# Vic Case Swap: Xmas In July Tasting Feedback



## manticle (10/7/11)

For Razz


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## razz (10/7/11)

:wub:


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## Siborg (10/7/11)

Razz, I've got your brown ale in the fridge to chill a little, and I'll taste it after dinner


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## razz (10/7/11)

Zebba's English Pale. No.3
Some straw notes in the aroma, Challenger hops. This ale has a slightly sweet finish, and low bitterness. It also has a very persistent head, right to the bottom of the schooner! I noticed that this ale was bottled 26th June. It had plenty of carbonation so perhaps drink it sooner rather than later, I would hate to see it develop to much gas. I poured from the bottle into a jug over an hour ago and the last of it is still heady. Back to that sweet finish, I would think it's from the 1968 yeast although you did get better than 75% attenuation, which is high for that yeast. Perhaps low bitterness also, Zebba you didn't indicate the bitterness. There is some alcohol in the flavour. Food for thought.....anyway, I like it. :icon_cheers:


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## Siborg (10/7/11)

*9. Razz - Bender Brown Ale*





Nice nutty aroma with a hint of aged alcohol (port/sherry-like)
Poured a moderate tan head that has lasted the whole glass. Dark brown with a very deep red hue (hope the photo shows it)
full-bodied, moderate carbonation and a very smooth texture
Nuttiness in the flavour, with some nice sweetness. Getting that smooth alcohol coming through. Hops are of the earthy/floral character - noticeable but not over the top. That nuttiness last well into the finish that stops just short of cloying. Bitterness is subdued - this is definitely a malt-forward beer.

I'm really enjoying this beer. It's just so smooth to drink and the mix of nuttiness and smooth alcohol along with some smooth roasted notes really work well together. Good stuff Razz!


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## zebba (10/7/11)

razz said:


> It had plenty of carbonation so perhaps drink it sooner rather than later, I would hate to see it develop to much gas.


I really need to get organised and start bulk priming...



razz said:


> Back to that sweet finish, I would think it's from the 1968 yeast although you did get better than 75% attenuation, which is high for that yeast. Perhaps low bitterness also, Zebba you didn't indicate the bitterness.


I was aiming for a little honey sweetness on the finish. Circa 35IBU. My concern from my tester was that it had dried out too much. After reading this, I think my tastebuds may have gotten corrupted from a forced 2 month dry spell...



razz said:


> There is some alcohol in the flavour.


Yes, I got this too. My thoughts were it would be better at half or even a whole %ABV lower

Thanks for the feedback. Honoured to be the first


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## Siborg (10/7/11)

*13. Bullsneck - pale ale*




Appearance: A nice looking pale golden colour. White head quickly dissipates. Fairly cloudy, which I'm putting down to dry hopping
Aroma: Just bursts of galaxy. I'm in love with this hop, and you've done well here. I smell some sweet malts and a bit of yeasty bread
Flavour: That fresh hop flavour is just amazing. The right amount of bittering (not overdone). In fact, I'd say this beer is quite evenly balanced between maltiness and bitterness. Very, very drinkable. Finishes slightly sweet but that hop flavour is there all the way.
Body and mouthfeel: moderate-full body, moderate carbonation, smooth finish. 

Wow... just wow. This beer has deepened my love for galaxy hops. You've done well to produce a hoppy pale ale that is not a killer on the bitterness and has a decent malt bill to back it up. Just looking at your recipe again and it's fairly simple, but works really well to support the hops. 

A couple of points for next time: maybe drop your mash temp a little as it was probably a bit too high on body. Head retention was poor. Could be because of the hop oils? Could be something else? I noticed it was starting to slowly snake out of the bottle as soon as I opened it, so maybe a carbing issue? But I wouldn't be too worried about head retention when the beer smells and tastes that good!

Thanks, bullsneck!

edit: now that I've finished reviewing, I can sit back and just enjoy every mouthful of that wonderful galaxy goodness!


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## scott_penno (10/7/11)

18. Don Mateo - Robust Porter

Deep dark mahogony brown color with a thick coffee colored head. Little to no aroma. Rich coffee flavor with hints of toffee. Subtle bitterness although I get a resinous taste that lingers (but it could just be me) and moderate carbonation. A nice, warming drink on a cold (Melbourne) winters evening. Definitely best consumed warmer than colder. I'd love to see the recipe for this *hint*...

A great start to the swap beers...


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## [email protected] (11/7/11)

13 - Bullsneck - Pale Ale 

Im going to try and be more articulate with my tasting, so bare with me guys.

Pours a hazy orange colour straight out of the fridge which clears up slightly after a while
to show golden hues around the edge of my shitty jar. (i need to just go buy a decent pint glass i think)
Thin head that seems to want to hang around, looks like its quite spritzy in the carbonation.

I am letting it sit near me while i type this and i am getting lovely wafts of that passionfruit/tropical galaxy aroma
mixed with soft sweet bready malt. I have a feeling this is going to push me over the edge
and have to try galaxy in a brew sometime soon.

First up in the mouth i get more of the same from the Galaxy, yum.
then melts very well into a good level of bittnerness that lingers slightly
then i am left with nice soft bread malt / lingering fruits.

I find this to very well balanced, quite enjoyable, mouthfeel / body is getting a little more
heavy as it warms, but still very drinkable for me.

I think i like the Styrian pale i had at the swap just a little better, from what i remember?
Wheres my recipe?


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## Lecterfan (11/7/11)

Caveat: I don’t know what the hell I am talking about and I am just trying to address points that I have seen others do. Also, as with everything beer related this is entirely subjective, first principles etc etc. 

Another addendum (can a write an addendum at the end but still put it at the start???): I don’t overly care about aesthetics in beer, but many do- so I have tried to mention it to some degree.

I did this on "word" over the course of the arvo to post in one hit…

So we all know that I tend to trip up and slip fairly easily. I was just walking through the kitchen around 2pm and slipped and accidentally poured:

*19. Bullsneck's Galaxy pale ale.* What a delicious accident!
Poured with a nice white, tight head that didn't last too long but left excellent bracing down the glass after each mouthful. I'd be interested to know the FG of this - maybe it's still a bit too close to breakfast for me but it feels quite big in the mouth. Nice in winter - but a heap of these on a balmy spring day would be great. Colour about what you’d expect, clearer than some beers, not as clear as others. Well balanced with strong hop flavour and big aroma as you’d expect from this hop. 

No pics sorry - gf took her camera back, she got sick of "chicken wing" photos after each weekend.

After that little slip up I went to the kitchen to consider lunch, and WHOOPS!

* 7. Beer4U’s Cali Common* flew at my glass like an angry ninja in liquid form. Being trained in the in the art of watching Kung Fu movies I responded with the move known as “dragon plays the lute” and proceeded to empty my glass down my throat.

This style is new to me, my only other example being Brendo’s (I think?) on Saturday. This beer is clear, if not what they call “bright”. Again the head is great but doesn’t last (that sounds like my ex), but the bracing down the glass is fantastic. I found this beer really crisp and well balanced, the bitterness lingering slightly after the malt finish. Carbed at a level that I love (a touch lower than many American hopped beers). To be honest I could have spent the rest of the day on this one. Yummers!


Next up *19. Nick Penno’s APA*. A beautiful aroma…that’s the first thing that struck me with this one. Not much head (but I did pour it pretty gently), but still plenty of good bracing on the glass. Slightly higher level of carbonation which adds a crispness to the beer. Lots of lingering hop flavour – the fruity hop flavour is still there long after the maltiness and a touch longer than the bitterness per se. A really nice APA on a par with some of the commercial micro brewed examples I’ve tasted recently.


Ok – had a break, had some tucker etc. and settling down to:

*3. Zebba’s EPA *(am I allowed to use that acronym?). Straight away – and after quite a few full on American hoppy beers, this is really nice. I don’t know the flavours to describe in this, but I’m getting hints of vanilla and a real malty sweetness that is not cloying or overbearing…the challenger hops (which I’ve only used twice before) are amazing…I love them and next ESB I do I think I’ll drop some of the others to push this a bit more. The aroma is great and improving as the beer warms up. Again I poured with some reserve so moderate head but nice bracing. I think the hop character would be just as good with a slightly less malty beer – for my personal taste I think a bit more bitterness would make it a bit cleaner in the finish. ****Just reading the tasting thread and the recipe thread**** I don’t think there is _too much_ alcohol warmth coming through (unless you want this to be a full on session beer), but there is also no way it is too dry. Still, what the hell would I know? This is really nice and with the sun gone down on another grim day in Ballarat I could happily sink a few more of these – but not a quaffer for me.

……ok now some of you will roll your eyes and groan, but on the last half of my second glass of this I gave it the old “pocket sparkler” treatment – drew up a couple of mls and squirted the be-cheeses out of it… the result? The creamiest head imaginable, an exaggerated hop aroma (the beer had warmed to probably 7-8c by now) and the maltiness was really pushed forward. I think this beer is best kept away from a hand pump if you want to drink more than 4 of them haha… but don’t take that the wrong way, as is, this is a very nice brew with pronounced (but not overdone) flavours.



....I reckon I've got one more in me after tea. :icon_cheers:



edit: hahaha @ razz - also Taschris has kindly pointed out that it should be "lacing" not "bracing"...I replied that I could not be any more of a fool than I was on the night so no one will care...


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## razz (11/7/11)

:lol: :lol: :lol: Nice read lecterfan. I laughed out loud at the comment about your ex, my missus shot me a look, not "that look" unfortunately. Keep em coming, go on, have another! :chug:


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## razz (11/7/11)

Okay, I'm into it.
Siborg's American Stout. No. 6 (Rogue Shakespear Stout clone)
To quote the Rogue website...Ebony in color with a rich creamy head, earthy flavor and a mellow, chocolate finish.
Not far off the mark Si. It didn't decant too well into the jug but into the glass it has a nice tan head with plenty of lace.
Not so much of the earthy flavour but some cascade and strong chocolate malt with some roast and firm bitterness, good idea on adding the roast in the last few minutes. Chocolate/roast aroma. Creamy and med/full bodied mouth feel, low carb, dry finish. Si, you didn't indicate the FG in the recipe.
Nice ale, I think I like stout's with a slightly sweeter finish but this is still a very nice ale.
Well done mate! :beer:


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## Lecterfan (11/7/11)

razz said:


> :lol: :lol: :lol: Nice read lecterfan. I laughed out loud at the comment about your ex, my missus shot me a look, not "that look" unfortunately. Keep em coming, go on, have another! :chug:




I'm drinking one of my batch to make me feel adequate in the meantime haha...(not my swap submission - I left that for young Si).

I have two more left....as in two more long necks and two more episodes of season one of game of thrones...so there is bound to be more feedback hee hee.


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## Yob (11/7/11)

Lecterfan said:


> I have two more left....as in two more long necks and two more episodes of season one of game of thrones...so there is bound to be more feedback hee hee.



wouldnt you know it a bel. blonde just fell out of my fridge, I dont know if it's your swap one (havnt checked) but it's deicious... fruits?


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## Lecterfan (11/7/11)

iamozziyob said:


> wouldnt you know it a bel. blonde just fell out of my fridge, I dont know if it's your swap one (havnt checked) but it's deicious... fruits?



haha no mine was a schwarz - but I'd also like some feedback on that POR ale I left you (AP - very low in IBUs, I know that already!).

I woke up this morning in the bleak Ballarat tundra winds not wanting to leave the bed cos I don't have CENTRAL HEATING!!!! DAMN YOU!!! No man should have the luxury of waking to that kind of comfortable temperature hahaha!!! 

My left foot has turned blue by the way :icon_chickcheers: ! Only craftbrew can ease the pain...


I've got two more swap beers lined up...let's get into it...


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## razz (11/7/11)

iamozziyob said:


> wouldnt you know it a bel. blonde just fell out of my fridge, I dont know if it's your swap one (havnt checked) but it's deicious... fruits?


Most likely Manticle's Grand Cru


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## bullsneck (11/7/11)

*Swap beer # 3 - Zebba's English Pale*

A beautiful aroma filled the laundry as the longneck lay broken, in pieces, on the tiles. Head retention was poor, dissipated quite quickly as did the beer down the drain in the center of the floor. Nice colour, slightly hazy, but that could be blamed by the receptacle i chose to use; i.e. - off white tiles.

Damn shame I missed this one.

Here's a picture of the remains.




Note - no idea why the picture has turn sideways.


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## Yob (11/7/11)

Lecterfan said:


> My left foot has turned blue by the way :icon_chickcheers: ! Only craftbrew can ease the pain...
> 
> 
> I've got two more swap beers lined up...let's get into it...



Soldier on trooper :lol: :lol: at least the foot aint so bad you cant make it to the painkillers :chug:


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## wakkatoo (11/7/11)

iamozziyob said:


> wouldnt you know it a bel. blonde just fell out of my fridge, I dont know if it's your swap one (havnt checked) but it's deicious... fruits?



That would be mine. Not a swap beer but it was there in a keg. Gave that to you to say thanks for the accomodation. Glad you enjoyed :icon_cheers:


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## Yob (11/7/11)

the missus too as is right :icon_cheers:


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## zebba (11/7/11)

LOL Bullsneck. :beerbang:


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## Wolfy (11/7/11)

Various members of the case-swap group are (literally) more qualified to provide informative beer judgeing feedback than myself ... so I thought I'd use a modified style judging sheet:

*Entry: #13 - Bullsneck - bullsneck pale*





Aroma: :icon_drool2: 
Apperance: :mellow: 
Flavour: :icon_cheers: 
Overall Impression: :kooi:


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## Lecterfan (11/7/11)

Okey-friggin-dokey - plain coloured coopers PET which I am led to believe is an American stout that the Lord _*Si of Borg is responsible for (no. 6*_?). Dark as a stout should be, nice tan head, like the colour of the smooth but still slightly leathery hide of a sun drenched brunette wench, aroma hints at both the roast and the hops.

First taste is all roast, a nice clean bitterness with lingering roast, not a lot of maltiness to speak of, but that suits us men of the West reasonably well (watching Game of Thrones). As it warms in the glass the hops present themselves a bit more and are surprisingly welcome (Im generally not a big fan of dark beer and US hops), but it adds to the complexity of the beer overall. The hops begin to be the final lingering aftertaste which really adds an unexpected (for me) twist to the style.

Good LACING (not bracing apparently hee hee) but not much of a lingering head. The beer is dark as the heart of a Cimmerian witch from the stygian swamps, and as transparent as the very blackness of Odins crows (i.e. not at all).


*11. Shane Rs Pumpkin Ale* Wow! Not at all like I imaginednot sure if I tasted any the other night (apologies if I did and cant remember). Im definitely ripping this recipe off except I wont use any US hops and Im thinking I might try a different yeast (so some could argue Im not really making the same beer at all but the inspiration is the same!). 

The look lovely colour, no head after not long in the glass and very turbid to look at no point assuming it is just unflocced yeast, this mother-uckah has plenty of body and starchy goodness to it. The aroma? In a word.intriguing. The flavour is really wonderfulso different, I can really taste the spices on the back palate, at the very end of the taste.having grown an enormous number of pumpkins this year I can also taste the pumpkin sugaz in there (am so keen to try this myself now!!!). Nice level of carbonation and a fantastic after dinner beer! There is a hint of sweetness in there that I cant pinpoint maybe from the honey? Anyway yummo not a beer youd drink 12 of before giving a speech at a funeral, but an amazing beer to whip out to highlight your awesome taste in beverages in the same way you might with an expensive wine etc. 

*Razz 9. Brown Ale* Plenty of aroma heaps of nana (not nanna) in the aroma and then the first mouthful makes you sit down and call your mum (or similar parental figure). Plenty of big flavours going on here, exactly what I want from a brown - others may not agree it is not a clean, dark pseudo lager, but rather a clear, bright fruity brown ale that is driven by yeast and malt.yummers! Not sure what else to report on this oneother than the chocolate notes make me want another 3-9 longnecks of this in reserve thanks. Not the beer for a single style quaffing session, but bloody bew dee full!!! Im not a big fan of browns (usually cos they have too much US in them lately) but this has got the tick from me.


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## proudscum (11/7/11)

These are my ramblings and thoughts using a chefs palate that has been brewng for 18 years.so please look upon my comments as just that,i am not going by style guides but by what is crossing my palate.So it will be interesting to see what people think of my palate when they try my beer.

#19 I drank this when i got home from the swap so it was at garage temp which was about 
8 0C.Wow the hop aroma of cascade(me thinks)jumped out of the glass.Yum
High bitterness which is fine by me but was a little lacking in malt/body to balance the big hop
Aroma/bitterness.The second glass was more enjoyable and had me thinking Little creatures pale ale.I now know why i used to get the feedback on the APA that i used to enter into comps a long time ago as they pale in comparison.I would drink this beer again at midnight.Thanks.

#3 whoops just grabbed this and knocked the top of.was painting and needed a beer.So a little under carbed..no problem.Nice mouth feel and good amber malt flavours.Maybe a little more hop bitterness to balance the malt sweetness.Clean beer .pity i didnt look at the are you RTD or not.Thank you.

#14 I wish i could call this my own.No wonder i stopped painting.I am thinking there is some maris otter in there as thats what i am getting malt wise with a little tart finish(more than way off the mark being a german beer,please tell me i am right)?As soon as i started drinking this the alcohol was very evident on the palate and now on the brain.
Beautiful balance of malt to hop with good dryness to not make the sweet malt cloying. 
Nice and bright with med carb,the head needed to be enticed and didnt stay for long,no lacing in the glass..could be the glass. Would love you to pm me a recipe for this stunner.

0ne more to be had tonight....will not do a lucky dip but will check the RTD list first.


