# 2016 QLD Xmas Case Swap (Tasting Thread)



## Parks (18/12/16)

1. evoo4u - Julebryg
2. Aydos - Galaxy Pale ale
3. Liam_Snorkel - Impish Stout - 2.0% ABV (Drink NOW)
4. Ballantyne
5. madpierre06 - Funky Saison (Drink in 5 months or now - Orval dregs)
6. Earle - Choc Wheat IPA (Drink NOW)
7. Luggy - Oatmeal Stout
8. Davy - Rye Pale
9. Peege - Ainsley Harriot (milk stout)
10. Benken25 - American farmhouse with mulberry and chilli (Drink NOW)
11.
12. Beersuit - Belgian Blonde
13. evoo4u - APA
14. Ciderman - Mulberry Sour (Drink NOW if bottle firm)
15.
16. giatuprs - Rex Banner's Bannier Hammer XPA - upscaled version of Brewditos' Brett APA from that Bacchus thing (Drink NOW)
17. pcqypcqy - Robust Porter.
18. Nickxb - Coconut Rum Porter (Drink NOW)
19.
20.
21. Peege - Grvm RIPA (Red IPA)
22. madpierre06 - Hopp-a-long Saison (Drink NOW)
23. Parks - 7.2% Black IPA (Drink NOW)
24. tazman1967 "Scorched Earth" Smoked Saison

Update your beer with when it's ready or other specific consideration.

Ben - your bottles are rock solid


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## benken25 (18/12/16)

Yeah mine are good to go


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## Ciderman (18/12/16)

Mine was bottled on the 8th December. Should be ready to go if your bottle is firm


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## madpierre06 (18/12/16)

No. 5 - bottle refermented with Orval dregs starter, so give it 3 or 4 monbths to develop if you want, otherwise it should be good to go whenever

No. 22 - Drink now.


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## Liam_snorkel (18/12/16)

#3 ready now


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## earle (18/12/16)

#6 Choc Wheat IPA - drink now


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## nickxb (18/12/16)

#18 is good to go now.


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## Beersuit (18/12/16)

#12 needs a week or so to carb. Will be hitting its prime in a month though. Sorry.


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## Peege (18/12/16)

#9 drink now (might be a gusher as my last batch was)
#21 bottled Dec 16, leave for 2 weeks


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## Coodgee (18/12/16)

Come on someone open one! Our are you all too hung over?


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## madpierre06 (18/12/16)

Heh...tomorrow.


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## ballantynebrew (18/12/16)

Parks said:


> 1. evoo4u - Julebryg
> 2. Aydos - Galaxy Pale ale
> 3. Liam_Snorkel - Impish Stout - 2.0% ABV (Drink NOW)
> 4. Ballantyne - funktown pale ale -5.4% abv fermented since 9 oct- bottled 14/12/16- drink when hard
> ...


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## Liam_snorkel (18/12/16)

Coodgee said:


> Come on someone open one! Our are you all too hung over?


 got some on ice!


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## evoo4u (18/12/16)

#1 and #13 both good to go.

Currently sitting on the deck looking over to the scene of last night's merryment, enjoying an annonymous glass tallie of a nice hoppy something which was left on the benchtop just along from the urn. Don't know who fathered it, but very nice.

Also enjoying some beautiful smoked peanuts which we found in the cleanup. Whose were they and what's the smokey flavour? They're going down a treat.

Thanks to all for the great range of beers we enjoyed, and very happy to have hosted the swap - look forward to the next one.


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## evoo4u (18/12/16)

And watching the storms brewing all around us! VERY lucky with the weather yesterday...


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## benken25 (18/12/16)

evoo4u said:


> #1 and #13 both good to go.
> 
> Currently sitting on the deck looking over to the scene of last night's merryment, enjoying an annonymous glass tallie of a nice hoppy something which was left on the benchtop just along from the urn. Don't know who fathered it, but very nice.
> 
> ...


The peanuts are my doing. They are just salted peanuts with a bit of cajun seasoning and a quick smoke on the bbq


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## Aydos (18/12/16)

1. evoo4u - Julebryg
2. Aydos - Galaxy Pale ale - Bottled 16/12 so leave it until at least 30th. It will be ready for new years!
3. Liam_Snorkel - Impish Stout - 2.0% ABV (Drink NOW)
4. Ballantyne - funktown pale ale -5.4% abv fermented since 9 oct- bottled 14/1216
5. madpierre06 - Funky Saison (Drink in 5 months or now - Orval dregs)
6. Earle - Choc Wheat IPA (Drink NOW)
7. Luggy - Oatmeal Stout
8. Davy - Rye Pale
9. Peege - Ainsley Harriot (milk stout)
10. Benken25 - American farmhouse with mulberry and chilli (Drink NOW)
11.
12. Beersuit - Belgian Blonde
13. evoo4u - APA
14. Ciderman - Mulberry Sour (Drink NOW if bottle firm)
15.
16. giatuprs - Rex Banner's Bannier Hammer XPA - upscaled version of Brewditos' Brett APA from that Bacchus thing (Drink NOW)
17. pcqypcqy - Robust Porter.
18. Nickxb - Coconut Rum Porter (Drink NOW)
19.
20.
21. Peege - Grvm RIPA (Red IPA)
22. madpierre06 - Hopp-a-long Saison (Drink NOW)
23. Parks - 7.2% Black IPA (Drink NOW)
24. tazman1967 "Scorched Earth" Smoked Saison


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## angus_grant (18/12/16)

::subscribe::
:-(


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## giatuprs (18/12/16)

#10 Ben's Mulberry US Saison featuring one of two of Ben's glasses that are in my posession.

Refreshing - high carb, serve very cold. I wasn't sure about the combo on paper but I like it. What hops are they Ben? I'm a bit off really funky saisons and this isn't one of them. In fact there were quite a few gooduns floating around yesterday too!

Currently brewing a direct ripoff of Peege's smoked robust porter that was so popular yesterday. Except I've upped the rauchmalz from 2kg to 3kg h34r:


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## Davy (18/12/16)

#8 bottled 17th of December last minute bottling


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## Liam_snorkel (18/12/16)

10. Benken25 - American farmhouse with mulberry and chilli
High carbonation but easy pour. Fruity & slightly vegetal aroma that might be the chilli, v refreshing as Goati said, slightly tart zing and starting to get a hum of chilli on my lips while nearing the end of the bottle. Also getting some pepper in the aroma as it warms up. Solid lacing also. Good stuff as always


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## giatuprs (18/12/16)

#23 Parks' Black IPA.

On the stoutier side of black IPA - so many black IPAs are IPAs that just happen to be black rather than ones like this. This is my preference. Is gud. Not overwhelmingly hoppy, in fact I guess subtle for a 7% IPA, but what is there is delicious and fresh. 

Edit: Joisius that image size. Testing AHB uploader...


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## Liam_snorkel (18/12/16)

14. Ciderman - Mulberry Sour
Pink/crimson & fizzy. Heaps of fruit in the aroma with some nutty dough-like funk. Sour and fruity. No head retention, thanks lacto. Delicious.


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## benken25 (18/12/16)

The hops are citra mosaic and falconers flight. They are all but lost in the rest of the beer


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## giatuprs (18/12/16)

#14 Ciderman Mulberry Sour

Sorry but the aroma and taste in the back of my palate of bread yeast overwhelms what is otherwise a beer I can taste the delicious aspects of. Liam just described it as "doughy" but liked it so I wonder if it's just a personal taste issue? There was a lot of headspace in the bottle, could this be a factor? I love the sourness and the berries - this type of beer is definitely my jams. I really want to like it but can't overcome the aforementioned issue. Kudos for taking the time to brew a legit sour. I've only ever done 'fake' sours with lactic acid!


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## Aydos (18/12/16)

10. Benken25 - American farmhouse with mulberry and chilli

As others have mentioned this beer is delicious. A nice fruity and peppery aroma which is evident in the flavour too. The pepper character from the yeast is very nice and balances out the beer quite well. The Chilli is quite subdued and I'm not sure I am even detecting it.

I could easily drink a few of these in a sitting, now I want to make a saison.

Cheers mate!


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## Ciderman (18/12/16)

giatuprs said:


> #14 Ciderman Mulberry Sour
> 
> Sorry but the aroma and taste in the back of my palate of bread yeast overwhelms what is otherwise a beer I can taste the delicious aspects of. Liam just described it as "doughy" but liked it so I wonder if it's just a personal taste issue? There was a lot of headspace in the bottle, could this be a factor? I love the sourness and the berries - this type of beer is definitely my jams. I really want to like it but can't overcome the aforementioned issue. Kudos for taking the time to brew a legit sour. I've only ever done 'fake' sours with lactic acid!
> 
> ...


