Nsw Ahb Xmas Case 2005 - Consumption

[berto]

Sticklers Old

Not a fan of old. This may somewhat hamper my opinion as ive read other posts saying this is a bit like it.
Pours with a good head with largish bubbles. settles to small-medium size with a thick layer across the top. Holds right to the bottom of the glass.
Nice black colour. nice roast flavour. slight amount of hops in the scent, and a touch in the taste too. Pretty well balanced. Maybe a little lacking in mouthfeel. Could do with being a bit heavier, but i suppose it would then be more of a stout. Actually hops could be too dominating. may need more of a malty/roasty base flavour. Sorry thinking out loud hear.

Nice beer all the same Stickler, I was pleasantly surprised. Cheers, Rob

 

[berapnopod]

Gough's Cleanskin Amber Ale

Aroma: Delicious hop aroma, melds very nicely with the malt aroma. Some esters, otherwise very fresh and slightly spicy aroma.

Appearance: Very fine ring around the edge of the glass forms the head. Hazy. Amber colour.

Flavour: Flavour is more on the malt side with a toffee flavour in there as well as a small amount of the underlying hops. Finish is dry and clean with a mild bitterness that nicely balances out the malt sweetness.

Mouthfeel: Medium body. Medium carbonation, with some smoothness partly a result of the carbonation, but also part of the grain character. A hint of alcohol warmth, as you would expect for 5%ABV. After the finish, the beer is astringent. This could be because of the hops used, but also could be problems with excessive sparging. Have a look at this link for more details.

Overall: An excellent example of balance in a beer, well done Gough! The hops and malt go very well together. I consider the astringency not a major problem in the beer, and is quite all right when you use a high amount of hops, particularly at the end of the boil. It doesn't impact on the beer too significantly, certainly not as much as the wonderful flavour!

Berp.

 

[berapnopod]

Tim's Brown Ale

Aroma: Light malt aroma with some toffee. Not much else I can get in there.

Appearance: Medium light tan head of medium and fine bubbles that lasts long. Clear. Dark amber colour.

Flavour: Malty flavour initially with toffee/caramel notes. No hops that I can detect. Finish is malty, warming and with a medium bitterness that only presents itself right at the end.

Mouthfeel: Medium to med/full body. Carbonation is high. No big carbonation bite, but it certainly gives you a lot of foam in the mouth, and that tends to mask other characteristics. The beer also has a very distinctive smooth/silky feel to it - very nice!
There appears to be a good alcohol warmth in this beer - more than I would expect for something 5%. So how much alcohol is in this one, Tim?

Overall: A distinctive beer with a good malt flavour, lovely silkiness The bitterness is in the right place since it doesn't interfere with the malt and just appears at the end where it stops the beer becoming too cloying. I think you could improve it by decreasing the carbonation, but apart from that, its a great beer!

-------------------------

...and that brings me to the end of my xmas case. I've really enjoyed doing these reviews, and I hope I haven't offended anyone too much. I'm looking forward to the next opportunity :beerbang:

If you entered a beer in the xmas case, but haven't seen me review it yet, then your bottle must have been misplaced. So you should PM me and I'll give you an address to send your beer h34r:


Berp.

 

[beer slayer]

Well Done Berp :super:

Great hearing you comments on all the beers it has been very informative.
A great effort on your part :beerbang:

:beer:
BS

 

[Tim]

Thanks Berp!
It may be up to 5.5% alc, due to bottle priming which i didn't account for ( i usually keg, hence the slight over carb).
Tim

 

[KoNG]

OK... been a while since i've written anything down when tasting, so this is all memory... short and sweet.

TRENTS PORTER... i loved it, would probably rate it is the best brew i have tasted in the case. pity i had to drink one of my porters after it.. ha ha

GOUGHS AMBER ALE... i had this after a mates stout, which was obviously a bit silly, but i found it a really nice beer.. just the right amount of malt to go with the bitterness.. from memory poured nice and clear too..!