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## proudscum (11/7/11)

#7Had to break out the american shaker glass for this one.nice and clean with a little hop nose
not quite bright.a little under carbed to be an anchor steam.But rings all the right bells for me.Easy drinking as it should be.hope mine lives up to the style if not a little maltiernice one mate.cheers Scum.


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## [email protected] (12/7/11)

proudscum said:


> #7Had to break out the american shaker glass for this one.nice and clean with a little hop nose
> not quite bright.a little under carbed to be an anchor steam.But rings all the right bells for me.Easy drinking as it should be.hope mine lives up to the style if not a little maltiernice one mate.cheers Scum.



Nice, its just a warm fuzzy feeling to have my efforts being enjoyed by others, honestly prior to the swap i have not had any good feedback about my beers from general public that has tried my " homebrew" anyway i will put away my violin.

Just going back through my files, as the low carbing was not an issue on my "testers" which were 330ml, i aimed for 2.6 - 2.7 volumes
Looking at my priming calculator i use, i had it set for double the 330ml dose....
Seeing as 10 or so of my bottles were fosters 800 jobbies the rest were 750 i can see now that they would be undercarbed.


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## [email protected] (12/7/11)

6 - Siborg - American Stout

Poured this one fairly rough, got a little finger worth of head that went away and left some foamy bubbles on top.
Looks jet black but clear.

I was rewarded with a nice wack of citrus fruits hop aroma, which was quicly overtaken by some quite roasty/coffee notes
which became more prominent as i let it sit in the glass for 10min.

Rich full bodied roast/coffee flavour that is matched by solid bittering, which i find quite smooth, with an even smoother 
finish that leaves me searching the insides of my mouth for more.
Gets better as it warms for sure.

My first taste of a homebrewed stout and i am very pleased. :icon_cheers:


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## Siborg (12/7/11)

Beer4U said:


> 6 - Siborg - American Stout
> 
> Poured this one fairly rough, got a little finger worth of head that went away and left some foamy bubbles on top.
> Looks jet black but clear.
> ...


Was it undercarbed? I was having major issues with my counter pressure bottle filler. Need to seek out a bigger bung for PET bottles.


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## Lecterfan (12/7/11)

Siborg said:


> Was it undercarbed? I was having major issues with my counter pressure bottle filler. Need to seek out a bigger bung for PET bottles.




I wouldn't have wanted it much more carbed for a stout, but I tend to like everything a little less carbed than many others seem to...


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## bullsneck (12/7/11)

Lecterfan said:


> I wouldn't have wanted it much more carbed for a stout, but I tend to like everything a little less carbed than many others seem to...



So you can have at it with the pocket sparkler?


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## [email protected] (12/7/11)

Siborg said:


> Was it undercarbed? I was having major issues with my counter pressure bottle filler. Need to seek out a bigger bung for PET bottles.



Well i guess if you were going to be right on the style, medium to medium high it was not. 
But for me personally I really enjoyed as is and would not want much more fizz, i think it would detract from all the lovely flavours.


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## Wolfy (12/7/11)

*Entry: #8. Husky - Vienna Lager*




Aroma: :mellow: 
Apperance: :huh: 
Flavour: <_< 
Overall Impression: :unsure:


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## Lecterfan (12/7/11)

bullsneck said:


> So you can have at it with the pocket sparkler?




you leave my personal habits out of this....


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## husky (12/7/11)

Enjoying a Bullsneck pale right now. Exactly what I would expect from a nice PA. First galaxy hopped beer I have had and I'm really liking it.


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## razz (12/7/11)

*No.7 Beer4U's Cal Common*
Great looking beer, poured with a large head but settles quickly, nice and bright! Good colour. Some hop aroma and caramel malt. Flavours are moderate, slightly bitter finish and moderate carbonation. Dryish finish, low to mod mouthfeel. 
Nice ale, tastes almost as good as it looks. If you tried Brendos' version on Saturday night then this ale is it's little brother.
I just checked the recipe, doesn't taste like a 40 IBU ale.


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## [email protected] (13/7/11)

razz said:


> *No.7 Beer4U's Cal Common*
> Great looking beer, poured with a large head but settles quickly, nice and bright! Good colour. Some hop aroma and caramel malt. Flavours are moderate, slightly bitter finish and moderate carbonation. Dryish finish, low to mod mouthfeel.
> Nice ale, tastes almost as good as it looks. If you tried Brendos' version on Saturday night then this ale is it's little brother.
> I just checked the recipe, doesn't taste like a 40 IBU ale.



Thanks 
so how many IBU do you think?

I use Tinseth in Beersmith, while adapting the bulk of the recipe from BCS i had a bit of confusion initially cause that uses Rager for hop calcs.
But yeah so far, prob cause of my higher gravity boils i have found my hop calcs to be a bit hit and miss.


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## proudscum (13/7/11)

Wolfy said:


> *Entry: #8. Husky - Vienna Lager*
> 
> 
> 
> ...




They are either really big jars of coffee etc or that is the smallest rubbermaid mash tun in the background that i have seen.


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## razz (13/7/11)

Beer4U said:


> Thanks
> so how many IBU do you think?
> 
> I use Tinseth in Beersmith, while adapting the bulk of the recipe from BCS i had a bit of confusion initially cause that uses Rager for hop calcs.
> But yeah so far, prob cause of my higher gravity boils i have found my hop calcs to be a bit hit and miss.


It was a comment about perceived bitterness more so than the actual IBU's, if I had to guess maybe 30ish.


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## Siborg (13/7/11)

Sorry for the delay on these two. Was drinking them and watching the In Betweeners

*4. Hoser - Northern English Brown Ale*




Poured a nice deep brown, head quickly dissipated. 
Aroma was a nice nutty one, with hints of soft alcohol and very subtle chocolate (IIRC)
Mouthfeel: Medium-light, very low carbonation, finished only slightly dry. I think this could have benefited with a little more carbonation and body. Finish was good
Flavour - medium bitterness, plenty of nuttiness. 
Quite good overall. I think the only thing that could be improved on was the body and carbonation. Try raising your mash temp a degree or two, and double check your priming rates.
*
19. Nick Penno - American Pale Ale*




What else can I say but :icon_drool2: 
Appearance - pale gold. Thick, dense head that lasted all the way to the end and left a nice lacing on the glass. I was a little worried as I had way too much pour, but I let it settle and it was all good.
Aroma - got plenty of citrusy/piney notes, some very soft bread crust notes as well.
Flavour - beautiful citrus/resiny/piney hop flavour, a firm bitterness which is not over the top (IMO) and just the right amount of bready malt coming through as well. This has obviously been dry-hopped as I could taste the fresh hop character.

Mate, this was the perfect APA. If I was writing the guidelines, I'd base them on this... Just f**king beautiful. I'd love to brew this recipe as I could drink pint after pint of this.


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## [email protected] (13/7/11)

razz said:


> It was a comment about perceived bitterness more so than the actual IBU's, if I had to guess maybe 30ish.



OK no worries, i understand now, thank you.
Its interesting to note other peoples perceptions compared to the numbers generated. Since i started brewing i have only been able
to compare IBU calcs to micro and commercial beers and the consensus i found online as to how much others perceive them to be.

Lately i have started just going with my gut more in regards to hops and the recipe as a whole, like i do with most of my cooking and using 
Beersmith more as rough guide to help me find a good balance, cause it doesn't really matter what the numbers say if the end product is really unbalanced one way or another.

cheers mate


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## razz (13/7/11)

Beer4U said:


> OK no worries, i understand now, thank you.
> Its interesting to note other peoples perceptions compared to the numbers generated. Since i started brewing i have only been able
> to compare IBU calcs to micro and commercial beers and the consensus i found online as to how much others perceive them to be.
> 
> ...


Good site on more things beer.
http://beercolor.netfirms.com/balance.html


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## [email protected] (13/7/11)

16 - Lecterfan - schwarzbier

Poured with a nice thick head, light brown tinge to it that settled down after a few minutes, i did get some BRACING.
Dark sepia type colour, goldish brown higlights around the outer of the glass when held up to the light. Looks very clear.

Very slight roast aroma, i get more soft fresh bready aroma, i did bake today so i could be a little bias here.

Slight roast on intitial tasting , nice clean and silky mouthfeel, bitterness seems matched well.
Very slight warming left on palate.

I have only tried this style twice before, not homebrew and they really set me off onto darker beers.
I think this one would be an even better candidate as a stepping stone into this delicious realm
Easy drinking and subtle. I really should be brewing myself a dark lager before the cold weather is out, i think id like to try it with what 
you wished you had done in the recipe thread :icon_cheers:

Edit: seems to be going well with my tasty cheese and biscuits.


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## zebba (13/7/11)

4. Hoser Northern Brown Ale
I only put this in the fridge for half an hour but I'm guessing it was probably serving temp at ambient. Into the glass straight from the fridge and I was immediately underwhealmed. It was thin, it was watery, and it was sweet. Not looking good.

After five minutes of the glass resting on my leg and getting a chance to warm up though, it came alive. THe body thickened out, some mild roast flavours came out, the bitterness began to appear and balance it out... Very quickly it went from drinkable, but not going back for seconds, to yummy. Not the best brown I've ever had, but far from the worst, and certainly a worthy drink that I was now starting to wish I had more of. Shared the bottle, and feedback from them was exactly the same - disappointing early, but hit it's straps as it warmed.

Make sure it's not too cold people. But most of you would have known that anyway. As it was, I misjudged the ambient temp and the ability of my fridge to chill things. Lesson learnt.

So, thankfully, it finished a good beer! Regretting it took half my glass to get there though


----------



## manticle (13/7/11)

I doubt any beer from the swap stored at ambient Melbourne temps needs time in the fridge.


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## zebba (13/7/11)

Yeah I'm thinking that. it's hard to beat the "beer = cold" habit out of me though


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## manticle (13/7/11)

Buy yourself 2 x 750 mL bottles of trois monts.

Refrigerate one overnight, leave the other atop the fridge.

Do the same with 2 bottles of rochefort 10, 2 bottles of Samuel Smith's Oatmeal stout and 2 more of your favourite engish and/or american IPA.

Side by side tastings.

Condition cured.

My beers see the inside of the fridge only during summer - even then most are taken out again for a while before drinking.


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## Siborg (13/7/11)

My house ambient temp is 17-20 degrees, so I chucked hoser's brown ale in the fridge for only an hour to bring it down a little. This is usual process for all the swap beers, unless I want them chilled - like Nickpenno's APA :icon_drool2:


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## husky (13/7/11)

#7 Beer4U Cali Common. The first I heard of this as a style was at the Swap last weekend and I really like it! Love the aroma and easy drinking nature that could make it a good house beer. Mine was a little overcarbed(opposite to a previous review) so I let it sit open for a while before consuming. I find myself wishing there was a second bottle. Like!


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## Siborg (13/7/11)

*23. iamozziyob - Pale*






Appearance: straw-pale golden, decent white head, very bright
Aroma: Very sweet, lolly-like. Some soft yeasty bread notes.
Flavour: moderate bitterness is kept in its place by a fairly sweet malt character. Finishes slightly cloying. I can taste some citrusy hop character in there, but it is rather subtle.
Mouthfeel: moderate-full. Probably a little too much (what did it finish at?). Carbonation is perfect for this beer. Leaves that dry feeling you get when you've had something sweet.

Overall, not a bad beer. I think some things that could be improved on could be mashing a little lower, a bit more bittering, and some more late hop character. What did it was the FG? It seems a little sweet. Couple of minor recipe tweaks could make this heaps better. Thanks Jesse! By the way, were you aiming for an american-style pale? Or just a pale?


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## Yob (13/7/11)

Siborg said:


> What did it was the FG? It seems a little sweet. Couple of minor recipe tweaks could make this heaps better. Thanks Jesse! By the way, were you aiming for an american-style pale? Or just a pale?



From memory, about 1012, possibly a bit lower, I suffered for a little bit with notes or lack there of <_< 

I often tend to lean toward an APA styled for the large part (as a house beer) and would probably style this as so, just lightly done, The blackboard says it was amarillo/cascade blend but a small addition... probably using leftovers  

as to the sweetness, I may have been a little heavy handed with the crystal, cant recall exactly but remember thinking similar...

For what it was, which wasnt sposed to be my swap beer but a stock filler Im stoked with that review Si, and Im glad I submitted that one and not the one I tried on which to be honest is regrettable.. still

Glad you enjoyed man, 

Stoked

:icon_cheers:


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## Siborg (13/7/11)

iamozziyob said:


> From memory, about 1012, possibly a bit lower, I suffered for a little bit with notes or lack there of <_<
> 
> I often tend to lean toward an APA styled for the large part (as a house beer) and would probably style this as so, just lightly done, The blackboard says it was amarillo/cascade blend but a small addition... probably using leftovers
> 
> ...


No worries, man. Some more late hopping and/or some dry hopping and it would have been awesome. 

p.s. try Nick's APA if you want some of that awesome late/dry hopping


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## Wolfy (14/7/11)

*Entry: #09 - Razz - Bender Brown Ale*




Aroma:  
Apperance:  
Flavour: :blink: 
Overall Impression: :beer:


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## proudscum (14/7/11)

#5 EPA dont get me wrong i have just put down a paint brush after 10 hours and an hour before finishing took this from the fridge and sat it on the bench.pour in to pint glass nice fluffy head,has a rush of carbonation a little more than expected thats ok give it a good stir to knock some out of the beer.quite hazy and head has died off.looking for a english hop nose but get some nice caramel malt happening instead which is good as i love crystal.taste it and get a bit of a tang and mixed bitterness/dryness.There is hop there but it is battling with the crystal.
Its clean ferment wise which is great just need to work on the balance away from the crystal and give it more hop flavour and aroma.Did you use Australian malts?As i have found out using some english base malt the flavour becomes very english, surprising that!

Thanks for letting me try one of your beers,i hope my feedback is a little helpful.


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## [email protected] (14/7/11)

proudscum said:


> #5 EPA dont get me wrong i have just put down a paint brush after 10 hours and an hour before finishing took this from the fridge and sat it on the bench.pour in to pint glass nice fluffy head,has a rush of carbonation a little more than expected thats ok give it a good stir to knock some out of the beer.quite hazy and head has died off.looking for a english hop nose but get some nice caramel malt happening instead which is good as i love crystal.taste it and get a bit of a tang and mixed bitterness/dryness.There is hop there but it is battling with the crystal.
> Its clean ferment wise which is great just need to work on the balance away from the crystal and give it more hop flavour and aroma.Did you use Australian malts?As i have found out using some english base malt the flavour becomes very english, surprising that!
> 
> Thanks for letting me try one of your beers,i hope my feedback is a little helpful.



Thanks for the review. Have been a bit lazy posting the recipe (will try and remember to do it tonight). Base malt was maris otter. Have to admit I'm still a bit of a novice with english style beers. The recipe was based on a old speckled hen clone (no idea how close I got), though I used some dark belgian candy syrup for the invert sugar part of the recipe.

Cheers
Mal


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## Lecterfan (14/7/11)

*18. Don Mateo's Robust Porter*. Pours with a nice tan head that lasts reasonably well. Heaps of big roast flavours, but just enough residual maltiness to stop it being too overtly stout-like. Good mouthfeel, especially as it warms. Not a lot of aroma. Highish FG I'm guessing? Tastes like it has a lot of body... I'd struggle to get through too many of these*

Most of the porters I've tasted have been homebrewed examples. While I enjoy it, it is not my fave style - but it is great for a bleak night in Ballarat in front of the heater. There have been two robust porters that really stood head and shoulders above all others that I've tried. One was Vic45s (drawn through the hand pump it was amazing), and now this one following shortly after.

On the last half of the first glass I gave this one a squirt as well (pocket sparkler/ 10ml syringe for those not keeping up with my fetish), and it really produced an amazing ice cream head, a heap of lacing (which was almost non existent previously), and made the body/mouthfeel really silky. 

*I'd love to try this beer through a hand pump. Standing next to a wood fire bbq with a keg full of this I reckon you'd have a hell of an afternoon haha.

Good job! :icon_cheers:


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## Wolfy (14/7/11)

The test bottle of my beer #20 is carbonated enough for me to enjoy, I'd suggest drinking now/this weekend if possible.


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## bullsneck (14/7/11)

*Swap Beer # 7 - beer4u's Cal Common*

Fresh citrus aromas. Upon tasting, maltiness was present accompanied by a bitterness, pleasant but not overpowering, which coated the tongue. I loved the colour, carbonation was good, although maybe a little high. Head lingered a while and laced the glass.

As it warmed, aromas you might find in Belgians began to present themselves. I'm not too crash hot on descriptors. 

A great beer, one I'll have to put on the 'to brew list'.




Also had your Mild from the lotto as well. I was a great start to our Pub Crawl. Loved it. Slightly bitter finish, malt present. 1968 works well with this style. Is it the Brewing Classic Styles recipe?


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## Kleiny (15/7/11)

First day ive had to try some beers, so kick started with a just finished mowing eating a bowl of left over spag lunch time beer.

#19 Nick Penno APA

Appearance: was hazy but know cloudy with some suspended yeast (to rough on the pour) almost orange hue from a low amber color, great head retention rocky almost and stark white.

Aroma: absolutely the best part of a good APA aroma to the max citrus smell it our of the bottle, ive found only the best APA's give you a return aroma, burp through the nose. awesome

Flavour: High sharp bitterness could almost be over done but just subdued with a slight caramalt background, great allround flavour with a dry finish making you want to go straight back for another.

Overall: Absolute cracker this beer is exactly what i want out of an *APA* lower alc great hopcentric aroma slight malty backup. If i was going to have one very slight winge it would be the bitterness is creeping up out of APA and into IPA territory but thats the way us beer geeks enjoy it. If the bitterness was just slightly lower it would bring this beer into perfect balance.

