# Hub - Xmas In July 2010 Tasting Notes



## loftboy (25/7/10)

This is the thread for your take on the beers you've tasted for the HUB Xmas in July 2010 case swap :icon_drunk:


----------



## loftboy (25/7/10)

Might as well dive & review my own entry (Dave L did it a few years back, so why not !).


*2. Loftboy - 'Call me Amber' (American Amber Ale. OG 1.050, US-05)*

We'll, let me start off by saying that I missed the mark on this one on 2 fronts.

Firstly, the body is a little bit thin for style. I mashed @ 69 deg C, but added too much sparge water & ended up having to boil for 90mins before the first hop addition, to drive off some of the excess water.
Secondly, even though there are caramel notes on the nose, it doesn't seem to translate to residual sweetness on the tongue.

Overall it's turned out more like a vienna lager, but it's not an amber ale. Hopefully another week or 2 in the bottle will also bring the carb level up & improve the head retention (probably wishfull thinking for head retention).

Despite all my misgivings, it's a very drinkable beer at this young stage & look forward to making something similar for summer.


Cheers,

Dave.


----------



## shmick (26/7/10)

Thanks for setting up the page LB

Just a couple of boring words first:

- Please try to keep all feedback constructive, friendly and as positive as possible remembering we have brewers of all experience levels and abilities participating.

- Many people are still learning to taste and analyse beer so keep this in mind when reading the reviews and try to help out where possible.

- Participate. Brewing the beer is only half the job. Contribute as much as you can no matter what level of experience you have. Nobody expects full judging sessions and the more you put in the more you will get out of it.

- Above all - enjoy.


----------



## schooey (26/7/10)

15. Keith, Anthony, Jess - Jaffa the Bock. a bock brewed with (Wyeast) witbier. Bottled 24.07.10, carbonation low. Drink now.






The bottle opened with a pfssht a little higher than I expected for low carbonation, but may have been to do with me leaving it out since the swap and only refrigerating it for an hour prior to drinking. It did start to climb out of the bottle a little, but not excessively and I'd say this was due to the same thing.

As you can see, nice moussy light tan head. I imagine the bubbles would have been tigther if I had of conditioned it a little longer. Dark brown to black in appearance with some highlights when held to the light.

As I'm pouring it in the glass, I swear I can smell mandarin and I get a little excited because going by the title, I'm thinking this will be a beer I really like being a massive Jaffa/chocolate orange fan. Swirling in the glass, the mandarin seems to have disappeared and I get a big malt hit, bready biscuity aromas mixed in with a tiny tiny bit of toasted malt. Faintly in the background I am getting a slight aroma of bruised orange rind. No noticable hop aroma to my nose

My first mouthfull fills my palate with malty sweetness. Nice full mouthfeel that you would expect from this style, nice body and a very smooth bitterness early in the palate. Carbonation is low to medium and kick myself for not letting this stay in the fridge for 24 hours. Through the mid palate I am getting a malty sweetness, though its not overbearing or cloying, but actually quite enjoyable and it moves on to a slight toffee like character. Very complex malty profile that I really am enjoying. The finish is also a mix of a very smooth bitterness and the sweetness dries out, but not overly and the last thing I taste is the faint bitter orange, not overpowering, but not so faint that you have to search for it. I think if you didn't have the hint in the name, it would have been a head scratcher for 5 minutes or so until you get the orange marmalade burp.. I didn't get any character from the wit yeast and will be interested to see what others can taste to define it..

Very enjoyable, quality beer, Keith, Jess and Anthony! Thanks for sharing


----------



## [email protected] (26/7/10)

*7. Scott (goatherder) - Schwartzbier - Wyeast 2487 - 4.8% abv*

What a great start to the case swap. Mild malty aroma, good colour and a great mild roasty and chocolate palate. Good medium body with a great bittering balance.

I did pick up a tiny bit of ethyl hexanoate (like a red appley aroma and flavour) which sometimes suggests a stressing of the yeast but I had to search hard for it. I also know that Scotty cares for his yeast like a new born so I'm probably way off the mark.

What a way to start the swap. Well done Scott.


----------



## Weizguy (26/7/10)

10. Mark - Golden Barley Lager/Wine (Ok I'll play along 1.100 OG, Danish Lager 2042)

Having deliberately forgotten what he put into this, I will remind all that this comes with a drink now recommendation from Mark.

This is not the intended Barleywine, but a pale substitute. I drank it as an American blonde.
Guzzle-able, easy-going and easy-to-go-back-for.
I think it was better a few weeks back, but that's my personal remembrance, more vivacious.
Still good, but was better (like a few of us out there).
A tad low on fizz, but enough carbonation to support the malt and hops.
Mark, sorry to say, but it a bit soapy for me. I think there is a character in beer that I wrongly believe to be soapy.
Not bad, and not enough to waste any, but detectable.

Mark, you should update the article.

Anyone who missed out on beers on the day should post here b4 someone gets attached to it.

Hope everyone enjoyed themselves as much as I. Did I propose the Arrogant Bastard toast?

Les out


----------



## Muggus (27/7/10)

After a month and a half of walking past 2 crates full of beer, i've been dying to try it. 

So I figured i'd steal a leaf out of Loftboy's book and post my notes on my beer straightup...you know, just to see if the carbonation is ok...

*Beer: 13. Muggus Raunchy Scotsman brown ale*
Date: 26rd July 2010
Details: 750ml bottle, gold cap 13/RS, bottled 11th June 2010, 5.0%
Sampling Notes:
Served lightly chilled in pint glass.

Pours a deep bronze body, near opaque in clarity. Beige foam forms, dying down to a thin persistent layer.

Aroma is off medium-low intensity, at least without some serious rousing and warmth. Quite malty with a good dose of crystally toffee and, of course, the aforementioned smoked malt, which seems to manifest itself as a really earthy, spicy woody element. Theres some hints of dough and dark fruits in there; possibly yeast derived? Not sure.

Medium carbonation, a bit of creaminess on the front palate that dries out quite quickly, seemingly shortened the length.

Smokiness is a bit more apparent on the body; charred wood, nutmeg spice, with a distinct peaty earthiness and when I say earthy, I mean like dirt! Sweet toffee malts add some backbone but seemingly short lived. Finishes with some lingering dark fruits (esters?) and toasted rye bread, and a drying bitter/astringent smoky note.

An odd concoction Ive gotta say, and certainly not for everyone. Personally I would have preferred more body, but the flavour is quite complex and intriguing bit up my alley.


----------



## Weizguy (29/7/10)

Can everyone please update/advise their recommended drinking date in the article?

Beerz
Les


----------



## Benniee (29/7/10)

Les the Weizguy said:


> Anyone who missed out on beers on the day should post here b4 someone gets attached to it.



I missed out on the ones that weren't at the swap - I can only guess you picked up Mark's entry later, or maybe he turned up after some of us had left.

Don't have the list in front of me at work, but I'm pretty sure the ones I don't have are... 1, 3, 6, 10, 14, 25. I know there is another one, but I can't think of it.

Did someone keep a list of people who weren't at the swap?

Benniee


----------



## Brewman_ (29/7/10)

Benniee said:


> I missed out on the ones that weren't at the swap - I can only guess you picked up Mark's entry later, or maybe he turned up after some of us had left.
> 
> Don't have the list in front of me at work, but I'm pretty sure the ones I don't have are... 1, 3, 6, 10, 14, 25. I know there is another one, but I can't think of it.
> 
> ...



Hi Benniee,

I am not sure if a list was taken, but I was there until after Mark arrived, so I can explain why some of the beers you are missing.

There were 3 IOU's, Numbers 1, 3, and 6. These guys took away their cases and there will be arrangments made to get these later. TBC.

Mark had some issues in the morning and arrived late with 3 beers. Many Hubers had left at this stage, and so not everyone got these 3. And also Mark would not have got beers from those who had already left. The numbers of the beers Mark had were 10, Mark, 25, Trent, and I think 12, Rurik - not certain on the last one? So if my memory is correct you should also be missing a 12?

14 was a scratching I beleive, someone may be able to confirm that?

Steve


----------



## Brewman_ (29/7/10)

My first beer from the swap is 10. Mark - Golden Barley Lager/Wine .

As warned by Mark, the beer was quite low on the carbonation, but there was just a enough to keep me interested.

The beer poured a pale straw / gold with little to no head. A mild hop aroma was nice but was not coming through as strong as I think it might have if the carbonation was a little higher. Very easy to drink, finishing with some lingering malt sweetness.

I have to say I liked this beer, just needed a bit more fizz.

Thanks for the beer, Steve.


----------



## Offline (30/7/10)

fear_n_loath said:


> Hi Benniee,
> 
> I am not sure if a list was taken, but I was there until after Mark arrived, so I can explain why some of the beers you are missing.
> 
> ...


 
22 was also an IOU and because the naughty corner is already full he should be made to walk the plank. arrrrrr


----------



## Offline (30/7/10)

10 MHB

I didn't take good notes when tasting this beer, sorry mark
Carbonation med, appearance crystal clear pale straw colour with a light head (dissipated quickly)
light body and well balanced hop and malt profiles make it quafable.
It also had a slight aroma and bitterness that I normally associate with grolsch (especially when grolsch is served very cold)
but I don't know what it actually is
Over all a nice little beer, thanks mark


15 Keith

Aroma roasty + very subtle cooked orange no discernible hop
Carbonation, med to high. Tight tan lasting head (stayed in the bottle too schooey)
Mouth feel med. Taste, well balanced roast flavour & bitterness, very subtle orange too.
Over all a great beer, thanks guys. ps I would love to try this one from a beer engine. 


4 shmick amber ale

Aroma, strong sweet American hop. 
Carbonation and mouth feel med to high. 
Light tan head that thins but doesn't disappear. 
Taste initially very strong hop flavour not quite fully backed up by the malt flavours, but by the 2nd 
& 3rd sips tastes well balanced. 
My overall impression is that of an IPA only with more malt and body as well as a great rich colour. 
The body makes the carbonation explode in to head in your mouth that won't go away either. 
Every time I put the beer down then came back to it the hops felt over the top, before calming down again
My final sip I could taste/smell and feel the high alcohol. 
OK I have just realised it's not amber ale but imperial American ale that makes more sense, thanks Shmick


----------



## Trent (31/7/10)

Um, it sounds like not everybody got a bottle of my beer (25). 
I wont be back in Newy until the week of the 9th august, and probably not able to get to marks shop until the 12th or 13th, so if ya missed out, and want one, just take one of your extra bottles to swap with it, as my case is at Marks shop. 
Thanks in advance, and thanks to Mark for allowing me to leave my cases there!
All the best
Trent


----------



## schooey (31/7/10)

10. Mark - American Blonde/Wheat




I drank mine the day after the swap, though I did fridge it as soon as I got home.

It poured into the glass with little to no head and very slight carbonation. Probably my fault for not drinking it on the day as advised. Slight haze as visible in the pic and a fair whack of some kind of sediment floaties and the head dissipated very quickly.

Aroma of sweet malt and some hints of a spicy noble hop, knowing Mark, I imagine it's Tettnang.

