic water) seems to describe it best. I think a bug has beaten me to this beer which is a pisser because it started out beautifully.
*Dchap: *Not a gusher but a 10% beer 90% head scenario. That said that pulled the carb levels down and helped reduce the 'bite'. Nice floral aromas, big big bitterness and quinine is a good descriptor but I found it to be quite nice  Thanks bloke !
*GB* Poured well with a lot of carbonation to support a head that lasted till the end. Heaps of hop profiles happening, including most of those hops I dont like, funny lager drinker me. It did present as hazy but this could just be hop haze ? Good colour for this style of ale. I thought there was some sourness initially (faded as it settled) on the nose but could not find it in the mouth, I have put it down to carbonic acid nose bite.The body is well structured to support the bitterness but the bitterness kept wacking me back every time I licked my lips. Mate I am burping up hops and stir fried noodles and enjoying the contrast of the two flavors. I think it works but Im sure my lips are being embalmed in hop bittering acids .I would like to know your water profile to see why the bitterness is intense. Thanks its a very interesting beer and Im sure I will be tasting it for the rest of the night. Burp....
*Mika* :- Low carb with a very thin head that must have had something better to do because it didn't hang around. My version really wasn't that bitter. It was perhaps a little harsh(ish) but I find that more of a character of the Nelson Sauvin hops than anything the brewer has done wrong. Hop flavour was nice, but certainly not huge for style, it did balance pretty well with the body of the beer, though I'd personally like to see more hop flavour and bitterness, though others reviews say otherwise. I could taste a little background malt flavour that I wasn't a huge fan of, but can't really put it down to anything, perhaps just JW malt (WAG).
*brendanos:* 24/1 Gusher. Carefully decanted a pint of foam. White pepper, cape gooseberry, jalapeno pepper, stewed fruit, ripe cherry (varnish?) and moderate pointy alcohol aromas. Flavour is fruity with a dry, tart, woody character akin to a saison. Hop flavour is quite pleasant and bitterness restrained, which avoids conflict with high carbonation, spice and alcohol. A savoury, green fruit flavour lasts into finish. Interesting and quite drinkable, despite losing most of the bottle down the sink.
clay: opened with a huge hiss and while it didn't gush from the bottle the glass did pour 3/4 soft head. Nice fruity aroma. The first thing that hits my mouth is bitterness but as I keep drinking this turns more into sour or tart. Don't know if this is intentional but kind of reminds my of a young bottle of Orval. totally hit the spot after work on a stinking hot day. Took four glasses of foam to finish the bottle but I wish I had another in the fridge. Lovely beer.
*Cubbie*: A little hard seeing the beer through all the head, needless to say a bit high on the carbonation. Another beer I drank Australia day without notes. Definite sourness/ tartness to the beer, with memories of the Big Helga I had the night before that was infected and rather sour, this one did not sit so well on my pallet. Hidden behind the sourness was a nice hop flavour. I would like to try this one again, but without the sourness.

*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.
*sinkas*: nice bananary aroma, drinkable but quite heavy in the clove flavour to me
*MC*: Lovely banana bread aroma. To me, the clove was almost more of a cinamon flavour which was something I haven't encountered before, but I enjoyed it. Not quite as dry as I expected, but balanced and easy drinking.
*Asher*- Some nice banana aromatics. Flavour dominated by big spicy phenols which has me questioning ferment over recipe. Went well with Spaghetti & pork meatballs


----------



## brendanos (18/3/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaff[able.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !
*ausdb* First bottle of the case for me, no point trying to taste beers with a cold. Even after 3 weeks in my study it is very very very well carbonated even and even with a careful pour I only managed 1/3 beer with 2/3 rocky head in a pint glass. On the nose I get fruity but not distinctly cascade aroma's which is surprising considering the tweaking it received with the magic hop potion. Flavourwise there is a hint of dark malts but the carbonation was too high and the tended to overpower most of the flavours for me. I must go past GL's and have one straight from the tap, as this bottle tastes like a completely different beer to how it normally tastes for me.
*Cubbie* First pour produce a very large head, white a fluffy and hangs around. Lovely dark copper colour. Reasonably dry and perhaps a little over carbed. Honey and toffee in the aroma and on the pallet. Like the balance of the bitterns and hops. Nice all round beer, tasty.
*brendanos:* 15/1 huge carbonation, dense white head with large bubbles. Aroma of cordial (icey poles?), almost blackcurrent like fruitiness. Reasonably dry with a light toasty malt flavour and a biting carbonation that accentuates a lowish bitterness. Earthy, pithy (mandarin/grapefruit?), and lightly spice flavours create some interest but overall the beer is light, refreshing, and sessionable.

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*
*sinkas:* a very drinkable if yet a little unusually flavoured beer, for some reason I assume there is only NS hops, but I got a real stone fruit flavour also, only crit was maybe a bit heavy in mouth feel for the abv, but het it was certianly enjoyable
*kook:* Nice aroma - banana, fresh bready yeast, light toast and spice. Muddy light brown in colour, almost tarnished bronze. Persistent medium white head. Flavour was a strange mix of rubbery plastic, fruity hops and light spice. Medium-full bodied, but dry in the finish. Interesting, but the plasticy flavour was a little offputting and overpowering, suspect this was a fermentation byproduct?
*MC*: Quite hazy with a fantastic pillowy head which lasted the distance. I've just read your recipe and wouldn't have picked this as an extract-only beer. A mix of fruit and spice with a nice bitter finish. This went down easily on a muggy night.
*brendanos*: 3/2 Two inches of foam burst out of the beer as I loosened the cap. Poured a murky brown with a large fluffy white head. Phenolic aroma (plastic/spice) with some marmalade jam fruitiness, stonefruit, a nutty, biscuit like (honey, toasted oats) malt aroma comes through as it warms up. Bitterness medium accentuated by a high-ish carbonation. Med body. Drinkable despite the prominent phenolic character which is usually a dealbreaker for me.

*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.
*MC*: Herbs and spices seemed to come at me from all directions while I was sipping this one. Very warming and possibly the wrong choice for the middle of a heatwave, but very enjoyable with flavours I've never encountered before.
*brendanos*: 17/3/10 Beautiful deep crimson, clear, with tight tan head, small bubbles and good retention. Aroma is of rich chocolate sauce, dark fruits (raisin, plum, black berries), vanilla fudge, lightly spicy, seaweed, strong alcohol. Great depth of character and very authentic nose. Mouthfeel is very smooth with rich, luxuriously silky malt fullness lifted by carbonation and offset by strong (not hot) alcohol. Flavours are chocolatey, mellow, ripe berry, pudding like and very appetising. Well balanced and clean, tasting very fresh and vibrant. You've hit the nail on the head Kook, very impressive and among the best I've tasted. Thank you immensely for sharing it with us! 

*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.
*Asher* - Thick Shag Pile Magic Malt Carpet. It takes every bit of the 100IBU & ABV to keep this weave from floating away. Balanced. I made the same mistake Tony did! ( I have never had a beer that blew out my buds like this baby) Drink it alone and on its own! Tasty 
*NME:* I was really looking forward to this beer for some reason. It sounded interesting. The smell of this was deliciously overwhelming. It might be my lacking experience, but it almost had a sweet caramelly smell to it, with a fruitish smell. The colour was a really nice deep orange, and it poured with a thin white head. Taste wise, I had a huge smack of bitterness that very quickly mellowed out into what I assume is a galaxy flavour. I like this a lot. I haven't like the few IPA's I've ever tried (commercially I mean), but this beer really pulls everything together, and in a way that forces me to enjoy it slowly. You're onto a winner there. Thanks Doug!


*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too. Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year !
*Churchy*- Had a nice straw colour but had a really lemon bittery taste.
*Asher* - Nice underlying malt flavours. Strong Butyric Rubber flavours dominate over esters. Tastes like a good recipe just a hickup at the fermentation stage.
*MC*: I can't tell you what went wrong, but I'm guessing it's either an infection or really unhappy yeast. Was the one I tasted at the swap from the same batch, because that one was fine?
*Cubbie*: I tried this one Australia day and did not take notes however, it poured nicely with good head retention It had the backbone of a Hefe but I feel there may have been some issues with the fermentation. I did an American Hefe with proculture recently and it had some very similar notes to it. My Hefe had a horrible fermentation. So I am guessing this may be the issue. Still I enjoyed drinking a fellow home brewers beer
*brendanos*: 1/2 The aroma is dominated for me by sulfur - rotten eggs/eggy farts, body odour, sea water and (possibly not a sulfur compound) sausages. It could be as simple as extending your boil to reduce DMS and SSM and similarly chilling faster post-boil. If these things are in order, then I'd say the problem is bacteria. The flavour seems rather clean, light, spritzy, bready, but for me the aroma is too offputting. I hope this isn't rude - but I think I now know what "enteric character" refers to in the BJCP guidelines.

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little. The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!
*sinkas:* goat needs fuggin glasses, a nice rich and sparkling body, not cloudy, spritzy carbonation amplified the bitterness, but all together a great pale ale 
*MC*: Awesome aroma - to my nose more tropical and over-ripe grape than citrus. Nice toffee taste up front before the hops come smashing through with juicy flavours and a peppery grassiness which is never harsh. I found myself sucking my teeth between sips, so it must have been good..
*Asher* 2/10 for trueness to style! I was expecting a murky underattenuated ale but was presented with a near brite beer with good foam stand that finished nice and dry. Critically, the hop profile felt a little one dimensional (don't know if more varietys in recipy would remedy. Maybe smaller additions over more times. Or maybe I should have let warm up a bit more)
*brendanos:* 22/1 Beautiful copper colour (seems clear to me!) with dense creamy white head with awesome retention. Toffee and caramel malt aroma with perhaps a hint of butter, and a moderate US hop aroma (juicey fruits). Aroma is very pleasant, clean and humble. Flavour is a good balance of hops (starfruit, resinous, stonefruit) and light malt (caramel). Medium bodied and decidedly bitter though particularly smooth and elegant. Finishes smooth with a lingering soft bitterness and hop/malt flavours. Overall clean, deftly balanced and very enjoyable.


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!
*sinkas:* nice punchy IPA, with a creaminess from the rabbit juice
*Churchy*- This was a little too bitter for me but still drank it.
*Goat*: I am drinking this side by side with a white rabbit ale and there is a definite close similarity in terms of colour and the dense creamy head - the commercial is a bit brighter (being not bottle conditioned etc). on the nose, I'm getting a bit of smokey.... <has taste>.... have you used that bloody bacon grain stuff ? Definatley getting strong rauchmalt flavour in that. As a result, I will refrain from further comment on the taste - eveything has turned bacon. Quite well balanced with moderate bitterness. Good mouth feel - creamier and fuller than the domesticated version. I find the commercial version a little bland, there is nothing in there that stands out - I was expecting a bit malt hit, but i don't get that at all.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark brown with ruby highlights. Very lively initially, large, thick and tight off white head. Definite grassy hop aroma, with some pine notes behind. Great malt notes, caramel, chocolate and a nice roast note. High bitterness, possibly accentuated by the roast malt? Helps to cut through the malt though, and leave a very dry finish which makes you immediately crave more. Medium-full bodied, very smooth too. This beer is a bit like boxing. You get punched in the face (by bitter, pungent hops) but immediately want to go back for more! Tasty stuff Darryn.
MC: Drank this one in the dark, so I can't comment on the colour or clarity, but the head was thick and creamy and lasted all the way. Grassy aroma with some citrus trying to get through as well. The full mouth feel and malty sweetness provided a good platform for the hop assault which I found to be quite minty and grassy. A touch too bitter for my tastes, but very enjoyable all the same.

