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BierMuncher

...My Junk is Ugly...
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We're all receiving beers from across the country, so if you are inclined to provide some public feedback, this is the spot.

I'd suggest that at the very least, you PM your sender in an order to encourage their efforts and offer any insight to help them evolve as a brewer.

Have at it...:mug:
 
I'll start off my reviews as it looks like I will have alot of reviewing to do.
Saccharomyces sent me a total of 12 bottles beers including 4 bottles 9-9-9.

RCS
A couple of days ago I pulled one out of the fridge labeled RCS. After opening I check against his list online to find that mean Raspberry Chocolate Stout.

The beer was a nice opaque brown/black with a light tan head that dissipated slowly leaving a nice lacing. The aroma was heavily raspberry with hints of roasted grains. Very inviting.
The taste was much the same as the aroma. The raspberry flavors dominated the classic stout flavors and I didn't really notice much chocolate. Great full bodied mouthfeel.
However I did get some off flavors in the after taste. It kind of tasted oxidized. Wish I could describe the flavor better but I have noticed similar flavors in some home brews from other brewers.

What I learned from this is that raspberry and stouts go really well together. I did not think I like a fruit beer but this beer confirmed that a raspberry stout really works.


Mild
Last night I opened a 16oz bottle (Not only did Sacc send me 12 bottles, 2 of those were 16oz bottles :D) of Saccharomyces Mild. I got a short head on the beer that quickly dissipated. The color was a dark brown and appeared to be very clear. Aroma and flavor was of dark fruits with hints of roasted malts. The beer was easy to drink yet very satisfying. I really felt like I was drinking a much stronger beer. This really makes a great session beer.
I have made a couple milds myself and really enjoyed them, however this example of the style easily surpassed my own.

Thanks
Craig
 
I also benefitted from Sacc's bounty, and in fact, had the raspberry chocolate stout last night. HWMO and I really enjoyed it (and I've now been ordered to make it). We didn't know what it was at first when we opened it (I kind of like to test myself before knowing what it is), and HWMO remarked that it smelled like chocolate-covered cherries! So it made a lot of sense when we realized it was chocolate raspberry. Nice head, not OVERLY raspberryish, thought it was a good balance in a lightly roasty stout. :mug:

Dictator IIPA, good aroma, nice thick head, kind of a dark amber color. GREAT hop flavor. We're getting to be hard to please in the I(I)PA category, so I knew it was a winner when HWMO exclaimed "MMMMM, that's hoppy!" :D
 
However I did get some off flavors in the after taste. It kind of tasted oxidized. Wish I could describe the flavor better but I have noticed similar flavors in some home brews from other brewers.

That batch has very slight chlorophenols which is probably what you are picking up due to use of a crappy, cheap carbon filter that didn't get all the chloramine out. I have improved my water treatment since then to eliminate all of the chloramine; I upgraded to a Pentek Chlorplus 10 filter which is rated to remove all chloramine for 1,000 gallons up to 6ppm. I also began treating my RO water with campden since it seems to have some residual chloramine. :eek:

I have made a couple milds myself and really enjoyed them, however this example of the style easily surpassed my own.

That was Orfy's Mild, with S-04 yeast. I brewed it on 8/30/08, it has aged very well.
 
... had the raspberry chocolate stout last night. HWMO and I really enjoyed it (and I've now been ordered to make it).

Definitely a popular one, it will be on regular rotation. This is the stock AHS Chocolate Raspberry Stout kit brewed on 12/27/08. From my notes:

9# 2-row
12 oz Chocolate (US)
4 oz Crystal 40L
2 oz Black Patent
2 oz Roasted Barley
Mashed 154*F 60

.75 oz Nugget 60
1 oz Cocoa, @flameout
8 oz Malto Dextrine powder @flameout

Wyeast 1028 London Ale 1500mL starter, 21 days@65*F. Aged two and a half months in the keg, added 2 oz Raspberry extract, force carbed and serving.

The patent malt has definitely smoothed out with age. Next time I brew this up I plan on doubling the amount of cocoa powder, subbing British chocolate for the US chocolate (UK is a little roastier), and dropping the patent malt.

