Ó Flannagáin's (seeFresh) Beer

Sending out a few packages over the next week. If you guys don't mind critiquing here that'd be awesome. FYI, most will have a wierd carbonation level/head because I've been kegging and trying my best to add enough DME/water to the 6-12 that I bottle out of the batch. So, sorry about that, but hopefully the flavor/aroma's will be good.

Started with a very nice pop to the bottle showing proper carbonantion. The beer poured deep amber and a little too hazy for the style but in no way effected the beer. Nice thick head, not much for retention but nice lacing on top.

The aroma on this beer was a wonderful balance of just enough Cascade hops and the slightest touch of malt in the back ground.

On first sip, I tasted deep rich malt followed by an especially welcoming bittering bite. The hop flavor in here is slightly citrusy with some piney overtones, as the toastiness and the malt fades out the bittering of the hops carries all the way though out, finishing delightfully balanced. The body was perfectly to style with an elevated level of carbonation, as desired for the style.

Overall a great beer to sit down and enjoy on a Saturday afternoon. Except for the haze i would say that this is perfectly to style with the added bonus of the biscuity malt overtones in it.

Great Job on this one O Flannagain!


Cheers

Pumpkintastrophe II
Sampled side-by-side with my Thunderstruck brew

Appearance:
Deep amber with a touch of orange. Nice and clear. No head at all, despite my best effort to get a turbulent pour.

Aroma:
Perhaps the best part of this beer! Nice and inviting with all the makings of pumpkin pie - spices and pumpkin are quite evident. Very nice.

Taste:
Little flavor up front, not much sweetness. The pumpkin is very subtle, but the spices shine through in the aftertaste. It's a touch more bitter than I'd prefer. The biscuit malt is a nice touch. I do get just a hint of a medicinal "Band Aid" flavor on the back of my tongue, but it's not too objectionable.

Mouthfeel:
Very thin - could use a little more body. This one is a bit flat, which probably contributes to the lack of head.

Drinkability:
Smooth and easy to drink. If the carbonation were a bit higher, it'd be downright enjoyable.

Style-appropriate:
Well, it's a specialty brew, so it's right on!

Comparison:
Mine pours with a thick, persistent head, and mine is just a bit lighter in color with a little more orange tinge. The aromas are very, very similar. Thunderstruck has a little more pumpkin flavor, I think, and it's far sweeter (almost too sweet) with significantly more body. Pumpkintastrophe has a bit more biscuit flavor, and I like that. Overall, I enjoy Thunderstruck a bit more...but then again, I'm pretty biased...

Thunderstruck (left) and Pumpkintastrophe (right)

Bah! ya got a bad one yuri, sorry about that. I kegged it and it's got a great head, but trying to bottle just a few and measure out the DME has hurt quite a few of my beers carbonation/head wise. Thanks for the review, I dunno if I could've drank it flat myself.

Se La Saison​

Uncapping / Pouring / Aesthetics: Nice hiss with some bubbles in the neck before the pour. The head is beautiful with a tight matrix and plenty of staying power. Creamy, almost, silky. The color is yellowish orange; since this is a Saison, I purposely poured some of the bottle sediment into the glass, so it's characteristically cloudy. A little bit more orange in color than the Saison DuPont, but still within style.

Aroma: Ah, hell, here we go. What is that smell? What the f*ck is it? Can't place it. Can't place it. Okay, giving the wife a taste. POT!, she says. And she is right. A subtle herbal smell that I have only experienced once before, in Fantome's rare "Dark White" beer, and which myself and all of my friends concluded smelled like Mary. Are you kidding me? This is fantastic, O'Flan! Not just because of the subtle weed aromas, but because of the complexity. I get kumquat and lemon and a delicious richness that borders on vanilla.

Palate: And there we are again, the "herb". Sweeet. I love it. The first few sips give me some yeasty, bready character, but that fades with subsequent tastes. I get lemon, citrusy tangerine, but most of all, herbs and spices, along with a subtle earthiness that tells me, hey, I can hang with the funkiest Belgian farmhouse ales! The only fault I can see is that this is less acidic and dry than a Saison. I know this all too well because the beer that I had just before this was Saison DuPont's Avec le Bons Floeur, their xmas Saison, from 06. Okay, unfair to do that to you, I know, because DuPont makes the best Saisons on the planet, but this guy stood up VERY well.

