VIC 2013 July Case Swap - tasting thread

[Midnight Brew]

#7 Vital Statistics - Black Masss Extra Stout

Aroma has dark fruit notes (possibly esters?) dominated by rich chocolate. Flavour is not overly bitter from roasted malts, more warming and balanced with chocolate and coffee notes with some sweetness but not the kind of sweet. More the kind that is satisfying when you eat dark chocolate as opposed to cadburies (best way to explain it). Easy drinking, black without being astringent or dry and full mouth feel. Great beer mate! Wish I had a big homemade pie to go with it.

 

[Edak]

20. S&W Pacific Ale

Overall it was a good beer. Poured with a beautiful clarity and light copper colour. Wasn't over carbed and thus went down really quickly, less carbed than original. Had the same galaxy aroma as original but less of it. Less flavour and seemingly less OG than the original, but that being said it was a nice beer before dinner. Thanks

 

[Midnight Brew]

#13 DarkFaerytales – Belgian Dark Ale

Pours with a nice little tight head. Has a warming aroma to it spicy but also sweet. Very very dark red in colour but not black. Taste is sweet but with so much complexity Im struggling with words to describe. Sweet, clean, delisious, spicy, rich, maybe dark dried fruits. I love this beer mate! Please share the recipe this is brilliant. Sorry I couldn’t be more descriptive it has so much going on and new to the Belgian style beers.

 

[DarkFaerytale]

Thank you

i'm positive this is it. it is a little over the top, usually i'm simple is best when it comes to brewing

Batch Size (L): 20.00 Wort Size (L): 13.00
Total Grain (kg): 6.04
Anticipated OG: 1.098 Plato: 23.36
Anticipated SRM: 16.8
Anticipated IBU: 27.1
Brewhouse Efficiency: 78 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes



% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
57.9 3.50 kg. Briess DME- Gold America 1.046 8
18.2 1.10 kg. Pale Malt(2-row) Belgium 1.037 3
14.1 0.85 kg. Munich Malt Belgium 1.038 8
2.2 0.13 kg. Aromatic Malt Belgium 1.036 25
2.3 0.14 kg. CaraMunich Malt Belgium 1.033 75
0.8 0.05 kg. Chocolate Malt Belgium 1.030 500
1.0 0.06 kg. Candi Sugar (amber) Generic 1.046 75
3.5 0.21 kg. Wheat Malt Belgium 1.038 2
Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.

Hops
Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
33.00 g. Cluster Pellet 7.00 25.2 60 min.
8.00 g. Czech Saaz Pellet 3.50 0.8 15 min.
8.00 g. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 4.75 1.1 15 min.
8.00 g. Czech Saaz Pellet 3.50 0.0 0 min.
8.00 g. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 4.75 0.0 0 min.

6g ground dried curacao peel
4g fresh ground coriander seed
both at flame out

there was no amber candi suger and i didn't have time to make my own so i used dark instead, worked out better imo

very healthy starter of WYeast 1762 Belgian Abbey II started at 21C and ramped down over a few days to 18. stayed there for 2 weeks

when i make it again it would have to be allgrain so i could get the points down a little further and i would age it at least 6 months before i cracked a bottle

 

[GrumpyPaul]

As per my earlier post - this Saturday I am having my "Beer Tasting" night.

The boys that are coming aren't brewers - but they do appreciate craft beer and my brews.

I thought it would be good for them to see how people comment on a beer - and to give them an insight as to what each beer is. So I have pulled together all the tasting comments to date into one document and grouped them all together for each beer.

You guys might be interesed in it to.

My thinking was if they read the previous reviews and see what you guys have noticed (particluar the experienced brewers among you with the "refined palates") they might taste it and go "yeah I can taste that pepperyness, or spicy note, or citrus" and they will start to appreciate the different elements in a beer.

Hope you like it


edited my appalling spelling and grammar
edited my appaling spelling of the word appalling

View attachment Tasting Notes.pdf

 

[technobabble66]

Looks great, GP.
Thanks for the summary!
One minor query - Did you forget #22? h34r: :lol:

I'll be using these today - taking the first 5 of your "Tasting List" up to some mates. So hopefully i can add some reviews (aside from my own brew h34r: ); finally!!

 

[meathead]

10. Shane R - Black Saison

Awesome beer, great bitterness, bit of a gusher
Dont really understand the difference between this and a stout
Recipe please

 

[GrumpyPaul]

Had the big beer tasting night last night. The night was a great success. There was just the 4 of us so each tallie poured 4 nice size glasses.

We got through 12 out of the 18 I had left (and it turns out I was missing no 20).

I will write up some notes over the next few days.

it's very hard to pick a favourite but Charsts saison is up there. so is yobs english barstard. And a few of the ipas...

Alright they were all good.

