VIC 2013 July Case Swap - tasting thread

[GrumpyPaul]

[SIZE=medium]#11 Yob’s – English *******[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]“Ello Guvnor what have we got ‘ere then”.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Appearance: Darkish copper colour – a bit on the cloudy side[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Pours: A nice foamy head that sticks around to the end of the glass (very English looking in the glass)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Aroma: Earthy, spicy [/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Taste: Loved the maltyness. Loved the bitterness – not too bitter, but it wasn’t meant to be an ESB, so it was just right. My uneducated palate thinks the balance between malt and bitterness was great.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]English beers are growing on me and becoming a favourite – this beer just reinforces that feeling.[/SIZE]

 

[GrumpyPaul]

[SIZE=medium]IPA’s are becoming a favourite of mine [/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]I know I said that about English beers – lets be realistic, perhaps I should just say “beers are becoming a favourite of mine”. I think that this is the great thing about the swap – for someone like me that doesn’t brew too often you get exposed to a lot of different styles.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]#15 Edaks - Pirates American IPA[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Appearance: Golden Colour – just right for a Pale Ale[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Pours: Nice head – leave a little bit of lacing[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Aroma: Hoppy – as it should be. Floral with Fruit -Tropical fruits perhaps? [/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Taste: Balanced well – the hoppy bitterness that should be there is balanced nicely with the malt. I would agree with some of the other comments I reckon it was at the lower end of the bitterness range for an IPA – but it was still great. Nicely carbed [/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]This is an easy drinking favorite of mine....[/SIZE]

 

[GrumpyPaul]

[SIZE=medium]#6 Breakbeer’s – Black Nelson IPA [/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Appearance: Black – midnight black. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Pours: Creamy off white head that stuck around to the end of the glass.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Aroma: This has some serious complexity to the aroma – I can smell so much in there. But what is interesting is it isn’t a confused mishmash of smells. I can smell the orange citrus, separate to the raisins, separate to the tropical and stone fruits…..WOW. I would be happy to just smell this one.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Taste: But if I have to drink it as well as smell it I will. Looks black but doesn’t taste it. I don’t mind a gimmicky beer – it is intriguing to drink this with your eyes closed and think it was a pale. There is the right amount of maltyness to balance the hoppy bitterness.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Very enjoyable beer – Well done [/SIZE]

 

[GrumpyPaul]

[SIZE=medium]#12 Midnight Brews- American Brown Ale[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Appearance: Clear dark brown with a reddish tinge[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Pours: Creamy off white/tan head[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Aroma: Like someone just mowed the lawn - in a good way (smells in a good way, not that they cut the lawn in a good way). Smells like summer at my Grandma’s – funny how some smells invoke memories ( I used to go round to mow her lawns as a kid)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Taste: Roasty Toasty with thin mouthfeel. Not a lot of bitterness and finishes nice and dry.[/SIZE]

 

[GrumpyPaul]

[SIZE=medium]#9 Wolfmans - Malty Skunk Fart.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]A bit overcarbed – not exactly a gusher but definitely foamed up upon opening and pouring.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Appearance: Reddish Brown colour.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Pours: very heady due to the carbonation a good three finger head. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Aroma: Not much hops aroma just a hint of spice – but I can smell the malt more dominantly.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Taste: Smooth and nicely bittered with a little bit of malty sweetness.[/SIZE]

 

[GrumpyPaul]

[SIZE=medium]#1 Manticle’s- Brown Porter.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]This was the last one for the night on my beer tasting night – what a great way to finish up. As per the earlier advice this was left out of the fridge for most of the night to warm a little.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Appearance: Brown and Dark Ruby Red[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Pours: Offwhite/tan head that stuck around for about half way through the glass.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Aroma: Coffee and toast –maybe some choc vanilla in there too? Hop smell isnt apparent – I assume that’s how its meant to be[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Taste: Nice level of carbonation (not too high) gives it a nice mouthfeel. Chocalate, Caramel and biscuit flavour from the malt is delicious. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]The notes taken are hard to decipher from this point in the night – but I wrote down “This beer taste like jazz music, nice to mellow out to”. I don’t recall writing it but I reckon it sums this beer up really well[/SIZE]

