VIC 2016 Xmas Case Swap Tasting Thread

[Yob]

11. thearn - Citra Pale ale

Pours with big bubbles which dissipates quickly, does linger as the glass is consumed but minimal lacing.. a better head retention on this with finer bubbles would be dreamy.

Deep amber to copper, with an appropriate hop haze beaming through it.. looking at it makes you want to jam it in your face..

Great aromatics on the nose, you know right away its citra and a little bit of drool starts.. only more evidence I should be drinking this not looking at it

First taste is all about the hops, Nice work there..can feel there was layering of hops done well.. second and third tastes you start to notice the malt more and the warmth from the %6 on this... almost an IPA in my book but would love to know the stats on the brew.

nom nom, ******* tops effort

 

[mofox1]

13 Mofox's Belgian Amber Ale..

Its..er well carbed.. still trying to slowly pour a glass :lol:

*ed ed: was worth waiting for, kinda slick mouthful and despite the carb, which ive let settle out in the glass for 10minutes, is quite lush, rich and **** I wish I had some chocolate... props..

Dammit, I filled it from the keg to avoid this fricken thing!

Oh well, all's well that ends well

 

[Yob]

Dammit, I filled it from the keg to avoid this fricken thing!

Oh well, all's well that ends well

bring more tmoz.. will happily have a second go

 

[TheWiggman]

21. Midnight brew - September Stout
Thought of taking a pic but it's a stout. Classic example of a dry stout with an English bent. Roast roast roast, no chocolate overtones to note but a hint of bitter coffee. Dry start, dry through and dry finish. Probably best described as dry. Sessionable and not just a winter beer, with a bitterness that tastes like it's coming from the dark malts rather than the hops. Less impressed with the label on this one than Uncle Warmy's, but the '21' was clearly legible, contrasting with my inability to write a number on a lid and read case swap rules. Perhaps this explains why nobody has tried my beer. Full credit.
Well that wraps it up, thanks all for the interesting and varied beers and hopefully I can make the Mildura trip for the next round. Already got 2 kegged beers from swap recipes and more lined up.

 

[AJ80]

19. Uncle Warmy's oatmeal stout

This is everything I love about oatmeal stout. Smooth, silky mouthfeel and plenty of roast to remind you it's a stout. Smells like slightly burned toast and the bitterness is spot on. Ripping beer mate - glad I held off for a cold evening. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Midnight Brew]

8. DJ Lethal -Dusseldorf Alt

Dark copper to brown. Aroma has a great dose of malt, hint of chocolate and an awesome little bit of fruity ester character to round it out. First sip, second sip, third sip. Yummo she's going down a treat. Never had an Alt before but it's better then I expected. It's like a super tasty full flavoured dark lager. Lovely clean malt characters come through, the mouthfeel is rounded out and gives the impression of fulfilment. I can feel the flavours when I've finished drinking and licking my lips. (TWSS)

Great brew mate. This would be awesome to drink down during autumn time as it gets cooler.

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

Cheers Cam! Glad you enjoyed it. I need to branch out of my Alt hole soon and get some other things on tap. But I have conceded that there will always be 1 tap dedicated to Altbier, probably forever

 

[Midnight Brew]

10. JB - Smoked porter, bottled 26/10/2016

Second last bottle left from the swap.

Deep purple brown in colour, initial aroma from the bottle was tinned oysters and secondary aroma out of the glass is much more tamed down and enjoyable. B-e-autiful porter Jason. Filling, slight roast, great body and mouthfeel all topped with a hint of smoke. Takes me back to my omnivore days. Its not too sweet, its not to bitter, has the right mouthfeel, the right body and the smoke takes center stage without being too dominant. I even get a hinty of fruit from the esters in the finish. Glad I've save it for this chilly night. This would be awesome up your way heading into winter as the weather cools down and before you get into the stouts, RIS's and bummocks of the world.


*Disclaimer: In the past I've always had a strong dislike for smoked beers. Yours was an exception. I know, I know I'll never forget.

 

[JB]

10. JB - Smoked porter, bottled 26/10/2016

Second last bottle left from the swap.

Deep purple brown in colour, initial aroma from the bottle was tinned oysters and secondary aroma out of the glass is much more tamed down and enjoyable. B-e-autiful porter Jason. Filling, slight roast, great body and mouthfeel all topped with a hint of smoke. Takes me back to my omnivore days. Its not too sweet, its not to bitter, has the right mouthfeel, the right body and the smoke takes center stage without being too dominant. I even get a hinty of fruit from the esters in the finish. Glad I've save it for this chilly night. This would be awesome up your way heading into winter as the weather cools down and before you get into the stouts, RIS's and bummocks of the world.

