Sandpeoples Ahb Xmas Case 2005

[deebee]

Thanks for those kind words Asher. The truth is that my labels bore little resemblance to reality and it was actually a partial + extract + adjunct brew. Might as well clear up a small misunderstanding about my other christmas case beer while I'm at it, too. Please read this, as posted about a month ago while you were on hollerdy...

I made up my labels while I was away from my recipes so I kind of just made them up as I went along. There were a few errors which I thought I would clear up now.

Stockingfiller Pale Ale is not made out of a lovingly hand selected beer kit as the label might suggest. It was
1.5kg JW pils malt
250g Weyermann caramunich
250g honey
1.3kg DME
bittered with northern brewer
flavoured/aromaed with EKG
half a tab whirlfloc
Scottish Ale yeast

While I'm at it, I think I got the label for Bongwater Black completely wrong too by suggesting they were English hops, so here are the ingredients for that:
670g JW Traditional Pale Ale Malt
500g Hoepfner Rauchmalt
330g Weyermann Caramunich
200g JW Export Pils
Coopers Dark Ale kit
27g US cascade pellets 5.4% at flameout
Half a tablet of whirlfoc
Scottish Ale yeast.

[post="96880"][/post]​

Sorry 'bout that chief.

 

[Asher]

O'h well - doesn't take antyhing away from a good beer though.....

 

[barfridge]

Up tonight was Sinkas' "Les Chants Des Maldoror".
The most striking thing about this beer was the head retention. At 10.8% it's quite definitely on the large side, but I poured one glass from a jug at 9pm, and at 10:15 when I went to refill it there was still a half inch of head floating on top. Great work mate, what's the secret?

It's still quite young, but quite drinkable. A little on the sweet side, but that's hardly surprising, and will improve with age. Lovely plummy and raisiny notes, with distinct port flavours. Not as much warming alcohol flavour as I was expecting.

All up, a great effort, you should be proud of this one mate. :super: :beer:

 

[sinkas]

Thanks for the reveiw Barf,

Unfoortunatly I think I may have ruined the rest of this batch, by stoing them in my un insulated house while away at christmas, I have tried 2 now, adn they both seem to have lost most of thier complexity and tase ratehr bland.. oh well.

As for the head retintion, I think its probably the wheat extract and the steeped torrified wheat.

Case

 

[sinkas]

Upsized demon ale:

GL's extra big dog ale, was served as at Austrlaia Day breakfast.

Big and pungent, and plenty of bitterness, I was hoping that the amazing hop aroma may still be evident, but alas much of it had vanished, thanks to my uninsulated asbestos lagering room. A complex and contemplative ale with malt and hops falvours galore, unforutunatley a complete loss on people who drink carlton midstrength, and claim that Crownies are the best beer in the world..

Case

 

[deebee]

Umm, fellas...

Isn't this LAST year's Christmas case topic, huh?

 

[JasonY]

Moved them Dave, they were in the wrong thread

 

[Goat]

Well - better late than never...

Due to dwindling stocks (haven't brewed for a couple of months), I decided that the planets were sufficiently aligned for me sample the Upsized Demon Ale on Saturday night. I think it was the brief appearance at Mash Brewery that inspired me.

I have to say at the outset that my notes from that evening deteriorated considerably over the hour or so it took, and indeed - you'll all be relieved to hear, the last line is lost to us all.

The bottle had been sitting in the fridge since it was brought home. That may explain the somewhat understated popping of the cork thingy.

The clarity on pouring was quite stunning (naturally, I'm putting that down to the pouring technique, no other factors), it poured crystal clear with a beautiful warm deep golden/brown vibrant glow with reddish windows when held up to the light. There was no appreciable head - understandable given the alcohol I guess.

The rich nose was raisiny / vinous / fruity, with only a hint of hop and alcohol seriousness which was to follow.

My first, and all subsequent tastes were a sensation. It was ENORMOUS. The rich, full bodied, very slightly sweet, fruity, malty front end very soon gave way to the hop wollop which, if I close my eyes, I can still feel. It had the power and depth of a huge Belgian, but the bitter backbone brought it back to more like an (Imperial) ESB. The hops were not crisp and vibrant, but were more slow and forceful.

One thing that was quite remarkable to me was that once the considerable hop flavour and bitterness had subsided, there was a quite clear malty flavour left to ponder on - it was fantastic.

