# Vic Xmas Case Swap 2008



## reg (24/11/08)

TASTINGS


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## hairofthedog (24/11/08)

first off the bat 
#2 Mark.M Nelson Sauvin Summer Ale nice drop mark interesting mix of malt & winey hop flavors im not a huge fan of nelson but i think it works well in this beer really good clarity & good head retention :chug:


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## hairofthedog (25/11/08)

#7 Chris Taylor Mild
well made beer Chris lives up to its name mildly hopped & mildly malty but in saying that its a nice smooth brew with some roasty flavour well balanced good colour & carbed just right i probly should have let it warm slightly to get the flavors thanks mate


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## hairofthedog (25/11/08)

#23 Johnno APA 
looks good smells good & you got it tastes good can taste the crystal & the cascade similar to something id make myself could drink it all night thank Johnno :beer:


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## Barramundi (25/11/08)

you must be thirsty tonight troy ...


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## hairofthedog (26/11/08)

#16 Brewmeister70 - Pre-prohibition American pilsner

Highly carbed big fluffy head clear as a bell hop bitterness spot on perfect way to finish a hot day cheers :icon_cheers:


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## Kleiny (27/11/08)

#2 MarkM (summer ale)

Sweet caramel taste and smell clear amber ale, Passionfruit notes and fairly fruit tweaked ale, show cases the nelson sauvin hops
enjoyed this ale other than carb was a bit low so keep it out of the fridge for another week at least



#6 Cummins (Imperial Alt) i hope because it was not marked and its the only one i could figure it would be

Malty/ earthy aroma, brown color with hazy clarity and good retention of head, Flavour was malt driven with a spicey/earthy hop character, slightly fruity, balance great with a medium to full body, dry finish, great carb,

I really liked this beer and would have a crack given the recipe.



#9 Hair of the dog (cumquat wheat)
Clove / malty, spicey nobel hop character, appearence gold and cloudy, good head retention, flavour grainy even balance with spicey herbal hop character, dry finish, body is light and mouth feel very characteristic of wheat beer / slightly dry. 

Overall a great wheat beer (coming from a wheat beer lover) i will check the recipe out for this !!!


Hate to be a bit tech but if i do the Vicbrew judge sheets at least the brewer gets an idea of what i think about their beers and possible improvements
im not a judge but trying to conform and give relative feedback


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## Kleiny (27/11/08)

#7 Chris Taylor (mild)

Aroma is choc caramel with no hop presence, but clean malt, brown hazy look with good head retention, caramel/choc/bready taste with little hop character, sweet but fairly balanced flavour, i would expect from a mild, body almost chewy full, mouth feel creamy, carb low but pleasent to match the beer.

overall a nice beer good balance slighty malty and what i would expect for a mild, cheers chris


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## hairofthedog (27/11/08)

#11 Fents hallutea ale

nice beer mate i like the noble hop with the pale ale for a change well balanced beer good color good head retention nice malty flavor with good bitterness & just enough hop flavor to carry it cheers mate :beerbang:


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## hairofthedog (27/11/08)

thank for the kind reveiw Klieny normally i use just cumquates bit stocks were low so had to improvise it tastes a heap better with only cumquates normally use 5 medium sized whole per 5kgs of grain glad you liked it :beer:


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## Kleiny (27/11/08)

hairofthedog said:


> thank for the kind reveiw Klieny normally i use just cumquates bit stocks were low so had to improvise it tastes a heap better with only cumquates normally use 5 medium sized whole per 5kgs of grain glad you liked it :beer:



Thought it was a great wheat beer mate and would love to try some with a full compliment of cumquat


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## Wardhog (27/11/08)

I'd like to know from all you guys who contributed beers
-What you were going for with your beer? What did you want this beer to be? Not necessarily a recognised style, but some sort of description of what you wanted to make. Eg. "A light summer quencher mildly hopped - something to throw down your throat at high speed" or "a kick-you-in-the-face superstrong stout with high bitterness and big whack of coffee"
-What do you, the brewer, think of it? What's good about it? What's not so good?

Knowing all this beforehand will lead to better and more constructive criticism, resulting in improved brewing. Someone who might otherwise keep quiet about what they notice about your beer might be less reticent about speaking up if they have something already there they can expand upon.

21 - The Great Aussie BlandAle(tm)
I made this trying to make as light and inoffensive a beer as I possibly could, something to win over a VB drinker. It is not meant to have any hop flavour or great amounts of malt flavour. It is intentionally a dull beer.
I did manage to succeed in the light body and zero hop flavour, but it has a grainy sort of a taste to it, and some fusel alcohols as if the fermentation temperature got too high at some point - there's definitely some sort of yeast problem with it. It's also cloudy while I was hoping for a clear beer.


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## brettprevans (28/11/08)

I havent picked my case up from Maple yet (will have to do that this weekend!).

ok Wardy here's what I was shooting for with mine.

mongrel black bavarian/Schwarzbier - I did a mongrel brown bavarian lager a while ago. ace stuff. more body to it than an ordinary lager and the saaz cleaned the flavours of the darker grain which meant it was great for summer drinking. So I decided to shoot for the Schwarzbier style this time. first batch was infected so this actually turned out to be a real mongrel as I didnt have enough time for a lager. SO ive upped the carbonation in hope of tricking the palate into thinking its lighter/cleaner like a lager even though its an ale. Ive also upped the late saaz hops as i ran out of saaz so i used another noble hop early to add some kick. see if you can guess what hop.

it still needs another 2 weeks I recon before drinking. It was aiming to be something a little out of the box but still within a style

PS - ive only tasted mine out of the fermentor as yet and it tasted good then.....so fingers crossed......


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## Brewmeister70 (28/11/08)

I had never tried to make a CAP before but always wanted to and thought it would be brilliant if I could nail it first shot. Unfortunately, I didn't nail it. This beer was intended to be crisp and hoppy with a sweet corn character to the malt simular to Grolsch but bigger in alcohol and hop character. My efficiency was way down and it is a far smaller beer than the style requires.

The first snag I think was the choice of yeast. Not having used the 2035 and choosing it for freshness from Ross, I got completely the wrong character for a pilsener: This one makes a lot of diacetyl and has a woody finish about it. The second difficulty was using flaked corn for the first time. I don't think it gave the right fresh corn flavours as expected and would probably go with a cereal mash to capture these if I tried to improve this beer.

Still, it's all about learning to make something closer to what's in your mind's eye (or your mind's tongue, to be more specific)  I'm glad it went down well with one taster already.


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## Cummins (28/11/08)

Cheers Kleiny for the positive review, I haven't tried it yet so thats a good sign! And yes, I did forget to number them. I'll try and post the recipe soon.


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## Quintrex (28/11/08)

Cummins said:


> Cheers Kleiny for the positive review, I haven't tried it yet so thats a good sign! And yes, I did forget to number them. I'll try and post the recipe soon.



I stuck on numbers for ya, however the sticker could have come off.
:S


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## tim_mortensen (28/11/08)

12: Australian Pale Ale.

This is my attempt at a Coopers Sparkling ale, so basically a nice bitter quaffer that has a 5.8% kick! I've made a few of them now, so this where it has evolved to.

I was aiming for a beer that is fairly pale, (CSA is a very pale beer when you do a clear pour) so used 98% Joe White Pilsener malt with 2% Caramalt to add a bit of body. Ale malt I found is too dark for the style, and too much crystal adds a sweetness that is not to style.

I wanted good attenuation (CSA is about 1.004), so mashed low, 63C for 90min (single infusion, no protein rest). Ended up with about 1.006 I think, from an OG of 1.049. With this level of attenuation you really need to up the bitterness. (CSA is about 40IBU i think). In previous attempts I was too low on the bitterness, and too sweet. Tried 28, 33 and 36 IBU before settling on 40IBU. Single addition of Pride of Ringwood hops, 60min.

It was no-chilled, and was in the cube about a week before pitching whilst I was building up the starter.

I used the CSA recultured yeast, made up to a 2L starter (poured off and slurry pitched). I fermented at between 18-19C, raising up to 20C for the last few points. I was aiming to get some of the fruityness (pear, bananna) of the yeast without being overpowering.

No fining or polyclar were used (other than whirlfloc), so hopefully the yeast settles (though I mix it up when i pour it anyway!)

I've only tried one bottle of this a few weeks ago, thought it was a bit low on the carbonation, but maybe that's improved now.

Cheers,
Tim


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## [email protected] (28/11/08)

14 - Belgian Pale Ale

I wasn't aiming for much apart from:

a. Try Something New, b. Not Stuffing Up, c. Making Something Drainkable

As this was only my 5th AG (and 9th brew all up) I didn't want to mess around too much. I also used it as a big starter for my Belgian Golden Strong Ale, but I'll have to wait some months to see if that worked out.

Mal


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## Cummins (28/11/08)

Quintrex said:


> I stuck on numbers for ya, however the sticker could have come off.
> :S



I hope that it came off then!


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## Wardhog (28/11/08)

9 - Hairofthedog - Cumquat wheat

I liked this beer a lot. 

Cumquats weren't prominent, no banana or bubblegum to be found, just mild clove and nice spiciness. WB-06? I'd love to taste this beer when made with one of the liquid wheat strains.

Very very easy to drink and highly enjoyable. Well done.


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## hairofthedog (28/11/08)

#19 Haysie Colonial Belgian Pale Ale

really like this beer cant say ive had a heap of belgian pale ale but this has made me want to brew one nice & malty strong earthy hop flavors some sweetness honey color cant tell you anymore its empty


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## Leigh (28/11/08)

Quintrex said:


> I stuck on numbers for ya, however the sticker could have come off.
> :S



Quintrex,

When you pick up your swap brews (if you haven't already), I slipped a brew from Haysie in there instead of yours (that apparently exploded?).

Cheers


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## Wardhog (28/11/08)

mortz said:


> 12: Australian Pale Ale.
> 
> This is my attempt at a Coopers Sparkling ale, so basically a nice bitter quaffer that has a 5.8% kick! I've made a few of them now, so this where it has evolved to.
> .
> ...



Your surname's Cooper, isn't it? 

That is THIS || far away from CSA. This brew is fractionally sweeter, otherwise I'd swear I was drinking a CSA.

Excellent beer. Have you posted the recipe?


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## [email protected] (28/11/08)

Tasting Notes:

#17 - Kleiny - Weizen
Foamy head disapates quickly, golden color, quite clear (though second glass cloudier), some sought of fruity acidic fermentation taste--i'm not experienced enough to pinpoint the flavour, low hops, though not creamy at all, slightly odd lingering aftertaste.

#7 - Chris Taylor - Mild
No head, smelled roasty, gave my wife a taste and she said it tasted quite "mild" ... then I told her the name of the beer, bitter, drinkable, aftertaste hits the palate then slowly disapates making you want more, approachable with roasty, burnt flavors. Initially thought that this wasn't my style of beer, but really got into it by the end of the bottle.

#25/19 - BeerDingo - Pale Ale
Foamy head, well maintained, smells hoppy - plenty of galaxy hop aroma, bitter first taste with galaxy hops still prominent, lingering bitter finish, nice beer, even nicer when it warmed up a touch for the second glass.

All up an interesting selection, looking forward to the next lot.

Cheers
Mal


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## chris.taylor.98 (28/11/08)

Kleiny said:


> Hate to be a bit tech but if i do the Vicbrew judge sheets at least the brewer gets an idea of what i think about their beers and possible improvements
> im not a judge but trying to conform and give relative feedback



Come up to Beerfest in Feb and you can fill some out for real


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## tim_mortensen (29/11/08)

Wardhog said:


> Your surname's Cooper, isn't it?
> 
> That is THIS || far away from CSA. This brew is fractionally sweeter, otherwise I'd swear I was drinking a CSA.
> 
> Excellent beer. Have you posted the recipe?



Thanks Wardy, glad you liked it.

The recipe, if it can be called that, is in the Recipe thread here

The FG was slightly higher, 1.005, not 1.004.

Cheers,
Tim


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## Wardhog (29/11/08)

11 - Fents - Hallertau Ale

Sorry Fents, I got to this one too early, and the beer has suffered for it. It tastes like there's enough carb, but didn't pour with a head. 

An interesting beer. All hallertau tradition/mittelfreuh/northern brewer/what?

Leaves an interesting taste, kinda honey-like. A little bit too sweet for me at the finish.


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## Wardhog (29/11/08)

25 - Beerdingo - Pale ale

Another very enjoyable beer, it looks the goods and smells the goods, but is let down a little bit by a butterscotch character. I'm not entirely familiar with Galaxy's flavour profile, but this seems to be a perfect amount of it for my tastes.
Sort out the diacetyl, and this is a ripper of a beer.


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## Kleiny (30/11/08)

#8 Maple Irish (not so red)

Malty aroma with a dark copper brown color more red than brown Maple, Cloudy with not much head retention, Sweat roasty taste with no hop taste, Light bodied with a burnt after taste (may just be me but some but slightly harsh on the after taste).

some slight adjustments and it would be a great beer Maple



#3 Moonee (Robust Porter)

Rich roast aroma, no hop aroma or flavour, brown to dark brown color, low head (may be my glass), Roasted pronounced black malt flavour, good balance for style, Dry malty/ bitter after taste but pleasent.

I had a 3 ravens black just before drinking this and it is fairly close to it!

Reminded me i need to make a robust porter or stout in the near future

good work moonee




:beer: Kleiny


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## Wardhog (30/11/08)

1. Reg - Golden ale

The beer was undercarbed, but looked brilliant. One of the nicest looking beers I've seen.
A strong diacetyl character overrode nearly everything, thought I could taste some of the citrus-type hops but that disappeared all too quickly and left bitterness + butterscotch.


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## therook (1/12/08)

*7. Chris Taylor - Mild*

First beer for the test.
Nice Malty/roasty flavour/Aroma
Well balanced with the bitterness levels
Lacked head, but i assume this is normal for a mild
Really enjoyed this beer and set the standard very early

*8. Maple - Irish Red*

You were right, it's more Brown than Red.
This also had a nice Malty flavour but could have had a bit more to it
Good Carbonation, Clarity and head
could easilly have a session on this

*17. Kleiny - Weizen*

All i could taste was a smokey flavour, so i asked my mate to try it and he also could only taste the smokey taste
I still enjoyed it, but not as much as i was hoping to

*12. Mortz - Australian pale Ale*

Loved this beer
Easy drinking beer
Great colour, head, and lacing
I don't know what temp you fermented at but it just lacked that coopers final taste, but gee it was good
I don't think i have ever tasted a bad beer by you Mortz

*21 Wardhog - Great Aussie BlandAle*

You achieved what you set out to do, very bland 
thanks for doing this beer, i have a spare one of yours and i'm going to make my neighbour drink it

*19. beerDingo - pale ale*

Great Colour, but unfortunately for me that's were it ended
all i could taste was Diacetyl Diacetyl and more Diacetyl

*22. Leigh - Pale Ale*
Well you could have knocked me over with a feather after i read your recipe this morning. (Extract)
Nice clear beer with good head and carbonation
Well balanced beer with a very clean taste
Why go A.G when you can make beers like this
The only thing i would have changed would be to up the dry hops as the hop aroma and flavour was to mild for my liking
Thanks for the beer Leigh, top darts

*14. mcook - Belgian Pale Ale* 
High Carbonation, nice colour but cloudy ( this may be the style )
Big Big froathy head
Clean taste
I expected to get more spicey types of flavours with a belgian beer, what temp did you ferment at Cooky?
Enjoyed this beer

Went to try 3. moonee Robust porter but the cap wasn't on properly so the bottle was very soft, i have tightened it up so hopefully it will carb up for me
I missed out on Hair of the Dogs bottle swap bottle hhmmmmm


Rook


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## [email protected] (1/12/08)

therook said:


> *...
> 14. mcook - Belgian Pale Ale*
> High Carbonation, nice colour but cloudy ( this may be the style )
> Big Big froathy head
> ...



Fermented at 19-20 degrees for 2 weeks .... BTW the BJCP style guideline flavor description is as follows (and I think the beer has a some subtle spiciness, but is probably harder to taste the further into the flight it is drank, so possibly a good one to start with):

"*Flavor:* Fruity and lightly to moderately spicy with a soft, smooth malt and relatively light hop character and low to very low phenols. May have an orange- or pear-like fruitiness, though not as fruity/citrusy as many other Belgian ales. Has an initial soft, malty sweetness with a toasty, biscuity, nutty malt flavor. The hop flavor is low to none. The hop bitterness is medium to low, and is optionally complemented by low amounts of peppery phenols. There is a moderately dry to moderately sweet finish, with hops becoming more pronounced in those with a drier finish."


