# Hub Xmas Caseswap 2010 Tastings



## Muggus (17/12/10)

Hey folks,

Everyone's doing it, so we may as well have a thread for our tasting notes on the caseswap beers, despite the modest amount of entries.

I got a bit keen with Schooey's beer sitting there in the fridge all week....

Merry Christmas to all!

*Beer: 3. Schooey - Shazzam Hefe *
Date: 17th December 10
Details: 750mL, gold cap 3, 1.055 OG, FG 1.013, WLP300
Sampling Notes:
Served chilled in a pint mug.

I figure I wound up with 2 bottles of this, and they were in the fridge since the day of the swap, why the hell not start Chrissie early!

Opens with a good fizz but no gushing. Pours out an orangey gold body with uniform haze and a big fluffy white head that really wanted to hang around before throwing in the towel.

Aroma screams Hefe with bags full of freshly ground clove and pepper with supporting notes of ripe pineapple and candy banana.

Nice slickness to the texture, somewhat moderate carbonation with some persistent acid bite lending to a medium length palate.

Ripe fruits continue on the body with a nice dose of sweet doughy malts. Phenolic clove and nutmeg spices linger on a finish that isnt all too drying with a moderate bitterness to boot.

Nice drop Schooey. Funny seeing this in bottle after trying the kegged version; the banana character is much more pronounced in this compared to the very clove driven beer that the keg seemed to bewas this naturally carbed in the bottle? I may have a theory
Anyway, top stuff, Ill save that other body for a bloody hot summers arvo, should go down a treat.


----------



## Yowster (20/12/10)

I started my sampling with Muggus's Black Passion Porter.
Served chilled in a pint glass. Bottle opened with a very slight carbonation psst, beer formed a nice light tan coloured head that hung around until possibly the last two mouthfuls. I actuall sat it on the bench for a while to warm up while I settled the kids in bed and the head had started to climb out of the glass.

I detected very little in terms of hop flavour and aroma, but thats just me - I tend to miss the subtle flavours. There was a nice bitterness to the beer and it was certainly one that I could have drunk another bottle of without too much effort.

Really enjoyed this one. Thanks Muggus


----------



## Muggus (20/12/10)

Yowie said:


> I started my sampling with Muggus's Black Passion Porter.
> Served chilled in a pint glass. Bottle opened with a very slight carbonation psst, beer formed a nice light tan coloured head that hung around until possibly the last two mouthfuls. I actuall sat it on the bench for a while to warm up while I settled the kids in bed and the head had started to climb out of the glass.
> 
> I detected very little in terms of hop flavour and aroma, but thats just me - I tend to miss the subtle flavours. There was a nice bitterness to the beer and it was certainly one that I could have drunk another bottle of without too much effort.
> ...


Cheers Yowie...there's plenty more there if you did want another bottle!  
Very true what you say about the hops. Considering how much I pumped into the beer, almost all of the flavours and aromas from them have vanished. Which is why I labelled it a Porter, as opposed to Black IPA, which it probably could've been considered in the first week or so after bottling.


----------



## gone brewing (27/12/10)

3. Schooey - Shazzam Hefe, 1.055 OG, FG 1.013, WLP300 - You like bananas?

Muggus's review of this beer was spot on. It was a really nice hefe, I enjoyed it a lot. Just needed a tad more fizz. You got a lot lot of nice weizen flavours in there!

7. Chris Brice - Little Big Horn IPA (possibly not as hoppy as it should be but drinking well)

Yes I agree, I'm not sure it quite hits the mark as an IPA but what a great beer!! If you said it was an APA it would be a perfect fit. It's deep amber and has nice strong malt flavours with lots of lovely hop flavours in there too. Well done Chris. I have another bottle of this and I'm looking forward to it.

2. Adam - Needs a Name APA, OG 1.050, FG 1.010 Bottled 30/11/10

This was a good APA but different to most. This was quite pale so not so much by way of specialty malt, so the hops stood out (as I guess is appropriate for an APA). Hop flavour was hard to pick, topaz maybe?? Seemed a little different to other APAs with regards to the hop used - not the usual citrusy flavour.