 

[GrumpyPaul]

[SIZE=medium]#10 Shane R’s- Black Saison[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Didn’t get to this one on the tasting night – but it got a run on Grand Final day.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]And yep – as per everyone elses feedback this was a gusher. I opened it and let it sit in the sink to settle a bit – I reckon I lost half the bottle in foam by the time I came back to it.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Appearance: Black with some serious floaties. (could it be this one didn’t fully ferment out before bottling?)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Pours: Massive head creamy tan colour.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Aroma: Nice and Malty. A bit of fruit in there as well.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Taste: It is a shame about the carbonation – I really liked the taste. It would be interesting to taste it properly carbed. I bit roasty – which I assume is coming from the dark malts. Still clean and refreshing – I am getting the impression this is a feature of Saisons.[/SIZE]

 

[GrumpyPaul]

[SIZE=medium]13 DarkFaerytales - Belgian Dark Ale[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]I am starting this one with an apology…. I am really sorry but this wasn’t my thing – I didn’t like it. [/SIZE][SIZE=medium]I have no idea what a Belgian dark is meant to be so it is probably more my ignorance than the beer.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Unfortunately mine was a flat as a tack with no carbonation at all.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Appearance: Really nice colour – dark ruby red[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Pours: Nothing to note due to the lack of carbonation.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Aroma: Smells alcohol-y - is this a “strong”?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Taste: I assume with a bit of carbonation this would taste a lot better. Unfortunately it was a bit liquery, a bit like a fortified wine (port-like) a bit cough medicine like.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Sorry to be so negative …[/SIZE]

 

[GrumpyPaul]

Phew - that took a lot longer than I expected. I guess I should do some work now.

I think I have 3 stouts left to try.

But they might have to wait - I'm not officially doing "Octsober" but I will be easing off the beer for a while so I can fit into my suit for my daughters wedding in November.

Thanks to everyone that participated - It is a shame i didnt get there on the day of the swap to meet you all. But I have thouroughly enjoyed tasting all your beers. I will definitley be joining in a future swap.

Should we start planning the Xmas one soon????

 

[Charst]

Send a PM to all the other swappers - someone might have one left you could retrieve for the Nats.

Try Breakbeer in particular - as the host he would have scored an extra one that he might still have laying around.

PS. I am taking a small amount of credit for this beer. I assume it was made in a keggle made from a "stray" keg I gave you a long way back.....

This beer was mashed in that keg Paul so credit due. The beer was brewed to be swapped so I'd rather a person enjoy the bottle as they've given me one of theirs.
Im still pretty pumped just about State champs and think next year i'll just make sure I have enough left over just in case.

 

[technobabble66]

Finally got to try some with a couple of mates (of mixed connoisseuring abilities):

21 - Polite Czech Pils - JB
Nice clear golden appearance. Decent lacing. Slightly different hops flavour & aroma than i'm used to or were expecting, but in a good way - i was looking forward to trying a homebrew Pilsner, rather than the stock standard commercials. Slightly astringent bitterness. Good head.

19 - Hoegaarden - Grainer
Clear golden appearance also. Great mouthfeel. Slightly too sweet for my mates (?). Nice tartness shining through also, though. Tartness seemed slightly stronger than the original, though not in a bad way. Good lacing. Great head. Subtle orange flavour mid-way through.

20 - Stone & Wood Pacific Ale - micbrew
Deep golden hue. Mild aroma. Great Galaxy flavour shining through - lovely passionfruity elements. Moderate tight head. Great lacing. Slightly thin mouthfeel - maybe due to a more simple malt bill, as per the original? However, the light mouthfeel was also good in a refreshing kinda way. Moderate/minimal bitterness. Excellent brew.
Definitely want the recipe for this.

22 - Two Fat Ducks DSGA - technobabble66
Sadly, after the S&W PA, mine was a bit bland & disappointing :unsure:
Cloudy dark golden. Almost no hop aroma compared to the S&W PA. Similarly on the hop flavour. Somewhat malty. After half a glass, the subtle hops element was more discernable & seemed to match the mild malt flavours. Decent carbonation, maybe a bit too bubbly. Decent head. Highly sessionable, though. One mate commented it was great after a Boags Premium. I think that was meant to be a compliment.