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## Kleiny (1/12/08)

*17. Kleiny - Weizen*

All i could taste was a smokey flavour, so i asked my mate to try it and he also could only taste the smokey taste
I still enjoyed it, but not as much as i was hoping to


It tasted alright before the swap, I will have to give another bottle a sample

I dont know where a smoky flavour would have come from

sorry guys if its bad :unsure: 

kleiny


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## hairofthedog (1/12/08)

#22 Leigh Pale Ale

couldnt agree more with rooky this is the best extract ive ever had top beer mate :icon_cheers: 

unfortunatlly ive missed out on the highly praised #12 Mortz  but have 2 #16 Brewmister


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## therook (1/12/08)

hairofthedog said:


> #22 Leigh Pale Ale
> 
> couldnt agree more with rooky this is the best extract ive ever had top beer mate :icon_cheers:
> 
> unfortunatlly ive missed out on the highly praised #12 Mortz  but have 2 #16 Brewmister



i hope you have a spare one of yours Troy as i missed out. If you do bring it on the fishing trip :icon_cheers: 

Rook


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## hairofthedog (1/12/08)

therook said:


> i hope you have a spare one of yours Troy as i missed out. If you do bring it on the fishing trip :icon_cheers:
> 
> Rook


no sorry mate all gone


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## Fents (1/12/08)

you can have my bottle of troys rook i've already tries it on a few occasions.


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## therook (1/12/08)

Fents said:


> you can have my bottle of troys rook i've already tries it on a few occasions.



Your a good man Fents, save it and we can sample it on the eve of the big day


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## reg (1/12/08)

Wardhog said:


> 1. Reg - Golden ale
> 
> The beer was undercarbed, but looked brilliant. One of the nicest looking beers I've seen.
> A strong diacetyl character overrode nearly everything, thought I could taste some of the citrus-type hops but that disappeared all too quickly and left bitterness + butterscotch.


I have not tried this one yet myself and was my 2nd AG.

Any ideas on how to get rid of these traits?
Fermented for 7 days at 16 degrees C and secondary for 4 days at same temp.
Did I need to raise the temp for a few days prior to bottling?
I used Safale 04 yeast.


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## Quintrex (1/12/08)

reg said:


> I have not tried this one yet myself and was my 2nd AG.
> 
> Any ideas on how to get rid of these traits?
> Fermented for 7 days at 16 degrees C and secondary for 4 days at same temp.
> ...



A lot of people do a diacetyl rest by raising the temp of the brew to 18-19 degrees for a day or so(at the end of fermentation), however it can also happen that the yeast needs some time to clean up after bottle conditioning, it might clean up with further time conditioning in the bottle. 
A lot of people say that yeast health is crucial to prevent it occuring.

Cheers
Q


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## brettprevans (1/12/08)

#7 - Chris Taylor - Mild

Sorry mate I wasnt taken by this. Your mild at the caseswap was in a differant league (being supurb). Maybe its the yeast that was throwing some funny flavours. to me it sorta tasted like the flavours were seperating out. roasty smell, but really mild. I suppose its within style being a really light brown ale. I could see where it was going but Im guessing you were right about it needing to be drunk young. 

#3 Moonee (Robust Porter)
solid porter, rich dark brown color, good head, dry malt taste. really enjoyed this. cant see anyone not liking this. esp good to start people off to darker beers.


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## tim_mortensen (1/12/08)

hairofthedog said:


> #22 Leigh Pale Ale
> 
> couldnt agree more with rooky this is the best extract ive ever had top beer mate :icon_cheers:
> 
> unfortunatlly ive missed out on the highly praised #12 Mortz  but have 2 #16 Brewmister



I've got a few spare bottles so would be happy to part with one. Just let me know how you want to organise it.

Apparently my case was forgotton about until the end of the swapping, and was bought out at the very end, so looks like somebody doubled up on it.

Cheers,
Tim


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## hairofthedog (1/12/08)

mortz said:


> I've got a few spare bottles so would be happy to part with one. Just let me know how you want to organise it.
> 
> Apparently my case was forgotton about until the end of the swapping, and was bought out at the very end, so looks like somebody doubled up on it.
> 
> ...


thatad be great Mortz just a case of where & when mate cheers :icon_cheers:


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## hairofthedog (1/12/08)

#5 Barramundi Summer Wheat

Loved it Ned perfect fishing beer could drink from dawn till dusk nice & crisp with just enough sweetness recipe looks pretty basic maybe its your yeast that really finishes it off ill defenitly try that yeast in my next wheaty cheers mate


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## Barramundi (1/12/08)

cheers for that troy , good to know its drinkin well, i would have left it a while longer as its only been in the bottle a few weeks, having said that i put a bottle in the fridge of it tonight to test drive ...

just poured said bottle , have to say im happy with the way this beer has turned out , simple, tasty and quaffable .. the bottle i have is slightly undercarbed but having said that it was the last bottle out and not quite full so more head space to lose gas into..


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## brettprevans (1/12/08)

brewmeister70 - Pre-prohibition American pilsner
interesting hops taste (in a good way). maybe a little heavy in body than i would expect from a pils (but what would i know). hugely carbonated and makes head if you look at. tight head and great lace. Nice beer to finish the night with.


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## brettprevans (2/12/08)

1. Reg - Golden ale

Reg, unfortunately I think Wardy is right. undercarbination and diacetyl overshadowed this beer. Hops came through at the end of the mouthful but was a little muted. tasted like a pale golden ale more than a golden ale. a bit og tginkering with the brew method and you'll be laughing.


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## Maple (2/12/08)

Hey CM2, getting one in before hitting the office eh, nice work!


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## brettprevans (2/12/08)

lol. nah I get up at 6am with the kids so sometime i do some work on the comp. I forgot to post my review last night. hitting th caseswap before work (although it would make work more interesting) is a bit keen.

although it might have made an ok breaky beer.


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## brettprevans (2/12/08)

4 - Rook - Pommie Bitter 
poured clear as, nice head. very commercial looking (thats a compliment). maybe a bit of chill haze (not that i care about that). Was expecting more bitterness. dont know why. but after a few mouthfuls come to the conclusion that bitterness is spot on. well balanced body v bitterness. great little sessional beer.
clean fresh aftertaste and the hops is just high enough to make your palate want more without being overpowering. I couldnt pick what hops it was but am plesently suprised when i looked at your recipe. very nice rooky. gone far to quickly.


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## Kleiny (2/12/08)

#14 Mcook (belgian Pale ale)

Got a grainy smell from the opening and poured a nice big white rocky head, that laced the glass
nice golden color but a bit cloudy, tasted smooth and well balanced slightly sweet and after haveing a quick gander at the style guide
i do get a bit of pear out of it, smooth to finish as well

nicely crafted cooky


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## [email protected] (2/12/08)

#21 - Leigh - Pale Ale
Bubbly, beer with a well formed and maintained head. Plently of upfront bitterness, takes a while for the palate to get used to, but once it did, quite quaffable. Hop flavor quite evident and distinictive, the texture and malt flavor very reminiscent of coopers pale ale. By the end of the bottle I wanted another, but alas...


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## beerDingo (2/12/08)

OK, I'm not going to post much meaniful info compared to the others. I'm not yet the connoisseur.

First I had *3 *moonee's Robust Porter a few days ago. I just grabbed the lowest number in the fridge. A porter wasn't what I wanted, but after trying it, I was more than happy!

Then I cracked *7 *Chris Taylor's Mild, and again it was quite enjoyable.
Then came *8 *Maple's Irish Red Ale, which I also enjoyed, but sorry Maple, not quite as much as the others, still good though, maybe drinking Chris's before it was the only problem.

I then thought I was getting HairOfDog's cumquat, but think I ended up getting *12 *mortz, Aus Pale Ale. Did *12* mortz have brown packing tape on it? As I thought it was a cumquat wheat, I was a little surprised, and dissapointed. How bad am I that I didn't pick that it was pale ale!!! But I was sure that it was HOD's. So, wish I could go back and try it knowing wat it was. But I did enjoy it, wasn't as sweet as I do my pales from memory (obviously cause I put in honey).

Had *11 *Fents Hallertau, and enjoyed it. Put it in fridge last week by mistake, but it was still carbonated fine.

I'm now drinking *14 *mcook's Belgian Pale ale. That's carbonated heaps, thought it was gonna be a boy. I'm enjoying it, it's a little light on the flavouring hops, but that's probably what you were going for (I don't know), and again not as sweet as I do my'n. Could happily drink a bunch. Maybe I gotta chill on the hops and honey on a couple of brews. But also I have to learn the difference in flavours between all the different types.

All in all, they've been, very ... enjoyable. Cheers all, having fun trying all the different styles! I'll update the recipe thread for my "Diacetyl" Australian Pale Ale :super: I guess I was going for an Australian one, again gotta learn the differnent styles.


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## brettprevans (2/12/08)

#21 - Wardhog Great Aussie BlandAle™
mate i didnt mind this; i drank this without knowing whose it was and thought that there was some light belgian flavours (maybe my taste buds are srewy tonight - as us05 woulnt give that profile). great head and body. went down smoothly. nothing wrong with it. i think you hit the mark with what you wewre trying to acehive.

#13 - CM2 mongrel black bavarian/Schwarzbier (mine)
i decided to give mine a quick preview. it should be carbed as mine was. not sure what thw hell i was tasting though. maybe a bit of butterscotch (Diacetyl but maybe just too much crystal malt) but not sure. i dont tink this quite fits within style but interesting none the less. I'll let other people be the judges. Im sure this would develop over time but hey, who cant wait to drink case swaps?!!!


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## beerDingo (2/12/08)

#17 Kleiny, nice, what's a weizen? I'm guessing it's a wheat german style thing? Ah, yeah, google is easier, it looks like it. 
haha - "Wheat beers are usually top-fermented (in Germany they have to be by law)" wikipedia info. They have laws to ensure quality brewing?
Very clear beer, but not much head retention. I'm enjoying it. Not quite as nice as the taste you gave me at the swap of another wheat beer, but still good.


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## hairofthedog (2/12/08)

beerDingo said:


> OK, I'm not going to post much meaniful info compared to the others. I'm not yet the connoisseur.
> 
> First I had *3 *moonee's Robust Porter a few days ago. I just grabbed the lowest number in the fridge. A porter wasn't what I wanted, but after trying it, I was more than happy!
> 
> ...



mine had brown packaging tape over the top if that helps dingo :blink:


----------



## tim_mortensen (2/12/08)

hairofthedog said:


> mine had brown packaging tape over the top if that helps dingo :blink:



mine had a bit of masking tape, with the number 12 written on it, definitely no honey... :unsure:


----------



## chris.taylor.98 (2/12/08)

citymorgue2 said:


> #7 - Chris Taylor - Mild
> 
> Sorry mate I wasnt taken by this. Your mild at the caseswap was in a differant league (being supurb). Maybe its the yeast that was throwing some funny flavours. to me it sorta tasted like the flavours were seperating out. roasty smell, but really mild. I suppose its within style being a really light brown ale. I could see where it was going but Im guessing you were right about it needing to be drunk young.



Thanks CM2, I agree that it has turned out a bit ordinary at the age it is now. 

Just goes to show how much time can play a factor is some of these styles. 

Was glad that a couple of you at the case swap got to try one fresh at the case swap just to see how different it could be.


----------



## chris.taylor.98 (2/12/08)

#14 Mcook (belgian Pale ale)

First pour was absolutely crystal clear.

Slightly grainy bready aroma, although not a lot of the Belgian yeast character that I was expecting.

Very high carbonation, and was trying to walk its way out of the glass (and the bottle).

Unfortunately this usually indicates that it is getting some help from one of the other fermentation agents (pediococcus and or wild yeasts responsible for gushers), and as it warmed up got a distinct taste of acetic acid although it was pretty low level. 

Second and third pours where very cloudy, also noticed that the body was very light (which is great for a Belgian Pale ale), but seemed to lack some of the malt profile that I would be expecting as well.

Would have really liked to have had this beer a few weeks or so earlier to see what it was like a bit earlier on.

I have only ever had one home brew version that I though can any where near the mark for this style, and in my two attempts have gone from sink fodder to ho hum.

Its one of those really difficult styles to get just right.

Looking at the yeast profile for the wyeast 1388 

"Classic yeast for this beer style. Robust flavor profile with moderate to high alcohol tolerance. Fruity nose and palate, dry, tart finish. May continue to produce CO2 for an extended period after packaging or collection, while in refrigerated storage. "

So it is possible that the high carbonation is just coming from the yeast, and that the "acetic" taste from the yeasts tart finish.

Actually the more I drink this (and it has bit room temp now) the more it seems to fit the qualities described above by wyeast. Interesting how actually knowing what goes in the beer give you a totally different perspective, must say it was much more pleasant before the yeast starts to come up and try and take over.


----------



## [email protected] (3/12/08)

Chris Taylor said:


> #14 Mcook (belgian Pale ale)
> 
> First pour was absolutely crystal clear.
> 
> ...



Great to get some in depth feedback and analysis. Cheers. Not sure if it has changed too much from when I first tried it (a couple of weeks before the swap), as the second glass even then appeared to pour quite cloudy and with a massive head--though I can't recall it trying to escape the bottle, so maybe it has carbed up even more. The OG ended up turning out a bit low for the recipe I was trying, as I might have had a few effeciency issues on this occasion, or didn't measure my water accurately enough, so that might somewhat explain the lack of maltiness. The recipe ABV was 5.3%, but I think mine measured more like 4.5% (from memory)--and it wasn't due to any problems with attenuation.


----------



## beerDingo (3/12/08)

OK then, just re-checked the fridge. The one I thought may be #9 is actualy #5. Seems as though the one I thought was hairofthedog, actualy was correct. So forget my review on #12. No wonder I didn't think it was a pale ale. Sorry hairofthedog but, it was tasty, but not as enjoyable as other's that I have tried from you. Barra, your 5 looks like a 9 (on my bottle), so that's why I got confused. I was actualy looking in the fridge/box for #12 but couldn;t find it, so that's why I thought I may have confused something. Looks as though I may have somehow not gotten #12. :-(

Might re-check thing's tomorow when things aren't so hazy. Again, enjoying everyones beers!


----------



## Barramundi (3/12/08)

sorry bout that dingo , i promise for the next swap i will number them clearly before i leave home rather that do a rush number job on the scene... mine have a small piece of white electrical tape with number 5 on them in fine black texta


----------



## Wardhog (3/12/08)

citymorgue2 said:


> thought that there was some light belgian flavours (maybe my taste buds are srewy tonight - as us05 woulnt give that profile).



I agree with your taste buds - there were some funky flavours in there that you wouldn't expect from us05, hence why I believe there's some sort of yeast problem.


----------



## beerDingo (3/12/08)

No worries Barra  , yeah, don't know who would do a last minute rush job, and put the wrong number!


----------



## tim_mortensen (3/12/08)

beerDingo said:


> OK then, just re-checked the fridge. The one I thought may be #9 is actualy #5. Seems as though the one I thought was hairofthedog, actualy was correct. So forget my review on #12. No wonder I didn't think it was a pale ale. Sorry hairofthedog but, it was tasty, but not as enjoyable as other's that I have tried from you. Barra, your 5 looks like a 9 (on my bottle), so that's why I got confused. I was actualy looking in the fridge/box for #12 but couldn;t find it, so that's why I thought I may have confused something. Looks as though I may have somehow not gotten #12. :-(
> 
> Might re-check thing's tomorow when things aren't so hazy. Again, enjoying everyones beers!




Hmmm,

23 people in the swap, 23 beers went to the swap, I only got 22 back, my case was missing my contribution, and 2 others are missing it. So how many have doubled up on beers?


----------



## Barramundi (3/12/08)

your case was 'forgotten' in the boot of someones car and didnt come out till the swap was almost completed ,hence the slight stuff up , ill check my boxes to see what i have later on.. im pretty sure i got only one of everyone elses , i stayed semi sober till the swappin was done ...


----------



## chris.taylor.98 (3/12/08)

mortz said:


> Hmmm,
> 
> 23 people in the swap, 23 beers went to the swap, I only got 22 back, my case was missing my contribution, and 2 others are missing it. So how many have doubled up on beers?



Sorry about that Mortz, almost caused a barney over the "lost bottle" fiasco.

I was pretty sure I collected a complete row for your contribution minus your own sample. I'll go home and see how many I ended up with (didn't count them on the day).