I will go way out on a limb here and say this could have been a smash?? (Hope I don't look stupid saying that, just my impression of the beer). Really good beer Adam. Nice and easy to drink, just a bit different to most APAs I've had. Thanks mate, I enjoyed it a lot.

- I had one bottle which had "15a" on the cap. It was a green bottle with the larger size cap. Anyone know which beer this was? The beer was a pale straw colour.

- I also have one bottle with no number on the cap. It was a 750mL twist top. I haven't had it yet so I can't describe the beer. Anyone know whose this is? Sorry to ask these questions but I couldn't make it to the swap.

- And if you try my beer (number 8) let me know what you think of the finish. Seems a bit dry and biscuity to me which is a bit unusual compared to other beers I've made.

Cheers
Dick


----------



## brocky_555 (28/12/10)

the beer with 15a on the cap was mine and it was a saison at about 8.5% so be careful


----------



## schooey (29/12/10)

Muggus said:


> Nice drop Schooey. Funny seeing this in bottle after trying the kegged version; the banana character is much more pronounced in this compared to the very clove driven beer that the keg seemed to bewas this naturally carbed in the bottle? I may have a theory
> Anyway, top stuff, I'll save that other body for a bloody hot summers arvo, should go down a treat.



Glad you enjoyed it, Mike... Yep, it was carbed in the bottle with Dex... Your theory along the lines of the Dex turning into glucose and creating the banana esters?


----------



## Muggus (29/12/10)

schooey said:


> Glad you enjoyed it, Mike... Yep, it was carbed in the bottle with Dex... Your theory along the lines of the Dex turning into glucose and creating the banana esters?


Haha yeah you caught me out!  
It's one of those theories that seems to be getting around, and i'm very intrigued.


----------



## Muggus (3/1/11)

Came home to a kitchen floor covered in beer after Christmas and New Years break.
Cleaning up the mess doesn't bother me; missing out on drinking the beer does though! Sorry Pete.


----------



## asis (3/1/11)

Muggus said:


> View attachment 43034
> 
> 
> Came home to a kitchen floor covered in beer after Christmas and New Years break.
> Cleaning up the mess doesn't bother me; missing out on drinking the beer does though! Sorry Pete.



Mine are all in the fridge now, but Scott did have a bottle explode as we left the swap. He thought it had an 'X' on the lid but after looking at that pic I'd put money on it being a 4.


----------



## gone brewing (3/1/11)

I have just had my bottle of #4. The carbonation level was very high. Here's my notes:

Appearance-deep copper, massive head and very highly carbed. I poured it into 2 pint glasses and lost a lot of the first glass. A little hazy but not surprising when the carbonation stirs things up so much.
Aroma-some alcohol aromas, some esters there, a little metallic
Flavour-some nice toffee malty flavour well balanced by bitterness, medium body, some phenolic character comes through quite prominently. Finish is well balanced and the phenolic character didn't linger too much.
Overall impression-this is listed as an American Brown but I don't get any American hops in the flavour. To me the beer comes through as a fairly good English Bitter that is spoiled by a bit of phenolic character and overcarbonation that might be due to an infection. I could drink the beer thinking the underlying flavours were pretty good, just spoiled a little by these faults.
:icon_chickcheers: 

If you still have a bottle of this you might want to crack to lid and vent it.


----------



## m_peve (4/1/11)

Apologies to all for the bottle bombs. :huh: 
I have 3 left under the house and am away so I hope the house is still standing when I get back.
I'd be surprised if the bottle exploding on swap day was a No 4 because they'd only been in the bottle for 2 or 3 days (though stranger things have happened)
Sorry Muggus, I owe you one!!
Hopefully one that doesn't explode.