Proximity to the Style: Everything is there except for the slight sourness and acidity that you expect from a Saison. This is a bit more creamy and sweet, and reminds me more of an unspiced wit. But otherwise, spot-effing-on.

Overall Impression: Holy crap. If the rest of your beers are half this good, I really owe you big time. One of the best homebrews I think I've ever had. Easily could be mistaken for an artisan Belgian. I'm in awe, dude. This hangs with Fantome's Dark White, which is a huge complement, because that stuff is face-rockingly good. While not as true to style as I expected, it's a near-perfect beer nonetheless. Sure, a bit of tweaking might make it more Saison-y, but I wouldn't change anything. I'm on my last few sips as I write this, and I just want to smell it more. The ganja aromas are slowly taking over as it warms up, and...I'm just very impressed. I want your recipe, because I am brewing this bastard.

SCORE: 47/50​

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No ganja in there, but not a bad idea with a saison.. it is kind of an experimental brew. I let this one hit almost 90F on it's second day of fermentation... I still have probably 1.5 gallons in my keg left ... yea, I kegged this one and can't stop drinking it.

Thanks for the review, Evan. I think you MAY like the tripel as much, but the rest will not be on the same level.

Just added the Saison to my recipes! I used a seasonal yeast that will probably be gone soon: http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?cPath=178_21_77_155_421&products_id=11080

Ó Flannagáin said:

Just added the Saison to my recipes! I used a seasonal yeast that will probably be gone soon: http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?cPath=178_21_77_155_421&products_id=11080

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Good looking recipe. How do you think it'd work out with the WLP550 yeast? I've got some on hand and wouldn't mind pitching it to your recipe...

Soulive21 said:

Good looking recipe. How do you think it'd work out with the WLP550 yeast? I've got some on hand and wouldn't mind pitching it to your recipe...

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I have no idea, this was my first Saison ever. I just used the seasonal yeast when I was ordering because I didn't know how long it would be around. I suspect any quality WL or WY Saison strand is going to be nice and ad it's own characteristics. I do recommend upping the fermentation temp after 12-24 hours of pitching.

Ó Flannagáin said:

I have no idea, this was my first Saison ever. I just used the seasonal yeast when I was ordering because I didn't know how long it would be around. I suspect any quality WL or WY Saison strand is going to be nice and ad it's own characteristics. I do recommend upping the fermentation temp after 12-24 hours of pitching.

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Cool, I'll give it a shot. I can probably still get it up to the mid 80s...

Soulive21 said:

Cool, I'll give it a shot. I can probably still get it up to the mid 80s...

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I just set mine outside the morning after pitching and let it go all day, it was hitting upper 80's here, then brought it into the kitchen that evening.. which had an ambient of about 72-73 then put it in the brew room the next day at 63 ambient..

Ó Flannagáin said:

I just set mine outside the morning after pitching and let it go all day, it was hitting upper 80's here, then brought it into the kitchen that evening.. which had an ambient of about 72-73 then put it in the brew room the next day at 63 ambient..

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Yeah I gotta brew it soon if I'm gonna. Its currently at 47F outside

This beer had a great pop on opening, a little yeast had settled in the neck of the bottle, but that was from shipping. Very big yeast cake in the bottle, which held together nicely.

Initial pour came out black as could be, Zero light penetration through the beer, poured a large dark brown head, that held for a good amount of time.

Smelled of roasted malts and coffee, with a slight chocolate hint in the background, which was quite pleasant. Little to no hop aroma, very true to style.

On the initial tasting the body was slightly thin due to a higher level of carbonation, slightly more than the style calls for but didn't detract from the beer. Tasted of toasted malt and roast coffee, very nicely balanced with the sweeter malts. No hop flavor that i could detect, again true to the style. The body of the beer thickened as the beer warmed slightly allowing more of the roasted goodness escape, also bringing forward more of the sweeter malt profile.

I believe that this beer would do well with a little aging and perhaps a slightly lower mash temp to up the body some. All in all a wonderful stout, that was very enjoyable. Thank you O Flannagain.



Cheers

Glad you enjoyed! But don't you mean up the mash temp to get more body? I mashed at 155-56, might try 158 next time. I figured 1lb of carapils and 1lb of flake barley would give enough body!! thanks a ton for the feedback, I'll definitely carb less next time as well.

Ó Flannagáin said:

Glad you enjoyed! But don't you mean up the mash temp to get more body? I mashed at 155-56, might try 158 next time. I figured 1lb of carapils and 1lb of flake barley would give enough body!! thanks a ton for the feedback, I'll definitely carb less next time as well.