On tasting I get sweet malt and a little noble hop flavour. I think with some more carbonation this flavour would have come to the fore a little more. There is a flavour in the mid palate that detracts from the rest of the beer; not a tart wheat flavour, not a sweet malt flavour but maybe a yeast driven flavour that I'm not familiar with. Whatever it is it spoils what would have been a very quaffable lawnmower beer with a little more carbonation.

Cheers Mark


----------



## schooey (31/7/10)

7. Scott (goatherder) - Schwartzbier - Wyeast 2487 - 4.8% abv - ready to drink




I really wish I hadn't read Geoff's review before I wrote this one, although a bit of a double edged sword really... After reading about the red apple flavour, I really went searching for it, and I found it. By no means is it smacking you in the face and I'm wondering if I would have really noticed if I wasn't aware. So I guess the upside is I have learnt something...

Poured with a largish off white/light tan head. the head isn't tight and moussy, but that's nothing to write home about. Colour is dark brown to almost black, garnet highlights and an opaque clarity when held to the light.

Aroma is dominated by malt; light hints of bread crusts and biscuit and what i think is more an aroma of toast, than roast.

Mouthfeel is very good, nice body, I don't get and slickness or DMS, carbonation is reasonably good for style but I do get a bit of carbonic bite on the middle of my tongue.

Flavour is initially nice clean malt, but not overbearing, nice mixture of light roast and some bitter chocolate late. Early to middle of the palate I get the flavour that Geoff has hihglighted, but more so a red apple peel, if that makes sense. Bitterness is very balanced I think and lasts right through to the late palate. Finish is extrenely clean and dry. Great example of style IMHO...

Thanks for sharing, Scotty


----------



## schooey (1/8/10)

2. Loftboy - 'Call me Amber' (American Amber Ale. OG 1.050, US-05)




Pours a nice deep amber to copper colour into a pHat... very thin head that has almost dissipated before I can get the camera to snap a pic. Clarity is reasonably good with a little chill haze I suspect.

Aroma is fairly subdued, but I get a bit of muted toffee, some sweet malt and a tiny little earthy aroma of hop. In the background I also get a faint hit of what I think is green apple.

First mouthfull is of sweet malt and then a hit of the bitterness mixed with more green apple. The sweetness runs right through the palate mixed with some spicy hop flavour and a long lingering bitterness. I really like the bittering balance that runs right through and ends with a nice dry finish.

I'm thinking due to the lack of carbonation, I've drunk this beer too early, Dave. At first I thought it may have been under attenuated and that explains the acetaldehyde and the sweetness, but I thought that would have resulted in a higher carbonation level in the bottle due to residual sugars? But maybe it was an extra cool mash which would explain the dry finish and the sweetness is from the crystal.

Anyway, I think it is only a few little niggly things that are stopping this from being an awesome quaffer of a beer, Cheers and thanks!


----------



## gone brewing (1/8/10)

I can't claim to be very good at tasting beer but here goes...

21 - Jordan - Belgian Pale Ale made with Wyeast 3655PC, Belgian Schelde

Belgian ales can be great beers but some have some strange flavours that are something of an "aquired" taste. I really liked this beer. IMHO this beer highlights what is great about Belgian Pale Ales - so many complex flavours from the yeast in an easy-drinking beer.

It pours with a medium head, nice deep amber colour and low-medium carbonation.
Aroma - fruity and spicy, smells a lot like allspice
Flavour - spicy with some caramel, malty sweetness, a bit of bitterness there to balance this out a bit to make it a well-rounded and easy to drink beer. Complex flavours, like some fruitiness there but flavours like allspice really stand out.
Finishes with spicy and caramel-malty flavours.
Overall impression - easy drinking beer with a mass of complex flavours with the allspice and caramel malty flavours standing out. Something I'll be making in the future for sure.

Thanks Jordan - great beer, really tasty

PS - I am interested to see what more experienced tasters/judges make of this.


----------



## goatherder (1/8/10)

Cheers Geoff & Schooey for the kind reviews.

Thanks Geoff for the tip about the red apple fault, my novice palate couldn't pick it. Yeast stress may well be the culprit - I had to split a slurry between this beer and a Baltic Porter and the big beer got the lions share. It's great to have your tasting expertise in the swap.

I had a mishap with one bottle, No 5, which is Ken's English Pale Ale. I shuffle my crates around in the garage yesterday and came back an hour later to beer all over the floor. The base of the bottle had cleanly separated away from the rest. I don't suspect it was over pressurised - I've seen the odd bottle fail like this before during cleaning. It was most likely a weak bottle and I think me moving the crates did the damage. Anyway, based on the smell of the spilled beer, I am very disappointed to be not drinking this one. Apologies for not submitting a review.

Who's beer was in the Grolsch bottles? Mine doesn't have number on top...


----------



## Muggus (1/8/10)

Been a bit lazy, gonna have to get cracking this week.

*Beer: 7. Scott (goatherder) - Schwartzbier*
Date: 29th July 2010
Details: 750ml bottle, gold cap 7, Wyeast 2487, 4.8%abv
Sampling Notes:
Served chilled in pint glass.

Pours quite nicely with a ruby-highlighted deep brown body and a dense tan head that persists throughout and leaves a good bit of lace.

Subdued aroma; charred toast and roasted coffee malts, hint of floral hop and subtle spicy fruit esters that I cant quite put my finger on.

Medium carbonation, medium-full body, smooth texture tames most of the dry roasted astringency.

Flavour is nice, not too intense; bitter chocolate, toasted wood, watery black coffee, nutmeg-like spice. Finish is a bit abrupt, lingering coffee and floral note accompanied with a decent bitterness.

A hugely quaffable black lager. Flavour and texture hits the mark nicely, begging for another sip. I could drink a lot of this! Nice stuff Scott!


----------



## loftboy (1/8/10)

schooey said:


> 2. Loftboy - 'Call me Amber' (American Amber Ale. OG 1.050, US-05)
> 
> View attachment 39790
> 
> ...



Thanks Tony.

I agree with your thoughts on this beer. It's not the beer I had planned on, but still drinkable. It just needs a bit more time in the bottle to carb up.

If you other swappers haven't tried #2 yet, leave it out of the fridge until mid-august & hopefully the carb level will improve.


----------



## loftboy (1/8/10)

goatherder said:


> Who's beer was in the Grolsch bottles? Mine doesn't have number on top...



IIRC, the Grolsch bottle without a number is Marks (#10). It was supposed to be a Barley Wine, but I'm pretty sure it ended up being a American Wheat.


----------



## Muggus (2/8/10)

*Beer: 15. Keith, Anthony, Jess - Jaffa the Bock. *
Date: 2nd August 2010
Details: 750ml champagne bottle, gold cap 15, (Wyeast) witbier. Bottled 24.07.10
Sampling Notes:
Served chilled in pint glass.

Nice loud uncapping. Pours big fluffy tan foam at first. Eventually dies down to a centimetre of persistent head atop a near-opaque deep ruby body.

Quite a good intensity about the aroma, and very interesting too; roasted coffee, fresh orange juice, liquorice, burnt toast, grapefruit. Reminds me of breakfast!

Body of medium weight and carbonation, slight creaminess upfront dries out with roasted astringency that lingers on the palate for some time.

Flavour is a bit more refined than the nose suggests, more beery for use of a better word. Well-rounded roasted malt flavours of espresso and cocoa, maybe some toasted nuts and bread crust in there too. Some toffee sweetness with orange peel and spice coming through with a decent bitterness on a dry finish.

Seems a bit more like a porter or stout than a bock, but well made regardless. The orangey undertones make for a unique flavour and goes together quite well with the dark/roast malt flavours. Cheers Keith. Anthony and Jess!


----------



## goatherder (2/8/10)

4 - Schmick's Imperial Amber - on the dark side of amber, well into brown territory. Perfect carbonation & head retention, layers of lace all down the glass. Most excellent American hop aroma with the malt just peeking through. Hops dominate the flavour, resiny, with some nice caramel malt notes into the finish. Big chewy mouthfeel but fast finishing, keeping the drinkability index in the "awesome" range. This to me is the highlight, making a big beer like this so drinkable. The ABV is so well hidden, it only appears when the bottle is empty. The label is a winner too. Another great presentation from you Mick, much enjoyed.


----------



## schooey (2/8/10)

4. Shmick - Imperial Amber, OG 1.071, WY1028





Had this one tonight with a honey roasted pumpkin, feta, pine nut and rocket pizza with a garlic and rocket pesto sauce base...

Pours well into a room temp goblet. Nice tight mouusy off white head. Colour is a bit dark for amber, but being an imperial, that's understandable I guess. Clarity is probably opaque when held to light. Carbonation is pretty well spot on, if not a little high. I think this would settle down nicely with a bit of conditioning.

Aroma is complex; resiny pine of hops, and earthy/spicy hop aroma, malts in the background mixed with some faint esters. The hops really sit at the front with that big pine thing going on, it reminds me of chinook, but I'm not sure?

Mouthfeel is initially a little carbonic bite on the front and the middle of the tongue. It lifts that massive pine resin from the hops all over my mouth. The earthy/spiciness from the aroma is present in the flavour as well, but it's very brief. Immediately following is a big hit of sweetness and then the bitter finish is quite short but dry and clean.

A quite enjoyable beer with my dinner, Schmick and I think it will really benefit from a month or so in the bottle to let those big flavours come into harmony and balance out a bit. Sure would be interested in swapping you two bottles of mine to get an extra one of yours if you have any left to do a comparitive taste in 6 weeks or so?

Great concept and a great effort! Thanks, Schmick.

edit: attached wrong pic


----------



## goatherder (2/8/10)

10 - Mark's American Wheat - it's a shame about the carbonation, this beer was very clean with a great balance between malt & hops in the flavour & aroma. Could have been a great beer.


----------



## Benniee (2/8/10)

I've been waiting for my head cold to clear up before I got into these. I've been looking at the few bottles I have in the fridge every time I open the door. So tonight is the night to get started. I have no photographic abilities so I'll do my best without any pics

7. Scott (goatherder) - Schwartzbier

Aroma - Poured pretty cold from the fridge. Initially got some very light roast - couldn't detect any hops. As the beer warmed up I started to get some maltiness as well. I did end up looking for the red apple that some of the other fellas have mentioned, and I thought I picked up a very small bit of it early on straight after the pour - but that well have been imagined because I was looking for it. If it was there it seemed to disappear pretty quickly - is it a fairly volatile compound?

Appearance - a very dark brown to my eye. Clarity was very good. Head retention was very good, with the beer holding a tight, fine head right throughout drinking the glass.

Flavor - light malt flavor with the roasted malt perfectly matching it. Everything is very clean - seems to be finish slightly sweet but in a way that is to style and is not cloying at all. I don't get any nobel hop flavor in the beer, but the bitterness seems to be in a nice balance with the roast and malts.

Mouthfeel - I'd put this as a medium body with moderate carbonation. Beer is wonderfully smooth, I get no harshness at all.

This is a wonderful beer Scott - I really enjoyed it. I haven't had a lot of commercial beers in the style but if this one is anything to go by then I can clearly see how you've won some awards with it. Thanks for sharing.

