Xmas In July Lotto

[Muggus]

Catchup is required...


Beer: Pennywise - Porter
Date: 23rd July 11
Details: ~450mL Grolsch swingtop
Sampling Notes:
Deep chocolate brown body. Tan head forms well and sticks around for the most part.

Plenty of chocolate malt on the nose. Bit of roasted nut and biscuit add complexity, kind of liquorice and dark fruits in there too. Very nice!

Full bodied, lovely smooth almost velvet-like texture with low-ish carbonation.

More chocolate-y malts, fusing with some rich caramel and sweet biscuit malts. Hint of dark fruits on a clean moderately bitter finish.

Nice drop. Very well balanced with ticks in all boxes for flavour. Cheers Pennywise!


Beer: Booyablack Dr Smurtos Golden Ale
Date: 24th July 2011
Details: 750mL bottle 5.0% AG-BIAB
Sampling Notes:
Believe it or not, this is the first time Ive officially tried a beer made to this recipe; looking forward to it.

Reasonably clean clear bright golden body, small but dense white head holds on leaving lace.

Nice fruity aroma, very much reminiscent of JSGA; orange peel, stonefruits, leafy/grass hops. Background of grainy pale malts.

Medium-to-light body, moderate length, dries out quite quickly.
Hops not a prevalent on the body; bit of ripe melon, citrus and grass, with a grainy, cereal malt. Finishes with moderate bitterness, bit drying, perhaps just a twang of DMS on there.

Certainly could be fooled in this being JSGA, very much on song with the malt and hop character. Cheers Jim!


Beer: TonyC Double Choc Stout
Date: 5th August 11
Details: 750mL bottle w/ label and awesome info sheet 5.2% bottled 01.03.2010
Sampling Notes:
Jet black body, slight ruby edges. Tan head is very tight, holds well.

Roasted malt nose. Mocha coffee, roasted nut, cocoa, some caramel and dried fruit possibly aged character. Quite complimentary.

Medium-to-full sort of body, smooth medium carbonation, nice creaminess to the texture, not too acrid on the finish.

Moderate sort of roast to the flavour; bitter chocolate/cocoa, burnt bread and nuts, some caramel sweetness. Finishes reasonably bitter, drying, hint of a metallic note (age?), but genuinely clean.

Not a bad beer. Good flavour and balance, finish is a bit funny, but according to your notes this is almost 18 months old? Has held up quite well that be the case. Cheers


Beer: Barls Oude Bruin
Date: 5th August 11
Details: 750mL bottle w/ label
Sampling Notes:
Craving some Belgian funk, and lo and behold, find this one amongst COUNTLESS others. Cant resist

Deep brown body, little clarity. Orange brown head is dense and quite persistent.

Aroma instantly entices and puts a smile on my dial; rich toffee and biscuit malts, cherry cola, faecal matter, bandaid-y Brett, aged port-like dried fruit character. Sensational!

Well attenuated sort of texture, yet still retains some residual body and sweetness, and fullness to the palate. Acidity provides the balance, opposed to bitterness.

Havent really tried a cherry pie, but I can imagine it would taste something similar to this; sour cherry, well-cooked sweet pastry crust, caramelised sugar, not as horsy as nose makes it out to be. Finishes almost like a soft drink, but satisfying.

Wow! Just wow! This is what funk should be about! Not just brutal sour, or nasty isovaleric notes, but a combination of good malt character with complimentary wild yeast character. Amazing Barls, well done mate!


Beer: Mikey Aussie Lager
Date: 3rd September 11
Details: 500ml Bottle, 4.8%
Sampling Notes:
Seems like an idea choice after a few hours in the garden.

Gold body, excellent clarity. Small white foam persists.

Cereally malt nose, hint spicy hop fruitiness, and fermentation by-product diacetyl? but not in a bad way.

Medium body and carbonation, dry without being chalky.

Light grainy malt sweetness, bit of toasted bread and somewhat complementary note of diacetyl. Bit of hops spice lending a moderately low hop bitterness to relatively clean finish.