Nick put the recipe up for this one and enter it in a comp. (it would do well i expect).

Cheers
Kleiny


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## npenno (15/7/11)

Hi All,

Thanks for the good feed back. Im glad people have enjoyed it. I will post the recipe on the recipe thread tonight when I get home.

Nick


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## [email protected] (15/7/11)

bullsneck said:


> *Swap Beer # 7 - beer4u's Cal Common*
> 
> Fresh citrus aromas. Upon tasting, maltiness was present accompanied by a bitterness, pleasant but not overpowering, which coated the tongue. I loved the colour, carbonation was good, although maybe a little high. Head lingered a while and laced the glass.
> 
> ...



Hmm seems my priming is a bit all over the shop. Glad its being enjoyed otherwise. I only have a 15L and 30L fermenter.
Obviously it was fermented in the 30. I racked about 10L bottled some then racked the rest, maybe this is the culprit?
I use pseudo bulk priming, dex dissolved in water, 5ml per small bottle, then doubled for large, i measured that for 2 X 330ml anyway. 
My first 23L batch since i did my first tin. Lessons for next time.
This method usually produces very uniform carbonation for me, but thats the 15L fermenter and the beer does not get racked. Next time i will just get a bottling bucket and bulk prime me thinks.

The Mild was as follows.
OG - 1039
FG - 1016 

Single infusion 70c 
My pitching rates are always aimed as close as i can guestimate to Mr Malty.

57% Golden Promise (TF)
32.5% Munich2 (Wey)
5.5% Crystal 60L (TF)
3.5% Carabohemian
1.5% Black Malt (TF) - if i did it again i might use Roast?
EKG @ 60min (20 IBU ) - Tinseth
[email protected] 30min (5 IBU)

Spur of the moment not to style decision i had 9grams of Cascade sitting around chucked that in 5min to go, so might of added a couple
of IBUs and a hint of something that i think has pretty much faded away now.

Feel free to send me your 4%ish Pale styrian if you want :icon_chickcheers:


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## manticle (15/7/11)

#20: Wolfy 10 min greenbelt chinook IPA

Pours very clear amber, faint white, thin head, some lacing. 
Aroma of subtle malt and the unfortunate sodium met that is still on my fingers from my bottle cleaning process.

Carbonation moderate to low - probably too low for many palates but I prefer lower fizz in my beers.

Flavour of rich grain/malt, slight hint of sweetness, smooth subtle biterness. I'd be hard pressed to distinguish chinook. Homegrown?

I was expecting a far greater hit of hops and bitterness and it seems a long way from an IPA/AIPA. However, I care not a whit for style guidelines as long as the beer is balanced and tasty.

This is very clean and to my palate very rewarding. In line with an English pale maybe. Leaves the palate feeling cleansed.

Different from what I expected but delicious nonetheless.

Just to be sure - Your caps say '20' in black texta and have a blue triangle on silver cap yes?

A really nice beer overall.


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## [email protected] (15/7/11)

3 - Zebba - English Pale

Poured with a large thick white head that hung around for quite a while, dies down to half its size after 5 mins, thick lacing.
Beautiful golden amber colour, fairly clear, slight haze.

I got honey and floral wiffs in the aroma.

Taste was interesting/different for me, intial taste was sweet and quite floral (i have no idea if/what type of hops were used or if 
this is esters from the yeast prob a bit of both worlds?
Sweet breads with a slight crust maltiness if that makes any sense...

Restrained bitterness which is assisted by the livley carbonation eqalizing the slightly more than moderate? body and mouth feel on this beer.

I am really enjoying the aftertastes this beer leaves me with, not too sweet, honey/malty, slight fruity/floral hop flavours or could be yeast esters in there as well? i am not experiecned enought to make that judgement.
All in all something different for my tastes, it leaves me really enjoying the aftertaste for a long time and 
encourages me to take my time more and get to know this beer better.


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## Wolfy (15/7/11)

manticle said:


> #20: Wolfy 10 min greenbelt chinook IPA
> 
> Aroma of subtle malt and the unfortunate sodium met that is still on my fingers from my bottle cleaning process.
> ...
> ...


Yep (_home grown Chinook_), yep (_very different to what I expected also - but not in a bad way I hope_), and yep (_right bottle and cap_).
Never used sodium met, so can't blame me for that one, but hopefully there is hop-aroma there too. 
The 'IPA' is more the name from where the recipe was taken from, in theory the brewing software suggests its 60IBU but I think in practice that it's much much less bitter than what the software suggests.


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## manticle (15/7/11)

Sodium met was entirely my fault. I clean bottles, rinse, rinse with met, rinse again then starsan. Procrastinating bottling 3 batches over the day.

I don't mind getting different to expectation when it's not disappointing. No disappointment this end from your beer.


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## Fourstar (15/7/11)

13. Bullsneck - pale ale - attending - drink now!!

resonating what everyone else has said.

Great malt profile, balanced, beautiful hop flavour, passiona all round! :icon_cheers: 

hit this thing with a filter or some decent clarification and she'd be rocking. great beer mate. kudos

Up next wolfys IPA.


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## Lecterfan (15/7/11)

*10. Scums Steam cal common*. Visually clear and bright. Tight white head that stayed for the whole glass, great bracI mean lacing. Pretty high level of carbonation but suits the beer and it certainly is in no way overdone. Nice clean, lingering bitterness with a little hint of some citrus hops sneaking through. Again, Im still new to this style, with only two previous experiences and the BJCP website to guide me but Im putting it out there and saying this is a great beer both to style AND to my palate. Also loved the label.

*20. Wolfys Chinook ale.* Interestingly, contrary to Manticle, this is precisely what I was expecting albeit still not as bitter. Both my harvest ales have had huge whacks of homegrown Chinook and both have imparted this same flavour and aromaand both have been far maltier than expected/calculated. Even on my second one where I guessed it at about %5-6 (going from an experienced AHB members tasting thoughts) the AIPA still came out at probably 30-35 IBU (perceived) rather than the calculated 55. BUT BUT BUT (for those who havent tasted this beer or one like it), still a really nice beer, and the bitterness is there_at the very end of the beer_, which is nice, but would be good if it was a bit closer to the front to counteract some of the initial maltiness. The carbonation is on the low end of where I like it, but still fine for the style (and me). The colour is nice, head is ok but isnt huge due to lower carbonation. Pretty clear, if not bright. Nice one.

So
Aroma:  
Appearance: ^_^
Flavour: ^_^ 
Overall impression: B) 
(with apologies for being a smart arse haha)

*23. Iamozziyobs Central Heating Pale Ale*. Pours with a nice tight white head that doesnt hang around too long. Clear and bright. Lovely hop aroma and flavour, well balanced, on the lower side of IBU but the bitterness is lingering. This is very drinkable, I could smash through a heap of these in one session if push came to shove. There is something that I cant quite put my finger on in regards to the bitternessI think as it warms it starts to become a bit less balanced becomes maltier, to some degree thats to be expected I guess I dont have a problem with this beer. Top job.


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## manticle (15/7/11)

#19 Nick Penno: APA

Pours golden, reasonably clear, slight haze. Fluffy white head, seems to want to linger.

Aroma of citrus and pine, some sweet malt.

Carb moderate.

Flavour of piney hops, some woodiness (this is a good thing), little hint of sweet malts, reasonably full bodied. Soft finish with a lingering, but not harsh bitterness.

Balance of malt and hops is good with hops being the dominant party.

I can get a bit tired of the over-emphasis some brewers and craft breweries place on hopping the shit out of beer so I really appreciate a hoppy beer that takes care of other elements. The pine and the woodiness I describe work well together. I think the wood relates to a grain flavour but can't put my finger on it.

I haven't looked for a recipe but I'm going to suggest either chinook plays a part here or you're using a hop I'm unfamiliar with.

Great beer anyway. Really well balanced.


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## Fourstar (15/7/11)

#20: Wolfy 10 min greenbelt chinook IPA

Deep copper to mahogany in appearance with a low tight creamy foam (thanks to a pipette). Clean, sweet malt on the nose with a touch of fruit/melon.

Moderate to full palate and velvety. Flavour is rich sweet malt, somewhat toasty with a mild lingering toffee note in the finish. There is a mild astringency which may be due to the hops (there isn't any malts that would contribute it.) Bitterness is moderate and relatively clean considering the use of chinook (homegrown or not.)

What can i say, two beers down and two great beers at that. Could this be the best swap ever? well so far we are running at 100%. keep up the good work fellas, hopefully mine doesn't let the whole thing down.

:icon_cheers:


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## razz (15/7/11)

19. Nick Penno APA
Bloody beaut mate! The others have already said it, Kleiny has the best description, so I won't go over old ground. This ale reminds me of BrewDog Punk IPA. Please put the recipe up asap Nick, I hope you used 1272 as I have a pack in the fridge.
:super:


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## manticle (15/7/11)

#4 Razz: Bender Brown Ale

Pours clear brown, slight tan head, dissipates with minimal lacing.

Aroma of toffee, hint of green apple.

Carbonation moderate, little bit spritzy.

Flavour of sweet toffee malts, rich malt profile, quite sweet.
Not a lot on the bittering front.

There's a wee hint of the apple character which comes and goes. There's also a hint of something I would describe as yeasty. I've had the same characters from some English yeasts I've used when I haven't racked to secondary at 3/4 the way through ferment. 

Lovely grain flavour, could maybe benefit from a hint more bitterness (I realise it's not meant to be hop forward) and the absence of the things I mentioned.


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## proudscum (15/7/11)

manticle said:


> #20: Wolfy 10 min greenbelt chinook IPA
> 
> Pours very clear amber, faint white, thin head, some lacing.
> Aroma of subtle malt and the unfortunate sodium met that is still on my fingers from my bottle cleaning process.
> ...



a will second the above i too was expecting a much bigger hop kick.a nice simple clean beer .i should have captured the dregs to culture this yeast ...o well.

Cheers scum


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## Wolfy (15/7/11)

*Entry: #07 - Beer4U - Cali Common*




Aroma: :mellow: 
Apperance: :super: 
Flavour: ^_^ 
Overall Impression: 



proudscum said:


> i should have captured the dregs to culture this yeast ...o well.


Yup, you wont find it in shops locally and the only place that sells it does not ship Internationally.
I quite like it, Fourstar has a slant from the case-swap day, or I can make a slant if you really want to try it.


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## scott_penno (15/7/11)

10. Proudscum - Steam Beer

Pffftttt upon opening. Pours a copper color with a nice fluffy white head. Floral type aroma. Smells quite inviting actually. After the first few mouthfuls there's like this clash of different flavors - can't quite figure out what it is but maybe it's the combination of hops used or maybe it's just me. Also appears to be a small amount of oxidation. Both seem to disappear as I drink more, maybe as it warms up or maybe I just don't notice it any more. Not a bad beer but not one I'd go back for in a hurry. No offence.

sap.


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## scott_penno (15/7/11)

23. iamozziyob - Pale

Floral aroma upon pouring with a smallish head that persists (just) to the bottom of the glass. Yellow to gold color and amazingly clear to the point of brilliance. Fruity flavor that lingers on the pallete. Good level of carbonation and great balance to achieve a beer that is *very* drinkable. Could see myself drinking a number of these on a warmer summer afternoon. Any chance of adding the recipe to the recipe thread?

sap.


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## Yob (15/7/11)

gush


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## Kleiny (16/7/11)

13. Bullsneck APA
I think i got a different beer to the other comments.
Appearance: Was light amber and cloudy with no head 
Aroma: very light for an APA and just not the punch that others have reported
Flavor: very light malt and moderate bitterness
Mouth feel: this was a big one, i found very watery and lifeless on the pallet. i had to tip it due to this.
Overall: very little character little hop aroma flavor, little malt flavor. Not what others have talked about when it come to your beer.

I dont understand between my experience and others, did you leave some rinse water in this one and top it off with your beer? it is as if it was an APA diluted, but did not have any cleaner or sanitizer twang.


3. Zebba English Pale
This one may be the cursed beer, after somebody earlier in this thread dropped there's only to watch it go down the drain, I open my kegerator and the bottle rolls out of its position to the bottom of the fridge cracking the seal and allowing half of the beer to spray my fridge like Webber would spray a grid girl after winning.

Shame because what i got to taste was nice just not enough left to give any real feedback.


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## bullsneck (16/7/11)

Sorry about that Klieny. You obviously took the poisened one, bwahahaha.

Unfortunately, there's no more APA left, but if you're ever down this way pop in for a beer off draught.


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## proudscum (16/7/11)

sappas said:


> 10. Proudscum - Steam Beer
> 
> Pffftttt upon opening. Pours a copper color with a nice fluffy white head. Floral type aroma. Smells quite inviting actually. After the first few mouthfuls there's like this clash of different flavors - can't quite figure out what it is but maybe it's the combination of hops used or maybe it's just me. Also appears to be a small amount of oxidation. Both seem to disappear as I drink more, maybe as it warms up or maybe I just don't notice it any more. Not a bad beer but not one I'd go back for in a hurry. No offence.
> 
> sap.




No drama...maybe it just needed some more lager time.I had a couple of non brew monkeys help bottle it.will have to sample mine and give myself some feedback.First time i have brewed this style and i did 2 in 2 days and thinking back i should have used a little less crystal and the Northern brewer hops where 2009 crop as that was all that was available.

Cheers and no offence taken.


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## Siborg (16/7/11)

*17. sappas - Choco-lot Stout*




Appearance: Black with some hue visible when held to the light. Very fluffy tan head. 
Aroma: Sweet malts, some soft chocolate notes, no hop character.
Flavour: as above. Wasn't as chocolatey as I was expecting. Not too sure if that's a good or a bad thing, though. All the malt flavours were a bit sweet and it finished a little cloying with a touch of alcohol warmth.
Mouthfeel: Full and smooth. Carbonation maybe a touch too high.
Overall, not bad. The alcohol warmth at the end made it nice to drink on a cold winters night. As I said, not as chocolatey as I was expecting. What sort of chocolate did you add? It tasted more of malt sweetness than chocolate to me.
*
20. Wolfy - 10 Min Chinook Greenbelt IPA *




Appearance: dark copper, big off-white head.
Aroma: Some malt sweetness, with a little hop aroma
Flavour: First sip was nice and smooth. I got the crystal sweetness, quickly followed by some very smooth moderate hop bitterness. Finished only slightly sweet. I really like how the hopping has come out on this one. It's bitter and hoppy, without being over the top and harsh. The malt profile really supports the hops as well.
Mouthfeel: Big. Very smooth all round. Carbonation was perfect.
Overall: Mate, this is another cracker from the hoppy beers of this swap. It definitely has something different to it than the other hop-forward swaps (probably the home grown edge). My only criticism is maybe either a) a little too sweet on the finish or b] not quite bitter enough. I reckon either of those will put this beer into perfect balance. As it was, VERY drinkable beer. Top stuff, Wolfy!
edit: extra points for the apperance, Wolfy. Looks just as good as it tastes!


----------



## Wolfy (16/7/11)

*Entry: #06. Siborg - American Stout*




Aroma: B) 
Apperance: :huh: 
Flavour:  
Overall Impression: h34r:


----------



## razz (16/7/11)

20. Wolfy's 10 Min Chinook Greenbelt IPA

Well and truly undercarbed for my palate, as a result the sweetness in the malt is overemphasised. Bitterness also appears to be to low for an IPA. I'm sure I could have written more pleasing comments but the low carbonation has swung everything to far to the sweet side. Another four weeks and I'm sure it would have drunk much better. Sorry Wolfy


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## bullsneck (16/7/11)

*Beer #23 - Iamozziyob Pale Ale*

Loved the label. Good work. The beer - good session Pale Ale. Little aroma, pale straw in colour. Slightly sweet, more bitterness and aroma could have been a little higher.
If I was keen to party on, this would be my beer!

Did anyone pick up any acetaldehyde in this? Slight aromas and taste of freshly bruised apple for those playing at home.


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## Fourstar (16/7/11)

Kleiny said:


> #19 Nick Penno APA
> 
> Flavour: High sharp bitterness could almost be over done but just subdued with a slight caramalt background, great allround flavour with a dry finish making you want to go straight back for another.
> 
> ...




#19 Nick Penno APA


Aroma: ticks all the boxes. resiny, citrus, great balance.
Appeaance: as good as it gets
Mouthfeel: moderate body, creamy.
Flavour: great malt support and a wall of hop flavour. Resonating the above, the bittering is VERY high. Too much for my palate to be honest. It leaves my tongue raspy and bordering on astringent.

This bitterness may be due to your lower efficiency and consequently, an unexpected higher IBU carryover. Ive had 100+ IBU beers that dont bother me becuase they have that balance. This doesnt due to the harsh bitterness. 

I'd make sure that you're not adding too much in the way of salt blends and if you are adding salts, avoid things like using 5.2 with them as blends of high sulfate and sodium from the 5.2 can = harsh bittering. As can a higher pH so avoid carbonates too.

basically use Calcium Chloride for malty beers and Calcium Sulfate for Hoppy beers but not too much (no more than 10g per 22L final batch size.) 

Other than that, an enjoyable beer overall.


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## manticle (17/7/11)

& Beer4U: Cal Common.

Pours clear amber with a nice white head that slowly fades.

Faint aroma of citrus (orange).

Moderate-high level of carb. Medium mouthfeel.

Flavour of fresh grain and a hint of citrus hop (not massive USA C-hop).

Subtle supporting bitterness.

Really nice, clean, balanced beer from my perspective.