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*kook:* Saison. Pours hazy golden in colour, with a persistent medium white head. Great aroma of pineapple, rotting fruit (in a good way!), apples, pears and spicy pepper. Mouthfeel is wonderful. Silky smooth in the beginning, yet still dry in the finish. Huge pineapple flavour, almost with some coconut there. Light peppery alcohol spice and some fruit derived sweetness too. Very drinkable stuff mika!
*Goat*: Pours with a keen fluffy head that has settled into a dense white layer with lacing on the glass. Colour exactly as Kook writes. Subtle spiciness with fruity highlights - pear being my best approximation. Finish is slightly sweet but not cloying. I'd like to taste this alonside a Leffe Blonde, cos I reckon its bloody close. Very drinkable beer. 
Churchy-Like the other guys pours with a nice head, very fruity almost like fruity lexia wine.Very nice to drink.

*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.
*Goat*: Based on the above comments, I opened this baby over the sink. No gushing, though there was a healthy hiss - a slow pour resulted in a decent pint with an inch of fluffy white head. Slighlty hazy copper colour. Sweet maltiness on the nose. Maltiness carries through to the taste with a hint of fruit. Not much in the way of bitterness or hop flavour. Like GL suggests, its a bit of a nostaglia trip for me.
*kook:* I didn't read any of this, and opened it haphazard. There was a little initial "spray" of beer, but no gushing or foaming. Took a little bit of time to off gas in the glass, but I think it adds to the experience. Colour is a slightly hazy light amber, with a huge (60% of glass) fluffy white head. Initial aroma is quite spicy, with light peppery alcohol notes. As it rests a bit, some great malt notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Nice light body, dry finish. Flavour is quite clean, nice honey-like malt notes, very balanced bitterness level. Some light earthy hop notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Very quaffable halfluck offering!
*Dchap: *Big carb hiss but no gush. Nice coppery hue. This is my first Steam Beer experience and won't be my last. Light, balanced, bready aroma and on the palate too. I didn't get too much of the esters but perhaps a touch of honey. Thanks for your fine efforts Rob !
*Asher*- Opened and poured well into a wet glass. Aroma hints of northern brewer. Upon tasting was met by a huge carbonic bite fraught with spices & fusils. So I knocked a heap of carbonation out and this beer turned into something a little more malt driven with plenty of fruit. Finishing nice and dry, with a slight tannic harshness/earthiness complementing or thanks to the NB hopping.
*NME:* I've never really had a steam beer before. It poured a cloudy darkish orange colour with a nice fluffy white head. I'm not sure how well my smell receptors are working today, but the aroma was kind of subdued, but as I got through it a sort of bready type smell came through. I think after a taste, I've become friends with the style. It's almost as though you can tell it's done by a yeast outside it's comfort zone, I find really refreshing. I definitely get a light wheaty taste from it with a touch of sweetness and not really any hop character. Given that my airconditioner just died, this beer hit the spot in the best way. Cheers!


*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.
*Goat*: Not huge carbonation, but enough to develop a thinish white head. Not sure about the "belgian pear ester" - I think its more French/Swiss border pear... but there is definately that sort of fruit in the aroma in there. slightly hazy in with a golden straw colour. Nice full mouthfeel, slightly sweet - which works well with the moderatly alcoholy aftertaste. Nice beer.
*Churchy-* Lightly carbed and a honey kinda colour!Fruity flavour to hide the alcohol.Is that why my head is starting to spin and the fact I haven't eaten anything!
*kook:* This should have won the label comp (no offense Linc); boobs should always win. Pours a hazy orange colour with a short white head. Initially some light banana in the nose, then pear and peaches come through. As it warms a little, spice becomes more evident. Big mouthfeel, personally a little too full in the finish for me. Great flavours, pear, peaches, toffee apples and light peppery spice. Some citrus flavours there too. As noted by others, the alcohol is very well hidden. Personally I'd prefer this a few points drier, as I think there is a little too much sweetness. Still a great beer though, thanks Clay!
*Asher*- smooth malt dominates for me. It hides the ABV very well before emerging as a warmth right on the finish. The esters a little frazzled by spices maybe from a ferment temp pushed to the upper limit of acceptable. Still a very drinkable beer containing plenty of those intangibles that just make feel like your back in Belgium.
*brendanos:* 15/1 Pours an almost brilliant orange with low head and low retention. Aroma dominated by tropical fruit salad candy and a lightly spicey phenolic, some fudge like malt character. Flavour is bready with a medium body which is balanced by the alcohol, carbonation and spice-like astringency. A nice, drinkable beer, though I think Asher & Kook are on the money - a cleaner ferment and slightly higher attenuation would be welcome improvements! I'm just a little concerned that much of the fruitiness may be acetaldehyde and am wondering if my body can break down a longneck's worth (no offense Clay!)
<B> GB</B>The color tone of a newly bruise apple, it pleases the eye.Poured with out any fuss or head but this didnt bother me at all.Typical belgian nose presenting phenolics and a sweet malt underbelly.I am getting some apple pie notes as it warms. It does have some acetaldhyde but it adds to the character of this beer and goes well with the dry pear notes as well. I like it, my head may not in the morning though.Cheers GB
*NME:* Poured with a really nice white head which sadly disapated quite quickly. Colourwise it was kind of a deepish blonde.
The armoa is fantastic. Could pick up on a fruity smell, and it smelled quite strong.
It had a really nice mouth feel, with the flavour basically backing up the armoa. Doesn't taste too strong and is deliciously smooth. I haven't had a belgian blonde in any form for awhile, but this is great representation.

*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*
*Cubbie*Pours very very pale, bubbly head that disappears almost immediately, little bit of chill haze.. Could wait a little while longer to open but it is well carbonated now. The tartness and sourness of the fermentation comes through though it is not overpowering. Lemon notes in the taste and aroma with no hop. I feel like I want to pour it over some ice and drink like a cider. Goes nice with the blue brie I am eating right now.
*MC:*Very pale straw colour and quite bright. Plenty of carbonation but zero head retention, which I understand to be normal for the style. The overwhelming aroma and flavour was lime juice. Very refreshing on a muggy night. Pathogens never tasted so good.
TonyM (27/02). Like MC, I'm just not into weird cultures and I even had to dig up the guidelines to see what I was supposed to be consuming. I was at the BBQ in 40C heat and trying to bludgeon myself into a state of cool with an ugly APA when I remembered this thing which had been languishing in the bottom of the fridge for two months. It was a delight to drink with a tartness and a generous spritz that refreshed the soul and as far as I could tell, fitted the guidelines admirably. I still cant see myself ploughing thru 20 litres of it as an everyday quaffer, but Brendan, you made my day this time.

*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*
*RR* Feeling thirsty, i dove into some of my bottle stores and cracked what i thought was one of my bottled porters to see how it was going, i had a quick whiff and noticed it had a bit of a amarillo? hop flavour and then had a look and thought to myself hey it's a bit lighter than my porter is, then it clicked to me that bf's contribution was unlabeled, i was definitely a welcome change from what i was expecting to drink so in my case the "no label" worked a treat!
I really enjoyed this beer, had no idea what style it was or anything like that just thought it was a good honest drinking beer if that makes sense. I thought it was well balanced. Nice and malty up front then a bit of a lingering bitterness with a bit of an english? yeast ester thing going on. i'll have to look the recipe up to confirm these thing i could be way off the bat but that's what i got out of it. when i found this thread again suprised no one else has cracked it yet? 
*NME:* Poured with no head. Muddy brown colour. Big, big hop aroma. Bitterness is pretty full on, but it balances out really well. Has a big body and a slight grassy and grapefruit taste to it.
*MC*:More of an american brown, I reckon. Poured a very hazy brown with a thin yet dense head. Nice balance between american hops and a caramello-koala maltiness in both taste and aroma. A very enjoyable slow sipper.


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!
*Mika* :- Not bad, but well below the standard of Tasty V1.0 I got to sample back before Christmas. The hops are still strong but seem to be fading out. Power of suggestion or whatever, but I think I get some cardboard coming thru ? The malt profile is a lot more present as well though still comes across clean. I got a serious hop haze with the occassional floating bits/chunks, though nowhere near as bad as Rob's pic. Overall still a good beer and a welcome inclusion to the case as always.
*brendanos:* 7/1 Brilliant (i guess I got lucky?) amber with large, dense fine white head - looks absolutely stunning. Huge greeting aroma of ripe, juicey tropical fruits, skunky, piney hops and vanilla ice cream. Very appetising! Strong but smooth bitterness, very well controlled. Great rich hop flavour supported by a light malt sweetness and medium body. A pleasure to drink. The bitterness is so damn good!!
*MC:* Mine was quite hazy and came complete with flowers floating on the head. I loved this beer and was very impressed. Brendan's description - "controlled" - nails it. Bigger beers can get a bit clumsy, but this one was smooth and balanced throughout.

*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*
*Churchy*-Had to drink it now, nice dark colour almost black and good carbonation.Could really taste the chocolate malt and not over powering, very enjoyable to drink.
*NME:* This beer swallowed light. It was our last taster for a night, and none of us have really had stout that isn't guinness. The smell had a really nice chocolate syrup smell to it. Taste wise, it has a very toasted oat taste, but it's a bit hard to find amongst the aroma. Aftertaste has a delicious coffee flavour to it. We left to last, given it was a stout, but it was a favourite, even amongst the non beer drinkers.
*MC:* Smooooooooooooth. Equal parts chocolate and silk.

*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol: 
*Churchy-* This went down really well after a bike ride, nice aroma hops and bittering hops.
*VtPA*: The case of Cases case beer, loved it. More of a hop cordial really, totally imbalanced with a hop overload that worked well in a lower gravity beer.
*Goat*: This is a goodun. Pours a bit hazy but with a nice deep colour. Head is a bit anxious, but decanting and then into a glass sorted that nicely. Is it my imagination or is there some hops in this sucker ?! Certainly does dominate the flavour - but in a good way. While the hop flavour /nose / bitterness are all good, I would love to taste this with a less pronounced involvement, cos I'm reminded of a Fullers ESB in the malt - very nice ! Don't know how you managed the body for 3.7%, but she's a wee ripper ! 
*Dchap: *Quite the challenge to offset that amount of alpha acid with that amount of gravity. Well done Case ! Loved the dark amber color. It would be interesting to try this less carbed up. It really packs a sharp punch up front that lingers on and on 
*MC*: A crime against nature, but a very tasty one.