Nice crisp refreshing, and overall enjoyably easy to drink lager. Well made, cheers Mikey!


Beer: Jyo American Amber
Date: 4th August 11
Details: 750mL bottle. Willamette/Amarillo 5.8% bottled 25.6.11 1.056-1.012
Sampling Notes:
Copper body with uniform haze. Small but tight persistent off-white head.

Excellently pungent hop aroma lots of pine, grapefruit, wood sap/resin, ripe tropical and stonefruits. Malt is supportive with a hint of caramel and biscuit.

Full bodied, excellent persistency on palate, medium carbonation, hop resin lingers.

Sweet biscuity, caramelised, nutty malts seems to be enough to hold back the hop influence, but perhaps not with a barrage of resiny hop citrus and pine character that lingers seemingly for an eternity, with a succulent fruity bitterness.

Wow, what a great beer! Big hops with plenty of malt to support. Couldnt ask for more, great job John!


Beer: Itmechanic Iron Brew Old Ale
Date: 6th August 11
Details: 750mL PET with info sheet cheers!
Sampling Notes:
Deep ruby body, small dense off-white head holds strong.

Rich complex malt nose; molasses, plum, dried apricot, charred wood, toasted cereal, pepper and earthy spice, Sherry-like undertones.

Really textural sort of palate; thick with some oilness yet counteracted by a drying wheat character. Low carbonation appropriate, very long on the finish.

Much of the same on the palate as the nose dark brown sugars, vinous red and black fruits, Port-like undertones, earthy hops on the finish. Dry finish with a good hit of bitterness that lingers.

Complex full-bodied sort of English ale. Not as rich as some certainly, but maintains its balance well and I can imagine would age marvellously. Cheers Paul!


Beer: Charst OZ ale
Date: 6th August 11
Details: 640mL bottle
Sampling Notes:
Honey gold body, small white foam dissipates. Clarity is pretty good despite the large chunk of sediment I foolishly manage to pour in.

Restrained aroma. Nice hint of yeast-driven phenolic spice and unripe [banana?] fruits, perhaps a touch of ripe pear ester in there too overlaying white bread maltiness.

Medium-to-light body, lively carbonation, bit short on the palate.

Light malt character, pear esters seem to dominate. Somewhat refreshing with welcome spice and mild hop bitterness finishing maybe a touch sweet.

Easy drinking Aussie pale ale, in the vain of CPA Id say. Possibly do with a touch more bitterness, but thats being picky. Cheers Ash.


Beer: QLDKev Bohemian Pils
Date: 30th August 11
Details: 600mL clear PET bottle. 4.8%
Sampling Notes:
Pale gold body, slight haze. White head dissipates.

Bready, cracker biscuit malt, not particularly pungent. Nice bit of green leafy hop spice. Hint of skunk Light strike probably - Im to blame for bad storage!

Lively carbonation, medium weight palate. Dry overall, bit of slickness to the texture.

Nice pilsner malt backbone light toast and cereal combine with a good measure of grassy, spicy, somewhat floral hop character. Finishes moderately bitter, quite clean bar the bit of skunk.

Really nice and well-made pils, especially for a first attempt. Skunk in there undoubtedly due to the clear plastic bottle, and me leaving it unrefrigerated in contact with sunlight no stressing about it! Cheers Kev!


Beer: Ekul Amber Ale
Date: 30th August 11
Details: 1.25L clear PET bottle.
Sampling Notes:
Orange-amber body, bit of hazy. Small off-white head hangs around.

Some toffee and biscuity malt on the nose. Hint of liquorice and earthy hop spice, bit of red apple character in there (acetaldehyde perhaps?).

Medium body, low carbonation, slightly oily texture.

Similar sort of malt character on body; biscuity without being particularly sweet, finishes moderately bitter, a bit of that aldehydic character again.

Drinkable amber ale, flavour a bit unremarkable and seems slightly oxidised possible from the bottle/storage. Cheers Luke.