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## Lecterfan (17/7/11)

14. Kleiny Helles Bock (not really to style - his words, not mine). I've said it before, and so have plenty of others. A fantastic bloody beer. Clear, bright, nice nose and like a smack in the face after the first two big mouthfuls. Others will say more erudite things about this beer than me - but I just thought I'd publicly say that I really like it. And he is such a sensitive soul for feeling self conscious in Hawthorn...we didn't even hold hands crossing the road...


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## wakkatoo (18/7/11)

Only had 3 beers so far. Far better people than me to give the detailed analysis so I'm gonna give feedback based on my own personal taste. If I like it, I'll tell you why, if I don't , well I'll tell you that too. 

#4 Hoser - had this one a week ago so a bit foggy on my recollection however I remember liking the aroma. Mine had very little carbonation tho, can't remember if others had the same? will go back and check. Edit - would appear so. For me, some more carbonation would have made this a better beer.


#17 Sappas - Big whack of toasty, malty goodness up the nose followed by similar in the mouth. Had this on a particulary cold night and it was enjoyed.


#21 Manticle - Yeah, I know, wait till August or drink last. Well, boo to you! I've been playing swap lotto where I either send the kids up to the cupboard to grab a bottle or I get them to tell me a number between 1 and 24. Last night they came down with this bottle and not having your instructions in front of me, I went ahead and drank it. 

Manticle, all I can say is thankyou! A beautiful beer that I really enjoyed. Sure it might get better, but its damn fine right about now! :icon_cheers:


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## manticle (18/7/11)

Cheers Wakkatoo.

Glad you enjoyed it and fully understand about the child lottery.


----------



## [email protected] (18/7/11)

10. Proudscum - Steam Beer 






Pours with a beautiful thick head that lasts for most of the glass with lots of lacing.
Clear golden amber

I get hints of northern brewer on the nose , that rustic, slightly herbal note, which i love.

I think i notice a similarity from 2112 yeast in this beer, its a very slight fruitiness, which is a known attribute of this yeast.
I think this one has a bit more body than mine, which i like and you have still got it to finish
quite crisp and dry with a lingering bitterness.
I get a slight caramel /nuttiness in the after-taste, prob the simpsons crystal? if so i think i like.

Overall a very nice beer, i might like it a bit better than my effort? prob more to style as well, i could enjoy this often,as others have said
about mine, would make a great house beer.

I think there are some real finer attributes to this that i could not replicate - ie: if i am not mistaken this was brewed on
your braumeister? drinking this really makes me want one MORE, no doubt you could tweak this or repeat it with ease.
I think i need to get the wench to sell some friggn horses!


----------



## proudscum (18/7/11)

Beer4U said:


> 10. Proudscum - Steam Beer
> 
> View attachment 47131
> 
> ...



Playing with Temperature was the trick with this beer.16 deg c ferment then rest at 10 deg c for 21 days rack and cc for 21 days at as close to 0.it was also bottled 7 weeks before you drank it.I think you can still make bad beer with a bruamiester as this is only part of the overall process it just means i can full mash again with ease.that was batch #4 through the system.

Thanks for your liking this beer.

cheers Scum


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## zebba (18/7/11)

razz said:


> 20. Wolfy's 10 Min Chinook Greenbelt IPA
> 
> Well and truly undercarbed for my palate, as a result the sweetness in the malt is overemphasised. Bitterness also appears to be to low for an IPA. I'm sure I could have written more pleasing comments but the low carbonation has swung everything to far to the sweet side. Another four weeks and I'm sure it would have drunk much better. Sorry Wolfy


Yep I got pretty much the same.


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## zebba (18/7/11)

16. Lecterfan Schwartzbeer

Schwartz? Neg. More like rubin. But I'm no colour nazi, so I didn't just tip it on sight. Head was initially fairly loose, and soon dissipated to nothing. Syringe trick may have worked, but I'm a lazy man. Lazy, and last time I did that there was... cleanup...

Taste? Well, I get a lot of the hursbruker. Which is weird cause the recipe says it's only 60 minutes? So maybe it's the yeast? Spicy. But not phenolic spice, just... spice. I like it. Infinitely drinkable. 

Reviewing the recipe, and I kinda agree with you though. There's just something that could be better... and I have no idea what it is. I'm thinking maybe some munich malt? I mean, it's good. I've really enjoyed it. Just... something...


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## Siborg (18/7/11)

proudscum said:


> Playing with Temperature was the trick with this beer.16 deg c ferment then rest at 10 deg c for 21 days rack and cc for 21 days at as close to 0.it was also bottled 7 weeks before you drank it.I think you can still make bad beer with a bruamiester as this is only part of the overall process it just means i can full mash again with ease.that was batch #4 through the system.
> 
> Thanks for your liking this beer.
> 
> cheers Scum


Nice fermenter. I took my braumeister for its maiden voyage today. Went well. I'll post some pics and more details in another thread later


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## manticle (19/7/11)

#3 Zebba - English Pale

Pours with slight haze, golden/amber.

Nice white head that thins and remains with lacing.

Aroma of bread, very slight citrus, raisins and hint of alcohol.

Mouthfeel full, carbonation moderate.

Flavour: first thing is a big hit of warm alcohol. Unfortunately it dominates a little but the raisins, citrus and bread are still present and I've never been one to shy from a bit of alc in an alcoholic drink. I just prefer it at the finish rather than at the front of the palate if that makes sense. The big hit is in the first sip - subsequent sips, it is present but settles out a little. I get a nice nutty/biscuit flavour in the background

The fruitiness and bitterness are nicely balanced and if the alc was lessened by a touch it would be a really nice beer. Still is a nice beer - could be really nice beer with just a tweak somewhere.

I haven't looked at the recipe - I'm going to guess goldings and maybe a med/dark english crystal play a part in the citrus/raisin (although challenger could be a player too). Is it a strong beer or is the alc ferment related?


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## zebba (19/7/11)

Alcohol is a mix of higher than expected efficiency and attenuation.

Hops are challenger. Malt was golden promise, light crystal and a little wheat. Wy1968

I agree 100% with your comments. The alcohol is too forward. It should have been a good half percent lower.


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## manticle (19/7/11)

#5 McCook: English Pale

I had just moved here from New York. My Aunt had left me a small bungalow and I was about to start a job as a part time Vespa mechanic. Things were looking up.

I went to the wardrobe to take out my best pair of overalls. Put them on, felt around past the old tissues and lint in the pocket and found a small, plastic bottle that said "drink me". Closer examination showed a small '5' in some kind of mysterious ink.

What could I do but postpone the start of my first day with Vespafix &co., sit down with a large cigar and my favourite Chinkle six crystal pint glass and pour a large pint of the liquid inside?

All of a sudden I felt like a bloke giving an honest appraisal of a fellow brewer's beer and I felt a little terrified of who I had become.

Pours cloudy amber with little head that vanishes immediately.

Carb low, almost flat. Not sure if I've opened too early as there's no notes in the wiki.

Mouthfeel: flat beer with a hint of fizz. I guess full and flat.

Flavour: well here is the big surprise. I get nuts and toasty malts and a nice balance between bitter and sweet toasty malty goodness. In the faint distance there could be an apple singing but if he is, he's very subdued and maybe fallen asleep.

Essentially the beer is like a delicious recipe that's been conditioned well enough then bottled and opened after a couple of days for a tester. Lovely flavours - just the cloudiness and lack of fizz make me think that a recommended RTD date would be useful.

Fortunately, having personified the spirit of manticle (as he said his name was) I then fell over and twisted my ankle. I called in sick to work and was able to drink some more beer subsequently, with impunity and without consequence.

Huzzah.


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## Lecterfan (19/7/11)

Zebba said:


> Taste? Well, I get a lot of the hursbruker. Which is weird cause the recipe says it's only 60 minutes? So maybe it's the yeast? Spicy. But not phenolic spice, just... spice. I like it. Infinitely drinkable.
> 
> Reviewing the recipe, and I kinda agree with you though. There's just something that could be better... and I have no idea what it is. I'm thinking maybe some munich malt? I mean, it's good. I've really enjoyed it. Just... something...




Thats about right - it is a good quaffer, easy to drink 5 or 6 of them due to the "nothing-remarkably-outstanding-ness" of the beer. Surprised about the head though - it is about as highly carbed as I ever go with anything haha.

Pocket sparklers only good for English ales...

Thanks for the feedback


----------



## Siborg (19/7/11)

*1. WarmBeer - Oatmeal Stout*




Appearance: Jet black. Moderate, tan head. Didn't last long, possibly due to low carbonation.
Aroma: Sweet & roasted malt. Hints of licorice. Some very soft herbal hop aroma coming through.
Flavour: mmmmm. Chocolate, smooth roastiness. A little hop flavour. Getting a hint of licorice. A tiny bit of bitterness to finish.
Mouthfeel: Silky smooth. Low carbonation (after RTD date) but fine for the style. Body is medium-full. 
Overall: What a cracker! This is just so easy to drink and has everything I like about stout in it. Roasty, without being harsh. A little hoppiness. Smooth bitter finish and that silky mouthfeel from the oats. Top stuff, Warmbeer!

Now to sit back and enjoy! :chug:


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## proudscum (19/7/11)

#8 Vienna lager.a soft palate of a beer.clean with a faint noble hop aroma on the nose..a little wood and vanilla.Balance is as you would expect with maybe a little more eruo malt coming to the fore would be good.a little hazy which is surprizing as its come out of a 9degree fermentation fridge.head retention is good with Belgian lace to the end of the glass.A good session beer that i would go back for more...maybe its the Australian versions i have tried that are a lot more chewy but that goes back to the malt.A style i need to explore more and will be interesting to see how the new world version i made comes out in about 3 months time.cheers and thx.

SCum


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## scott_penno (19/7/11)

8. Husky - Vienna Lager

Pours a darkish color but quite clear with a nice tight fluffy head. Aroma of.... wet carpet. I tried drinking this but couldn't get past the wet carpet smell. Not sure if this sample was infected but I ended up tipping it.

sap.


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## [email protected] (20/7/11)

manticle said:


> #5 McCook: English Pale
> 
> ...
> 
> Huzzah.



:lol: 

Should've been RTD. Maybe the bottle didn't seal?

Cheers
Mal


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## WarmBeer (20/7/11)

Siborg said:


> *1. WarmBeer - Oatmeal Stout*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Glad you liked it, Si.

I've tried one of my testers, and found it a little too cloying in the aftertaste. I think most of that is due to me not getting it to attenuate past 1.020. Another 4 or 5 points and it would have been great.

It's definitely a meal-in-a-glass sort of beer, though, despite being < 5%


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## WarmBeer (20/7/11)

*13. Bullsneck - pale ale*

As mentioned previously, this is a little hazy, but with a small head that persists well.

Aroma is not in-your-face, but pleasantly aromatic. Plenty of hop flavour, without being too bitter. If anything, I'm finding it a _little_ too sweet, but only by a teensy-little-bit.

If anything, I reckon this could do with a little more carbonation, which would make it a great summer quaffer.

Good beer, mate. B-


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## Lecterfan (20/7/11)

#1 Warmbeer Stout - the PET is firm so all seems good.... (said the Bishop to the nun)...

With what I have read so far I poured this from a height into a pint glass and it resulted in a beer with a nice head that lasted for a good few mins...

Aroma is roast, with a hint of the complexity to come, mostly roast...

Taste - really ******* nice - there is definitely a complexity in there that isn't just roast, and I am assuming that is either some spec grains or some messing around with the oats in the original....

The head does die off reasonably quickly, but the mouthfeel on this is nice and full, helped along presumably by the fg and the oats...I can't see through this beer...and so it is an omen for me to ride North and command the watchers of the wall to preserve this beer... Looks great, drinks fantastically,

I have no problems with this as stout...



OKAY: so on the last half of the last pint of this I gave it the squirt...this brings all the aroma into the inch-thick head and the flavour becomes all about the mouthfeel... this would be a lovely beer through a hand pump no doubt, and as it is - is a fantastic beer to fend off the pummelling North wind that we get in Ballarat....
Yum!!!


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## WarmBeer (20/7/11)

Lecterfan said:


> The head does die off reasonably quickly, but the mouthfeel on this is nice and full, helped along presumably by the fg and the oats...I can't see through this beer...and so it is an omen for me to ride North and command the watchers of the wall to preserve this beer... Looks great, drinks fantastically,


Tis a drink for Northmen, for sure. All hail, the King of the North!


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## Lecterfan (20/7/11)

WarmBeer said:


> Tis a drink for Northmen, for sure. All hail, the King of the North!





edit: it seems to be ignoring my humorous and ironic replies to this (including suitably glorious Conan-styled sword/fantasy pics)....so **** this system, but be aware that I am well immersed in the heathen battle culture that would provide glorius battle pics for this stout with bare breasted ladies and be-saddled dragons frothing at the mouth HAHAHAAA


The stout is YUMMERS!


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## [email protected] (21/7/11)

1. Warmbeer - Oatmeal Stout




Felt like giving this puppy a run as well, what else is there to do in such bleak weather? All roads out are flooded... i fear water will soon be coming up through
our floorboards... 

Black as pair of ace of spades, pours with a decent head that quickly fades.

Very very smooth choc roast aroma, with a very slight herbal character.

Taste really is so very smooth its ridiculous, sweet velvety roastiness, i get choc / oats mid palate, very interesting.
Small amount of bitterness, if i brewed this for myself i would up the bitterness ever so slightly, as that saying 
goes there is a steak in every beer, well this one has 2.

Very full mouthfeel for me, it leaves me salivating with a sweet sticky taste. 
It makes me think that if uncle tobys could make those quick oats in chocolate flavour this is what i would want it to
taste like.

A cracking stout, delicious.


----------



## manticle (21/7/11)

#14: Kleiny: Helles Bock

Pours very clear amber despite my clumsy handling of the bottle before pouring.
Fluffy tight white head that looks like it wants to persist but dissipates (could be my glass.

Aroma of chocolate, toffee and alcohol.

Medium mouthfeel, medium/low carb (where I like it)

Flavour is very chocolatey, with a hit of sweetness and alcohol. Soft bitter finish.

This is a really nice beer Kleiny. All these elements that could ruin a beer if out of balance (alc, sweet etc) are in perfect harmony, at least to my palate. Might not do well in a style comp buy IDGAF about such things. I'm enjoying every gulp.


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## manticle (21/7/11)

#10: Proudscum: Steam Beer

Pours so clear I feel like I could shag the newsreader through the glass. Golden/amber colour.

Head is white, tight and doesn't want to go away.

Aroma mainly of sweet toffee malt. Mouthfeel medium/full, carb medium/low (again where I like it - sherbert mouthfeel rather than overgassed).

Flavour of sweet malt, subtle supporting bitterness, hints of toffee and a small piece of chocolate whispers to me from faraway Trinidad.

This is a standout beer mate. So far in this swap I haven't found any major disappointment - I reckon this one verges on superbly made and I think faults here would stand out like dog's balls in a cattery.


----------



## Wolfy (21/7/11)

*Entry: #23 - iamozziyob - Pale (Killer Ale) *




Aroma:  
Apperance: 
Flavour:  
Overall Impression: :chug:


----------



## Wolfy (21/7/11)

*Entry: #18 - Don Mateo - Robust Porter *




Aroma: ^_^ 
Apperance: :unsure: 
Flavour:  
Overall Impression: B)


----------



## proudscum (21/7/11)

manticle said:


> #10: Proudscum: Steam Beer
> 
> Pours so clear I feel like I could shag the newsreader through the glass. Golden/amber colour.
> 
> ...




Thanks for your kind words.i really workshopped the 2 beers i made for this swap and this was the better of the 2,would have liked to try this one of tap.i look forward to yours but will give it more time.cheers mate.


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## Siborg (21/7/11)

*14. Kleiny - Helles Bock (not really to style) *




Aroma - Sweet malt. rich caramel, soft chocolate, toasty/nuttiness. Alcohol rather strong
Flavour - Upfront: rich caramel/soft chocolate. slight bitterness in the aftertaste. toasty bready malt flavours. Alcohol is quite strong in the aftertaste. can start to feel vapours in the sinuses like spirits.
Appearance - Pale copper, low white head dissipates quickly - edit: amazingly bright.
Mouthfeel - medium-full, low-moderate carbonation

overall - haven't read the style guidelines at all when drinking this. I'm not too sure about this. I really like the malt character. I think the alcohol is a little harsh tasting in the finish and I think that detracts a lot from the rest of the beer. It looks perfect, except for the head (could be detergent-related). For me, everything that makes this good is spoiled a little by the harsh alocohol in the finish.
*****
At the end of the pint, I find my head spinning and wanting more of this. I wrote the above in notepad a while ago (AHB wasn't connecting for some reason and then I got on to some QuakeIII) and reading back on it, I think I like it more than the above review implied. I think the alcohol might not be as harsh as my first impression. Good thing I've got another bottle {i might compare notes}. I might try it a couple of degrees cooler next time as I only put it in the fridge for an hour or so from room temp of ~15C.

Edit: I had planned on trying Beer4U's cal common, but this has sort of knocked me on my arse a bit.


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## [email protected] (22/7/11)

24S09E01.12AM.TO.1AM.PROPER.DVDRip.XviD.torrent 

Synopsis:

A dishevelled man sits at a bar drinking a dark beer. It is 12am and a clock is counting up from midnight in the lower right hand corner of the screen. He is enjoying the beer, but is also ready to deal with terrorist threats. Events happen in real time. 

The screen splits and we see the president sleeping on the left, while Jack Bauer is still enjoying the beer on the right. Two masked men pounce from behind a curtain and stuff the president into a sack. Jack finished his beer and mutters, "If only more beers were as nice as this. Roasty, sweet, not too bitter, balanced." Jack leaves the bar with his trusty man bag slung over his shoulder, and on the left the president lets out muffled protests from the sack.

