Sydney Easter Case Swap - Drinking Reports

[Bizier]

A battle ensues with hops fighting manfully against the stronger, sweeter alcohol notes. I think the alcohol wins. Hell of a beer, a bit out of balance, but a hell of a beer.

Cheers Grant, I really think it could have done with more early hops. I have my eye on the Pliny clone in JZ's book "hop monster"... 57g each Warrior and Chinook at 90 mins. After tasting mine, I really had to back down from the "Imperial" title. I might do the hop monster or something similar for the next swap.

ED: thanks for the valuable feedback

 

[Josh]

7. Muggus - Brutus Belgian Ale, 6.0%, WLP500, bottled 16/3/09

Wow. Love this beer. Spicy phenolic aromas and flavours and finishes nice and dry making me want to drink more. Just another beer from you Muggus that I can't get enough of.

 

[Josh]

6. Thommo - Pale Ale
Light colour, light body good carbonation. It was an alright beer, but I picked up a bit of funkiness. Not sure what it is, but there's some sort of twang going on there. I still finished the bottle

Is there two number 6s?

Drinking another 6. Which is most definitely an American Pale Ale. The freshest of hop aroma and flavour and a delight to drink. I'll guess Chinook hops as it is exactly the same flavour as the smell coming off my Chinook cones on the vine. A lovely beer, well done Thommo I think?

 

[Josh]

11. grantw - Heart Attack Porter (Wyeast 1028) 5.2% - drink after easter

Dark with red highlights, thin tan head. Nice malt, creamy texture. Really drinkable porter this. I am enjoying it a lot.

 

[Bizier]

Grantw - 11 - Heart Attack Porter

Pours a light black with great ruby highlights

Nose was a little full on at first, probably because the first pour was about 16 degrees in a small portion as the rest chilled further in the freezer. Strong plum pudding and raisin, chocolate liqueur, also a slight solvent.

Mouthfeel is a fantastic medium, not exactly dry nor sticky or slick, slides down beautifully and leaves a sense that beer has been consumed, but also welcomes more.

Taste is initially sweet, but is backed up by spiciness, rye cracker, toast, prune and plum, also something like condensed milk in there. I really enjoyed the restrained hops (EKG?) backing the roast up just enough to even the keel in a reasonably sweet beer and adding to the fruit medley.

I really enjoyed this beer, and I think it is a great take on the style, plus I am normally a baltic or bitter or dry roasty porter person. I was more impressed with this than the porters I had yesterday at the ANZAC thing at the taphouse. It was interesting that there was a questionable millisecond in both aroma and taste, but was intantly overcome. I assume you pushed the yeast a little on this for ester production? Marvellous balance and drinkability, I would buy this beer if it were commercial. Cheers Grant.

 

[Gulpa]

8. DiscoStu - Scottish 80/-, Wy1728 Scottish Ale

Pours a dark amber/light brown colour. Hazy. Nice head. Aroma is very smokey and something else i cant put my finger on. Flavour is similar, smokeyness covers other flavours. Note sure if this is smoked malt or something the yeast is throwing.

Cheers
Andrew.

 

[DiscoStu]

8. DiscoStu - Scottish 80/-, Wy1728 Scottish Ale

Pours a dark amber/light brown colour. Hazy. Nice head. Aroma is very smokey and something else i cant put my finger on. Flavour is similar, smokeyness covers other flavours. Note sure if this is smoked malt or something the yeast is throwing.

Cheers
Andrew.

No smoked malt in the grain bill, it's all coming from the yeast. Haziness is due to the fact that I forgot the Irish moss which I seem to do on about 1 in 3 brews, even highlighted it in bright green on the brew sheet.