I left it on the fruit longer than i usually would. I think it's picked up some brettanomyces on the journey, which is fairly dominant. Had a couple of 3rd parties green light the beer as I'm a bit sensitive to brett (if that's what it is)

It didn't fully attenuate so it's retained some juicy berry sweetness. Given it soured to about 3.2ph it's leveled at a nice balance. 

The beer was a little out of my comfort zone of brewing so I'm sure I'll be better for it next attempt.


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## giatuprs (18/12/16)

Ciderman said:


> I left it on the fruit longer than i usually would. I think it's picked up some brettanomyces on the journey, which is fairly dominant. Had a couple of 3rd parties green light the beer as I'm a bit sensitive to brett (if that's what it is)
> 
> It didn't fully attenuate so it's retained some juicy berry sweetness. Given it soured to about 3.2ph it's leveled at a nice balance.
> 
> The beer was a little out of my comfort zone of brewing so I'm sure I'll be better for it next attempt.


Nah I don't think brett is the bread yest character. I like a bit of brett but I'm only really familiar with brett C.

Soz, I hated giving something a negative review . Especially when I'm a noob and don't know what reviews of mine will be like .


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## pcqypcqy (19/12/16)

# 17 Robust Porter - Drink whenever. A bit of age shouldn't hurt it, but it should be nice now.

It was done in a kegmenter and transferred into corny's via gas and then purged bottles via a carb cap, so it should last a fair while in the bottle.

Didn't want to brag, but this is very close to the beer that got me 1st at QABC for porter's, so really keen to get feedback from the other guys with porters that weren't submitted, because I reckon Peege's would have been up there too if you'd put it in the comp mate.

Happy to share a recipe if people want.


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## Ciderman (19/12/16)

giatuprs said:


> Nah I don't think brett is the bread yest character. I like a bit of brett but I'm only really familiar with brett C.
> 
> Soz, I hated giving something a negative review . Especially when I'm a noob and don't know what reviews of mine will be like .


All good, better to be honest! I had a hunch it would divide the crowd, the sour beers usually do.


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## Ciderman (19/12/16)

pcqypcqy said:


> # 17 Robust Porter - Drink whenever. A bit of age shouldn't hurt it, but it should be nice now.
> 
> It was done in a kegmenter and transferred into corny's via gas and then purged bottles via a carb cap, so it should last a fair while in the bottle.
> 
> ...


Gee you've put the pressure on yourself! Won't get a chance to pick up my beers till the new year, but i will drink yours first!


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## madpierre06 (19/12/16)

*1. Julebryg *

Nice drop Roger, it did have the spices of the season as you mentioned, a very enjoyable beer to kick start the tastings.


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## Liam_snorkel (19/12/16)

6. Earle - Choc Wheat IPA

Pours black. Light tan head with strong head retention & lacing. Aroma is roasty with a kind of flowery/citrus hop aroma which overall reminds me of Victory Storm King (maybe some centennial?) Smooth and full mouthfeel but not too chewy. Bitterness is there but not abrasive. Good stuff


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## madpierre06 (20/12/16)

*17. pesky - Robust Porter*

Lovely drop mate, so easy to drink considering the descriptor 'robust', really well balanced. So glad I doubled up for the swap, means I have another onee to put away for a while. 

:beerbang:

*Update - this really is a sleeper. Take lightly at your peril.


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## pcqypcqy (20/12/16)

madpierre06 said:


> *17. pesky - Robust Porter*
> 
> Lovely drop mate, so easy to drink considering the descriptor 'robust', really well balanced. So glad I doubled up for the swap, means I have another onee to put away for a while.
> 
> ...



Cheers. Nice glass too:


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## Liam_snorkel (20/12/16)

just chucked that one in the fridge for tonight :beer:

updated list. Just waiting on Luggy & Tazman to confirm when their beers are ready:

1. evoo4u - Julebryg (Drink NOW)
2. Aydos - Galaxy Pale ale - Bottled 16/12 so leave it until at least 30th. It will be ready for new years!
3. Liam_Snorkel - Impish Stout - 2.0% ABV (Drink NOW)
4. Ballantyne - funktown pale ale - 5.4% abv fermented since 9 oct - (bottled 14th dec allow to carb)
5. madpierre06 - Funky Saison (Drink in 5 months or now - Orval dregs)
6. Earle - Choc Wheat IPA (Drink NOW)
7. Luggy - Oatmeal Stout
8. Davy - Rye Pale - (bottled 12th dec - allow to carb)
9. Peege - Ainsley Harriot milk stout - (drink now - pour carefully)
10. Benken25 - American farmhouse with mulberry and chilli (Drink NOW)
12. Beersuit - Belgian Blonde (allow to carb)
13. evoo4u - APA (Drink NOW)
14. Ciderman - Mulberry Sour (Drink NOW if bottle firm)
16. giatuprs - Rex Banner's Bannier Hammer XPA - upscaled version of Brewditos' Brett APA from that Bacchus thing (Drink NOW)
17. pcqypcqy - Robust Porter (Drink NOW)
18. Nickxb - Coconut Rum Porter (Drink NOW)
21. Peege - Grvm RIPA - Red IPA (wait 2 weeks to carb)
22. madpierre06 - Hopp-a-long Saison (Drink NOW)
23. Parks - 7.2% Black IPA (Drink NOW)
24. tazman1967 "Scorched Earth" Smoked Saison


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## luggy (20/12/16)

1. evoo4u - Julebryg (Drink NOW)
2. Aydos - Galaxy Pale ale - Bottled 16/12 so leave it until at least 30th. It will be ready for new years!
3. Liam_Snorkel - Impish Stout - 2.0% ABV (Drink NOW)
4. Ballantyne - funktown pale ale - 5.4% abv fermented since 9 oct - (bottled 14th dec allow to carb)
5. madpierre06 - Funky Saison (Drink in 5 months or now - Orval dregs)
6. Earle - Choc Wheat IPA (Drink NOW)
7. Luggy - Oatmeal Stout, bottled 9th December, had a test bottle last night and it was tasting good so drink whenever
8. Davy - Rye Pale - (bottled 17th dec - allow to carb)
9. Peege - Ainsley Harriot milk stout - (drink now - pour carefully)
10. Benken25 - American farmhouse with mulberry and chilli (Drink NOW)
12. Beersuit - Belgian Blonde (allow to carb)
13. evoo4u - APA (Drink NOW)
14. Ciderman - Mulberry Sour (Drink NOW if bottle firm)
16. giatuprs - Rex Banner's Bannier Hammer XPA - upscaled version of Brewditos' Brett APA from that Bacchus thing (Drink NOW)
17. pcqypcqy - Robust Porter (Drink NOW)
18. Nickxb - Coconut Rum Porter (Drink NOW)
21. Peege - Grvm RIPA - Red IPA (wait 2 weeks to carb)
22. madpierre06 - Hopp-a-long Saison (Drink NOW)
23. Parks - 7.2% Black IPA (Drink NOW)
24. tazman1967 "Scorched Earth" Smoked Saison


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## giatuprs (20/12/16)

Confirming #16 is defs ready. I'm happy with it but keen to hear feedback!


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## benken25 (20/12/16)

Drinking evoo4u 13 apa. Nice beer mate subtle fruity hop aroma light body very sessionable


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## Liam_snorkel (20/12/16)

17. pcqypcqy - Robust Porter

Black with a tan head, good lacing. Aroma is dark chocolate with some roast. Mouthfeel is smooth and full, slightly sweet. Finishes with a light bitter roast. Very nice dessert beer [emoji108]
what's the ABV?


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## pcqypcqy (21/12/16)

giatuprs said:


> Confirming #16 is defs ready. I'm happy with it but keen to hear feedback!


Wife and I had it last night. I had some at the swap, wasn't sure about my taste buds given how they were treated that afternoon, but we both quite enjoyed it yesterday. I'm shit with tasting notes so don't take this the wrong way, but it had an appealing 'feral' character to it. A good adult beer, not like the lolly water most APA's/IPA's at the moment. And you can't beat a partial Simpsons reference.


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## pcqypcqy (21/12/16)

Liam_snorkel said:


> 17. pcqypcqy - Robust Porter
> 
> Black with a tan head, good lacing. Aroma is dark chocolate with some roast. Mouthfeel is smooth and full, slightly sweet. Finishes with a light bitter roast. Very nice dessert beer [emoji108]
> what's the ABV?
> ...


Damn, now you've got me. Would have to check but I'm going to guess maybe 6%? It's written down at home.