Guess that's what happens when you leave the collection work to amateurs. You better turn up next time to make sure it is done properly


----------



## brettprevans (3/12/08)

Chris Taylor said:


> Guess that's what happens when you leave the collection work to amateurs. You better turn up next time to make sure it is done properly


LOL!!!!

plus people dont bring 23 bottles. some leave out a bottle that they would get back of thiers and it would cause confusion. its not difficult. bring the number of bottles as there are paticipants. ie 23 poepl means you bring 23 bottles of beer. not rocket science.

in saying that we were good this year and did the swap early before too much sampling had occurred.


----------



## Fents (3/12/08)

what was wrong with the swap before last - xmas in july? ran way smoother than this last one just gone , or were you talking about the one at spillsy's?

too many cooks imo.


----------



## reg (3/12/08)

The problems were caused by some people dropping out and a little confusion over the number of bottles required.
Some cases had 25 bottles but then some only had 22.
The case that came out last threw us into confusion as well and heated discussions were started about the number of bottles everybody should have had.
In the end all of the left over bottles were left with the host of the event.

Lets not lay blame but just chalk it up to experience and move on.

If people need to blame someone then blame me.
I started the thread and having not been to a swap before didnt know what was going on...but I am big enough and ugly enough to shoulder responsibility.


----------



## tim_mortensen (3/12/08)

Whoa! Hold on there, opened a can of worms!  

No blaming, you did a great Job Reg. Would have loved to be there, but family got in the way. Damn, will get in the way for the July meeting by the look of things...

cheers,
Tim


----------



## johnno (3/12/08)

reg said:


> Some cases had 25 bottles but then some only had 22.




Well mine had 25 because I brought you an extra Reg. I must have mentioned it.

cheers
johnno


----------



## brettprevans (3/12/08)

Fents - yeah I was talking about spillsy's. thats was a mess!

i was just having a light hearted conversation. i recon the swap went well. Good on ya Reg for organising it. (and rooksy for hosting)

EDIT: I bought 25 bottles just in case and figured the host would have my extras. So if its shite Rook, tough luck you have drink the 2 extra I left anyway!


----------



## beerDingo (3/12/08)

I just looked with a clearer head. It seams that #12 has been drunk, and I also remember drinking the one with packing tape, HairOfTheDog's (which was still very enjoyable, just not as strong in flavour as I was expecting, I'd quaff a bunch). So it seems that I got all my swaps, sorry to open that can! Tried #5, #11, and #22. Enjoyed them all. Is #22 a partial? If so, very nice. Maybe I'm still used to strong flavours of a partial.


----------



## chris.taylor.98 (3/12/08)

*10 Superhero - Belgian Wit*

Some fruity esters and pleasant coriander in the aroma, very spice with a hint of malt sweetness showing through.

Flavour pretty much followed the aroma with a little more of the orange.

Great soft mouth feel with reasonably high carbonation giving a bit of a carbonic bite, with characteristic tart finish. Also quite dry in the finish.

Often find the homebrewed examples have overdone the coriander, but in this case was well balanced against the yeast and malt character.

I have to say that I'm not much of a wit drinker in general, but this was a very pleasant and well crafted example.

Only fault was a very slight phenolic in the aroma (note was about room temp by the time I got to it).

Great effort superhero ... and yes I know I drank it early but it was the one that was cold and in the fridge.


----------



## therook (4/12/08)

citymorgue2 said:


> 4 - Rook - Pommie Bitter
> poured clear as, nice head. very commercial looking (thats a compliment). maybe a bit of chill haze (not that i care about that). Was expecting more bitterness. dont know why. but after a few mouthfuls come to the conclusion that bitterness is spot on. well balanced body v bitterness. great little sessional beer.
> clean fresh aftertaste and the hops is just high enough to make your palate want more without being overpowering. I couldnt pick what hops it was but am plesently suprised when i looked at your recipe. very nice rooky. gone far to quickly.




Thanks for the review CM2, funny you mentioned the bitterness as i cracked a stubby of this last night and thought exactly the same thing, that it was to low. Looking at the guidelines it is on the low side and i would up the challenger 5 - 10 grams next time.

Rook


----------



## superhero (4/12/08)

Hi All,

In answer to Wardhog's question. What were you trying to do with your beer?

Here's my answer:

I was trying to reproduce my wit bier from a couple of years ago. It was spicy and a little citrusy with supporting sweet wheat malt.
Except for my swap beer I decided to change my recipe to make it more witbier like. This meant increasing the wheat malt and
using a proper Belgian wit yeast instead of the German wheat yeast I'd used previously. This has meant the swap beer it quite
tart and it's probably a bit too bitter for the style thanks to me adding the pith from the oranges. I'll probably just add the orange
rind next time. Apart from the strong citrus flavour and aroma there's a medium wheat malt flavour and medium-low coriander
and low cardamon flavour and aroma.

Speaking of the style here's the BJCP guideline I was brewing to:

16A. Witbier

Aroma: Moderate sweetness (often with light notes of honey 
and/or vanilla) with light, grainy, spicy wheat aromatics, of- 
ten with a bit of tartness. Moderate perfumy coriander, often 
with a complex herbal, spicy, or peppery note in the back- 
ground. Moderate zesty, citrusy orangey fruitiness. A low 
spicy-herbal hop aroma is optional, but should never over-
power the other characteristics. No diacetyl. Vegetal, celery-
like, or ham-like aromas are inappropriate. Spices should
blend in with fruity, floral and sweet aromas and should not
be overly strong.
Appearance: Very pale straw to very light gold in color. The
beer will be very cloudy from starch haze and/or yeast, which
gives it a milky, whitish-yellow appearance. Dense, white,
moussy head. Head retention should be quite good.
Flavor: Pleasant sweetness (often with a honey and/or vanilla
character) and a zesty, orange-citrusy fruitiness. Refreshingly
crisp with a dry, often tart, finish. Can have a low wheat fla-
vor. Optionally has a very light lactic-tasting sourness. Herbal-
spicy flavors, which may include coriander and other spices,
are common should be subtle and balanced, not overpower-
ing. A spicy-earthy hop flavor is low to none, and if noticeable,
never gets in the way of the spices. Hop bitterness is low to
medium-low (as with a Hefeweizen), and doesnt interfere
with refreshing flavors of fruit and spice, nor does it persist
into the finish. Bitterness from orange pith should not be pre-
sent. Vegetal, celery-like, ham-like, or soapy flavors are inap-
propriate. No diacetyl.
Mouthfeel: Medium-light to medium body, often having a
smoothness and light creaminess from unmalted wheat and
the occasional oats. Despite body and creaminess, finishes dry
and often a bit tart. Effervescent character from high carbona-
tion. Refreshing, from carbonation, light acidity, and lack of
bitterness in finish. No harshness or astringency from orange
pith. Should not be overly dry and thin, nor should it be thick
and heavy.
Overall Impression: A refreshing, elegant, tasty, moderate-
strength wheat-based ale.
Commercial Examples: Hoegaarden Wit, St. Bernardus

Blanche, Celis White, Vuuve 5, Brugs Tarwebier (Blanche de

Bruges), Wittekerke, Allagash White, Blanche de Bruxelles,

Ommegang Witte, Avery White Rascal, Unibroue Blanche de

Chambly, Sterkens White Ale, Bells Winter White Ale, Victory

Whirlwind Witbier, Hitachino Nest White Ale


Let me know how close I got.

And do me a favour, Don't compare my beer to Hoegaarden Wit. You'll be disappointed.

Happy beer drinking.


----------



## hairofthedog (4/12/08)

#10 Superhero Belgian Wit

sorry mate really wanted to like it was in the mood for a wheaty just had way to much zing for me not sure if its just the citrus or something else maybe its just my taste buds


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## superhero (4/12/08)

Hello quaffers!

For my 1st case swap beer to taste I chose:

21. Wardhog's Blandale (tm) - Medium-low carbonation and head, Medium-high malty sweet and medium fruity aroma.
Medium-low malt and a medium peppery/fruity flavour. No hop flavour or detectable bitterness. Body is very thin.
Very easy to drink on a Summer evening though. Well done Wardhog. You achieved what you set out to do and more.


----------



## hairofthedog (4/12/08)

#13 CM2 Mongrel Black

lovely head good carb rich black color sweet smelling thick to drink sweet bitter & toasty to taste its a nice mongrel :chug:


----------



## reg (5/12/08)

#2 Mark.M Nelson Sauvin Summer Ale

I chose to drink this as first of my case swap beers last night.
Enjoyed it and went down a treat.
Slightly fruity at the start and finished with a nice bitterness.

Very enjoyable beer well done Mark


----------



## brettprevans (5/12/08)

hairofthedog said:


> #13 CM2 Mongrel Black
> 
> lovely head good carb rich black color sweet smelling thick to drink sweet bitter & toasty to taste its a nice mongrel :chug:


phew glad you liked it. Id be interested to hear if you though the sweetness was due to diacetyl or maybe just too much malt and crystal (which I think it may be as I did whack a bit extra malt in just for shits and giggles).

I recon with some aging and a few tweaks it could be a good drop.


----------



## Kleiny (5/12/08)

#10 Superhero (wit)

Cloudy as per style, aroma of corriander or cinnamon with a strange taste not quite orange, a mate an me thought maybe grapefruit, a nice tart 
wit, with a fairly light body.

i enjoyed it for a nice wit while my mate kinda liked it but wasa bit tart

good work super i thought a nice crafted atempt at style


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## [email protected] (5/12/08)

#21 - Wardhog - Great Aussie BlandAle
Almost tastes like a wheat beer upfront (though not sure why looking at the recipe), though it doesn't have any of the distinctive wheat beer esters, clean taste, low (if any) bitterness, small head, no hop flavor detected (though keep in mind that I had already drunk an IPA and a hoppy APA previously in the afternoon). Cloudy texture, quaffable ... could make a reasonable base beer to add more hop and malt flavor to, I guess.

Cheers
Mal


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## apd (6/12/08)

*#1 reg's supposedly diacetyl-infused ale:* I was actually looking forward to tasting the diacetyl. I know that sounds bloody stupid I've never knowingly tasted it before so I was hoping it was going to stand out like dogs balls so in the future when I come across it in my own beers, I'll know what it is. Unfortunately, or fortunately, I didn't taste anything that I hadn't tasted before. Either there is no diacetyl or I'm one of the lucky few who isn't sensitive to it. Nice beer, thanks Reg.

*#2 Mark.M Nelson Sauvin Summer Ale:* The passionfruit really stands out when you first pour it and take a good whiff. I'm on the Nelson Sauvin bandwagon now. Thanks Mark.

Andrew


----------



## reg (6/12/08)

#3 Moonee (Robust Porter)

I dont normally drink dark beers but as an intro to a porter it was easy drinking.

I agree with CM2, its a great intro to darker beers and I really enjoyed it.
I will be making one of these for the colder months of next year.

Thanks for this beer, opened my eyes to darker beers.


----------



## johnno (6/12/08)

I have just tried one labeled 25 but as far as I can tell this was capped at 24 brews. Is this the mystery brew that ended up in my crate?

This one initially had a skunked aroma but has now subsided to grassy. Getting harder to tell after tasting quite a few. Finishes with a POR bitterness.


----------



## reg (6/12/08)

4 - Rook - Pommie Bitter 

Tried this tonight and initially thought it would be a little more bitter than it was

Very crisp and clean aftertaste
A very good sessional beer and it left me wanting more.

IMHO a very good beer that was probably a little low in bitterness but a great drink.

Very nice Rook. :icon_drool2:


----------



## [email protected] (7/12/08)

24 - apd - ale?
Cloudy texture , small firm head at the start. Clean ale taste, low bitterness, low hop flavor and aroma. Pretty easy to drink. This is more in-line with what I was expecting from the #21 that I drunk last night ... 

Cheers
Mal


----------



## Wardhog (7/12/08)

17 - Kleiny's Weizen

I wish I had've opened this one sooner. The bubblegum has just about disappeared, but this is still a refreshing and deliciously quaffable beer.
Excellent beer, Kleiny.
Tasting two of yours and Chris Taylor's at the swap has inspired me, here's hoping the weizen I pitched yeast onto this morning comes out as good as this one.


----------



## johnno (7/12/08)

15 Quintrex - Saison de votre mre Can be drunk now or aged a bit more to let it mellow!

Quintrex, this one had a very strong Listerine smell and taste. Could not drink it. Also started crawling out of the bottle after it was left alone.

cheers
johnno


----------



## Kleiny (7/12/08)

johnno said:


> I have just tried one labeled 25 but as far as I can tell this was capped at 24 brews. Is this the mystery brew that ended up in my crate?
> 
> This one initially had a skunked aroma but has now subsided to grassy. Getting harder to tell after tasting quite a few. Finishes with a POR bitterness.



Johnno check out the wiki its been updated to account for beer number 25 

i think it was just beerdingo's pale ale and he forgot how to count


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## Kleiny (7/12/08)

#11 fents (hallertau ale)

sorry fents mine was flat even after keeping it in the cupboard for extra time
it did have a nice flavour, and i think i would have enjoyed it if had carbed up
nice and clear with a great hope flavour.


#12 Mortz (australian pale ale)

nice clear pour with a good head, medium malt flavour heading towards a dry finish with a med hop content, i reckon you could up the hops a bit in this and have a really nice beer, (thats my view).


#16 Brewmiester (pre proh American Pilsner) did you make this in a bath tub aka.homer simpson

Clear poor with a great head white with good retention, nice spicey hop aroma and dry malt taste, i did get a hint of stale flavour within the first few mouthfulls but went away by the end. Would liked to have tried to lager this beer a bit longer if i had known it had a true lager yeast in it to mellow out the flavours for balance. I enjoyed it how it was good work


----------



## haysie (7/12/08)

I just sampled my first beer :icon_drool2: , thanks again Leigh for the delivery and p/up.

#1 Reg, I didnt get "much" diacetyl at all, very very little. I got a hoppy, a little too sweet, poor head retention (i blame undercarbed on the plastic), very clear (safale04)? A good first upper for me. Thx Reg.

#3 Moonee, this is good but, just needed something re foam,head (my daughter asked "why are you drinking coke dad", i never drink that shite) the choc and roast seems balanced, great hop balance, heaps of yeast floaties on the 2nd pour, tasted yeasty too, the recipe looks the goods apart from dry yeast, Thx for the beer Moonee, Merry Xmas


----------



## superhero (7/12/08)

Hello drinkers,

Tasted #7 Chris Taylor's Mild tonight

Dark brown in colour. Medium fruity and sweet aroma initially with more medium chocolate aroma later. Carbonation is good. Head doesn't stick
around for long. Medium chocolate and roasty flavours and medium-low fruity taste with a dry finish. Bitterness is medium-low and hop flavour
is very low. Well done Chris. A very easy to drink, health giving mild.


----------



## superhero (7/12/08)

Hello All,

In controversial news I did not receive a bottle of apd's mystery ale. No worries
if I can't get one. I'll just enjoy the reviews.


----------



## Wardhog (7/12/08)

mcook - Belgian Pale Ale

A good beer. There's some interesting (that's good "interesting", not a euphemism) flavours, most notable for me was the yeast character, a mild fruitiness that faded away into bitterness. It tricked me into thinking this was an APA loaded up with an American C-hop when I first tasted it without knowing what it was. Chris is right about knowledge influencing perception.
Unfortunately I haven't had any BPAs before to have a yardstick for this style, so I'll just say it was an enjoyable beer and if you ever find yourself drowning in the stuff, I'll dive in to save you.


----------



## superhero (7/12/08)

Chris Taylor said:


> *10 Superhero - Belgian Wit*
> 
> Some fruity esters and pleasant coriander in the aroma, very spice with a hint of malt sweetness showing through.
> 
> ...



Thanks Chris,

I do enjoy this beer on a hot day. I made a few more than was required for the case swap!
I believe the tartness is in style but the orange flavour and bitterness from the pith may
not be totally in style. I guess I'll know for next time though to just add the orange rind.


----------



## superhero (7/12/08)

hairofthedog said:


> #10 Superhero Belgian Wit
> 
> sorry mate really wanted to like it was in the mood for a wheaty just had way to much zing for me not sure if its just the citrus or something else maybe its just my taste buds



Hi Hair of the dog,

I think it's too orangy too! Next time I'll add less
orange and just add the rind as the pith gives
the beer too much bitterness. If I'd done these
things this time I'd end up with a better beer.
Next time, next time ...


----------



## superhero (7/12/08)

Kleiny said:


> #10 Superhero (wit)
> 
> Cloudy as per style, aroma of corriander or cinnamon with a strange taste not quite orange, a mate an me thought maybe grapefruit, a nice tart
> wit, with a fairly light body.
> ...



Hi Kleiny,

Thanks for your kind words. I think it's a good beer on a warm day!