Two men are stalking Jack as he walks down the street towards his car. Using his innate terrorist sensing sixth sense (enhanced more so by the beer), he dispatches them ruthlessly before they even had time to say: "We've got the president, so you must do what we say, or else." As the last one dies, before Jack can extract any evidence of what they are up to, he mutters "Dammit."

The clocks noisily pings the last few seconds up to 1am. How time has flown.

Jack score 13 points for this episode.
(Scored using Kill Counter 3.5 added to with a mark out of ten for the beer)


----------



## [email protected] (22/7/11)

mcook said:


> 24S09E01.12AM.TO.1AM.PROPER.DVDRip.XviD.torrent
> 
> Synopsis:
> 
> ...



haha wtf? :blink: random

my guess is you drank - a brown porter, followed by a brown ale finishing with a warm beer? which would explain the enhancing of your innate terrorist sensing sixth sense ?


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## WarmBeer (22/7/11)

Beer4U said:


> haha wtf? :blink: random
> 
> my guess is you drank - a brown porter, followed by a brown ale finishing with a warm beer? which would explain the enhancing of your innate terrorist sensing sixth sense ?


Welcome to the scary, beautiful world of mcook beer reviews. Enjoy the ride.


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## Wardhog (22/7/11)

manticle said:


> Pours so clear I feel like I could shag the newsreader through the glass.



This should be the official highest rating of the clarity of a beer worldwide. I shall write a letter to the BJCP people demanding they adopt this.

:lol:


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## WarmBeer (23/7/11)

*16. Lecterfan- a not quite schwarzy enough schwarzbier*

Initially a bit alarmed on the first pour, as I thought I had grabbed Iamozzyob's Pale Ale "Hmmm, that's a _little_ dark for a pale". Went back and checked the list, and all made sense.

Lovely clear pour, just off black, with hints of ruby on the edges. Not much head, and it quickly disappears altogether, kinda like marriage.

Roast and chocolate in the aroma, which also comes through nicely in the beer's taste. I get a little bit of minerally-ness, notsure if it's from water additions, or your natural Ballarat water being harder than what I'm used to.

Great beer, easy to drink, and went down perfectly with a rare scotch fillet steak.

A.


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## manticle (23/7/11)

Notes from last night.

#12: Wakatoo: Sweet stout

Pour ruby/ brown with a modest head, some of which persists. I was surprised at how clear this beer is considering it's a stout - definitely lighter in colour than most. Closer to a porter or brown ale possibly.

Aroma of malt and a hint of apples.

Thin mouthfeel, low/moderate carb.

Flavour is sweet, pleasantly so, a hint of the apples, very little roastiness, caramel and chocolate notes.

This beer seems a lot thinner and lighter than the description 'sweet stout' would lead me to believe. I think it would benefit from the absence of the apple character but beyond that it makes a very tasty brown ale. Doesn't sit heavy like a cream stout might.

Cheers


----------



## manticle (23/7/11)

#16: Lecterfan: Schwarzbier

Pours clear, brown/copper into the glass..

Fluffy head persists

Aroma of blackcurrant.

Thin mouthfeel, moderate carbonation.

Flavour reveals breadiness, light roastiness, hint of coffee, choc and caramel.

Soft bitter finish, quite dry.

Definitely more braunbier than Schwartzbier but if Eva and Arnie don't mind, then neither do I. Could do with a bit more body but flavour is great. Nice complexity while retaining drinkability.


----------



## Lecterfan (23/7/11)

Thanks for the feedback guys. it's really interesting to see/hear everyones perceptions of it (including Brendo and Fourstar on the night). It's the third time I had used that recipe but the first time I'd done it as a double batch, and this is certainly a bit different to earlier incarnations.

I look forward to more comments. I know I've slowed down in my feedback, but I've drunk most of my RTDs haha. 

This was a bloody great idea :icon_chickcheers:


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## manticle (24/7/11)

More from last night

#8: Husky: Vienna Lager

Pours very clear brown/copper white head which slowly thins but persists.

Bready aroma.

Medium mouthfeel, moderate/high carbonation.

Subtle bitterness, slight burnt toffee, toast and honey flavours.

Overall delicious. I detect a hint of what I would describe as chalkiness but it's not dominant. Is this the same one you had at the swap? Homegrown PoR? I couldn't detect any specific hop flavour.


----------



## husky (24/7/11)

No mate, this one has saaz and styrian goldings, that was a 10min IPA with homegrown POR that you had on the night.
cheers


----------



## wakkatoo (24/7/11)

Nick Pennos APA, sorry mate, gusher alert! Smelt freaking awesome, but it all foamed down the sink. The little bit on my fingers tasted good tho!


----------



## Yob (24/7/11)

wakkatoo said:


> Nick Pennos APA, sorry mate, gusher alert! Smelt freaking awesome, but it all foamed down the sink. The little bit on my fingers tasted good tho!



phaark, good timing, just about to open this one, will tread careful


----------



## Golani51 (24/7/11)

15. Me (Golani)- 60min IPA:

I was worried. Had loads of awesome beer that night. Much better than anything I have done. Still, tasted my first one just now. 
Not too carbonated, but this would allow me to drink more with less repercussions. I really enjoy this type of beer. Enough bitterness without making me pucker (although I like puckering). Head discipated quiet quickly but it was fairly warm when I drank it (room temp), but had to give it ago before hearing other's comments. Fairly heavy on the body, but rolls down nicely. 

Not as clear as it would have been if chilled properly, but rarely are my beers.I need to work on that.

I could drink a fair few of these. Don't expect many to agree.


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## proudscum (24/7/11)

WarmBeer said:


> *13. Bullsneck - pale ale*
> 
> As mentioned previously, this is a little hazy, but with a small head that persists well.
> 
> ...



mine was quite hazy but i dont taste with my eyes all the time.i liked this a lot my carbonation was high but that took the sweetness away bitterness a little low for my PA taste budds but the aroma was very nice.
Am glad i had this one with dinner as it was a great match with a free range chook and fresh dug root veg from the garden.
The roasted beetroot which where small matched really well with the earthy/citrusness that i got from the malt/yeast/hop pairing in the bottle....yum yum yum.

and yes i am still painting and have been since 10.30 this morning.now on to beer #17 which has a lge head thats why i am here and not drinking it.

Cheers mate SCum


----------



## [email protected] (24/7/11)

wakkatoo said:


> Nick Pennos APA, sorry mate, gusher alert! Smelt freaking awesome, but it all foamed down the sink. The little bit on my fingers tasted good tho!



Was planning on hitting this one next day or so as well, have been serving mine from ambient storage = 10degrees 
Just grabbed this bottle and it is quite swollen and hard as a rock, il be chilling this one nice cold before opening.
Thanks for the heads up.


----------



## wakkatoo (24/7/11)

Beer4U said:


> Was planning on hitting this one next day or so as well, have been serving mine from ambient storage = 10degrees
> Just grabbed this bottle and it is quite swollen and hard as a rock, il be chilling this one nice cold before opening.
> Thanks for the heads up.



Yup, mine was at ambient, would recommend others to chill as it honestly smells awesome!


----------



## Yob (24/7/11)

#19 Nick Penno's APA. 

Opened slowly with no trouble, I should have let it sit for 5 mins or decanted should be fine.. but I didnt and was fine.. Pours with a large head which given a few mins reduces to a compact lasting head and thick lacing all the way down.

To my pallete, a full bodied beer, floral aroma and citrus flavour on taste then the IBU's kick in and linger, it's a big beer for sure, not a session beer for my pallete but certainly one that can be enjoyed after a hearty meal..

Nice damn beer NP

:kooi: :kooi: :kooi: h34r: 

(*3 and a half headbanging bogans and 1 security guard* out of a* Mosh Pit*) 

please keep in mind I have the effing flue ATM, and forgive my somewhat abject excuses for sensory translation 



On Pour


Let Settle 

Yob


----------



## proudscum (24/7/11)

#17

When it comes to chocolate i like Vahrona this is a little more cadburys .
I found the chocolate a little cloying in the lingering aftertaste re the cadbury reference.Would have been nicer if it was drier
and a bit more body, for a stout it seems a bit thin.......in saying this i couldnt really get overly excited about guinness in Dublin, was a soft cock and drank Harp.So i like super quality chocolate but not to keen on the dark side of beer.

at least i drank all and the dregs, so there you go.


Hmmm chocolate expresso cake fresh out of the oven just waiting for a little ganache.


----------



## Lecterfan (25/7/11)

#5 McCook English Pale Ale.

Pours a nice colour but very cloudy (not a big deal for me personally). Head dies off reasonably quickly and not much lacing.

Aroma is nice and taste is quite unexpected but very drinkable. I don't have the good adjectives for English beer I'm afraid, but I have drunk this beer after quite a few commercial English beers and the main difference is the lack of body and of full malt flavour/mouthfeel...this is a bit thinner and the hop flavour less spicy and more one dimensional. Overall this beer is well balanced, but the maltiness is a bit subdued. I don't know what the hell I'm talking about, and I have really enjoyed this beer, but I've also tried to provide an objective review....

If this were my beer then next time around I would aim for less residual sweetness and a drier, bitter finish...

Cheers :icon_chickcheers:


----------



## [email protected] (25/7/11)

19. Nick Penno - APA




Appealing golden colour, slight haze , which quickly clears as it warms up a bit. Excellent head and retention.

I could sniff this one all day, its got sweet fruity aroma that does not quit, fresh stone fruit , with citrusy zest.

Upon tasting i get fresh pine and citrus, slight grassiness , soft bready malt, with a moderate cleansing bitterness
that lingers slightly. 

Nice middle of the road in terms of mouthfeel, leaves me with fresh fruits in the aftertaste, the bitterness seems 
to hang on more as i drink more. A tasty and cleansing ale, i could drink a few of these on a summers day.


----------



## Siborg (25/7/11)

Beer4U said:


> 19. Nick Penno - APA
> I could sniff this one all day


Oh yeah... I really should brew this. Maybe drop back the bittering addition slightly. I'd love another bottle!


----------



## [email protected] (25/7/11)

Siborg said:


> Oh yeah... I really should brew this. Maybe drop back the bittering addition slightly. I'd love another bottle!



Just finishing the second half of it, i agree on both points, i honestly just thought the same thing myself, " i wish i had another bottle of that for ron"
also, yes a little less bitter would make it much sessionable :drinks:


----------



## zebba (25/7/11)

Had a few of late. 

8. Husky - Vienna Lager
In a blind tasting, I probably wouldn't have guessed it was a lager. Not that it was estery, but there were some definite fruity flavours going on. I'm no expert on the style, but if I'd been asked I would have said less body and a little more carb. As it was though, it hit the spot nice. Real nice actually. It wasn't what i was expecting, but I was pleasantly surprised regardless. I'm kinda surprised looking at the recipe at how big bodied it was, and am wondering if maybe there was an attentuation issue, or I'd gotten to it before it had a chance to carb properly. 

9. Razz - Bender Brown Ale
Probably the most "professional" one to date. I'm guessing it was filtered, cause it looked about as good as it gets. Tasted bloody nice too. To my tastebuds you got the toast/roast balance just right. Not much else to say frankly. I wouldn't change a thing.

7. Beer4U - Cali Common
Brilliant mate. Presentation was perfect - great clarity, excellent mousy head that stuck around the whole glass. Body, balance - both bang on. And the flavour was great. Got some nice mint and spice from the hops, and plenty of malt. Indeed, it was like I could taste the fresh grain. I'm guessing that was the victory malt. A cracking beer, wish I had a few more... And best of the swap so far...


----------



## [email protected] (25/7/11)

Zebba said:


> 7. Beer4U - Cali Common
> Brilliant mate. Presentation was perfect - great clarity, excellent mousy head that stuck around the whole glass. Body, balance - both bang on. And the flavour was great. Got some nice mint and spice from the hops, and plenty of malt. Indeed, it was like I could taste the fresh grain. I'm guessing that was the victory malt. A cracking beer, wish I had a few more... And best of the swap so far...




:wub: 

Thanks, I am pretty simple, in that its just nice to know something I have created and put myself into is being enjoyed and appreciated by others, that is all.

:icon_cheers:


----------



## donmateo (26/7/11)

Tasting notes so far, think I have a few bottles left.
It's been great to have so many different beers to try, and 
thanks to all who have taken part in the swap, some really
nice ones there.


16. Schwarzbier
Pours a nice dark ruby, small head
Aroma of fairly strong malt, almost vinuous meybe
Tastes nice, solid malt with restrained roast.
Very clean, dry and malty, thouroghly sessionable.
Yum.

9. Bender Brown Ale
Aroma malty, and something else a little strange.
Flavour some nice malt, but something else, the
same as what I was getitng in the aroma, this 
kind of gets in the way of me really enjoying
this beer.

4. Northern English Brown
Lovely nose, light fresh and malty.
Flavour smooth, nutty and lightly malty.
Easy to drink - perhaps could have some stronger
malty flavours there, no strike that, i've
just had another sip - it's great.
goes very well with freshly made sausages.

18 Vienna Lager
Great head retention
Aroma of clean malt, light sweet aroma.
Perhaps a touch of diacetyl, perhaps slightly
sweet. No big standout flavours, and perhaps
a little dominated by sweetness

6. American Stout
Pours very black, fast disapearing head
Aroma - primarily hops
Flavour, some nice malt, and primarily roast
as far as malt flavours I can taste. 
Some nice malt, silky, but quite hops dominant.
Nice beer, but personally would have liked to have some 
more malt flavours show through.

5. English Pale
Sweet aroma, nice tight head
Smoth malt on aroma, quite balanced.
(sorry, somehow notes got cut off here )

14. Helles Bock
Very clear, small head
Quite strong alcohol on the aroma, and some sweet malt.
Took about 4-5 seconds till i sensed the flavours after the first
sip. Very clean lager taste, quite dry, nice deep malt(relatively subtle), significant alchol.
Nice strong dry lager - personally I would have liked some more
malt depth and complexity in this beer to go with the sensation of alcohol
it has, but impressive.

7. Cali Common
Crystal clear, lovely tight head
Aroma fresh, light, hopy and enticing
Flavour clean, lots of tingle from high carbonation.
Very clean, quite hoppy, refreshing and pleasant drinking.

20. 10 min Chinook Greenbelt IP
Pours amber/red, small fluffy head
Aroma - deep, smooth hops, very fruity, strawberrys and cherry
Nice flavour, but something strange in there that I can't really
put my finger on and dominates a bit.

13. Pale Ale
Pours a murky light amber, small head
very light, fresh floral hop aroma just floats out of the glass.
Flavour is relatively subdued.
I loved the aroma here, would like some more yum's in the flavour though.

17. Chocolot Stout
Pours nice clean, very dark ruby. Nice packed tan head.
Aroma of dark cherry black forest, touch licorice, quite rich but fresh.
Flavour - oh yeah, solid malt, quite dry, chocolate and some roast.
Well proportioned, and balanced stout, very sessionable, very tasty and
some really top flavour without being overpowering, leaves me looking
for another one.

23. Pale
Aroma fresh, hoppy, champagne like, and appely nose (coopers like)
Great fluffy white head.
Brilliantly clear, light in color, med-high carb.
Tastes quite subtle, no big flavours, but also quite clean and dry.
Although the flavour is subtle, for me this is a very enjoyable beer,
and doesn't have anything to really detract from it. Although you could
argue that it could have some stronger flavour, I'm pretty impressed by
it's simplicity. Nice clean light and dry.

3. English Pale
Pours light amber.
Aroma quite sweet, perhaps overly sweet
Flavour full, nutty, nice and malty
Nice malty english ale.

1. Oatmeal Stout
Pours deep and dark
small head - gone.
Aroma rich...molasses.
Nice soft malt, some silkyness, very clear, lingering roasty notes.
Very moreish. Love how it packs in the flavour whilst not overpowering and
still quite dry.
Delicious.

19 American Pale
Big floral aroma
Pours very light gold, quite clear.
Fantastic big tight white fluffy head
Medium body, little on the sweet side, would like a little dryer
Nice drinking, lingering hops at the back of the throat.
I'd probably stop at one of these(but i enjoyed it), but I would imagine the 
hop lovers quickly back for more of this one.

12 Sweet Stout
Mmm, malt, quite intense, perhaps even some dark raisins/vinuous quality.
Small tight heat.
Soft on the pallett, some roast, very smooth.
Nice.

2. American Amber
Not carbed, but my fault for not waiting.
Aroma a bit cloyingly sweet, quite estery (or meybe it's the hops ..)
For me this was a little too sweet.

10. Cali Common
Nice aroma, very clear.
Great head.
Nice clean taste, well balanced and moreish
Enjoying each glass more and more.

24 Brown Porter
Nice and soft, very low carb (very much like cask ale)
quite clear, fully bodied, reasonably rich.
Very nice.

15. 60 Min IPA
Wonderful floral nose, some nice malt.
Nice, although somehting a little grating about the hoppiness 
just at the end.

18. Robust Porter
Unexpectedly found one of these in the garage when I thought
they were all gone, so my thoughts were..
Although I expected this might taste overly sweet, I really didn't
find this when I tried it, maybe the med-high carb covered it
a little, or some time in the bottle..
Reasonably clean, malty, chocolate and some roast.
Probably overdid it on the chocolate malt here with the
color very dark. I'd have liked to get some more fruity notes in there and a bit more aroma,
and next time dry it out more, but reasonably happy with it.


