Nsw Ahb Xmas Case 2005 - Consumption

[PostModern]

OK ...I'll have a go too.....


Jase's APA.

WAY over carbonated....Aroma was nice.....

it detonated in the garage yesterday some time...put his in the fridge pronto..

first bottle bomb Ive had, and it wasnt my beer..Sorry mate, but thanks for the experience. B)

[post="96789"][/post]​

Linz,
I misunderstood when you were telling me about this. I thought it was Jase's beer in my case that blew. Had I known, I would have given you the one from my case.

In any event, I've just stuck that bottle in the freezer to sample early. Just in case

 

[PostModern]

am's Golden Ale is brilliant. Really enjoyed drinking that. Excellent bitterness, smooth malt backing and superb hop aroma. Amarillo hops are now definately on my to-buy list.

Thanks to Borret and Doc for the bonuses in the case. Next is Jase's brew then I'll be mellowing out on my own stout.

EDIT: Just opened Jase's brew and the extreme gas release was audible from the next room... I second Linz's bottle bomb alert

 

[Linz]

In Jase's defence, PoMo and I did a bit of CSI on the bottle and the wall thickness' on opposite sides of the bottle differed considerably(One side was near double the thickness to the other).

So it also could have been a dodgy bottle and the extreme heat

 

[PostModern]

Linz, I think it's a little from column A, a little from column B. The bottle I opened last night was VERY heavily carbonated. I don't think by any means that they're all going to blow, but if the rest of the batch has similar bottles, there might be one or two more surprises

My porter seems to be facing the opposite problem. I opened a stubby last night and it is much too flat. I'll advise people to keep mine until at least Christmas and hope it develops some fizz. It has been so long since I bottled beer, that I must have stuffed up the priming rate. :\

 

[Stuster]

I had Jase's APA last night and while it was overcarbonated, the bottle I had was definitely not close to being a bottle bomb. How did you carbonate the bottles Jase?

A mellow APA, not as hoppy as some I have drunk, although I had it rather late in the night so perhaps that was just me at the time.

 

[Jase]

Hi All,

Just got back from the coast, so I thought I'd post.

Got a phone call from Linz on Friday, thought it was to wish me a happy birthday, but he told me that my bottle exploded. I knew that my beer was over carbonated, as I posted earlier, but was a bit surprised that the beer exploded. I asked Linz to post on the site to warn others. Thanks for posting, Linz. I'd drop my bottle off to you, but I had an incident, with some rocks in the water, on the weekend, resulting in spending a couple of hours in hospital with a badly cut foot. So I'm off my feet for a couple of days. Great birthday weekend.

I had a shocker with my kangabrew dispenser, when bottling, so the result seems to be overcabonated. Sorry all.

Do me a favour, and consume my beer asap, so that there no other surprises. Linz's bottle could have been a one off, but I'd rather save some more embarrassment. I just hope that the beer's still enjoyable.

Once again, sorry.......


Jase....

 

[Doc]

Just cracked Jase's LCPA.
Still have all limbs and facilties intact.
Definitely a boy, and I live to drink it.
After a week of Xmas parties it is great to get back into my brews and the Xmas case.
Not bad Jase. Bit malty, and some more hop bitterness and aroma wouldn't go amiss, but a very drinkable effervesant ale.

Beers,
Doc

 

[Trent]