4.35 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (5.9 EBC) Grain 85.45 %
0.25 kg Amber Malt (43.3 EBC) Grain 4.91 %
0.12 kg Chocolate Malt (800.0 EBC) Grain 2.36 %
0.02 kg Roasted Barley (1350.0 EBC) Grain 0.39 %
30.00 gm Goldings, East Kent [5.10 %] (60 min) Hops 14.9 IBU
15.00 gm Goldings, East Kent [5.10 %] (30 min) Hops 5.7 IBU
1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min) Misc
0.35 kg Brown Sugar, Light (15.8 EBC) Sugar 6.89 %
1 Pkgs Scottish Ale (Wyeast Labs #1728) [Starter 500 ml] Yeast-Ale


Cheers
Stu

 

[Muggus]

7. Muggus - Brutus Belgian Ale, 6.0%, WLP500, bottled 16/3/09

Wow. Love this beer. Spicy phenolic aromas and flavours and finishes nice and dry making me want to drink more. Just another beer from you Muggus that I can't get enough of.

Wow what a rap! Thanks Josh!
To be honest, I wasn't too sure how this one would turn out and really did alot of ummming and ahhhing about submitting it in the swap.

 

[Gulpa]

No smoked malt in the grain bill, it's all coming from the yeast. Haziness is due to the fact that I forgot the Irish moss which I seem to do on about 1 in 3 brews, even highlighted it in bright green on the brew sheet.

Thanks Stu,

It seems that yeast can give quite varying results.

cheers
Andrew.

 

[Muggus]

Brew: 15. Syd 03 - IPA- 6.4%
Date: 27/4/09
Beer info: Brown 750ml Coopers crownseal bottle white cap "IPA/15"

Sampling notes:
Served chilled in pint.
Good opening and pour. Nice inch of fairly thick white foam that seems to wanna hang around. Body is amber with a consistent haze.
Reasonably subdued aroma. Some bitter citrus/marmaladey hop sharpness in there, bready yeast note and a slight malt sweetness.
Moderate carbonation, medium bodied, quite smooth most the way, gets a bit metallic towards the end.
A hop presense on the body, bit of grapefruit, bitter orange, earthy/leaf spice. Malt body gives a slight toffeeish character and balances out nicely. Bready yeast note makes an appearance towards a somewhat sharp bitter finish.
Quite nice besides the metallic note on the finish. Alcohol is well hidden, probably lacking the malt body and/or hop character of an IPA though. Good stuff either way Syd. Cheers!

 

[white.grant]

11. grantw - Heart Attack Porter (Wyeast 1028) 5.2% - drink after easter

Dark with red highlights, thin tan head. Nice malt, creamy texture. Really drinkable porter this. I am enjoying it a lot.

Grantw - 11 - Heart Attack Porter

Pours a light black with great ruby highlights

Nose was a little full on at first, probably because the first pour was about 16 degrees in a small portion as the rest chilled further in the freezer. Strong plum pudding and raisin, chocolate liqueur, also a slight solvent.

Mouthfeel is a fantastic medium, not exactly dry nor sticky or slick, slides down beautifully and leaves a sense that beer has been consumed, but also welcomes more.

Taste is initially sweet, but is backed up by spiciness, rye cracker, toast, prune and plum, also something like condensed milk in there. I really enjoyed the restrained hops (EKG?) backing the roast up just enough to even the keel in a reasonably sweet beer and adding to the fruit medley.

I really enjoyed this beer, and I think it is a great take on the style, plus I am normally a baltic or bitter or dry roasty porter person. I was more impressed with this than the porters I had yesterday at the ANZAC thing at the taphouse. It was interesting that there was a questionable millisecond in both aroma and taste, but was intantly overcome. I assume you pushed the yeast a little on this for ester production? Marvellous balance and drinkability, I would buy this beer if it were commercial. Cheers Grant.

Thanks Guys, glad you enjoyed it. 1068 is a great little yeast and does all the hardwork.

cheers

grant

 

[Muggus]

Brew: 3. Josh - Oktoberfest
Date: 27/4/09
Beer info: Brown 750ml Coopers crownseal bottle gold cap "3" 6% - Wyeast 2308 - Bottled 03/04