The alcohol was definitely evident, but certainly didn't overpower the other flavours. In fact, it was uncanny how each different component of the beer seemed to dominate all at once. Distinct but homogenous at the same time.

This was a seriously good beer Simon, very well done.

It was one of the best beers I have ever drunk and I would very happily pay top dollar for it at the bottle shop.

Have you done the 2006 vintage yet?

 

[Vlad the Pale Aler]

I am saving mine for the Australia vs England world cup final.

 

[Guest Lurker]

Have you done the 2006 vintage yet?

[post="117946"][/post]​

Missed this post, man this site is busy these days. Thanks very much Lincoln, I tried one the other day and it has dropped bright, which is odd cos I usually find the highly hopped ones never quite clear. It feels odd when you pull the cork out, but people are conditioned to champagne levels of pop, which is way higher than beer carbonation. The 2006 vintage will be the leftovers from the 2005 vintage, just a bit older. I am so happy with your review I will drop one off next time I go past. Mind you it is cheating a bit when the taster has no choice but to get pissed if they want to sample the whole champagne bottle.

 

[Guest Lurker]

I am saving mine for the Australia vs England world cup final.

[post="118155"][/post]​

Jeez Vlad, you could just come clean and admit you have no plans of drinking it. Australia has a chance of the final, but England??

 

[deebee]

Reading Lincoln's review makes me keen to crack my last bottle of Upsized Demon, but I am saving it (and a lovely little Havana cigar) for when we sell our house.

 

[Goat]

Can I smell a 'brewery warming' coming up Dave?

 

[JasonY]

Saving mine for a nice cool winters night

Where are you moving Dave?

 

[deebee]

Moving vaguely west and north.

No new breweries in sight but nearly offered on a place in Wembley Downs ... it had a cellar with plumbing and electricity!!

 

[THE DRUNK ARAB]

... it had a cellar with plumbing and electricity!!

[post="118418"][/post]​

I just knew WA would finally get these essential services, well done.

Good luck with the house deebee.

And GL's beer sounds fantastic!

C&B
TDA

 

[deebee]

Upsized Demon Ale consumed Saturday 24 June2006, tasting notes:

This beer must be old enough now Ive had it more than six months and it must have been a few months old then and I have been very good to keep it this long without giving in until tonight. It opened with a little more gas than the last bottle, but still not much more than a surprised gasp leaving all-spice in the air. It is brighter than before, a coppery shade of prune juice, with a thin head that never quite disappears, despite the heavy alcohol in this beer. The aroma is huge: caramel, malt, a leafy kind of hops scent and spicy fruit, maybe apricot, brandied plums, raisins. It is luscious to sip, smooth and creamy in the mouth, not gluggy like i described before and with a cleansing freshness. The extra time in the bottle hasnt noticeably dried this beer out or softened its searing bitterness. I cant fault the balance though. Hard to remember from before, but if it has changed, it is probably that it has melded together better. I dont notice grainy flavours like I think I remember from before, but hell there is so much hops presence in the flavour aroma and unrelentinng bitterness, not diminished one bit. And alcohol that stands up and smacks you in the gob, not a particularly sensible beer, Captain. I love this style and this is fine example, built like an All Black, a mighty beer.

 

[Guest Lurker]

Upsized Demon Ale consumed Saturday 24 June2006, tasting notes:

This beer must be old enough now Ive had it more than six months and it must have been a few months old then

16 months old now. The hop aroma and flavour are almost completely absent. Still only a moderate hiss, on uncorking. But there is enough bitterness for the malt character which has aged very nicely, reddish amber, with christmas cake oxidation flavours, bready, caramel, raisiny, plumy, and still a little US hop resin hanging around. This was a beer best drunk either a month after bottling when the hops were still there, or 2 years after bottling, when the hops didnt interfere with the aged malt.

 

[Vlad the Pale Aler]

So I'll wait another 8 months before I crack the one sitting on the sideboard.

 

[Vlad the Pale Aler]

Les Chants de Maldoror

I was planning on having this with some nice Xmas cake (as opposed to shite Xmas cake), lobbed it in the freezer to quick chill, and left for a couple of days.
The bottle didn't burst which tells us something about the alcohol content and I don't know if the beer was harmed or not but it seemed to survive.
Clear, deep ruby colour, thick white head that soon faded, big alcohol upfront, lots of stonefruit and raisins, a bit thin in body.
All up a nice big Belgian that survived its accidental cryogenic adventure quite well.