----------



## [email protected] (26/7/11)

24S09E02.1AM.TO.2AM.PROPER.DVDRip.XviD.torrent

Synopsis:

Last time on 24 Jack Bauer drank a really nice Oatmeal Stout and dispatched two terrorists. In a seemingly unrelated event the president was kidnapped.

The digital clock starts counting up. Jack is finishing hiding the bodies and in desperate need of another drink. His phone rings. It's CTU and they need his help because the president is missing. In almost no time at all a helicopter lands and he scrambles aboard. While on board he takes on supplies: more ammo, smoke grenades and an Amber Ale. He looks at his watch and gauges there is just enough time to drink the beer, so he chugs it down. Malt driven, low on the fizz and easy drinking, he slams it down fast.

The scene flips over to president, who is tied to a chair, being tortured by nunchuck wielding Mormon seperatists. Enough said, though one of them looks creepily like the Napolean Dynamite actor.

Back at CTU things are grim. Jack begrudgingly agrees to help, though this is definetly the last time. CTU's crack computer hacker team have intercepted a suspicious transmission. Jack needs to go to the docks. CTU policy dictates he has to take a partner. Jack looks at the fair haired, blued eyed rookie suspiciously. "Who are you?"

"Jesse Pinkman, yo!"

Time is up.

Jack score 7 points for this episode.


----------



## manticle (26/7/11)

#20: Seemax: American amber

Pours slightly hazy copper/amber with a small tight head. Head lingers but beer needs to be poured from height for it to form. Lacing.

Aroma of fruit, toffee and pine. Delicious smell.

Carbonation low. Low, even for me.

Flavour is rich fruit, some almost christmas cake qualities with more refreshing fruits cutting through, a hint of milk chocolateand a big sweet finish. Slight lingering bitterness.

Overall, this beer has a massive malt profile and a very big hop flavour. Hop bitterness is present but subtle. I have a house APA that is very similar (massive toffee and fruit) but mine is a fair bit more bitter. This reminds me of that beer - being my house beer, obviously I like it. Could be a bit more bitter to balance the fruit and toffee but to be honest that's being picky. Loads of hop flavour and good malt backbone to balance it.

Definitely up the carb or make people hang on for longer but great complex and layered flavour profile going on.


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## seemax (26/7/11)

manticle said:


> Carbonation low. Low, even for me.



I did prime with 1tsp per bottle. I can only assumed too much yeast had dropped out whilst being chilled for many weeks. Sorry people!!


----------



## manticle (26/7/11)

#1: Warmbeer: Oatmeal Stout
Disclaimer 1. Before tasting, I had just put a drop of iodine on a mouth ulcer.
Disclaimer 2: I actually opened this bottle on Sunday, had a half glass, then re-capped and shelved until last night (Tue). Too late for reviews then but not too late for a night cap.
Pours a deep, dark, velvetty, noir-ish, shadowy, black with opaque ebony highlights.
White tan head, thins, lingers, wee, wee bit of lacing as the glass emptys.
Rich aroma of oats (ah ken tha cas ah jus bottle ain mesel) roast grains, coffee, chocolate. 
Full mouthfeel, low/moderate carb (closer to low tonight, closer to moderate on Sunday).
Flavour is rich choc and coffee with a bit of nuts and even some porridge.
This is easily the best beer Ive tried from you in recent swaps and exactly what I expect from an oatmeal stout. I dont agree that it needed to drop any more gravity points I hear oatmeal stout, I want a full rich drink thats like a meal. Hint of bitterness at the end that is as much from roast as it is from hops.
Top beer, well balanced and delicious. Bit too black-black though. I was hoping for blue-black. Not sure I will ever understand this carbon black craze. Are we not translucent in full sunlight? Are our mouths not made of glass??


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## Siborg (27/7/11)

seemax said:


> I did prime with 1tsp per bottle. I can only assumed too much yeast had dropped out whilst being chilled for many weeks. Sorry people!!


I was going to have this soon. Might hold off for a bit.


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## manticle (27/7/11)

seemax said:


> I did prime with 1tsp per bottle. I can only assumed too much yeast had dropped out whilst being chilled for many weeks. Sorry people!!



Out of all the things that can go wrong with a beer, this is the least worrisome. Flavour was great, head retention depsite the low carb was also good.


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## [email protected] (28/7/11)

20. Wolfy - Home grown Chinook 10min IPA 






Clear amber with a reddish tinge, golden towards the edges of the glass. Decent white head with ok retention, good lacing.

Very faint, piney aroma.

Fairly robust bread crusty maltiness (nice) some spicy herbal hop flavour, the bitterness is there, its quite smooth
and not in my face or on the tip of my tongue, again enjoyable. Slightly sweet finish.

Mine has good carbonation i would guess the low side of moderate, i would not want it to be anymore.

Overall quite rich flavour, and above moderate body, but does finish fairly clean, with a hints of something i cant describe,
i think this must be something to do with the homegrown factor, its different and not unpleasant, looking foward to growing
my own chinook this year, i think i might try and culture this yeast as well.

Cheers


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## manticle (29/7/11)

Two from last night:

#23 Iamozziyob: Pale ale

Pours beautifully clear straw gold with small white head. Head dissipates, some lacing remains.

Subtle hop aroma, very slight detection of what I associate with kit twang.

Carb moderately high, body and mouthfeel verging on a little thin.

Flavour is very well balanced with a subtle citrus hop and the kit twang found in the aroma seems absent in the flavour. Pretty clean tasting beer this one.

Essentially a really nice, easy drinking, subtly hopped beer that would be great in summer, as a lawnmower beer etc. There's a distinct hop flavour but it's not punch you in the face hop flavour like the level in a JSGA when it's fresh.

For my palate, slightly fuller body and/or less carb would be preferable but I love full bodied, lower carbed beers so of course I'm going to say that.

This is a good beer and the best I've tried from you to date.


#13: Bullsneck: Pale ale

Pours slightly cloudy golden, good size head that remains.

Aroma of something chocolatey, something orangey and something that just vaguely reminds me of kit/extract.**

Mouthfeel medium, carb moderate.

Flavour........well I'm not sure what to say. First part of first sip there is something that I can't put my finger on that is disappointing. However the middle and finish goes through an array of complexity that completely belies the aroma and the initial taste. I'm getting woodiness, nuttiness, biscuits, chocolate, earthiness and a delicious balance between bitter, sweet and dry. There's a hint of orange marmalade poking through. Based on that description and without looking at the recipe, I'd guess challenger and fuggles hops but I could be (and probably am) way off. The woodiness and citrus also reminds me a bit of some Brett beers (I love the woodiness brett* can bring) Body could be upped a touch but the layering in the finish is both complex and enjoyable.

*can't remember which strain as not all are woody/leather.

**Subsequent smellings are making me think more and more of Brett (not CityMorgue2) rather than kit. Any likelihood you have any in your brewery? If you do, it's making your beer smell slightly funny but taste amazing.


----------



## Wolfy (29/7/11)

*Entry: #19. Nick Penno - American Pale Ale*




Aroma: :icon_drool2: 
Apperance: :super: 
Flavour: :excl: 
Overall Impression:


----------



## manticle (29/7/11)

manticle said:


> #13: Bullsneck: Pale ale..................
> 
> blah blah
> 
> ...............Brett........blah blah



Only drank half the bottle. The second half I tried again today and had a different experience.

Still cloudy, this time flat (my fault - left overnight not sealed properly).
Aroma of passionfruit and pineapple. No kit/extract reminder and no brett (although some strains of brett are associated with pineapple I think this was hop related.

Less citrus, still got the woodiness and complexity but less inclined to think brett plays any role.

My original review is now worthless except I enjoyed the complexity of the beer.


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## Lecterfan (29/7/11)

4 Hoser's northern english brown.

I am totally ignorant of this style - yes, even moreso than some others (although some of you are wondering where the limits of my ignorance are....probably around the edges of the Euthyphro dialogue).

Anyway, pours clear but not bright, nice head but doesn't hang around. The taste seems well balanced, plenty of malt but also bitter enough not to be too over the top.

BJCP tells me this is a great beer (at least if I am interpreting their website correctly), and for my tastes it is really drinkable. I was pretty blown away by the other brown I've had so far (Razz's 9), but of course this is a very different beast, and this is reflected in the deeper amber colour (as opposed to the balls-out-browness and deep flavours of the other). I don't know what to say as nothing springs out at me like in some other beers, so well balanced I guess, very drinkable.

yum, nice one. :icon_chickcheers:


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## donmateo (29/7/11)

just got some judging sheets back as I dropped a bottle of my entry in the swap in a comp. All of the judges said it was oxidised, so i would be interested to hear if anyone else thought the same. The bottle I entered in the comp and most of the bottles I had in the swap were all PET, the one I tasted recently I didn't get any oxidisation from, but that bottle was glass, and I'm wondering if perhaps it could be the plastic bottles.


----------



## manticle (30/7/11)

#?: Golani51: 60 min IPA

Pours with a small head that dissipates, some lacing. Hazy golden/copper.

Aroma of fruit, pine and grainy malt.

Moderate/low carbonation.

Sweet and bitter with a bitter finish, some caramel, lots of piney,resinous hops.

Really nicely balanced for my palate, slight puckering on the finish but enough malt character to support the bitterness.

Good beer, cheers.


----------



## Yob (30/7/11)

manticle said:


> from last night:
> #23 Iamozziyob: Pale ale
> This is a good beer and the best I've tried from you to date.



Im gunna take this as a good thing B) 

Im a bit dissapoined that a 'twang' was still there but par for the course I guess.. happy with your overall impressions though :icon_cheers: 

subsequent brews of this nature have had subtle reductions (dex) and additions (DME WME Hops) that I reckon do give it a bit more body and also less carbed (slightly) also I agree is helping.. I think this one will be my favorite sitting in the inflatable pool this summer :icon_drunk: (cant wait for the pimped galaxy version)
Yob


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## manticle (30/7/11)

'Twang' was only in the aroma and I'm yet to experience a kit (not including stout kits with a massive mash thrown at it or an FWK) that doesn't betray a bit of that somewhere along the line.

Yes take it as a good thing. Enjoyed the beer.


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## manticle (30/7/11)

#1(?): Siborg: American Stout

Pours black with tan head that seems to like my company.

Aroma mainly of chocolate, sweetish is aroma can be sweet.

Mod/low carb, full mouthfeel.

Flavour initially seems just like smooth chocolate and I'm wondering where the American bit is. Then bam - piney resin and a hit of hop bitterness.

No more to add except really well brewed stout. Pineyness held up well with body and malt.

Great stout.


----------



## manticle (30/7/11)

manticle said:


> sweetish is aroma can be sweet.




'IF', not 'IS'


----------



## razz (30/7/11)

Don Mateo said:


> just got some judging sheets back as I dropped a bottle of my entry in the swap in a comp. All of the judges said it was oxidised, so i would be interested to hear if anyone else thought the same. The bottle I entered in the comp and most of the bottles I had in the swap were all PET, the one I tasted recently I didn't get any oxidisation from, but that bottle was glass, and I'm wondering if perhaps it could be the plastic bottles.


I'm just enjoying your porter now Don Mateo and no signs of oxidation to me. 
This pours very well, great head that sits to the bottom of the glass. Slight fruit and tar aroma, carbonation is low to moderate and it is a very black colour. Roast and hop bitterness flavours which finishes very very smooth and slightly sweet. No hint of 5.7% alcohol. Looks as good as it tastes as it smells. 
One thing, for a robust porter it is looks, smells and tastes almost stout like! 
:kooi:


----------



## Siborg (31/7/11)

razz said:


> I'm just enjoying your porter now Don Mateo and no signs of oxidation to me.
> This pours very well, great head that sits to the bottom of the glass. Slight fruit and tar aroma, carbonation is low to moderate and it is a very black colour. Roast and hop bitterness flavours which finishes very very smooth and slightly sweet. No hint of 5.7% alcohol. Looks as good as it tastes as it smells.
> One thing, for a robust porter it is looks, smells and tastes almost stout like!
> :kooi:


I think I may have judged your beer, if you entered it into stout ex last month. I can't remember whether or not I could pick up on the oxidation (had so many robust porters, can't remember which was which). I did have this the other day and I definitely couldn't pick up on any oxidation. That's not to say that it's not there, as I'm not as sensitive to some of these flaws as others. I sat down and enjoyed your porter over an episode of _sons of anarchy[/]. It was a very nice drop. It actually inspired me to go out and brew one. 

I do tend to agree with Razz, though. It was very much on the verge of being a stout. All that aside, though... a very enjoyable and drinkable beer that I would gladly order a few more pints of._


----------



## donmateo (31/7/11)

Siborg said:


> ...
> I do tend to agree with Razz, though. It was very much on the verge of being a stout.
> ...



Yep me too, I think i went way overboard on the dark malts with it ..probably a few tweaks on the recipe for next time.


----------



## donmateo (31/7/11)

These wrap it up for me, thanks again guys.

11. Pumpkin Beer
Gushed a little, very foamy (orangy) head. Loads of floaties.
Aroma really interesting and nice, hops and spices, noticable alcohol.
Taste - quite nice, soft spices and malt.
This beer probably isn't for me - but I
don't think there's anything wrong with it, the flavours
seem to be pretty good.
One thing I'd say is that it would be good to filter
this beer I think, as all the 'juice' type floaties kind
of make you feel like your drinking a fruit juice or something
rather than a beer.
My first pumpkin beer - cool!

22. JD Oak aged dry stout
Tight tan head, aroma of deep malt, slightly vinous, raisins.
Taste, very nice and smooth, sweet, rich but not cloying
Clean, definate trace of oak which complements it well.
Great head retention all the way to the last drop.
Very ejoyable.

21 Grand cru
Pours very clear, golden/light amber
Great pillowy white head
Aroma - Oh my! Fresh fresh belgian, creamy, medows, softly spicy,
some alcohol but extreemly soft.
Taste very clean, pleasingly sweet, mouthfeel quite full.
The qualities in the aroma carry through very nicely to the flavour, and each sip
rewards you more and more. very authentic.
Joyous hand clapping.
I'm going outside to jump up and down.


----------



## Lord Raja Goomba I (31/7/11)

Don Mateo said:


> Yep me too, I think i went way overboard on the dark malts with it ..probably a few tweaks on the recipe for next time.



Isn't this the fun of being a homebrewer.

Meh, I don't care about sticking to "rules"; or'

That didn't quite work for me, I'll adjust x, y and z next time.

You gotta love have such a detailed understanding of the whole process and just changing stuff for the hell of it.

Goomba


----------



## Lecterfan (31/7/11)

Lecterfan said:


> *18. Don Mateo's Robust Porter*. Pours with a nice tan head that lasts reasonably well. Heaps of big roast flavours, but just enough residual maltiness to stop it being too overtly stout-like. Good mouthfeel, especially as it warms. Not a lot of aroma. Highish FG I'm guessing? Tastes like it has a lot of body... I'd struggle to get through too many of these*
> 
> Most of the porters I've tasted have been homebrewed examples. While I enjoy it, it is not my fave style - but it is great for a bleak night in Ballarat in front of the heater. There have been two robust porters that really stood head and shoulders above all others that I've tried. One was Vic45s (drawn through the hand pump it was amazing), and now this one following shortly after.
> 
> ...



I am a total philistine, but isn't worrying about a robust porter straying into stout territory a case of splitting hairs (and not the good kind)?

I thought it was delish.

Cheers.


----------



## manticle (1/8/11)

Don Mateo said:


> These wrap it up for me, thanks again guys.
> 
> 
> 21 Grand cru
> ...



Cheers.


----------



## insane_rosenberg (1/8/11)

Don Mateo said:


> 11. Pumpkin Beer
> Gushed a little, very foamy (orangy) head. Loads of floaties.
> Aroma really interesting and nice, hops and spices, noticable alcohol.
> Taste - quite nice, soft spices and malt.
> ...



Yeah,

Given my time again I don't think I would bulk prime with roast pumpkin pulp. Either that or give the pulp a more vigorous blending to break down all the floaties.

Reccomend to chill overnight and pour gently to leave the pulp (and US-05) in the bottom of the bottle.

Glad you like the spices, they definitely made the beer for me.


----------



## Siborg (1/8/11)

Shane R said:


> Yeah,
> 
> Given my time again I don't think I would bulk prime with roast pumpkin pulp. Either that or give the pulp a more vigorous blending to break down all the floaties.
> 
> ...


I've looked at the bottle a few times when deciding what beer to have and it seems pretty clear. I'll give it a good chill first and have it soon.


----------



## [email protected] (1/8/11)

23: iamozziyob - Pale Ale 
(pick turned out kinda trippy..some interesting contrast though)





Brilliantly clear shiny gold. Medium white head that settles down quickly, good retention with little bits of lacing.

Subtle floral / fruity aroma - tiny hints of melon

Quite sweet initially, with some hops flavours just noticable, its backed up fairly well with the bitterness, but does not last quite long enough for me.
Med - high carbonation, moderate body, this finishes reasonably clean, some faint hop flavours and/or fruitiness in aftertaste.

yep would go well on a summers day for sure, pretty easy drinking and nothing in your face about it.

cheers


----------



## Wolfy (2/8/11)

*Entry: #03. zebba - English pale*




Aroma: :mellow: 
Apperance:  
Flavour: :unsure: 
Overall Impression: :huh: 



As a personal preference, it seems I prefer beer on the lower end of the carb scale, I found this to be over-carbonated for a UK style beer, however *zebba *thought mine was under-carbonated.


----------



## Wolfy (3/8/11)

*Entry: #02 - seemax - American Amber*




Aroma: :mellow: 
Apperance:  
Flavour: <_< 
Overall Impression: ^_^


----------



## Lecterfan (5/8/11)

No.2 Seemax American Amber.