We're getting to be hard to please in the I(I)PA category, so I knew it was a winner when HWMO exclaimed "MMMMM, that's hoppy!" :D

LOL... 10 oz of hops per 5 gallons, glad you didn't miss 'em. :D
 
That batch has very slight chlorophenols which is probably what you are picking up due to use of a crappy, cheap carbon filter that didn't get all the chloramine out. I have improved my water treatment since then to eliminate all of the chloramine; I upgraded to a Pentek Chlorplus 10 filter which is rated to remove all chloramine for 1,000 gallons up to 6ppm. I also began treating my RO water with campden since it seems to have some residual chloramine. :eek:



That was Orfy's Mild, with S-04 yeast. I brewed it on 8/30/08, it has aged very well.

Thanks for pointing out what i have been tasting. I have not noticed it in my beers, but i always use Campden tablets to treat my water before brewing. Now if i taste it again I may have some useful feedback for the brewer.

So it was raspberry extract in the RCS. That will be easier and cheaper to use when I decide to make a raspberry stout. Its good to know you can get good results with it. I had planned on using Oregon fruit puree but your results were excellent with the extract.

Craig
 
So it was raspberry extract in the RCS. That will be easier and cheaper to use when I decide to make a raspberry stout. Its good to know you can get good results with it. I had planned on using Oregon fruit puree but your results were excellent with the extract.

Yeah I agree it works really well... I brewed this after having it a few times from other homebrewers in the Zealots homebrew club. That AHS recipe is a past award winner in the fruit beers category.
 
Alright, I have a fridge full of beer now, let's get drinking.

CBBaron's 888 RIS, thanks for including this.

Aroma:
Dark malts, chocolate, coffee. Some fruity esters. The alcohol is also evident, but expected.

Appearance:
Jet black, no head when poured. Forms a small dark, tan head when swirled.

Flavor:
Complex malt: caramel and some dark fruit flavors. Nice amount of roast, dark chocolate flavors. Malt and roast are well balanced. Fruitiness is evident but not overwhelming. Very little hop flavor. Finishes rather bitter from both the hops and the roast. Roast lingers somewhat. The alcohol is not very evident in the flavor, but after you swallow the warmth creeps up on you.

Mouthfeel:
Medium-full bodied. Moderately low carbonation. Finishes dry but without any roast-derived astringency.

Overall Impression:
A very good RIS. One of the best homebrewed RIS I have had. The alcohol is very well restrained and is very drinkable for a big beer. My only suggestion for improvement would be to bump up the malt complexity to get some more depth to the flavor/aroma profile.


Thanks again, wish I had more!
 
MMB sent me several styles to choose from. I figured I would start off with the Pub Bitter as I was in the mood for an easy drinking beer this evening.

Aroma 9/12
Not a strong aroma. Slight malt aroma, not pronounced, but still there. Hop aroma present as well, but again somewhat subdued. Light fruitiness in the background. Well balanced, but I might try for more.

Appearance 3/3
Crystal clear, dark golden w/ copper tones, this is a beautiful beer. Small, dense, white head dissipates in under a minute.

Flavor 17/20
Nice bitterness is not overwhelming. Nicely balanced with mild malt and some fruitiness coming through in the finish. Hop flavors are present, but not in your face like American Pale. Only odd flavor i taste is a grainy aftertaste, similar to grits perhaps? I wish i could describe it better. It's not unpleasant, but not welcome either.

Mouthfeel 5/5
Nailed this style! Lightly carbonated would be undercarbed in another style, but is perfect for the bitter. Nice light body, very drinkable.

Overall 8/10
Very good beer! You've hit the style right on. Only the grainy aftertaste detracts at all. The aroma could have been a little stronger in both malt and hops to my tastes. To be honest I'm probably just nit picking to find something wrong. I could drink this beer all day and be very happy! :mug:

Total 42/50


Cheers!