2 - Saison - Charst
Pale, cloudy, golden. Better than any previous (commercial) Belgian tried. Great beer, though maybe not sessionable. Awesome balance. Many subtle flavour elements. No negatives percieved. Good head. Nice lacing. Great yeast character.
As my first introduction to a homebrewed Saison, i was truly impressed by this. I'd love to be able to replicate this one day.


Hope the feedback is constructive.

All the beers i tried were great, & give me a lot to aspire to over the coming years of brewing. And i've still got 16 or so to go!

 

[technobabble66]

18. Shane S - Sparkling Pale Ale with Galaxy
Slightly darker golden colour, Good head that holds well. Slight banana aroma & general fruity aroma.
Great clean, refreshing flavour - good balance with the bitterness. Great mouthfeel. Maybe slightly over carbed.
No fruit flavour obvious, but seems to be part of the subtle balance of flavours.
Slight sour element to the taste.
Overall good sessionable beer.

 

[technobabble66]

10 - Shane R - Black Saison
Whooaaaaa, Nelly!
Gusher, extreme gusher.
Luckily I was next to the jug when I opened it, so poured straight into the jug while still gushing out. The jug ended up with less than an inch of beer & 5 inches of head. However, once it was then poured into the glass it looked totally normal. Head was moderate, though collapsed reasonably quickly.
Colour is obviously black. It doesn't seem cloudy, for what i can tell: transparent, but black.
Aroma - hard to tell. Maybe my nose is not working well today, but i can't smell much. Slight roasty, malty aroma. And a certain odour that i'm beginning to associate with saison yeast. That's a good thing, btw. Can't describe it much better than that, i'm afraid.
Taste - Great balance. Mainly tastes of this light fruity flavour i'm beginning to also associate with saison (yeast) - fruity, slightly banana-ish flavour/aroma. Plus a roasty malt flavour through it. Finishes slightly bitter, rather subtle though & helps keep the balance. Carbonation seems perfectly fine, incidentally.
Mouthfeel seems fine for a sessional saison. Maybe a bit light for a dark ale. Depend what you were aiming for, i s'pose.
Never had a Dark Saison before but this one is great - somewhat similar to Charst's Saison, but with a certain roastiness & slightly more bitterness.
Overall a fantastic beer

Edit: After drinking more of it, i'd say it really is a great beer. If you like dark beers, its definitely sessionable. Tastes kinda like a beer version of coca cola

 

[technobabble66]

3 - Fikuss - Dunkelweizen

Low carbonation - hopefully I haven't served it too cold. No head at all.

Great colour, quite dark but not black. Maybe slightly less dark than the other couple of the other Dunkelweizens i've had.

Great aroma - that great combination of roasted malts plus the banana elements from the wheat yeast.

Flavour is similarly great. Again a combination of more roasted malts - toasted, earthy & fruity, maybe a bit spicy - plus the wheat yeast elements - slightly banana-ish. Slight refreshing tartness from the wheat. I'd possibly prefer slightly more of that tartness, but maybe this is a more sessional version. Balance generally seems good.
Mouthfeel is good to light. Again, maybe slightly less than the other few DW's i've had. And again, maybe this slight thinner or drier version is more sessionable.

My wife says it tastes like a non-salty version of Marmite. Please ignore that. Mind you, considering the ingredients of Marmite, maybe that's not such a bad thing!

Overall - another great swap beer.

I think i'm becoming a big fan of Dunkelweizens. Subsequently, this recipe is will now be required reading.

 

[technobabble66]

15 - Edak - Pirates American IPA

Carbonation roughly perfect for me - about mid-range. Produces a decent tight head but not too much. Head holds well but collapses a bit after a few minutes.

Colour is good. Slightly dark copper - maybe my glass is a bit thick. Mainly transparent, but a little opaque.