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I stand corrected, your right i messed that one up

Great beer though, I hope to get to the other one too, I had been ill for a little while.

Cheers

Pumpkintrastrophe II​

Uncapping / Pouring / Aesthetics: Good hiss, good carbonation (light), almost no head. The beer is brownish and slightly cloudy.

Aroma: Ehh, pumpkin pie. I get some cinnamon and clove up front, with some allspice back there too. Very savory, with a slight hop aroma.

Palate: Verrrrry nice up front. Clean, delicious, with the perfect balance of spices. My crazy pumpkin beer turned out to be viscous like Pedro Ximenez sherry, but yours is nice and refreshing after the spice. I get some toasted flavors as well, but nothing is overwhelming. Very nice! The finish is where the flaw is, though. Not sure where this is coming from, but the finish leaves me with the taste of cigarette ashes.

Proximity to the Style: I'm a huge fan of pumpkin beers, but the biggest trick to making a good one is getting the spices just right. You've done that. Congrats!

Overall Impression: As I said, I love pumpkin beers, but it's hard to find/make a good one. I really like the balance you've struck here, and there's even some hop flavors and aromas to boot. Unfortunately, it finishes with that pesky cigarette ash taste, which is really a shame, because the rest of the brew is awesome.

SCORE: 38/50​

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I think I figured out the problem with the pumpkin. I was defending these jack-o-latern pumpkins pretty hard when I was smelling my beer while it was going, but after I bottled and tasted, I think the pumpkin is the problem. USE LITTLE PUMPKIN PIE PUMPKINS ... or canned pumpkin, I think I got some of the bad flesh or something.

I'm still sitting on 1.5 gallons that I really just want to dump to clear a keg. Not a fan of this beer anymore.

Rochefort 10​

Uncapping / Pouring / Aesthetics: Very slight hiss, suggesting undercarbonation (which I was warned about). The pour confirms this. The color is beautiful brownish-black.

Aroma: Whew, the 1762 is so freakin' awesome, man. That bubblegummy ester aroma from the yeast is all over my nose. I love it. Big, roasted toffee and fig notes also mingle in there with a touch of black pepper. No hop aroma, but the nose overall is very clean, while still being rustic.

Palate: Hmmm...the esters are there, as is the toffee and fig, but I'm also picking up more of the black pepper. I handed the glass to my wife and she says, "hey, black pepper!". Now, I know you put pepper in your saison, but what about this one. I get a lot of the same characteristics here as I found in your Saison, but I'm not really sure why. The lack of carbonation is hurting here, but it's still awesome and complex and full of life. The mouthfeel is nice and full but not cloying, and there's a bit of characteristic hotness from the alcohol. No hop flavor, just that complex ester/phenolic profile.

Proximity to the Style: The black pepper thing is what stands between it and the real deal. Everything else is spot-on. The esters, the dark fruit and roasted notes, everything is right there.

Overall Impression: A fine effort, a superb beer, and while not exactly Rochefort 10, it's awesome anyway. I do believe that, if it weren't for the black pepper, it would be just about like the real thing, but what can you do? I love the yeast character, and the whole package comes across as nice and clean and flawless. Great job!

SCORE: 43/50​

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Geez OF, you should start a Belgian style brewery

Laubmeister Hefeweizen Dunkel​

Uncapping / Pouring / Aesthetics: Good pressure at uncapping, nice pour, plenty of carbonation on this one. The color is a nice light brown-tan, and it's sufficiently cloudy for a hefe. The bubble matrix is tight on the head, and it looks pretty creamy.

Aroma: Nice! Cloves, bananas, and something else. Black pepper? This is a nice dunkel, I can tell already. I don't get much hop aroma, though.

Palate: Nice, creamy, estery, phenolic. Slight hop bitterness, with some prevalent spices at various points on the palate. As it warms up, I find that it's kind of restrained, though. Maybe a good thing, maybe not...can't tell really. But I tend to like my hefes and dunkels to be a little more out there and expressive. Not sure what strain you used on this, but perhaps it needed a little higher fermentation temp? What I do like is that, as with my own dunkel, it's nice and clean. No real flaws. There's a slight hop flavor that comes across as spiciness, and fades rather quickly.

Proximity to the Style: As far as I can tell, it's pretty close. I roused some of the trub, but also tried a sip without it. Both ways, it works.