*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.
*Churchy-*This was a nice beer Nev and my dad loved it as well.Hops were all together and carbonation just right.
*Asher*- Ripe Bananna esters up front with a hint of spice to enhance. Esters were quickly swallowed up by melanoidins, caramels and dark toffee. This was probably due to low to moderate carbonation in this bottle. Flavours were all there with phelols contributing to a creamy warm finish Nice.
*Mika* :- I got the nice bready/dark malt flavours. If the banana's there it's very subdued (for me). I'd class it as very very similar to any German dunkel weizen I've tried. Enjoyed it, thanks Nev.
*brendanos* 30/1 Delayed note writing here but I remember a toffee-ish candy like dark sugary flavour and distinct roast note. Esters and phenols were subdued compared to other flavours. Nice beer Nev but (after looking at the recipe just now to confirm my spider senses) I would have preferred if you had left the specialty malts out!
*NME:* Pours a really nice browny colour with a thin head. Smells wheaty and bananary, has a great mouthfeel for a wheat beer and tastes great.

*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*
*NME:* Headless, murky brown colour. Very sweet scent. Very fizzy taste which someone described as 'fizzy apricot nectar'. I picked up a slight plasticy taste, but I don't really know what to call it.


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.
*Cubbie* First one for me. Poured very pale staw colour with a little bit of haze. Small tight head that lingered to near the end. Hint of banana and peach. Very easy to drink, do well as a session beer or just a nice cold referesher. For me I would like just a touch more body.
*Asher*- Dropped brite with a couple of weeks cc'ing. Bananna/fruit/lolly aromatics morphing into daicetyl to my sensitive palate... Gone after the first mouthful. A crisp, tasty thirst quencher. 
*Mika* :- I got more of an apricot and pear aroma from the opening rather than the Banana everyone's babbling about. Nice soft malt profile, seemed very clean and inoffensive to me. Was very glad for the keg filled bottles as it meant I could enjoy every last drop. Noice !
*GB*Started out with a phsss but poured with a small head and a haze. I think it lost its carbonation on transfer which I think let this beer down. On the nose I got some sweet malt notes and a slight hint of the hops but it was over run by the esters. l know how hard these style of beers are to nail! I did like the balance of the sweet malt and the bitterness.The bitterness whilst being noticeable wasnt harsh and just lasted in my mouth long enough to enjoy. A medium bodied Aussie lager.Thanks Tony a good beer on a hot day.
*brendanos*: 2/2 Bright, light soft malty aroma, with an allusion to the faint skunk and veg of aussie lager - but restrained enough to be complimentary and very pleasant. Very refreshing and a lovely beer - I wish more Aussie lagers tasted like this. Thankyou Tony!

*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.
*kook:* Quite dead on opening, squishy bottle. Poured with a bit of distance and it generated a tight, small off white head. Looks like a good cask ale actually, slightly hazy deep dark amber in colour, edging on brown. Brilliant hop aroma, juicy fruit, tropical fruits, fresh cut grass and floral notes all come through. Medium bodied, mouthfeel is accentuated by the low carbonation. Great melanoidiny background malt character, with some light toasty notes. The hops are the show here though, big, juicy fruit flavours and a nice firm (but in no way harsh) bitterness. Great beer, very drinkable and moreish.
*Dchap: *Mmmmmm, nicely balanced with a lowish carb which worked well for this one I reckon. I really enjoyed the toastiness that popped out at the end  
*Asher*- Chestnut haze. Sweet floral hop aromas waft up despite carbonation levels. Crispy lemonade/frosty fruit hop flavours jump out above a complex roasty malt that morphs into a lingering bitterness. Quite drinkable. Like to try this on a hand pump. 
*NME:* Poured with a very thin head. Was a really nice deep amber colour.
Aroma wise it was very hoppy, and unique, given I've never even heard of the hops in this beer 
Flavour was great. Tasted quite hoppy/grassy with a little malt backbone. It seems maybe a little light on carbonation, but definitely drinkable. I could drink a lot of this quite easily!

*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*
*MC*: Certainly a pretty beer. Crystal clear with a shaving cream head which lasted all the way. Nice floral and fruity aroma. Flavour is balanced towards the hops but the malt character is certainly there to hold it up. Clean, lingering bitterness. An impressive British session ale with a slight new-world twist.

*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.
*NME:* This has a nice fully white head, and is a really nice deep amber/brown colour. Definitely a malty smell, is full bodied and has a really nice nutty aftertaste. I like!



*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*
*Cubbie* Thought I would try and review my own beer. Pours deep brown with hints of copper. Tight tan head although it was not lasting. Alcohol and small amount of chocolate on the nose same in the taste. Slightly dry. This is quite different to the sample that I shared at the case swap (different batch), I would say Roy has short changed me on one of the speciality malts. Still fairly clean beer, will be better with a bit more time. Not sure I am on style here.

*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
*VtPA:* Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.
*ausdb* I think I tasted this beer at the swap day as I remember Kenworthy pouring me a glass of something with Galaxy and NS at some stage, but this one to me was completely different. I pick a distinct NS gooseberry and cats pi$ aroma and it is a lovely pale gold and straw colour but I am torn between deciding if it is just too overbittered with the Galaxy overload effect or signs of an infection when I taste it. I can taste the quinine/grapefruitiness that ant tastes but also get the sourness that others have picked. It would be really nice to see your recipe to compare your hopping schedule with my taste perceptions.
sinkas: unfortunatley my bottle opened, with a 2 foot gush, threid to drink the geiser,and it had a really odd harsh flavour, so vented the rest outside
*MC*: Mine didn't gush, but the carbonation was insane. I struggled to pour less than 50% head and then it kept climbing out of the glass. The most turbulent carbonation I have ever seen - pretty cool actually, like a lava lamp on crack. Loved the hop aroma and the taste at the start of the mouthful was fantastic, but it turned nasty as I swallowed. There was a harsh bitterness and reading the reviews above, "quinine" (tonic water) seems to describe it best. I think a bug has beaten me to this beer which is a pisser because it started out beautifully.
*Dchap: *Not a gusher but a 10% beer 90% head scenario. That said that pulled the carb levels down and helped reduce the 'bite'. Nice floral aromas, big big bitterness and quinine is a good descriptor but I found it to be quite nice  Thanks bloke !
*GB* Poured well with a lot of carbonation to support a head that lasted till the end. Heaps of hop profiles happening, including most of those hops I dont like, funny lager drinker me. It did present as hazy but this could just be hop haze ? Good colour for this style of ale. I thought there was some sourness initially (faded as it settled) on the nose but could not find it in the mouth, I have put it down to carbonic acid nose bite.The body is well structured to support the bitterness but the bitterness kept wacking me back every time I licked my lips. Mate I am burping up hops and stir fried noodles and enjoying the contrast of the two flavors. I think it works but Im sure my lips are being embalmed in hop bittering acids .I would like to know your water profile to see why the bitterness is intense. Thanks its a very interesting beer and Im sure I will be tasting it for the rest of the night. Burp....
*Mika* :- Low carb with a very thin head that must have had something better to do because it didn't hang around. My version really wasn't that bitter. It was perhaps a little harsh(ish) but I find that more of a character of the Nelson Sauvin hops than anything the brewer has done wrong. Hop flavour was nice, but certainly not huge for style, it did balance pretty well with the body of the beer, though I'd personally like to see more hop flavour and bitterness, though others reviews say otherwise. I could taste a little background malt flavour that I wasn't a huge fan of, but can't really put it down to anything, perhaps just JW malt (WAG).
*brendanos:* 24/1 Gusher. Carefully decanted a pint of foam. White pepper, cape gooseberry, jalapeno pepper, stewed fruit, ripe cherry (varnish?) and moderate pointy alcohol aromas. Flavour is fruity with a dry, tart, woody character akin to a saison. Hop flavour is quite pleasant and bitterness restrained, which avoids conflict with high carbonation, spice and alcohol. A savoury, green fruit flavour lasts into finish. Interesting and quite drinkable, despite losing most of the bottle down the sink.
clay: opened with a huge hiss and while it didn't gush from the bottle the glass did pour 3/4 soft head. Nice fruity aroma. The first thing that hits my mouth is bitterness but as I keep drinking this turns more into sour or tart. Don't know if this is intentional but kind of reminds my of a young bottle of Orval. totally hit the spot after work on a stinking hot day. Took four glasses of foam to finish the bottle but I wish I had another in the fridge. Lovely beer.
*Cubbie*: A little hard seeing the beer through all the head, needless to say a bit high on the carbonation. Another beer I drank Australia day without notes. Definite sourness/ tartness to the beer, with memories of the Big Helga I had the night before that was infected and rather sour, this one did not sit so well on my pallet. Hidden behind the sourness was a nice hop flavour. I would like to try this one again, but without the sourness.

*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.
*sinkas*: nice bananary aroma, drinkable but quite heavy in the clove flavour to me
*MC*: Lovely banana bread aroma. To me, the clove was almost more of a cinamon flavour which was something I haven't encountered before, but I enjoyed it. Not quite as dry as I expected, but balanced and easy drinking.
*Asher*- Some nice banana aromatics. Flavour dominated by big spicy phenols which has me questioning ferment over recipe. Went well with Spaghetti & pork meatballs


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## brendanos (18/3/10)

I'm starting to question the integrity of this thread, Simon, in particularly WRT the subtitle & it's execution. It's like Christmas w/o Santa Claus!

Blah blah blah! Is it page 5 yet?


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## churchy (20/4/10)

What happened to this thread? h34r: Has everyone forgotten what they were drinking????




Andrew


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## Tony M (20/4/10)

churchy said:


> What happened to this thread? h34r: Has everyone forgotten what they were drinking????


Unfortunately, quite a few bottles disappeared down greedy bastards throats without moi having a go.


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## brendanos (21/6/10)

Sticke Berliner Weisse just took Gold, Best Wheat Ale, and Best Amateur Beer of the Show at the 2010 Perth Royal Beer Show! Glad you all got to try it, and if you haven't yet... well what are you waiting for?


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## thanme (22/6/10)

Well done 
I have my tasting notes on it written down at home somewhere, but I haven't got around to posting them. My case is all gone


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## clay (22/6/10)

brendanos said:


> Sticke Berliner Weisse just took Gold, Best Wheat Ale, and Best Amateur Beer of the Show at the 2010 Perth Royal Beer Show! Glad you all got to try it, and if you haven't yet... well what are you waiting for?




Good work Brendon. I actually found my bottle of this at the back of the fridge on the weekend. las beer of the case. Might have to hang on to it a bit longer. Could become a collecters item.