BERTO'S WHEAT.... unfortunately i couldnt drink this one, for me i think it had an infection... or atleast i hope it did, because i ditched a whole brew that had the same profile as yours berto... maybe i am just sensitive to chlorophenols (thats what B-pod noticed). Bummer. Mrs KoNG didnt notice it so much, so maybe i am very sensitive..!?!?!

POL's VIENNA LAGER... i've only ever had one other VL and that was at RedOak, so i dont know the style to well, but i love RedOaks.. and enjoyed yours too POL. The only thing i noted was that it was not as malt driven (compared to RO's version). And thats what i like about their version. anyway.. take that with a grain of salt...

done....

Berapnapod... the bottles are champagne and you use a Tirage bell and caps (yes special caps).. they are a little more expensive.... but worth it to use champagne bottles which are much more durable..!

berto..... a Benchong you ask..??? is a balinese word for she/man (tranny type person) i just thought it suitable with the ******* mixed up type theme....

Beers
KoNG

 

[Duff]

berto..... a Benchong you ask..??? is a balinese word for she/man (tranny type person) i just thought it suitable with the ******* mixed up type theme....

Beers
KoNG

[post="102394"][/post]​

Just given me a good thought to do a 'Wanita Wheat' :lol: :lol: h34r:

 

[warrenlw63]

berto..... a Benchong you ask..??? is a balinese word for she/man (tranny type person) i just thought it suitable with the ******* mixed up type theme....

Beers
KoNG

[post="102394"][/post]​

Or a Katoey in Thai. Or as the locals like to call 'em ladyboy! :blink:

Warren -

 

[KoNG]

berto..... a Benchong you ask..??? is a balinese word for she/man (tranny type person) i just thought it suitable with the ******* mixed up type theme....

Beers
KoNG

[post="102394"][/post]​

Or a Katoey in Thai. Or as the locals like to call 'em ladyboy! :blink:

Warren -

[post="102400"][/post]​

i hate the cheeky little smirk they give when saying "ladyboy" or similar...?!?!
it leaves me wondering if

a) they are infact one... or
B) they think you are looking for one

(sorry for OT)

 

[KoNG]

*****...... that cool guy in the sunnies above was meant to be a "b" with a bracket around it (i'm DEFINATELY NOT into benchongs.!!)

 

[berto]

Linz's OZ IPA

Big hop aroma when i poured it.

Had a nice head, didnt last overly long though.

Found the taste to be quite strong at first, but have since got used to it (followed a roasty lager). Definately hop dominated, and judging by the other beers, Id say either cascade or amarillo. Leaning to amarillo based on its popularity at the moment and it had a taste a bit like one a remember.

Nice beer Linz.

Thats the end of my case guys. Thoroughly enjoyed it. And looking forward to a July case. Should i open a new thread and strart trying to get things organised?

Cheers for the great times guys. Rob

 

[Weizguy]

Linz's OZ IPA

Big hop aroma when i poured it.

Had a nice head, didnt last overly long though.

Found the taste to be quite strong at first, but have since got used to it (followed a roasty lager). Definately hop dominated, and judging by the other beers, Id say either cascade or amarillo. Leaning to amarillo based on its popularity at the moment and it had a taste a bit like one a remember.

Nice beer Linz.

Thats the end of my case guys. Thoroughly enjoyed it. And looking forward to a July case. Should i open a new thread and strart trying to get things organised?

Cheers for the great times guys. Rob

[post="105801"][/post]​

berto,

still going on mine. Want to give each the attention it deserves, but...

by all means see how U go with interest for July.

FWIW, I'm in (unless I'm barred because of the Berliner weisse - ha ha). happy to contribute English mild, American wheat, choc porter or Arrogant ******* clone.

Still some posts to go here. If U haven't posted yet, I'd like to see at least an acknowledgement that you drank and survived, and your general overview of quality. Not mine specifically, but for the case as a whole. That would be great to see.

