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Philip1993 · 12-03-2007, 03:26 AM

I had intended to send an Arctic Red, a still and a sparking apfelwein, and an ale yeast ocktoberfest. Alas, at the deadline the apfelwein was STILL fermenting away (after 4 weeks...) and the ocktober was horribly green despite 4 weeks in keg. So, if you got mine, you got A/R. I hope you enjoy it. I haven't tried it from a bottle (your's are courtesy of the BMBF), but it's excellent from the keg.

Anyway, be honest and vocal. I'm thick skinned and love to learn/improve.

Professor Frink · 12-14-2007, 02:29 PM

So I tried one bottle of the two, after I have the second I'll let you know if I have anything to add. I've just started trying this BJCP guidelines thing, so bear with me...

Pldoolittle's Arctic Red

Aroma: Very crisp malt aroma. Slight esters. Slight acetylaldehyde. Little hop aroma. 10/12

Appearance: Very clear. Light head but good bubbles. Very nice dark amber color. 3/3

Flavor: Lightly hopped with a nice clean finish. Body on the light side. 16/20

Mouthfeel: Good carbonation with a great aftertaste. 4/5

Overall: I'm a fan of red ales, and this one did not disappoint. A tasty, smooth drinking red. 8/10

Total 41/50

Philip1993 · 12-14-2007, 06:52 PM

Thanks! I've got some Q's, but I'll post 'em in PM to avoid coloring anyones review.

PseudoChef · 01-23-2008, 02:09 AM

I've had all four now and have some mixed reviews because, to be honest, the bottles seemed inconsistent. 2 were good, refreshing beers, and 2 seemed to be oxidized. I have never had an oxidized beer before, so I could be completely wrong, but they seemed stale and had that "cardboard" taste that seems to describe the flaw. It seems you bottle off your keg, so I don't really know if this is the case or not.

I'll base my review on the good beers.

Aroma: Malt-forward with subtle presence of mild bittering hops. Nothing stands out, seems to fit the style well. (7/12)

Appearance: Pours crystal clear with nice, fluffy head that persists through the beer. Red color is spot on, good job. (3/3)

Taste: Medium to thin bodied malt dominates. Some sweetness helps balance out the body a bit, turning this into a decent session-style beer. I definitely taste some caramel notes from some crystal additions perhaps? Extract "twang" is present. Seems to sit in my throat as a thick bolus. Hop bitterness is there, but doesn't jump out at you. Good balance between the malt and hops. (12/20)

Mouthfeel: The extract seems to lend this beer a coating mouthfeel that isn't really desired. The body is good and well-attenuated, but I definitely get a syrupy coating. (2/5)

Overall: Mixed feelings, like I said. I can tell it's an extract, but the overall body and taste of the beer is good. Did you do a late addition? I'm wondering what's causing that coating mouthfeel. (5/10)

29/50

Philip1993 · 01-23-2008, 02:42 PM

Thanks for the review! Some comments:

I do bottle off the keg, and I don't get that taste on the keg. Must be something in my bottling process. I do fill completely and cap on foam...

No late addition, it was a full boil. I'm puzzled about the mouthfeel. I don't note it, but I drink it so much I may be tolerant of it. I'd love to grab mine and another and do a side-by side tasting with someone so we can discuss/learn as we consume.

As for the review; Not disputing your review, but the difference in beers leads me to suspect something happened in packaging/transit. I'm far from an master brewer, but I actually consider this batch one of my better beers. Either something happened or I need to better train my palate. I guess either is as likely at the other.

Thanks again for the review, and thanks for being honest. I'll be re-reading all of them as I drink this beer in the future to see if I can learn/detect/improve upon my flaws.

Professor Frink · 01-23-2008, 02:45 PM

I still have one Arctic Red left, it's been conditioning in my kegerator for a month or so, I'll let you know if that one tastes any different from the first.

PseudoChef · 01-23-2008, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pldoolittle

Thanks for the review! Some comments:

I do bottle off the keg, and I don't get that taste on the keg. Must be something in my bottling process. I do fill completely and cap on foam...

No late addition, it was a full boil. I'm puzzled about the mouthfeel. I don't note it, but I drink it so much I may be tolerant of it. I'd love to grab mine and another and do a side-by side tasting with someone so we can discuss/learn as we consume.

As for the review; Not disputing your review, but the difference in beers leads me to suspect something happened in packaging/transit. I'm far from an master brewer, but I actually consider this batch one of my better beers. Either something happened or I need to better train my palate. I guess either is as likely at the other.

Thanks again for the review, and thanks for being honest. I'll be re-reading all of them as I drink this beer in the future to see if I can learn/detect/improve upon my flaws.

Yeah, I was actually assuming it was a transit factor. That's why I'm so worried some of my beers may not be well received since I bottle condition everything. One of the bottles was filled lower than all the rest, and I think that was one of the weird ones.

Anyway, I enjoyed it as a good session beer regardless.