Beer: QLDKev - Kilkevin
Date: 1st September 11
Details: 600mL PET bottle. 4.4%
Sampling Notes:
Subdued aroma; toasty, biscuity, nutty malts, hint of mild roast coffee. Note of orange peel (hops?) in there; quite nice.

Smooth almost silky texture. Medium body and carbonation.

Balanced malt character; lots of dark grain bread, toasted walnuts, toffee with a good measure of bitter orange and earthy hop character. Moderate bitterness, clean finish.

Really enjoyed this one! Excellent texture and malt character; complex yet not overdone, and, most of all, highly drinkable. Great stuff cheers Kev, enjoyed your brews!


Beer: Spork Wizards Miff vs James Boags Wizard Smith Ale
Date: 2nd September 11
Details: 750mL PET bottled 20/5/11 vs 375mL bottle, 5%
Sampling Notes:
Wizard Ale Pale copper body, brilliant clarity. Sparse off-white foam persists.
Wizards Miff Reddish copper body, some clarity. Head dissipates eventually.

WA Mild aroma. Grainy malts, sweet biscuit, faint marmalade-y hop.
WM Rich toffee malts on nose. Some red berry esters and buttery diacetyl in there too.

WA Medium body and carbonation, nice chewiness to the palate.
WM Medium body, low-ish carbonation, slightly slick palate (extract brew?).

WA Biscuity malts on body, light caramel sweetness balanced nicely with earthy and citrus marmalade hops. Moderate bitterness, clean finish
WM Lots of sweet toffee, some nuttiness and cola-character. Subdued hops, note of diacetyl butterscotch and red current esters on a mildly bitter finish.

Whilst the Wizards Miff is a drinkable, and quite tasty sort of amber ale, the Wizard Smith really has more finesse and subtle complexity about it. Cheers Gard, really enjoyed the comparison!

 

[TonyC]

Hey Maggus,
Thanks for the feedback, i actually bottled that in March 11, not 2010.

Regards Tony

 

[QldKev]

Beer: QLDKev Bohemian Pils
Date: 30th August 11
Details: 600mL clear PET bottle. 4.8%
Sampling Notes:
Pale gold body, slight haze. White head dissipates.

Bready, cracker biscuit malt, not particularly pungent. Nice bit of green leafy hop spice. Hint of skunk Light strike probably - Im to blame for bad storage!

Lively carbonation, medium weight palate. Dry overall, bit of slickness to the texture.

Nice pilsner malt backbone light toast and cereal combine with a good measure of grassy, spicy, somewhat floral hop character. Finishes moderately bitter, quite clean bar the bit of skunk.

Really nice and well-made pils, especially for a first attempt. Skunk in there undoubtedly due to the clear plastic bottle, and me leaving it unrefrigerated in contact with sunlight no stressing about it! Cheers Kev!


Beer: QLDKev - Kilkevin
Date: 1st September 11
Details: 600mL PET bottle. 4.4%
Sampling Notes:
Subdued aroma; toasty, biscuity, nutty malts, hint of mild roast coffee. Note of orange peel (hops?) in there; quite nice.

Smooth almost silky texture. Medium body and carbonation.

Balanced malt character; lots of dark grain bread, toasted walnuts, toffee with a good measure of bitter orange and earthy hop character. Moderate bitterness, clean finish.

Really enjoyed this one! Excellent texture and malt character; complex yet not overdone, and, most of all, highly drinkable. Great stuff cheers Kev, enjoyed your brews!

Glad you enjoyed the beers. I was worried as all of them were poured from a tap into dodgy coke bottles with a random hit of sugar to help hold the combination.

The pils I didn't find that grassy, I actually missed it in the beer, but it's great you found it. I didn't use any Saaz, only 100% Hallertau Tradition which is know for a grassy flavour. Surprising how the bottle can change a beer. Pitty about the skunking, but I don;t have brown bottles anymore.

The kilkevin was interesting and I enjoyed it. For a beer that was going to be a Kilkenny, then Guinness, and ended up with some random bits chucked together based on ideas I had at the time. This one was 24IBU and next time I would bump it up more, but the fuggles finish was nice and earthy as you mentioned.