After tasting this beer I'm not looking forward to any reviews of mine 

Benniee


----------



## Benniee (2/8/10)

In the tradition of reviewing your own beer....

8. Benniee - Munich Dunkel

Aroma - I get a fairly pronounced aroma off the beer - not overly pleasant and not the complex malt profile I was looking for. I don't really know what it is, but would welcome any of the more experienced brewers to help identify it. No hop aroma. When the beer warms slightly I get small hints of the dark malt, and the unidentified aroma seems dissipate somewhat.

Appearance - a deep brown. Clarity is ok - some haze apparent and seems to clear up once the beer warms slightly. I was expecting the haze in the beer to be worse that is appears to be going off my other beers of late. Light head retention. 

Flavor - A fairly light malt flavor, and not really packing the complex malt profile I was after in the beer. Whatever is in the aroma that I can't identify doesn't seem to carry through too much into the flavor. No strong hop flavor in the beer and the bitterness seems ok for the style of beer.

Mouthfeel - Body seems a little thin, and carbonation is light.

Overall a disappointing beer - sorry everyone . I have been having some mash/wort pH issues of late, and I think this may be one of the factors contributing to my problems.

Benniee


----------



## Benniee (3/8/10)

Benniee said:


> Overall a disappointing beer - sorry everyone . I have been having some mash/wort pH issues of late, and I think this may be one of the factors contributing to my problems.



I've been thinking about this more and I really do feel bad for putting in a beer such as this - it was just nothing like what I was aiming for, and the unpleasant aroma spoils the consumption. In hindsight I should have sampled a bottle before I swapped my beers. Strange thing is that this was a "standard" recipe for me and it's usually a cracker.

In tracking back through my notes I'm starting to think that the yeast I harvested off a slant may not have been as pure a strain as I was hoping for - so anyone looking to culture 2308 from my beer - DONT.

I'd like to make it up to those in the swap, and I'll do my best to get another beer ready, probably won't be for the upcoming HUB meet but hopefully for the one after.

Sorry again guys. I would love to hear others thoughts on what is in the aroma that I can't really identify - and I won't be at all offended if you tip it after that.

Benniee


----------



## shmick (3/8/10)

Bennie - there's another swap at the end of the year so plenty of time for you to pull your finger out and get it right.  

Seriously though, don't stress about it. If it's drinkable it's ok. If it provides something interesting to talk about it's even better.
Everybody on this entire forum has at sometime or another made beer a lot worse (and were proud of it) than you imagine yours to be now.
If anybody learns anything from it then it's served it's purpose and you can chalk it up to taking one for the team (that's what I'd be calling it anyway).

Although we all want to make great beer, it isn't a competition. We're all hear to learn.
The aim is to discuss and provide feedback in order to help the brewer and to provide an alternate perspective (palate) which is sometimes really hard to achieve by yourself.

I'm also hoping it will be helpful for those still learning (aren't we all) to evaluate and analyse what they are tasting by reading along with the posted reviews.

Cheers and keep the reviews coming.


----------



## schooey (3/8/10)

21. Jordan - Belgian Pale Ale - Wyeast 3655 Belgian Schelde - OG 1.054, FG 1.010, 5.8%, bottled 30th June




Poured into a room temp pHat glass. Colour is a lovely Amber and the clarity is excellent, with a little more conditioning I think it would be very close to bright. The head is white and rocky and persistent.

Aroma is lead by sweet malt and pear, although there is some spicy hop notes there in the background mixed with a slight floral aroma.

In the mouth, the body is medium and I think the carbonation is perfect for style and it is nice and clean on the palate. Flavour is fruity and sweet malt; pear, slight apricot and a bit of sweet biscuit. The bitterneness is well balanced right through the palate and my mouthfull ends in a mix of light spicy/peppery dryness and some bitter orange.

I thought this was a fantastic beer, Jordan... I could see myself drinking a session of it. Thanks for sharing!


----------



## Muggus (3/8/10)

*Beer: 10. Mark American Wheat? *
Date: 3rd August 2010
Details: 450mL Grolsch swing top bottle
Sampling Notes:
Served chilled in pint glass.

Opens with a bit of a pop. Pours a very pale yellow body, slightly hazy and the odd floatie. Foam dies off quickly.

Mild aroma. Floral, lemon sherbet-like hops in there, a slight pepper note too. Not a great deal of maltiness, a touch of bread dough noticeable with warmth.

Near-flat carbonation makes the texture a bit syrupy, lean body.

Flavour is quite clean. Lemonade-like hops, some cereal malt sweetness, dough and floral notes linger on a mildly bitter finish.

Shame about the carbonation, shouldve listened to you and drunk it on the day! Oh well, nice enough flavour anyway. Cheers Mark.


----------



## schooey (3/8/10)

8. Benniee - Munich Dunkel - OG 1.052 - 4.8% ABV - Wyeast 2308 Munich Lager - Bottled 27th June




Well, Ben, my thoughts are you are being way too hard on yourself...

Mine poured into a goblet with a lovely tight, moussy, off white head that was quite persistent, and laced the glass. Colour was probably a tad dark for style, but the pic above is probably not the best indication of the true colour or clarity due to poor lighting.

Aroma was still very much malt driven for me, although maybe lacking the bready/biscuity aromas traditional with the use of munich in this style. At first I thought there was a slight sulphury aroma there, but it was only fleeting and I couldn't really nail it down. I remenber Keith giving me a similar beer in a HAG comp once and describing the DMS aroma and I'll be interested to see what some of the heavyweights of the group think. I couldn't really single it out and identify it for sure anyway...but I didn't find it as distinctive as you are describing and I'm wondering if what you're picking up is due to a lack of what is usually there, is not, in this beer?

Flaour is dominated by malt, but maybe a bit light on for style. No pronounced hop flavour and the bitterness is smooth and not overbearing. The body was a bit thin for style, but not watery thin, but good for a quaffer..

Overall I really enjoyed it, Ben, and it was very easy to drink. I don't think my bottle was really that far off the style, just a few little things. One may well be, as you noted, yeast health. Like I said, I think you are being your harshest critic.

Thanks for sharing!


----------



## Benniee (3/8/10)

18. Dick - Brown Porter

Apologies Dick - the instant I opened your beer both my kids seemed to go into crazy overdrive so I did have a few distractions while drinking this one. On the plus side it did give the beer a chance to warm up slightly and I think it that is when it really started to shine.

Aroma - I picked up some fruitiness and a slight roast in the background. I also got some esters which seems slightly spicy to my nose. As the beer warmed I got more of the roast starting to show through as well as some malt. The fruitiness and esters seemed to fade a little as well.

Appearance - deep/dark brown - Head retention was really good, with the beer holding a thick head right til the end of the glass. Clarity was very good.

Flavor - there is a light roastiness and some fruitiness/esters that are present in the aroma too. Again the esters seem somewhat spicy to my palate, but that's probably not the best way to describe them. As the beer warms I get some really nice roastiness coming through along with some maltiness. No noticable hop flavor, but the bitterness is well matched to the profile of the beer.

Mouthfeel - Fairly light bodied, with a clean smooth finish. Carbination is light to medium.

Overall this a nice beer - probably a little heavy of the esters for me to knock back a heap of them, but they do seem to drop into the background once the beer comes up to a more suitable drinking temperature.

Thanks for sharing Dick

Benniee


----------



## goatherder (3/8/10)

17. Steve - APA - Pale amber in colour, slight haze, loosish white head which stuck around & laced well. The aroma was muted for an APA, very clean with some malt peeking through as it warmed. Plenty of hop flavour, very well balanced with some bready malt into the finish. The bitterness is spot on for style. The finish is dry & crisp, drinkability is outstanding. I haven't tried the Cali Lager yeast before but it seems to work very well with this beer. Very nice drinking thanks Steve, perfect after the day I've had.


----------



## Offline (3/8/10)

17 Steve-APA

Nice thick white head that slowly dissipates, low hop aroma. colour and carbonation seem spot on for style.
Initial honey like flavor that quickly gives way to a lingering bitterness, mouth feel to style on the dryish side.
The only thing I'd like to see is some more American hop aroma and taste.
All in all a well made beer thanks Steve

Unfortunately the following evening I came down with a head cold while sampling dick's brown porter, I'm not sure if it was effecting my smell and taste 
on Steve's APA or not though.

18 Dick - Brown Porter

Great looking beer with good head retention. Low roast flavors with a light body. Unfortunately I couldn't tell much more then that.
It tasted like a porter of all things and went well with my dinner, thanks Dick


----------



## Benniee (4/8/10)

schooey said:


> Overall I really enjoyed it, Ben, and it was very easy to drink. I don't think my bottle was really that far off the style, just a few little things. One may well be, as you noted, yeast health. Like I said, I think you are being your harshest critic.



Thanks schooey - perhaps I am being too hard on myself, but I know what this beer is usually like for me and the bottle I sampled was off the mark. I am glad that you enjoyed it and that whatever is present in the aroma didn't detract too much from the rest of the beer. 

Benniee


----------



## Benniee (4/8/10)

15. Keith, Anthony, Jess - Jaffa the Bock. a bock brewed with (Wyeast) witbier

This beer had a little note saying that carbonation was low and to drink it now. I opened by bottle to a fairly substantial pfsst, and the beer poured with plenty of carbonation and thick, off-white head. Carbonation seems fine to me.

Aroma - Initially I get a solid hit of pheonlics, and comething I can't really put my finger on. Going from the description of the beer I'm guessing it must be orange. As the beer warms up I get plenty of rich malt that you'd expect from a bock, and the phenolics seem much more balanced.

Appearance - Deep brown to black in colour - when held up to a light I get some deep red/ruby showing through as well. Clarity is great, and head retention is good.

Flavor - Rich complex maltiness without any roast. I couldn't detect any hop flavor, but the bitterness is nicely in tune with the malt. The finish is somewhat sweet, but not cloying.

Mouthfeel - medium body with a moderate carbonation. The carbonation on my bottle was fine. Lovely and smooth.

I haven't had a heap of witbiers so I'm not sure if the pheonlics I get are yeast driven or from ingredients used in the beer. I initially poured the beer too cold and the phenolics dominated the aroma and flavor of the beer. But once I let it come up to temp it was really nice. Obviously a bit of a mix of styles but it seems to work pretty well. I really enjoyed drinking this one.

Thanks guys (and Jess).

Benniee


----------



## m_peve (4/8/10)

3 In a row to catch up.

10. Mark American Wheat? 

Very pale straw in colour with some floaties. These settled quickly though and the beer was very clear. The 
bottling issue Mark had obviously meant that pretty much no head. 

Pleasant light citrus notes wafted from the glass which was backed up by the slightly lemony flavour. A light-medium body, low bitterness and sweet finish suited this beer well. 

Overall an enjoyable summery beer that went down very easily. 

Thanks Mark it was worth your hassles!!


----------



## m_peve (4/8/10)

7. Scott (goatherder) - Schwartzbier - Wyeast 2487 - 4.8% abv - ready to drink

I was looking forward to this, as is the case with all Scot's beers, and was not disappointed.