I have to agree with the lack of American hop flavour.
It was significantly down on where I thought it should have been. 
Still working the kinks out of the system I guess. 
I had a bottle on Xmas day that poured normally and I didn't perceive much in the way of phenolics so I'm thinking/hoping that it's a bottle infection (in multiple bottles :blink: ).
The beer from keg seemed fine though I noticed significant chocolate and coffee in the non-bottle version.

Once again apologies to all.

Pete


----------



## Muggus (5/1/11)

*Beer: 2. Adam Needs A Name APA*
Date: 3rd January 11
Details: 750mL, gold cap 2/301110, OG 1.050, FG 1.010, bottled 30/11/10
Sampling Notes:
Served chilled in a pint mug.

Pale gold boy, good clarity and fine bead. Holds a finger of creamy white head.

Hop driven aroma of decent intensity; melon, grapefruit, pine needle. Clean nose otherwise.

Medium weight body and carbonation. Hops draw out the palate.

Pine needle/woody hop character seems more prominent on the body. Cooked citrus and leafy hopiness provide a somewhat peppery sort of hop bitterness without being too bitey. Malt is somewhat subdued, bit of bread crust seems like a single base malt?

Really enjoyed the hop character of this beer unique yet not overdone with a clean subtle malt backbone providing a good platform. Cheers Adam!


----------



## Muggus (5/1/11)

*Beer: 8. Dick Best Bitter*
Date: 3rd January 11
Details: 750mL, gold cap 8, Wyeast 1469PC, 4.4%, bottled 4/12/10
Sampling Notes:
Served chilled in a pint mug.

Hazy orange body with slight haze. Loosely packed inch of head hangs around.

Decidedly earthy aroma; tobacco leaf, toasted dense wholegrain bread, vanilla and nutmeg-like spices. All quite restrained - the beer is not giving away too much straightup.

Creamy texture, nice smooth low cask-like carbonation very suitable for the style, medium body.

Opens out on the body; prominent vanilla, clove-like esters, molasses, marmalade hops make an appearance towards the of the body. Finish is somewhat phenolic without being faulty, with firm hop bitterness.

A distinctly earthy, spicy Bitter - Id almost go as far as multi-dimensional earthy. All without being unpalatable or overbearing. Cheers Dick!


----------



## gone brewing (5/1/11)

I had a case swap beer that was in a 750mL twist top, gold cap and no number or other identification on it. Here are the notes. I can't describe what I taste as well as Muggus.

appearance: almost completely black with a tan coloured, thin head, medium carbonation
aroma: mostly get some fruity hops (perhaps American or a new variety)
flavour: roasted malt and fruity hop flavour up front, some residual sweetness that is cut through by a firm bitterness. Quite a full mouthfeel. It was cold when I started drinking it but as it got warmer the mouthfeel was much creamier and the roasted malt flavour came through a whole lot more, especially in the finish.
overall impression: I think this was Muggus's Black Passion Porter. Don't be afraid to put your hand up for it mate, it was a great beer. Quite a nice porter which seemed to have different take on the hops than is normally used in this style of beer.
:icon_chickcheers:


----------



## Muggus (6/1/11)

gone brewing said:


> I had a case swap beer that was in a 750mL twist top, gold cap and no number or other identification on it. Here are the notes. I can't describe what I taste as well as Muggus.
> 
> appearance: almost completely black with a tan coloured, thin head, medium carbonation
> aroma: mostly get some fruity hops (perhaps American or a new variety)
> ...


More than likely mine - don't think there's any other seriously dark beers in the swap.
I didn't have a marker pen handy, so the lids had dodgy stickers on them. Wouldn't be suprised if it fell off.
Anyway, glad to hear you enjoyed it Dick. I hopped the living crap out of it with Simcoe, Topaz and Galaxy but most of the hop aroma died off after a week or so in the bottle.


----------



## schooey (7/1/11)

4. Pete's Wicked Ale (American Brown) - About 5.3% - Give it a week or 2 in the bottle.








As you can see, Pete, my bottle had a pretty lively carbonation too even after a week in the fridge. I don't think it would have been a bottle bomb just the same. Once I got the glass poured, it settled ok in the bottle.