I too, am drinking Jase's ale now. carbed to the tune of what Jase said, but she didnt blow up. Lucky I didnt know about the pressure earlier, my mate that bought me the beers up left em sitting in his tent on a hot day! I am not too sure what effect this will have, but all the yeast was left high and dry in the neck of the bottle. I will be quite honest, and say that the aroma I detect most is the yeast. I seem to be a little sensitive to some yeasts maybe, as I dont quite like the flavour. I had one of Gough's bitters that had the same flavour, that was made from 1968 wyeast. I had never encountered the flavour before out of any of the 8 or so brews I have done using 1968, except for one bottle in a whole batch of strong ale, the yeast flavour was so predominant that I couldnt drink it. All the other bottles were fine. Cracked my first bottle of mild the other day to check on carbonation, and got the same flavour. Tastes exactly like this one, the yeast masked all other flavours. I guess that the xmas case hasnt been stored properly, (curse those non-brewing friends!!!) so maybe that contributed to the fact. Apart from that, it seems a reasonably well bodied beer, but I cannot tell you much more than that. I am not trying to have a go at you Jase, as I have had the same thing in my beers before. Maybe a little more aroma hops, but I could be clutching at straws. Other peoples comments will be alot more constructive than mine, and for my lack of ability to give good feedback, I apologise. But, after tasting Goughs bitter, and my strong and mild ales with that yeast flavour I just dont like, I will stop using 1968

On the other hand, I tried Gough's Amber today, and I quite liked it. Nice amber colour, plenty of carbonation, though they were fairly large bubbles. Caramel/toffee notes on the nose. Medium-full body, nice hop flkavour, not overpowering, but balanced well with the malt. Slightly sweet finish, with a little fruitiness from the yeast, though I could be wrong. Easy drinking beer, and a good version of the style.
I did notice it seemed to be a bit hazy, as have all the beers I have tried so far, bar Doc's. I am starting to think this may be an effect of the way my mate handled the case before it got to me. Jase's beer is a bit hazy, not totally, Goughs seemed quite hazy.
Anyway, very impressed with all the beers so far, and thanks to Doc and Borret for the extra's
All the best
Trent

 

[Gough]

Thanks Trent, glad you liked the Amber OK. For the record, it is hazy 'cause it is hazy at cool temps, not because of any storage related problems. Definitely a flaw of my making, no-one elses It is a text-book case of chill haze basically... Thanks for the feedback.

I tried Jases APA as well after chilling it down quickly after reading Linz's warning post. It was definitely overcarbonated and took a while to settle down. That said, I quite liked it. I didn't get too much of an agressive yeasty flavour, just a nice APA style at the lighter end of the specs. Nice beer Jase, bad luck about the priming

Shawn.

 

[berapnopod]

Jase's Creatures Little Pale Ale

After hearing Jase's orders to drink this one as soon as possible, I dutifully complied and here's my review. Yes it did gush a bit and poured foamy.

Aroma: Citrusy hop aroma, almost lemony with malt in the back. With the high carbonation (and thick head), its difficult to tell much more about the aroma.

Appearance: huge head of large bubbles, supported by strong visual carbonation. Slightly hazy. Dark straw, with an orangey tinge for the colour.

Flavour: Clean - no signs of infection, so thats not the reason for the overcarbonation, but I guess you knew that. Again it is hard to tease the flavours out with the high carbonation, because it lends a carbonation bite which you feel as the tingling on the tongue, but masks other flavours you might want. I think the hop and malt balance is quite good, but both could be stronger. Finish is dry and somewhat bitter. Bitterness is on the low end, but I think its OK, and would do well as an introduction for someone who has not had an APA before.

Mouthfeel: med to med/light body - well attenuated. Main mouthfeel is the carbonation bite.

Overall impression: I believe you have a sound recipe here. Good malt and hops.
Of course the high carbonation does affect not just the initial fizz when pouring, but also the aroma and flavour. As the beer is degassing now, it is tasting more and more pleasant. It does taste on the light side overall, but I am not sure if this is because the hopping was light, or because the aroma and flavour have been driven off. I suggest you make this one again with teh right carbonation and ask us all to come round and try it for you

Berp.

 

[Linz]

Gees, I didnt mean to ruin Jase's reputation.