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## Liam_snorkel (21/12/16)

Started getting sleepy by the end of the bottle so 6% + wouldn't be surprising


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## Parks (21/12/16)

1. evoo4u - Julebryg (Drink NOW)
2. Aydos - Galaxy Pale ale - Bottled 16/12 so leave it until at least 30th. It will be ready for new years!
3. Liam_Snorkel - Impish Stout - 2.0% ABV (Drink NOW)
4. Ballantyne - funktown pale ale - 5.4% abv fermented since 9 oct - (bottled 14th dec allow to carb)
5. madpierre06 - Funky Saison (Drink in 5 months or now - Orval dregs)
6. Earle - Choc Wheat IPA (Drink NOW)
7. Luggy - Oatmeal Stout, bottled 9th December, had a test bottle last night and it was tasting good so drink whenever
8. Davy - Rye Pale - (bottled 17th dec - allow to carb)
9. Peege - Ainsley Harriot milk stout - (drink now - pour carefully)
10. Benken25 - American farmhouse with mulberry and chilli (Drink NOW)
12. Beersuit - Belgian Blonde (allow to carb)
13. evoo4u - APA (Drink NOW)
14. Ciderman - Mulberry Sour (Drink NOW if bottle firm)
16. giatuprs - Rex Banner's Bannier Hammer XPA - upscaled version of Brewditos' Brett APA from that Bacchus thing (Drink NOW)
17. pcqypcqy - Robust Porter (Drink NOW)
18. Nickxb - Coconut Rum Porter (Drink NOW)
21. Peege - Grvm RIPA - Red IPA (wait 2 weeks to carb)
22. madpierre06 - Hopp-a-long Saison (Drink NOW)
23. Parks - 7.2% Black IPA (Drink NOW)
24. tazman1967 "Scorched Earth" Smoked Saison (Drink NOW)

Tazzie's is also ready.


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## pcqypcqy (21/12/16)

Liam_snorkel said:


> Started getting sleepy by the end of the bottle so 6% + wouldn't be surprising


1062 to 1014 is ringing a bell.


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## Liam_snorkel (21/12/16)

6.3% if so


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## benken25 (21/12/16)

6. Earles choc wheat ipa. Nice mix of citrus and chocolate on the nose. Thick tan head with good lacing. Good wack of bitterness. Great beer mate and it shows all beers need choc wheat


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## ballantynebrew (21/12/16)

23 - parks - Black IPA - nailed the style, great balance keen to get mine this way.


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## giatuprs (21/12/16)

Earle's #6 Choc Wheat IPA. 

Another I wasn't sure about the combo but was pleased to be proven wrong. 

It's a summer black beer! Highish carb and sharp but not bitter hop character. Somehow simple, in the best possible way. If I could go to the bottleo and buy a slab of this I would. Tastes like you've done this before because there's much more balance than YOLO.


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## earle (21/12/16)

14. Ciderman - Mulberry Sour

Pours with a small white fizzy head that dissipates quickly. Great mulberry colour. Fruity mulberry and sour on the nose, taste is a nice balance of sourness and dank mulberry. There is a ever so slight funk in the aftertaste but If it is brett it's on the low side. Great beer for me. I really like the fruit based beers that you come out with.


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## earle (21/12/16)

giatuprs said:


> Earle's #6 Choc Wheat IPA.
> 
> Another I wasn't sure about the combo but was pleased to be proven wrong.
> 
> It's a summer black beer! Highish carb and sharp but not bitter hop character. Somehow simple, in the best possible way. If I could go to the bottleo and buy a slab of this I would. Tastes like you've done this before because there's much more balance than YOLO.


Glad you enjoyed it. I have brewed it once previously but this was exactly the same recipe. All Toowoomba brewers need to know that choc wheat makes everything better. Ha ha. I don't get what you mean by YOLO though?


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## Liam_snorkel (21/12/16)

23. Parks - 7.2% Black IPA

Black with clear deep red highlights and a bone white head that won't quit. Hops & roast on the nose, then that plus some caramel sweetness, well attenuated with a not-too-outrageous bitterness to finish. Gimme more.


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## Liam_snorkel (21/12/16)

YOLO is millennial for carpe diem


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## earle (21/12/16)

Googled it but dont get it in the context above.


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## LAGERFRENZY (21/12/16)

you only live once


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## Liam_snorkel (21/12/16)

earle said:


> Googled it but dont get it in the context above.


There's more balance than not.


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## Liam_snorkel (21/12/16)

13. evoo4u - APA

Pours slightly hazy golden/amber with a rocky meringue-like head that lasted all the way down the glass. Aroma is juicy orangey with maybe some spice, tastes clean, not a lot of identity to the malt but it supports the hops nicely. Whatever you're doing with your mash schedule keep doing it because this is some stable foam. Cheers Roger!


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## evoo4u (21/12/16)

Yeah - nothing too fancy there. Just a run-of-the-mill brew that turned out OK. I might get more adventurous in swaps to come...


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## evoo4u (22/12/16)

*6. Earle - Choc Wheat IPA (Drink NOW)

10. Benken25 - American farmhouse with mulberry and chilli (Drink NOW)

22. madpierre06 - Hopp-a-long Saison (Drink NOW)*

Short and simple (as I can't do flavour descriptions) - less is more!

Earle, your IPA was beautifully understated. Some IPAs confront you with (to me) hoppiness-in-excess, but I really enjoyed yours, with just the right balance of hops and the wheat combining to make a lingering afternoon brew to savour.

Benken25, I had this one tonight pre-dinner. The hint of chilli was superb, with a just-detectable warmth coming through when I stopped sipping for awhile. Couldn't detect any mulberry, but then, as I said, I'm useless as TOAB in picking up nuances. A very nice beer, and I have another one waiting!

MP - Again, a beautiful brew with no "excess attitude". I think (no, I KNOW) you inadvertently left a few on the bench up here on the weekend, and rather than risk shaking them up in getting them back to you, I decided to do the next best thing, and drink 'em. Very nice on a hot afternoon, like today.

_TOAB - Tits on a Bull_


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (22/12/16)

TOAB is my new abbrev or acronym or whatever them soberz call a long statement in four letters. Or lettuce. Who cares.


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## LAGERFRENZY (22/12/16)

COS man - three letters but also is a MF lettuce homey.


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## madpierre06 (22/12/16)

evoo4u said:


> *6. Earle - Choc Wheat IPA (Drink NOW)
> 
> 10. Benken25 - American farmhouse with mulberry and chilli (Drink NOW)
> 
> ...



Cheers mate, and props for keeping quality considerations a priority.


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## pcqypcqy (22/12/16)

About to clock off on the last day of the year for me, might smash a few of these down this afternoon.

Any recommendations?


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## Parks (22/12/16)

Drink.


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## Parks (22/12/16)

24. tazman1967 "Scorched Earth" Smoked Saison (Drink NOW)





Smoky, spicy, funky - all in a good way. A surprising amount of malt for this kind of beer without seeming under attenuated.

I'm not sure the funkiness is anything more than the combo of smoke and saison yeast character but it drinks funky.

Nice beer for a Xmas eve eve eve!

-edit- it's a Belgian saison yeast - funkiness explained


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## Parks (22/12/16)

22. madpierre06 - Hopp-a-long Saison (Drink NOW)




Pierre - no offence, but this is certainly one of the best beers of yours I've had (coffee Stout excluded).

It's just a lovely beer. Spicy and lovely, sweet, clean malt. Not sure how hoppy it was supposed to be but it's well balanced and not in the foreground at all.

Top brewing mate


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## benken25 (22/12/16)

pcqypcqy said:


> About to clock off on the last day of the year for me, might smash a few of these down this afternoon.
> 
> Any recommendations?


There is a dodgy porter in there somewhere


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## pcqypcqy (22/12/16)

BenKen25 said:


> There is a dodgy porter in there somewhere


Probably Peege's

Ended up having Ben's mulberry chilli saison, which is ******* great.

Now drinking Earle's choc wheat IPA. It's good, but could probably use some more choc wheat, and maybe some smoke  seriously though , surprisingly refreshing in the warm weather. 

The best part is the missus is getting a bit drunk now so it's looking like a good night for me


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## earle (22/12/16)

pcqypcqy said:


> Probably Peege's
> 
> Ended up having Ben's mulberry chilli saison, which is ******* great.
> 
> ...


Any more choc wheat and it would be a choc wheat smash. Might have o work on that for the next swap. :beer:


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## madpierre06 (22/12/16)

Parks said:


> 22. madpierre06 - Hopp-a-long Saison (Drink NOW)
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Cheers mate, much appreciated. Just some old thing I chucked together :lol: Schedule - IBU's = 35.9, ABV = 6.1% , F.G. was scheduled for 1.016, ended up 1.008.