The prominent orange like taste you noted is from Australian valencia orange peel chucked in
pith and all. I think there's too much orange taste and too much bitterness from the pith. I did
put in coriander seed as well as cardamon. The grapefruit taste may be a combination of the 
orange and the tartness of the wit yeast.

I'll adjust the recipe for a better wit next time.


----------



## Fents (8/12/08)

sorry guys i am drinking the swaps just not doing reviews. all beers i've had so far hjave been very drinkable to say the least! biggups.


----------



## brettprevans (8/12/08)

slack Fents! 

*#2 Mark.M Nelson Sauvin Summer Ale: *
nice head, very clear with a little haze. slightly peach coloured. nice body, more bitter than Ive tasted the NS used before and it wasx a nice change. took a little getting used to but then decided that im definitietly making this. great summer ale. thanks Mark.

*#23 Johnno APA*
love a cascade bitter. fantastic. actually 34IBU is less than i thought it was, so maybe its the horizon (I havent had it before). great clear beer with an ok head. went down so easily. great APA. really tasty. if I had a keg of it i would have hooked into it last night


----------



## [email protected] (8/12/08)

Wardhog said:


> mcook - Belgian Pale Ale
> 
> A good beer. There's some interesting (that's good "interesting", not a euphemism) flavours, most notable for me was the yeast character, a mild fruitiness that faded away into bitterness. It tricked me into thinking this was an APA loaded up with an American C-hop when I first tasted it without knowing what it was. Chris is right about knowledge influencing perception.
> Unfortunately I haven't had any BPAs before to have a yardstick for this style, so I'll just say it was an enjoyable beer and if you ever find yourself drowning in the stuff, I'll dive in to save you.



Glad you liked it. This was my first taste of a BPA too, wish I had more, but I only do 23L batches so only a couple of bottles left. Will definetly try this again next year, probably as a starter for a dubbel or tripel.


----------



## Leigh (8/12/08)

haysie said:


> I just sampled my first beer :icon_drool2: , thanks again Leigh for the delivery and p/up.



Gee, that was quick! My swap beers still haven't made the fridge h34r: , but that saison was very good last night while mowing the lawns/paddock :icon_cheers: By the end of the bottle I was looking for another!


----------



## tim_mortensen (8/12/08)

Kleiny said:


> #12 Mortz (australian pale ale)
> 
> nice clear pour with a good head, medium malt flavour heading towards a dry finish with a med hop content, i reckon you could up the hops a bit in this and have a really nice beer, (thats my view).



Thanks Kleiny,

got the same response in VicBrew (different batch), thought another 5 IBU would be good. Yet when I tell people that an Australian Pale Ale made with the Coopers yeast can handle up to 45 IBU of Pride of Ringwood, bittering only, the reaction is often one of disbelief...

Got to make a start on the case swap soon.


----------



## apd (8/12/08)

*#7 Chris Taylor's Mild* Loved the chocolate flavours in this. Thanks Chris.

*#10 Superhero's Belgian Wit* Great cloudy wit appearance. Barney Banana aromas and flavours. Great even as it warmed up while I was pottering around the garden. Thanks Superhero.

*#12 Mortz's Australian Pale Ale* Pours wonderfully bright. Got a touch of what I _think_ are fusel alcohols. There was a solvent-like aroma and flavour. Others haven't mentioned this so maybe my taste buds need recalibrating. Thanks Mortz.

Andrew


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## beerDingo (8/12/08)

Johnno, #25 is my beer. I wasn't 100% that I was #19, and no-one had the sheet of paper. So, I went #25 so i didn't conflict with any other number.
haha Kleiny, maybe not too far off though :icon_drunk:


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## chris.taylor.98 (8/12/08)

*15 Quintrex - Saison de votre mre*

Not sure how much longer you want us to age this one for Q but here is my experience upon opening the bottle ...





... it helped to have the sink at running distance.

If mcooks Belgian Pale Ale was a gusher this one was the Niagara Falls of gushers.

Needless to say I did not get a very good impression of the initial aroma. But when it did finally calm down enough to drink.

Very aptly described as "farmhouse ale" aroma. Some straw, grapefruit, low malt, very spicy.

Very cloudy (due to suspended yeast), slightly tart and bitter, very dry in the finish

Some noticeable alcohol. 

This beer actually reminded me a lot of Super's wit, but with a touch of grapefruit.

Slight hint of vanilla and some more malt sweetness coming through as it warmed up.

Was there by any chance some coriander in there Q?

As always can rely on you to take us out the limb with something we wouldn't normally get much exposure to ... thanks for the experience.


----------



## Barramundi (8/12/08)

Chris Taylor said:


> *15 Quintrex - Saison de votre mre*
> 
> Not sure how much longer you want us to age this one for Q but here is my experience upon opening the bottle ...
> 
> ...





given that fenton and myself experienced a bottle of this actually blow the arse out of the pet id guess its ready for drinkin about now ...


----------



## reg (8/12/08)

Ned
Was that before or after your car and the ditch became friends?

:icon_chickcheers:


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## Barramundi (8/12/08)

was long before reg,,, the night before while sitting peacefully around the campfire kegs at the ready glasses in hand we both heard a pop and looked at each other as if to say did you hear that ? sure enough upon investigation a PET had blown its rear end out ...


----------



## therook (9/12/08)

*9 Hair of the dog - cumquat wheat*

High carbonation and Big head.
Pale and cloudy as expected being a wheat beer, aroma, i had no idea what i was smelling but what i tasted i really liked. This is a top beer Troyo and would love to have a crack at making this down the track. A nice beer to be had sitting back beside the pool on a warm day.
Thanks mate

*20 Haysie- Some sort of belgian*
Lovely copper colour. Low carbonation and little head ( maybe this is the style ), nice light spices and well balanced with the malt. It gave me a warm feeling, what level of alcohol is this Hasie? I could also detect chocolate. Not a bad beer

*23 johnno - American Pale Ale*
Deep copper colour with some nice malty flavours and of course Hops and more Hops.
I was sitting back in bed drinking this as a night cap. It did end up putting me to sleep

Enjoyed these 3 beers Friday night

*16 Brewmeister70 - Pre-prohibition American pilsner*
Opened the bottle to this great gushing noise so there was no wonder that it was way over carbed. Huge bloody head....if only i was a beer :icon_cheers: 
The head on this was 3 inches over the top of the glass. nice pale colour with a touch of chill haze. IMHO this was a fantastic easy drinking beer, for a bloke that slept with my iron ( still trying to work that out ) you have done brilliantly. Lovely balanced beer. This is up there with one of the best for the case.
Top Darts

*10 Superhero - Belgian Wit*
Your right Superhero, nothing like a Hoey, i was really looking forward to this beer and after pouring it my expectations didn't change, cloudy and nice aroma. but as with Troy, the flavour was to over powering for me, i drank the bottle okay but i couldn't have this as a session beer, i don't know if it was the orange or the cinnamon or something else it was just to much for this skinny old bloke. Excellent lacing of the glass and i'm sure many people will like this beer

*2 mark_m - summer ale-leave*
last for the night was from the bloke who doesn't know how to make a bad beer, unfortunately i'm not a real big fan of all nelson sauvin hops but didn't mind this one as much as i thought i would. Excellent colour, carbonation, head and really good bitterness for my palate.

another good beer mark

Rook


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## brettprevans (9/12/08)

*20 Haysie- Some sort of belgian *
didnt pick this as a belgian. more like a pale ale i did a while back (but thats probably the ekg coming through - i love ekg). Mine had Morgans Caramalt and Amber Malt, 30g EKG @ 45 min, 15g @ 20 min and 15g @ 5min. wyeast1098

minimal head which disappeared quickly, low carbonation but i think it worked well. meduim body and nice dark amber colour. I drank this sitting on the step last evening watching my little girl play with the dogs and thought that it was like drinking an old friend. solid effort. must palate must to brutish to detect the belgian characteristics though. sorry.


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## haysie (9/12/08)

#4 Rook Bitter,
Tried this one not much over room temp, very sad to see the end of it, nice and clear, laced head, perfect carbonation, smooth bitterness, just the right amount of hops. A slight "something"? bit the nostrils, I couldnt pick what it was, similar too "sherbet".
I reckon it was great, and always good to see the efforts i.e labelling. Well done Rook. Merry Xmas

#3 Summer Ale,

Probably not a good choice on my behalf too crack this one on a cold shitty Melbourne arvo, moreso after drinking Rook`s bitter at room temp.Chilled it right down, first pour looked brilliant.. then farrrrrrrkk............ hops were all over me,biting, itching nostrils, palate, throat, wow..........farkkkk. I had these Nelson Sauvignon ones a while ago and hated them, I think I still do. I did finish the bot and liked the dryness, however the hops made me squint and itch too much. All in all, obviously Nelson is "out there" and no bad stuff I could detect, clear as a bell. Onya Mark. Merry Xmas


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## johnno (9/12/08)

Well I have drunk most of these and whilst I am not the best at taking notes i do have very short ones upon initial tasting.

So far the 2 standouts for me have been 2 mark_m - summer ale and 4 Rook - Pommie Bitter.

cheers 
johnno


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## haysie (9/12/08)

edit, above post

#2 Summer ale


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## hairofthedog (9/12/08)

#3 Moonee Robust Porter

like a heavyweight boxer big , black , strong with a powerful finish & thick as a brick would be a good beer to finish off a session on a winters night :beer:


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## chris.taylor.98 (9/12/08)

*11 Fents - Hallertau Ale*

Very low carbination, slightly hazy, sweet worty aroma, some hops but struggling to come through with the low carbonation.

Lasting bitterness, also possible phenolic/medicinal issue in flavour, some hops but hard to pick as hallertau, although comes through more as the beer warms up. Slight acetic taste.

Slight alcohol warming.

Sorry Fents but think the phenolics where a bit too strong for me in the bottle I was trying, although I must admit sometimes I find it hard to separate hop phenolics from other phenols.

Would be interested to see how this one went with a bit of aging. There is a good chance it would settle down into a very decent beer.

I see that others have had greater appreciation for their bottles, so could be an issue with my bottle or that I am just an overly fussy bastard.

Interesting hop choice Fents.


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## reg (10/12/08)

#7 Mild

I am really enjoying this beer and will definently be making this beer in the future.
The roasty flavours and low bitterness make it quite enjoyable and an easy drink.
I could sit down and have a bet on the horses, watch collingwood win on the telly with a pint or two of this and life couldnt be much better.

Thanks Chris


----------



## reg (10/12/08)

6 Cummins - Imperial Alt 

I really enjoyed this beer as well
It was sweet and very non offensive


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## hairofthedog (10/12/08)

#15 Q Sasion 

well carbed some malt sweetness distinct wheat flavor plenty of yeasty stuff goin on all as per style well crafted Q :beer:


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## brettprevans (11/12/08)

*Kleiny - Weizen*
sorry Kleiny it was a few days ago now so my comments arent going to be detailed. I really enjoyed this. some subtle spice and great yeast character. clear and nice head. great effort.


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## beerDingo (11/12/08)

OK, tried #23 johnno's APA (god, better write down what I drink, I thought it was #1, but found another #1 in the box, and I remember it had a christmas card on it, and thought it was from Johnno). So if yours had a christmas card on it johnno, then it was yours. Whoever's it was, in my opinion, it has been the best tasting beer in the swap (that's how I feel)! Well done, nice hoppy aroma and flavour. I love my APA's, and I think this is a very good example! Was dissapointed when it was over.

Tried #4 Rooks Pommie Bitter, and enjoyed it. I felt it had a sort of wheat beer flavour, which I wasn't expecting, but was very enjoyable. Might have to look at how a "Pommie" bitter is made.


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## brettprevans (11/12/08)

xmas card on the side was Johnno's.


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## brettprevans (11/12/08)

McCook - Belgian Pale Ale

time to see if mccook is a mcbrewer....and he is. lovely light beer, fantastic head and carbonation (although wouldnt want to be any more carbed at th risk of being over carbed). left great lacework. nice light belgian fruit turning to bitterness at the end. not quite a full blown heavy belgian no quite a APA. great stuff.


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## reg (11/12/08)

Had two beers tonight 

#9 Hair of the dog (cumquat wheat)
Had this after dinner out on the back porch watching the kids run around.
For me it has been the highlight of the swap so far.
Very enjoyable, highly carbed and very golden in color.
Was extremely dissappointed when it was finished.

Also 8 Maple - Irish (more brown than) Red Ale 
Another great beer.
Maybe a little undercarbed but also a good drink.


I am yet to touch a beer I have not enjoyed
Cheers
Reg


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## haysie (11/12/08)

2 this arvo/tonite

#5 I am tipping this was an extract, i couldnt find it in the recipes, clear, well carbed, malty, no head retention, when i warmed it up i tasted honey Cheers n Merry Xmas

# White lid (red #), resembled a 6 a 7 or a 9 depending what tribe you come from. I loved this beer, the choc, the grain, mouthfeel, apart from being a bit muddy it was sensational Cheers n Merry Xmas

Haysie

just found #5 in the recipe, oops .


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## hairofthedog (11/12/08)

reg said:


> Had two beers tonight
> 
> #9 Hair of the dog (cumquat wheat)
> Had this after dinner out on the back porch watching the kids run around.
> ...



thanks reg someone else enjoying your beers almost as good as enjoying it yourself :beer:


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## hairofthedog (11/12/08)

hairofthedog said:


> thanks reg someone else enjoying your beers almost as good as enjoying it yourself :beer:



ill host the next swap at my place reg & hopefully you enjoy my homemade pizzas in the wood fire oven as much as my beers mate


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## Barramundi (11/12/08)

haysie said:


> 2 this arvo/tonite
> 
> #5 I am tipping this was an extract, i couldnt find it in the recipes, clear, well carbed, malty, no head retention, when i warmed it up i tasted honey Cheers n Merry Xmas
> 
> ...




wasnt an extract haysie but i can sort of understand why you thought so , rather simple recipe ... no honey in there though ...


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## [email protected] (12/12/08)

#21 johnno - apa
Lovely stable off-white head. Fractionally low on the carbonation--maybe a bit more like an english pale ale in that regard (does higher carbonation bring out more of the citrus hop flavor in the beer to the tongue?). Quite bitter, well within style. Familiar hop aroma and flavor. This tastes very similar to the first APA I brewed, my first all-grain, though I let my fermentation temp get into the mid-twenties--so mine peaked quickly but went south fast. This went down very well after an hour on the treadmill--rehydration and a meal in a bottle!. 

Unfortunately I have my work xmas party tomorrow night tonight, so won't get a chance to sink a few more case swap beers until Saturday night--unless I smuggle some in to the Hilton.... B) 

Just finishing the last glass and want more ... damn don't have any of my latest APA in the fridge, though probably need to hit the hay anyway.

Cheers
Mal / Cooky (takes me back to Primary School ... not saying that's bad, as I have fond memories of Orbost Primary) / McCook (one step away from McLovin ... if only I needed a fake ID to buy beer)


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## Fents (12/12/08)

Had Johno's APA last night and oh my lord !- this is the one for me. loved every second of it. 10/10 mate.


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## apd (12/12/08)

#15 Q Saison

I loved this beer. After seeing Chris' experience of it climbing out of the bottle, I prepared to pour it over the sink but I had no trouble at all. I didn't see _any_ similarity between it and Super's wit as someone else described. That wit had massive banana aroma and flavour. I didn't get any banana in the saison. I couldn't put a finger on any particular flavours, just a depth that made it very interesting to drink. Certainly a contrast the boring-as-f*@k beers I've been producing.

I'm hoping the recipe is available in the recipe thread.

Thanks Q.

Andrew


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## chris.taylor.98 (12/12/08)

apd said:


> #15 Q Saison
> 
> I loved this beer. After seeing Chris' experience of it climbing out of the bottle, I prepared to pour it over the sink but I had no trouble at all. I didn't see _any_ similarity between it and Super's wit as someone else described. That wit had massive banana aroma and flavour. I didn't get any banana in the saison. I couldn't put a finger on any particular flavours, just a depth that made it very interesting to drink. Certainly a contrast the boring-as-f*@k beers I've been producing.
> 
> ...



Just goes to show that you can have differences between bottles. Given your explanation above can see that you will have a different perception.

That was me comparing it to Super's wit, in my case this was mainly because of the yeast flavour I was getting from it being in suspension, and some of the spiciness coming through.


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## chris.taylor.98 (12/12/08)

haysie said:


> 2 this arvo/tonite
> 
> #5 I am tipping this was an extract, i couldnt find it in the recipes, clear, well carbed, malty, no head retention, when i warmed it up i tasted honey Cheers n Merry Xmas
> 
> ...