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## Doogiechap (1/8/10)

*Guest Lurker, Dodgers, 3.5%, filled from keg, oxidizing as you read this, drink as soon as you can.*
*WW:* following GL's advice, this was first to go. Poured with a brilliant head, great clarity. Some honey, toasty notes on the nose and a smooth, rounded malt character on the pallete. Mine did come across a little harsh (too highly carbed) but this may have been due to handling and serving on my behalf as it was a little too warm. Nice drop Simon, very quaff[able.
*NME:* First cab off the rank for me too. Underestimated the carbonation a little, and a got a bit too much head. Once that settled, it was very smooth, nice white and delicious looking. Definitely picking up honey in the aroma. Taste is delicious! Really hard to describe as I haven't tasted anything like it, but I can taste honey and pretty malty characteristics, with very minor bitterness. It's a very full flavour and nice beer. Smooth as silk. If I did a blind taste, I wouldn't pick it for a mid-strength beer. I'd happily drink a case of this 
*RR:* - Didn't have as high carb as the last two posters but still poured with a decent wack of head that lasts the entire pint and a bit, i'll echo the honey especially as it warms, copper/amber, medium bodied I didn't get alot of hop aroma or flavor to speak of (which is suprising as i just had a gander at the recipe) mostly malt driven flavours with a clean finish thats low on bitterness, it worked well while cooking a bbq this arvo. after recently brewing my first mid strength beer i must tip my hat just slightly to the brewer it had as much flavor and and moreish nature that you would want in even a full strength beer.
*Dchap:* - I drank this before reading the recipe notes and was heading in a lower alc American Brown in my head with some nice subtle roast in the background which balanced beautifully with the malt profile on which I'll concur with the honey opinion. The Head pillowed beautifully and hung around and gave off that lovely Cascade aroma which was present in taste but not excessive. Thanks GL for the tasty drop and for my first Hop Extract experience 
*Asher:*- Dark amber, Clear, Large persistent foam stand. carbonation a little coarse. Significant sweet fruit aromas up front of black cherry/current reminiscent of a Flanders (may be time to install that foot bath?). Biscuity/Nutty malts appeared once my buds got acclimatised to the slight astringencies present (maybe stop sparge earlier & adjust efficiency down). Light Bodied, probably accentuated by carb levels. A watery flavour present also? (I'd think about adding some carapils & more salts). Despite all that, I can see a little roger in there somewhere & look forward to tasting the next generation (gen Y... the one that wasn't spanked growing up)
*Churchy:* - This is also my first beer, I'm good at drinking beer not describing it so here it goes.Nice golden colour with nice hope flavour, not over powering and good malty character.
*sinkas:* slightly hazy amber, with outstanding head retention, some mild graininess and hint of apple on the nose supported by some faint yankee hops thin body with mild carbonic bite which hunches up to the bitterness, all quite muted when at 4C, but once sitting in glass for a while, really opened up the moderate malts that it needed to make it delicious 
*Mika:* I probably drank this a little warm and thus the first pour was wasted due to a little more carbonation than desirable. After that it settled down and was quite a nice beer. I get something weird in the background which made me think hops, but perhaps it's what Asher is picking as astrigency, though I wouldn't have called it that. Nice balance otherwise with muted hops and just enough malt to let you know it's beer. Hard to pick the midstrength rating with the body. A good effort, despite it's handling.
*kook:* First cab off the rank. Pours a tarnished copper colour with a persistent, medium sized off white head. Aroma starts off as earthy, dank hops then progresses to a fruit platter as it warms. A little light in body, but still quite smooth in mouthfeel. Great flavour, very good balance of malt and hops. Light hop flavours (grapes, seaweed) come through as with the nose, some light biscuity malt to back it up too. Very drinkable session beer.
*MC:* Dark copper with heaps of carbonation. I had trouble keeping the head down on this one but was impressed by the way it kept its shape above the rim of the glass. The best description I have for the aroma is tropical toffee very inviting. Hop flavour was good and well balanced with the malt. I liked the malt flavours I got as I swallowed kind of like buttered toast. Once the carbonation died down a little, this was lovely and very tasty for a 3.5%'er.
*GB:* I dropped the puppy(pun) just before pouring it. Result, a very big head and beer every where.Beer was a hazy brown/copper colour.Over carbed for a quaffer I think but still a nice easy beer to drink.I picked up the usual dark malt notes and a fair bit of spiciness on the nose, this was confirmed in the taste, reminded me of a Belgian yeast profile ?The finish was quite dry and a little harshness was evident.
*VtPA:* Drank this one first, clear, well carbed, plenty of flavour, toffee, well balanced.
*Goat*: OK - my first of the case; bottle is slightly warm (its 9 deg in the fermenting fridge) which may explain the 3-4 goes at pouring and waiting for the head to subside enough to fill the glass. Once poured though has a great colour - almost exactly the same as the empty PET bottle when both are held up to the sun side-by-side (is that at all helpful ?). Slightly hazy, but I'm not going there. Aroma is fruity with some bready type notes. The first thing that strikes on the flavour side of things is a appley / clovey spiciness with a hint of white wine - not sure what hops are in this but it sort of tastes a bit of Nelson Sauvin's cousin. As I get into it I get acustomed to the spice and other flavours become apparent. Darkish malts are definatley there, but not abundant, but there is a lovely breadyness in there somewhere. Both mouth feel and body imply a bigger beer than the alleged 3.5%. Very drinkable and intriguingy beer. Thanks GL - if they are all like this, I'ts going to be a cracker of a case !
*ausdb* First bottle of the case for me, no point trying to taste beers with a cold. Even after 3 weeks in my study it is very very very well carbonated even and even with a careful pour I only managed 1/3 beer with 2/3 rocky head in a pint glass. On the nose I get fruity but not distinctly cascade aroma's which is surprising considering the tweaking it received with the magic hop potion. Flavourwise there is a hint of dark malts but the carbonation was too high and the tended to overpower most of the flavours for me. I must go past GL's and have one straight from the tap, as this bottle tastes like a completely different beer to how it normally tastes for me.
*Cubbie* First pour produce a very large head, white a fluffy and hangs around. Lovely dark copper colour. Reasonably dry and perhaps a little over carbed. Honey and toffee in the aroma and on the pallet. Like the balance of the bitterns and hops. Nice all round beer, tasty.
*brendanos:* 15/1 huge carbonation, dense white head with large bubbles. Aroma of cordial (icey poles?), almost blackcurrent like fruitiness. Reasonably dry with a light toasty malt flavour and a biting carbonation that accentuates a lowish bitterness. Earthy, pithy (mandarin/grapefruit?), and lightly spice flavours create some interest but overall the beer is light, refreshing, and sessionable.

*NME Full Nelson, 4.8%, bottle conditioned, give it a couple of weeks*
*sinkas:* a very drinkable if yet a little unusually flavoured beer, for some reason I assume there is only NS hops, but I got a real stone fruit flavour also, only crit was maybe a bit heavy in mouth feel for the abv, but het it was certianly enjoyable
*kook:* Nice aroma - banana, fresh bready yeast, light toast and spice. Muddy light brown in colour, almost tarnished bronze. Persistent medium white head. Flavour was a strange mix of rubbery plastic, fruity hops and light spice. Medium-full bodied, but dry in the finish. Interesting, but the plasticy flavour was a little offputting and overpowering, suspect this was a fermentation byproduct?
*MC*: Quite hazy with a fantastic pillowy head which lasted the distance. I've just read your recipe and wouldn't have picked this as an extract-only beer. A mix of fruit and spice with a nice bitter finish. This went down easily on a muggy night.
*brendanos*: 3/2 Two inches of foam burst out of the beer as I loosened the cap. Poured a murky brown with a large fluffy white head. Phenolic aroma (plastic/spice) with some marmalade jam fruitiness, stonefruit, a nutty, biscuit like (honey, toasted oats) malt aroma comes through as it warms up. Bitterness medium accentuated by a high-ish carbonation. Med body. Drinkable despite the prominent phenolic character which is usually a dealbreaker for me.

*Kook Everything but the (Belgian Dark Strong), About 10%, bottle conditioned, ready now
WW; *Well I had this last night amongst a few others so my recollection is just a touch hazy but I do recall it being an enjoyable drop. Some lovely toasty notes, caramelisation springs to mind and warming as it took hold. Wished I had another! Top drop Kook (PS Ben Trigger also enjoyed it!)
*Tony M:* Most of this case has been getting the Triple B award (Bloody Beaut Beer), but this was an AAA (Absolutely Awesome Ale). There were three tasters unfortunately and cries of toast, malt, caramel, chocolate and a suggestion of liquorice were heard. The alcohol was evident both on the palate and in the knees and the head was as dense as the crema on an expresso and showed no evidence of fading even when that was all that was left in the glass. Well done.


*Doogiechap, Times a bitch, keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Nice vigorous carbonation, dark amber colour, not bright maybe hop haze, pours with a dense off white head that hangs around. Piney fruity resiny aroma. Some malt up front and then packs a piney resiny passionfruity citrusy flavour punch which finishes with a nice bitter tingle down the sides of the tongue but without any harshness. A hop driven smooth flavour bomb, very nice, and I wouldnt plan on trying a delicate beer afterwards. If anyone remembers my "Upsized Demon" from a few cases ago, and tried it fresh, this is very similar but better, and I think similar to that beer I would drink it young before it loses that fruit salad character. Edit, this beer actually clears nicely as it warms, more chill haze than anything. Edit 2. Brendan was kind enough to bring the Murrays 2IPA to swap day, and Doogies beer stands up to that very well in my opinion.
*TonyM:* Take an empty stomach and slide into it a glass of 7% liquid gold and all one's resolve melts away. A glass usually lasts me half an hour but the whole bottle went quicker than that. The 100 IBU was beautifully balanced with the malt yet my lips didn't stick together once. I realise it was a cocktail, but you must post some sort of recipe. It made my APA's taste like battery acid.
*sinkas:* great IPA, I needed a punch in the junk and this one gave it to me. not sure what more needs to be said
*VtPA*: I struggled to get through this, 100IBU and 7% is usually fine when tasting and swapping notes, but to drink 740ml was a challenge. Having said that, the beer itself was well made and faultless.
*kook:* Pours a murky amber with a short white head. Good retention. Huge hop nose, big floral, fresh cut grass, citrus rind and pine aroma. Nice medium mouthfeel with a long, dry finish. Firm bitterness, subtle caramel notes in the start, then a whack-and-a-half of hop juice. Seriously big flavour, juicy fruit chewing gum, floral hops, bitter herbs, fresh citrus peel, pine and dank, earthy notes. This is a serious IPA, very tasty and very drinkable. Another please? (love your description Case!).
*MC:* This was a lovely beer but I'm glad I shared it with a friend. Getting through 750mL of this monster would be hard work! Pine, passionfruit and unctious brown sugar aroma. Toffee maltiness and hop resin combine to make this a chewy mouth filler, then the hop bitterness bitch-slaps them into submission. There's a squillion and one flavours going on in here, but it never tastes muddled. Top work.
*clay*: This is my kind of beer. Can't believe some of you struggled to get through it. Savoured every well balanced drop and was left wishing I had another.Top work bloke.
*Goat*: nice levels of carbonation with a creamy dense head on the pour. A bit murky. <takes a slurp>.... Bloody hell, this is a nice drop ! I'm getting a toffee type caramel - there might be a hint or diacetyl there, but it works well with the caramely malts - I love the malt in this baby. I have to admit I'm not getting a lot of hops on the nose, but its there in spades in taste and bitterness. A really great beer - top darts Doug !
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have mentioned. Only things to add. On my version, Hop Aroma - Zero, Hop Bitterness - It's there. HUGE amount of a what I can only describe as concentrated hop oil in the finish, it really is quite amazing. Body seemed a bit too big to me for this much hops, hence not that drinkable. A nice beer in it's own right, just not something I'd want more of.
*Asher* - Thick Shag Pile Magic Malt Carpet. It takes every bit of the 100IBU & ABV to keep this weave from floating away. Balanced. I made the same mistake Tony did! ( I have never had a beer that blew out my buds like this baby) Drink it alone and on its own! Tasty 