I didn't get any phenolics in mine. At first with the big carbonic bite it was hard to get much at all, so I let it sit and warm up for a good 15 minutes, tapping it on the bench every now and then to get some of the bubbles out. I agree with the toffee notes, and I also got the chocolate in the background there too. I did get some c-hop flavour in mine, not over the top, but noticeable.

All in all I thought it was a great beer that was probably a little under attenuated giving a sweeter than desired finish and a little too much carbonation, but I bloody well enjoyed it!

Thanks for sharing, Pete!


----------



## Yowster (17/1/11)

I tried this beer last night, and while it didn't climb out of the bottle like Schoohey's did mine still had alot of carbonation. It filled both a pint glass and a jug with a very lively head before settling down. Likewise there was alot of carbonation. As I've said before with some of the beers I've been tasting I miss alot of the subtle back tones to the beers, and I didn't really pick up too much from this one. I've still got another bottle of this to sample so after pouring this next one I might leave it sit on the bench and warm up further to try and get more of the flavours, but I did enjoy it.


----------



## Muggus (3/2/11)

*Beer: 6. Dave Jenkins Red Light IPA*
Date: 24th January 11
Details: 750mL, gold cap 6
Sampling Notes:
Amber body, decent clarity. Holds an inch of tight off-white foam.

Relatively subdued but enjoyable aroma; earthy spice and cooked citrus/marmalade hop atop nutty, biscuit crystal malt base.

Id really go as far as to describe this beer as being full bodied, and quite surprisingly so considering the alcohol. Texture, as well, is quite remarkably rich, oily and somewhat creamy with a cask-like carbonation.

Plenty of pizzazz to the body; lot of hop resin, dried herb and kumquat. Layered malt sweetness with biscuit, toasted nuts and a hint of chocolate malt. Firm lingering bitterness to finish, a touch of minerality lingers.

Really liked this beer! Full of flavour and body, yet not too testing for the abv so ridiculously sessionable takes me back to the cask bitters of the UK! Cheers Dave!


----------



## Muggus (16/2/11)

*Beer: 10. James - Special Bitter *
Date: 16th February 11
Details: 750mL bottle gold cap 10
Sampling Notes:
Copper body with decent clarity. Theres plenty of fine lively beading in the body of the beer itself, but it doesnt seem to want a to form a head, and on closer inspection theres a film of oil-like substance no doubt something to do with my glass, foolishly washed it with the other dishes. L

Fruity aroma, somewhat cidery with a sort of baked apple note about it. Theres some discernable bitter orange and dried leafy hop action in there, and a touch of caramelised malt.

Nice soft medium carbonation, oily texture with full-ish weight on the palate.

Less cidery, more spicy on the body with hops coming in good and strong. Dense bready malts make an appearance with maybe a hint of dried fruit and sherry-like acetaldehyde twang. Finishes drying, ample bitterness. 

Not a bad drop, has potential and certainly not undrinkable, but its exhibiting just a bit of oxidation and is probably best drunk sooner than later because of that. Cheers James.


----------



## Muggus (22/2/11)

*Beer: 7. Chris Brice - Little Big Horn IPA *
Date: 22nd February 11
Details: 750mL bottle red cap
Sampling Notes:
Loud psst on opening, bit of foam starts to rise up the neck just before I manage to pour myself a pint full of headdang. It dies down in time to present a hazy orange copper body that holds a very decent creamy head.

Good dose of hops on the nose; orange peel, green herbs and woody/peppery spice. Light caramel malt is quite easily detectable.

Despite the foaming up, the carbonation is not overboard, perhaps a touch higher than the norm, but helps cut through the thick texture and full body of the beer.

Hops not as prevalent on the body, somewhat earthier with some marmalade-y orange notes. Malt kicks up a gear with a toasted bread and golden syrup flavour to it. Bitterness a touch below expectation for style, but balances well.

Good aroma, flavour and texture to this beer. One of those borderline IPAs, but an enjoyable and well made pale ale nonetheless. Cheers Chris!


----------