Terje
 
Aroma: floral, cirtrusy American hops. Slight fruity esters. Small amount of
spicy malt character coming through. Hop aroma could be stronger. 8/12
Appearance: somewhat cloudy due to bottle conditioning. Bronze color is
very pleasing. Compact off-white head settled quickly but left nice lacing
on the glass. 2/3
Flavor: balanced hop bitterness and American citrus hop flavor. Small
amount of biscuit flavor evident. Large rye character present, spicy,
strong flavor. Lingering dry, bitter finish. No defects. 14/20
Mouthfeel: good body, slight alcohol warmth. 5/5
Overall: a fine example of an American IPA in the base style.
The rye character is a little too strong/distracting. A local microbrewed
commercial beer uses 18% rye in the grist which strikes a good balance for a moderately bitter IPA. Hops are somewhat harsh in character (high alpha?),
but is within style. Biscuit and hop character is reminiscent of Victory Hop Devil. To keep balance I would use some biscuit/victory malt when
reducing % of rye in the grist, which would also help with keeping
the nice color. A fine homebrew. I would buy a pint of this beer. 8/10

Overall score: 38/50
 
Doog_Si_Reeb's Red Rye

Aroma: Lot's of sweet malt aroma mixed in with caramel, strong ovaltine/chocolate milk mix smell and fruity esters. Aroma is reminiscent of a confectionary shop with a very subtle spiciness. Low but detectable diacetyl.

Appearance: Poured vigorously to a half-inch head. Settled to a thin film in less than a minute. Dark copper color with slight haze.

Flavor: Sweet caramel and the chocolate milk powder dominate flavor. A bit of spiciness comes through either from hops or rye. Sweet finish with a slight alcohol warmth coming through as it warms up. Butterscotch-y diacetyl.

Mouthfeel: Moderate to full body. Low carbonation is just right for this beer. Very nice.

Overall: Very nice ale. Slightly sweet for my taste - A bit more attenuation would be more to my taste. The chocolate milk mix flavor/aroma was interesting at first but soon became a distraction. I don't have much experience with rye beers but I detected very little rye character. It was still very enjoyable. I'd be interested in seeing the recipe to see where the ovaltine flavor is coming from. Now I'm really excited to try the saison! Thanks!

DSC_0536.jpg
 
I had the advantage of Beeriffic letting me choose from his "menu" of selections and when he mentioned the Berliner Weisse, it was a no-brainer. I've not delved into the sour categories before for fear of the pucker I'd assumed would be permanently affixed to my puss.

I thought "What the hell...I'm sure I'll try it and not like and be done with the topic. Take Beeriffic's BW and I've nothing to lose".

Boy was I wrong. I'm pretty sure I have now lost many-a-future Saturday afternoons in search of recreating this sour session beer that is on one hand...very light in alcohol and pleasantly bubbly...and on the other hand complex in it's slight, delicate tartness and very fulfilling (not filling...FULfilling).

AROMA - Light and slightly citrusy. Like a twist of lemon was dropped into the secondary. An indescribable sour nature...like trying to describe the please nature of sourdough bread compared to regular bread.

APPEARANCE - Poured a very light, very bright straw color. Hazy. Slight white head that dissipated quickly...to be replace by a seemingly infinite effervescence coming from all sides of the glass. In addition to the appearance, this beer had a definite snap-crackle-pop factor on the ears. They call this the "champagne of beers" and the lively show this one was putting one was true to form.

FLAVOR - Preparing myself for a big pucker factor...I was truly surprised by the delicate flavor of this beer. My immediate reaction after the first swallow was "I have to get the SWMBO to taste this". Problem was...she was running errands and at least 15-20 minutes from returning home. Despite this, I parked the glass in the freezer in a feeble attempt to preserve the beer until she got home. That idea lasted all of 90 seconds. I sat down in the other room, away from where my daughters were bickering about what to watch on TV and decided to savor this beer and give the SWMBO a brief...debriefing when she got home. Her loss :D.

The taste was phenomenal. Light. Where there should be a hop bitterness, there was instead a slight tartness. Definitely a beer...but unlike anything I'd had before. Again...it is like trying to describe the complex flavor of sourdough bread to someone who has never had it.

MOUTHFEEL - Champagne like. Nuff said.

OVERALL - Well, let's just say the next day I decided to set out and replicate this beer based on some basic knowledge I dug up.

This beer...this style of beer..was an absolute surprise. I've been burying myself in aggressively hopped up beers lately while trying to brew up light cream ales and blondes for everyone else in the house for the summer months coming up. A Berliner Weisse is very likely to satisfy everyone in the house. Big on flavor....light on the tongue.

If you haven't had a Berliner Weisse yet....find one...drink one...brew many.