I put in one in with a red 7 on a white lid. In that case it would have been a Mild. I'm owning up cause you thought it was ok


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## Leigh (12/12/08)

Finally dug out the case swap beers...first up (given it's a cold rainy day in Melb)

4 Rook Pommie Bitter:

I like a good pommy birtter or ale. I took this one straight out of the box (unchilled) and poured a glass. Nice sized head with a spicy aroma. Taking a mouthful and the pallate gets hit with lovely subtle malty flavours, with a slight burnt taste and subtle bittering towards the end.

Beautiful Pommie Beer Rook. I'll have to brew this one when I go AG  :icon_cheers:


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## Leigh (12/12/08)

haysie said:


> # White lid (red #), resembled a 6 a 7 or a 9 depending what tribe you come from. I loved this beer, the choc, the grain, mouthfeel, apart from being a bit muddy it was sensational Cheers n Merry Xmas
> 
> Haysie
> 
> just found #5 in the recipe, oops .






Chris Taylor said:


> I put in one in with a red 7 on a white lid. In that case it would have been a Mild. I'm owning up cause you thought it was ok



Definately Chris's beer that one. with the 6's and 9's, one is written on whitish tape, the other on grey packing tape (I think one of yours has fallen off Haysie)...we'll have to enforce people drawing a line below their 6 and 9's next time LOL


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## johnno (12/12/08)

Chris Taylor said:


> Just goes to show that you can have differences between bottles.



This sure can happen at times.

The first one of mine I tried after bottling I was hit by wet cardboard everywhere. I was surprised as I had taken care to make this beer and could not understand where oxidisation may have come into it. 
I had to quickly try another bottle and was relieved to find that it was ok. Seems that first particular bottle may have not been cleaned right.

Anyway hope no one else gets one similar. 

cheers
johnno


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## Leigh (12/12/08)

6 Cummins (I think, could be 9 but it's more like an alt than a cumquat)

Carbonation is low, and around the right level for a true alt. Very earthy taste with mild fruitiness, full bodied with a syrupy mouth. A very nice beer, although a little too sweet in the after taste for an alt.

Excellent beer Cummins, I could drink this one all night


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## chris.taylor.98 (12/12/08)

*13 Citymorgue2 - mongrel black bavarian/Schwarzbier Ale *

After feeling like crap all day, trying one of my new stouts to find it infected with a gusher, and the next one not infected but full of acetaldehyde, I need something to lift my spirits.

Let me say that CM2s bavarian/Schwarzbier Ale did all this and a hell of a lot more.

Caramel, toffee, very creamy, even a hint of licorice in there. 

Some coffee which is signature flavour in a Schwarzbier style.

Cant say I have ever had a Schwarbier as an ale before, and although it does not come out quite as refined, it seems to have a warmer character than the lagered version. 

Must admit I like this better.

Sort of a brown ale crossed with an amber ale and a bit porter thrown in for good measure.

Fantastic mouth feel, bit of alcohol to warm you up on these cold winter nights.

This is the beer I needed tonight.

Thanks CM2


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## Wardhog (12/12/08)

7 - Chris Taylor - Mild

I don't really understand dark milds. Maybe it's because I'm not always a fan of the darkest malts. A stout I can understand, there's plenty of other things going on that the black malts are a part of, but a mild will be dominated by them.

Ignoring any preconceptions of what a mild is, this beer is perfect. Not a fault to be found. No off tastes anywhere, no aromas that seem out of place. Chris certainly knows how to make a good beer.

My reservations about this beer are purely reviewer's bias, it's no reflection of the brewer's skill. It's probably a great example of what a dark mild is, but all I can smell and taste is roast, and that's not really my bag. I would love to try it sans roast, I think I would rave about it.

Edit: I have some visitors from the UK staying with me right now, and they like dark milds. They thought this beer was great.


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## Wardhog (12/12/08)

3 - Moonee - Robust porter.

I just had to pull out another black beer, didn't I? However, I think a porter carries the black malts well.

Another good beer. Roast aroma and flavour again, but with a thickness of body that complements, and is not overpowered. No faults apparent here either.
Nice bitterness that subsides quickly, leaving roast across the palate.

A well made beer.


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## Kleiny (13/12/08)

#20 haysie (belgian)

brown cloudy with low carb and low head, but a nice beer with some belgian yeast style flavours
i enjoyed this beer

#25 by Can't Count (pale ale)

bitter smell, light brown color, might just be me but i found this overly bitter not good hop bitter just hard to drink,

#21 Wardhog (blande ale)

as intended a blande ale but i also found it very thin and a tad watery, undercarbed, could be a good lawn mower beer had it a little more body and higher carb.
You got what you were after wardy


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## Wardhog (13/12/08)

24 - apd - 'b' ale

I think the bottle might not have sealed too well, very little escaping gas when opened, and had to work very hard to pour some head on the beer.

Nice golden colour, a little bit hazy. A little bit undercarbed, but that's probably the bottle's fault. Plenty of winey hop flavour, but - dare I say it - a lingering impression of butterscotch.


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## [email protected] (13/12/08)

By random selection i tried #9 and #10 this evening ... I was going to try #3 but for the life of me couldn't get the cap to twist off (will have to resort to a drill or hacksaw to get at the beer next week maybe).

So #10 Superhero's Belgian Wit vs #9 Hair of the Dog's Cumquat Wheat:

The Belgian Wit poured with a nice white well maintained rocky head, strange spicy aroma, though the taste is thankfully slightly muted. The mouthfeel and finish is consistent will the aroma and flavour. For me this beer was pretty hard going. While there didn't appear to be any standard brewing flaws, you get the feeling that the recipe really let down the brewer on this occasion--though fermentation temp can have a big effect on the flavour of wheat based beers, so you never know the difference fermenting it higher or lower may have had. BTW the way I got my wife to give an independent smell and taste test and she called it "rubbery"--you can take that with a grain of salt as she doesn't really like beer all that much.

The Cumquat Wheat was similar in texture (though clearer in the glass), but had a more floral with a slightly citrus aroma and flavor. Similar carbonation level, with a slightly smaller head. I think its good to compare these two beers (even though it happened by chance), as I get the feeling that this one is a more tested recipe that the brewer is familiar with--every flavor in this beer seems to have a purpose. This beer was quite drinkable, and would have been even better on a hot summer's day.

As you could imagine I am all wheat beered out at the moment, but tomorrow I'll have to clean some bottles for the weizen I have almost done and dusted in the fermenter...  

Cheers
Mal


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## [email protected] (14/12/08)

#3 - moonee - Robust Porter
I'm not that familiar with the style, but this seemed like a lovely beer. Very approachable, a bit of toffee & roasty flavor balancing the bitterness. Small head at the beginning receded quite quickly, nicely carbonated. The second glass was a bit mirkier due to some yeast getting stirred up, but a really nice beer. I'll have to brew something like this myself sometime.

Cheers
Mal


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## haysie (16/12/08)

#15


I seen some earlier post, beer spewing out the top. I chilled it right down 3 days in the fridge, jugged it
what a beer, dry, balanced, really enjoyed it, Thanks Q, Merry Xmas,

I have had a few others over the weekend, some I drunk, some I tipped out, I wont recall all otherwise people may take things a little personal and for one I aint NO beer judge. Individual choice at the end of the day, I favour a balanced beer, yet dislike hoppy beers.
Meery Xmas too Everyone


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## brettprevans (16/12/08)

carn haysie surely you can do better than that. even if its generic comments. 

why'd you tip some out? infected? if not infected then yeah a little offensive. actualyl it makes you sounds like a bit of a snob if they just werent to your likeing. 

Im just rereading this and it sounds a little like im having a go at you. im not. but i cant be buggered rewording it.

EDIT: god that pic makes me thirsty. I might have to have #15 tonight.


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## haysie (16/12/08)

citymorgue2 said:


> carn haysie surely you can do better than that. even if its generic comments.
> 
> why'd you tip some out? infected? if not infected then yeah a little offensive. actualyl it makes you sounds like a bit of a snob if they just werent to your likeing.
> 
> ...




certainly"no snob" CM2, moreso probably not "good enough" too appraise each beer, certainly some havent been to my liking, vice versa yada yada. I didnt mean to be offensive. Sometimes no words are better than some.

Haysie


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## Leigh (16/12/08)

Bit of a brain fade the other day when I posetd this in the recipe thread:

5. Barra's Brew

A very nice drop Barra, I was looking for another by the end of the bottle. 



Tonights drop:

7 - Chris Taylor - Mild

Not a big fan of the darker ales, but this one was great. Nice mild roasty flavours etc etc. The only critisism was it was a little undercarbed.


Hey Haysie, if it was mine, I'm with ya...its starting to get milder with age, but the first bottle I opened nearly knocked my socks off with bitterness LOL


----------



## Wardhog (16/12/08)

haysie said:


> moreso probably not "good enough" too appraise each beer



No such thing. Your tastebuds work well enough for you to figure out you don't like something. You don't have to go in depth about the bouquet or depth of malt character, but you know if a beer is too tilted in favour of hops or not, and the brewer would like to know if this is the case.
The main difference between a self-professed noob at appraising beers and someone who is comfortable writing a review is taking a chance and speaking up. Their tastebuds are unlikely to be any better than yours. Yes, you'll get it wrong sometimes - everyone does - but that's how you become better at something. Do it for a while, and you'll be able describe what you taste more accurately, and give some constructive and helpful reviews.

Take a chance, dare to be wrong occasionally and grow from it. Being silent does not benefit anyone.

I cannot get angry at anyone who tells me they don't like my beers as long as they tell me why.


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## brettprevans (16/12/08)

nah haysie no offense i just meant that any feedback is good feedback,. even if its just i liked it or didnt and why. well i find its good to help me make better beers. no one is exoecting bcjp judging (except from Chris! lol). were all here for the fun mate.


----------



## haysie (16/12/08)

Well said Wardy. Concise yet subtle.

I have a about 10 to go in the swap, so I`ll keep having a go. 

#25 a real dryness, little hops, cloudy, no carbonation, couldnt pick the style though. Tipped it.

# Johhno`s, hoppy, bitter (felt it in my nostrils) alas very little carbonation, all in all an enjoyable drop. Good beer

# Kleiny, yeah it was weizen, effervescent, real wheat and yeast character, enjoyed it, no head retention which i thought was a little unusaul for a wheat. Good beer

#22 Sorry Leigh, it was really unbalanced, very little malt , little hops, "how did you pick yours" tipped it.


----------



## Quintrex (16/12/08)

Ok first things first, Apologies

I must apologise for my lack of tastings so far, I've managed to have one so far. Mark_M's, which is as per usual an extremely drinkeable beer and hit the spot. Unfortunately I lost the tasting notes, however if you provide me with another bottle or 2 I'm sure I can rustle some up for you :icon_cheers: 

I've booked in a whole afternoon with a mate on the weekend and we're going to work through as many as we can, in a moderately sensible manner! All will be prechilled and treated with love! :icon_chickcheers: 

The second is that this brew was pushing it to get the litreage I needed for the swap, I had my mill on a different setting from normal and didn't realise and so ended up with horrible efficiency and had to boil for an age, to get to my desired gravity, the reason for the apology is that I just had enough for 24 bottles and so didn't rack when I bulk primed, just gave it a bit of a stir and so it seems there is a bit of variance between all the bottles. So my apologies for that, my advice, just stick it in the fridge 24h before drinking it if possible. :unsure: sorry!

The second part of this post is what I was aiming for my brew to be

I guess I wanted to make a bit of a caricature of a saison, this is not poking fun at it or anything, just maybe extending some of the characteristics of it so that they are pronounced. Hopefully it has worked ok, took an age to ferment out too(but still gotta love the dupont strain for its flava!).

Cheers
Q



Chris Taylor said:


> *15 Quintrex - Saison de votre mre*
> 
> If mcooks Belgian Pale Ale was a gusher this one was the Niagara Falls of gushers.
> 
> ...



Thanks Chris for the very detailed notes, I'm feeling the need to crack one of the 2 bottles I had left to see if I can pick up some of those things. Much appreciated for the feedback. 

No coriander in there however I did use grains of paradise for the first time ever in this brew, it's potent stuff.




apd said:


> I'm hoping the recipe is available in the recipe thread.
> 
> Thanks Q.
> 
> Andrew



Hi Andrew, thanks for your comments I'll try put the recipe up soon, promise!




haysie said:


> I seen some earlier post, beer spewing out the top. I chilled it right down 3 days in the fridge, jugged it
> what a beer, dry, balanced, really enjoyed it, Thanks Q, Merry Xmas,


Looks like you treated her like a lady, Thanks mate.

Cheers again
Q


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## haysie (16/12/08)

#8
This was great Maple, I didnt give a shit about the brown versus the red, malt, some choc, ekg was fantastic. I did drink this at about 12deg. then went looking for the recipe.. wyeast1084 is a good yeast, i did a robust with the same yeast at vicbrew.
Great beer Pal. Merry Xmas


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## Maple (17/12/08)

Glad you liked it haysie, I too love it once it's come up to temp, cold doesn't do much for me. 2 years ago I never thought I'd like beer that was above 3 degrees. this obsession hobby has certainly opened my mind to new things. I must say that i do enjoy the 1084 in this.

I have yet to get stuck into the swap tasting, and will likely not be until after xmas, but rest assured, I will get through them all and post up my humble thoughts.


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## beerDingo (17/12/08)

Pitty you didn't like it haysie. I agree it was not very hopy. I've made a similar brew since, and added more Galaxy, but found it a bit full-on. But cheers anyway, any feedback is appreciated! Hopefully next time I can make one that you can at least get through, if not enjoy! Just got a new false bottom, and much less crap gets through now! Yay.

Oh yeah, It was supposed to be an American OR Australian Pale Ale (not sure of the styles yet).


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## Wardhog (17/12/08)

Johnno - APA

Big hop aroma, bigger hop flavour, lots of great malt. This is what I think of when I think APA, American hops out the wazoo all through this beer. This is an excellent beer.

Great work, Johnno.


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## chris.taylor.98 (17/12/08)

*9 Hair of the dog (cumquat wheat)*

This beer is without a doubt the best wheat I beer I have ever had.

Some banana and a little clove, very clean (if that is possible with a wheat), some sweet malt. Bready malt character.

This beer is very soft on the pallet, and the fruit and spice flavours just blend so well together that is just fantastic.

I will have to re-asses my prejudices against dried yeast after trying this beer.


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## hairofthedog (18/12/08)

Chris Taylor said:


> *9 Hair of the dog (cumquat wheat)*
> 
> This beer is without a doubt the best wheat I beer I have ever had.
> 
> ...



Thanks mate where are you judging next ive got a wheat beer id like to enter :lol: :lol:


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## Wardhog (18/12/08)

Quintrex - Saison

Wow. I don't know where to begin. That IS most different from anything I've had before.

There's some sort of herby/spicy flavour that presents itself up front that I can't put my finger on. It's reminiscent of ginger, but it's a little bit different - help me out here what is it? I'm sure I know that flavour but I can't put a name to it, and neither can the other 5 people here. Ginger/nutmeg/clove/licquorice is the best we can come up with. A definite alcohol presence.

A little too different to make it a regular feature, but interesting to try.


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## Leigh (19/12/08)

1. Reg - Golden Ale

Cracked this one and barely had any gas escape. Had to pour into my glass from almost a foot away to get a little head...carbonation was too low for my liking. Very little aroma (probably due to low carbonation), colour was a bit light for a golden, and slightly hazy...

Enough of the bad stuff, a mouthful of this was a shock given the other characteristics...very well balanced with rich honey/golden syrup tastes, but not overly sweet. Some interesting flavours were thrown off by the yeast?, will have to check out the recipe to see what I was tasting.

Overall not a bad beer.


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## brettprevans (20/12/08)

*#5 - Barra's Summer Wheat Beer *
mate, great beer, i grabbed this without knowing what/whos it was. before i knew it..gone. didnt pick it as a wheat though. the bitterness made me think APA but it didnt taste like one. loved the Pacific Hallertau. simple recipe and great tastikg beer. great carbonation level. very little head though (could have been my glass).

its on my brew list. could be a summer staple.


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## [email protected] (20/12/08)

#20 - Haysie - Colonial Belgian Pale Ale
Quite clear light amber colored beer, presents well in the glass. Spicy/unusual aroma, masks any more recognisable hop aroma. Similar spicy flavor, not very subtle, flavor not balanced by maltiness or clean hop flavor. Bitterness not coming through. Perhaps dropping the fermentation temp by a couple of degrees might help, though not familiar with the Ardennes yeast.

