Vic X-mas In July 2009 Tasting Thread

[Hutch]

15. Fourstar - AIPA

Carbonation medium, and bitterness is spot-on for the style (though I can see why some find it a little much), and well backed up with Crystal sweetness - Very Sierra Nevada! Fermentation is very clean - so top marks there.

On to the hops - If I hadn't seen the recipe already, I'd be in no doubt about the Simcoe - they totally dominate this beer, and I think it's a little one-dimensional as a result. I can only pick up a touch of the Amarillo, while the Chinook and Cascade is completely lost.
Only suggestion I would make is avoid, or scale back the late Simcoe - I made a near identical tasting APA last year, and the Simcoe character is unmistakable, and completely dominant....on the other hand, maybe Simcoe is just not for me! Sub it for Columbus instead, and I think it'd be a cracker.

Cheers 4*.

 

[AUHEAMIC]

1. Peels - Black beer

Man all this thing does is smack me around with roast barley and malty bitterness.

Yes its black and yes its roasty and yes its bitter, but by the end of the bottle i kinda liked it. I couldn't pick much else out in their and then i seen the recipe page 12% roast no wonder this things punching me.

I dont know that its to everybody's taste (my wife :blink: )

Thanks Peels for thr experience.

Thanks for the comments Kliney. Not being a huge stout fan I wasnt really sure where to start. I, like you, got to the bottom of the bottle and thought it wasnt too bad. I am glad it finished at 1.020 to give a little sweetness.

Must pick up my swap beers this weekend.

 

[Quintrex]

10. Q - "Mildly Challenged" dark mild

Yum.

Not really a dark mild, but a mild nonetheless, and I'm loving it. Love the colour, the clarity, the malt flavour. Not sure about that flavour that I think is the 1469, but it's not prominent, so no matter.
I could quite easily have this as a session beer and still be presentable afterwards. Great job.

Thanks Wardy
It's my first attempt at a mild, I'd never had a mild until last case swap and really enjoyed it. So is this a pale mild? a mild or ???
Cheers
Q

 

[[email protected]]

5. Brendo - LCBA clone : Nice head and upfront aroma (presuming B Saaz or similar). Reminiscent of LCBA, if not completely. Had this with dinner, so the flavor got lost somewhat, but remember thinking it was quite nice. Though when it warmed up in the glass a bit you could taste the (fusel tasting?) alcohol coming through, so lost it's magic a bit. Overall a pretty good beer though (and I've got plently of B Saaz that I should be using sometime, so I might shake things up and do something similar come springtime).

:icon_cheers:

Cheers
Mal

 

[Fourstar]

15. Fourstar - AIPA
Carbonation medium, and bitterness is spot-on for the style (though I can see why some find it a little much), and well backed up with Crystal sweetness - Very Sierra Nevada! Fermentation is very clean - so top marks there.
On to the hops - If I hadn't seen the recipe already, I'd be in no doubt about the Simcoe - they totally dominate this beer, and I think it's a little one-dimensional as a result. I can only pick up a touch of the Amarillo, while the Chinook and Cascade is completely lost.
Only suggestion I would make is avoid, or scale back the late Simcoe - I made a near identical tasting APA last year, and the Simcoe character is unmistakable, and completely dominant....on the other hand, maybe Simcoe is just not for me! Sub it for Columbus instead, and I think it'd be a cracker.
Cheers 4*.

Yeah funny you say that, I know the simcoe has fair dominance in this one but i didnt think everything else was completly lost. Simcoe being so high in AA it does push its flavour profile to the top and can muddle the softer ones like amarillo. One thing i have noticed from brewing alot of Simcoe based beers it does not have the resinous chinook character. This is something that i do pickup in the beer (coats the teeth) but dont get the heavy grapefruit flavour from the chinook unfortunatly. If anything i think the problem is related to the hop character being a little muddled from having 4 types of hops in there. To me it seems like the Amarillo and the Cascade are lost with the chinoook and the Simcoe dominating. Differences in palates i guess.

Either way, glad you liked it!

Cheers!

 

[brettprevans]

26. Neill - Malty English Ale

crystal clear, nice brown/copper colour, good head and carbonation that lasted. No faults that i could pick. didnt pick up any solvent tastes. Clean english ale. I cant taste it as a kit but thats cause you havent added any steeped grains etc. this isnt a critisism just commentary. its a well made beer. i'd bet that you primed with coopers carb drops? I recon they impart a particular flavour onto beers. The good thing about your beer is because its a simple profile theres nothing to hide any brewing/technique flaws. so if you had of made any we would have picked them up. i dont think you have made any so its good for you. technique is very important.

good effort. I agree with 4* that you are ready for grain steeping etc. it wil add an extra dimention to your beers.