Well done Beeriffic and thanks for sending me on another HB quest. I need something else to chase after like I need a hole in the head. :D

:mug:


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Doog_Si_Reeb's Saison

Aroma: Bright fresh orange aroma dominates a background of white wine, pineapple and light floral aromas. No hop aroma but a very light peppery spiciness from the yeast.

Appearance: Vigorous pour resulted in a quarter to half inch head that quickly dissipated to a thin ring around the edge of the glass. Beer was a very attractive light gold color with significant haze.

Flavor: Initially dry, it develops a yeasty bitterness on the palate and finishes slightly sweet. The orange and pineapple carry over into the flavor in a very crisp, light way, and the flavor reminds me of the light yellow gummi bears. Very slight phenol spice.

Mouthfeel: A bit fuller body than I expected though not out of style. The carbonation is low, but a good cascade of bubbles rose throughout the glass.

Overall: A very nice saison. I could drink this one all summer. I can see why the style was originally brewed to quench thirst and provide energy to hard-working farmers. I would have liked a bit more of the saison yeast character, however. It seemed a bit light and I couldn't help but think that the fermentation temps might not have gotten as high as perhaps they could have. It also finished a bit sweeter than I think a saison should, though only slightly so. If it had been fermented a bit hotter, and allowed to dry out just a touch more, I think it would be world-class.

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Aroma: malt sweetness, rye spice, clove, banana, phenols from Weizen yeast. Perfect style aroma, but would be stronger if the beer was better carbonated. 10/12

Appearance: deep copper, muddy. Low head due to low carbonation. 2/3

Flavor: malty sweetness, balanced with rye flavor and bitter rye finish. Balance definitely toward sweet. Weizen yeast character comes through but isn't overpowering. Little hop flavor. Finish is a little sweet for style. 16/20

Mouthfeel: surprisingly full bodied beer, almost chewy. Undercarbonated for style. 3/5

Overall: a very tasty beer. This is one of the only Roggenbiers I have had. It is very good. A little noble hop character and higher carbonation would be nice, and the alcohol seems a little noticeable like the gravity is a bit on the high end. Otherwise this is a flawless beer, and seems pretty close to style description overall. 7/10

38/50
 
Let me start by saying, i'm by no means a judge of beer's. I have chronic allergies that render my nose nearly useless and affect my taste. I had swmbo help me as she has a good nose and loves ALL styles of beer. I will not give you a number score because i'm not qualified, and I believe people toss around numbers just to give them out. I will however be as honest as possible.

This is not a style I drink very often, so I sat down with the BJCP guidelines for this style.

Aroma Swmbo said pineapple, I thought a bit of cloves. Certainly fruity of some kind, which is apprrpiate to style. It was difficult to get a bead on the smell.:(

Appearance A straight down the middle pour resulted in a very small head (didn't cover the top of the beer). A nice yellow, light straw color and hazy, which is spot on.

Flavor Lemony/ pineapple with a faint spice on the back of the tongue (swmbo tasted that) with a mild tartness.

Mouthfeel Very thin, maybe more than the style suggests? I also feel it was a tad under carbed. According to style it should have a effervescent character from high carbonation, this was not present. Was it bottle conditioned or kegged?

Overall impression I actually enjoyed this beer! My only gripe would be the carbonation or lack of. It was certainly a light crisp refreshing beer, one I would enjoy on a 90F summer day. I believe you've inspired me to go outside my APA/IPA comfort zone and try this style. Thanks! :mug:
 
Thanks wildwest450! I definitely appreciate the feedback. I kegged the wit, and it was my first time bottling from a keg and I was switching between like 3 different kegs for the swap. I am still figuring out the whole carbonating thing, so you may find the stout to be undercarbed as well. :( Hopefully I can get my system dialed-in as time goes by. :mug: Thanks for the input.
 
Sacchromyces
T - Triple Six Tripel
Cloudy, light golden color, efferesent.
Poured with a very large head that quickly dissapated to light foam
Fruity aroma, light fruit almost citrusy.
Noticable alcohol but not overly hot.
vanilla tones, probably from the oak.
I notice some alcohol fusels, similar to what I get in my maple brown but not as strong. I think this could use some more age.
Nutty flavor, as it warms.
This is not my favorite style but I still enjoyed it. I think it would be even better with a few more months aging.