Good head, good lacing. Carbed a bit higher than my beers but actually suits it well, helps the hop aromas get through the malt.

Nice and malty, well bittered with some flavour from some US hops coming through???

Pours fairly hazy and tastes pretty big in the mouth...does this have a highish FG? Slightest trace of alcohol at the end, but it blends in well with the other flavours.

Yum!

edit: looked at recipe thread - yea the cascacde and centennial come through but I reckon the bit I'm grooving on is the Briess caramel malt... there is just that hint of caramel that Ihaven't really tated before and I reckon that malt might explain it!


----------



## [email protected] (5/8/11)

5: Mcook - English Pale




Amber with gold highlights, small off white head that hangs around for a little while.

Hints of floral / earthiness in the aroma with a touch of caramal.

Initial taste of tofee/caramel, with some biscuity notes, smooth bitterness hits mid palate balance's well, does not hang around.
Finishes with a nice rounded biscuity caramel flavours, some hop flavbours in the back seat.
Body is a bit above moderate, carbonation on the lower side.

I am quite enjoying this beer, thanks.


----------



## seemax (5/8/11)

It did finish a little high (1.016 from memory).

The caramalt / crystal was Global and the choc was actually Simpsons Dark Choc. I'm not a huge malt lover but I think it worked out pretty well, next time I would lower the OG a tad a increase the cascade to balance it a little more.

Glad you enjoyed it.


----------



## Lecterfan (5/8/11)

seemax said:


> It did finish a little high (1.016 from memory).
> 
> The caramalt / crystal was Global and the choc was actually Simpsons Dark Choc. I'm not a huge malt lover but I think it worked out pretty well, next time I would lower the OG a tad a increase the cascade to balance it a little more.
> 
> Glad you enjoyed it.



Interesting - I generally don't like the JW Choc malt flavour, but I had no probs with this one (thus ruling out the possibility that I dislike choc malt full stop). Although increasing the cascade might bring it more to style, if I was brewing this all I'd do is lower the OG but keep the bitterness high 30's. the mouthfeel was fine, still a lovely beer but rules it out of quaffing territory for me - I am the kind of yobbo who likes 7-8 pints at a time if he can haha. Having said that, as part of a case-swap tasting sample it is brilliant as it gets to stand on its own!

Also:

Golani51's (presumably) 60 min IPA.

Maybe could have done with another week or two in the bottle (at ambient Ballarat temps), it was carbed fine for me but gave the impression it was going to do more. Poured fairly cloudy, not much hop aroma, some hop lavour, but I thought the beer was well balanced on the whole. In fact I would've drunk another longneck or two before looking for something different were it one of my own.
Sorry to be abrupt with this one, but I'm slowing down at the end of a long week :icon_cheers:


----------



## Lecterfan (6/8/11)

17. Sappas Choco-lot stout.

Lovely roasty flavours, beautiful ruby red and clear around the edges of the glass. Can't say there is any discernible Chocolate flavours or aromas, its all roast. Very drinkable stout though.


----------



## manticle (6/8/11)

#?: Hoser: Northern Brown ale

I tried this a few nights ago but it was late and there was something I couldn't put my finger on. I put half the bottle away so I could review it properly but keep in mind this review is of a bottle that's been sitting on top of my fridge, half full for about 4 days.

Pours cloudy copper/light brown, head forms and seems to linger (the other night it vanished immediately so the glass may be playing a part).

Aroma is earthy with something that reminds me of carob and that thing I can't put my finger on.

Mouthfeel medium, carb very low but see above. I don't remember it being super fizzy when I first opened it but I think it had more carb then.

Flavour is earthy, slight sweetness in the finish. Trying it today is a lot better than my memory of it a few nights ago but I reckon we can work on making it shine. Needs some more oomph in the malt department maybe - some extra dimension, maybe some biscuit and toffee notes or something along those lines.

Not sure if this was AG, partial or kit but for the next one, look at using all english malts, a good UK liquid yeast and include some biscuit malt in there and I reckon you'd have a cracker.


----------



## WarmBeer (6/8/11)

*20. Wolfy - 10 Min Chinook Greenbelt IPA*

First smell of this one had me thinking "uhh, ohh, we've got an infected one here". Slightly medicinal, phenolic aroma, but I persisted anyway.

Poured beautifully clear, with an inch of head that hung around.

First taste dispelled any doubts of infection, this is a _beautiful_ tasting beer, very well balanced. The domestic Chinook is nothing like the imported pellets.

All I can assume is that I mis-interpreted my lack of exposure to either your homegrown hops, or the greenbelt yeast as contributing the (slight) medicinal smell.

Excellent beer, Wolfy.

A.


----------



## manticle (6/8/11)

#11: ShaneR: Pumpkin ale.

Never had a pumpkin ale, always been dubious but time to get over my ill informed prejudice.

Bottle is a very slow gusher which may have contributed to it pouring cloudy, brown.

Aroma of spices, mainly cinammon, maybe a hint of nutmeg but could be psychosomatic.

Head forms, thins, some lingers a bit.

Mouthfeel moderate, carbonation moderate.

Flavour I get a lot of ginger, almost like I'm drinking Ginger beer. That settles down after the first sip or two though. I get a bit of pumpkin pie and roast pumpkin - like when you slow roast pumpkin pieces with the skin still on and get that lovely caramelisation.

Overall this isn't necessarily a beer that I'd rush back to but I reckon that's me, not the beer. It tastes well balanced and it's far from being overspiced (the main danger with this kind of beer). I do also get some pumpkin as well as spice which I've been led to believe is not easy.

Nice sweetness in the finish, no discernible fermentation faults, generally a pretty good beer and what my brain has suggested I would expect from a pumpkin ale.


----------



## manticle (6/8/11)

#17: Don Mateo: Robust porter

Pours very dark bur very clear with ruby highlights.

Off white head that stays to chew the fat.

Aroma of English malts, chocolate, carob and molasses.

Mouthfeel moderate, carb moderate/low

Flavour - chocolate, biscuit, very slight hint of paper. Finish is slightly (not overly) sweet which suits the beer.

Overall - delicious well balanced porter with maybe a hint of oxidation.


----------



## big78sam (6/8/11)

WarmBeer said:


> *20. Wolfy - 10 Min Chinook Greenbelt IPA*
> 
> First smell of this one had me thinking "uhh, ohh, we've got an infected one here". Slightly medicinal, phenolic aroma, but I persisted anyway.
> 
> ...




I did an all cubed hopped homegrown chinook IPA and thought exactly the same thing! I actually wasn't a fan so I've got bags of the stuff I'm not sure about. I'm thinking of a LCPA with some commercial Cascade to see how that goes.


----------



## [email protected] (6/8/11)

WarmBeer said:


> *20. Wolfy - 10 Min Chinook Greenbelt IPA*
> 
> First smell of this one had me thinking "uhh, ohh, we've got an infected one here". Slightly medicinal, phenolic aroma, but I persisted anyway.
> 
> ...



I know the smell you speak of.

Definitely was something to do with the home-grown chinook i reckon.

I re-cultured the yeast, its just finishing up 2L worth of 1035 LDME wort and i cant believe how nice it smells!
From the earlier stepping up it seems to drop bright real quick as well, looking forward to using it in a brew.


----------



## Golani51 (7/8/11)

Lecterfan said:


> Interesting - I generally don't like the JW Choc malt flavour, but I had no probs with this one (thus ruling out the possibility that I dislike choc malt full stop). Although increasing the cascade might bring it more to style, if I was brewing this all I'd do is lower the OG but keep the bitterness high 30's. the mouthfeel was fine, still a lovely beer but rules it out of quaffing territory for me - I am the kind of yobbo who likes 7-8 pints at a time if he can haha. Having said that, as part of a case-swap tasting sample it is brilliant as it gets to stand on its own!
> 
> Also:
> 
> ...



Cloudiness is a virtue. I have never done too much to clarify my beers but will be working on it. I had my remaining bottle on Friday and it was more carbed than a week previous, but it didn't carb up as much as I would have expected. I dig hops, but enjoyed this one personally. Will give it another go though in the coming weeks.

Thanks,

R


----------



## WarmBeer (8/8/11)

*3. Zebba - English Pale Ale*

Pours a lovely straw colour, but a little cloudy. I get a small, but persistent head.

Only a very faint aroma coming off this one, but what little I get is good.

First taste is good, really, really good. Great balance with a slight biscuity-ness, and earthy/floral hop flavour. Leaves a nice, clean aftertaste, improving drinkability. It's a little bit too carbonated for an English style, but apart from this little issue, I can imagine downing several pints of this in a British beer garden overlooking Stratford-on-Tyne.

Excellent beer, mate, just drop the carbonation by 25%, and ensure you get full conversion to help with the clarity.

A.


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## [email protected] (8/8/11)

15: Golani51: 60min IPA




Good aroma - i get stonefruit / resinous citrus/ pine 

Pours with a small white head that departs quickly, still retains a thin layer throughout the glass and lacing here and there.
Hazy burnt orange colour that clears more as it warms.

Chewy caramel and grainy malt initially, quickly taken over by bitterness that peaks then coats the inside of my mouth and
lingers for quite a while, leaving a slight warming sensation at the back of my throat.

Quite full bodied for me, for this type of beer, coupled with low carbonation means its more of a long term sipper.

Aftertaste is pleasant once the bitterness subsides. sweet caramel malts and i get the fruity /pine hop flavour especially if i make myself burp.
A good sipper for a cool afternoon.


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## Golani51 (8/8/11)

Beer4U said:


> 15: Golani51: 60min IPA
> 
> View attachment 47543
> 
> ...


Thanks. I must say though that it is one sexy looking glass.


----------



## [email protected] (8/8/11)

Golani51 said:


> Thanks. I must say though that it is one sexy looking glass.



haha yeah kinda :blink: 

Its a Boags premium glass...my old man won several of them at golf, never used, so when i started brewing i claimed them, have never bothered to get anyting else except my Dimmies $2 jar which i use frequently for a half measure for easy drinking :icon_drunk: but its not very photogenic

Edit: im actually half way through my second glass, being only 330ml, im enjoying it much more than the second run..


----------



## Yob (8/8/11)

12 - Wakkatoo - Sweet Stout





Have to preface this by saying hough, as a dark beer, its not my style 'generally'..

Pours With a Nice head that reduces but enough retmain to lightly lace the glass, 

low to medium carbed, sweet aroma.. reminds me of something I cant quite put my finger on... I find myself staring loosly into the distance... but I'm prone to do that often.. lol 

on taste very ballenced with everything fighting for a go but the chocolate wins in the end..

Mild bitterness and good body, overall very pleasant and enjoyable.. could see myself drinking a few of these, surprisingly to me

:kooi: :kooi: :kooi: :beerbang: 

3 and a half Head Banging Bogans out of a Mosh Pit (5)



Yob


----------



## manticle (9/8/11)

#17: Sappas: chocolate somethingy stout

Pours deep stout coloured black with dark bits around the murky ink.

Aroma of stout.
Some tan/off white head which is happy to keep company with me most of the way
Moderate carb, moderate full mouthfeel.
Flavour of chocolate and biscuit, supporting bitterness, some roastiness, no harshness.

In short - super tasty stout with no major roasty ash but not rich and sweet.

Chocolate present but not dominating.

Enjoyed while I try and warm my house up anywhere above 0 .03 degrees.


----------



## Lord Raja Goomba I (9/8/11)

Not a Vic, not involved in the swap, but I'm really loving this thread - just to see what people are doing/brewing.

Clearly you Vics are feeling the cold weather (sorry, days are 21-25 deg here) and loving your dark beers. I have to (tug my arm) drink malty pale and amber coloured beers, due to weather.

Makes me want to brew more darkies.

Love ya work guys.

Goomba


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## [email protected] (10/8/11)

12: Wakkatoo - not to style sweet stout





Pours with a nice foamy head that dies down after a few minutes. Retains a ring of head leaving some lacing.
Held to the light looks quite clear, maybe even bright mahogany??

Sweet slightly roasty aroma

Initial tasting is clean grainy and toasty/choc malt, which seems to slip into sweet faint roasty flavours
finishing with clean low level bitterness and some hop flavours in there somewhere i think.

Mouthfeel is somewhere around medium for me, seems right for the beer. Starts to finish dry on my palatte the more i drink
but still leaving warm, sweet toasty flavours.

Interesting beer, enjoyable and quite drinkable in this foul weather.


----------



## Lecterfan (12/8/11)

8 - Husky's vienna lager...

This has some really interesting flavours going on. I spilled about 200mls from the bottle over my desktop towards the modem and powerboard, but the telstra bill mopped it up nicely.

The aroma is really malty, the head is good and the lacing is magnificent. Taste wise there is something in it that I don't expect, but it is a hop flavour of some sort...

As it warms up the maltiness comes forward and the hoppiness takes a back seat to the graininess...

Not sure I could drink a heap of this in one setting but it is a very nice beer.

Cheers,
R.


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## Hoser (13/8/11)

Hey all,
Just got back from Canada and have yet to get stuck into the swap. Had a quick peek now at the comments and want to say thanks to all for the postive and constructive feedback on the Northern Brown. Seems a very consistent vibe that it hit the right points on nuttiness aroma and flavour with decent toffee notes. Agree with Manticle that it could be dialed up more with AG english malts (this was a partial). More importantly the carbonation was well and truly too low. I had struggled with underpriming at the start as this was my first attempt at priming with dextrose instead of drops and miscalculated. It came out very flat so I reopened them and added more sugar but still clearly nowhere near enough. Oh well. Other than that sounds like it went ok. Thanks again for the feedback.

I'll be sure to get on with feedback of my own in the coming days as I get into the swap beers. Looking forward to it!


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## manticle (13/8/11)

Better under than over for UK style (or any style to my palate but UK especially)


----------



## Hoser (14/8/11)

Ok enjoyed my first 3 brews today...

#20 Wolfy 10 Min IPA
Appearance - nice solid amber and very clear; good strong head and lacing
Aroma - can't put my finger on it but maybe I just have never had the experience of homegrown hops... maybe a bit earthy instead of piney? It was different anyway. Might be a bit of age/oxidation that came out in the aroma too. I kept it cool for the past month so not sure
Flavour - malty with a lot of hop flavour. Not too bitter. Carbonation was bang on.
Overall - not the bitterness I was expecting and definitely not the aroma either but overall quite drinkable. Suggest a bit more bittering to round out the flavour?

#10 - Proudscum Steam Beer
Appearance - Amber, clear, filtered (I'm pretty sure?); solid creamy head that lingered
Aroma - very woody and true to style; bit of soft fruit and caramel notes too
Flavour - very woody and malty combined together. Personally I think it's quite close to the Anchor Steam representation of style. 
Overall - I'm really wishing there was another one around.... I think I prefer it to Anchor Steam. Great job!!

#9 Razz Brown Ale
Appearance - deep dark brown, almost reminiscent of root beer; tan head that remains throughout
Aroma - caramel, liquorice, Christmas cake, yum... not much in the way of hop notes but it doesn't need it... caught a little bit of dark nuts too
Flavour - almost closer to porter but nothing burnt or coffee so maybe not... great full mouthfeel but maybe a bit overcarbonated. Get a bit of chocolate and nuts on the palette too. 
Overall - Very good representation of style and really great mouthfeel / malty notes. Wish I could have another!!


----------



## Wolfy (15/8/11)

*Entry: #05 - mcook - English Pale Ale *




Aroma: :unsure: 
Apperance: :blink: 
Flavour: :chug: 
Overall Impression:


----------



## Hoser (15/8/11)

#7 Beer4U - Cali Common
Appearance - Nice soft amber colour, filtered, carbonation evident and nice foamy head and lacing
Aroma - very woody with hints of caramel
Flavour - light bodied and very strong woody Northern Brewer hops flavour. Balanced by a toffee / toasty malt. Dry finish with a woody aftertase.

Overall - very drinkable. Again found myself wishing for a second Steam beer! My only improvement would be to perhaps strengthen the body, especially in the middle. Maybe just a bit too light bodied. Overall very good beer!


----------



## proudscum (15/8/11)

Hoser said:


> Ok enjoyed my first 3 brews today...
> 
> 
> #10 - Proudscum Steam Beer
> ...


----------



## [email protected] (16/8/11)

Hoser said:


> #7 Beer4U - Cali Common
> Appearance - Nice soft amber colour, filtered, carbonation evident and nice foamy head and lacing
> Aroma - very woody with hints of caramel
> Flavour - light bodied and very strong woody Northern Brewer hops flavour. Balanced by a toffee / toasty malt. Dry finish with a woody aftertase.
> ...



Thanks for the review

No filter, just polyclar and 10 days of cold conditioning and a good amount of time in the bottle at ambient storage temps, which at that time of year = always less than 10 degrees.

I agree about the body, it was a comparable difference i noted in my review of proudscums, he got the crispness still with a good amount of body, braumeister verses biab. I only did a single infusion at 66c for about 75mins, then prob stuffed around too long getting to mashout.

The 2 beers i have brewed since the swap, i have mashed in at 55 for 10, infused to 62 for 20, infused to 68 -69 for 30 and it has given me that extra bit of body, but still with a good level of crispness in the profile, better head and retention, i also had a major jump in efficiency.
From now on this will be my mashing regime for most beers, experimenting with the times at different steps.

cheers


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## Wolfy (16/8/11)

*Entry: #10 - Proudscum - Steam Beer*




Aroma:  
Apperance: <_<
Flavour: B) 
Overall Impression: :beer:


----------



## Lecterfan (21/8/11)

Manticle's Grand Cru. F :beerbang: cking lovely. Looks great, tastes great.
No more to be said. One of those "right place, right time" moments for me and this beer.