#12 - Mortz - Australian Pale Ale
Light straw colored beer, low hop aroma but more interesting hop flavor. Comparing to my memories of a sparkling ale Mortz's has more and varied hop flavor, slightly crisper, and a bit clearer (probably due to not much yeast sediment being present in the bottle I recieved), less carbonated and this seems to enhance the crisp dry finish in the mouth. It feels as potent though. Really nice beer. I would call it Sparkling Ale's slightly younger brother (either that or a twin brother seperated at birth by a freak yachting accident).

Cheers
Mal


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## Quintrex (20/12/08)

Wardhog said:


> There's some sort of herby/spicy flavour that presents itself up front that I can't put my finger on. It's reminiscent of ginger, but it's a little bit different - help me out here what is it? I'm sure I know that flavour but I can't put a name to it, and neither can the other 5 people here. Ginger/nutmeg/clove/licquorice is the best we can come up with. A definite alcohol presence.
> 
> A little too different to make it a regular feature, but interesting to try.



Grains of Paradise, a little goes a long way

"A little too different to make it a regular feature, but interesting to try." I Agree

Q


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## reg (20/12/08)

Leigh said:


> 1. Reg - Golden Ale
> 
> Cracked this one and barely had any gas escape. Had to pour into my glass from almost a foot away to get a little head...carbonation was too low for my liking. Very little aroma (probably due to low carbonation), colour was a bit light for a golden, and slightly hazy...
> 
> ...


Thanks Leigh

I think that this beer is getting better with age.
I had a problem with the yeast that was due to, in my opinion, a lack of aeration. I used US 04 from memory.

I still have 2 bottles left so I might throw them in the fridge and try again.

By the way I followed Dr Smurtos golden ale recipe

Cheers


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## Kleiny (20/12/08)

#1 Reg Golden Ale

Found it very similar to the one i brewed at the swap Dr Smurto's except reg's example was a bit lower in hop aroma/ flavour
A nice beer clear with nice malt and hop combo (what do you expect 23 brewers dont give a 5 star rating for nothing)

On a separate note glad i made dr smurto's and now i have 2 kegs full.



#4 Rook Pommie Bitter

This beer was great i sat down with kids screaming looking for a happy place 
The pommie bitter provided nice malty flavour with a not over the top bitter flavour
Rook i would like to taste this with a bit higher IBU at the bitter end



#13 CM2 Mongrel black

Well it was black and i do like a black beer so have been loocking forward to cracking this one
Can i say COFFEE aroma and flavour on first impressions stong malt bitterness but a great finish
CM2 thanks for reminding me i have to make a dark ale very soon


Have a great xmas and i hope Brew Santa brings all your Brewing dreams true
Kleiny


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## [email protected] (20/12/08)

#4 - Rook - Pommie Bitter

This is withoput a doubt the best beer of the case swap for me so far. Just having been to the UK this was reminiscent of the variety of bitter's that I sampled over there. The hop aroma and flavor is simple but effective. The carbonation helps fill the mouth with an amazing hop aroma and balanced maltiness. The head was fluffy and well maintained. The bitterness was spot on for a UK bitter, which are generally less bitter than american and aussie ales. Every sip and mouthful felt like a luxury ... definetly one to try and do again as is to see if you can reproduce it (which is easier said than done for most of us homebrewers).

Big Cheers
Mal


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## [email protected] (20/12/08)

#1 - Reg - Golden Ale
Very drinkable. Low to medium carbonation, mild flavor, golden color. Moderate bitterness, somewhat subdued by the low carbonation. This makes for a great session beer. Easy to drink in quantity (and lets be honest, this is what homebrew is about a lot of the time). This would be a great beer to introduce people unfamilar or sceptical about homebrew. Nice clean flavor and mouthfeel, nice starting point for an aussie ale (i.e. with some subtle hop and/or malt additions this could turn into a great beer).

Cheers
Mal


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## chris.taylor.98 (21/12/08)

*Johno's APA* - not sure which number

Aroma has lots of good wholesome cirtusy hoppy goodness, 

Well balanced in the flavour between malt and hops. Bitterness is quite assertive and very dry finish.

A slight soapiness also present. It can come from the hops when in higher concentrations especially with Cascade

Some slight phenolic most likely hop derived.

Alcohol was a little bit on the hot side, and tended to make the finish bitterness slightly harsh.

Sorry Johno I am ambling a bit here on the negative points, but really it is a very well crafted beer, 

All in all a pleasant way to way to celebrate the first "real" day of summer


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## brettprevans (22/12/08)

citymorgue2 said:


> *#5 - Barra's Summer Wheat Beer *
> mate, great beer, i grabbed this without knowing what/whos it was. before i knew it..gone. didnt pick it as a wheat though. the bitterness made me think APA but it didnt taste like one. loved the Pacific Hallertau. simple recipe and great tastikg beer. great carbonation level. very little head though (could have been my glass).
> 
> its on my brew list. could be a summer staple.


Barra finally figured out what it reminded me of...Harvistouns Bitter & Twisted. Probably the very present Hallertau and bitterness. nice work.


*#8 - Maples Irish Red*
yeah ok lets move paast the colour. maybe chestnut than red. deep malt profile that hit the palate after the initial bitterness, then tailors off nicely. nice body. almost a m,eal of a beer. good head. Probably too warm (weather wise) for me to have drunk this, I would have enjoyed it a bit more if it was slightly cooler.


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## Kleiny (22/12/08)

#5 Barramundi Wheat

great beer with a med hit of wheat malt great taste malty with a good balance for bitterness, was clear with great carb and a long lasting head
I really enjoyed this beer, but for a wheat i would really like to see a higher wheat flavour


#22 Leigh Pale ale

One of the best beer s in the swap Great work Leigh i thought this one was really well balanced, I would love keg of this on tap over xmas


#23 Johnno Pale ale

I thought this beer was more on the malty side with some lingering bitterness, My thoughts on this would be to up the late hop additions, A nice beer none the less. Good work Johnno




OK i have one Left Q's Saison im going to save it for xmas day (Q's head gets a little bigger)  
No serious though i left this one till last because Q said on the wiki to wait for his go ahead so xmas day is the day no matter what.

Have a happy and safe xmas y'all

Kleiny


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## Barramundi (22/12/08)

Kleiny said:


> #5 Barramundi Wheat
> 
> great beer with a med hit of wheat malt great taste malty with a good balance for bitterness, was clear with great carb and a long lasting head
> I really enjoyed this beer, but for a wheat i would really like to see a higher wheat flavour
> ...




funny , perhaps the hops have hidden the wheatyness as its 80% wheat , dunno


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## Kleiny (22/12/08)

Barramundi said:


> funny , perhaps the hops have hidden the wheatyness as its 80% wheat , dunno




You serious tasted nothin like the 60% wheats i make

what yeast did you use

Sorry just seen a belgian yeast was used, would explain why i didn't get the usual flavours/aromas because i use Wienstephen which gives Cloves/ Bubblegum as the norm with a definite wheat flavour.

Still a good beer with a definite difference


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## Barramundi (23/12/08)

yeah well now that ya mention it could have had a lot to do with the yeast ...


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## Leigh (23/12/08)

Thanks Kleiny. Seems my contribution is a love it or hate it one...I love it some days and hate it on others depending what I'm really after versus what is chilled in the fridge.

#2 Mark_M Summer Ale. 

Quite pale in colour, nice head that lasted, good clean taste with some strongish spices (cinnamon?). A very drinkable beer that I found myself yet again looking for more when the bottle was empty. Top job Mark.

#3 Moonee Robust Porter. Will more than likely try this one tonight, but found that the bottle I got had a bad sealing lid so there is no carbonation. I think I read somebody else had this issue too?


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## mark_m (23/12/08)

Morning fellow case swappers,

Time to break radio silence & actually post some feedback.

So far I've been enjoying a number of the beers, have kept sketchy notes but haven't posted, so here goes:

1 reg-golden ale, good beer Reg, golden ale is one of my preferred quaffing styles, this one certainly didn't disappoint. Clean & hoppy.

3 moonee - robust porter, full flavoured enjoyable r.p.

4 rook - pommie bitter, blurry notes on this one rook, tasted after robust porter which overpowered a bit (probably should have gone in reverse order).

5 barramundi - summer wheat, not a big wheat fan, but enjoyed this one, may have to explore the genre further

6 cummins - imperial alt, good malt backbone, with some flavour complexity I couldn't identify but enjoyed

7 chris taylor - mild, malty & good

8 maple - irish mbtr ale, agree more towards a brown, but a very enjoyable brown (ish) ale

9 hair of the dog - cumquat wheat, worth trying if only for the name. Per my notes "interesting & very drinkable"

10 superhero - belgian wit, another great beer, neither a big belgian nor wit drinker, but beers like this might swing me

11 fents - hallertau ale, a nice clean summer quaffer, enjoyed

14 mcook - belgian pale ale, again not a style I lean toward, but well crafted & enjoyable

That's it for now, I'll be off air now until mid Jan, off to the beach tomorrow for some sun (hopefully), beer (definitely - 7 kegs ready to keep the visitors happy) & snapper fishing (bagged out in 50 minutes on Friday night's trial run, so promises to be a good one).

Merry Christmas to all, thanks for the beer & may Santa bring you lots of brew toys.

Mark


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## chris.taylor.98 (23/12/08)

*5 - Barra's Summer Wheat Beer *

Great beer Barra, and really puts paid to the whole "wheat has to taste funky" debate. In fact would not have picked wheat in it if I had not seen the recipe.

Comes across as a very good Belgian Blond Ale.

Spicy esters in the aroma, bit of noticeable malt.

More esters in the flavour and some very pleasing malt to balance it out.

Some noticeable alcohol but not hot.

Some noticeable bitterness in the finish.

Definitely has that Westmalle thing going on with the 3787.


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## Wardhog (23/12/08)

22 - Leigh - Pale ale.

Another really good APA. Clear as a bell, tons of hop flavour, and slightly lesser aroma. Good job.

I don't know if it's what I had for dinner, but I'm left with a slightly sour taste in my mouth. Anyone else get that, or does lasagne throw the tastebuds out?


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## Wardhog (23/12/08)

Too late to edit, but this is part 2 of Leigh's Pale Ale.

That sour taste just got worse as the beer warmed up. I can't really put a name to it, but it made me tip the rest. Maybe someone else has come across that before and can give it a name.


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## Quintrex (23/12/08)

Wardhog said:


> Too late to edit, but this is part 2 of Leigh's Pale Ale.
> 
> That sour taste just got worse as the beer warmed up. I can't really put a name to it, but it made me tip the rest. Maybe someone else has come across that before and can give it a name.



Just drunk it too, and got the same thing I'd be interested too if a more learned palate can say what it is?

Q


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## haysie (23/12/08)

Wardhog said:


> Too late to edit, but this is part 2 of Leigh's Pale Ale.
> 
> That sour taste just got worse as the beer warmed up. I can't really put a name to it, but it made me tip the rest. Maybe someone else has come across that before and can give it a name.


I did the same, for me it was an unusual high bitterness that just tasted different, didnt seem right. I know that explanation is no help to Leigh so I will soldier on, its been a few days since that one>>>>>>>>>>

14, Carbed and climbing out the bottle, distinct dryness, could see the style yet couldnt pick it. Hops were equal too style and malt, yeast lacked character.


9, Was looking forward to this beer, Maybe Chris pumped it up too much , It really struggled in my glass, not a bubble, sickly skunky taste, 2 mouthfulls then tipped the lot. I reckon I got a bad bottle.

Cheers n Merry Xmas


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## hairofthedog (23/12/08)

haysie said:


> I did the same, for me it was an unusual high bitterness that just tasted different, didnt seem right. I know that explanation is no help to Leigh so I will soldier on, its been a few days since that one>>>>>>>>>>
> 
> 14, Carbed and climbing out the bottle, distinct dryness, could see the style yet couldnt pick it. Hops were equal too style and malt, yeast lacked character.
> 
> ...



sorry haysie sounds like the PET bottle didnt seal properly :blink: as it had a fair amount of carbanation or you just didnt like it  either way cheers :beer:


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## Leigh (23/12/08)

Interesting comments guys...would love to know myself! Will drink one and let it warm to taste it for myself.

On the tasting side:

8 Maple Irish (brown) red Ale
I reallly enjoyed this one. Went really well with the lamb chops I had for dinner.


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## [email protected] (24/12/08)

haysie said:


> 14, Carbed and climbing out the bottle, distinct dryness, could see the style yet couldnt pick it. Hops were equal too style and malt, yeast lacked character.



This pretty much matches what I experienced after opening another bottle last week (previously had some after only 3/4 weeks in the bottle and it seemed it bit more under control then). I think the Belgian Strong yeast has really dried this beer out further in the bottle as well as overcarbing it, so probably the wrong yeast for this style (though I guess I could have pushed the envelope of the style to the upper end in terms of flavor and gravity to compensate) ... lesson learnt for the future.

Cheers
Mal


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## haysie (24/12/08)

hairofthedog said:


> sorry haysie sounds like the PET bottle didnt seal properly :blink: as it had a fair amount of carbanation or you just didnt like it  either way cheers :beer:




Cheers, That beer was yessss, a PET lid fault. After all the good reports, no way could it have been that bad.


#10 Something nasty there, medicinal, band aids? I had a geek at the recipe and wasnt surprised it was a wit upon opening and having a whiff, when it touched the palate I got a hospital taste. Second mouthful confirmed this was bad either to my liking or a bug. Either way Cheers and thanks.

#11 Wow, nice peachy,fruity aroma from the bottle upon opening, very little carbonation, all in all seems really well balanced, nice beer, didnt wanna see the end of the glass. Cheers and thanks.


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## [email protected] (24/12/08)

Had these on xmas eve with my father in-law...

#2 - mark_m - summer ale
Enticing aroma, nice medium sized head. Bitterness overides any maltiness. Quite easy to drink. Liked this beer, though flavor was quite simple for my regular palate. Quite clean also.

#5 Barramundi - summer wheat
Picked this as a wheat up front without knowing whose or what it was. Quite a plain easy drinking wheat beer with a bit of hop bitterness to follow up the clean wheat beer flavor. Could have easily drunk this in quantity.

#6 Cummins - Imperial Alt
Nice beer, full of caramel and roasted malt flavor. Went very well as the third beer after the previous two as we had just started eating a few sweets. I'm not at all familiar with the style, but this beer was one to savor. The finish had just the right amount of sweetness to fill the palate without sticking too much, making you want to take another sip.

Cheers all round and merry christmas,
Mal


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## Wardhog (27/12/08)

brewmeister70 - American (?) pilsner

Try as I might, I just could not pour a non-icecream beer.
Once it settled down though, it was a nice drop. Nice malt levels with a large hop bitterness, maybe a little bit too much bitterness for me. No fermentation faults to be found.

PS. It's a bugger of a job to get it open when you tape the lid up like that.


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## tim_mortensen (28/12/08)

Now I'm on holidays, I've been able to catch up on the swap beers. Notes are pretty general now.

Right now, drinking (my breakfast beer :icon_cheers: ):

#17 Kleiny - weizen
Nice aroma, clove and banana. Get a nice hit of cloves up front in the flavour, with a smooth malt in the finish. Bitterness just right. Really enjoying this beer for breaky!

#6 Cummins - Imperial Alt
Aroma, malt, flavour, malt, malt, malt. Perfectly malt balanced beer. I'm a big fan of malt balanced beers, have to check your recipe.

# 16 Brewmeister70 - Pre-prohibition American pilsner.
Bit overcarbed, but chilled down in freezer to pour, then let warm to taste. Agree with Wardhog, little bit too much balanced to the bitter for my tastes, though don't have the CAP style guidelines with me. Overall enjoyable on a warm summer arvo.

#2 mark_m - summer ale
Had this one a few weeks ago. My first taste of the Nelson Sauvin hops. A nice beer, but the hops a bit over the top for me. Tried the Napstein Estate lager after this, can see what you like about the hops, but I'd probably tone it down a bit (though I like malt balanced beers, so don't listen to me!)

# 8 Maple - Irish (more brown than) Red Ale 
Had this one Christmas morning, very quaffable, nice brown ale with flavours of the irish red coming through, little bit more complex than a straight brown. Another great beer!

#14 mcook - Belgian Pale Ale
Had this straight after the swap, so it had not carbonated as much. Spicy aroma, with a delicate spiciness and pear coming through in the flavour. Clear pour, very nice beer. Doing a Belgian Blonde with this yeast now, so will keg this beer to remove yeast carbonation issues.

#1 Reg - Golden Ale 
Another Christmas morning breaky beer. Similar to the James Squire Golden Ale, well done.