Aroma is mild - possibly the consequence of spending too long in the bottle before tasting. This could also be my nose. Mild fruit & caramel elements.

Flavour is great. Nice balance. Flavour reflects aroma - tropical fruit (bit of pineapple…simcoe?) & citrus, and caramel/toffee elements, with an undertone i can't place, though i suspect it might come from the yeast(?) or maybe the crystal-hops interplay. Less overt smack-my-bitch-up hop flavour than i was expecting. Bitterness is a bit more noticeable, but still moderate & smooth. I find many IPAs too bitter compared to the other flavours/elements - poor balance - but this is perfect for me.
Mouthfeel is also spot on. The warmth(?) from the alcohol also forms a nice part of the overall balance.

Goes very well with "You Only Live Twice" - lots of intrigue in the southern japanese islands. The caramel/toffee notes cut well through spicy noodle soup.

Yet another great case swap beverage.
I'd be curious to see the recipe to get an idea how you've achieved certain aspects of this.
Drinking the 2nd glass, i'm really happy with this. I'd love to replicate it, maybe with a little more hoppy aroma.

 

[technobabble66]

6 breakbeer - Black Nelson IPA

Colour is black, obviously, but transparent. So nice "clarity" i guess
Mild tight head formed, but collapsed fairly soon. However, on drinking, the carbonation seems perfect.

Aroma - Sadly not much on the hop aroma front - faded over time, given the earlier reviews. Malts, particularly the more roasted notes, come through moderately. As per previous reviews, this could be my nose, or the fact i've left these for a few months too long (& this was in PET) perhaps. For a non-stout/porter the roasted malt aromas (from toasted to raisin tones) are really nice. I'm guessing the Nelson hops blend into the raisin elements of the aroma.

Flavour - Great. Really happy with the flavour. Nice balance with the flavour elements. Bitterness stands out slightly for my tastes particularly in a lingering manor, though seems entirely appropriate for an IPA. Flavour notes reflect the aroma - fruity raisin & citrusy notes mixed with the more toasted malt flavours. Again, i think the Nelson probably blends in with these flavours so its not standing out, but elevating this fruity malt element.
Great mouthfeel, etc. I personally like the lighter, non-stout body this has. Definitely not thin, just a good lighter level.

The second glass brings out the fruit element a bit more. The bitterness blends into the background a bit more, though it still lingers. The fruitiness from the Nelson & malts definitely stands out a bit more in both the aroma & flavour. Quite an impressive brew. I love malt flavours, especially darker malts. I love hoppy flavours. Black IPAs should probably a natural choice for me. This has definitely made a very favourable impression of this style. The more i drink it, the more i love it!

Overall - fantastic beer. Not sure what to expect from a Black IPA, but i really liked this. Kinda a different take on a Dark Ale. Love the malt elements & how i think the Nelson works with them - malts & roast malts with a slight fruit tingle. I personally would tone the bitterness down just a fraction, but i know many would dig this slightly prominent bitterness.

Oh, fwiw, i think this is at least as good as Kooinda's Black IPA, if not better.

Another recipe i need to peruse, Glen. Big ups, dude.

 

[technobabble66]

11 Yob - English something bastardised (WY1318)

Colour - Nice deep dark copper. Not quite crystal clear, but close. Great tight head that drops down a bit after a couple of minutes but still lingers. Good lacing.

Aroma - Really nice. Moderate levels. Mainly caramel tones with a subtle delicate hoppy fruity undertone. Maybe a slight hint of the yeast

Flavour - Really great clean taste. Mouthfeel is very good. Carbonation seems perfect for me - slightly on the lower side. Same flavour elements as the aroma, maybe the tiniest hint of the fruity/rasiny flavours from the malts. No huge malt hit - bit more subtle, but still good. No obvious hop hit … wow, that must've been tough for you Yob! h34r: Balance seems good. The bitterness has a little more bite than i personally prefer & it lingers, but i know Yob likes a few more IBUs than me - did someone say English Bitter?. Great potential as a sessionable. Seemed a little like a Golden Ale from my experience - moderate but noticeable malts with some subtle hops presence. Big tick!