A clean low malty aroma with a hint of biscuits. 
It poured a very very dark brown with off low/medium off white head that lasted for the entirety of the beer.
Wonderfully sweet and rich malt characteristics offset by a medium bitterness provided an excellently balanced beer. I found the light-medium body and dry malty finish very moresome. 

Once again a beauty. 
Thanks Scott.


----------



## m_peve (4/8/10)

15. Keith, Anthony, Jess - Jaffa the Bock. a bock brewed with (Wyeast) witbier. Bottled 24.07.10, carbonation low. Drink now.

Oops!!! A lack of concentration and I overpoured the glass, needing to take a quick mouthful to save the carpet.
Hmmmm! There goes the ability to smell the beer without being affected my my tastebuds.....
Who cares!!!! I really got the Jaffa flavour in the giant mouthful of head and beer (due to my rather unorthodox tasting style :blink: )

After regaining my composure (carpet saved - SWMBO not upset. PHEW!! ) I started again.

I perceived a slight Orange peel aroma (like Cointreau from across the room)
It was very effervescent going into the glass (the cause of my original discomfort) with a medium off-white head that laced the glass nicely.
Very Dark Brown in colour with a medium Body. 
No diacetyl that I could detect.
A sweet Chocolate taste where the maltiness dominates the bitterness. Having said that, the bitterness is still sufficient to remove the possibility of cloying sweetness
I think of this as a wonderful desert beer and not one for a session. I like my Jaffas in moderation.

Thanks heaps Keith, Jess and Anthony


----------



## gone brewing (5/8/10)

*Beer: 13. Muggus Raunchy Scotsman brown ale*

I gotta say that I've had rauchbiers before and haven't liked them (haven't even drunk them - tipped 'em out) so I approached this with some trepidition... but I really liked this. It was like a brown ale with a smokey twist. Very interesting flavour.

I think your own review was pretty much spot on. The aroma is caramel toffee with that woody element and some yeasty esters. The flavour is like an brown ale with caramel, toffee, malty flavours with a smokiness that just adds to the flavour without being overwhelming. You have a good idea of how to add nice smoky flavours without beating us 'round the head with it. I agree that you get this creaminess upfront that dries out quite nicely. Bitterness is just right.

The only drawback was the carbonation was too high. When I opened the bottle I got a huge "pshht" and then I could only pour half a glass as the head was going off like a volcano. Then the foam starting coming out of the bottle.

That aside, it was a tasty beer that I really enjoyed. When I finished it I was after another.

This is the reason why the swap is so interesting. This is a beer I would never have made but really enjoyed.

Thanks for that Muggus.

Cheers
Dick


----------



## Brewman_ (5/8/10)

goatherder said:


> 17. Steve - APA - Pale amber in colour, slight haze, loosish white head which stuck around & laced well. The aroma was muted for an APA, very clean with some malt peeking through as it warmed. Plenty of hop flavour, very well balanced with some bready malt into the finish. The bitterness is spot on for style. The finish is dry & crisp, drinkability is outstanding. I haven't tried the Cali Lager yeast before but it seems to work very well with this beer. Very nice drinking thanks Steve, perfect after the day I've had.





Offline said:


> 17 Steve-APA
> 
> Nice thick white head that slowly dissipates, low hop aroma. colour and carbonation seem spot on for style.
> Initial honey like flavor that quickly gives way to a lingering bitterness, mouth feel to style on the dryish side.
> ...



Guys, thanks for the great feed back. The hop aroma probably is low, so I reckon your spot on there. I held off on the last dry hop addition, was going to be some Cascade, since while it was fermenting it just seemed so strong, both taste and aroma. So I'll definitely add that next time.
I need to get into some tasting.
Steve


----------



## Muggus (6/8/10)

gone brewing said:


> *Beer: 13. Muggus Raunchy Scotsman brown ale*
> 
> I gotta say that I've had rauchbiers before and haven't liked them (haven't even drunk them - tipped 'em out) so I approached this with some trepidition... but I really liked this. It was like a brown ale with a smokey twist. Very interesting flavour.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the feedback Dick.
Sorry about the carbonation; I generally try to undercarbonate beers a bit for these caseswaps to avoid things like that...backfired this time around...  


Got into a very tasty beer last night...
*Beer: 4. Shmick Imperial Amber *
Date: 5th August 2010
Details: 750ml bottle w/ nice label, gold cap 4, 7.8%, og1.071, Wyeast 1028 bottled 5/7/10
Sampling Notes:
Served chilled in pint glass.

Copper-amber body, reasonably clear from first pour, persistent off-white inch of foam leaves tight lace.

Hops drive the nose; bitter orange, passionfruit, resiny grass (Amarillo?), caramelly malts in the background with a bit of dried apricot.

Plenty of guts to the palate. Thick slick texture spurred on by medium carbonation.

A lot to like about the flavour; sweet toffee and biscuit, some subtle roasted nutty malt acts as a solid backbone for a decent belting of hop flavour, which is not overdone, just tasty. Grapefruit, pineapple, and leafy spices linger with a firm bitterness and deceitfully smooth finish.

Top drop Mick! Packed full of flavour with tremendous balance and highly enjoyable mouthfeel. Cheers!


----------



## goatherder (6/8/10)

23 - Gus's Sparkling Ale. Looks the goods. Pours straw in colour, good sized tight white head with a touch of haze. Some nice yeast esters on the nose with a touch of caramel in the background. The caramel flavour is very evident in the taste, a little much so. From the tongue coating slickness of the beer I suspect it's a good dose of diacetyl. Diacetyl is usually a fermenation fault - underpitching, poor yeast health or racking/bottling too early are common causes. I got a touch of booziness, was the ABV very high? The finish is dry and the bitterness is assertive and the carbonation is spritzy, all spot on for style. A good stab at a Sparkling Ale, the only drawback being the diacetyl. Cheers.

13 - Muggus's Raunchy Scotsman. As previous posters have said, lively carbonation had this one jumping out of the glass with a careless pour. Colour was mid brown, clarity was excellent, head looked great. Aroma was of peat & rauch - whiskey & bacon, together at last! Unfortunately I suspect I've got a dodgy bottle. In the back of the aroma was some chlorophenolics. This was amplified in the taste, very strong bandaids into the finish. It's a shame, it was an interesting beer. Cheers.

15 - Jaffa from the Potters Crew - Reviewing from memory here. It was malty sweet up front, lots of melanoidins but dry into the finish. The wit yeast was an excellent counterpoint, with hints of orange popping out as the beer warmed. The balance was perfect, it finished dry and was so drinkable. Great example of a hybrid style, it worked for me. Cheers.


----------



## Trent (7/8/10)

If anybody got my beer at the case swap day, can you please try it and make sure I havent sent out any bottle bombs? I wont get a chance to pick up my case at Mark's for another week, so I have no way of testing it myself.
Also, probably the best way to contact me from now on, including case swap reviews, will be to email me at [email protected] I have been reading a few of the latest threads over the last few weeks (months), and I dont think I will be back. Obviously, thats just my opinion.
Anyone that wants my feedback on their case swap beer, or anything else, just email me! I'll be sure to reply.
Later, and thanks for the good times that were.
Trent


----------



## Weizguy (8/8/10)

Trent said:


> If anybody got my beer at the case swap day, can you please try it and make sure I havent sent out any bottle bombs? I wont get a chance to pick up my case at Mark's for another week, so I have no way of testing it myself.
> Also, probably the best way to contact me from now on, including case swap reviews, will be to email me at [email protected] I have been reading a few of the latest threads over the last few weeks (months), and I dont think I will be back. Obviously, thats just my opinion.
> Anyone that wants my feedback on their case swap beer, or anything else, just email me! I'll be sure to reply.
> Later, and thanks for the good times that were.
> Trent


Trent,
Are you asking if Mark took your beer to the swap day, or if he kept it all?

He did take it along to the swap, but some missed out as they left before Mark arrived.

I will attempt your beer tonight, if I remember. There, it's in the fridge now.


----------



## goatherder (8/8/10)

18 - Dick's Brown Porter - Poured dark brown with 2 fingers of creamy head, excellent clarity and ruby higlights when held up to the sun. Earthy hops, spicy esters are first on the nose, with some roasted malt in the background. Hops up front in the mouth, with some sweetness, falling away to biscuity malts with some choc malt dryness rounding it out. Medium body, fills the mouth but still leaves room for the next glass. Carbonation is moderate which gives a nice bite to the beer, working with the crisp bitterness to make it moreish. Overall, this beer is an absolute ripper. Yeast, malt & hops, all working together to create balance, yet each one standing out in it's own right. This beer has it all. I could drink it all night, magnificent drop thanks Dick.


----------



## goatherder (8/8/10)

8 - Bennie's Munich Dunkel - Very dark brown, verging on opaque, nice sized tan head which laced all the way down. Very clean on the nose, a hint of spicy hop in front of the malt. Rich malty sweetness & toasty melanoidins in the mouth, the full body balancing well with some dryness into the finish. The bitterness is low, spot on for style, just providing enough support to the sweet maltiness to keep the beer in balance. I'm with Schooey, you are being way too hard on yourself. Exceptional beer thanks Bennie, flavoursome, balanced & quaffable. Cheers.


----------



## Weizguy (8/8/10)

25 Trent - Topaz SMASH.

Bitey is my first impression. PC crashed when I posted my first lot of feedback for ths beer.

Grapefruit and malt in the aroma. then in the taste. Good balance, that I would like to achieve.

The beer is not fizzy, but pours with a fine, lasting bead. Aroma of grapefruit, like an Arrogant ale.

The bitterness chases the malt and fruit, then clean up and dries the beer.

A lingering bitey finish that I can only take one of. A big beer with historical claim to fame. I'm a bit jealous.

A balanced beer that cries out for Yankee caramel malts in the low colour range. That is my only criticism: that we can't buy the US malts to make this beer a true legend.

I hope these tastings are a bit of a guided tasting for our future beer judges.

Les out


----------



## Keith the Beer Guy (9/8/10)

7. Scott's Schwarz

Loved the aroma. Roast, a hint of butterscotch sweetness, an intimation of black malt to come.
Initially I found the flavour to be a little restrained with a hint of oxidation and a bit of a bite from the dark malt. The magic came as this beer warmed.
A lightly roasted coffee flavour pleasantly supported by a sweetness that I am having trouble naming [its not toffee nor caramel nor butterscotch] came through; I also get a little vanilla.
The carbonation level does well to move the flavour around your mouth.
Very well lagered. Creamy lush mouth-feel that's a pleasure to swirl around. The smoothness is marvellous.

Thanks muchly,

Keith


----------



## Benniee (9/8/10)

23. Gus - Sparkling Ale

I apologise Gus - I had been reviewing the case swap beers with a bit or a breakdown of aroma/appearance/flavor/mouthfeel but when I drank yours I was cooking dinner and didn't have anything to take notes with, so I'll work off my overall impressions of the beer (which is what everyone else seems to do)

The colour is a pale gold and clarity is very good once the beer warms slightly (initially I had a very slight chill haze). Carbonation is strong, which gave me a slightly sharp carbonic bite to the flavor early on. Hop bitterness is firm, but not over the top. I couldn't really pick out any hop aroma or flavor. I do get a bit of the slickness that Goathearder had mentioned, but interestingly enough if this is a bit of diacetyl I don't seem to pick any up in the aroma.