#10 Superhero - Belgian Wit
Unfortunately, too many phenolics in this beer, had to skip it, sorry Mikey.

#15 Quintrex - Saison de votre mre
Really enjoyed this, even if a bit different. A nice fruity aroma and flavour, with a bone dry finish, almost wine or cider like in the finish, no fermentation faults. Believe this is a hard beer to get the balance and dry finish right, so well done!

Really impressed with the quality so far, and good to try beers that do not fit into the style guidelines. Looking forward to the rest of them!

Cheers,
Tim


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## Quintrex (28/12/08)

Ok tasting notes from the other day


9 Hair of the dog - cumquat wheat
Clear Fluffy head, attractive looking summer wheat
Full flavoured but balanced kumquat

Really enjoyed it

17 Kleiny Weizen

Nice Clove, very pleasant, one minor thing i would consider changing, is it tasted a trifle cloying maybe some more tartness or bitterness? Thats probably the only thing I would have done to make it more to my taste, but this was a seriously good weizen.

Nice one

10 Superhero - Belgian Wit
Fruity nose with what seemed like curry
Tasted like cardamom and citrus, had a funny mouthfeel(phenols?), I think just because of the spices that have been used to flavour this.
Probably would have been a great beer with less spices added.

7 Chris Taylor - Mild

I must admit when I tasted this the roastiness turned me off, however i persevered and after the 3rd mouthfull my mouth had warmed up to it and kept on enjoying it more and more as I got through the bottle. It's not a style I've ever tried before but i'm guessing its a pommie session ale and I can see why, very drinkeable, nice melding of toffee and roast flavours.

23 johnno - American Pale Ale

Nice balanced beer, Very enjoyeable example! thanks a lot

25 beerDingo - pale ale - All Grain - Galaxy hops -

Nice honey smell however would have struggled to pick this as an APA, seems like a good base apa maybe just some more late hops, I'd probably dry it out a bit more for my taste, but that's for my taste.

24 apd - ??
Sorry dude something seemed terribly wrong with this one. infected? horribly oxidised?

12 mortz - Australian Pale Ale
Smelt a bit banana-ish but tasted great, did you use recultured Coopers?. Nice example of an AusPA

22 Leigh - Pale Ale
Wow Passionfruit!  As mentioned before though there was a strange taste and dryness to the beer that makes me think you might have had a wild yeast infection, that has dryed it out more than it should have and thrown out some slight tartness. Have you retasted a bottle lately?

14 mcook - Belgian Pale Ale
On the right track, I think the yeast has just kept on chewing away at this one though, dryed it out a lot and carbed it up extra high. Smelt like the duvel strain to me, i guess i'll check later. just one of those things that can happen with those voracious belgian yeasts.

21 Wardhog - Great Aussie BlandAle
Wow, we got halfway through the glass before we realised we were drinking it, inoffensive, I think you succeeded!

how has the beer gone over with your friends?

1 Reg - Golden Ale
Crisp, dry, picked up a touch of peach/apricot, sorry thats all I wrote down about this one.


Cheers for the beers guys, some crackers in there

Q


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## Quintrex (28/12/08)

mortz said:


> Hmmm,
> 
> 23 people in the swap, 23 beers went to the swap, I only got 22 back, my case was missing my contribution, and 2 others are missing it. So how many have doubled up on beers?



BTW somehow I ended up with two of yours mate
that'd solve that mystery I guess

Q


----------



## Kleiny (28/12/08)

Thanks everyone for the comments

Q Congrat's its an infected boy but you were expecting that

Well Thats it ive crossed the finish line on xmas day, I would like to thank eveybody for their beers. I did not throw one away and a high % were drinkable


Cant wait for the next swap :beer:


----------



## Wardhog (28/12/08)

Quintrex said:


> 21 Wardhog - Great Aussie BlandAle
> 
> how has the beer gone over with your friends?




Hahahaha they didn't get to taste it. The batch was a little on the small side I think there was only 3 left over after the swap, so only you guys got to drink it (QA standard process means I had to sample at various points before releasing it into the swap). Whether that's good or bad is up to you to decide.

I don't think I'll bother with it again, the CUB drinkers I know don't want to change. Continuing attempts to convert them would be like trying to pin diarrhoea to the wall with a fork - bloody hard work, and even if I did succeed, I wouldn't ultimately see it as a victory. They'd just start drinking my beer - Let them wallow.


----------



## Wardhog (28/12/08)

Haysie - Belgian Pale Ale

I really like this beer. Possibly a little too sweet, but finishes a bit sour on the palate with an excellent spiciness - is that the yeast's handiwork? A hint of liquorice in the aroma, no hops or malt to speak of.

Good job, a very interesting and enjoyable beer.


----------



## Quintrex (28/12/08)

Wardhog said:


> I don't think I'll bother with it again, the CUB drinkers I know don't want to change. Continuing attempts to convert them would be like trying to pin diarrhoea to the wall with a fork - bloody hard work, and even if I did succeed, I wouldn't ultimately see it as a victory. They'd just start drinking my beer - Let them wallow.



LOL

Q :icon_cheers:


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## Leigh (29/12/08)

8 Maple Irish (more brown than) red ale - As everybody else has said, certainly a cross between a red and brown ale, but very nice nonetheless.

12 Mortz Australian Pale Ale - Colour was very pale. Drank this one at carols by candlelight on Xmas eve. Was very dissapointed that I only had one bottle of it with me. Nice spicy flavour, just the right amount of bitterness, another very good beer.

14 mcook Belgian Pale Ale - Highly carbonated (bottle repressurised between drinks). A very pale colour. Drank this one a few nights after mortz APA, maybe it was the influence of Mortz's beer, but felt that the Belgian was missing something. While it was a very nice beer, quite dry on the pallate, I would have liked a bit more bitterness.

15 Quintrex Saison de votre mere - Highly carbonated, All head when poured real slow! Tasted like I was drinking some straight solvent.

16 Brewmeister70 Pre-prohibition American Pilsner - Another very pale beer. This one was also highly carbonated. A very nice beer with an interesting flavour profile...couldn't put my finger on what the stand-out tastes were.

I think I'm halfway through my swaps now. Standouts so far are Rooks pommie ale, cummins Imperial Alt and Mortz APA.


----------



## chris.taylor.98 (30/12/08)

*6 Cummins - Imperial Alt*

Toffee caramel, some malt sweetness, some hop spiciness, bready. I really like these malt driven beers.

Noticeable bitterness through to the finish. Slightly dry finish that stops it from coming across as cloying.

Very full bodied. Some noticeable malt sweetness.

Low to medium carbonation. Very smooth with some noticeable alcohol that adds a nice warmth to experience.

Goes well with the current "out of season" cold spell.

Slightly hazy with a slight tartness from the residual yeast.

I expect that this one would become even more spectacular over time.

Looking forward to the recipe so that I can dissect it some more.


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## chris.taylor.98 (30/12/08)

Chris Taylor said:


> *6 Cummins - Imperial Alt*
> 
> Toffee caramel, some malt sweetness, some hop spiciness, bready. I really like these malt driven beers.
> 
> ...



And one last footnote, I did detect some diatecyl as it warmed up. Fortunately I quite like diacetyl in low levels. Adds a bit more body and came complement some of these malty styles.


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## Leigh (1/1/09)

Wardhog said:


> 22 - Leigh - Pale ale.
> 
> Another really good APA. Clear as a bell, tons of hop flavour, and slightly lesser aroma. Good job.
> 
> I don't know if it's what I had for dinner, but I'm left with a slightly sour taste in my mouth. Anyone else get that, or does lasagne throw the tastebuds out?






Wardhog said:


> Too late to edit, but this is part 2 of Leigh's Pale Ale.
> 
> That sour taste just got worse as the beer warmed up. I can't really put a name to it, but it made me tip the rest. Maybe someone else has come across that before and can give it a name.






Quintrex said:


> Just drunk it too, and got the same thing I'd be interested too if a more learned palate can say what it is?
> 
> Q






haysie said:


> I did the same, for me it was an unusual high bitterness that just tasted different, didnt seem right. I know that explanation is no help to Leigh so I will soldier on, its been a few days since that one>>>>>>>>>>



OK, drank 3 stubbies of my brew last night, even let one get really warm by holding my hands around the glass, but I can't say I noticed a real sour taste. That could just mean I don't know what I'm tasting (likely), or it's like MSG, only some can taste it?

Agree with Haysie, bitterness is too high for the style (that's how I picked his comment).

I've heard of the alpha acids creating a "silky" mouthfeel with bitterness that is too high and unbalanced, I did note this as I drank the stubbies last night. Could this cause sourness?


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## Leigh (1/1/09)

13 CM2 Mongrel black

Coffee, coffee and more coffee with just a hint of maltiness. Took a couple of mouthfuls to get used to the bitterness, but after that it has gone down a treat.

Another good beer from this swap!


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## Wardhog (1/1/09)

Mark_M's Nelson Sauvin Summer Ale.

Saw mark_m on the lid and guessed it would be a well made beer, and I wasn't wrong. Not much wrong with this beer, maybe just a little hazy.

Bright hop flavour mixing it with slightly lesser aroma and good malt in a good balance. Well done.


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## Leigh (2/1/09)

11 Fents - Hallertau Ale

Low carbonation, but I think it was right for the style.

Smelt of peaches. Slight medicinal taste but again I think it works inthis beer. 

This beer gets nicer as it warmed up, also giving more "warming" alcohol mouthfeel as it did so.

Overall a very good beer that went down nicely after an afternoon in the paddock.


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## Wardhog (3/1/09)

Rook's Pommie Bitter and Maple's Irish more brown than red.

Two excellent offerings. Thoroughly enjoyed the malt in both of these, I do appreciate these darker maltier styles.


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## brettprevans (5/1/09)

*#15 Quintrex - Saison de votre mre*
treat this like a lady and you'll be rewarded. drank this saturday night. got a brandy baloon out to drink it out of. had to pour this sooooooo slowly and still a mountain of head. took about 5 min to pour and it the bglass was chockers but then again i was drinking it at the traditional temp of about 6-8C.

loved it. great fruit and spice aroma and flavours, with a semi dry finish. I slight sourness. couldnt pick a fault. i spent about 30min drinking this i recon. would have loved it if it was a full blown sour saison but i love saisons. This was great and very sad to see it all drank. I gotta check if you posted the recipe Q and use that Ardines slurry you gave me. 

*24 apd - ??*
sorry but i drank yours after Q's so the tastebuds were kinda ruined (and it was a few days ago so the memorys a bit hazy). i couldnt pick anything wrong with this beer and got a better taste towardws the end. cascade hops? maybe a little bland? sorry for the vague tasting notes.

im on holidays this week so i recon the rest will get knocked over in the next few days,


EDIT; added pic of saison


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## Wardhog (5/1/09)

5 - Barramundi - Summer Wheat

Before I looked up what '5' meant, I could've sworn I was drinking an APA loaded with some NZ winey hops. I would never have picked this as a wheat beer, Barra - I was all ready to say it was another very good APA.
How much % of the grist was wheat?


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## Kleiny (5/1/09)

Wardhog said:


> 5 - Barramundi - Summer Wheat
> 
> Before I looked up what '5' meant, I could've sworn I was drinking an APA loaded with some NZ winey hops. I would never have picked this as a wheat beer, Barra - I was all ready to say it was another very good APA.
> How much % of the grist was wheat?



Had the same thoughts wardy

and barra declares 80% wheat malt (discussed a couple of pages back quickly).

Check out the recipe thread, My thought was the yeast used throws you off the scent of a wheat beer


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## Wardhog (5/1/09)

6 - Cummins - Imperial Alt

The only thing letting this down was a very low level of carbonation. Unsure if that was by design or not, but it could use more.

This is one hell of an interesting beer. Big chocolate & alcohol taste leaves an aftertaste that reminds me of white wine (or maybe that's a hangover from Barra's beer just beforehand). Not sure what's going on there, but overall I'm glad I had this beer to taste. I think I'll need to make a beer like this and hide it under the house for 12 months or so.


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## chris.taylor.98 (5/1/09)

Kleiny said:


> Had the same thoughts wardy
> 
> and barra declares 80% wheat malt (discussed a couple of pages back quickly).
> 
> Check out the recipe thread, My thought was the yeast used throws you off the scent of a wheat beer



I agree, but then I think the whole "wheat" taste is a bit of a myth. I have used small amounts of wheat in dozens of beers of beers and no one has ever commented that there must be wheat present.

On the whole I think that wheat is a very clean neutral tasting malt, its really the yeast in beers such as the weizens that produce that distinctive taste.

I am really glad you did this beer Bara, as I had been meaning to try a similar brew for a long time.


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## Barramundi (5/1/09)

Wardhog said:


> 5 - Barramundi - Summer Wheat
> 
> Before I looked up what '5' meant, I could've sworn I was drinking an APA loaded with some NZ winey hops. I would never have picked this as a wheat beer, Barra - I was all ready to say it was another very good APA.
> How much % of the grist was wheat?




was 80% wheat ward , 4.8kgs from memory and1.2 kgs trad ale, i think klieny might be on the money about the yeast changin how the flavor of wheat comes out


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## superhero (5/1/09)

Hello Everyone,

No need to worry. I did get a bottle of apd's mystery beer. With my advancing dyslexia I read apd as apa
and thought it was an American Pale Ale. Never mind the #24 identifying it as apd's beer 

Now for my tasting notes. I tasted it as an APA. I'm guessing that's what it is without being arsed
to look at the recipe or the posts that mention apd's beer.

#24 apd's apa : Medium-high citrus/tinned fruit aroma, dark gold in colour, Carbonation started out medium-low
and quickly dissipated. Malt was low with medium-high citrus/tinned fruit hop flavour and medium, smooth bitterness.
Body seemed a little watery, a sensation aided by the very low carbonation after the initial pour. All in all a very easy
to drink beer but could have been better but for the fleeting carbonation.

Now, if it's not an apa that changes my tasting notes and I can't be bothered changing them.  

Happy tasting everyone.


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## therook (6/1/09)

Kleiny said:


> Had the same thoughts wardy
> 
> and barra declares 80% wheat malt (discussed a couple of pages back quickly).
> 
> Check out the recipe thread, My thought was the yeast used throws you off the scent of a wheat beer




I tried barra's beer over xmas and thought it was a sensational beer, one of my favourites of the swap.

While were on the subject of barra, he called in home on Sunday arvo and we tried a few of the other beers

Regs- APA as everyone has aid it is very under carbed but it was a lovely beer reg, we really enjoyed it, nice and clear, great colour. I have a spare one that you left so i'll save it for another couple weeks and see if it has carbed up a bit more

Citymotgue - Tried this 3 weeks ago, what i can remember about this beer was that it had lots of chocolate flavour and was nice and clean to drink. I also tried you bottle labelled from 2007 that you left and it was equally as good.....you make good dark beers Bretto

Kleiny - after reading all the good reports about your beer i decided to try another of yours as you also left a few extra's at my place also. The first time i tried this beer i was disappointed with it, as per my comments way back in this thread, all i can say is the first bottle must have got infected some how as the second bottle was a pleasure to drink, really enjoyed it this time......so i can't wait to drink the 3rd bottle you left :icon_cheers: 

Rook


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## Barramundi (6/1/09)

therook said:


> I tried barra's beer over xmas and thought it was a sensational beer, one of my favourites of the swap.
> 
> While were on the subject of barra, he called in home on Sunday arvo and we tried a few of the other beers
> 
> ...




just to back up rooks sentiments , Reg , the only thing i could find lacking in your beer was the bubbles , everything else was on the money , clear, color , malty, and with a bit of hoppy goodness...

also think rook opened up a bottle of mortz ausssie pale ale which was a superb drinking beer as others have said its hard to spot differences between this and coopers sparkling ... , well done ...

and finally thanks to Rook and family for their hospitality for the evening , was a fantastic way to break up a long drive on a hot day , thanks again mate !!!


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## therook (6/1/09)

Barramundi said:


> just to back up rooks sentiments , Reg , the only thing i could find lacking in your beer was the bubbles , everything else was on the money , clear, color , malty, and with a bit of hoppy goodness...
> 
> also think rook opened up a bottle of mark_m's ausssie pale ale which was a superb drinking beer as others have said its hard to spot differences between this and coopers sparkling ... , well done ...
> 
> and finally thanks to Rook and family for their hospitality for the evening , was a fantastic way to break up a long drive on a hot day , thanks again mate !!!




any time big fella

also that was Mortz pale ale not mark_m's

Rook


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## Barramundi (6/1/09)

therook said:


> any time big fella
> 
> also that was Mortz pale ale not mark_m's
> 
> Rook




cheers rook editted post accordingly ..