IIPA
Cloudy, light amber, poured with a couple inches of head that rapidly dissipated.
Strong hoppy aroma. Citrusy.
Citrusy hop flavors, strong bitterness. Sweet caramel flavors. Seemed to be very well balanced with the bitterness and sweetness. Good body without being cloying.
I've had a couple hop bombs that were a little more in your face with the aroma and flavor but this is right up there. The body and sweetness balances the strong bitterness nicely. I love it. Only downside was the considerable cloudiness, which I have seen on everyone of my IPAs.

Craig
 
niquejim

IPA
Pours a medium amber, quite clear, little to no head. Appears to be lightly carbonated.
Noticable piney and earthy hops aroma.
Flavor has a nice hop forefront in a little restrained with a medium bitterness backend. Seems lacking in body and malt flavors. Leaves a dry taste in my mouth.
No major flaws but I feel it could use a little more malt background and perhaps increase the hops flavor addition. Your may be suffering from me having recently tasted Sacc's IIPA which was a considerably bigger beer.

I am looking forward to the other beers in your package because this was quite good.

Craig
 
niquejim

IPA
Pours a medium amber, quite clear, little to no head. Appears to be lightly carbonated.
Noticable piney and earthy hops aroma.
Flavor has a nice hop forefront in a little restrained with a medium bitterness backend. Seems lacking in body and malt flavors. Leaves a dry taste in my mouth.
No major flaws but I feel it could use a little more malt background and perhaps increase the hops flavor addition. Your may be suffering from me having recently tasted Sacc's IIPA which was a considerably bigger beer.

I am looking forward to the other beers in your package because this was quite good.

Craig

Was that the English or American IPA? I carb the EIPA low because I like it that way. Although I, like jmulligan above stated, am still dialing in the carb levels while bottling.
I hope you enjoy the rest

Thanks for the feedback
 
Was that the English or American IPA? I carb the EIPA low because I like it that way. Although I, like jmulligan above stated, am still dialing in the carb levels while bottling.
I hope you enjoy the rest

Thanks for the feedback

Labeled just IPA so I assume American since another bottle is labeled EIPA.
Really enjoying this swap and I just received MNBugeater's package in the mail so I have plenty more samples to go.

Craig
 
Sorry for the non review post, but I am wondering in the interested "9/9/9" if it is acceptable to put these Barleywine's in the beer cellar and not sample them until 9/9/9 or at least close to that date. I, for one, know my BW was good when I shipped it, but expect it be at peak around 9/9/9. It was brewed 9/08 & bottled 10/25/08. I have had 3-4 bottles of my BW and attest that it only got better. I sent this to NHBC 09 and it came back a 38 and at 7 months old it is still a little green. I expect this fall or even next spring for it to be better yet.
 
Soperbrew and I shared CBBaron's Maple Brown ale yesterday.

Aroma: malt, a little bit of diacetyl. Faint hint of what smelled like brown sugar/molasses.

Appearance: extremely clear, light brown, ~20 SRM. Poured with little head which quickly dissipated. Low carbonation evident. English style?

Mouthfeel: a little thin from the high %ABV. A half pound of maltodextrine powder added late in the boil helps add body back when using lots of adjuncts, and would have helped head retention as well (something to consider next time you brew this one). Significant alcohol warmth. Would make an excellent winter warmer!

Flavor: malty goodness, a good English style brown ale in the base. Slight diacetyl, balanced hop bitterness. No hop flavor. Slight hint of brown sugar/molasses flavor from the maple syrup with vanilla overtones. Fruity esters evident from an English strain, most likely Fuller's or Ringwood ale yeast.

Overall: I really liked this beer. I was surprised at how vanilla/brown sugar flavors came from the syrup. I didn't get much in the way of maple at all. Base recipe is a very VERY solid English brown ale. Overall an excellent beer. Including some malto dextrine powder or a pound of carapils to increase body/mouthfeel and head retention would make this beer a home run.
 
Doog_Si_Reeb was kind enough to provide 2 of his red ryes in the swap package. I'm enjoying the second of them right now and decided to take a picture since my original review didn't include one. I'll also add this to the original review. Doog, I'd really like to see the recipe, the chocolate milk mix/chocolate whey protein powder flavor is again jumping out and I'd like to see what it's coming from. I'm quite enjoying it right now, and interested to see if your other recipients note the chocolate flavor in their reviews!