Very nice beer Gus, Thanks - it's just what I needed to end a Monday at work 

Benniee


----------



## Muggus (10/8/10)

*Beer: 8. Benniee - Munich Dunkel *
Date: 9th August 2010
Details: 750mL, gold cap 8, - OG 1.052 - 4.8% ABV - Wyeast 2308 Munich Lager - Bottled 27th June
Sampling Notes:
Served chilled in pint glass.

Quite a nice looking beer in the glass. Persistent ginger worth of creamy near-white head sits atop a ruby-bronze sort of body.

Nose is reasonably subdued. Toffee malts, some nuttiness and subtle roast. Hints of plum fruit and possibly herbaceous hop in the background.

The mouthfeel is most agreeable. Has quite a big malt body upfront, nice viscosity for a beer of this strength, with a soft carbonation. Dries out a touch on the finish, perhaps a touch soapy or chalky, but certainly not off-putting.

Sweet malts do their job on the body; chocolate, walnut, melanoidin-like burnt toffee and wood fire bread. Notes of dark fruit (plum) and a slight autolytic yeast note on the finish. Medium bitterness works well, a bit of hop flavour makes its way in there too.

Very much to my liking, and somehow seems all the more fitting on a cold winters evening. Has a good depth of flavour and a palate texture, and weight, that really keeps me coming back for more. Cheers Ben!


----------



## Muggus (10/8/10)

*Beer: 23. Gus - Sparkling Ale*
Date: 9th August 2010
Details: 750mL, gold cap 23 Bottled 19/6/2010
Sampling Notes:
Served chilled in pint glass.

Pours a beautifully clean yellow-gold body with a creamy inch of white foam that sticks around

Not a great deal of aroma. Cracker biscuit maltiness, Granny smith apple/cidery sort of note and some white pepper phenolics.

Lean palate with an active carbonation. Seems to get thicker towards the end of the bottle.

Light malt flavour on the body paves way for fruit esters of apple and pear, bit of dough and pepper in there too. Has a slight lactic twang on the finish to accompany a medium bitterness; yeast derived?

Refreshing drop. Have you used re-cultured Coopers yeast? Has a distinctive yeast influence. Cheers Gus.


----------



## unterberg (10/8/10)

Muggus said:


> *Beer: 23. Gus - Sparkling Ale*
> Date: 9th August 2010
> Details: 750mL, gold cap "23 Bottled 19/6/2010
> Sampling Notes:
> ...



I just had the same beer.
*Beer: 23. Gus - Sparkling Ale
*Had mine in a pilsner glass, served chilled to around 6C.

Great colour and very clear. High carbonation that fits well to the style. A bit low on hops aroma and a clean, dry malt profile. Its balanced but I would have liked more hops in that.
Thought I had a bit of a metallic taste in there somewhere that I couldnt quite pin-point.
Nice head that lasts and a warm sort of alcoholic taste to it which might be from the yeast used.
Would be a good session beer.

Overall a nice drop


----------



## Brewman_ (10/8/10)

15. Keith, Anthony & Jess.

Served chilled at around 5 Deg.C.
First glass poured very dark with a big solid off white head that dropped to about 7mm and lasted the entire glass. An obvious medium - high carbonation with plenty fizz.

Beatifully clear when held to the light. 

Aroma, I am getting some light fruitiness, but not the orange for me. First taste very smooth, a little too cold, but as it warmed and the fizz dropped a little the malt flavours just got better and a little roastiness coming through.

Very nice, thanks for a great beer.

Steve


----------



## Brewman_ (11/8/10)

23. Gus Sparkling Ale.

Pours with a golden -amber colour with slight (Chill) haze and small white head. Haze dissipates with temperature rise. Aroma is quite fruity not over the top but distinct. Mouthfeel is medium to full and has a lingering bitterness and some caramel malt. I am not sure I can recognise Diacetyl, but maybe thats what I am picking up in the full mouth feel? This beer immediately reminds me of Coopers SA, this one is a bit more Malt dominated.

Good effort Gus.

Steve


----------



## Muggus (12/8/10)

*Beer: 21. Jordan Belgian Pale Ale*
Date: 10th August 2010
Details: 750mL, gold cap 21, Wyeast 3655 Belgian Schelde, 5.8%, bottled 30th June 2010
Sampling Notes:
Served chilled in pint glass.

Copper-gold body with a bit of haze. Small off-white head persists.

The aroma of this beer really interests me; yeast-driven and quite unique with notes of sweet dough, blackcurrant, vanilla, apple, cinnamon, pepper and clove. Some biscuity malts and leafy hop sneak into the mix as well.

Nice creaminess on the palate, medium carbonation with a texture that starts sweet but dries out a fair bit towards the finish.

More complex yeast derived goodness on the body; vinous blackberry and blueberry among other dark fruits, vanilla, clove, peppery spice combine with sweet biscuity, caramelly malts. Finishes with a moderate-to-low bitterness, lingering woody dryness.

Found this beer most enjoyable. Havent used this yeast personally, but have come across a couple of homebrews that have used it, and have been astounded each time. This beer was no exception, not to mention very well balanced and drinkable. Great stuff Jordan, cheers!


----------



## Muggus (12/8/10)

*Beer: 18. Dick Brown Porter*
Date: 10th August 2010
Details: 750mL, gold cap 18 Wyeast 1882PG Thames Valley Bottled 27 June 4.8%
Sampling Notes:
Served chilled in pint glass.

Deep ruby-brown body with beige head that slowly dissipates.

Subtle yet intriguing aroma; roasted malt, liquorice, and chocolate with notes of plum and ripe dark fruits.


Oily texture, medium-low carbonation with medium weight to the palate.

More liquorice on the body with woody roastiness and bitter chocolate in there, backed up by toffee sweetness, plummy esters and a floral hop note. Smooth finish and medium bitterness.

Very easy going and approachable porter. Flavour is nice but not overdone. Good work, cheers Dick.


----------



## goatherder (13/8/10)

2. Loftboy - 'Call me Amber' (American Amber Ale. OG 1.050, US-05). It's amber all right. Excellent clarity, smallish head with plenty of staying power. Sweet toffee & caramel malts on the nose, balanced with some American hops. Plenty of piney hops in the mouth, malt sweetness, more toffee, a touch of bready yeast. Mouthfeel is soft & fullish, yet somehow there is crisp and dry into the finish. The bitterness is balanced and an excellent counterpoint to the malty sweetness. Carbonation is perfect, helping with the mouthfeel & balance. A ripper of a beer, I enjoyed every drop. Cheers.


----------



## loftboy (13/8/10)

goatherder said:


> 2. Loftboy - 'Call me Amber' (American Amber Ale. OG 1.050, US-05). It's amber all right. Excellent clarity, smallish head with plenty of staying power. Sweet toffee & caramel malts on the nose, balanced with some American hops. Plenty of piney hops in the mouth, malt sweetness, more toffee, a touch of bready yeast. Mouthfeel is soft & fullish, yet somehow there is crisp and dry into the finish. The bitterness is balanced and an excellent counterpoint to the malty sweetness. Carbonation is perfect, helping with the mouthfeel & balance. A ripper of a beer, I enjoyed every drop. Cheers.



Scott,

Thanks for the feedback. I must admit, I had 2 pints of this tonight & am really happy with the way it is now. It's getting a real earthy background note, which I think is coming the Challenger I chucked in at flameout.

Drink up #2 now guys, it's ready to roll !

Looking forward to your Schwarzbier over the weekend


----------



## loftboy (13/8/10)

*12. Rurik Belgium Blond. ABV 5.6%*

Had one of these last weekend, even though it's a bit early according to the swap list. Despite that, it's coming along well.

Lovely clear light gold colour. A subtle lemony aroma & flavour, yet enough of that Belgium influence to make it interesting. Carbonation is a little light on, but still enough to make it drinkable. I'm sorry I didn't take better notes of this one, but I just grabbed it out of the fridge when I was whipping up a big batch of chicken pesto.

Well done Ben. I'm looking foward to the second bottle in a couple of weeks.


----------



## m_peve (14/8/10)

2. Loftboy - 'Call me Amber' (American Amber Ale. OG 1.050, US-05)
-------------------------------------------------------------
Well I'm not going to the naughty corner for slackness in posting (I had my beer ready for swap day  )
Sorry it's taken a while to get these up.
Mid August started on the 9th for me. Sorry Dave, I got confused and opened too early - Just too keen  
The beer poured with a very thin head that dissipated quickly. 
A lovely amber colour with what seemed to be some chill haze.
I noticed some Toffee on nose but couldn't find anything else.
It was very sweet when first in the mouth (my initial impression was sticky date pudding) followed by a dry finish that stopped any sickliness dead in its tracks.
Further mouthfuls, perhaps due to the beer warming up seem to have dulled the sweetness somewhat and the bitterness becomes more apparent
The body was thinner than I would expect from an Amber ale but it was a very enjoyable drop regardless of the label it is given.
Thanks Dave.


----------



## m_peve (14/8/10)

--------------------------------------------------------------
4. Shmick - Imperial Amber, OG 1.071, WY1028
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Another wonderful label. I wish I were that organised Shmick.
The beer poured with a thick creamy off white head that clung to the side of the glass.
A clear rich mahogany colour that was a feast for the eyes!!
First up, I received a piney hop aroma which left me anticipating the taste of American hops.
I was not disappointed. The taste was dominated by hop flavour. Some maltiness was detectable just before the bitterness jumped in and dried out the finish.
More malt flavours became noticeable as the beer warmed. For a high strength the alcohol was perfectly disguised.
With a medium-full body and fairly high carbonation I found myself wishing the bottle wouldn't end.
A fantastic beer Mick. Thanks muchly!!


----------



## m_peve (14/8/10)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
23. Gus - Sparkling Ale
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gee!! This one effervesced into the glass with a large fluffy white head before settling down to a medium-size.
It was very highly carbonated ... what remained in the bottle tried to climb out.
Standing in the glass the beer was a crystal clear golden colour that begged to be drunk and left a lacing down the side of the glass as it was consumed.
I detected little in the way of hops in the aroma but found a distinctly yeasty smell.
With a carbonic bite up front that was followed up by a fruity taste it is definitely a quaffable ale.
There was a little residual sweetness at the end of the mouthful which meant that it finished medium-dry and maintained a good balance between bitterness and sweetness.
Thanks Gus, a good session beer.


----------



## m_peve (14/8/10)

--------------------------------------------------------------------
8. Benniee - Munich Dunkel - OG 1.052 - 4.8% ABV - Wyeast 2308 Munich Lager - Bottled 27th June
--------------------------------------------------------------------
You are being way too tough on yourself Benniee.
No immediately striking aroma perhaps a hint of breadiness (but then I seem to be a bit nasally challenged tonight).
Dark brown with a fairly persistent thin off white head
My first taste brought to mind images of brown bread straight from the oven (though this diminished over the course of the pint).
Contrastingly the body was quite thin and not reminiscent my vision of Baker's Delight.
Malt is the dominant factor in this beer with the hops only being used as a sweetness tempering agent
The carbonation was lower than I would have expected but it was a smooth and refreshing beer that I've enjoyed greatly.
Thanks Benniee


----------



## Muggus (16/8/10)

*Beer: 17. Steve - APA*
Date: 16th August 2010
Details: 750ml gold cap 17, (Wyeast -2112 Californian Lager). Bottled early July
Sampling Notes:
Served in a pint glass.