 

[GrumpyPaul]

Oh... And I brewed up an ESB with the boys to.
i

 

[pat_00]

These sound like a bit of fun. When is the next case swap? I want in!

 

[manticle]

Traditionally one in July (ish) and one around Nov/Dec which someone might need to get cracking on.

 

[GrumpyPaul]

And its about time I started posting some notes from my beer tasting night.

Bear in mind we got though 12 on the night and my notes become increasingling harder to read as the night went on - but here goes.

First up..

#21 JB's Polite Czech Pils

Appearance - Nice Golden Colour - pretty clear.
Pours - Nice thick head leaves a little lacing rim
Clean flavour.
On of the boys comments "yeah it's got that Euro thing happening"
The other (who I clearly need to work on) said "What are you some sort of beer wanker. It's a nice beer - what would you know about europe"
Overall - the feeling was this was really nice and wouold be great one for summer.

More to come

 

[JB]

And its about time I started posting some notes from my beer tasting night.

Bear in mind we got though 12 on the night and my notes become increasingling harder to read as the night went on - but here goes.

First up..

#21 JB's Polite Czech Pils

Appearance - Nice Golden Colour - pretty clear.
Pours - Nice thick head leaves a little lacing rim
Clean flavour.
On of the boys comments "yeah it's got that Euro thing happening"
The other (who I clearly need to work on) said "What are you some sort of beer wanker. It's a nice beer - what would you know about europe"
Overall - the feeling was this was really nice and wouold be great one for summer.

More to come

hahah, thanks for the review. Exactly what I was aiming for

 

[GrumpyPaul]

# Charst - Saison

[SIZE=medium]We had memories of a Saison we tried at Ballarat Beer Festival that we didn’t like. So we were expecting to be fans of this one. [/SIZE][SIZE=medium]We were very wrong – this is an awesome beer. At this point it was on the cards for Beer of the night (mind you it was only the second beer)[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Appearance: Golden colour[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Pours: Nice tighty whitey head[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Aroma: Something citrusy – but a bit spicy too[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Flavour: Slightly peppery/spicy – nice dry finish.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Thanks for opening us up to Siasons and correcting the bad impression of them we got from the one at Ballarat. We all agreed this would by so nice on a hot summers day – sitting by the pool. [/SIZE]

 

[Charst]

Cheers Paul for the feedback. Got a third in vicbrew for it. Pitty I have none left to send to nats but no drama ill just have to make more next time.

 

[GrumpyPaul]

[SIZE=medium]#18 Shane S’ – Sparkling Ale[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Appearance: Blondish Golden colour[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Pours: Foamy head – leaves some nice lacing on the glass[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Aroma: Fruity – some signs of passionfruit in there[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Taste: Very sessionable – some before called it a “footy beer” , I agree whole heartedly. I could easily down a few of these watching a game. I would say “overcarbed” but it was fizzy in a good “spritzy” way that really suited the sparkling ale it was meant to be.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Great beer – well done.[/SIZE]

 

[GrumpyPaul]

Cheers Paul for the feedback. Got a third in vicbrew for it. Pitty I have none left to send to nats but no drama ill just have to make more next time.

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.....

 

[GrumpyPaul]

[SIZE=medium]#14 Damn – Belgian Strong[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Appearance: Great Clarity – Straw colour[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Pours: Thick almost creamy white head[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Aroma: Not a lot – just a subtle hint of citrusy orange[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Taste: Starts sweet finishes dry. If this was a ‘strong” I agree with some of the previous comments, the alcohol was hidden well with just a slight touch of that nice warming-ness it give. This was another style I wasn’t familiar with – So I also had a look at eh style guidelines and I agree with the others you have hit the mark with everything it should be ( I think).[/SIZE]

 

[GrumpyPaul]

[SIZE=medium]#22 Technobabble’s - Two fat Ducks DSGA.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]I have been wondering since I got this why the name –As I was about to ask it just dawned on me, the no. 22 Bingo call “two fat ducks”. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Appearance: Amber colour – a bit hazy[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Pours. Creamy head[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Aroma: Not much – very subtle smell of flowers.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Taste: AWESOME EASY DRINKING (see note re easy drinking above). Full mouthfeel – smooth and nicely balanced between the malt and bitterness. I really like the lemon hints (I assume that’s from the Motueka).[/SIZE]

 

[GrumpyPaul]

[SIZE=medium]#3 Fikuss – Dunkelwiessen.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Didn’t know what to expect – this is another style I have never had.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Appearance: Darkish Copper/amber[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Pours: sorry but it was as flat as a tack – so no idea on the head it should have had.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Aroma: Can smell a bit of alcohol in there – maybe a bit of clove?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Taste: Malty, spicy and nice and refreshing. Despite being flat the flavour was really nice. I would love to try this with the right level of carbonation. [/SIZE]