Vic Xmas 2009 Case Swap - Tasting Thread

[Leigh]

1. Kleiny - Munich Helles

Nice hoppy nose on opening, nicely balanced malt and hop bitterness as it passes the lips, but strong "burnt biscuit" (don't know how else to describe it) lingering after taste. Having drunk a few helles I know this is spot on to style, but for mine, I just have never got used to the lingering after taste of a helles.

Apart frrom my personal preference, I think this is a great representation of the style and a good beer.

oh, and the wife adds "nice label" (said with sarcasm)...I dread to think what she'll say about Maples LOL


5. Fourstar - Reunification Express, Viet Rice Lager

Mate, what can be said that hasn't already been said. You live dangerously and have pulled this one off magnificently! A beautiful session beer that went down a treat! Top marks for you 4*.

 

[manticle]

Cheers Chris.

 

[Kleiny]

#17 Zebba IPA

Aroma: Citrus hops, some grassy type aroma's, cara in the background. Some acetaldehyde and maybe acetobacter
2/12

Appearence: Cloudy light brown color with a large rocky head which lasts.
1/3

Flavour: Acetaldehyde present and really tastes of green apples even with the after taste. Tartness with some astringency, as it warms it gets harder to make out hops and malt profile.
4/20

Mouthfeel: Medium body, good carb and a lasting head.
2/5

Overall: Infected example need to look at cleanlyness within your saetup and bottleing, possibly temp control if you dont already have it. Look at the O2 requirement of yeast prior to fermentation and adjust, dont allow any O2 during anything after the ferment may result in oxidative flavor's.
2/10

11/50

Sorry zeb just couldn't bring myself to drink to much and the above is what i got.

 

[Kleiny]

#19 Fents Cream ale

sorry fents 20/50 all up and look the major flaws have been pointed out already, i have filled a sheet out but dont think i really have anything to contribute. Thanks man keep up the brewing and i hope to catch up with you soon.


#20 Gava Drs Golden ale judged against APA 10A

Aroma: Citrus hop aroma with some background sweet caramel. Its a clean aroma not really any fusals or Estery fruityness.
8/12

Appearance: Golden to amber color but opaque or cloudy but not really from dry hopping with a low head that falls fast.
1/3

Flavour: Citrus hop flavour right up on the first sip, some caramalt style background and the balance on the bitter side and hop preceeds the malt, some slight oxidation probably from the low bottle fill, possibly add more the hop bill later in the boil to really kick the citrus flavour.
14/20

Mouthfeel; Light to moderate and carb is good but might be pushed a little higher to really bring the beer on.
3.5/5

Overall impression: Good beer balance dto the hop side but still with enough maltyness to carry. Look at transfer prctices to bottle and carb levels as well as bringing some more of the hop charge to later boil for a better result.
7.5/10

34/50 Very good, generally within style with some flaws

Kleiny

 

[chris.taylor.98]

BOTTLE BOMB BEWARE!


This morning I went into the shed to find bottle bomb shrapnel from my hefe. I really advise tasters to take precautions by putting this bottle in the fridge or perhaps gingerly opening up seal and recapping(?). I'm sorry if this has caused anyone grief!

I carbonated high - but I didn't think that high! The bottles that exploded in the shed were shitty, thinner stubbies so maybe it's not that bad. Please take precautions anyway and shield up while handling the hefe!

Opened mine tonight and did not seem to be on the verge of exploding. Has been in the fridge overnight though.

Good way to get peps to try your beer early though

Well know that its open, here are the tasting notes.

13. Notung - bloodorange honey hefeweizen

Pours relatively clear, not much head, and this bottle actually seems undercarbonated if anything.

Definitely getting some of the honey through the aroma and the flavour.

Some warming alcohol, thin to medium body.

Bready malt and some clove as well as banana.

Slight bitter aftertaste.

Goes down pretty easily. Actually think mine could have done with a little extra time carbonating.

Generally no perceived fermentation issues. As far as the honey flavour goes think it needs more if you want it to stand out against the hefe yeast flavours.

