OK, this post is written without knowing the particular numbers of who's beers I've consumed over the past few days, but I do know the beers and who brewed them, so here goes...
11. Frogman's Banana Wheat Beer
The beer in the bottle didn't do the beer in the keg justice. The beer I sampled on Swap night was fresh, flavoursome and drinking brilliantly. The beer I had in the bottle suffered because it was filled from a keg, and also because the style demands the beer should be drunk fresh and unfortunately I have left my run at this beer a tad too late. I'm a fan of this beer because it is a K&K based beer. IMHO brewing should be accessible to anyone who wants to turn out a tasty brew in whatever manner they decide to persue, and this beer delivers. The methodology is simple (a kit, some dextrose, a couple of mashed up bananas in a stocking, the right amount of water and some wheat yeast) and it turns out a tasty drop. AndrewQLD's comments about colour and lack of lacing are valid, but for the beer it is I think it is a great base beer to point a beginner brewer towards. This brew will get a run at the So... Buttons! brewery before the end of summer....
CB's 4/8 AIPA
On drinking this beer, I recalled the words uttered in my ear by Jim Azotea, who was a judge at the BABB's Annual comp, is a brewer from New Jersey USA and was asked to judge the American Ale class for the BABB's annual club comp. His overall impression was that the beers he tasted had overused hops instead of getting their water chemistry right to bump up the "perceived bitterness" of the beer. One of the indicators of this is a a resinous taste that comes through in the beer, and this is what I got with the 4/8 AIPA. I'd say that the water chemistry (wrt Ph and using carbonates rather than sulphates to achieve this) combined with dialling back the hop regime would improve this. Having said that, the Leftovers AIPA on the keg I tried of yours was a completely drinkable beer that I am sure will make it's way onto the "To brew" list at some stage. The difference between the two was that you could have one or maybe two of the 4/8, whereas the Leftovers was a VERY sessionable beer. Enough said...
Bradbrew's Northern Brown
I liked this beer, but the only ?-mark I had about it was the hop levels - this beer seemed to be a bit too over-the-top wrt to it's hoppiness for the style. I would have expected that the hops would have provided more of a background flavour to the beer rather than having a pronounced flavour/aroma impact. I managed to source some bottles of Sam Smiths Nut Brown Ale, and this difference between the SS NBA and the swap beer is like comparing a traditional English IPA to a feral American IPA. Maybe you've come up with a new style Brad - an American Northern Brown Ale? Better use an American C-hop for bitterness next time just to make the style description more pronounced... :icon_cheers:
BribieG's Toucan Headbanger Stout...
OK, so I've had this beer before a couple of times... The Bottle I have just consumed isn't from the swap but it is the same beer. I'm also trying to remember the details about the previously consumed beer from three or four days ago after having a couple of glasses of red over dinner (heresy, I know... ), and then having consumed a longneck of BribieG's finest as a night-cap
h34r: . But the reality is this...
F&*! it is a good drop! :beerbang:
Anyone who can make brewing simple and can turn out a beer that is the equal or superior of what one can buy off the shelf at their local bottle-o is an absolute star. BribieG would have to be the master at this, and his swap beer is a classic example of the care, love and skill he brings to the art of brewing. Sure, someone can claim to brew a better AG stout that would score an extra point or two over this effort but I am quite happily trashed on this atm and I could give a fat rats clacker about anyone who wants to argue the toss about the fact that this is a kit beer. I'd be a happy man if this was the olny beer I could drink between now and meeting my maker because I wouldn't have to put up with mega-swill crap, and I'd be certain of the result wrt flavour and the net result regarding my innebriation. Which reminds me, I am up way pst my bed time on a school night.
Good night world, this has been the ramblings of GravityGuru.
PS - Chappo, if you are looking for your dodgy Chinese hops, you'll find them where you left your pants.