Sampling notes:
Served chilled in pint.
Though i'd crack open something festive for what is (according to my logs) officially the 250th homebrew i've tried and tested to date.
Big psst upon opening, had to keep an eye on it as it slowly rushed up the neck. A slow pour rewards me with a tall, thick creamy white head atop a lively looking burnished gold body. Clarity is quite good.
Aroma is exceptionally grain-like, reminisant of the smell of freshly cracked pilsner grain. Quite sweet and husky cereal, slight doughy undertone, only an afterthought of floral hop.
Good creamy carbonation, smooth texture, body is quite full but possibly a bit lean for the style. Clean overall palate.
Flavours become more refined and focused on the body. Sweet biscuity malts, light caramel, honey and golden syrup, vanilla, a touch of pepper and cinamon. I really get the impression of taking a bite of something like a sponge cake when eating it, without the huge sweetness. Finishes with a touch of bready yeast and floral hop, drying things out lending to a mild bitterness.
Really a style I haven't had a chance to try a great deal of, and am quickly finding a variation amongst. I'd guess this would be a paler example, really nice focused pale malt character that is quite often overlooked in beers for darker grains. Very enjoyable Josh. Definately something i'm considering brewing this winter!

 

[schooey]

9. Schooey - Belgian Pale Ale, WY3522, 5.1% ABV, bottled 3/4/09, Don't drink until at least the scond week in May

Whoops!

I take it you wanted the smokey character to ease up a little bit Schooey? It's a little too up front right now so take heed, don't open yours now. That being said it's a well made beer and I bet when it ages more it'll be an absolute ripper.

I haven't tried one yet, Josh, so I'm not sure about the smokey flavour. There is nothing in the grain bill that should contribute towards this, so maybe it's a yeast characteristic.. I used the Ardennes yeast, having never used it before, so maybe someone can shed some light on whether it is known for throwing those type of flavours?

I was more getting at carb levels with the waiting thing. After my last two bottled beers ended up being over carbonated, I erred on the side of caution when bulk priming this one. I figure it probably still has a week or two to get to the carbonation level i wanted. I expect the one you tried wasn't that well carbed?

Cheers for the feedback anyway, Josh, much appreciated. I might whack one in the fridge to try over the next week and see what I find

 

[caleb]

Number 6 - Pale Ale

:icon_cheers:

Pours a nice deep amber red color with a creamy head.

There is an earthy, herbal aroma I'd associate with Fuggles or similar hops. The taste is initially malty with licorice and crystal malt flavors, followed by a slightly earthy herbal English hops taste - Fuggles, or perhaps Willamette?

I found this a little like a JS Amber Ale, but more bitter with a licorice/crystal flavor and less "nutty". Overall a very pleasant beer to drink.

Summary:
A nice English brown ale style beer, with a herbal aroma and flavor.

 

[caleb]

15 Syd03 - IPA

This beer has a nice deep copper color with a creamy head which leaves good lacing down the glass as it is drunk.

The aroma is quite mild, however the flavor is something else entirely. It is very floral and aromatic, almost perfume-like in flavor. This flavor is actually quite reminiscent of James Squire IPA in this regard, but it is even more floral and perfume-ey. It is also quite bitter, but suprisingly clean on the palette afterwards. However, I think the hops are slightly overdone here and the floral note could be cut back a bit as the overall impression was slightly out of balance. I am curious to know exactly what was done here though, as you mentioned Fuggles being used, but was that all? Were they just boiled in water for 20 minutes then mixed in with the kit?

I understand this is based on a Coooper's kit, but it is quite original and stands up very well to the other beers in the swap. Extra hop additions have made this different from the standard can recipe, and it shows a perfectly good beer can be made with a kit can as the base.

There was a very very slight medicinal taste in the background, barely perceptable. However, maybe pay close attention to sanitation in the future to stop this errupting into a full blown infection...

Summary:
A floral, perfumey IPA with plenty of late hops and an example of a good kit beer.

 

[caleb]

:icon_vomit:

It is with great sadness and disappointment that I must report on beers:

7. Brutus Belgian Ale
8. Scottish 80/
9. Belgian Pale Ale

They are all infected with an overpowering medicinal taste - the classic band-aids/iodine/antiseptic flavor which I have experienced in a batch of my own as well.

Sorry guys, I don't think I can finish any of these, and the band-aid flavor overpowers anything else so I can't really say much more about them.