Its just the first 'lively' beer Ive come across....and I thought it was better to mention it rather than sit back and see if anyone else got one. As mentioned earlier the CSI showed a definite difference of wall thickness across the dia of the bottle, so a sus bottle may be at work here

Sorry Jase, didnt realise it was your birthday the other day...belated Happy(kinda) birthday

Hope the injury heals quickly. might have to drop round with a cold one or two...since you're laid up and all

 

[shmick]

Okay
This is the first beer I have tried that I have been home for, and therfore able to write down my thoughts, and I must warn you, it is nowhere near as technical as Berapnopods
I just finished Schmicks aussie strong ale, and it was on an empty stomach after work, so I am now a bit tipsy! Here is my review
Deep copper hue, not clear, almost opaque. Alcohol on the nose, kinda similar to a few stronger beers I had in the states, maybe one of stones Vertical Epic Ales? Cant remember. Biscuity flavours, slight nuttiness and maybe slight fruity flavours? Quite complex on the palate and a warming sensation from the alcohol. Quite a full bodied beer, nice and chewy. Creamy head that lasts all th eway down the glass. Hard to pick a fault with it, though maybe the opaqueness is due to chill haze (?) as I dont think it is dark enough to not see through. Lara (the missus) complained it was too bitter, but I think it is quiote firm in bitterness, but it is well balanced with the malt, and a sliught bitter tang left on palate after swallowing. I can see how it only fits into the english barleywine category :super: Quite a good beer, that (once again) I will have to brew one day. Top work Shmick.
Um, I dont see too many other reviews being posted, a few, but not heaps. Does this mean that reviews should be PM'ed, or are most people waiting till xmas to try ther beers?
All the best
Trent

[post="96671"][/post]​

Thanks for the comments Trent

I thought I'd save up and do 1/2 dozens reviews in a single post to save clutter but haven't got there yet. They won't be long ones as I know SFA about writing beer reviews. I was hoping to read a few others first to get an idea

The Strong Ale does suffer from chill haze but clears when a few degrees warmer. If drunk around the 10deg C mark, it's pretty clear and the malt starts to dominate the hop bitterness. There is quite a difference in flavour.

I usually pour the first glass cold from the fridge and leave the bottle out on the cupboard to warm a little. By the time I've chewed down the first glass, the bottle's at the correct temp - if you like malt that is.

The unusual biscuit flavours comes mainly from the crystal wheat. I've done a version without it @ 40IBU and it's quite nice but alcohol flavours become a lot more noticeable.

I agree it should have been listed as an Old Ale but I must have missed it in the list at home. I'm not normally too fussed about catagories and the beer goggles were probably pretty fogged up at the time. :chug:

 

[KoNG]

I obviously didnt make my warning strong enough ha haha BUT
i did warn everyone a couple of days prior to Linz's BOMB (bummer you didnt got to read it Linz....) and hinted everyone should bleed the bottle asap...!!!

anyhow... this can be a warning for any others in the case that jump on now and dont read back.... Drink Jase's Beer now... its nice.!

I'm loving the Xmas case... its a present for nearly every day of december...!

 

[Doc]

It is in RED in the first post of this topic too (as of yesterday).

Beers,
Doc

 

[Tim]

Ok,
I have sampled three of the offernings to date.
Doc's Koelsh: A very refreshing drop, went down well.
Linz IPA: Ok, I had a problem with this one. Mine was quite sour with an acidic edge. I think it had an infection. I struggled through half of the first schooie, the second one went down the sink. Sorry Linz, i must have got a dud one.
Jase's APA: Drinking this one now. Pretty much the same as everyone else is finding. Quite nice with a slight carbonic edge.
Tim

 

[berto]

Finally picked up my case today. Had been getting edgy listening to everyone elses reports, but finally got mine now. Before i go any further, a big thankyou to everyone who contributed and helped to organise. Maybe i should pull my finger out next time and help get it done. I'll be doing a few trips to newcastle to see the missus so i might try and get a chrissy in July case organised for everyone.

I took everyones advice and hit up Jase's beer first. Bled it a few times first to try and relieve a bit of pressure, but needed a few more i think. Have to say it definately held a head well. Not just from the original pour, but also the second half of the bottle into a glass i had wet to try and curb it a little. Its been 30 mins sinice i started it i think and its still holding a firm white layer across the top.