*Disclaimer: In the past I've always had a strong dislike for smoked beers. Yours was an exception. I know, I know I'll never forget.

Hahaha! Aaaah Cam. I laughed at the purple, i shrieked in horror at the oyster* aroma & then cried with delight that i was able to drag you back down memory lane to your previous beast devouring days

But seriously thanks for your review mate. I've really enjoyed reading them all, bravo.

*no oysters were harmed in the making of this porter.

 

[JB]

:/

 

[TheWiggman]

Has anyone tried my beer? Sheesh, MB opened his by accident and I've been waiting in anticipation for 3 months. Put me out of my misery PLEASE.

 

[malt junkie]

Has anyone tried my beer? Sheesh, MB opened his by accident and I've been waiting in anticipation for 3 months. Put me out of my misery PLEASE.

Just grabbed out of the cupboard where it's stayed a nice 18-20°c will fridge and drink by nights end (call it 2 am) and post before I drive to Sydney tommorrow.

 

[Mayor of Mildura]

Has anyone tried my beer? Sheesh, MB opened his by accident and I've been waiting in anticipation for 3 months. Put me out of my misery PLEASE.

Was yours the one with the little Robot on the label?

 

[WarmerBeer]

23. TheWiggman - Radieuse, drink Feb

Well, looks like I saved the best till last.

Gave it a good couple of weeks conditioning, then a couple of weeks cold. Still poured a little murky, maybe a little chill haze, even though I let it warm up before serving.

Damn! But if your ambition was to replicate the real Radieuse, I reckon you're about 95%+ of the way there. The aroma is spot on from my recollection, and all the flavour elements are there. The colour is a little too dark, but that might be due to the lack of clarity.

A fine beer to complete a fine Case Swap.

My Top 3
------------
3rd place -#4 AJ80 - North German Altbier
2nd place - #2. Idzy - Black Summer
1st place - #23. TheWiggman - Radieuse

Thank you, and good night.

 

[malt junkie]

23. TheWiggman - Radieuse, drink Feb

Well, looks like I saved the best till last.

Gave it a good couple of weeks conditioning, then a couple of weeks cold. Still poured a little murky, maybe a little chill haze, even though I let it warm up before serving.

Damn! But if your ambition was to replicate the real Radieuse, I reckon you're about 95%+ of the way there. The aroma is spot on from my recollection, and all the flavour elements are there. The colour is a little too dark, but that might be due to the lack of clarity.

A fine beer to complete a fine Case Swap.

My Top 3
------------
3rd place -#4 AJ80 - North German Altbier
2nd place - #2. Idzy - Black Summer
1st place - #23. TheWiggman - Radieuse

Thank you, and good night.

I am still waiting to try Wiggmans brew , but that's a hard call on the top 3, Mardoo's 2 fuzzynuts still sticks in my mind as a stand out. (though he cheated and hedged his bets between two beers :blink: ) Still, the quality blew my socks off! the clean smooth mouth feel with an ABV off the charts, hidden behind little more than good balance and clean brewing. I'd have a hard time trying to cut my list to five though

 

[TheWiggman]

Was yours the one with the little Robot on the label?

Sounds like nobody has heard of Strongbad before. That's the one, but I did a sub-par job of sticking it so it's possibly the second hand bottle with no label on it.

 

[Nullnvoid]

Sounds like nobody has heard of Strongbad before. That's the one, but I did a sub-par job of sticking it so it's possibly the second hand bottle with no label on it.

I love strongbad! He was awesome, haven't looked at it for many years though.

I don't think mine came with a label as I don't remember seeing him on the bottle. I think I still have the bottle to drink.

 

[Mardoo]

(though he cheated and hedged his bets between two beers :blink: )

Dang, sprung!

I actually ran short on my primary swap batch and had to sub a couple bottles of my backup to make numbers. Thanks for the props though, malty!

 

[AJ80]

Has anyone tried my beer? Sheesh, MB opened his by accident and I've been waiting in anticipation for 3 months. Put me out of my misery PLEASE.

Tried it tonight. Just wonderful mate. Deep clovey aroma which lingers. The clove follows through on the taste, but is melded well with a rich ripe plum flavour I really enjoyed. Smooth bitterness and a very clean finish. Top notch brew and thank you for sharing.

 

[Mardoo]

Yep, me too. Marzipan, clove, cherry, and really good candied fruit. Good carb level for the beer. I haven't had the original, so can't compare. I kind of wished I had given it another few months to develop. No, wait, actually I wish for a second one to let develop. Really well done Wiggman.

And thanks for the intro to Strongbad!