Overall - Fanstasic beer. I really like the overall effect of the flavours - a nice blend & balance. Another i'd love the recipe for - though i'd personally drop a couple of IBUs ;-)

 

[technobabble66]

1 - Manticle - Brown Porter

Appearance - Black, though brown held up to the light. Seems transparent. Gushed on opening, poured into the glass to form a decent thick head that held for a good a few minutes.

Aroma - great toasty malty smell, with a slight bready (maybe yeasty) element.

Taste - Awesome flavour. Very impressive range of caramelly malted flavours working up to the more darker, chocolatey malt flavours, but without the more astringent/bitter roast tones i find in stouts. I love stouts, but it's great to have something with this malt spectrum without that strong bitterness. Fantastic balance of malts & smooth bitterness. Great mouthfeel - silky but dry, full but not thick (like a stout). Maybe a whisker over-carbed, but that's splitting hairs a bit. Interesting that it has a nice range of strong malt flavours, but nothing particularly stands out to overly dominate. Nice lasting lingering flavour of roasted malts. Yummo!

Overall - truly fantastic beer. Great example of a porter - exhibiting much of the malt aspects of a stout without the heaviness. Very good potential as a sessional - well, maybe not a full sessional, but i could definitely sink quite a few of these babies. I can see why we got Mants to consult on the recipe for the Case Swap stout. I definitely need the recipe!

 

[technobabble66]

4 - Stout - Meathead.

Sadly, this was not only labeled DSGA (which i kinda knew was not correct) but was labelled with a "3".
Anyways, i cracked it straight out of the fridge. Discovered it definitely was meathead's stout (saw his name as i put down the cracked cap - oh, timing). Bugger.

Appearance - Definitely very black. almost no light through it - dark deep ruby tan when held close to the light. Poured a small tan head into the glass, which faded slowly over a minute or two.

The initial impressions from here are kinda all wrong - given it's several degrees cooler than it should've be.
So, obviously the aroma was very subdued & the flavour was slightly bigger. Some sense of the roasted malts coming out in the flavour, slight liquorice taste at the end. Low carbonation.The bitterness is very mild - maybe a few points more could be ideal, but i actually really like this version of stout. I'm obviously a bit less desensitised to paint-stripping bitterness compared to some of the AHB'ers, so this mightn't be to everyone's tastes, but i like this different take on a typically rather bitter style. Mouthfeel is good - smooth, somewhat dry.

After letting it warm up:
Head was a bit tighter and darker.
A little spicier in the aroma. A little fruitiness & spice in the flavour, maybe a hint of chocolate. Bitterness also stands out a fraction more. The low carbonation works well (obviously suits the style) - brings out the malt flavours a bit more. Slight sweetness perhaps at the end, also. The balance seems very good - dry with a slight hint of sweetness, full malt flavour with a good mouthfeel & a moderate bitterness.

Overall - fantastic stout - great, balanced range of flavours. I really enjoyed this one & would love to see the recipe.

 

[technobabble66]

17 - Cherry Ripe Porter - GrumpyPaul

Gusher!
Obviously poured a bit of a tan head which faded pretty quickly
Very dark, though not as dense black as the last 2 stouts i've had. Dark brown when held to the light.

Aroma - Generally a bit mild. Caramel aroma. Roasted malts. Maybe a little bready.

Flavour - Dark malt flavours, with a certain tartness to it - i had a similar tartness in an Italian stout not long ago (Cittavecchia's Karnera) & i have to admit, i quite like it. I have no idea where it's from - wheat? Or maybe it's the cherries in this one. For me, the tartness seems to take the place of the bitterness slightly, or maybe compliments it. Moderate to slightly strong bitterness, with maybe a bit of kick from the roasted malts. Good mouthfeel, rather dry with low carbonation. I can't detect the cherries, sadly - cherry ripe is a favourite of mine so i was keen to be drinking this. Can definitely get a bit of chocolate out of it. Plus that typical toasted, slightly burnt malt flavour for porters & stouts.

Overall - great porter. Very curious to see the recipe to find out the balance of malts, and where that tartness comes from.