Sorry. Always remember - cleanliness is next to beer-godliness...

 

[Muggus]

Brew: 14. Caleb - English ESB - "Easter Swap Beer"/Extra Special Bitter
Date: 28/4/09
Beer info: Brown 750ml Coopers crownseal bottle gold cap "ESB" S-04, 6.4% ABV Bottled 24/3/09

Sampling notes:
Served moderately chilled in pint.
Good opening, pours a small offwhite head atop a hazy copper body.
Nice aroma, good balance between hop and malt; citrus marmalade, earthy spices, some ripe stone fruits competing with sweet biscuit, toffee and honey malts. Faint spicy bread note in the background.
Solid body drives home the abv, carbonation is nice and low, sticky malt texture.
Nice sweet malt upfront, honey, biscuit, golden syrup. Hops come in later on, bit of grass, spice, slight woodiness and grapefruit/bitter orange zestiness. Finish is quite well rounded, moderate bitterness with a lingering sweetness.
A tasty drop Caleb. Nice malt and hop flavours, possibly a touch underbittered for my liking, but very good nonetheless. Cheers!


Brew: 11. grantw - Heart Attack Porter
Date: 28/4/09
Beer info: Brown 750ml twisttop bottle gold cap "11" (Wyeast 1028) 5.2%

Sampling notes:
Served moderately chilled in pint.
Loud pop. Pours a ruby highlighted black body with a collar of light tan head foam hanging around.
Robust roasted malt nose. Plenty of mocha coffee, roasted nuts, meaty grain husk, charcoal and wood, vinous dark fruits, spicy rye bread.
Full body, rich layered texture, carbonation reasonably low. Grain astrigencies subdued, quite a smooth ride.
Nice well-rounded flavour, plenty of malt in there. Nuts, burnt toffee, charred wood, mild roast coffee, cereal husk, undertones of liquorice vinous berries and earthy spice. Finishes moderately bitter, aftertaste of dark grain bread.
Yum, what a lovely dark ale. Smooth, superb balance, flavour is certainly enough to entice without going overboard. Love it Grant!

 

[caleb]

On a more positive note:

<b>11 - Heart Attack Porter</b>

:icon_drool2:

Oh yeah! This opened with a big "phzzt", and poured with a lovely deep ruby red/black color with a creamy coffee colored head.

This is quite a complex beer, with delicious toffee, chocolate and caramel flavors melting into the lovely malty sweetness. As I savor it I am remined of coffee creams. It is sweet and satisfying, like that jar of lollies your grandfather used to keep on the shelf. If there is such a thing as "comfort beer" then this is one.

Fuggles (I think?) were the perfect hop choic here - well blended and balanced. The hops don't jump out at you here, but then in this sort of beer they shouldn't. They are just a balancing bitterness in the background to compliment all those lovely malty flavors floating around upfront. This beer is definitely all about the malt, as a porter should be.

I really enjoyed this beer, and think it is honestly as good as anything I've had. I could favorably compare it to the James Squire Porter, or perhaps Lord Nelson's "Nelson's Blood". If this were available as a commercial beer, I would definitely buy it when in the mood for a dark porter type beer. First class effort.

<b>Summary:</b>
A wonderful sweet malty example of the porter style ale, and as good as anything you could buy.

 

[white.grant]

Gosh, thanks Muggus and Caleb. Glad you enjoyed it.

cheers

grant

 

[Gulpa]

7. Muggus - Brutus Belgian Ale, 6.0%, WLP500

I was curious so I put this one in the fridge tonight.

Pours Amber with redish tinge. Nice creamy head that falls down and laces. Hazy. Aroma is belgian phenols, coffeeish malt with some fruityness coming through. Flavour is similar, quite yeasty with the coffeeish malt standing out on the finish. A touch of spicyness/ginger/apple. Medium/high carb. Bitterness is unobtrusive. This beer is quite savoury and dry with the dryness masking any base malt flavours. For my tastes, I would prefer a touch more body. Nice beer, thanks Mike.

My bottle was not infected. It certainly has some belgian funk but it didnt detract from the other flavours that are present.

cheers
ANdrew.