None of the beers would be award winners in my opinion with 2 of the 3 being first time brews, but that was what was on tap at the time, so a good enjoyable review for me to think about next time I do them.

QldKev

 

[Pennywise]

Glad you enjoyed it Muggus, thanks for the feedback :icon_cheers:

 

[Muggus]

Thanks for the feedback, i actually bottled that in March 11, not 2010.

Probably a typo on my behalf...would've been an amazingly well preserved 18month old beer!

I gotta say this has been a great journey for me, combined with the state comp, club meetings and caseswaps, the amount of homebrew i've been exposed to this year has been amazing...barely had the chance to try commercial beers!
And on that note, I think alot of people should be really proud of the level at which their homebrew is at. The top beers i've tried amongst it all have really been standouts not just for homebrew, but amongst all beers i've come across. Its a testament to how good the brewers on AHB are, and goes to show how easy it is to make world class beer!

Got the remainder of the Lotto in the fridge. There's almost light at the end of the tunnel...

 

[Spork]

Thanks for the feedback Muggus.
Have moved on from the kits and bits to AG BIAB, and now have temperature control for fermentation.
Was going to tip that batch out, but the son likes the butterscotch flavour...
Glad you didn't gag on it. Next time I'll have something quite nice to send.

 

[jyo]

Thanks heaps for the feedback, Muggus. I'm really stoked you enjoyed it, mate.
Cheers, John.

 

[barls]

View attachment 48181
Beer: Barls Oude Bruin
Date: 5th August 11
Details: 750mL bottle w/ label
Sampling Notes:
Craving some Belgian funk, and lo and behold, find this one amongst COUNTLESS others. Cant resist

Deep brown body, little clarity. Orange brown head is dense and quite persistent.

Aroma instantly entices and puts a smile on my dial; rich toffee and biscuit malts, cherry cola, faecal matter, bandaid-y Brett, aged port-like dried fruit character. Sensational!

Well attenuated sort of texture, yet still retains some residual body and sweetness, and fullness to the palate. Acidity provides the balance, opposed to bitterness.

Havent really tried a cherry pie, but I can imagine it would taste something similar to this; sour cherry, well-cooked sweet pastry crust, caramelised sugar, not as horsy as nose makes it out to be. Finishes almost like a soft drink, but satisfying.

Wow! Just wow! This is what funk should be about! Not just brutal sour, or nasty isovaleric notes, but a combination of good malt character with complimentary wild yeast character. Amazing Barls, well done mate!

i knew you would like it, pity you werent judging the sours this year might of done better than a 28 out of 50 with it.

 

[Muggus]

i knew you would like it, pity you werent judging the sours this year might of done better than a 28 out of 50 with it.

I thought the same thing mate! I would have scored that massively!
Managed to find the bottle it after the judging was finished and had a taste with a few other of the boys who love a good sour...they were really impressed.

You gonna enter it in the Castle Hill show?

 

[Josh]

Muggus, sorry no label on my beers. Did you receive the two bottles placed in your backyard? RIS is my Russian Imperial Stout that placed 1st at the NSW Comp.

What was the other bottle cap again?

 

[barls]

yeah entering it again, ill be there at least one day if not two depending on work.
you going to push to judge the catagory??? they are looking for someone to do the meads as well.

 

[NickB]

OK, time to resurrect this thread a bit.... Been very slack getting through these...

First up this week, was YumBeer's Euro Lager. Judged this one on BJCP Standard American Lager as it was the closest I could find to this style.



Poured a Hazy golden colour...




Not bad, just needs a few tweaks to be good. Way over carbonated though!

 

[NickB]

OK, Next up is Kieren's Cascadian Dark Ale/Black IPA.



Colour a dark brown (like my 'Black' IPA!), lovely ruby highlights, head retention excellent!



Mate, cracker of a beer! Compared to mine, a little muted on the late hops, but bang on for style! Nicely done!