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## Liam_snorkel (22/12/16)

Giatuprs & and I are currently imbibing in:
22. madpierre06 - Hopp-a-long Saison 

Smells/tastes/looks a DuPont knockoff plus citra. You nailed it mate this is great.


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## Parks (22/12/16)

7. Luggy - Oatmeal Stout, bottled 9th December, had a test bottle last night and it was tasting good so drink whenever




Out of ~200 batches of beer I've probably brewed at least 40 "black beers".

This is as good or better than every one of them.

Considering you placed at nationals with the same recipe but a different batch I can only conclude you are a stout lord and I would like to find your place of worship.

-EDIT- 
FYI the technical judging terminology for what I wrote is "to style".


----------



## Liam_snorkel (22/12/16)

24. tazman1967 "Scorched Earth" Smoked Saison

Dank musky smokey phenolic yeast thingo with some malt sweetness and more lingering miscellaneous smoke. Did I mention smoke?


----------



## earle (22/12/16)

Parks said:


> 7. Luggy - Oatmeal Stout, bottled 9th December, had a test bottle last night and it was tasting good so drink whenever
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Bloody hell, give Parks a good stout and he's yours. Find your place of worship - snigger snigger h34r:


----------



## benken25 (23/12/16)

Had evoo4u's julebyrg last light. The aroma didn't give much away but had an amazing almost gingerbread like flavour. Great beer


----------



## earle (23/12/16)

BenKen25 said:


> Had evoo4u's julebyrg last light. The aroma didn't give much away but had an amazing almost gingerbread like flavour. Great beer


Do you reckon you might get more aroma if left to warm up a bit?


----------



## evoo4u (23/12/16)

This was an interesting exercise for me. I made one last year (from Cooper's extracts and steeping grains) and used a fair amount of the spices, and it had a very pronounced "Christmas pudding and brandy sauce" like affinity. ie - it was a very complementary brew to have with that.

This year, continuing my efforts to adhere to the "less is more" theme, I cut back a bit on the spices, and did it "all grain". As a result, it's maybe "more subtle", but I haven't actually tried it slightly warmer. I still have one in captivity, so I'll try that. Thanks for the hint Earle.

Cheers!


----------



## evoo4u (23/12/16)

Re #1 - Julebryg: Just referring to the notes, I used only Brooklyn hops (17%) to 22.5 IBU according to Beersmith, and no-chilled, so maybe a bit more.


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## earle (23/12/16)

13. evoo4u - APA

Pours a beautiful dark golden colour. Good hop aroma. Solid broad bitterness and a good malt backbone to support. Good one. I can't decide if it's just in my mind or whether it might benefit from a slightly drier finish - either a slightly lower mash or more attenuative yeast - as I said could just be in my mind. Enjoyable beer nonetheless. :beer:


----------



## Peege (23/12/16)

1. evoo4u - Julebryg

Gingerbread on the nose. The carbonation really helps with the spice flavour. Looking forward to seeing how it develops as it warms.


----------



## evoo4u (23/12/16)

#13 - APA: Mashed at 66C, and used US-05. Next one I do I'll try 64 - 65C, and compare it. Thanks for the comments. :icon_cheers:


----------



## Peege (23/12/16)

Peege said:


> 1. evoo4u - Julebryg
> 
> Gingerbread on the nose. The carbonation really helps with the spice flavour. Looking forward to seeing how it develops as it warms.


I'm still drinking it. Morphs into a big, boozy beer. Spices fades away as it warms. Excellent beer.


----------



## Peege (23/12/16)

6. Earle - Choc Wheat IPA 

Felt there were a lot of hops on the nose but not a whole heap while drinking. Head retention out the wahzoo, malt and roast were very well balanced. Great beer, man, really well done.


----------



## Ciderman (24/12/16)

Wrong thread i know... but seemed apt for my fellow metal headbangers. See you at opeth?!


----------



## Parks (24/12/16)

10. Benken25 - American farmhouse with mulberry and chilli (Drink NOW)




Does this **** know American? Doubt it.
Does this **** know Farmhouse? Not really.
Does this **** know Chilli? Doesn't seem to.
Does this **** know Mulberries? Seems to a bit.

Does this **** know how to make a delicious and balanced beer that wants me to go back for a second pint? **** yeah he does.

I say this quite often but if this beer doesn't deserve a specialty category win I don't know what does.

Love it.


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## Parks (24/12/16)

I've sampled maybe 6 now and all I want to say is suck shit to the cunce that pulled out.


----------



## earle (24/12/16)

10. Benken25 - American farmhouse with mulberry and chilli (Drink NOW)

Pours with high carbonation. Good colour from the mulberry. Dry finish from the saison yeast with the chilli being the predominant element for me, not too hot but definitely there, touch of mulberry in the background. Very refreshing beer. As Parks said you could have a session on this. Good stuff.


----------



## Liam_snorkel (24/12/16)

1. evoo4u - Julebryg 

Nutmeg & cinnamon beer View attachment 93925


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## Liam_snorkel (24/12/16)

Double post. **** this app.


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## benken25 (24/12/16)

Gottfried Martius Llwdwyn MacDaibhidhs swap beer nice balanced ipa the hops take a back seat to the brett but it works very well


----------



## earle (25/12/16)

17. pcqypcqy - Robust Porter.

Pours very dark with a dark tan head. Dark fruit aroma, dark fruit and roast flavour, also a bit boozy but not in a hot alcohol way. Great beer. Went well with my plum pudding just now.


----------



## Liam_snorkel (25/12/16)

We drank 16. giatuprs - Brett APA earlier. It as like drinking ripe fruit juice. Fuk I enjoy brett C


----------



## madpierre06 (26/12/16)

*13. evoo4u - APA*

Gets back from Dalby, unpacks car, puts a batch of beans in roaster then opens this pondering the increased percentage of deadset morons on the roads these days. Lovely drop, as Earle said, malty and bitterness wrapped up in a beautifully balanced package. Leaves cares behind, would gladly throw a few shekels aross Phil's counter for a sixer of these then sit down and drink the lot. Really enjoying this one Roger.


----------



## Zorco (26/12/16)

Parks said:


> I've sampled maybe 6 now and all I want to say is suck shit to the cunce that pulled out.


Me is one. Yep I know. I is shamed. But had to go.

Love this thread lads


----------



## benken25 (28/12/16)

2. Aydos galaxy pale ale f#$king tasty mate. Pasionfruit juice in a glass, balanced well with minimal bitterness and a dry finish.


----------



## earle (28/12/16)

24. tazman1967 "Scorched Earth" Smoked Saison

Pours with good carbonation and what I would call an orange colour. Dry finish with pronounced spicy saison flavour. I don't get much smoke but I think perception of smoke is very subjective depending on what smoked beers you've had before. I do get a slight chilli flavour, not chilli heat, just the flavour so that could be how the smoke is presenting alongside the saison spice. I was interested to taste this one after my smoked rye farmhouse from the last swap. A good beer and very enjoyable. Good one.


----------



## earle (28/12/16)

18. Nickxb - Coconut Rum Porter (Drink NOW)

Rumball in a beer. Coconut, rum and some choc flavour. Great Christmas beer.


----------



## Beersuit (28/12/16)

17. Pcp's State champion porter. 
Good rich chocolate flavor and a nice amount of supporting roast. Good beer Dave


----------



## Beersuit (29/12/16)

4. Ballantyne funk town pale
Loads of funk on the nose. Low carbonation which I think thins the mouthfeel. It's all funk and no hops. I do like the funk.


----------



## Beersuit (29/12/16)

10 benken25's mulberry chilli abomination. 
This beer is what it says. 
Mulberrys check
Chilli check
Farmhouse check 
Well played Ben it could only be better if it was served in a maroon tin minus every point above.


----------



## benken25 (29/12/16)

24. Tazmans scorched earth smoked saison.
Nice and dry with the saison yeast phenolics. Beautiful colour with just a hint of smoke. Picking up a smoked ham flavour in the background. I always look forward to your beers and this doesn't disappoint


----------



## Beersuit (29/12/16)

6 CWIPA Earle 
Pours darker than Jessica Mauboy and has a hoppier fragrance than her too. Good carbonation and excellent mohthfeel which is just as full and luxurious as Jess. The roast gets in the way of the hops slightly but I guess that's what you get with a choc wheat IPA.


----------



## Beersuit (30/12/16)

24 Tasman scorched earth. 
Good smoke with some slight yeast character on the snout. Tasting this fine beast reminds me of fresh hot homemade ham straight off the smoker. Being friends with Kendall has bought me accustomed to smoke beers that assult and ravage the senses overloaded with smoke. This is not one of those beers (unless he has fucked my smoke receptors for all eternity, likely.) it's ballanced with neither smoke, yeast or malt out of place. Another well made beer Pete well done.