*WitWonder, Hefeweizen, keg filled, ready now*
*RR*- Nice carb with a big head, v/hazy straw like appearance, fair bit of sulfur on the nose. low body.
*NME:* Mine appeared low carbed with not a lot of head all. Cloudy, straw coloured appearance, smelt really nice, had a nice mouth feel, but for some reason had a really odd taste to it and had an aftertaste that I can't describe any other way that saying it was kind of like dead ants? I feel terrible saying that, but I don't know how else to put it. I hope someone else can shed some light on what I'm tasting? I haven't tasted anything like it before. Sorry :/
*TonyM:* Wheats remain a mystery to me as I only taste these at bottle swaps; but I found it most refreshing with the appropriate spiciness that is expected of this style; but for me the wonder of this brew was the aroma. I wandered around like an indigenous resident of Meekatharra with my nose stuck in the glass thinking that it was almost a shame to drink it. I expected a little more carbonation but pouring from a great height gave a long lasting head. 
*sinkas:* unfortunately mine was very fizzy, medicinal and obviously infected 
*kook:* Pours a nice hazy straw colour, with a medium white head. Good head retention. Aroma of bubblegum, clove, pepper and rubber / plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic comes through in the flavour as a medicinal, astringent flavour. Whilst not intense, it does show signs of infection. I can tell this was a bloody good weizen underneath, their are some great bready, malty notes but the astringency buggers up the finish.
*clay:* thought a nice wheat was in order while sitting around the pool. Unfortunately this beer was infected so it ended up in the garden. Shame.
*VtPA*:I never tasted this one but my assistant said it was very nice.
*GL* Figured I better try this sooner rather than later. Mine has been in the fridge since swap day. It has low carb, quite cloudy. Mostly it has the right flavours for a wheat I think, but it does have an aftertaste which is plastic/rubber/astringent/sharp. Its not that strong and without the other reports I wouldnt necessarily have picked an infection, I drank it, didnt tip it. I have another one at room temp, will check that at some point to see if it has developed more of those flavours.
*ant*Perfect clouded pale straw/wheat colour for a hefe, poured firmly to provide a rocky 1" head that settled quickly. I get some phenolics to the nose (clove and pepper), some sweetness and raw wheat breadiness. Good prickly carbonic bite on front of palate, I get banana esters over wheat up front. I didn't pick medicinal astringency; I thought it was just some overbittering to style (~35-40 IBU???) that gave the sharpness at the back of palate, and was going to suggest that the bittering should be backed off to allow more of the esters/phenols and the wheat tartness carry through. The body is mid range, possibly an increased carbonation might make the mouthfeel feel more dry. Personally I like hefes a little more attenuated, maybe an adjustment to mash temp might help. I enjoyed it - love these as summer beers.
*Dchap *Sorry WW mine was flat and clearly infected too. Mate, I truly hope you have better luck next year !
*Churchy*- Had a nice straw colour but had a really lemon bittery taste.
*Asher* - Nice underlying malt flavours. Strong Butyric Rubber flavours dominate over esters. Tastes like a good recipe just a hickup at the fermentation stage.
*MC*: I can't tell you what went wrong, but I'm guessing it's either an infection or really unhappy yeast. Was the one I tasted at the swap from the same batch, because that one was fine?
*Cubbie*: I tried this one Australia day and did not take notes however, it poured nicely with good head retention It had the backbone of a Hefe but I feel there may have been some issues with the fermentation. I did an American Hefe with proculture recently and it had some very similar notes to it. My Hefe had a horrible fermentation. So I am guessing this may be the issue. Still I enjoyed drinking a fellow home brewers beer
*brendanos*: 1/2 The aroma is dominated for me by sulfur - rotten eggs/eggy farts, body odour, sea water and (possibly not a sulfur compound) sausages. It could be as simple as extending your boil to reduce DMS and SSM and similarly chilling faster post-boil. If these things are in order, then I'd say the problem is bacteria. The flavour seems rather clean, light, spritzy, bready, but for me the aroma is too offputting. I hope this isn't rude - but I think I now know what "enteric character" refers to in the BJCP guidelines.

*Goat, Pea Soup Pale, Keg filled, ready now*
*GL* Goat does this every year, talks it down. It might not be crystal bright, but it aint that murky. There is a c hop aroma but with a fruit salad component, not harsh citrus. Its not overly bitter but there is a nice citrus and fruity hop character, and there is just enough smooth malt to back it up. Its very well balanced for me and very tasty. Only comments would be carbonation is a little under, and (probably consequently) head is a little thin. Nice work Lincoln.
*RR* - i drank this in low light as suggested on the back of the (award winning) label while sitting and relaxing in the spa mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of Christmas to hit, A full bodied dark amber ale bursting with american hop flavour and aroma with plenty of malt backbone to back it up, not overly hoppy or overly cloying just slightly balanced towards the hops.
*Mika* - Floccing hell ! If this is cloudy, I need to start filtering ! Low hop aroma, but they all show up in the taste, malt's in the background and nothing I can really pick, but it's not out of balance with the hops. I think Asher's dry hopping schedule might fix all your aroma issues, but then I can see hop matter sticking to the sides of his bottle, so maybe somewhere in between. Otherwise GL's comments pretty much explain my own tasting. If this is the worst beer of the case, it'll be a good christmas.
*NME: *This was my first pale from the case, so I was looking forward to it. Didn't open with much of a "psst", but the armoa was very quick to find my nose. Poured a really nice, deep amber colour, with a very light head that stuck around for the whole thing. Like the people above, I wouldn't really call it cloudy. Aroma wise, it came across as really complex for me. It was quite prominent, which I loved, and smelt somewhat fruity and grassy. If you really dry hopped with 6g/l, I need to step it up a little  The taste was really smooth, and the hop flavour matched the aroma, and it was all backed by a nice malt flavour. I could recognise the cascade in it, and i assume the rest is the Chinook (but I'm not sure as I've never really experienced it before). It wasn't nearly as bitter as I'd set myself up for, but the whole thing just worked. Very smooth, and very drinkable. Pale ales are my style of choice, and I will definitely aspire to make something like this. Love it! 
*kook:* What are you talking about. This is no pea soup! Pours a (slightly) hazy deep copper with a persistent, fluffy tan head. Great aroma, juicy fruit, grapefruit and citrus. Quite floral too. Great firm bitterness, but not over the top. Subtle caramel-like malt character, but the real showcase is the hop flavour. Fresh squeezed citrus, almost some mango there too. Nice light peppery hop spice and a long dry finish. Another pint please?
*Churchy*-Ruby in colour, nice bitterness with very distinctive fruity hop flavours.
*VtPA:* Clear, copper, nice firm head, lacing to the end, lively carbonation, very enjoyable, left me wanting another.
*TonyM: *Once again he failedabsolutely no evidence of pea soup anywhere, I could have read a newspaper thru it. The mouth watering presentation of clear bronze capped with a dense head heralded a great treat and we were not disappointed. The Irish/Prague son-in-law rated it the best so far and who could be a better judge. I could not gauge the longevity of the head due to the race to the bottom of the bottle. BTW, I nearly had to reach for the pliers to get the cap off!
*sinkas:* goat needs fuggin glasses, a nice rich and sparkling body, not cloudy, spritzy carbonation amplified the bitterness, but all together a great pale ale 
*MC*: Awesome aroma - to my nose more tropical and over-ripe grape than citrus. Nice toffee taste up front before the hops come smashing through with juicy flavours and a peppery grassiness which is never harsh. I found myself sucking my teeth between sips, so it must have been good..
*Asher* 2/10 for trueness to style! I was expecting a murky underattenuated ale but was presented with a near brite beer with good foam stand that finished nice and dry. Critically, the hop profile felt a little one dimensional (don't know if more varietys in recipy would remedy. Maybe smaller additions over more times. Or maybe I should have let warm up a bit more)
*brendanos:* 22/1 Beautiful copper colour (seems clear to me!) with dense creamy white head with awesome retention. Toffee and caramel malt aroma with perhaps a hint of butter, and a moderate US hop aroma (juicey fruits). Aroma is very pleasant, clean and humble. Flavour is a good balance of hops (starfruit, resinous, stonefruit) and light malt (caramel). Medium bodied and decidedly bitter though particularly smooth and elegant. Finishes smooth with a lingering soft bitterness and hop/malt flavours. Overall clean, deftly balanced and very enjoyable.


*
ausdb, Captured Rabbit Red, Bottle conditioned, (This has the White Rabbit yeast), Bottled on swap day*
*brendanos* 27/12 I cracked this one at 10:30am today as I'm reculturing the yeast for a West Coast style AAA. Caramel, red berries, and a grassy, resinous hop aroma greet. The flavour is quite malty/caramel with a light lolly berry like sweetness, though the bitterness overwhelms. Resinous hop bitterness, I would say only moderate, but quite sharp and biting at this point. Lingers and makes it difficult to enjoy in any quantity. I know I opened this one early, and it should definately smooth out and become a much more balanced beer as it ages - but my yeast starter needed feeding!!
*sinkas:* nice punchy IPA, with a creaminess from the rabbit juice
*Churchy*- This was a little too bitter for me but still drank it.
*Goat*: I am drinking this side by side with a white rabbit ale and there is a definite close similarity in terms of colour and the dense creamy head - the commercial is a bit brighter (being not bottle conditioned etc). on the nose, I'm getting a bit of smokey.... <has taste>.... have you used that bloody bacon grain stuff ? Definatley getting strong rauchmalt flavour in that. As a result, I will refrain from further comment on the taste - eveything has turned bacon. Quite well balanced with moderate bitterness. Good mouth feel - creamier and fuller than the domesticated version. I find the commercial version a little bland, there is nothing in there that stands out - I was expecting a bit malt hit, but i don't get that at all.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark brown with ruby highlights. Very lively initially, large, thick and tight off white head. Definite grassy hop aroma, with some pine notes behind. Great malt notes, caramel, chocolate and a nice roast note. High bitterness, possibly accentuated by the roast malt? Helps to cut through the malt though, and leave a very dry finish which makes you immediately crave more. Medium-full bodied, very smooth too. This beer is a bit like boxing. You get punched in the face (by bitter, pungent hops) but immediately want to go back for more! Tasty stuff Darryn.