 

[NickB]

Finally for this week, was Seemax's Black IPA (sensing a theme here!)



Poured with a slight haze, but head retention very good!




Unfortunately, this misses the mark a bit, lacks bitterness and finishing hops... Sorry mate!




More reviews to come this weekend, hopefully!

 

[Kieren]

OK, Next up is Kieren's Cascadian Dark Ale/Black ale

Mate, cracker of a beer! Compared to mine, a little muted on the late hops, but bang on for style! Nicely done!

Had forgotten I had sent you this, must be nearly a year if not more in the bottle by now, should check my notes. Essentially a Pliny the 'black', hopping very similar to an 'elder' but with an addition of carafa special. Still got a few bottles hanging around but should brew fresh batch.

 

[NickB]

Well, good to hear! Would love to try a fresh bottle when you do re-brew..... Bottle swap??

 

[yum beer]

First up this week, was YumBeer's Euro Lager. Judged this one on BJCP Standard American Lager as it was the closest I could find to this style.


Poured a Hazy golden colour...


Not bad, just needs a few tweaks to be good. Way over carbonated though!

Cheers Nick, I dont know what happened with the carbonation on that brew, calculated the same as every other brew but that one goes of its 'head'

Not convinced there isnt a slight infection in the batch, the over carb seemed to get worse with age.


Pretty happy with comments though, that was one of my first kit based partials playing with hops and grain, certainly taken some big steps since then,
29/50 gives a nice start point for later brews that have come out much better.

 

[NickB]

No worries. As I mentioned, less carbonation and it would have scored higher. You may be right on the infection if it's getting worse. That being said, when I used to bottle (far too lazy for that these days!) I had the odd batch overcarb. Usually when I was bulk priming, so that may be something to watch...

As long as your brews keep improving, that's all that matters!

Cheers

 

[Muggus]

More catchup...

Beer: Ash - ?
Date: 3rd September 11
Details: 750mL PET
Sampling Notes:
Straw body, slight haze. Foamy white head holds.

Hops most prevalent on nose; lemon rind, grapefruit, resin, bit of tropical fruit character almost mango-like. Appreciable grainy malt underneath.

Lively carbonation, light seemingly well-attenuated body. Very refreshing.

Hops cut through straight away; citrus, grass, light ripe tropical fruits. Wheaty cereal malt character in there. Finish is mildly bitter, a bit of acidity about it, (wheat?), reasonably clean overall.

Apologies for not taking note of what style it was seems like an American wheat of sorts. Well made and goes down very easily. Nice stuff, cheers Ash.


Beer: Aussie Josh - ?
Date: 3rd September 11
Details: 750mL PET
Sampling Notes:
Hazy orange body, rocky white head holds well.

Mild aroma. Bit of cereal malt, notes of peach and ripe banana(esters?).

Medium body, nice creaminess to the texture. Reasonably high carbonation.

Light malt on the body, bit of sweetness, some ripe banana and bubblegum-like esters. Faintly phenolic finish, low bitterness, slight bit of floral hop edge.

Apologies for not taking note of the style of beer Im guessing hefeweizen? Excellent flavour and texture, highly drinkable and a good overall beer. Cheers Josh!


Beer: Mayor of Mildura Dark Mild
Date: 4th September 11
Details: 750mL bottle. Bottled 13th June 2011, 3%
Sampling Notes:
Mid-brown body, ruby highlights, uniform hazy. Holds a small beige head.

Malt driven aroma burnt toffee, biscuit, hint of cocoa and dried fruit. Cooked citrus and spicy hop character.

Full bodied, chewy malt texture and lowish carbonation. Fantastic for abv!

Nutty, toasty, biscuity malts with toffee sweetness. Earthy, marmalade-y hops in the works, moderate to high bitterness on a drying minerally sort of finish.

Amazingly full of flavour for a low alcohol beer. Top stuff, cheers MOM!


Beer: MXD Bely Pull(?)
Date: 4th September 11
Details: 750mL PET
Sampling Notes:
Bronze sort of body, decent clarity. Off-white head dissipates to a persistent ring.