----------



## earle (30/12/16)

22. madpierre06 - Hopp-a-long Saison (Drink NOW)

Very enjoyable saison. Pronounced saison spice and slight funk for me, Hoppiness is fairly subdued - could have diminished over time. Great beer nonetheless.


----------



## earle (30/12/16)

16. giatuprs - Rex Banner's Bannier Hammer XPA - upscaled version of Brewditos' Brett APA from that Bacchus thing (Drink NOW)

Solid beer. As an upscaled APA I would put it in in the IPA range of bitterness with a solid malt backbone. Brett is not overdone which is just the way I like it. Good one.


----------



## benken25 (30/12/16)

7. Luggys oatmeal stout. Cracking beer mate right amount of roast balance perfectly and a smooth mouthfeel. I could drink a bloody lot of this. It ticks all the boxes


----------



## Liam_snorkel (30/12/16)

2. Aydos - Galaxy Pale ale

Fruity perfume-like aroma, tastes of passion fruit with a fresh grassy zing. Going down a treat with Sir David on the teev, after a long day of driving. Cheers mate!


----------



## Liam_snorkel (30/12/16)

21. Peege - Grvm RIPA - Red IPA 

Deep murky* red, thick rocky head with good lacing, high-ish carbonation, tastes like juicy fruit and sweet malt, would drink again

*probs because I disturbed the sediment getting it out of the esky


----------



## Liam_snorkel (31/12/16)

Double post. Fkn app.


----------



## Liam_snorkel (31/12/16)

8. Davy - Rye Pale

Rich amber colour, grainy aroma, medium carb, mouthfeel starts full but ends drier, flavour is thick/slick malty and or cracked grain rather than sweet. Bitterness is balanced, some lingering malt. Nice one 
View attachment 94097


----------



## benken25 (31/12/16)

21. Peege red ipa. Plenty of carbonation and great tropical hop aroma. At it warms i get a grainy malt flavour not unpleasant. What malts where used? Overall a decent beer


----------



## Liam_snorkel (31/12/16)

12. Beersuit - Belgian Blonde

High carbonation, zesty/spicy aroma. Goes down easy with a bit of apricot & dough, dry finish & v slight booziness. Absolute ripper

On a side note, I got the label a little bit wet which alerted me to the secret message on the reverse side [emoji3] I won't spoil it for the others, you'll just have to drink it!


----------



## Liam_snorkel (31/12/16)

4. Ballantyne - funktown pale ale

Low carbonation, strong musky funk aroma, tastes balanced with a very slight vinous acidity at the end. Yum


----------



## Peege (2/1/17)

BenKen25 said:


> 21. Peege red ipa. Plenty of carbonation and great tropical hop aroma. At it warms i get a grainy malt flavour not unpleasant. What malts where used? Overall a decent beer


Maris Ottter, Munich 1, Carared and Shepherds Delight. I'm pretty happy with the hop profile, though I'm unsure if it's not just a little bit too bitter. Might reduce the 60 min addition next time around.


----------



## Peege (2/1/17)

2. Aydos - Galaxy Pale ale

Minimal carbonation and head retention. Passionfruit for days. Great colour and malt profile. Really enjoying it.


----------



## Aydos (2/1/17)

12. Beersuit - Belgian Blonde

Soft malt breadyness and a sweet caramel note in the aroma. Underlying yeast characteristics with some phenols in the background.

Delicate and medium full bodied flavours. Slight raisin and a hint of melanoidins to complement the body well. Low hop flavours. The yeast provides a nice supporting clove/peppercorn flavour to complement the malts.

Medium to high carbonation.

Very well made, this beer is better enjoyed warmer as the flavours really come out.

Would I drink this again? **** yeah I would!

Did I read the back of the label? You bet ya! Totally agree with the statement.


----------



## Aydos (3/1/17)

14. Ciderman - Mulberry Sour

Wow all I can say is wow, this is delicious!

The mulberry flavour is highlighted so well and that lactic bite really finishes it off the way I like. Nice clean sourness with a strong fruity flavour and a slight acetic bite, you have this one bang on mate, I wouldn't change anything with it. The brett characteristics enhance the flavour so it isn't one dimensional and play very well with the fruit.

Bang on, keep it up!


----------



## pcqypcqy (4/1/17)

I drank a bunch of these over the holidays and enjoyed pretty much all of them. Lost track of what's what but good work to all.

I don't want to me a nay-sayer and shit on anyone, so please don't take this the wrong way, but I had the following observations about a few of the beers:

Ciderman 14 - I couldn't get into this beer, had a real bread/corn sort of flavour. Not sure if it was intentional with the Brett or not, but it just didn't agree with me. I was picking up good notes of the mulberry flavour and the sourness, so I liked that aspect of it, but the bread/corn flavour was putting me off unfortunately and I couldn't finish it. Made me sad as I had a mulberry wine do this to me recently, was tasting real good a while ago and then it went off the rails after another year's storage in the bottle. You could still tell what the wine was meant to be like underneath it all, but the faults up front just made it undrinkable.

Liam Snorkel Impish Stout - Initial impact of aroma and flavour was great, but then I think there's too much harsh roast flavour happening that's out of balance with the rest of the beer. The body was very thin as well, so the mouthfeel was at odds with what my eyes and nose were reporting. 

All offered as constructive criticism, and probably more a reflection of my palate than your brews.


----------



## Liam_snorkel (4/1/17)

Final Gravity was 1.024


----------



## Parks (4/1/17)

pcqypcqy said:


> Liam Snorkel Impish Stout - Initial impact of aroma and flavour was great, but then I think there's too much harsh roast flavour happening that's out of balance with the rest of the beer. The body was very thin as well, so the mouthfeel was at odds with what my eyes and nose were reporting.





Liam_snorkel said:


> Final Gravity was 1.024


I actually enjoyed it but agree with the watery nature, however I fully expected it being 2%ABV.

I would have picked FG to be under 1010 BTW.


----------



## pcqypcqy (4/1/17)

Parks said:


> I actually enjoyed it but agree with the watery nature, however I fully expected it being 2%ABV.
> 
> I would have picked FG to be under 1010 BTW.


Yeah same, I figured with the high mash temp (What'd you say Liam, 72 or something wasn't it?) it would have more body to it.


----------



## Liam_snorkel (4/1/17)

It was definitely missing the booziness. A fun experiment, next time I'll aim for a little higher ABV so I can squeeze more malt in


----------



## Beersuit (4/1/17)

21. Peege. RIPA. 
Solid mate. Aroma is resinous and malty. Neither getting in the way. Did I say solid beer.


----------



## earle (4/1/17)

Beersuit said:


> 21. Peege. RIPA.
> Solid mate. Aroma is resinous and malty. Neither getting in the way. Did I say solid beer.


Agreed .... solid. Just had this. Solid bitterness with good aroma and both hops and malt in the flavour.


----------



## Beersuit (4/1/17)

I didn't know how else to put it but solid.


----------



## earle (4/1/17)

Maybe something about Jessica Maubau?


----------



## Beersuit (4/1/17)

I recon Paul Kelly would be more fitting.


----------



## pcqypcqy (5/1/17)

I'll have to have it tonight to decide if it's a Courtney Barnett of a beer.


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## pcqypcqy (6/1/17)

It was indeed better than Paul Kelly - well done Peege.

What hops did you use? I really enjoyed the resinous/herbaceous flavour it had. Aydos' Galaxy IPA had a similar thing, but I've never had that flavour from Galaxy before.


----------



## ballantynebrew (6/1/17)

1. evoo4u - Julebryg (Drink NOW)
2. Aydos - Galaxy Pale ale - Bottled 16/12 so leave it until at least 30th. It will be ready for new years!
3. Liam_Snorkel - Impish Stout - 2.0% ABV (Drink NOW)
4. Ballantyne - funktown pale ale - 5.4% abv fermented since 9 oct - (bottled 14th dec) Ready to go!
5. madpierre06 - Funky Saison (Drink in 5 months or now - Orval dregs)
6. Earle - Choc Wheat IPA (Drink NOW)
7. Luggy - Oatmeal Stout, bottled 9th December, had a test bottle last night and it was tasting good so drink whenever
8. Davy - Rye Pale - (bottled 17th dec - allow to carb)
9. Peege - Ainsley Harriot milk stout - (drink now - pour carefully)
10. Benken25 - American farmhouse with mulberry and chilli (Drink NOW)
12. Beersuit - Belgian Blonde (allow to carb)
13. evoo4u - APA (Drink NOW)
14. Ciderman - Mulberry Sour (Drink NOW if bottle firm)
16. giatuprs - Rex Banner's Bannier Hammer XPA - upscaled version of Brewditos' Brett APA from that Bacchus thing (Drink NOW)
17. pcqypcqy - Robust Porter (Drink NOW)
18. Nickxb - Coconut Rum Porter (Drink NOW)
21. Peege - Grvm RIPA - Red IPA (wait 2 weeks to carb)
22. madpierre06 - Hopp-a-long Saison (Drink NOW)
23. Parks - 7.2% Black IPA (Drink NOW)
24. tazman1967 "Scorched Earth" Smoked Saison (Drink NOW)


----------



## Peege (7/1/17)

4. Ballantyne - funktown pale ale

Very malt-forward beer. Minimal carbonation meant it was very easy to drink first cab off the rank on a Friday arvo.


