2011 Funky Case Swap: Tasting Thread

[raven19]

Drinking Manticles "Vanilla Bourbon Bretty Bruin". Intentionally tasted blind before checking what it was, and my impression was of Cherry Ripe & a brineyness akin to Liefmans pre-Moortgat. Deep mahogany, quite clear, very short-lived tan head. Really nice amount of acid, with lots of funk but nothing undesirable. Loads of ripe stonefruit & chocolatey malt character, a smoothness to the palate and just enough sweetness to carry the acid. A lovey beer, thanks Manticle. Would be happy to have paid money for this.

Was is bourbon barrel chips, or was it just/also bourbon in there? Seems to have some oak complexity in the palate/mouthfeel (red-wine-like tannin) but might just be grain/bugs. Vanilla is discrete/barely perceptible, but I reckon enhances the maltiness & brings out the chocolate character.

Manticles Vanilla Bourbon Bretty Bruin.
Nice deep redish brown colour with zero head (possibly a consequence of our dishwashers poor performance). It seems to have a nice level of carbonation happening though.
Inititial aroma of berry, oak, & hint of acetic acid. A nice complex aroma.
Tasting I get a nice acidic note upfront (on the acetic side), leading into spiced dark chocolate, then a good sour hit nicely balanced with caramel sweetness, & finishing with some nice oaky vanillins.
This is beer packed with flavour, & is bashing my tastebuds all over the place.. & I like it a lot

A top beer Manticle.

A bit behind on my sampling of these beers.

Cracked my first of Manticle's efforts tonight.

I tend to get more of the acid, and oak with some mild tartness at the end of the pallette. Plenty of body (imo) still. Light carbonation but after initial pour it looks dead flat - mild fizz whilst drinking it now though. I really enjoy the aroma, draws you in for another sip, maybe a tinge of choc in there now for me.

Defo enjoyable, thanks mate!

(still have a number of these to sample - not to mention the 2nd's of each! :icon_cheers: )

 

[beers]

Just finishing off my last bottle from this swap. Kabooby's Sour Saison. Got a big whack of raspberry aroma when I cracked this open. Poured a nice golden colour, slightly hazy, with a nice head that has since disappeared. Carbonated on the low side.
Get nice vanilla hints in the pallete, funky sourness, & citrus peel. Finishes dry, sour, & slightly tannic almost.
A really enjoyable sipper on this hot afternoon.

I had Stusters lambic last Sunday arv. Thoroughly enjoyed. :chug:

I've had some really good beers in this swap.. & right now thoroughly kicking myself that I could not be involved in the 2012 one
Looking forward to 2013 :beerbang:

 

[brendanos]

I think I'm drinking beers' Lambic

Bright straw with low head but excellent retention.
Aroma of ripe tropical fruit (especially pineapple), lightly nutty, savoury, funky & pleasant.
Light flavour. Biscuity, fruity, low acidity, moderate funk, earthy, musty, yeasty bitterness.
Highly drinkable - reminds me a lot of Boon.

Just read my notes a few page back from 11 months ago and glad that the cheese stink has gone!!!

Thanks a lot beers - I almost forgive you for not labelling your beer...

 

[manticle]

Florian: Berliner Roggenweisse.

Pours very clear straw, no head. Aroma of very light disinfectant, fruit (apples but not granny smith), milk, hay (I think - it's been a while since I smelled hay).

Mild acetic sourness, light medicine/disinfectant flavour, light on the plate, refreshing finish from the mouthfeel.

I find the sourness level and carb etc very well balanced but am slightly put off by the medicine/disinfectant character. I think the beer would benefit from its absence. Otherwise, nice refreshing sour beer.

Just trying my second one now.

Very similar to above although the disinfectant aroma reminded me a little of a swimming pool/chlorine. The character remains in check.

Still lovely and dry, refreshing.

 

[manticle]

Finally got around to Quintrex's raspberry sour.

Forgot whether this is a raspberry berliner Weiss or something else - will look up later.

Aroma of raspberries (quite strong) sweet wine, slight wood/leather.

Pours very clear despite a slight gush at the beginning. Small head that dissipates but retention is much better than most beers of this kind including my own. copper-ish in the poor light in my living room.

Flavour - raspberry central, lightly and refreshingly sour with nothing approaching aceto character. Slightly chalky on the palate.

This is a fantastic beer Q- really well balanced, enough complexity to make it interesting, great fruit flavour that is natural (unlike a timmermans for example) and has all the promises of tart raspberries delivered in full.

Better than many commercial fruit/sours I've tried and up there with the good/best ones.

Well up there.

Cheers

 

[brendanos]

Now drinking Kabooby's Sour Saison. Beautiful gold colour, clear, fine bead, some lacing - very attractive. Complex lambic-like aroma with pineapple, grapes, damp cellar, and barnyard funk. Dry, tart, bitter and a bit boozy with a long mouth puckering finish. I am stoked that this is a longneck. Thanks Kabooby the beer is tasting great!

 

[brendanos]

Now drinking jonw's Orval one from an Orval glass. Chill haze with good carbonation, clear copper on warming with poor head retention. Aroma is sweet spice, apple juice, cherries, white wine vinegar. Strong flavour - quite malty and bitter initially with fruity brett notes following drying out to a long, tart, tannic finish. I like it but it's a bit of a bruiser. Hearing cries of "cheese" from the beer, I made marinated feta and vegemite toasties... now the beer tastes awesome.

 

[raven19]

Had another bottle of this just now.

1 year and 4 days on from my last sampling of it, it's still a cracking beer. Very easy drinker now, mellowed further with age.

6. neonmeate - Bruxellensis Rye Ale 7% - red BRA on cap
(ok to drink now, try one in feb one in june or whatever you like)

Cracking beer this one. Very mild brett, fruity aroma and flavours present with a very slight lactic bite at the end of the pallette.
Excellent head retention, medium to high carbonation, white creamy head, cloudy yellow to golden in colour.

I wish my beers carbed up this well.

DSCN5052.jpg

 

[neonmeate]

Had another bottle of this just now.

1 year and 4 days on from my last sampling of it, it's still a cracking beer. Very easy drinker now, mellowed further with age.

wish i still had some! actually i do have some sort of similar stuff on the go now. it's sort of my house beer.
reminds me i still have the lambic schwarzbier bottle no 2 down there, ill have to grab some

 

[manticle]

So my crate has sat pretty much untouched for quite some time.

Cracked a Val or something like it bottle last night and didn't really take any notes. Is that JonW's from this swap?

Really great beer, very reminiscent of orval, with some woody/leathery brett notes and subtle orange citrus.
It's sunday and I'm brewing so forgive the early start but I just opened one labelled ILS or 571. Not sure who or what but it's great.

Deep black (stout) with tan head and some retention. Tastes like a wood aged stout with some deep red wine fruit notes (plum, berry) and just a faint hit of balsamic vinegar and some oak tannins.

Aroma is all dark chocolate,oak, plum and berry.

I have one more of both the above beers. Has re-ignited my interest in making some more funky beers.

Most of the subscribers to this thread seem to have dropped off but who knows.

 

[barls]

some still here. ive still got most of last years and a few of this case left.

 

[manticle]

Any idea what the ILS might have been?

 

[manticle]

^ Wrong year


2012 beers I'm drinking.