Nice rich aroma packed full of molasses, toasted nuts, sultana and dried fig, red apple, plum and peppery spice.

Thick, viscous palate somewhat lifted by a reasonably lively carbonation. Persistent on the palate with a hint of boozy warmth.

Big complex flavour rich toffee, dark grain bread, dried fruits in particular apple and sultana, Sherry-like red apple, sour cherry (without the sourness), treacle. Lingering spices on finish, dried out quite a lot, bit of booze, bit of bitterness.

Without know exactly what Bely Pull means, Id hazard a guess at calling this a Belgian dubbel or weizenbock. Either way, immensely flavoursome and delicious. Great stuff, cheers MXD!


Beer: DrFad - ?
Date: 4th September 11
Details: 650mL bottle
Sampling Notes:
Pours a big billowing white foam, eventually dying down into a firm head. Pale gold body, decent clarity with racy beading.

Grain malts on nose, bit of floral hop, and appreciable amount of buttery diacetyl.

Medium body, medium-high carbonation. Slight slickness mid-palate, leading onto a somewhat acidic finish.

Mild bit of malt sweetness upfront with some hop presence. Finishes a tad unclean with buttery diacetyl sweetness and lactic twang.

Seems to be a few little fermentation issues that have led to some faults in this beer possibly due to under-pitching, or mild infection. Something to consider, cheers DrFad.


Beer: Aussie Rider 22
Date: 4th September 11
Details: 450mL Grolsch swingtop
Sampling Notes:
Opaque near-black body. Light brown head flairs up, leaving sparse lace in its wake.

Really nice rich malt aroma; plenty of chocolate, biscuit, liquorice, deep roast coffee with earthy hop, and just a hint of marmalade hop citrus.

Smooth texture, full bodied, welcome low-medium carbonation.

Generous amounts of dark chocolate, coffee bean, liquorice, caramel, toasted nuts, with undertones of earthy spice. Bitter finish very welcome, overall just luscious!

Wow! What a beautiful stout! Packed full of roasted malt character, great texture, and excellently balanced. Couldnt ask for more, cheers Aussie Rider!


Beer: Manticle Robust Porter
Date: 8th September 11
Details: 750mL bottle.
Sampling Notes:
Had a fair bit of experience with this style after judging quite a long run of Porters at the recent state comp. Ill try not to be too over-analytical!

Near-black brown body, faint ruby highlights. Tan head of medium density slowly dissipates.

Aroma of moderate intensity. Nice dark malt character with chocolate/cocoa, toasted nut, caramel and nuts. Earthy hop presence, bit of yeast influence with some dough and dark fruit esters.

Medium-to-full body, carbonation reasonably restrained, nice oily, almost chewy palate.

Plenty of sweet tasty malt on the body. Lots of chocolate, roasted nuts, biscuit and burnt caramel. Black cherry-like esters on the finish, hint of red apple and dried fruit (may indicate some premature aged character, or ester profile?), with a dried leaf and earthy spice hop character lingering. Moderate-to-high bitterness, somewhat kept at bay with malt sweetness, long finish.

Good depth of flavour, hits the mark on the palate, not over the top as over the top as many of the beers of this style can be - regretfully according to the broad style guidelines too, which is something I did question as judge intensity vs balance, etc. Anyhow enough ramblings; needless to say, I thought this was a well-made beer and towards the less robust end of the style, which I tend to think is a much more enjoyable style anyway. Cheers Andrew!

 

[manticle]

I reckon mxd was 'belg dubb' rather than bely pul. I judged one of his for Vicbrew and looks/sounds similar.

Thanks for the feedback on mine. Might try and actually age some myself next batch to get more dried fruit (love dried fruit in a dark beer).

Only way I can actually do that is in bulk so another tapless demijohn, here I come.

Purely out of interest, how would you have scored it as a robust if you were comp judging? Would you suggest it more relevant to another style (eg higher scoring if entered as foreign extra or plain old porter?)