I know that in the recipe thread it was suggested to steer away from assertive honey types such as leatherwood etc, but when you are combating very prominent flavour profiles such as the hefe yeast throws out, it might stand out a bit more. Our clubs mead making expert makes a great leatherwood mead, and others often use it to flavour porters and other honey beers. I do agree that for a straight meed, orange blossom is a fairly safe bet though.

All in all a good summer drinking ale.

 

[manticle]

#13: Notung: Blood Orange Honey Hefeweizen:

Pours with a fluffy head which quickly dissipates.

Light Golden straw colour, reasonably clear with a slight haze. Not really 'hefe' cloudy which bothers me not one way or the other as far as cosmetics go.

Citrus aroma

Flavour and mouthfeel are light. I didn't have any carb problems. On tasting I can get a definite hit of honey, much less blood orange. The honey makes the usual clovey/banana harder to find but I don't mind that. My main enjoyment from hefes comes from their tendency to be a very refreshing, thirst quencher which clovey dryness can help with. That's it's main attraction for me.
This beer certainly fits that bill.

While I might expect more blood orange and honey from reading the descrpition, I think you've actually done a really nice job keeping it subtle and restrained. If it were a porter I might expect a goode strong dose of citrus but with this it makes sense to hold off. Good, tasty, hot weather stuff.

 

[zebba]

Sorry zeb just couldn't bring myself to drink to much and the above is what i got.

Sounds like I should be apologising.

I'm not sure what has happened with this one. I had one prior to the swap to make sure it was OK and it was fine. The two I've had since the swap, one has been dodgy (still quite drinkable, but not up to scratch), the other was also fine.

This variance between bottles is a concern. I soaked all the bottles in sodium perc overnight the day before bottling, then on the day gave them all a quick brush, rinse then a dose of Idophur. I can only think that the quick brush was not enough. Or the tap.

Sorry mate. I'll try to make it up to ya somehow

 

[hairofthedog]

Maples rye IPA

dude thats a massive beer on every level full of citrus hops flavor & bitterness heaps of toffee flavors & an ABV to match cracker of a beer mate could get pissed on that easy :chug:

 

[hairofthedog]

Klieny Munich Helles

mate what can i say perfectly balanced beer enjoyed every drop :icon_cheers:

 

[WarmBeer]

21. Hutch - Nelson Sauvin pseudo-lager

Pours a little cloudy, which doesn't dissipate as the beer warms. Nice off-white head quickly disappears, but keeps a small ring around the top of the glass.

Strong aroma of hops, with a very subtle vegetal under-current. Reminds me of another beer I drank as a younger man, but can't put my finger on it now. I'm not really familiar with Nelson Sauvin, having only ever had it in the Knappstein Lager before.

Medium carbonation, and a little bit dry on the tip of the tongue. You have really nailed the balance on this beer. Bitterness lingers after the malt has subsided.

Could easily drink more than a couple of these in a session.

A-. Thanks Hutch.

 

[Leigh]

3. Seemax - Kiwi Pale Ale

Poured flat, tasted of green apples and bandaids. While cold, taste had a fair "hop" character that masked much of the apples and bandaids, but as it warmed the apples and bandaids came forward.

Bad luck mate. Not the worst beer I've tasted as I managed two pots.

 

[WarmBeer]

10. Manticle: Robust Porter

Think I opened this a little bit too warm, as I got a slow stream of foam out the top until I quickly poured it into a glass.

Colour looks spot on for a porter, more brown than ruby, and with a beige head. A little cloudy when held up to the light.

Smell is almost all malt and a little roastiness. No hop smell, at least to my nose.

Taste is initially chocolate and plum, with a little bit of coffee. The maltiness hangs around for quite a while, with a hint of vanilla. Moderate to low carbonation, which surprised me a little, as like myself, I know you like a low carbonated beer. It contributes a slight fizzy bitterness on the tongue initially, but is in no way off-putting.

Man, I really like this beer! I really, really like this beer. The complexity, the flavour, the level of carb all make what is possibly the perfect non-summer beer for me. I will be getting this recipe off the other thread, and changing my "brew queue" to bump this straight to the top.