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## WarmBeer (21/8/11)

*9 - Razz's Brown Ale*

Never been a fan of the style, usually find it lacking in something, too much malt and not enough bitterness to balance it.

This one, though, is a corker!

Still predominantly malty, but nice moderate bitterness underlying it that lasts and lasts, and I'm currently burping up lovely, woody, hop bursts.

Great beer.

A.


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## Hoser (21/8/11)

Beer4U said:


> Thanks for the review
> 
> No filter, just polyclar and 10 days of cold conditioning and a good amount of time in the bottle at ambient storage temps, which at that time of year = always less than 10 degrees.
> 
> ...



It was really clear and well conditioned. So did you say you do BIAB? Do you find step mash difficult with BIAB? I do BIAB as well and have yet to try anything but single infusion. Interesting learnings re: body with a step mash. Perhaps at the higher point it's leaving enough residuals to fill out the taste. Might try the same....


----------



## Hoser (21/8/11)

#18 Don Mateo - Robust Porter
Really dark with a nice tan head that hangs around. Good lacing.
Aroma - dark fruits, darker malts and a bit of molasses
Taste - darker, more burnt than I expected. Medium bodied with a good dry finish

Overall very drinkable beer. Perhaps it could be a bit more nutty/fruity instead of roasted? Or maybe that's just my preference. Also mine was just a bit too carbonated for my liking. I'd easily have another though!


----------



## Hoser (21/8/11)

#19 Nick Penno - American Pale Ale
Appearance - bottle conditioned, bit of chill haze, very nice burnt blond colour
Aroma - big evergreen, passionfruit aromas, bit of vanilla
Taste - quite bitter, little less body than the aroma leads you to believe. More bitter than malty. Bit of caramel tones

Overall - LOVE the aroma. Maybe a bit less early hopping to balance it? Also maybe just a bit more body too. The pils/munich malt seems right for a pale ale.

Yet another one that I'd love to have another. Loving these case swaps!


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## manticle (22/8/11)

Lecterfan said:


> Manticle's Grand Cru. F :beerbang: cking lovely. Looks great, tastes great.
> No more to be said. One of those "right place, right time" moments for me and this beer.



Thanks mate.


----------



## Hoser (31/8/11)

#12: Wakatoo: Sweet stout
Very nice candy toffee aroma with hint of dark biscuits. Brownish in colour with a whitish head that hung around. Very sweet immediately on the palette and stayed through to the end.

Really felt this was more a brown porter but all the same very tasty. Good as a nighttime bevvy on its own. Pleasant surprise!


----------



## Wolfy (5/9/11)

*Entry: #14 - Hoser - Northern English Brown Ale*





Aroma: :huh: 
Apperance:  
Flavour:  
Overall Impression: :mellow:


----------



## Siborg (5/9/11)

I should get stuck into the last stretch of these. Not many to go.


----------



## Wolfy (5/9/11)

*Entry: #11 - ShaneR - Pumpkin Beer*




Aroma: -_- 
Apperance:  
Flavour: <_< 
Overall Impression:


----------



## [email protected] (7/9/11)

im craving a homebrew! would love to get into some more swaps. had some brilliant uk cask ales and some very fecken ordinary ones, belgium cant come soon enough


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## Wolfy (8/9/11)

*Entry: #12.Wakkatoo - a not-to-style sweet stout*




Aroma: ^_^ 
Apperance:  
Flavour: :icon_cheers: 
Overall Impression:


----------



## wakkatoo (9/9/11)

Wolfy said:


> *Entry: #12.Wakkatoo - a not-to-style sweet stout*





 :icon_cheers:


----------



## Wolfy (17/9/11)

*Entry: #21 - manticle: Belgian Grand Cru thingy*




Aroma: :huh: 
Apperance:  
Flavour: -_- 
Overall Impression: :unsure:


----------



## manticle (17/9/11)

:^


----------



## [email protected] (5/10/11)

manticle: Belgian Grand Cru thingy

Pours with a thick creamy head that hangs around for a while, good retention.

Colour is golden with a red hue about it, quite attractive, very clear.

wafts of fruit and spice on the nose.

Initial taste of rich but soft bready/grainy malts, wonderful depth.
More of the subtle fruit and spice thing, a good balance between the hops and yeast esters.
Some alcohol, but its all very very well balanced with everything else.
Moderate carbonation

Overall a very enjoyable beer, one that i wish i had more of.
So smooth and everything is in balance, all aspects are so well integrated.

Having recently been in Belgium and getting into some of the "craft" beer there as well as the more known
trappists ect, this is up there for me, gives some of them a run for their money.


----------



## manticle (5/10/11)

Thanks mate.

Glad you enjoyed it. Definitely should have improved with age from when it was first bottled but thought it may have been forgotten in the respective piles.

Glad it's stood up to the test, at least for you.


----------



## [email protected] (7/10/11)

18. Don Mateo - Robust Porter

Dark brown opaque, pours with a large tan foamy head that settles after 5 mins, into a ring that hangs around.

Sweet burnt aromas with hints of fruitiness which i think might be a character of the yeast.

Smooth slightly creamy , rich toasted breads, with roasted flavour of coffee and dark chocolate.

Moderate bitterness that is smooth and coats the insides of my mouth.

Enjoyable (real) coffee like after-tastes, with hints of choc

nice drop on a bleak arvo in gippers - land


----------



## [email protected] (10/10/11)

2. seemax - American Amber 

Pours with a large, thick and creamy head that persists until the end.
The colour is...amber, a bit hazy.

Hops and caramel malts on the nose.

Taste: rich toasty and caramel malts with some pleasant hop flavours in there.
Well balanced by a moderately bitter finish.

Good level of carbonation, somewhere between moderate and full bodied mouth feel , its got a nice creaminess about it.

A very enjoyable ale, cheers.


----------



## [email protected] (13/10/11)

4. Hoser - Northern English Brown Ale

Pours with a small head that quickly disappears.
Reasonably clear, dark amber 

Nutty / Biscuit aromas with a slight hint of something herbal.

Strong biscuit to toasty malts, there is some sweetness there.
I find its balanced quite well with the bitterness.

Fairly clean finish, more carbonation would help it finish drier, BUT after just recently consuming many an english ale in england this is pretty much on par with a lot of the examples i tried in this catorgry off cask.
Medium to low body, slighty sweet after-taste.

cheers.


----------



## [email protected] (15/10/11)

17. sappas - Choco-lot Stout

Pours with a large creamy head that settles quickly into one finger that hangs around for most of the glass.
Very dark brown, held to the light I can just see through, quite clear.

Aroma of lightly roasted coffee.

Quite smooth and clean initially. Gentle roast malt flavours, balanced well by smooth bittering.
Medium mouth feel , low to medium carbonation, pretty easy drinking for me as far as stouts go.
I get some chocolate flavours in the after taste with hints of vanilla

I would not mind having a few bottles of this around at winter time, again, pretty easy drinking on this cool evening.

Cheers.

PS: I think you should send me the recipe.....


----------



## Siborg (16/10/11)

*Manticle - Grand Cru*

Mmmm... Has a lovely sweetness with some soft spiced fruit notes in there as well. Unfortunately for me, I've never tried the original which inspired this brew. Just a really great beer. I'm sitting here arranging some music on my computer and just sipping on a glass of this. Manticle, I'd normally like to give more feedback than this mate. But all I can say is what I taste and that this is a faultless, ******* great beer!

I think it's about time I get more "in to" belgian beer as the last few I've had have really impressed.

Thanks for the great brew, manticle


----------



## manticle (16/10/11)

Siborg said:


> *Manticle - Grand Cru*
> 
> Mmmm... Has a lovely sweetness with some soft spiced fruit notes in there as well. Unfortunately for me, I've never tried the original which inspired this brew. Just a really great beer. I'm sitting here arranging some music on my computer and just sipping on a glass of this. Manticle, I'd normally like to give more feedback than this mate. But all I can say is what I taste and that this is a faultless, ******* great beer!
> 
> ...




Cheers very much Si.

I'll have to make some kind of version of this again soon.


----------



## Siborg (16/10/11)

*5. mcook - EPA*
appearance: deep copper, fairly bright, poured a moderate off-white head which fell quickly (could have been some detergent residue on the glass)
aroma: rich caramel/tofee, some nice toasty/crusty notes. low levels of fruity esters work nice with the malt character. no hops noticeable
mouthfeel: low-medium body, medium carbonation, sweet aftertaste 
flavour: Very strong malt backbone. As with aroma, I'm getting caramel/toffee with some strong crusty/toasty malt flavours. A moderate amount of esters fits some nice fruity characters in there. Picking up some english hops (fuggles?) late and bitterness is quite low which may be causing it to finish a little sweet.
Overall: Nice malt character with supporting esters and english hops all play well together. The only thing that lets this down a little is how sweet this finishes. Maybe try and get a little more attenuation from your yeast (or try a different variety?) or maybe a little more bittering to balance it out.

Quite nice, though. Gladly drink a few of these. Thanks, mcook


----------



## Siborg (16/10/11)

*11. ShaneR - Pumkin Beer*

Aroma: Vanilla, sweet maltiness, spiced fruits with some slightly toasted notes.
Appearance: amber, large off-white head which fell quickly (slight gusher upon opening). It's been said, but cloudy as hell with lots of floaties.
Flavour: Sweet. A subtle bitterness hits the back of the tongue to keep it from being too sweet. Getting plenty of spiced fruits and a nice amount of malt sweetness
Mouthfeel: light bodied, moderate carbonation, slight astringency in the after-taste. 
Overall: Surprised by this beer. I'd have never thought pumpkin beer would taste this good. Only things I could pick on in this beer is the appearance (maybe bulk priming with pumpkin isn't the best idea) and the slight astringency. Thanks, Shane. 

By the way, how's the brewing going? Got back up and running yet?


----------



## insane_rosenberg (17/10/11)

Siborg said:


> (maybe bulk priming with pumpkin isn't the best idea)...
> 
> By the way, how's the brewing going? Got back up and running yet?



Thanks Si,

Yeah, I agree on the bulk prime. I think I'll still try it again one day, but tweak the process to clear it up. I think it definitely contributed to the gushing too.

I am back on the brew wagon mate. Got a nice Schwartz lagering away for the Wort Hogs lager comp.

It's good to be back.


----------



## [email protected] (17/10/11)

24. Vitalstatistix - brown porter 4.6%ABV

Pours with a thin light foamy head that quickly vanishes.
Reddish brown with a bit of gold in there, hazy.

I get a slight biscuit aroma, sweet caramel malts, a touch a roast and i think i can detect some herbal notes from hops in there.

Malt and more malt upon tasting. A fair bit of depth and it gets more complex as it warms. 
I get caramel biscuit then moves into a very crusty bread with subtle roast flavours.
Subtle supporting bitterness.

Body seemed a little thin at first, then as it warmed up came good. I know carbonation is suppose to be low for this style but this seems 
to be very low and thats after having recently drunk nothing but cask ale for 4 weeks. 
Still quite enjoyable and really hits its straps after being left to sit in the glass for half an hour.

cheers.


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## scott_penno (17/10/11)

Had the best of intentions of providing feedback for each beer sampled.... but this didn't happen.

Just finished the last of the case swap and have to give kudos to manticle and lecterfan for two well-crafted beers that were a little different to the rest....

ShaneR also gets a notable mention, but it would have been sooooo much better without the pumkin pulp....

@Beer4U, will post the recipe shortly....

sap.


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## razz (20/10/11)

23. Iamozziyob Killer ale. Mate, well done on the vinyl label, it looks great. The beer looks just as impressive. This would have to be the nicest extract ale I've ever supped on. It's got the Amarillo thing happening which is good news after this long in the bottle. I think the mouthfeel is a bit light on and the taste finishes just dry.


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## [email protected] (21/10/11)

22. Fourstar - JD Oak aged Dry Stout

Pours with a thin foamy brown head that does not last long.
Looks almost black / opaque.

Sweet woody(i guess that would be the oak), herbal and bourbon-ish aromas that have integrated well with some roast.

Tastes quite smooth, more of the woody, herbal and roast thing, hints of alcohol.
Well supported by moderate and smooth bitterness that finishes dry.

Med to full body, the flavours become more complex as this warms, i do not really have it in me to describe them further, other than to say that this is an interesting and quite different stout to any that i have previously consumed and is helping me come to grips with the extremes in weather that are going on around here.

cheers


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## Yob (21/10/11)

razz said:


> This would have to be the nicest extract ale I've ever supped on. It's got the Amarillo thing happening which is good news after this long in the bottle. I think the mouthfeel is a bit light on and the taste finishes just dry.



thanks mate, its great to get good feedback like this about the progression through kits and extract into the dark side.. (assume you saw the recipe I put up {eventually})

I do like em dry(ish) though so I cant complain about that remark either.. but from memory.. 

orf to bottlea better one now... we hope  

:icon_cheers:


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## [email protected] (28/10/11)

8. Husky - Vienna Lager

Pours with a large, dense and creamy head that lasts quite while.
Dark copper brown colour and reasonably clear.

Sweet and toasty bread aromas.

Moore toasted bread malts on the palate with a hint of burnt crust.
Smooth and gentle bitterness to finish.

Carbonation aids in a slightly dry finish, medium to full bodied.

I get faint hints of sweet fruits/caramel in the after-taste which i don't mind at all.

I think this is my kind of lager, rich and fulfilling. I have been cleaning out gutters and pipes ect all day in preparation for the rain i am now receiving.
:icon_cheers:


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## Hoser (28/10/11)

#2 Seemax Amber Ale
Nice peachy aroma. Soft citrus behind it. Decent level of carbonation that brings out more bitterness than might really be there? Rich copper colour with a very long lasting off white head. I can really pick up the hop taste in the finish but there's an interesting caramel note there too (crystal malts used I assume?). Overall very nicely balanced beer. I have to say I'm surprised by the soft peachy/citrusy aroma but it works!


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## [email protected] (3/11/11)

9. Razz - Bender Brown Ale

Pours with a decent tan head that fades a little and hangs around.
Dark ruby brown, quite clear.

Aroma sweet rich caramel malt.

Taste: Lots of rich caramel nutty malt. Plenty of fruity English yeast character, with some floral earthy hop notes.
Just enough bitterness to keep this malt monster in check.

Sweet after-taste that is held off by moderate carbonation and a medium body.

Rich and delicious brown ale.


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## Siborg (3/11/11)

Got a few to go... better get em down before the xmas swap!


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## Wolfy (4/11/11)

*Entry: #24 - Vitalstatistix - brown porter*





Aroma:  
Apperance: :mellow: 
Flavour:  
Overall Impression: :icon_cheers:


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## razz (7/11/11)

13. Bullsneck Pale Ale. Some hop aroma on opening and poured well with compact sediment. Still a fair bit of haze but looks pretty good, heads lasts quite well. The hop aroma has backed off a lot from others comments but you get that after this long in the bottle. The flavours are nicely balanced and a slight bitter aftertaste, the mouthfeel is now low to medium. I should have hopped into this one a month or two back but that's life! Are you going to make another for the xmas case Braden? I would like to try it when it's fresh.
Overall a nice drink.


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## Siborg (13/11/11)

razz said:


> 13. Bullsneck Pale Ale. Some hop aroma on opening and poured well with compact sediment. Still a fair bit of haze but looks pretty good, heads lasts quite well. The hop aroma has backed off a lot from others comments but you get that after this long in the bottle. The flavours are nicely balanced and a slight bitter aftertaste, the mouthfeel is now low to medium. I should have hopped into this one a month or two back but that's life! Are you going to make another for the xmas case Braden? I would like to try it when it's fresh.
> Overall a nice drink.


I've actually got something similar I'm putting into the xmas swap....


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## [email protected] (20/11/11)

14. Kleiny - Helles Bock (not really to style)

Poured fairly rough to get a small white head that fades quickly.
Slightly burnt orange colour that is hazy but clears up as it warms,

Aroma is sweet, bready malt with some hints of alcohol.

Taste starts out sweet, then quickly assaulted by rich bready slightly crusty malts
with some alcohol that is quite apparent, followed by a robust bitterness that
helps it finish dry.

Med to full bodied and med to low carbonation, alcohol warmth in 
the finish. Very rich malty and alcoholic beer for me, about half way
through and i think i am going to be weeping on the floor soon.
Still an enjoyable beer.

Thanks


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## razz (22/12/11)

Fourstar's JD Oak aged Dry Stout
Still pours nice, dissipating head, wood and cream aroma, also sweet, carries over into the flavour with a medium to sweet finish. After 11 months this is a very smooth ale. :icon_cheers:


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## Fourstar (22/12/11)

razz said:


> Fourstar's JD Oak aged Dry Stout
> Still pours nice, dissipating head, wood and cream aroma, also sweet, carries over into the flavour with a medium to sweet finish. After 11 months this is a very smooth ale. :icon_cheers:




Correction... after 8 months from hitting the oak. Good to know! B)


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## Lecterfan (22/12/11)

Fourstar said:


> Correction... after 8 months from hitting the oak. Good to know! B)



Wish I'd saved mine to see what it turned into...


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## bullsneck (1/2/12)

Had a few of the case swap beers over the Christmas holidays.

Fourstar - JD Oak Aged Stout

Loved it. Everything a Stout should be. I enjoyed what the oak brought to the beer, so much so that I am brewing a Porter this weekend to age in French Oak. Thanks for the inspiration.

Wakkatoo - Sweet Stout

Not as black as I imagined, but I enjoyed the dark ruby tinge. Enjoyed sipping this, then poured the last 150ml into the Brownie mix I was making. Complimented it well. Thanks!!


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