*
Mika, Saison du Tondeuse a gazon, bottle conditioned, ready now - Or Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*kook:* Saison. Pours hazy golden in colour, with a persistent medium white head. Great aroma of pineapple, rotting fruit (in a good way!), apples, pears and spicy pepper. Mouthfeel is wonderful. Silky smooth in the beginning, yet still dry in the finish. Huge pineapple flavour, almost with some coconut there. Light peppery alcohol spice and some fruit derived sweetness too. Very drinkable stuff mika!
*Goat*: Pours with a keen fluffy head that has settled into a dense white layer with lacing on the glass. Colour exactly as Kook writes. Subtle spiciness with fruity highlights - pear being my best approximation. Finish is slightly sweet but not cloying. I'd like to taste this alonside a Leffe Blonde, cos I reckon its bloody close. Very drinkable beer. 
Churchy-Like the other guys pours with a nice head, very fruity almost like fruity lexia wine.Very nice to drink.

*Randyrob , Halfluck steam beer, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Considering the flack I have copped in the past from this bloke and his video camera, I was surprised to get an explosive hiss on opening, and vigorous big bubble carbonation. To be fair it didnt climb out on to a new carpet, so no real complaints. Aroma is malt and esters, dark gold colour, reasonably clear but not bright. Head holds well. Tastes malty, estery and clean, balanced towards malt, little hop character. Its a slightly fuity malty beer with little hop presence which is well balanced and quite refreshing, quite delicious to drink, and a credit to produce such a beer with grain....but...if I dug round at the back of a few cupboards I suspect I could find an old kit beer brewed without temperature control that might have a similar character although not as clean.
*VtPA: *First gusher of the case, luckily opened over the sink, it pulled up most of the yeast into the beer which dominated the flavour once it had settled down, the Northern Brewer hops were evident.
*MC*: Opened with an explosive hiss which sprayed my hand, but didn't gush. Amber and not quite bright, with plenty of carbonation feeding the head which lasted until the end. I'm more familiar with the history of this style than with the style itself, but this came across quite clearly as an ale rather than a pseudo-lager thanks to the esters. Clean, balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Rob.
*Mika* :- I heeded the advice of others and let the cap off slowly, big hiss. Then tried to pour it... big mistake. Left it on the bench to off gas and it finally calmed down. The opening must have stirred up the yeast though and I had some chunks dancing in my glass, which probably contributed to the poor clarity. I get some of the woodiness, I get the ale character coming thru more than any sort of pseudo lager thing, I wouldn't go as far as GL's description of the old Kit brewed without Temp control, but it's far from clean, in fact I've tasted ales with cleaner characters. Maybe I'm just habouring a resentment towards that yeast strain.
*Goat*: Based on the above comments, I opened this baby over the sink. No gushing, though there was a healthy hiss - a slow pour resulted in a decent pint with an inch of fluffy white head. Slighlty hazy copper colour. Sweet maltiness on the nose. Maltiness carries through to the taste with a hint of fruit. Not much in the way of bitterness or hop flavour. Like GL suggests, its a bit of a nostaglia trip for me.
*kook:* I didn't read any of this, and opened it haphazard. There was a little initial "spray" of beer, but no gushing or foaming. Took a little bit of time to off gas in the glass, but I think it adds to the experience. Colour is a slightly hazy light amber, with a huge (60% of glass) fluffy white head. Initial aroma is quite spicy, with light peppery alcohol notes. As it rests a bit, some great malt notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Nice light body, dry finish. Flavour is quite clean, nice honey-like malt notes, very balanced bitterness level. Some light earthy hop notes come through, along with light fruity esters. Very quaffable halfluck offering!
*Dchap: *Big carb hiss but no gush. Nice coppery hue. This is my first Steam Beer experience and won't be my last. Light, balanced, bready aroma and on the palate too. I didn't get too much of the esters but perhaps a touch of honey. Thanks for your fine efforts Rob !
*Asher*- Opened and poured well into a wet glass. Aroma hints of northern brewer. Upon tasting was met by a huge carbonic bite fraught with spices & fusils. So I knocked a heap of carbonation out and this beer turned into something a little more malt driven with plenty of fruit. Finishing nice and dry, with a slight tannic harshness/earthiness complementing or thanks to the NB hopping.


*
clay, Belgian Blonde, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Got some vanilla, orangey, alcohol notes on the nose with the taste reflecting same. Nice, light quaffable beer which hides the relatively high alcohol well. 
*GL* Basically what witwonder said. Reasonably clear but not bright, thin head, love that belgian pear ester aroma. Fruity (oranges and pears and vanilla) clean slightly candy ester, and very tasty beer with the alcohol very well hidden. Bit more body than a tripel, a very nice beer.
*MC*: As noted above, aroma was pears and a grand marnier like orange. Flavour carried on from the aroma and had a nice alcohol warmth without any harshness. I sipped this slowly while watching the sky turn pink over Matilda Bay - magic.
*Goat*: Not huge carbonation, but enough to develop a thinish white head. Not sure about the "belgian pear ester" - I think its more French/Swiss border pear... but there is definately that sort of fruit in the aroma in there. slightly hazy in with a golden straw colour. Nice full mouthfeel, slightly sweet - which works well with the moderatly alcoholy aftertaste. Nice beer.
*Churchy-* Lightly carbed and a honey kinda colour!Fruity flavour to hide the alcohol.Is that why my head is starting to spin and the fact I haven't eaten anything!
*kook:* This should have won the label comp (no offense Linc); boobs should always win. Pours a hazy orange colour with a short white head. Initially some light banana in the nose, then pear and peaches come through. As it warms a little, spice becomes more evident. Big mouthfeel, personally a little too full in the finish for me. Great flavours, pear, peaches, toffee apples and light peppery spice. Some citrus flavours there too. As noted by others, the alcohol is very well hidden. Personally I'd prefer this a few points drier, as I think there is a little too much sweetness. Still a great beer though, thanks Clay!
*Asher*- smooth malt dominates for me. It hides the ABV very well before emerging as a warmth right on the finish. The esters a little frazzled by spices maybe from a ferment temp pushed to the upper limit of acceptable. Still a very drinkable beer containing plenty of those intangibles that just make feel like your back in Belgium.
*brendanos:* 15/1 Pours an almost brilliant orange with low head and low retention. Aroma dominated by tropical fruit salad candy and a lightly spicey phenolic, some fudge like malt character. Flavour is bready with a medium body which is balanced by the alcohol, carbonation and spice-like astringency. A nice, drinkable beer, though I think Asher & Kook are on the money - a cleaner ferment and slightly higher attenuation would be welcome improvements! I'm just a little concerned that much of the fruitiness may be acetaldehyde and am wondering if my body can break down a longneck's worth (no offense Clay!)
<B> GB</B>The color tone of a newly bruise apple, it pleases the eye.Poured with out any fuss or head but this didnt bother me at all.Typical belgian nose presenting phenolics and a sweet malt underbelly.I am getting some apple pie notes as it warms. It does have some acetaldhyde but it adds to the character of this beer and goes well with the dry pear notes as well. I like it, my head may not in the morning though.Cheers GB

*brendanos, Sticke Berliner Weiss, bottle conditioned, ready now but let it get really gassy for a bit*
*Cubbie*Pours very very pale, bubbly head that disappears almost immediately, little bit of chill haze.. Could wait a little while longer to open but it is well carbonated now. The tartness and sourness of the fermentation comes through though it is not overpowering. Lemon notes in the taste and aroma with no hop. I feel like I want to pour it over some ice and drink like a cider. Goes nice with the blue brie I am eating right now.
*Doogiechap *Very pale with light carbonation. Very bright. Incredibly dry with a nice sourness that took me by suprise at first but I was looking forward to each sip more and more  I'm a complete newb to this style but thoroughly enjoyed it. I tried my sour Farmhouse ale after this to compare and will have to explore the world of Brettamoyces much further ! Thanks for your efforts Brendan !
*barfridge, labelless, IPA, bottle conditioned, leave 3 weeks at room temp*
*RR* Feeling thirsty, i dove into some of my bottle stores and cracked what i thought was one of my bottled porters to see how it was going, i had a quick whiff and noticed it had a bit of a amarillo? hop flavour and then had a look and thought to myself hey it's a bit lighter than my porter is, then it clicked to me that bf's contribution was unlabeled, i was definitely a welcome change from what i was expecting to drink so in my case the "no label" worked a treat!
I really enjoyed this beer, had no idea what style it was or anything like that just thought it was a good honest drinking beer if that makes sense. I thought it was well balanced. Nice and malty up front then a bit of a lingering bitterness with a bit of an english? yeast ester thing going on. i'll have to look the recipe up to confirm these thing i could be way off the bat but that's what i got out of it. when i found this thread again suprised no one else has cracked it yet? 


*Asher, IAPA, bottle conditioned, ready now, best to fridge for a week to drop the hop chunks*
*TonyM:* Bad stuff first. This may have been the bottom of the fermenter, but this beer had the turbidity of the Gascoyne in spate and I'm not talking about the hops, as the few transferred flakes dropped quickly to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, the flavour department was up to the standards expected of Asher. A blind man would love it.
*sinkas:* great hop aroma and flavour, and layered hops affect, another pint please landlord! 
*VtPA:* A bit hazy, reasonable head considering the amount of hop oil swimming around in there, very drinkable as you would expect.
*kook:* Left this right at the back of the fridge since case swap day. Reasonable clear actually, very slight haze, deep copper colour. Persistent, fluffy, medium sized white head. Great hop aroma, nice pinecone, juicy fruit and grapefruit notes. Medium body, very smooth feel. Still dry enough in the finish to make it quaffable though. Quite a nice sweet malt note there, with a balanced hop flavour (ok, I just had doogies, so it's probably huge). Pine and floral come through, along with some fruit derived hop notes (not estery though). Another great Junctyard beer.
*RR* Just cracked this monster, while i'm waiting for the hop chunks to settle PICCY thought i'd come and have a read thru this thread!
*Mika* :- Not bad, but well below the standard of Tasty V1.0 I got to sample back before Christmas. The hops are still strong but seem to be fading out. Power of suggestion or whatever, but I think I get some cardboard coming thru ? The malt profile is a lot more present as well though still comes across clean. I got a serious hop haze with the occassional floating bits/chunks, though nowhere near as bad as Rob's pic. Overall still a good beer and a welcome inclusion to the case as always.
*brendanos:* 7/1 Brilliant (i guess I got lucky?) amber with large, dense fine white head - looks absolutely stunning. Huge greeting aroma of ripe, juicey tropical fruits, skunky, piney hops and vanilla ice cream. Very appetising! Strong but smooth bitterness, very well controlled. Great rich hop flavour supported by a light malt sweetness and medium body. A pleasure to drink. The bitterness is so damn good!!
MC:Mine was quite hazy and came complete with flowers floating on the head. I loved this beer and was very impressed. Brendan's description - "controlled" - nails it. Bigger beers can get a bit clumsy, but this one was smooth and balanced throughout.