----------



## Peege (7/1/17)

24. tazman1967 "Scorched Earth" Smoked Saison

Opened it not knowing what it was/who's it was. Initial smell made me think of something Belgian-y. Probably a little undercarbed for a saison and I forgot to wash my glass prior to pouring so can't really comment on head retention. The smoke probably masks some of the usual spice and zest of a saison but if you look for it then you can taste it. Glad I have 2 beers in this swap because I'm really looking forward to drinking it again.


----------



## Peege (7/1/17)

pcqypcqy said:


> It was indeed better than Paul Kelly - well done Peege.
> 
> What hops did you use? I really enjoyed the resinous/herbaceous flavour it had. Aydos' Galaxy IPA had a similar thing, but I've never had that flavour from Galaxy before.


Warrior 30g @ 60min
Chinook, Columbus, Riwaka 30g @ 15min
Chinook, Columbus, Riwaka 30g @ 0min

Chinook, Columbus, Riwaka 30g @ dry hop

I initially would have preferred Citra but it's so damn expensive.


----------



## Liam_snorkel (8/1/17)

18. Nickxb - Coconut Rum Porter

Nice beer, slightly chocolatey porter, getting more rum than coconut ie a little bit boozey. Tastes great overall. Good one Nick


----------



## pcqypcqy (9/1/17)

Peege said:


> Warrior 30g @ 60min
> Chinook, Columbus, Riwaka 30g @ 15min
> Chinook, Columbus, Riwaka 30g @ 0min
> 
> ...


Yeah, but that would have been a totally different beer. After using 600g of citra on my last 2 brews, I've come to really enjoy the more savoury sort of APA/IPA's that some people are making at the moment.


----------



## Beersuit (9/1/17)

2 Aydos Galaxy pale. 
Big fruity aroma on the nose. I may seem weird but I don't get the typical galaxy flavour. I get orange peel. Bitter bitter orange peel. I like it but my brain finds it strange. Maybe it's the way that my taste buds interpret the molesting bitterness that they are copping. 

Good beer mate but the bitterness could use with a tone down. I like it but it detracts a little. I can't fault it otherwise.


----------



## Beersuit (9/1/17)

3 Liam impish stout. 
I get Smokey roasted chocolate in the aroma. It does the same in my mouth. Smoked chocolate. It doesn't seem as bitter as the label suggests. It does finish a little watery but not as watery as Courtney barnetts lyrics.


----------



## Beersuit (10/1/17)

16. Giatuprs. Rex banners bannier hammer. 
I poured this beer whilst busy cooking dinner and let it sit for 10 mins. Came back to it still retaining its tight white head and looking better than Courtney barnett's ARIA's chances. 
Love the aroma of it too. Hoppy and ever so slightly funky. The flavour is much the same but with a fruity Brett c underlying funk. Great maltyness followed by a good firm hop bitterness that doesn't linger too much into the finish. Lacing all the way down the glass. 

Well done Geoff a solid beer indeed.


----------



## nickxb (11/1/17)

Liam_snorkel said:


> 18. Nickxb - Coconut Rum Porter
> 
> Nice beer, slightly chocolatey porter, getting more rum than coconut ie a little bit boozey. Tastes great overall. Good one Nick
> 
> ...


Thanks Liam. I had a taste over Christmas and I think its lacking some dried fruit to round out the rum ball taste. I think next time I make it I will slightly reduce the rum, up the coconut and add some special B or dark crystal to try and get that dried fruit flavour to it.


----------



## nickxb (11/1/17)

Tasting notes from Christmas. 


*6. Earle - Choc Wheat IPA*

Very smooth and full mouth feel which was nicely complimented by the hops. Great beer.

*10. Benken25 - American farmhouse with mulberry and chilli*

I am a wuss with chilli but I really enjoyed the hint of chilli in this one. I steered clear of the chilli sauce when those wings came out and I was glad I did. This one wasn't as highly carbonated as others but I enjoyed it.

*13. evoo4u - APA*

This one disappeared so quick. Really solid beer. I had a few that night so my notes aren't as clear.

*23. Parks - 7.2% Black IPA*

Doesn't taste like a 7%er but very enjoyable. Had a nice rounded roastyness to it which played well with the hop bitterness. I would happily drink that one all night.


----------



## Liam_snorkel (11/1/17)

7. Luggy - Oatmeal Stout

Black with clear red highlights, tan pillowy head that just won't quit. Seriously. Smells of roast, chocolate. Smooth, med-full mouth feel. Finishing impression is malt with a tiny bit of bitter cocoa or something on the tongue.
I would like to know your head retention secret


----------



## Beersuit (11/1/17)

8. Davy rye pale. 
Pours a good head. Carbonation is good along with the mouthfeel. Big malty aroma with spice from the rye. All this ends up being the same with the flavor. Good balance but needs more hops. Great beer and very sessionable but needs more hops.


----------



## Zorco (11/1/17)

Liam_snorkel said:


> 7. Luggy - Oatmeal Stout
> 
> Black with clear red highlights, tan pillowy head that just won't quit. Seriously. Smells of roast, chocolate. Smooth, med-full mouth feel. Finishing impression is malt with a tiny bit of bitter cocoa or something on the tongue.
> I would like to know your head retention secret
> ...


Where are/were you in that fine tasting photo Liam?

Glasshouse?


----------



## Liam_snorkel (12/1/17)

Nope. That's Mt Warning in the background


----------



## pcqypcqy (12/1/17)

Beersuit said:


> 8. Davy rye pale.
> Pours a good head. Carbonation is good along with the mouthfeel. Big malty aroma with spice from the rye. All this ends up being the same with the flavor. Good balance but needs more hops. Great beer and very sessionable but needs more hops.


Post 142, Beersuit

This is a good review, with some positive feedback that can be used to improve the brew. However, the review is clearly lacking in any musical reference, specifically Courtney Barnett.


----------



## bradsbrew (12/1/17)

pcqypcqy said:


> Post 142, Beersuit
> 
> This is a good review, with some positive feedback that can be used to improve the brew. However, the review is clearly lacking in any musical reference, specifically Courtney Barnett.


Would you like me to give him a warning or just outright ban?


----------



## pcqypcqy (12/1/17)

bradsbrew said:


> Would you like me to give him a warning or just outright ban?


Ban hammer seems appropriate.


----------



## bradsbrew (12/1/17)

Maybe i could change his name to Courtney Barnettsuit


----------



## Beersuit (12/1/17)

Sorry guys I will try harder tonight.


----------



## Zorco (12/1/17)

I just wanted to quickly thank the fine man, Madpierre, for hosting me for a top notch brew day at his place Tuesday. I'm out of beer at present and he's designed a beautiful pale ale which hits my fermenter tonight. Best of all, he has shared a couple of his extra QLD swap beers - which I'm truly grateful for. 

I'll chill them and do my best to review them to the best of my tasting skills.


There are few communities better than those of brewers. Well, in my life that's for sure 

Cheers Alan.


----------



## Liam_snorkel (12/1/17)

top bloke


----------



## benken25 (12/1/17)

bradsbrew said:


> Maybe i could change his name to Courtney Barnettsuit


Dont make empty threats


----------



## nickxb (14/1/17)

14. Ciderman - Mulberry Sour

Delicious. Getting lots of Mulberry in the taste mixed with a nice lactic bite. Smashing beer for a 29c night.


----------



## Siderman (15/1/17)

I had some issues with my previous account, and my email connected to the account, so I'm under this name now.


----------



## Siderman (15/1/17)

I had some issues with my previous account, and my email connected to the account, so I'm under this name now.


----------



## Siderman (15/1/17)

6. Earle Chocolate Wheat IPA

Big lick of chocolate upfront. Underlying bitterness but without any hop aroma. Heaps of roast and deliciously sessionable. Didn't taste too alcoholic but after consumption I felt it was higher than I thought. Cracking beer as always Earle.