 

[WarmBeer]

17. Brewmeister70 - Kolsch

My first ever Kolsch, so I have no preconceptions on what it will be like. Pours nice and clear, with a pale yellow colour, and plenty of bubbles surfacing through the beer. Only a small head, about 2 mm, but it stays through the whole glass. Most prominant taste is the yeast, what type did you use? Reminds me most closely of a Cooper's Sparkling Ale, but without the cloudiness, and less effervescent. Will be seeking out more Kolsch's in future.

2. Fents - Bitsa Pale Ale

Now this one is cloudy, but tastes nothing like a CSA. Lots of hops, as people have already mentioned, but not so much that its overwhelming. Full mouthfeel. Reminds me mostly of a Meantime IPA I drank a couple of months ago, and that is no small compliment. Yum!!!

 

[Neill]

thanks CM2, glad you liked it. a really clean and simple brew for sure, that's what i was aiming for. picked up some crystal grains on thursday so my next IPA will have some on that in it so i can taste the difference.

actually i primed that one with white sugar - the carb drops are just pure sugar anyway aren't they?

 

[manticle]

Mixture of sucrose and dextrose.

 

[brettprevans]

Hutch Cal Common
Great beer hutch. bronzed amber colour, great head and carbonation. really interesting to drink. darker than i expected but ive never had a cal common so i dont know why i expected lighter. really got the ibu's at the end of the beer otherwise i thought it was kinda of subdued through the rest of the drink which was very pleasant. i really enjoyed drinking this and working my way through the flavours.

northern brewer was also really interesting in this.

Lucas' Smoked next in line.
edit

more on hutch's. read thru the hop descriptions. yeah woody taste. i thought i tasted some Chop so mnaybe that was the mintyness?

 

[Leigh]

2. Fents - Bitsa Pale Ale

Bloody nice pale Fents. Very clear in the pour, 1/2 inch head that hung around for the whole glass. Subtle malt flavours followed by a big hop punch! Loved the resiney chinook taste...

Unfortunately your beer has taken out my tastebuds for the night, so aI'll review another tomorrow

 

[Wardhog]

Dammit Leigh stop following me around

2. Fents - Bitsa Pale Ale

Cloudy with an excellent head that persists. This is a really good beer.

Chinook stands out in this like dogs' proverbials, I wouldn't know if there's any other hops in this brew. Maybe wind back the late Chinook a bit to let the Cascade be heard next time, Fents.

 

[Wardhog]

4. Hairofthedog - Dortmunder Export

I hope you've posted the recipe. This beer has that lovely biscuity malt that I've been looking for for a long time.

This is a great beer, Troy. Loved it.

 

[Wardhog]

1. Peels - Black beer

A really good stout. A little bit dry and too roasty for me initially, but grew on me and I was really appreciating it by the end of the bottle.

 

[hairofthedog]

glad you enjoyed it wardy thanks for the review :icon_cheers:

 

[hairofthedog]

27 wardy vienna lager

lovely mate nicely balanced really nice malt flavor bitterness just right & lovely smooth lager finish :icon_drool2:
this will be one of the next beers i make cheers :icon_cheers:

 

[Wardhog]

17. Brewmeister70 - Kolsch

This beer is f&*ing great. It is so light and delicate, with low levels of everything (as I've read it should) except for clean, and large portions thereof. This style of beer would be exceedingly willing to show up any shortcomings in the brewer's process, but it would appear Brewmeister70 has some pretty good processes in place. Well done.

 

[Leigh]

Sorry Wardie

5. Brendo - LCBA clone

Excellent beer Brendo. Pours a tad cloudy for a "bright" ale, but that aside, nice carbonation and very well balanced!

 

[brendo]

Sorry Wardie

5. Brendo - LCBA clone

Excellent beer Brendo. Pours a tad cloudy for a "bright" ale, but that aside, nice carbonation and very well balanced!

Thanks Leigh - glad you liked it. I have mostly drank this off of the keg - which is super bright, although I have found it can pour pretty bright off of the bottle as well with a careful decant. Such is the joys of bottle conditioning can be hit and miss.

Brendo

 

[Leigh]

12. mcook - American IPA

Golden amber in colour, very weak malt taste, got a solventy taste on back of tongue. A little resiness, but not much hop bitterness. Could do with a bit more hops IMO.