Hub - Xmas In July 2010 Tasting Notes

[loftboy]

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

I will just say this about Mick's entry.

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

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

 

[gone brewing]

7 Scott, Schwarzbier

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

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

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

 

[Muggus]

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

[m_peve]

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

 

[m_peve]

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

 

[m_peve]

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

 

[Muggus]

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

[HarryB]

8. Beniee's Munich Dunkel.

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

 

[Muggus]

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

[Muggus]

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

[m_peve]

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

 

[m_peve]

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

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

Peve

 

[Brewman_]

13. Muggus - Raunchy Scottsman - Smoked Brown Ale.

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

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

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

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

Thanks Muggus for a great beer.

 

[Brewman_]

4. Shmick Imperial Amber.

Had this one after tea.

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

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

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

Really enjoyed this beer, it's a ripper.

Fear_n_loath

 

[Brewman_]

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17. Steve - APA, - (Wyeast -2112 Californian Lager)
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The subdued hop aroma and honey reminded me of my visit to Anchor Brewing ( perhaps the same hops ?? )
I can't recall which Anchor beer it reminds me of. Perhaps Bigfridge can remember!!!
Was it just Cascade that you used Steve?

Peve

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

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

Steve

 

[m_peve]

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

 

[m_peve]

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

 

[m_peve]

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

 

[m_peve]

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

 

[Muggus]

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

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

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

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

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

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