Must have been thirsty Id gotten through half the bottle before it occurred to me to put pen to paperwhoops.

Pours a sparse foam atop a relatively clear deep gold body.

The nose isnt as punchy as I was expecting, but Im greeted with some citrusy hops, bit of grass and sherbet (?) about it. Cant pick up much malt, perhaps a hint of yeast though.

Subdued carbonation, medium-light bodied, quite thirst quenching, and may explain why almost all of its gone already.

More nice citrus hops on the body. Bit of orange and peach, bit of malt sweetness but its kept well tamed by a drying bitter finish. 

Quite a simple, approachable APA. Not intense, just really easy and really begs for a long hot summers day, and big whopping mugs full of the stuff. Thanks Steve!


----------



## Offline (20/8/10)

13 Muggus Raunchy Scottsman Smoked Brown Ale

I have misplaced my tasting notes on this beer. So this is just from memory of over a week ago. First of all I poured this beer very slow and carefully, after the comments of others, and still ended up with a sizeable head. What I remember most about this beer is what I perceived as peat in both the aroma and flavour. It gave me the impression of a Scotch or Irish whisky just lingering in the background. Combined with these muted earthy/peaty aromas was a malt backbone with little to no hop aroma. Bitterness was low with a dry mouth feel. Definitely a Scottish type ale. Thanks Muggus. 

19 Conrad maple lager,

Tried one of these last week as well but have no notes on it. I had 2 bottles from Conrad so I thought Id give one a try now and one later. On initial pouring it had very little head that disappeared immediately, which reminded me of my early brewing experiences. As such I was expecting a dry flavourless type beer, sorry. I couldnt have been more wrong though mouth feel was medium to high. Carbonation was low, it may improve with age what did you prime your bottles with? I think the low carbonation is contributing to low levels of aroma as well. flavour is malt driven with a hint of what I would have guessed as honey if it wasnt called maple lager. Im looking forward to trying the next bottle, with my note pad as well though. Thanks Conrad. 

8 Bennie Munich

Nice tight pale tan head, carbonation medium. Beautiful rich colour. Aroma is of German malts with little to no hops. Taste is very similar to the aroma for me with the initial malt flavours that give way to a lingering bitterness. Mouth feel is medium with an ever so slight gritty texture that I usually associate with a certain malt that I cant put my finger on right now. I enjoyed this beer thanks Bennie 

21 Jordan Belgian Pale Ale

The aroma reminds me of Belgian triples but more subdued defiantly malt driven sweet and spicy/florally. Thin persistent tight white head that needed some initial coaxing when pouring. Mouthfeel medium to light. Great colour for style, clarity is good too. Flavour is also malt driven and spicy with just enough tail end bitterness for some balance. This beer has everything that I love about a belgian triple in it, just less. Making it, in my opinion, a easy drinking version of a Belgian triple. Thanks for sharing Jordan.


----------



## [email protected] (22/8/10)

Hi All,

Feel free to get stuck in to my brew (No.9) whenever you feel the need. I revisited the keg yesterday and although it has settled down, it's still rather 'interesting'. I know the faults and how I put them in the beer so please taste/ judge it honestly and I'll attempt to explain how/what I done to get the final out come.

I'd describe it as 'a good beer to practice judging on'

Cheers
Geoff


----------



## Muggus (22/8/10)

*Beer: Conrad Maple Lager*
Date: 21th August 2010
Details: 750ml bottled, gold cap 19
Sampling Notes:
Served in a pint glass.

Copper body, decent clarity from first pour with a white head that dissipates quickly.

Mild aroma; decidedly malt driven with caramel, golden syrup and some noticeable hop citrus.

Low carbonation seems to accentuate the syrup texture, and possibly the overall sweetness a bit. Medium weight on the palate.

Sweet malts upfront; pale toffee, brown sugar, honey, with a bitter orange hop flavour and a firm bitterness to finish.

Relatively clean, bitter/sweet sort of amber lager. Didnt pick up maple in particular, though it is quite a delicate flavour, but it did have plenty of caramelised malts. Not bad, cheers Conrad.


----------



## Muggus (23/8/10)

*Beer: 25. Trent - Head on Collision (Topaz SMASH)*
Date: 23rd August 2010
Details: 750ml bottled, gold cap 25 OG ~ 1.070 WY 1028 - 45 IBU
Sampling Notes:
Served in a pint glass.

Pours a slightly hazy pale gold body with thick creamy white head that persists well.

Good smack of hops on the nose; resinous leafiness, herbaceous, almost mint like, pine sap and grapefruit, possibly pineapple. Noticeable grainy malt in the background.

Smooth texture with medium carbonation and a full body; certainly doesnt seem like a 7% beer.

Remarkably well-rounded body, certainly not as intense as I was expecting (and maybe hoping, just a bit); plenty of oily leafy herbs, cracker biscuit maltiness, sharp citrus rind, pine wood, mandarin oddly, some tropical fruit that gets a bit lost in the firm bitterness. Lingering leafy finish, like a big mouthful of stuff you shouldnt be eating

Nice stuff Trent. Huge fan of this hop, even brewed a couple of SMASH brews with it too. Certainly has a unique and potent flavour to it, and speaking of potent, this beer is deceptively so; feeling it towards the end of the bottle. Cheers!


----------



## HarryB (24/8/10)

Just putting up a few notes on my own beer (#16) and give people the 'all clear' that it is now ready to drink.

This beer is a reprise of a raspberry wit I made about a year ago and brought to one of the first HUB meetings (some of you might have tasted it). The feedback I got was that it was OK, but a little on the sweet side. So for this one I mashed much lower and took out the small amount of crystal I had used in the previous one.

The result is a very dry beer (1.037 to 1.002) from memory. It is a blend of yeasts: wyeast forbidden fruit and wyeast Belgian wit.

Overall, the extra dryness allows the raspberry taste to come out a bit more and it was pretty much what we were aiming for. Give it a go!!


----------



## Weizguy (24/8/10)

Peve said:


> 2. Loftboy - 'Call me Amber' (American Amber Ale. OG 1.050, US-05)
> -------------------------------------------------------------
> Well I'm not going to the naughty corner for slackness in posting (I had my beer ready for swap day  )


Cheeky boy. Would it be more slack to deliver an under-developed beer? Lol. 
The weizenbock spent over a week in the fridge at 10C. Give it a couple of weeks to carbonate in a warm place in your house. It was lovingly crafted, but the esters are a bit "fruit tingle" for me at the moment. Keen to get feedback. My previous Quadrupelhellerweizenbock had the same aroma. Maybe the W3638 is not the best for a bock strength beer.

My respect to all who contributed. We are all put on notice for the Chrissy Case swap and should start brewing soon. No poseurs, no tyre-kickers and no window lickers.


----------



## Muggus (25/8/10)

*Beer: 2. Loftboy Call Me Amber (American Amber Ale) *
Date: 24rd August 2010
Details: 750ml bottled, gold cap 2, OG 1.050, US-05, bottled 4th July
Sampling Notes:
Served in a pint glass.

Clean amber body with a finger of creamy white head that persists well.

Aroma of moderate intensity; good amount of hop lemon/citrus, pine herbaceousness with a hint of toffee malt.

Medium body, soft carbonation, texture is smooth, verging on chewy maltiness, but not quite there.

Bit of toffee malt provides a dash of sweetness upfront, but doesnt persist for long until lemony, grass hops show themselves with a hint of woodiness and dried fruits in the background. Moderate/high bitterness with a lingering dryness.

Nice, uncomplicated amber ale. Decent amount of hops, bit dryer than I was expected, which probably accentuated the hops even more. Cheers Lofty.


----------



## Muggus (25/8/10)

*Beer: 20. Brocky Dark Lager *
Date: 24rd August 2010
Details: 750ml bottled, gold cap 28(yeah?), wyeast 2487 hellabock
Sampling Notes:
Served in a pint glass.

Loud opening, foam starts to creep up the neck of the bottle. Pours a big billowing foam atop a hazy copper body.

Pungent phenolic aroma; lots of pepper, wood, spice and band aid hard to see past it - possible infection?

High carbonation, lean body, bit of carbonic bite.

More phenolics on the body, bit too overwhelming and astringent to get to the base beer, and a bit too difficult to drink.

Sorry Brocky, couldnt finish this one. Im thinking more than likely an infection, possibly Brettanomyces of some sort - infected starter maybe? Im hoping this is just a dud bottle. Cheers.


----------



## Muggus (25/8/10)

*Beer: 26. Peve Black Sheep Riggwelter clone (Wheeler) *
Date: 24rd August 2010
Details: 750ml bottled, gold cap 26, OG 1.057, FG 1.011, bottled 17/7/10
Sampling Notes:
Served in a pint glass.

Pours a very clean, clear amber-copper body with a dense inch of white head that hangs around.

Nice aroma of toasted cereal, bread crust, and chocolatey malts in combination with earthy spicy hops and red fruit esters.

Thick chewy malt texture with a creamy carbonation and excellent persistence on the palate.

Lovely complex body of flavour; chocolate malts, toffee, biscuits, roasted nuts, plums, cherry, tobacco leaf, orange marmalade, I could go on Very firm bitterness to finish, lingering with a dried herbaceousness.

Really liked this beer! Much more complex than your standard sort of English ale; the more you drink the more you taste. Cheers Peve!


----------



## brocky_555 (25/8/10)

Thanks for the honest reveiw. I also found it hard to drink. it is my first attempt at a lager and it hasn't come off might try that recipe again but not re-seed the yeast after the lagering priod.

any way thanks for saying it was shit and not sugar coating it


----------



## Offline (25/8/10)

23 Gus Sparkling Ale

Pours a pale straw colour with good clarity and a large white head that dissipates after a short while. Very little aroma, there is a faint hint of something I cant quite put my finger on, like a vegemite sandwich maybe.
The flavor is also fairly muted, very little malt flavor or hops flavor with virtually no lingering bitterness on the palate. Mouthfeel is dry with a medium to high level of carbonation (sparkling if you like). All of these things combined to give me the impression of a dry type sparkling cider. I'm not really familiar with sparkling ales as a style, if i had to pick a style for this beer it would be American/Australian lager. Thanks Gus


----------



## Muggus (25/8/10)

brocky_555 said:


> Thanks for the honest reveiw. I also found it hard to drink. it is my first attempt at a lager and it hasn't come off might try that recipe again but not re-seed the yeast after the lagering priod.
> 
> any way thanks for saying it was shit and not sugar coating it


I don't really like to write bad comments on peoples beers, but I think it's handy to know if someone's picked up any faults in it. I know i've brewed beers that I thought were ok, but others pointed out that they had serious issues...hopefully it's led to better brewing.

Out of interest, how did you treat the yeast?
Like, what temps ferment, did you make a starter, how much did you pitch, etc...?