Im not a fan of warm beer. But I've let this sit for a while, and can tell its warming up, but its actually still extremely nice. Not a fan of coopers pale ale (only pale ive ever tried. Just find it bad really). But i really like this beer. Something i think I'm going to give a whirl some time around. Initial mouth taste has that bubbling of the over carb, but once that subsides theres a wonderful hop taste that stays in the mouth for a while after. Actually, just had a bit more, and the first bite is gone and just a smooth taste right through. For a beer i thought I'd never really like, and definately not make, this has changed my mind.

Im currently watching the bubbles start as i begin the big yeast culturing. I'm beginning to think the 100 test tubes i got will be full very soon.

Another note. Would people rather i keep editing this post with all other taste tests and send a pm when I've done one, or just add a new post for each beer?

Cheers, Rob

 

[Stuster]

A post for each beer is probably easier I think Berto. I agree with you that Jase's was a very drinkable beer. Love those APAs.

 

[Duff]

Had KoNG's partial late yesterday. Wow, what a great beer well balanced and very refreshing. Excellent stuff after mowing the lawn, one of the many beers I did not want to get to the end of the bottle. Well done.

Cheers.

 

[berapnopod]

Doc's Koelsch

Excellent work on the label, Doc!

Aroma: Clean hoppy aroma overall with a little bit of malt and a hint of esters. Some bubblegum. After warming, a slight hint of floral honey?

Appearance: Gold to light amber colour - a Koelsch on the dark end, but still typical. Clear, medium/thin head of fine white bubbles, that is supposrted by medium/high carbonation - long lasting

Flavour: Definitely on the hoppy side both in flavour and bitterness. An underlying biscuity malt flavour. Finish is dry, hoppy and assertively bitter. I would say its more bitter than a commercial Koelsch. More in line with a bitter pils. But the beer itself is a well balanced hoppy drink.

Mouthfeel: Medium body, slight carbonation bite. Otherwise very smooth and clean

Overall: Very well made beer there Doc. Goes down very easily and I could certainly drink those one after the other. I think its on the bitter side for a Koelsch but not overly so. The overall profile is extremely clean and refreshing. I wish I could make something like that!

Berp.

 

[shmick]

So far I've managed to do my duty (my excuse to SWMBO) and drink about 8 or 9 of the contibutions and I'm pretty impressed by the standard so far.
Enjoyed all of them.

First batch of short reviews:

Jase's cascade APA got a bit excited on opening but very drinkable. Cascade aroma was almost overpowering (I suspect from the over-carbonation) but nice flavours once it settled for an hour in the fridge before the second glass.

Stickler's Old (Porter style) Impressive for a kit + bits. One of my fav's so far. closer to a black old style than a porter. Nice Choc/coffee highlights. Wish I had another bottle of it.

POL's Vienna Lager Very enjoyable and good to see a true lager. A bit hazy but who's complaining. Hallertau hops and a dry finish (Czech Pils yeast?) - lovely.

Doc's Koelsh A little darker (maltier) and slightly more bitter than I expected. I've only tried one commercial (micro brewery) version but I still preferred Doc's. Easy drinking with a nice clean finish. Cool label.

Nifty's Aussie Pale Ale One of my favourite labels. Well balanced, malty/hoppy and nice 'Coopers' edge to the flavours. Was cooking a bbq while drinking this one and it was spot on. Enjoyed and wanted another.

Duff's Koelsh Nice colour, subtle with just the right balance of malt & hops and a slight fruity overtone. This one is SWMBO's fav so far.

Linz's Oz IPA Nice medium malt flavours but a bit low on bitterness for an IPA IMO. Didn't seem hold a head at all (looked flat) but was still releasing bubbles to the end. No effect on taste/mouthfeel however and went down well.

Gough's Amber Ale III Great amber colour and thick malty flavours. Quite a heavy bodied ale with complex aftertastes. SWMBO thought it had a slight molasses aftertaste. Hops were just right - detectable without getting in the way. Good one for a cool night. Great effort.

More to follow when I bring notes from home. :chug:

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