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## Kleiny (6/1/09)

Chris Taylor said:


> I agree, but then I think the whole "wheat" taste is a bit of a myth.



I dont believe its a myth chris although in smaller percentages and useing a normal ale / lager yeast (not one which brings out those flavours associated with a wheat beer) i find that it goes unnoticed in the overall profile of the beer.

However im sure that in higher% the wheat malt would make a huge difference in the same style of beer
If i was to do a 50% wheat beer and a 10% wheat beer (without any other difference) i think you would get comments that the first tasted like it had some wheat malt added.

But that would only be in compareing the two, A true wheat beer is unmistakable and Barra's beer just doesn't yell wheat

Kleiny :icon_cheers:


PS: Thanks Rook i knew it was a better beer than you were making out


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## Wardhog (6/1/09)

10 - Superhero - Wit

http://howtobrew.com/section4/chapter21-2.html under 'medicinal' describes what I could taste. Sorry Mike, had to tip this one.

13 - CM2 Mongrel Black Schwarz Coffee Roastroastroast beer.

A little too much roast for my liking as you might have guessed. Looking past that, a nice clean lager with no problems lives underneath all that roast.

And that's all of them. Whew, it's hard work drinking a case.


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## Quintrex (6/1/09)

Wardhog said:


> 10 - Superhero - Wit
> 
> http://howtobrew.com/section4/chapter21-2.html under 'medicinal' describes what I could taste. Sorry Mike, had to tip this one.





> Hi All,
> 
> Here's the recipe for #10 Belgian Witbier
> 
> ...



If you'll notice the ton of Coriander seeds and cardamom pods Wardy, thats what I think you were tasting.

Q


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## Wardhog (6/1/09)

Quintrex said:


> If you'll notice the ton of Coriander seeds and cardamom pods Wardy, thats what I think you were tasting.
> 
> Q



Yes, I did notice things other than the medicinal flavour and wondered what they were, but there was definitely an unpleasant medicinal/bandaid sort of taste to it.


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## chris.taylor.98 (6/1/09)

Kleiny said:


> I dont believe its a myth chris although in smaller percentages and useing a normal ale / lager yeast (not one which brings out those flavours associated with a wheat beer) i find that it goes unnoticed in the overall profile of the beer.
> 
> However im sure that in higher% the wheat malt would make a huge difference in the same style of beer
> If i was to do a 50% wheat beer and a 10% wheat beer (without any other difference) i think you would get comments that the first tasted like it had some wheat malt added.
> ...



Well I guess that was the point I was trying to make, in Barra's case he has greater than 50% wheat and we are all struggling to determine exactly what the wheat malt is adding to the overall taste.

I think that if you tried a really low hop regime (say 20IBU bittering only) and a very neutral yeast ( say 1056 ) and did a blind tasting with a similar beer with a pils malt then you would be able to tell the difference, but I don't think it would scream out at you. (In fact this one is on my list of brewing experiments to try in 2009)

Not sure what you are attributing to as a "true" wheat beer, but I am sure Barra could quite easily pass this example off as an American Wheat beer going by the BJCP guidelines, even with the 3787 yeast.


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## chris.taylor.98 (6/1/09)

*4 Rook - Pommie Bitter*

Very clear and very clean and well balanced.

Slight grainy flavour.

Dry finish

Some caramel in the malt.

Had some hop flavour that I can only describe as "bubblegum", a rather poor description I know and not to be confused with yeast derived bubblegum flavours you sometimes get in the wiezens. I get the same thing when using EKG and Fuggles in English Ales some times.

Nice balance towards bitterness in the finish

Gets better with each mouthful. 

Great beer Rook.


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## chris.taylor.98 (6/1/09)

*8 Maple - Irish (more brown than) Red Ale*

I am going to start by saying that if you the only problem you can find with the beer is the colour then you are a long way ahead then most of us 

And to be true I could not really fault this beer. 

Sweet caramel in the aroma

Good balance with the hops to offset the sweetness.

Medium bodied with some of the grain character coming through.

Really loving that Irish Ale yeast, and getting a big hint of that butter scotch/carmel which may be attributable to low levels of diacetyl (which is certainly perfectly acceptable in this style).

Must say that I have never been a big fan of this style until trying the homebrew versions. 

This is certainly heads and shoulders about anything you can buy here in oz.


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## chris.taylor.98 (6/1/09)

*1 Reg - Golden Ale*

Lots of citrusy hop goodness in the aroma.

Nice persistent white head.

Bready malt sweetness in the aroma.

Slight yeast phenolic 

Some fusel alcohols coming through

Very dry and slightly thin bodied which seems to be over emphasizing the bitterness, and also some of the hop derived tannins.

Think if this beer had a bit more body and with out the fusel alcohol you would be on to a real winner here.


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## superhero (6/1/09)

Hello All,

Next is #20 Haysie's Belgian Ale. I'm gonna pretend it's a Belgian Pale Ale!

Colour is amber, aroma is of medium fruit, sugar sweetness and what smells like hops. Carbonation is good and
taste is super fruity with a medium spicy/hoppy flavour and medium-low bitterness. This was a very interesting
and enjoyable beer. Well done Haysie. Didn't really want it to end. I shall have to try this Ardennes yeast.

That's all until next time. Happy tasting.

PS. I couldn't be fagged looking up the style guidelines so I don't know if it's a good Belgian Pale Ale


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## brettprevans (7/1/09)

therook said:


> Citymotgue - Tried this 3 weeks ago, what i can remember about this beer was that it had lots of chocolate flavour and was nice and clean to drink. I also tried you bottle labelled from 2007 that you left and it was equally as good.....you make good dark beers Bretto
> Rook


Glad you liked it Rooky. I left an additional 2 or 3 botles at your place for your drinking pleasure. maybe the roast will settle down with a little time


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## Maple (7/1/09)

OK, Finally made a start into the case swap beer last night, and first up was:

12 mortz - Australian Pale Ale 

Without knowing who or what it was, thought I'd try a totally blind go at this, here are the things I wrote down:
Visual - Pours well, initial head is low but present, a bit hazy, straw colour, appears nicely carbonated.
Smell wise - something...not sure what, not a bad something, just can't tell what it reminds me of, again, not an off or bad smell
Taste - cool, carbonated high, initial slight bitterness which increases to become a very sharp bitterness. can't detect any malty flavours, finishes super dry. The dryness probably accentuates this sharp bitterness. 

Looked up that this was and could then see that indeed this reminded me of a CSA. I think it may be a touch to bitter, but would be interesting to do a side by side with a CSA. Nice work Mortz.


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## Maple (7/1/09)

Another one whilst watching the cricket:

21 Wardhog - Great Aussie BlandAle

Again, here are the notes without seeing what it was
Visual - A slight bit of haze or stirred up yeast, initial head that fades quickly, light straw to golden straw colour, appearing to be low in carbonation.
Smell - I'm useless at this sense - smells like beer..
Taste - Crisp and dry, but not too dry, just nice. a slight floral or perfumey taste that is not objectionable at all. hop flavour low but is balanced. Could have these for the rest of the day.

Now seeing it was the GABA, it all makes sense! Awesome result Wardy, i could go these for the rest of the test match.


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## Maple (7/1/09)

and the cricket is still going, so another one up:

22 Leigh - Pale Ale 

Beautiful clear pour, good head initially, nice carbonation level, nice golden orange hue.
Smell - again, get beer on the nose...so far so good
Taste - C- Hops, love em. top marks. cascase/columbus/chinook combo? nice balance, hop forward American Pale ale. Very clean. 

Thoroughly enjoyed.


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## haysie (7/1/09)

Hey, Happy New Year Everyone 2009,

After 10 days of mega swill it was nice to return ,

ripped the lid of #21 (Haraold) dark roasty not over the top though, needed a snow skid to clean the head from the glass, some "sort" of fruitiness didnt need to be there, bloody good beer.

# no namer, honestly no # no name, I could be very wrong but belgian yeast character stood out, little malt no hops (is this my beer  ) heads up to the no namer

Haysie

spelling


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## haysie (7/1/09)

Wardhog said:


> Yes, I did notice things other than the medicinal flavour and wondered what they were, but there was definitely an unpleasant medicinal/bandaid sort of taste to it.




very ditto, re wardy comments. I am a sceptic re the plastic and the individual taste of the consumer. I have no doubt this guy is a "superbrewer". horses for courses (glass) :beer:


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## Leigh (7/1/09)

Maple said:


> and the cricket is still going, so another one up:
> 
> 22 Leigh - Pale Ale
> 
> ...



Close, chinook, cluster and cascade. Glad you enjoyed it.


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## Maple (8/1/09)

*25 beerDingo - pale ale - All Grain - Galaxy hops*

Lovely malty flavour, nice hop flav/aroma, great colour, a bit hazy, perfect carbonation and a nice fluffy head that lasted for the glass (only a minute or two...) 
Great serving.

*20 Haysie- Some sort of belgian*

Wow, nice use of the belgian yeast. any belgian I have attempted certainly does not meet the sessionability of this. Not 100% on this, but might do with a slightly higher carbonation level, everything else I find delightful. Like running through a rose garden with your tongue out (except for the thorns though).


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## chris.taylor.98 (8/1/09)

*21 Wardhog - Great Aussie BlandAle*

Very clear, 

Interesting aroma

Really show that you can do a good beer with POR

Slight musty flavour not sure if it is coming from the hops or the yeast.

Really nice balance between malt and bitterness.

Would have liked it with a touch more carbonation. 

Pretty close to a Cooper's Pale Ale 

Good session beer.


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## brettprevans (10/1/09)

*#12 Mortz Aust Pale Ale
nice clean hoppy PA. very easy to drink. good carbonation.

? someones. thought it was #7 but thats Chris' and ive already tried his. 
Belgian Pale? slight pepper/spice, a little bit of belgian chewyness. somne interesting yeast characters. 

ive got superhero's and i think beerdingo's (unmarked?) left for tonightss drinking pleasure.*


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## brettprevans (11/1/09)

well it turned out to be *#6 Cummins Imp Alt*
full bodied aqnd flavoured. malty sweet caramel/toffee, good carbonation for the style. really enjoyed this. be great aged.

*Superhero's Wit.*
mine was fine, so aybe only some were infected? a nice wit beer wih some more interesting flavors coming out as it warmed it. nice and smooth. could have drank this all night


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## superhero (12/1/09)

Hi All,

It was hot tonight so I cracked open #2 Mark_M's Nelson Sauvin Summer Ale.

What can I say, Passionfruit in the aroma, passionfruit in the flavour with only medium bitterness
and medium malt sweetness besides. It's a good thing I love passionfruit. Colour was yellow/orange
I think. The beer disappeared fairly quickly. It's the best thing for a summer's night. Well done Mark. 
Keep up the high quality brewing.

What will be next?


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## superhero (13/1/09)

Hi Thirsty Drinkers,

Next is #14 mcook's Belgian Pale Ale - Golden/orange in colour and cloudy with very good carbonation. Aroma of tinned fruit
and spice and upon warming, white bread. Taste of medium-low fruitiness/spiciness with low malt and very, very low bitterness
and no hop flavour. Body is medium and finish is quite dry. I would like to see more fruitiness next time to counter the
peppery phenols. A stronger malt backbone would be welcome too. Having said that the beer is still very drinkable and
has no obvious faults. Good work mcook. Keep brewing top hot weather beers!

Until next tasting ...


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## superhero (15/1/09)

Hello People!

I tasted #25 (or should that be #23!) Johnno's American Pale Ale yesterday and
#12 Mortz's Australian Pale Ale today and enjoyed them both very much.

#25 Johnno's American Pale Ale - Amber in colour, carbonation is very good. Body is medium and finish
is fairly dry. Not much aroma to start but as the beer warmed up there was the characteristic citrusy hops.
Taste was medium-high with citrus hop flavour and bitterness, Malt took a bit of a backseat as it does
with this style. All in all a very good beer. Keep up the good work Johnno.

#12 Mortz's Australian Pale Ale - Dark amber in colour, carbonation was low and head disappeared very
quickly (maybe I should wash the glass better next time  ). Aroma was of medium-low fruitiness (maybe
grapefruit) and medium sweet malt and medium hop aroma. Taste had medium-low malt, medium hop
flavour, medium-low fruitiness and medium high bitterness. Finish is quite dry (well done) and body is
medium-low. Enough of the technical details. I really liked this beer. It might even give Mr Cooper a run 
for his money. It's as good as Cooper's Sparkling Ale and would be better if the carbonation with up just a tiny bit.

I'll taste my swap beer (#10 Belgian Wit) soon and see if it's a bit dodgy or it tastes like the rest of my stash.

That's all for now.


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## chris.taylor.98 (20/1/09)

*#2 Mark_m - Nelson Sauvin Summer Ale*

No need to guess the hop type.

Aroma plenty of hop filled pasionfruit goodness with a bit of grapefruit thrown in.

Perfect way to quench the thirst after a Melbourne heat wave.

Very clear, very clean, good balanced malt profile.

I have been kicking myself for not having an APA ready for days like this.

Great beer Mark, certainly lives up to the high standard you have set for other contributions.


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## Leigh (23/1/09)

These are over the last few weeks, so getting a little hazey:

20 Haysie- Some sort of belgian
A very nice beer, very quaffable and certainly one I wish to try when I make the jump to AG. 


21 Wardhog - Great Aussie BlandAle

Another great beer from this swap. Amazing how nice such a simple brew can be. Although this was a nice drop, I think it would still be too malty and too bitter for your average CUB punter...


17 Kleiny - ESB 

Yum, yum and yum. This one got better as it warmed. I was dissapointed that I hadn't drunk this one at room temp to start with.


Four more caseswap beers to go and that's it for me!


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## Maple (24/1/09)

OK, back onto these today after a bit of a hiatus.

*Rook - Pommie Bitter*
Nicely poured, slight bitter finish, totally great way to begin the afternoon while tinkering around on the brew rig! big ups rook! 

*Barramundi - summer wheat-*
Pretty good follow-up to rooks, although a bit light on in the carbonation dept.

*johnno - American Pale Ale*
Now this was what i needed. a nice in-ya-face smack with the hop stuff. Quite a nice flava, but i might look to add a but aroma hopping. (and just a touch under carb'd, but just). a good quencher, just what i was looking for!

edit: seems I am immune to late cascade hops, just read Johnno's recipe...oh well, call 'em as i see 'em


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## chris.taylor.98 (25/1/09)

*25. -beerDingo - pale ale *

... the case swap lives on, in fact I still think I have about 8 to go through yet

Citrus, some malt, distinctive cascade aroma.

Some slight hot alcohols and slight harshness in the finish which can be caused by higher fermentation temperatures.

Overall very tasty, a good summer quencher.


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## Kleiny (27/1/09)

Leigh said:


> 17 Kleiny - ESB




Hope you didn't think it was an ESB its a Weizen


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## Leigh (27/1/09)

Kleiny said:


> Hope you didn't think it was an ESB its a Weizen



Ah ya bugger  I just printed the bits in black on the wiki and ignored the red bits LOL

It was damn yum whatever it was :beer:


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## chris.taylor.98 (28/1/09)

*#16 - CAP Brewmeister 70*

Very interesting aroma, can definitely pick up the adjuncts in this one.

Nice hop aroma and flavour.

Little bit on the hazy side.

You can definitely see where the American lagers get that taste from.

Good beer for a hot night.


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## chris.taylor.98 (2/2/09)

*17 - Kleiny ESB Weizen*

As an ESB it sucks big time, 

but as a weizen, really clean, good malt hops balance

not excessive amount of esters or phenolics, but definitely noticeable weizen character.

fairly high carbonation, 

all in all, a great summer beer


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## chris.taylor.98 (7/2/09)

Ok getting a bit slack towards the end of the case

Tried the following several days ago without making any detailed notes:

*12 mortz - Australian Pale Ale*

All I remember about this beer mortz is that it was one of the best Australian Pale Ale's I have had.

Great malt profile, some complexity in ester formation, and really great finish.

*4 Rook - Pommie Bitter*

I could tell from the aroma this was going to be Rook's pommie bitter. Packed full of English hop goodness, with plenty of crisp english malt, and some pleasing ester profile in the mix.

Both exceptional beers


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## superhero (10/2/09)

Hello drinkers,

22. Leigh's Pale Ale - Amber in colour, really fruity aroma and taste. A fairly easy drinking beer.

11. Fent's Hallertau Lagec - Very dark gold in colour, very well carbonated and happy to see you!
Strong malt and spicy hops in the aroma. Medium malt, high hop flavour and medium bitterness
in the taste, A very well crafted and tasty beer.

Until next time.


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