*LexP, Oatmeal FES, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp 3 weeks*
*Churchy*-Had to drink it now, nice dark colour almost black and good carbonation.Could really taste the chocolate malt and not over powering, very enjoyable to drink.

*Sinkas, Pointed and Weighty Arguments:Imperial Mild, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Wow this is a ripper of a beer, maybe my pick so far. Explosive decompression on opening, took three glasses to pour it, head eventually settles down and hangs around. Dark amber to mahogany colour, not bright but only a bit of haze, maybe hop haze. Aroma grassy citrusy fruity hoppy. Rich melanoidin malt character, folowed by citrus grapefruit big hop flavour, assertively bitter in the finish but clean and not over the top. I want to see the recipe and if this really is 3.7% then the body, malt flavour and hop flavour is very well done. Very nice work Case. Ok I looked at the recipe, wow I used to find JW caramalt way too sweet, but thats a amazing to get away with that much. If I can afford the hops I will give this a go.
*kook:* Pours a deep, dark copper colour, with extremely good head retention. Huge, fluffy off white head. Aroma is bonkers - pure hop juice. Intense, fruity grapefruit, citrus, pine and stonefruit. Flavour is just as full-on. Big hop assault on the palate, but suprisingly clean bittering character. Just enough malt backbone to support it, with some nutty notes there in the background. Really drinkable, and amazing to pack this much flavour into 3.7%. I'd love to try this on cask. Great effort Case, though next year if you brew this again I'd prefer a 1.5-2L bottle :lol: 
*Churchy-* This went down really well after a bike ride, nice aroma hops and bittering hops.
*VtPA*: The case of Cases case beer, loved it. More of a hop cordial really, totally imbalanced with a hop overload that worked well in a lower gravity beer.
*Goat*: This is a goodun. Pours a bit hazy but with a nice deep colour. Head is a bit anxious, but decanting and then into a glass sorted that nicely. Is it my imagination or is there some hops in this sucker ?! Certainly does dominate the flavour - but in a good way. While the hop flavour /nose / bitterness are all good, I would love to taste this with a less pronounced involvement, cos I'm reminded of a Fullers ESB in the malt - very nice ! Don't know how you managed the body for 3.7%, but she's a wee ripper ! 
*Dchap: *Quite the challenge to offset that amount of alpha acid with that amount of gravity. Well done Case ! Loved the dark amber color. It would be interesting to try this less carbed up. It really packs a sharp punch up front that lingers on and on 
*MC*: A crime against nature, but a very tasty one.

*GB Dunkel wiezen 4.6% bottle conditioned ready to drink*
*RR:* Pours with a nice pillowy / foamy head that dissipates quickly, dark brown w/ruby highlights, fair bit of banana/clove/bready notes on the nose, med/full boded very refreshing.
*kook:* Pours a deep brown, with nice amber/ruby highlights when held to light. Persistant medium-sized tan head. Aroma is magnificent! Banana cake dominates, though there are some other darker fruit notes (raisins) and nice spice too. Body is medium, with a nice soft feel (presumably accentuated by the wheat) though dry finish. Balance of flavours is perfect. Rich melanoidins, banana cake, light fruit and spice. Nothing is over-the-top though, bitterness is there to balance, but is quite restrained. Very drinkable beer. Thanks GB!
*WW*; A well balanced wheat beer. Hop bitterness blends nicely with the background notes of raisins and stonefruit and the malt bill gives the beer some nice body but still light and sessionable. 
*GL* OK I am sure we all know I dont do wheats. Not getting the head, maybe Fleur and her lip gloss intervened. Love the bready banana aroma. Very balanced, nice fruity wheaty beer. Very Christmasy in fact. Let me say balance again.
*MC*: Beautiful mahogany colour and a lot brighter than I expected. Aroma of banana, toffee and fruit cake. Flavour follows the tone set by the aroma but with a chocolate flavour popping up just before swallowing. Toffee becomes more prominent as the beer warms. Overall, a very rich and nourishing beer. Pity it's too hot to enjoy this one in front of a fire. Thanks Nev.
*Churchy-*This was a nice beer Nev and my dad loved it as well.Hops were all together and carbonation just right.
*Asher*- Ripe Bananna esters up front with a hint of spice to enhance. Esters were quickly swallowed up by melanoidins, caramels and dark toffee. This was probably due to low to moderate carbonation in this bottle. Flavours were all there with phelols contributing to a creamy warm finish Nice.
*Mika* :- I got the nice bready/dark malt flavours. If the banana's there it's very subdued (for me). I'd class it as very very similar to any German dunkel weizen I've tried. Enjoyed it, thanks Nev.
*brendanos* 30/1 Delayed note writing here but I remember a toffee-ish candy like dark sugary flavour and distinct roast note. Esters and phenols were subdued compared to other flavours. Nice beer Nev but (after looking at the recipe just now to confirm my spider senses) I would have preferred if you had left the specialty malts out!

*
Vlad, Double Demerits, bottle conditioned, keep at room temp to end Jan*


*Tony M , Aussie Lager, keg filled, ready now*
*NME:* Very lightly carbonated, nice light colour and a little hazy. Smells like banana, tastes like banana. I freaking love banana. This is dangerously easy to drink and I would love to have it on tap over summer. It's just very clean tasting and goes down a treat. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to seeing your recipe.
*RR:* Went down well with a homemade Jal frazi, light straw/yellow quite clear with a slight haze @ 2*c, delicately carbonated with the aroma of pears and peaches that flollow thru to the flavour, light bready notes also, well balanced medium-low body good drinking lager. Thanks again tony.
*Clay*: first beer of the case. after talking to Tony I expected this to have some serious haze issues but bugger me it pours brilliant clear. Maybe my frige aint cold enough. Not normally a style I enjoy but this beer hit the spot. Maybe it was the smoke in my head from stoking the pizza oven or from working in the heat all day but this beer hardly hit the sides. Another great quaffer from the old fox.
*kook:* Pours a light yellow colour, with a slight chill haze. Nice short but persistent white head. Big banana in the nose, along with grapefruit, apples, pears and floral hops. Whilst technically the banana could be considered a flaw, I actually quite like it, the flavour blends well with the other fruits. Light in body, though not watery, still quite soft in feel and a good dry finish. Flavour is a blend of honey, pungent, bitter hops and light fruits. All work well together to make a very quaffable beer. Cheers Tony!
*sinkas:* modest lightly flavoured and bodied, clean and drinkable
*Churchy*-Very bright colour,little carbonation, drank this with ease
*VtPA*: Slightly undercarbed for an Aussie lager, luckily the POR was very restrained too. Looks like the research trips behind the curtain have paid off.
*GL*Bet this goes down well at parties. Like an Aussie mega lager, but a bit more concentrated with a discernible malt character and a bit of hop flavour and a couple of esters. Not completely bright but one of the more clear beers in the case, nicely balanced, very smooth, very drinkable.
*Dchap: *Banana aroma, which like Kook worked for me too  I wouldn't have picked POR just a nice balanced neutral bitterness. A lovely refreshing drop on a hot afternoon. Thanks for a stellar contribution Tony 
*Goat*; Pours very well with a white dense head that is lacing very well at the halfway mark of this pint. Nice clear straw colour with a very slight haze. I don't get any banana, but the first thing I thought of on the aroma was icypole or perhaps lolly (? - I'll take that up with my shrink...). Bitterness is lowish, but there is a bit of flavour in there - mercifully not POR. Very quaffable beer. Bready malt is in there also, but doesn't dominate. A great summer, watering-the-lawn-with-the-other-hand type beer
*MC*: Slight hint of banana bread in the aroma and a clean, bready flavour with the right amount of bitterness for an easy drinker. Disappeared in a flash.
*Cubbie* First one for me. Poured very pale staw colour with a little bit of haze. Small tight head that lingered to near the end. Hint of banana and peach. Very easy to drink, do well as a session beer or just a nice cold referesher. For me I would like just a touch more body.
*Asher*- Dropped brite with a couple of weeks cc'ing. Bananna/fruit/lolly aromatics morphing into daicetyl to my sensitive palate... Gone after the first mouthful. A crisp, tasty thirst quencher. 
*Mika* :- I got more of an apricot and pear aroma from the opening rather than the Banana everyone's babbling about. Nice soft malt profile, seemed very clean and inoffensive to me. Was very glad for the keg filled bottles as it meant I could enjoy every last drop. Noice !
*GB*Started out with a phsss but poured with a small head and a haze. I think it lost its carbonation on transfer which I think let this beer down. On the nose I got some sweet malt notes and a slight hint of the hops but it was over run by the esters. l know how hard these style of beers are to nail! I did like the balance of the sweet malt and the bitterness.The bitterness whilst being noticeable wasnt harsh and just lasted in my mouth long enough to enjoy. A medium bodied Aussie lager.Thanks Tony a good beer on a hot day.
*brendanos*: 2/2 Bright, light soft malty aroma, with an allusion to the faint skunk and veg of aussie lager - but restrained enough to be complimentary and very pleasant. Very refreshing and a lovely beer - I wish more Aussie lagers tasted like this. Thankyou Tony!