Overall Impression: A nice example of a dunkelweizen, though certainly not my favorite beer of yours. I'm a fan of dunkels, of course, but there's nothing that screams at me here. It's a well-made beer and I really like it, but I could do with a bit more ester/phenolic character. More banana, more clove, that's my thing...but regardless, another fine brew.

SCORE: 40/50​

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No black pepper in the dunkel, I tend to get carried away, but not THAT carried away! Yea, it fermented around 68... I would like to have got up to 71-72, but just didn't have the environment for it.

As far as the rochefort, I'm pretty upset about the carbonation on that one. I've tried everything and I used 3/4cup DME for it, so it should've carbed up fine. I dunno, don't think I"m gonna bother trying to fix this batch, I'll just try a little harder on the next.

I dunno, dude...that's some good fuggin brew...IIWY, I'd uncap them and drop carb tabs in.

Evan! said:

I dunno, dude...that's some good fuggin brew...IIWY, I'd uncap them and drop carb tabs in.

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Half of them are in flip top bottles, I might just do that.

Ó Flannagáin said:

Half of them are in flip top bottles, I might just do that.

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oh, man, the flip-toppers are no-brainers. Don't pass go, don't collect $200, go directly to the LHBS for some Munton's Carb Tabs.

Rochefort 10

Ok I lied it just looked to good, had to try it out. Gonna try this numbering stuff, but im no expert.

AROMA- Very warm malty, spices, slight alcohol aroma. 10/12


APPEARANCE- Low fill, spot on for color, no real head, but a nice lace left . 2/3


FLAVOR- I have never had the opportunity to have a Rochefort 10 only the 8. But first impression is this is how I imagine it would taste. Very complex flavor. No hop flavor just how I would imagine. Wonder full malt flavor, its a lot better malt flavor than on the commercial 8. Its a belgian, wonderful spices from the yeast in the back ground. Just a touch of alcohol bite, but you did tell me it was young. 19/20

MOUTHFEEL- Mine was carbonated, but was more or less the level I would expect in a English beer, just a tad low for the style. 4/5


OVERALL- Great beer, very well done. This thing is gonna be one killer beer in a few months. 8/10


43. Great beer, Now i need to get off my but and brew it. Thanks again .

Triple

AROMA- Once again nice and malty, great smell of this one. Nice lacing, no real head. 10/12

APPEARANCE- Good fill level on this one, Pretty cloudy, but could be from the car ride back to my house. Nice golden color maybe a little on the dark side. 2/3

FLAVOR- As I said from the first one, this is a great Triple. It is by far the best one I have had. I think most Triple are pretty boring. Not this one. Lots going on. Has a great malt flavor very complex mix of malt and spicinesses. Only thing Im not too sure on this one is, it seems it would be better if it finished a little dryer. Just seems a little thick for a triple. But for the malt flavor makes up for it. Oh and this beer is ridiculously smooth, I would never guess it to be over a 5% beer. 17/20

MOUTH FEEL- Nice level of Carb. might could use a tad more. 4/5

OVERALL- Great triple, It is one of the best ones I have had. If it was just a touch dyer it would be perfect IMO. Great job. Thanks again, hope we can swap again.
8/10

41/50

Evan! said:

I dunno, dude...that's some good fuggin brew...IIWY, I'd uncap them and drop carb tabs in.

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I just don't know anymore!! I drank one Saturday night with Drunkensatyr and it was fully carbed with a nice fluffy head!! I can't figure that beer out

Ó Flannagáin said:

No black pepper in the dunkel, I tend to get carried away, but not THAT carried away! Yea, it fermented around 68... I would like to have got up to 71-72, but just didn't have the environment for it.

As far as the rochefort, I'm pretty upset about the carbonation on that one. I've tried everything and I used 3/4cup DME for it, so it should've carbed up fine. I dunno, don't think I"m gonna bother trying to fix this batch, I'll just try a little harder on the next.

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O'F - I'm looking for a Saison recipe, your looks and sounds good. I like the fact you are adding peppercorn. I love black pepper.

I see your comment for 3/4 cup of DME. Thats too low. 1-1.25 cups. Cheesefood's Vanilla Caramel Cream Ale calls for 1.5 cups. Its an efforvescent ale too.

I'm gonna try your recipe it has all the spices & sugar adjuncts needed for dryness.

Thanks for posting the recipe.