Sethule out

 

[PostModern]

I reckon about 70% of the beers in the case were "good" to "great", 20% were drinkable and 4-5 went down the drain. Sorry to say, yours was one of the 4 or 5, Seth. I don't think you should be banned from the next case, nor should anyone, for that matter. From reading your posts on here, I was looking forward to a great beer from you. I just think you should put in something you think is really good rather than a cheese-smelling experimental next time. And berto, I could do without the WLP380

 

[Weizguy]

I reckon about 70% of the beers in the case were "good" to "great", 20% were drinkable and 4-5 went down the drain. Sorry to say, yours was one of the 4 or 5, Seth. I don't think you should be banned from the next case, nor should anyone, for that matter. From reading your posts on here, I was looking forward to a great beer from you. I just think you should put in something you think is really good rather than a cheese-smelling experimental next time. And berto, I could do without the WLP380

[post="105821"][/post]​

Thanks PoMo,
That's the sort of feedback I wanted.
My beer actually worked well the first time, and that was my second go at it, expecting the same results. The very first batch never had that smell/taste, and I had read that it would go away. Wrong! The problem occurred with the speise used for bottling, and by the time I bottled, it was too late to make another batch. I think I've apologised before, so I won't do that again.The real beer was in there, and I'm sure I know the fix.
Anyway, I'll make another batch (quality-assured this time) to go as freebies with my contribution to the next case. Just so people can see that there was a beer in there somewhere.
Anyone else got feedback? I won't put on the flame-suit, coz I need any comments on my beer, as well as the case in general. What doesn't kill me will make me stronger.
I reckon the case, and ongoing cases are a great concept.
Seth cheesmaker

 

[Trent]

Gday All
Tried quite a few beers since the holidays ended, kept notes on most of em, and the only beers I have still to go are ones I am going to steal the yeast from and am waiting for a bung and airlock to be empty.

PO-MO'S PORTER - Alot paler in colour than I was expecting, but it was also the first brown porter I have tried. Its 2 days later (when I wrote the notes) so my memory is a bit hazy. Cant recall exactly carbonation and stuff, but it was a nice clear brown colour. It was very well balanced, as neither the malt nor the hops stood out above one another, it was quite an easy drinking beer, though for my palate, I usually prefer a little more choc malt in there. Apart from that, I cant really fault this beer, good stuff.

KONG'S BENCHONG - Very light in colour, overcarbed on first pour, settling to highly carbed. Maybe a bit of carbonation bite. Very fruity/spicy, with some sort of other flavour that I cant quite pick. Fruitiness is reminscent of Amarillo? Reasonably thin bodied, as you would expect from a lighter beer, quite refreshing to drink, though I found it to be much better icy cold, as oppsed to when it warmed up a bit. Quite a good summer quaffer, well done

BEERSLAYERS AMBER - Nice amber colour, didnt take any notes, but I recall it being a nice malty beer, but there was quite a strong yeast in there that I have only gotten from Wyeast 1968, and even then, only very occasionally (for instance, I couldnt taste it in Po-Mos porter), did you use 1968 or whitelabs equiv? Apart from that, I do recall it being a nice beer, sorry I cant be more specific

WIEZEGUYS BERLINER WIESSE - Very low carbonation, pale straw colour. Stron blue cheese aroma to begin with that settles to an aroma that is still unmistakably cheeselike, mixed with a tart smell. Reasonably thin bodied, cheesy aroma translates into the beer, but slightly more subdued. Definitie tartness there, almost slightly tingly on the tongue. Not something I could drink all night, but good for a hot arvo if the cheese flavour wasnt so dominant. IMHO, it isnt as good as your previous effort, I found the cheese flavour too distracting, but I could taste the beer under it, thats for sure (only cause I have tried your last one). Considering this style is apparently so hard to make, you have done very well, looking forward to trying the fault free one in July.