----------



## Siderman (15/1/17)

2. Aydos - Galaxy Pale Ale

This was enjoyed on a very warm afternoon. Overall I liked the beer, just not sure if I'm a big fan of galaxy. Aromas of passionfruit. Strong bitterness. Maybe it's just the hop variety but just seemed to be missing the resinous character I like in my APA. Could have just been really well attenuated. This had fantastic lacing too, right till the last sip.


----------



## Siderman (15/1/17)

10. Benken - Mulberry Chilli Saison

I picked up my swap beers on Friday from Madpierre and he had this one cold and ready to go! Colour is orange/red. Chilli is ever so subtle and I probably wouldn't have noticed if it wasn't mentioned. It's typically super dry and well attenuated as you would expect from a saison. I liked this a lot but the dryness of the beer really halted any fruit sweetness from the mulberries. I think you'd rather it too dry than too sweet though. Good beer.


----------



## Siderman (15/1/17)

21. Peege - Red IPA

It has everything that you would want in the style. Plenty on juicy resinous hops. Rich crystal malts. The balance is well played and the flavour lingers well after the beer is gone.


----------



## pcqypcqy (16/1/17)

1. evoo4u - Julebryg

This was very tasty. You can't have a heap of it in one sitting, it's totally wrong season for it, but the wife and I split the bottle on a warm afternoon and it really hit the spot. Nice and sweet, good hints of christmas spices, nice mouthfeel and carb level. Something I'll consider copying come autumn.

What was the ABV on this one Roger?


----------



## Siderman (16/1/17)

12. Beersuit - Belgian Blonde

Classic Belgian pale. Plenty of fruit esters with gentle spice in the background. Alcohol is warming but pleasant. Highly enjoyable.


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## luggy (16/1/17)

I had the last of my swap beers on the weekend, apologies if I miss reviewing anyones beer it's been a while since I had some of them.

1. evoo4u - Julebryg
First beer I've had of this style, definitely picked up some cinnamon but couldn't put my finger on otther spices used. Nice beer mate I enjoyed it.

2. Aydos - Galaxy Pale ale
Good beer mate but I found it to be a touch too bitter for my palate, if the bitterness was toned down a touch I couldn't fault it

3. Liam_Snorkel - Impish Stout
My thoughts on this are pretty much the same as everyone elses, not enough body to carry the roast, an interesting experiment none the less

4. Ballantyne - funktown pale ale
My memory's a bit hazy on this one but i remember enjoying it

5. madpierre06 - Funky Saison
For some reason I thought both of the saisons you put in the swap were the same, if i had of realised this had orval dregs in it I would have held onto it for longer. Good beer mate I love a good saison and this ticked boxes for me, the slight funk was a nice addition

6. Earle - Choc Wheat IPA
Wasn't sure how this was going to turn out but after taking my first sip those thoughts were put to bed, nice beer mate it's not easy to get roast/choc flavours to play nicely with hops but you pulled it off, good job mate.

8. Davy - Rye Pale
Well brewed but needed more hop presence

9. Peege - Ainsley Harriot (milk stout)
I'm not a massive fan of milk stouts but this was well balanced and well brewed, good job

10. Benken25 - American farmhouse with mulberry and chilli
Really enjoyed this one mate, nice mulberry flavour that played well with the saison characteristics, just enough chilli to be noticed and support the other flavours without being overpowering.

12. Beersuit - Belgian Blonde
I had this on the weekend, pretty well nailed the style I really enjoyed it mate. Totally agree with the sentiment on the back of the label too

13. evoo4u - APA
Nice beer mate, my only criticism is that for my palate it was a little bit underbittered but other than that it was very enjoyable, well brewed mate

14. Ciderman - Mulberry Sour
I really enjoyed this one, ticked all the boxes for me it had a nice sourness to it and the flavour from the mulberry played nicely, wish I had another bottle ot two

16. giatuprs - Rex Banner's Bannier Hammer XPA
Wasn't sure about this when I had my first sip but the more I drank it the more it grew on me

17. pcqypcqy - Robust Porter.
I vaguely remember drinking this, pretty sure I liked it

18. Nickxb - Coconut Rum Porter
I'm not a rum fan so when i cracked the bottle and had a sniff I was a bit worried it was going to be too rummy but when I had a sip the rum was prevalent but not too overpowering, I could only just pick up the coconut. I think you've already said earlier for the next one you're going to tone down the rum and up the coconut, I reckon if you do that you'll be onto a winner

21. Peege - Grvm RIPA (Red IPA)
Sorry mate I don't remember drinking this, I'm not sure if I actually got a bottle of it

22. madpierre06 - Hopp-a-long Saison
Nice beer mate, hit the spot on a hot day. Was it supposed to be a hoppy saison or was it just a name because I went into this expecting a hoppy saison but when I drank it all I got from it was a well brewed saison

23. Parks - 7.2% Black IPA
I really enjoyed this one mate, the roast and hops were balanced nicely and it was smashable despite being 7.2%, well brewed

24. tazman1967 "Scorched Earth" Smoked Saison
I could pick up a hint of smoke in this but other than that it was a nice beer

Cheers all, the quality of beers has been getting better every swap. Thanks again to Roger for hosting, hopefully see everyone at the next one.


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## Siderman (16/1/17)

I find this a confusing beer. It packs a punch aromatically with strong yeasty Vegemite aromas. It leads on that it's going to be in the imperial stout spectrum but fails in delivering that big malty whack I would be expecting. 

It smells and tastes much boozier than 6% yet has a delicious and rather seemless velvety texture. 

Not that I'm overly familiar with the robust porter style but this is unlike any porter I've had before. 

Did I enjoy it? Absolutely. But it's certainly a mindfuck.


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## evoo4u (16/1/17)

pcqypcqy said:


> 1. evoo4u - Julebryg
> 
> This was very tasty. You can't have a heap of it in one sitting, it's totally wrong season for it, but the wife and I split the bottle on a warm afternoon and it really hit the spot. Nice and sweet, good hints of christmas spices, nice mouthfeel and carb level. Something I'll consider copying come autumn.
> 
> What was the ABV on this one Roger?


5.7%

Herbs and spices were vanilla pods, star anise, cinnamon stick and coriander seed, and hops were Brooklyn.

I formulated it on the basis that the herbs/spices shouldn't dominate, but the beer should still allow the flavours to come through. Balanced, I guess is the term for it!

Overall, I'm happy with the way it turned out, but next one, I might just up the Christmas a bit.


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## pcqypcqy (17/1/17)

evoo4u said:


> 5.7%
> 
> Herbs and spices were vanilla pods, star anise, cinnamon stick and coriander seed, and hops were Brooklyn.
> 
> ...


Very nice beer. Reminded me of Courtney Barnett's early work.


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## madpierre06 (17/1/17)

Yeah luggy, the #22 was a hoppy one so I'm guessing that the hops have started to fade. The #5 has only just lately had the funk start turning up so should only get better with time, I'm hoping. First time I've done the bottle addition.




luggy said:


> 5. madpierre06 - Funky Saison
> For some reason I thought both of the saisons you put in the swap were the same, if i had of realised this had orval dregs in it I would have held onto it for longer. Good beer mate I love a good saison and this ticked boxes for me, the slight funk was a nice addition
> 
> 
> ...


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## evoo4u (17/1/17)

pcqypcqy said:


> Very nice beer. Reminded me of Courtney Barnett's early work.


As in the more you drink the better she sounds...


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## Beersuit (17/1/17)

evoo4u said:


> As in the more you drink the better she sounds...


I think I could be paralytic and on the verge of passing out before she sounds remotely harmonic. That's still not saying she would sound better.


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## pcqypcqy (19/1/17)

23. Parks - 7.2% Black IPA

Top beer. Straddles that line between dark/brown IPA and something more sinister like a porter. Some black/dark IPA's are just IPA's with some colour in there, but you've captured some of the best elements of both.


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## Siderman (19/1/17)

23. Parks - Black IPA

My bottle was throbbing. The pet bottle had actually changed shape. Ridiculously overcarbed in terms of pourability but didn't affect the taste too much. 

Pushing that aside it's a pretty good beer. Needs a touch more bitterness to balance the abv and perhaps not as hoppy as I would expect from an Imperial IPA.


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## Parks (20/1/17)

Siderman said:


> 23. Parks - Black IPA
> 
> My bottle was throbbing. The pet bottle had actually changed shape. Ridiculously overcarbed in terms of pourability but didn't affect the taste too much.
> 
> Pushing that aside it's a pretty good beer. Needs a touch more bitterness to balance the abv and perhaps not as hoppy as I would expect from an Imperial IPA.