*Malty Cultural, Beached whale ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*GL* Extra points for the label. Squishy bottle in fridge, subdued pfft on opening, a little undercarbed. There is a head and it hangs around, but a bit thin. Dark amber to chocolate colour. Not bright but not chunky. Lovely NZ hop stone fruit in the aroma. Slightly thin body, with a subdued dark malt flavour up front, then a fruity hop flavour comes in, then it finishes crisp and clean without anything harsh. Choice as, Bro. No idea what the style is supposed to be, but for me same hops, a little more crystal/body, or a little less dark malt would balance it better to my palette. Ooops, just looked at the recipe, no shortage of crystal, I think its just that tiny 1% of roast that knocks it slightly off balance, but is a choice beer none the less.
*Clay:* grabbed this from to fridge. A bit soft so checked the list...ready now it says. Twist the top. Oh dear, not much going on here. Sniff the bottle. Smells alright. Pour fron a good hieght to get a decent head. Take a swig... hey thats not bad. Great blend of that NZ fruit salad taste and balanced beautifully by crystal with a slight chocolate after taste. Oh, and the carbonation is spot on. Enjoyed this alot.
*RR* light bodied, medium-low carb, slightly murky copper/light brown appearance, amazing hoppy aroma tho flavour is a little unbalanced too much bitterness and not enough malt body/backbone to support it, other than that a very clean beer i'd say if you give it another bash you will nail it! oh nice theme  
*Mika* :- Slight hiss on opening, but a head that you'd miss if you blinked. Lovely hop aroma with a nice bitterness and a malt character that seemed to complement the hops, but without that carb to lift it up, for me it didn't work and being in the mood I was in, didn't finish the glass.
*kook:* Quite dead on opening, squishy bottle. Poured with a bit of distance and it generated a tight, small off white head. Looks like a good cask ale actually, slightly hazy deep dark amber in colour, edging on brown. Brilliant hop aroma, juicy fruit, tropical fruits, fresh cut grass and floral notes all come through. Medium bodied, mouthfeel is accentuated by the low carbonation. Great melanoidiny background malt character, with some light toasty notes. The hops are the show here though, big, juicy fruit flavours and a nice firm (but in no way harsh) bitterness. Great beer, very drinkable and moreish.
*Dchap: *Mmmmmm, nicely balanced with a lowish carb which worked well for this one I reckon. I really enjoyed the toastiness that popped out at the end  
*Asher*- Chestnut haze. Sweet floral hop aromas waft up despite carbonation levels. Crispy lemonade/frosty fruit hop flavours jump out above a complex roasty malt that morphs into a lingering bitterness. Quite drinkable. Like to try this on a hand pump. 

*churchy, extra special bitter, bottle conditioned, drink after Jan*
*MC*: Certainly a pretty beer. Crystal clear with a shaving cream head which lasted all the way. Nice floral and fruity aroma. Flavour is balanced towards the hops but the malt character is certainly there to hold it up. Clean, lingering bitterness. An impressive British session ale with a slight new-world twist.
*Doogiechap- *Poured bright with a robust head. I loved the assertive bitterness that smacked me one not in a American resionus way but like MC's comment 'clean'. The malt profile kept things nicely in check balance wise but that bitterness kept things in their place  Mate I have been underwhelmed by my previous ESB tastings probably due to the treatment/ time they hit our shores from the mothercountry but yours was simply stunning. A top effort. Cheers !

*Simo, commercial offerings! Samuel Smiths.*
*GL*- Nut brown ale. Usually only get the India Ale which is a great beer, so it was nice to try the nut brown ale. Very smooth, some English hops, bit of chocolate malt character. Like an ESB with a bit more dark malt. Nice. Doesnt seem to have suffered that much in its transport.
*RR* - NB. Just finished cutting a heap of firewood with a mate so we shared this, both really enjoyed it, if i was a kid this would be like eating a piece of chocolate and a toffee apple at the same time. easy drinking.
*kook:* - Well done in standing up to the swap commitments. I got a bottle of the India Ale. Aroma is very fruity, tropical-punch style. Hard to discern the fruits, well blended. Flavour is vastly different. Caramel/toffee like malt flavours, some burnt toasty melanoidins, strong, earthy, woody hop flavour. A little bit of cardboard in the finish, but to be expected from SS ;-) Enjoyable though, thanks Simo.
*Churchy:* Nut brown ale. Rich honey colour and great carbonation.I let it warm up in the glass as I was watching Magnum pi and tasted alot smoother and less bitterness.
*Mika* :- Pretty much as the others have noted. I get the Carmel/toffee stle malt flavours that Kook talks of, but only if I search for them. Seemingly no carbonation, but it works for this beer. Very smooth with a well balanced malt to bitterness ratio. A nice beer, hopefully next year we'll recieve one of your own creations.



*Cubbie, Portland Robust Porter, bottle conditioned, give it 2 to 3 weeks at room temp*
*Cubbie* Thought I would try and review my own beer. Pours deep brown with hints of copper. Tight tan head although it was not lasting. Alcohol and small amount of chocolate on the nose same in the taste. Slightly dry. This is quite different to the sample that I shared at the case swap (different batch), I would say Roy has short changed me on one of the speciality malts. Still fairly clean beer, will be better with a bit more time. Not sure I am on style here.

*Kenworthy, Pale Ale, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *High carbonation resulting in a large fluffy head with couple with a mahogany colour made for an enticing beer. I felt the bitterness was a little harsh but nonetheless supported with some toasty notes from the malt. As it warmed I noted a brett-like sourness on the back of the pallete but somehow this complemented the beer and didn't really detract too much from an enjoyable drop.
*GL* Exuberant carbonation, big bubble pillowy head that dies down but has good lacing. Bit cloudy and doesnt clear when it warms. Aroma is gooseberry lychee and cats pee (in a good way). Light malt presence, nice fruity hop flavour, finishes with a bitterness that is maybe slightly high for the malt, but overall a very tasty clean enjoyable beer
*ant*Bottle opens with a reassuring hiss and I poured probably a bit firm for a big bubbled rocky head. I get stonefruit, citrus/mango and passionfruit on the nose. This Nelson Sauvin hop os going to get a hammering my me next year. Sharp carbonic bite on front palate - it even forms a head in my mouth as it warms. I get marmalade sweetness up front. Nice light/mid body - leaves a subtle smoothness over the roof of my mouth. Same mouthfeel and taste through the mid palate where it's joined by a citrus like tingle on the sides of the tongue. Finishes with an assertive, even aggressive quinine/grapefruit bitterness on the sides of my tongue through the back palate. Lingering bitterness that reminds me of a straight Cascade hopped beer (to my muddled perceptions I often confuse this with oxidation - don't ask me why). This adds a real complexity to the beer; a clever balance between the fruit salad sweetness up front to the sharp bitterness at the back. Definitely a hop driven beer - very subtle malt and clean yeast characters.
*TonyM*: This beer started out great, good colour, clarity and head. It started well in the mouth as well, with pleasing hops and malt, but to me the back palate was a disaster, with a totally unpalatable sourness from some alien microbe. A pity as it began so well.
*RR* highly carbed, massive carbonic bite with a huge sourness that lingers, going off the other reviews maybe i just got a dirty / bad bottle?
*VtPA:* Highly carbed, would have been a gusher at higher opening temp, nice big head that stayed the distance and left a nice lacing, grapey, stonefruit aroma up front, fruity and lively upfront but when that harsh bitterness hits it takes the shine off. Back off on the 60min hop and this would be a very good beer.
*ausdb* I think I tasted this beer at the swap day as I remember Kenworthy pouring me a glass of something with Galaxy and NS at some stage, but this one to me was completely different. I pick a distinct NS gooseberry and cats pi$ aroma and it is a lovely pale gold and straw colour but I am torn between deciding if it is just too overbittered with the Galaxy overload effect or signs of an infection when I taste it. I can taste the quinine/grapefruitiness that ant tastes but also get the sourness that others have picked. It would be really nice to see your recipe to compare your hopping schedule with my taste perceptions.
sinkas: unfortunatley my bottle opened, with a 2 foot gush, threid to drink the geiser,and it had a really odd harsh flavour, so vented the rest outside
*MC*: Mine didn't gush, but the carbonation was insane. I struggled to pour less than 50% head and then it kept climbing out of the glass. The most turbulent carbonation I have ever seen - pretty cool actually, like a lava lamp on crack. Loved the hop aroma and the taste at the start of the mouthful was fantastic, but it turned nasty as I swallowed. There was a harsh bitterness and reading the reviews above, "quinine" (tonic water) seems to describe it best. I think a bug has beaten me to this beer which is a pisser because it started out beautifully.
*Dchap: *Not a gusher but a 10% beer 90% head scenario. That said that pulled the carb levels down and helped reduce the 'bite'. Nice floral aromas, big big bitterness and quinine is a good descriptor but I found it to be quite nice  Thanks bloke !
*GB* Poured well with a lot of carbonation to support a head that lasted till the end. Heaps of hop profiles happening, including most of those hops I dont like, funny lager drinker me. It did present as hazy but this could just be hop haze ? Good colour for this style of ale. I thought there was some sourness initially (faded as it settled) on the nose but could not find it in the mouth, I have put it down to carbonic acid nose bite.The body is well structured to support the bitterness but the bitterness kept wacking me back every time I licked my lips. Mate I am burping up hops and stir fried noodles and enjoying the contrast of the two flavors. I think it works but Im sure my lips are being embalmed in hop bittering acids .I would like to know your water profile to see why the bitterness is intense. Thanks its a very interesting beer and Im sure I will be tasting it for the rest of the night. Burp....
*Mika* :- Low carb with a very thin head that must have had something better to do because it didn't hang around. My version really wasn't that bitter. It was perhaps a little harsh(ish) but I find that more of a character of the Nelson Sauvin hops than anything the brewer has done wrong. Hop flavour was nice, but certainly not huge for style, it did balance pretty well with the body of the beer, though I'd personally like to see more hop flavour and bitterness, though others reviews say otherwise. I could taste a little background malt flavour that I wasn't a huge fan of, but can't really put it down to anything, perhaps just JW malt (WAG).
*brendanos:* 24/1 Gusher. Carefully decanted a pint of foam. White pepper, cape gooseberry, jalapeno pepper, stewed fruit, ripe cherry (varnish?) and moderate pointy alcohol aromas. Flavour is fruity with a dry, tart, woody character akin to a saison. Hop flavour is quite pleasant and bitterness restrained, which avoids conflict with high carbonation, spice and alcohol. A savoury, green fruit flavour lasts into finish. Interesting and quite drinkable, despite losing most of the bottle down the sink.
clay: opened with a huge hiss and while it didn't gush from the bottle the glass did pour 3/4 soft head. Nice fruity aroma. The first thing that hits my mouth is bitterness but as I keep drinking this turns more into sour or tart. Don't know if this is intentional but kind of reminds my of a young bottle of Orval. totally hit the spot after work on a stinking hot day. Took four glasses of foam to finish the bottle but I wish I had another in the fridge. Lovely beer.
*Cubbie*: A little hard seeing the beer through all the head, needless to say a bit high on the carbonation. Another beer I drank Australia day without notes. Definite sourness/ tartness to the beer, with memories of the Big Helga I had the night before that was infected and rather sour, this one did not sit so well on my pallet. Hidden behind the sourness was a nice hop flavour. I would like to try this one again, but without the sourness.

*Steggles, Phils wheat, bottle conditioned, ready now*
*WW; *Probably shouldn't comment given my evidently poor effort sufficed to say this was an uncomplicated, fairly easy drinking wheat beer.
*sinkas*: nice bananary aroma, drinkable but quite heavy in the clove flavour to me
*MC*: Lovely banana bread aroma. To me, the clove was almost more of a cinamon flavour which was something I haven't encountered before, but I enjoyed it. Not quite as dry as I expected, but balanced and easy drinking.
*Asher*- Some nice banana aromatics. Flavour dominated by big spicy phenols which has me questioning ferment over recipe. Went well with Spaghetti & pork meatballs


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