I'll post some more later
Trent

 

[Duff]

I finished off my case a couple of weeks back with Weizguys Weisse and Hopsta Belgian. I've never had a weisse before but like the others the strong cheese aroma definately hits initially, minimal carbonation, but actually a quite light bodied 'refreshing' beer. I did mix mine with a bit of raspberry cordial which dulled the cheese a little, but overall I actually didn't mind it. Big kudo's to Weiz for giving it a go :beerbang: I harvested the yeast, is it 1007?

Following Weiz's was the big number from Hopsta to finish on. It did have a sharp alcohol flavour to it which I'm sure would have mellowed if it had been left for a couple of months. Definately warmed my body a bit but I found it well balanced and something that I think will only get better with age. Another beer I haven't tried before but is on the list of to do's during autumn.

Thanks to everyone who contributed. I'll definately be in for a Xmas in July case.

Cheers.

 

[Gough]

I'm with Duff on this one. While there was a definite 'cheesy' aroma to Weiz' beer I don't think it was sink tipping material - seems a bit harsh. I've tasted a series of Weiz' attempts at this and other 'soured' styles and the majority have worked really well. The one in the case wasn't his absolute best, but it wasn't a total shocker IMHO. As Duff said, kudos to Weiz for having a go at a style that many of us, myself included, probably wouldn't try to brew, let alone have the bottle to submit to the Xmas Case :beerbang:

I've finished the case now and really enjoyed the whole experience. I didn't see it as a competitive thing so won't list what I thought were the 'best' beers, but I will say that I really enjoyed the majority, in particular Duff's Kolsch and Kong's 'light'. Well brewed everyone - 'twas a happy Xmas

Shawn.

 

[KoNG]

Guys'n'gals
i'm nearing the end of my case too, i think i have 3 bottles left.! weizguys is one, hopsta's belgian strong another and i think Shmicks Aus strong Ale.
i think i have made comments on most of the beers, 1 or 2 were consumed at times where making notes or remembering the finer points was not possible h34r: , so sorry if i skipped yours.
i think i'll keep hopsta's a little longer as a few have mentioned some more time would do it well.
i did have Duff's Kolsch a week or so ago. While siting back and enjoying it, Miss KoNG quaffed a little (read: half of it) and straight away said "oh thats your number (6)" ... of course it wasnt, but it did answer a frustrating question! a while back i did a partial lager, which i must have mixed up something along the process because it didnt turn out anything like i'd expected... and i had been wondering what to call it when mates asked what they were drinking.... NOw dont get me wrong they all love the beer as i do, but saying its a czech pilz wasnt going to cut it. So now i have brewed a "Kolsch" :lol:
Hooray for me.

KoNG.. out.

 

[Borret]

Without wanting to sound as f I am jumping on the band wagon I will jump in here with my 2 bob also.

Wiez I back you all the way with contributing something out of the ordinary to the christmas case. To not call it a good/well crafted beer would be missleading as you obviously went to alot more trouble to brew it than alot of us did for the case. Brewing outside the square.
Yes the cheese aroma was there but I did not find it so offputting. The first sitting I was not so inspired by the beer and tried it with both raspberry cord and without. However I then shelved it (back in the fridge) and tried it a week later (Note: I don't normally do this). Not sure what happened over a week in regards to oxidisation or whatever from it being a half bottle or just a week in the fridge lagering.... BUT. what I drank on the second sitting was a totally reformed cheeseless and a very refreshing sour brew. It had somehow cleaned itself up a bit and not a drop of it touched the sink and I did enjoy it. I would definately be interested in sampling some future incarnations of this brew for comparison with this one.

As for the rest of the case I have enjoyed it overall in the lighthearted non competetive spirit it was concieved in..Definately a selection of quality beers to be foundthere. I still have a few to go but the standouts for me have definately been trent's porter and Kongs summer brews. Strangely enough from what UI have seen of their recipies both are very simple brews. Nice work guys

Shameless support for the Newy guy over

Brent

 

[Samwise Gamgee]

I've still got 23 bottles to go h34r:

It's ok though, I was on no alcohol over Xmas and the detox has just finished.
Onto the tastings!