A - Thanks Mants

PS. Only noticed the subtle label on the bottle after emptying it. Nice one. Quite a few people have put some effort and/or humour into their labels this swap. Makes me feel a little cheap for just writing my number on a sticky label on the top of the bottle...

 

[manticle]

Glad you enjoyed it - just put this one down again but with some irish ale yeast as the whitbread seemd not to be taking off. Something's working because she's dropped 35 points since Tuesday.

You'll need to tailor the exact amounts (water loss etc) for your system but the basic grain proportions should be good and the caramelisation of a wort portion is a must. Thick brown toffee too - just shy of being burnt.

Just to repeat - people should chill this right down first, then allow it to warm to around 10 before drinking.

 

[hairofthedog]

4* Viet

4* youve really nailed that beer mate bright clean easy drinker withn no detectable faults thats 2 ripper swap beers in a row for you mate keep up the good work :icon_cheers:

 

[manticle]

Hey hair of the dog - when is your beer ready for drinking?

 

[Fourstar]

5. Fourstar - Reunification Express, Viet Rice Lager
Mate, what can be said that hasn't already been said. You live dangerously and have pulled this one off magnificently! A beautiful session beer that went down a treat! Top marks for you 4*.

4* Viet
4* youve really nailed that beer mate bright clean easy drinker withn no detectable faults thats 2 ripper swap beers in a row for you mate keep up the good work

Cheers guys! :icon_cheers:

Thanks for the Kudos! Glad you enjoyed the beer. :beerbang:

 

[hairofthedog]

Hey hair of the dog - when is your beer ready for drinking?

ready for drinking anytime mants

 

[WarmBeer]

17a. Zebba - "Redcoats" IPA

Pours kinda cloudy, with a nice orange hue. Head is big and fluffy, slowly subsides to a thin layer over a couple of minutes.

Aroma is predominantly American hops. Strong, without being overpowering.

Medium to low carbonation, very few bubbles in the beer. Mouthfeel is quite full.

Quite a big hit of bitterness up front, as I'd expect from the amount of hops you've put in. Can get a little bit of extract sweetness, but really have to think about it. The hop flavour just lingers and lingers. Can't really taste anything of the yeast, but it's been blasted into oblivion by all those IBU's

I reckon you've made a good beer here, mate. It's not to my personal preferences, and it's not a "balanced" beer, but I would happily drink another bottle after this one, if I had it. And another after that.

(B+)

 

[manticle]

#9: Leigh: Dusseldorf alt

Sorry to be the first one to tell you but I think you have a vinegar infection. That was all I could taste.

I'm not sure if acetobacter can grab onto a single bottle but hopefully it can and mine was the only one.

As with seemax I was concerned that I hadn't rinsed my glass properly after dousing with white vinegar but tastes from the bottle and a separate clean but unvinegared vessel revealed the same thing.

 

[manticle]

#12: Hair of the dog - Russian Imperial stout.

I've been looking forward to trying this as there are so few dark beers in the swap and I'm a fan of dark beers.

Pours with a tan head which thins and remains with lacing.

Aroma is roasted malt.
Colour is like tar so clarity doesn't even enter into it. If I shut my eyes at night while wearing a blinfold and looked at an abstract black painting which was covered with bitumen then I'd have this beer.

First sip is as aroma - loads of roasted malt. Mouthfeel is thick and the carb levels combine to make it almost silky. Very smooth.
For some reason the first sip gave me a very strong metallic taste. I've encountered this before - usually when drinking kilkenny or guiness on tap and my assumption has been dirty lines. Not sure.

Anyway the good news is that after the first sip, the metallic taste all but disappears and I'm left with a beautifully thick, strong full flavoured stout. I can taste rich chocolate and plum with a touch of coffee. It's like how christmas pudding would be if it wasn't bought at the supermarket and served with shit custard on a 40 degree day - ie. fruity, rich, creamy and filling. Quite a delicious beer and well up my alley.

Have you included the recipe in the recipe thread? I'm a fan. Really, really nice and apart from/despite that original metal thingy, this is pretty much a perfect strong style stout for me. I could happily drink pints of this, whether summer or winter.