I've had a few similiar issues with yeasts when using old starters and under pitching, tending to stress the yeast and letting off alot of phenolics into the beer.


----------



## Muggus (27/8/10)

*Beer: 12. Rurik Belgian Blond*
Date: 27th August 2010
Details: 375mL, green cap 12 5.6% abv, bottled 21.7.10
Sampling Notes:
Served in a pint glass.

Pours quite a lively looking straw body with decent clarity. Inch worth of dense white head persists for the most part.

Decent intensity to the nose. Toasty, bready, cereally malts with a bit of juicy hop citrus and leafiness, with subtle notes of pepper and ripe peach in the background.

Quite a lean body somewhat spurred on by a lively carbonation and subtle tartness.

Nice delicate sort of flavour with cereally pale malts, golden syrup sweetness, ripe stonefruits and floral citrusy hops. Finishes smoothly with a moderate bitterness.

Highly drinkable blond ale! Seems to bridge the gap between Belgian, British and German(Kolsch) blond ales; best of each really. Good flavour, very well made, cheers Ben!


----------



## loftboy (28/8/10)

*4. Shmick - Imperial Amber, OG 1.071, WY1028. Bottled 5/7/10 ready to drink but will improve over the next month or 2*

I will just say this about Mick's entry.

This beer makes all the effort we put into case swaps worthwhile. Everything about it is 110% - presentation, flavour, aroma, body & drinkability.

It's made to a standard that we can all aspire to :beerbang:


----------



## gone brewing (29/8/10)

7 Scott, Schwarzbier

This was deep mahogany in colour and very clear. It had medium carbonation and a medium head that stayed the whole way through the glass. 

The aroma was moderate, hinting at roastiness and sweet malt. The flavour was great; moderate malt/roasty flavours, well balanced by a moderate bitterness. Clean aftertaste which leaves a residual flavour, kind of coffee-like with some hop flavour.

Overall impression easy to drink dark lager with some roast character. Great beer. Thanks Scotty.


----------



## Muggus (1/9/10)

*Beer: 24. David Jenkins Old Ale*
Date: 31st August 2010
Details: 750ml bottle, gold cap 24
Sampling Notes:
Served in a pint glass.

Bit of a gusher on opening. Manage to avoid any major spillage. Pours a copper body with uniform haze and creamy white foam.

Decidedly spicy aroma with lots of clove, nutmeg, cooked apple, pepper, liquorice, wood, and phenolics, almost to the point where its smoky and rum-like. Pungent, and just the slight bit unusual I gotta say.

Quite rich on the palate, thick with a lively carbonation and lingering phenolic astringency.

Flavour is full on; molasses, lots of phenolic woody, earthy spices. Warming alcohol on the finish, clove-like astringency lingers.

Really not entirely sure what to make of this beer. Its one of those styles that is quite rare and even commercial examples can differ hugely. This beer, whilst a bit rough and abrasive upfront, kinda grew on me after a while. I could imagine a few years in the bottle could make it very interesting indeed. Cheers David, good to try something very different.


----------



## m_peve (3/9/10)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
25. Trent - Head on Collision (Topaz SMASH) OG ~ 1.070 WY 1028 - 45 IBU. Aerated with Olive Oil. DO NO HARVEST YEAST.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Very hazy golden colour with a good sized, white, creamy head that lasted for the life of the beer (which wasn't very long)
Big aroma of tropical grapefruit and tropical fruit from the hops.
The first mouthful was as I anticipated....a sharp hop bitterness that zapped the tongue and was followed by a malt flavours that are almost overpowered by the hops.
Alcohol not detectable.
A medium body with a dry bitter finish makes this a beer I love.
Thanks for a beauty Trent


----------



## m_peve (3/9/10)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
19. Conrad - Maple lager
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I perceived little to no aroma.
It poured with a very thin watery head that disappeared as fast as it arrived.
The mouthfeel was full and tasted somewhat of brown sugar with almost a dextrinous feel about it.
There was residual sweetness followed by a flat bitterness reminiscent of mandarin peel, that tempered any 'over' sweetness.
A hint of maple syrup made a fleeting appearance after the mouthful has gone
It became more 'mapley' as it warmed
Thanks Conrad. An enjoyable beer that I wouldn't have thought of making.


----------



## m_peve (3/9/10)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
18. Dick - Brown Porter - Wyeast 1882PC, Thames Valley II - Bottled 27-Jun, 4.8%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This one poured thick and a very dark brown. It had a medium sized, off-white head that dissipated over time.
I noticed some roastiness in the aroma (suggestion of coffee - or maybe I just need one).
There was a hint of caramel/toffee sweetness from the malts which ended nicely with the the hop bitterness cutting in
A medium body and a dry finish, together with the complex combination of flavours and aroma has created a wonderful beer. 
Very tasty, thanks Dick!!!


----------



## Muggus (6/9/10)

*Beer: Ken English Pale Ale*
Date: 5th September 2010
Details: 750mL bottle, gold cap 5 Wyeast 1026 British Cask Ale, bottled 25th July
Sampling Notes:
Served in a pint glass.

Pours a pale copper body with good clarity. Creamy white head foams up, eventually dissipating into a finger worth that hangs around.

Quite an inviting nose to it; medium intensity with biscuity malts, orange marmalade and hints of ripe stonefruit and spice.

Low carbonation, medium-lean body, hops persist well on the finish adding length.

Light caramel and biscuity malts provide a backbone for notes of bitter orange, peach, dried herbs, pepper and bready yeast. Firm bitterness to finish hits the spot.

Solid British bitter! Good flavour and bitterness, well made, nice, cheers Ken!


----------



## HarryB (7/9/10)

8. Beniee's Munich Dunkel.

Nice pour: decent pale tan head and almost-black body.
Aroma is subtle but there is some malt.
Tastes good! In layman's (i.e. my) words, it tastes like a good tooheys old with a 'german style' malty finish. 
Very good drinking - thanks mate!


----------



## Muggus (9/9/10)

*[Beer: Max Laste Minute APA*
Date: 8th September 2010
Details: 750mL bottle gold cap 27/MAX OG. 1.062, FG. 1.010, bottled 19/7/10
Sampling Notes:
Served in a pint glass.

Effervescent gold body, decent clarity. Inch of dense white head persists.

Aroma not particularly pungent. Citrusy, ripe stonefruit hops with some sweet pale malts.

Carbonation is quite high, good fullness to body, drying texture shortens the finish.

Cereally pale malts bring sweetness to the body, backed by hop flavours of zesty lemon, peach and grass. Decent bitter note finishes.

Highly approachable APA. Hard to believe its around the 6% mark! Cheers Max.


----------



## Muggus (9/9/10)

*Beer: Clifftiger - Bock*
Date: 8th September 2010
Details: 750mL bottle gold cap 11/CLIFF Wyeast 2124, bottled 25th July
Sampling Notes:
Served in a pint glass.

Pours a lovely deep bronze body with ruby edges and creamy off-white head really nice to look at actually.

Quite rich aroma; toffee, molasses, nuts, light roast, with plumy dark fruits and a hint of bread.

Palate weight and viscosity is probably not what I was expecting, but certainly nice, assisted by a smooth carbonation.

Lots of rich melanoidin malts on the body; toffee, toasted nuts, mocha, wood, blackberry and plum. Hints of dried fruit and spice linger with a decent measure of bitterness on the finish.

Really enjoyed this beer! From the get go, it just screams class good colour, aroma, and body that matches. Cheers Cliff!


----------



## m_peve (9/9/10)

-----------------------------------------------------------------
13. Muggus - Raunchy Scottsman - Smoked Brown Ale - Bottled 11th June, 5.0%, gold cap "13/RS"
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Who reads reviews before opening a bottle? Oh that's right, smart people (ie. NOT me!!!)
I've read the reviews NOW!!
I filled 2 glasses with foam and more beer ran out of the bottle all over the bench While i answered a phone call I had to take.
Once the mess was cleaned up, the glasses had settled down a bit into a loose head that persisted for the length of the beer.
It was a somewhat murky brown but with the foaming activity that went on I imagine a it was caused by a fair amount of yeast floating about.
Smoke on the nose with some noticeable maltiness which I found pleasant because I tend to dislike overpowering smokiness.
On tasting I found a slight note of band aid-like phenolics in the background but this was pretty much doused by a peaty maltiness that reminded me of a scotch whisky.
The finish was quite dry which added to the whisky effect.
Thanks Muggus, an unusual beer that I wouldn't have made, but quite enjoyed.


----------



## m_peve (9/9/10)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
17. Steve - APA, - (Wyeast -2112 Californian Lager)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Poured with a large fluffy white head
Extremely Clear deep gold colour
Subtle American hop in the aroma.
Honey and citrus ( orange peel ) in the flavour
Light medium body with dry acidic bite at the end.
Thanks Steve, for a very well executed APA that I savoured.

The subdued hop aroma and honey reminded me of my visit to Anchor Brewing ( perhaps the same hops ?? )
I can't recall which Anchor beer it reminds me of. Perhaps Bigfridge can remember!!!
Was it just Cascade that you used Steve?

Peve


----------



## Brewman_ (9/9/10)

13. Muggus - Raunchy Scottsman - Smoked Brown Ale.

This one has been in my fridge for at least three weeks. I opened it while cooking some tea tonight.

Opened with a strong snap of pressure releasing. I poured it into a tall glass and it poured beatifully, crystal clear dark tea colour with a good 25mm off white head - looks great! 

The carbonation was strong and the head lasted all the way through the glass but I had no trouble pouring - maybe because it had been in the fridge for quite a while. Some smoky and roasty aromas and flavours - very nice.

I really enjoyed this beer to the last drop, and this is a beer I would certainly have a crack at making myslef in the future.

Thanks Muggus for a great beer.


----------



## Brewman_ (9/9/10)

4. Shmick Imperial Amber.

Had this one after tea.

Poured a deep amber coolur, crystal cleer, with a moderate head. Also been in the fridge for weeks.

The hop aroma was a little more subdued than I expected - maybe from reading previous reviews, but it was just how I liked it.

Great to drink, the high % Alc was not evident in the drinking at all. I found the hops came through far more in the taste & reminds me of Galaxy or Citra?

Really enjoyed this beer, it's a ripper.

Fear_n_loath


----------



## Brewman_ (9/9/10)

Peve said:


> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 17. Steve - APA, - (Wyeast -2112 Californian Lager)
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> The subdued hop aroma and honey reminded me of my visit to Anchor Brewing ( perhaps the same hops ?? )
> ...


Hi Peve,
Thanks for the feed back.
This is essentially an extract beer. The beer has Amarillo finishing hops late in the boil for flavour with some Cascade at the end of the boil. The original intention was to add more Cascade in the fermenter as a dry hop addition, but when I tasted the samples from the fermenter at various stages I decided not to make these additions, which I regret now - I should have used some more cascade I think.

I had not heard of Anchor brewery before, but they refer to their beers as Steam beer, and I think this is in line with the origin of the yeast I used - California Lager, so maybe that is a common thread? I did not add any honey, so not sure where that flavour comes from, but you are not the only person to notice it.