DSC_0536.jpg


Edit: Oh yeah, in my original review I stated that it was a bit too sweet, and while still sweet, this time through I'm not finding it objectionable. It must be a factor of my temperature, mood and several other things!:)
 
KingBrianI Hefeweizen.

Apperance: Pours with very little head, dark for a hefeweizen, poured with yeast swirled in, so it is cloudy.

Aroma: Somewhat subtle, some spicyness from the yeast, no bannana, prehaps clove. I can't detect hop flavor, but the spicyness may be due to hops instead of the yeast.

Flavor: Very good, not overly phenolic (due to age?). More of the yeast spicyness comes through, seems to be well attenuated, not overly sweet, some maltyness but not enough to get in the way of the usual Hefeweizen flavors. No hops to my taste, or bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Low on carbonation. Not too thick the yeast fills it out nicely.

Overall Impression: Very refreshing and light. An enjoyable example of the style. Would have liked more fruityness.
 
DSC01927.jpg


Category # B Subcategory (a-f) A
Subcategory - Ordinary Bitter


Comments - Very full fill, little to no head space. Visible CO2 cloud and slight gas hiss upon opening. Nice bottle presentation, clean and professional

Aroma 10/12
Little to no malt aroma, Slight hop aroma detected, possibly eastern european Saaz like hop profile. Very little to no diacetyl. Pleasant aroma.

Appearance 2/3
Beautiful color, very clear with no sediment, not cloudy. Nice head on pour, dissipated quickly

Flavor 15/20
Strong hop bitterness up front with little hop flavor on finish. Hops do outbalance the malt as per style, but a slight caramel malt characteristic is missing. Clean, dry finish although slightly weak. Not necessarily a bad quality

Mouthfeel 4/5
Light on both body and carbonation, again keeping nicely with style.

Overall Impression 7/10
Drinkable beer, full pint leave a slight dry bitterness. Front side hops are slightly overpowering just bordering on out of balance, but does fade fast so as not to consume the beer. Rather than decrease the hop bill, try increasing the crystal to bring a little caramel profile to the party. Great Beer

38/50
 
Soperbrew and I shared CBBaron's Maple Brown ale yesterday.
Overall: I really liked this beer. I was surprised at how vanilla/brown sugar flavors came from the syrup. I didn't get much in the way of maple at all. Base recipe is a very VERY solid English brown ale. Overall an excellent beer. Including some malto dextrine powder or a pound of carapils to increase body/mouthfeel and head retention would make this beer a home run.

This beer had 2 quarts of maple syrup added to it. The syrup was made by a friend of mine on his small scale non commercial boiler. He only collects the early sap (usually runs out of help and wood by late season:)) so the the syrup is pretty light and does not have as strong of maple flavor as the dark grade B stuff does. Also one quart was from a batch that got over heated during the finishing resulting in some caramel flavors. I don't think you would find those flavors in most maple syrups.

The beer finished low at 1.012. Considerably below expected. I should have used a higher mash temp to help maintain the body. That much sugar can really dry a beer out. There was 0.4 kg of caramel-60 malt in the recipe so it was not without a source for dextrins.

Craig
 
KingBrianI - BSB (Bramling Cross Special Bitter)

Apperance: Very little head, seemingly low carbonation, to style

Aroma: Maltyness/caramel comes through. No detectable diacetyl.

Flavor: Good bitterness but not overpowering. Maltyness is there in the background, some caramel notes. Fruity notes from the hops, very pleasent


Mouthfeel: Good body, not too thin.


Overall Impression: Very drinkable, good initial impression and great taste as it goes down, carmely and some sweetness.
 
KingBrianI - BSB (Bramling Cross Special Bitter)

Apperance: Very little head, seemingly low carbonation, to style

Aroma: Maltyness/caramel comes through. No detectable diacetyl.

Flavor: Good bitterness but not overpowering. Maltyness is there in the background, some caramel notes. Fruity notes from the hops, very pleasent


Mouthfeel: Good body, not too thin.


Overall Impression: Very drinkable, good initial impression and great taste as it goes down, carmely and some sweetness.

Glad you liked it! The bramling cross hops really surprised me. They don't taste "hoppy" at all but really fruity. I'm glad you picked up on that. I think they're probably a hop that could be used a great deal more than they are currently. They could mix very well with other hops, but don't provide enough "hoppiness" on their own, I feel. You might also be interested to hear that that beer used homemade crystal malt, although I'm not sure how much of the starch was converted.
 