I did carb quite high to compensate the bottling process but it looks like yours may have done a little more in the bottle (wouldn't take much).

Glad it was still good.


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## Aydos (21/1/17)

8. Davy - Rye Pale

This went down very well, the rye plays a big part which I really enjoyed because the spiciness really enhanced the hop flavour. The hops played a very nice part but not overwhelming. I found it to be very well balanced and neither the malt or hops took the line light.

Good work mate, really enjoyed!

22. madpierre06 - Hopp-a-long Saison (Drink NOW)

If this beer was dry hopped then it mustn't have been a large portion because the yeast driven esters are more prominent than anything else. A real barnyard aroma which follows into the flavour of the beer. This is exactly how I enjoy my Belgian saisons. I am detecting an ever so slight alcohol presence but it's understandable for typical saisons.

Well done!


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## Aydos (22/1/17)

1. evoo4u - Julebryg

This is an interesting beer for me, taking all things into consideration I grabbed this out not knowing what it was to start with. Initial impressions was a brown ale with an addition of rubarb but there was just something else in there I just couldn't figure out.

So I thought I would dig a little deeper and have a look at others reviews and it's where I came across yours with the addition of spices.

I have to say I am not getting the star anise in the flavour apart from a lingering after taste but I wouldn't have even noticed without knowing it was meant to be there. The cinnamon is noticeable but not over powering but I think it was the nutmeg that got me curious. It "rounds" the dark malts without being obtrusive in a way (unlike Courtney Barnett), very hard to describe.

Anyway, lovely beer, enjoyed to the last drop. Stella effort Roger!


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## Siderman (22/1/17)

8. Davy - Rye Pale

Great clarity. Nice Rye flavour. Overall hits the spot for me on a hot day. I do agree with the other comments that it could use more hops.


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## madpierre06 (22/1/17)

*3. Liam_Snorkel Impish Stout*

Aside from the previously mentioned lack of body, and even that wasn't too much of an issue given the 2% ABV, an interesting and enjoyable little drop. Decent head, roasty, toasty.


*9. Peege Ainsley Harriott milk stout*

Neithert of my 2 bottles had any carb at all, but 'twere still a nice drink. Malt and bitterness balanced out well with a little creaminsess coming nicely through the middle.

*23. Parks - Black IPA *

Loved it. Not as hoppy as I expected, more like it was sidling towards being a member of the dark ale family.


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## Siderman (22/1/17)

3. Liam - impish stout

Interesting beer. Pours thick and dense just like you'd expect from an imperial. No head. It's much dryer than I was expecting given the FG. Great experiment. Let's be honest, what beers under 3% have any flavour whatsoever. This has plenty of roasty goodness considering it's abv. 

If I could drink a litre of this and be able to drive I'd be a happy man.


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## Siderman (24/1/17)

13. Evoo4u - APA

Overcarbed in the pour but nice once it settled. I thought it had nice sweet crystal malts and a good balance of bitterness. There was a faint whiff of sherbet but honestly this tasted more in the English bitter spectrum than APA. Great beer nonetheless.


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## Siderman (25/1/17)

24. Tazman1967 - Smoked Saison

It's what it claims to be. Smoky and typical of a well brewed saison. Not much to say here, it's going down nicely.


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## Siderman (25/1/17)

View attachment 94830


16. Giatuprs - Brett IPA 

Thankfully I didn't really get much Brett in this. Well made IPA. Good aromatics and bitterness with a bit more complexity than your average IPA.


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## Siderman (25/1/17)

forgot the pic


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## Aydos (26/1/17)

3. Liam _snorkel - impish stout 

Solid beer mate, full of flavour and roasty as ****! Carbonation is a little low and no head retention but flavours are solid
Be proud! Be proud!


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## Siderman (26/1/17)

4. Ballantyne - funktown pale 

Bottle firm but completely flat. Seemed to have good flavours but unfortunately without the bubbles was hard to drink. Probably just a bad bottle.


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## Siderman (26/1/17)

7. Luggy - Oatmeal Stout

This has a real richness and warmth to it. Persistent head and nice roasty goodness. Nice beer!


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## nickxb (27/1/17)

#3 Liam's RIM - very interesting beer mate. Pours thick as oil and is really roasting and bitter but has no alcohol kick. For what you were going for I think it is great. Low carbonation but has a nice thick mouthfeel. Great job mate.


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## Liam_snorkel (27/1/17)

Cheers buddy


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## nickxb (2/2/17)

8. Davey - Rye Pale - Dude this beer is good. Getting a lovely hop and rye aroma. Nice malty/rye taste. The hops have faded a bit from the taste but it is still hitting the spot.


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## nickxb (2/2/17)

7. Luggy - Oatmeal Stout - Seriously nice stout. Thick, roasty and delicious. Great head retention.


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## madpierre06 (10/2/17)

*2. Aydos - Galaxy pale Ale*

Quite bitter with some grassiness, a little passionfruit ( I think? ) on the nose, took a bit of getting used to, but very very drinkable. Nice mate.


*8. Davey - Rye pale Ale*

Very balanced and far too easy to drink. The rye showed up but well in line. Quite sessionable.


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## madpierre06 (12/2/17)

*18. Nickxb - Coconut Rum Porter*

This is second bottle, the first one was very much dominated by the rum, about a month or so ago. With the extra age, the rum has settled back a tad and allowed the coconut to start showing up. Both balance each other very nicely alongside the slightt bitterness and malty goodness. Very lovely right now, ferpect for a scorching Brissie summers day.


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## Zorco (12/2/17)

Well my first pseudo official tasting post thanks to Alan. While reasonable description skills are in their infancy I may resort to subjective experience comments alone.

16. Giatuprs - Brett IPA 

There is a dog in a foreskin on the label. [emoji41]

Colour is deep Amber and initial aroma is mellow but compelling. Mouth feel is on the mark and hop presence is not overbearing. I think I can identify the contribution the Brettanomyces makes and I like it. Still need skills here. Aftertaste (ignoring country cheese) is very pleasant.

Feeling the alcohol now and is a damn fine Sunday arvo beer.

Cheers


View attachment 95348


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## madpierre06 (17/2/17)

*12. Beersuit Belgian Blonde*

Just a cracking beer of the style....would happily fork out shekels for this one. And very worthy of the glass. This needs to be a permanent rotation in your house and mine, I plan to have a shot at doing this myself., so, so good. And nice little subversive label too :beerbang:


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## madpierre06 (17/2/17)

*7. Luggy Oatmeal Stout*

Lovely porridge coloured head that held it's own til closing time. Smooth, a lovely little roasty touch that balances out beautifully. There was a little aroma thingo that happened that I couldn't put a name to, then it was gone. Everything has a minimilistic touch to it but the overall package  is ferpect. Top drop mate.


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## evoo4u (22/2/17)

I would like to extend a huge "thank you" to the kind and generous attendee at the 2016 swap at our place, who presented me with an Aventinus Eisbock -- and I cannot remember who it was! I didn't *think* I was in an alcoholically-induced haze by then, but who knows?

Anyway - what a "beer"! At 12%, I certainly wouldn't be looking for one every day of the week. I had to take this one very slowly yesterday  .

So thanks again - very much appreciated!


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## luggy (22/2/17)

Welcome mate glad you enjoyed it, thanks again for hosting


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## Siderman (2/3/17)

22. Madpierre - Saison

First drink after 6 weeks break off the booze. Post mowing the lawn too. You could argue anything would have tasted good, but I agree with previous comments, certainly one of your best beers! Loved it!


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## Siderman (3/3/17)

View attachment 95764


1. Evoo4u - Julebryg

This was just transparent but I couldn't get a decent pick. Haunting aroma of nutmeg, cinnamon and clove. Reminds me of my gingerbread brown. Lacing till last drop. I really enjoyed this. F'ing awesome actually.


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## Siderman (3/3/17)




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## Beersuit (30/3/17)

7. Luggy's oatmeal stout. 
Cracker of a beer mate. Great nose I get roast malt and oats all in line. Good body and sensational flavor. I'm glad I cleaned out my fridge today.


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## luggy (31/3/17)

Glad you enjoyed it mate, I'll be bottling my lambic in the next week or two, if I make it to the july case swap I'll put a bottle aside for ya


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## pcqypcqy (3/4/17)

Beersuit said:


> 7. Luggy's oatmeal stout.
> Cracker of a beer mate. Great nose I get roast malt and oats all in line. Good body and sensational flavor. I'm glad I cleaned out my fridge today.


ditto, had mine on the weekend. top drop.


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