Steve


----------



## m_peve (14/9/10)

-------------------------------------------------------------
1. Schooey - Bitch Slap IIPA, OG 1.072 ( tongue.gif Les!) WLP051
-------------------------------------------------------------
Poured with a large Offwhite head that laced the glass nicely that sat on top of a hazy light copper coloured beer.
I was immediately struck by the huge hoppy aroma.
There was a spicy element initially that melded into a wonderful maltiness as it warmed.
Importantly, it absorbed some of the heat from the crazy tacos we had for dinner.
I perceived large hop grassiness in the finish which was extremely dry
A medium full body with alcohol not noticeable.
Thanks heaps Schooey!! A great beer after a tough day!! :icon_cheers:


----------



## m_peve (14/9/10)

-----------------------------------------------------------------
*11. Clifftiger - Bock (Wyeast 2124 ) *** Bottled 25th July
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Mahogany with Ruby highlights, it poured with a thick creamy head that lasted the whole beer.
It had a bready aroma with hint of sweet toffee
Some Toasty malt flavours, but they seem to be overpowered by the fairly strong bitterness which continues into the 
finish and dries the palate. Having said that, the maltiness did come through more as the beer warmed.
The medium body and carbonation added to the zing on the tongue.
Thanks Cliff, a nice beer that I found most refreshing.


----------



## m_peve (14/9/10)

-----------------------------------------------------------------
12. Rurik Belgium Blond. ABV 5.6%
-----------------------------------------------------------------
White fluffy medium sized head that disappeared fairly quickly (could be my glass)
Pale straw colour with a slight haze that disappeared as it warmed.
My nose isn't working well so not picking up much in the aroma.
Quite a light body with a slight lemon flavour and a hint of bitterness in the finish to make it moreish.
Tanks Rurik. A great beer to have sitting in the spring sunshine. 
Who knows why I drank it in the middle of the night :blink:


----------



## m_peve (14/9/10)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
21. Jordan - Belgian Pale Ale - Wyeast 3655 Belgian Schelde - OG 1.054, FG 1.010, 5.8%, bottled 30th June
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Poured with a thick creamy head and settled to a brilliantly clear amber colour.
A spicy aroma wafted from my pint glass.
It tasted of spices but was backed by a solid malt backbone. Some phenols were noticeable in the background but this is appropriate for style and certainly doesn't detract from this beer.
The low bitterness makes it very approachable. 
A good example of style.
Thanks Jordan a very very nice drop


----------



## Muggus (16/9/10)

*Beer: 16. HarryB Raspberry Wit *
Date: 15th September 2010
Details: 750mL bottle gold cap 16
Sampling Notes:
Served in a pint glass.

Nice loud psst on opening. Pours a hazy pink-tinged orange body with tight white head.

Aroma of low-medium intensity. Quite spicy, and cereally, with fresh raspberry and hints of citrusy fruits.

Light body, drying texture spurred on a by a bit of tartness and lively carbonation.

Raspberry most prominent on the body, reminiscent of watered down cordial. Some orange juice fruitiness with corny cereal malts and pepper spice. Moderate bitterness on finish. Lingering dryness persists, with tart raspberry fruits.

Refreshing dry raspberry wheat beer. Would be very nice on a hot summers day. Cheers Harry!


----------



## m_peve (16/9/10)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
22. Off'y - Dunkleweizen, Bottled 15/7/10
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Medium sized head that lasted well and laced the glass.
Slightly hazy brown with a hint of red.
Banana and bread on nose
Banana in the initial taste but fades to an almost metallic astringency as the mouthful ends.
Not unpleasant but leaves the mouth very dry.
Medium full body
It could be my tired tastebuds and brain, it's been a long long week. It might have been clovelike flavours.
I'd be interested to know what others think.
Thanks Off'y for a beer I've enjoyed and has made me think.


----------



## m_peve (16/9/10)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
24. David Jenkins - Old Ale
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sorry, Bad note taking for this one so it's in note form
Thin head with dark copper body
Quite hazy
Phenollics dominate the aroma.
Very astringent
A hint of liquorice and spices
Very dry finish 
Alcohol warming felt
Quite a different beer
Thanks David

P.S. What was the estimated ABV?


----------



## m_peve (16/9/10)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
27. Max - Laste minute APA OG ~ 1.062 FG 1.010 Bottled 19/07/10 (leave at least 3 weeks) 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Another from the same night so notes were terrible.
Poured a clear golden colour
Head didn't last too long ( might have been my glass )
Citrus hoppiness and peach in the taste
Medium-full body
Quite a bitter finish
Alcohol very well hidden
Nice drop Thanks Max!!


----------



## bigfridge (23/9/10)

1. Schooey IIPA

Poured with out any head and is essentially flat. Yellow gold colour with slight haze.

American hops and sweet malt aroma with subdued fruitiness. Medium body with a long clean bitterness.

Tony, I really enjoyed this beer. You have done a great job of crafting the maltiness needed to support the firm bitterness. But I would not call it an IIpa - it is really in the IPA territory. To be an Imperial IPA it needs a massive hop nose and bitterness, with intense maltiness.

BTW, you could lose the label as the beer doesn't need it. It is a slippery slope when you stray into social unpleasantness. What's next - pack rape Pilsner or extortion Amber ? 

;-)


----------



## bigfridge (23/9/10)

Goatherders Swartz

Scott, I must appologise that yours was the first beer that I cracked after the swap and it didn't disappoint. Can't remember any problems so I can only say that your placing at the recent State comp was well deserved.

Well done,

Dave


----------



## gone brewing (26/9/10)

The Ol said:


> 9 Geoff Dubbel - "a good beer to practice judging on" (OK I'll try don't really know if I can say anything that you don't already know, but I'll have a go).
> 
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## HarryB (30/9/10)

2. Loftboy - 'Call me Amber' (American Amber Ale. OG 1.050, US-05)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My drinking companion and I both commented on what a nice colour this one was - a lovely reddy-brown.
Aroma of some tropical fruits and a hit of malt.
Flavour is reminiscent of a good, hoppy APA with extra malty notes. It steers clear of being too 'nutty' which is often one of my criticisms of this style.
Overall a very good beer - thanks!


----------



## m_peve (30/9/10)

------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Les the Weizguy - Weizenbock (by request), O.G. ~1.072 (just to out-do Schooey ) W3638 yeast
------------------------------------------------------------------
Poured a rich mahogany with a thin-medium off-white head that lasted well into the beer.
Bready malt aroma with hints of banana lurking to the back.
Darks fruits (plums mainly) dominate the flavour with subdued bread and banana to balance it out
Full bodied and creamy smooth (probably helped by the low bitterness) before finishing with a slight zap on the tongue from the carbonation.
Alcohol very well hidden.
Thomas judged the German Wheat ad Rye class the other weekend. I'm sure he'd have loved it if you entered  
Oh I want another bottle of this one!!!


----------



## m_peve (30/9/10)

---------------------------------------------------------------
5. Ken - English Pale Ale (Wyeast 1026 - British Cask Ale)
----------------------------------------------------------------
Poured thick craeamy head that clung to the side of the glass nicely
Golden copper colour with a little chill haze
A clean aroma with a little nuttiness on the nose. Very restrained though.
Medium bitterness with some malty biscuit flavours providing a counterpoint.
A lovely dry finish making it a great session beer.
Thanks for a great job Ken


----------



## Brewman_ (9/10/10)

24. David Jenkins Old Ale.
After a long day of working I cracked this beer, I really enjoyed it, a perfect day for a dark beer. Thanks David for sharing.


----------



## Muggus (11/10/10)

Got a bit lazy and forgot to post some previous tastings...


*Beer: Schooey Bitch Slap IPA*
Date: 16th September 10
Details: 750mL bottle gold cap 1 w/ great label, 7.2%
Sampling Notes:
Served in a pint glass.

Pours a copper-amber body of uniform haze. Small tight off-white head forms atop and hangs around contently.

Smack in the face of hops on the nose; rockmelon, honeydew, mandarin, ripe tropical fruit with a very distinct green grassy herbaceousness almost like lemon grass. Quite clean overall, malt aromas hard to detect.

Full bodied, but certainly not overdone, texture is somewhat slick, undoubtedly resiny with a welcome subdued carbonation of moderate intensity.

Plenty more hops on the body; unripe melons this time, resinous pine sap, has that passionfruit/guava thing going on would be very interested to know what hops went in this? Some honey and light caramel maltiness in there providing a touch of sweetness. Bitterness is surprisingly kept well restrained on a squeaky clean finish.

Certainly a hoppy beer, but I certainly dont feel like a victim of domestic violence by the end, like the label alludes to. Instead, I find this beer tremendously drinkable with a great flavour. Cheers Tony worth the wait ;-)


----------



## Muggus (11/10/10)

*Beer: Geoff Donny Dubbel and the Temporary Esters*
Date: 16th September 10
Details: 750mL bottle gold cap 9 7.6%, T-58
Sampling Notes:
Served in a pint glass.

Deep bronze body in the glass. Light tan head slowly dissipates.

Good rich, pungent aroma; molasses, black plum, black berry, raisin, date, vanilla and pepper, and clove spice.

Carbonation is quite low seemingly accentuating the viscosity and length of this beer. Also does a great job of masking that substantial abv!

Lovely rich palate packed full of dark fruits, caramelised malts, chocolate, spice, liquorice and dried fruit. Long finish, hint of bitterness; very nice!

Seriously tasty stuff! Rich and complex, I reckon this rivals the likes of Chimay Red, and re-affirms my confidence in T-58 yeast for Belgian ales. Top notch, cheers Geoff!


----------



## Muggus (18/10/10)

*Beer: Offy - Dunkelweizen*
Date: 11th October 2010
Details: 750mL bottle, gold cap 22
Sampling Notes:
Served in a pint glass.

Presents an attractive bronze body with decent clarity. An inch of thick white head holds steady.

Pleasant aroma of ripe banana, sultana, toffee, chocolate and clove spice.

Lovely creamy mouthfeel, carbonation is spot on, wheat dries out the palate but theres enough malt sweetness to balance.

Body is sweet upfront; plenty of toffee and nutty malt, with banana bread, nutmeg, clove, sultana and tawny port undertones. Low bitterness, hint of herbal hop on the finish.

Enjoyable dark wheat beer. Well made, cheers Offy!


----------



## Muggus (18/10/10)

*Beer: Les the Weizguy - Weizenbock*
Date: 12th October 2010
Details: 750mL bottle 3 1.072, Wyeast 3638
Sampling Notes:
Served in a pint glass.

Pours an amber body of decent clarity. Inch of tight white foam persists.

Rich aroma packed with dense bread, molasses, dried fig and clove.

Beautiful silkiness to the texture, accentuated by the low carbonation and sheer viscosity of the beerwhich I suppose alludes to alcohol, but its well hidden!

Luscious palate with lots of dark fruit esters and Christmas cake-like spices, with supporting Muscat undertones and a touch of boozy warmth on the finish.

Devilishly good beer! Im a huge fan of the style, and thusly, have tried my fair share, and this certainly rates up there. Many thanks Les for a terrific beer to end a terrific lot of case swap beers!


----------