TexLaw's Argentine Gold

Aroma: Dry pilsner malt aroma dominates. Slightly spicy hop nose. Juicy citrus notes tending towards tangerine-grapefruit.

Appearance: Poured with a big head that pillowed up over the edge of the glass. Slightly hazy (probably due from the shake-up during shipping and me sampling it the day after it arrived, hey I'm impatient!) pale straw color. Cascade of bubbles coming up from the bottom of the glass. Very attractive. Head retention was good, but not spectacular, dissipating to a thin film on the beer over the course of the sampling.

Flavor: That crisp pilsner malt character really comes through in the flavor. It's accompanied by a firm, slightly overpowering bitterness from the hops. There is a tartness present that really goes well with the citrus aroma. Reading the recipe, I'm guessing that it is the rye that is giving it a bit of spiciness although I can't be sure, having very little experience with rye. Finishes dry with a lingering hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with good carbonation.

Overall: A crisp and refreshing beer that would be perfect for those hot summer days. I'd have preferred either a bit less bitterness or a bit more maltiness in order to balance the beer, but that's only to suit my palate. If I were to brew it, I'd probably mash a couple degrees higher in order to retain a bit more sweetness to balance the bitterness. I'm interested to know whether the hops in this batch are the Argentinian Cascades or the American Hallertau since I see on the recipe page you have used both. I've read the Argentinian Cascades can have a bit of a citronella flavor/aroma and I didn't detect that so I'm guessing this batch was hallertau. The bitterness does remind me of the bitterness I received from challenger hops in a challenger smash I did, in that the bitterness is very like the bitterness of asparagus, though this beer doesn't taste of asparagus while my challenger batch did! Thanks for including it!

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CBBaron's RyeIPA

Aroma: Rye is definitely there, slightly muted. Some other malt character, some caramel aromas. Combines nicely with citrusy, resiny, somewhat piney hops that are quite obvious.

Appearance: Medium copper in color. Nice, tight, white head when poured. Good retention. Nice lacing. Somewhat hazy, clears up somewhat as it warms.

Flavor: Hop and malt/rye flavor balance nicely, maybe slightly favoring hops which is nice. Best way to describe hops is 'juicy,' but not really overwhelmingly citrusy, quite nice. Some fruity flavors, go nicely with the malt and hops. All these flavors follow with a fairly assertive bitterness that reminds that this is indeed an IPA. Bitterness lingers but is not harsh.

Mouthfeel: Great body, many times you see IPAs with this color and body (assuming caramel malt usage) and they end up way to sweet. This beer has great body but still finishes very dry which is absolutely necessary for an IPA, IMO. Medium-high carbonation.

Over all impression: A really great IPA. I have had quite a few rye based pale ales and IPAs. I can detect the rye in this, but if I was not told there was rye in here, I might not know. In general, I think the rye was used well in combination with the hops to make a very good, highly drinkable IPA. If I had ordered this in a brewpub, I would order a second for sure.

You mind sharing the recipe?

Thanks!
:mug:
 
More beers sampled from the generous contributions of swap members.

niquejim
Sweet stout
dark brown/Black in color, opaque, minimal brown head, low carbonation but perfect for style.
Strong flavors of roasted grains. drying almost astringent.
Minimal hop flavors.
Full body.
Overall I notice some astringent flavors from the roasted grains that dry the mouth. I'm not noticing much sweetness, though it is full bodied.

English IPA
Light amber color, clear with a nice head that dispates leaving a nice lace.
Moderate earthy hops and a firm bitterness.
Medium-light body. Well balanced.
This tastes more like a pale ale to me, but I may have been drinking too many hop bombs.
Overall a very good english ale that is well balanced with noticeable hops but not over powering.

MNBugeater
Wild cranberry apfelwein
Dry, tart, sparkling
Tastes of apple. Cranberry flavor is unnoticed.
I didn't notice any flaws but I am still not a fan of Apfelwein. :(

Craig
 
KingBrianI's Verfluchte Gute Hefeweizen:

Nice pffft upon popping the top off this one.

Aroma - First thing to jump out at me is the bubblegum. I was hit with it as I was pouring. But it's not overpowering. Well balanced. Maybe a little spice in the nose as well. What I would expect for the style

Apperance - More like an amber than a weizen. Cloudy for sure with the yeast swirled in. Little to no head and what was there disappeared quickly. No lacing.

Flavor - Here's where the spicy/clove beats out the bubble gum. Not getting much banana, but there is a little that lingers after swallowing. Sweet, but with a dry finish. Ultimately I think it's pretty balanced. You start with one flavor and go through the gamut of flavors you would expect from a weizen.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with some creamy fullness. Maybe slightly under carbonated.

Overall - This was a nice beer and one that went well with a beautiful Portland evening. I wish I had more.
 
Bashe's Porter:

Aroma - Malty, yeasty, maybe a little toffee like aromas coming off this. No real hop aroma. Maybe a little fruity (?)

Apperance - Deep, dark, rich brown. Little head that dissipates quickly. Little lacing.

Flavor - Definite toffee, caramel, malty flavors will balanced with a little hop bitterness. A tad sweet.

Mouthfeel - low to moderate carbonation, medium bodied.

Overall - A very nice beer. Maybe I needed to let it sit a little longer if it's bottle conditioned, but this was a fun beer. Greatly enjoyed.
 
Saccharomyces Black Ale
Nice deep mahogany color. Huge head, slightly over carbonated.
Aromas of dark fruits and roasted malts.
Nice bold ale. very malty. Dark fruits and malts.
I am really enjoying this ale. Great flavors.

Craig
 
Brambling Cross Special Bitter by KingBrianI

Aroma: Malt and caramel notes, some fruitiness.

Appearance: Nice tan head that dissipated to 1/4". Beautiful color, very clear.

Flavor: Some maltiness, fruity but not overpowering.

Mouthfeel: Medium body and good carbonation.

Overall Impression: Very nice beer. Good flavor. There is a flavor there I cant quite identify, maybe the hops? Overall a great beer. Only thing I would change is maybe increase the bittering hops just a bit, but that is just my personal preference.

999_Swap_Beer_003.jpg
 
Here's my first review. My tastebuds have been out of wack since a bad sinus infection and a failed attempt to quit smoking lead to a slight increase, so I apologize I haven't got my reviews out sooner. I make kind of a ritual about it, so it takes a lot to get me motivated to do it. Con, here's your pale ale.

Category : 10A American Pale Ale
(I wasn't sure American or British Style, so I went with the good ol USA)

Aroma
Caramel, some earthy notes, touch of biscuit/bread, clean

Appearance
White head, low retention (could have been SWMBO washing my beer glasses again, but I rinsed good with cold water first...) Slight haze, possibly dry hopped? Nice rich, deep color.

Flavor
Caramel on first impression, slight plum flavor evident on front of pallette and finish. Seemed sweet, high FG? Hop flavor restrained, but present with an earthy overtone made me wonder variety? Fuggle?

Mouthfeel
Medium body, no astringency presend. Mild to low warming sensation, mild carbonation (would have personally liked a touch more)

Overall Impression
Smooth drinker, right up my alley. A touch of acidity could be the hops playing tricks on me. Body seemed a bit heavy for style but who cares about that. I would drink these all day!
 
See above notes for disclaimer. Also, I found out tonight I can only really evaluate two beers in a night effectively, although I think this oatmeal stout might be a bit stronger than the taste lets on.

Aroma
Clean, lightly roasty, touch of burnt sugar
Appearance
Deep brown head, quickly dissapating. Short but dense foam.
Flavor
Light dryness, nutty oat presence, touch of creamy coffee flavor. No hop bitterness detected, but a touch of diacetyl in there somewhere. Almost had a lagered characteristic to it that makes me want to know what yeast was used, for my own personal gains. (insert evil laugh)

Mouthfeel

Medium to medium-full body, great creaminess. Slighty "oilyness" that coats the mouth I'm attributing to the oats, although I don't have a lot of tasting experience in this category. Carbonation was low, appropriate for stout style, and a definate warmth was felt in the cheeks! Astringency was low.
Overall Impression
Dark but lightly flavored, I felt it could use a bit more roasty/astringent character to it. Oatmeal flavor is right on! Hint of Cafe au Lait in the finish, a good drinker but a bit too mild for my tastes.
 

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