11-11-11 Old Ale Swap and Critique Thread

Jamil's Dry Stout out of BCS (Its only MO, Flaked Barley and Roasted Barley if I recall correctly). Only difference is I cold steeped the Roasted Barley in a gallon of water overnight, and only mashed and did water chemistry for Maris Otter and Flaked Barley. Added the "juice" of the Roasted Barley at Flame out; lost a bit of color, but the roastiness wasnt in your face. I agree that I slightly overcarbed.. was going for about 2 Volumes, but probably went to 2.2-2.3.

AnOldUR said:

Hand's been slapped by Big Brother. It's been suggested that I keep quiet.
In case I don't come back, here's what my 11-11-11 blind tasting looked like. Mine and KingBrian are in the mix along with my three swaps.

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Did you live?

Ok, my notes on SmokingHole's 11-11-11

Aroma -Well, the Brett comes through, but not overly so. I get another note, something earthy. Was this oaked? If so, what did you use and for how long? It doesn't smell the same as my medium toast american oak.

Appearance -Good head,slightly off white, remained for at least half the glass. Beer was dark orange, slightly cloudy (I only had it in the fridge for 2 days, that might have been it)

Flavor - just a little tart, the malt is somewhat masked by the bitterness. I'm by no means a real beer judge, so this may be way out of line, but I would say I even get a mint flavor in the aftertaste and breath in

Mouthfeel - Good body, seems like yours finished higher then mine. Carb level seems high, but I'm not complaining, I think it's great that the last gulp is still carbbed, even after I slowly type this up

Overall - Interestingly different then mine. The bitterness or perhaps tartness is way different. Solid brew, had plenty of subtle flavors that I couldn't quite put my finger on.

Thanks!

I aimed for 2vol. I think I ended up closer to 2.5 or a touch over that even. I used DME to prime and primed using the DME as 100% fermentable dextrose. I think the small amount of oxygen exposure from bottling allowed the brett to ferment just a touch further when I bottled. I heard of people saying that after a brett fermentation if they swirl a yeast cake it will begin fermenting again, I assume from more oxygen.

Anyhow I did oak it with hungarian med toast oak and soaked the cubes in rum. I might be popping the caps in a month or two to let some C02 bleed off.

KingBrian's Westy 12

S- Candy sweet nose. Like a mixed bag of hard candies. Dried fruits- cherry, raisin, prune. Not much Belgian yeast character.

A- Brilliantly clear. Beautiful jewel-like ruby red. Poured with little head and decreased to a faint ring.

F- Wonderfully rich caramel malt at first sip. A wide array of dried fruit character and candies. Hints of chocolate and liqueurs (not sure which one specifically). Undefinable spicing.

M- medium to light body very low carbonation.

O- I really like this beer. I bet it has some good age on it. I wish it had a little more carbonation and Belgian yeast character. I like the recipe. I'd like to make something like this but try to get a little more yeast character. What yeast did you use and what temp?

Somkinghole's Bumpkin ale.

Aroma -Getting a little "circus peanut" smell. Maybe a fried banana

Appearance -Strong head, large bubbles, dissipated in a few minutes. Cloudy (of cource, its a pumpkin ale!), deep red to brown in color

Flavor - Up front, the pumpkin flavor blends well with the malt. Slight spice dimension. There's a flavor that I'm having a hard time identifying. I noticed it in the 11-11-11 as well. maybe bitter? Sour? I'd say a little like sucking on a tea bag, my room mate said grape seed. Not overwhelming, just something I noticed

Mouthfeel - Good body, just what I'd think of for a pumpkin ale.

Overall - Good brew, want to compare it to your pumpkin with the english yeast to see the difference this yeast strain had

jmo88 said:

KingBrian's Westy 12

S- Candy sweet nose. Like a mixed bag of hard candies. Dried fruits- cherry, raisin, prune. Not much Belgian yeast character.

A- Brilliantly clear. Beautiful jewel-like ruby red. Poured with little head and decreased to a faint ring.

F- Wonderfully rich caramel malt at first sip. A wide array of dried fruit character and candies. Hints of chocolate and liqueurs (not sure which one specifically). Undefinable spicing.

M- medium to light body very low carbonation.

O- I really like this beer. I bet it has some good age on it. I wish it had a little more carbonation and Belgian yeast character. I like the recipe. I'd like to make something like this but try to get a little more yeast character. What yeast did you use and what temp?

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Thanks for the review! I used 3787, same strain as westvleteren uses. I let it get up to 80 or something, can't remember now but all that info is in the westy 12 brew and swap thread if you can find it. I've always found it to be a fairly neutral yeast, even at those temps, though it does give beers a very particular set of subtle flavors I really like.

Strat thru marshall's American stout.
Alright, not a super thorough critique, but it had a thick soft head, just a little to the aroma, taste was smooth, with some bitterness in the aftertaste. IBUs around 40? Super clean, just what I'd want in a stout. Solid brew, I can see why it won best in show.

So, mind sharing the recipe? ;-)

CA-LT1 said:

Strat thru marshall's American stout.
Alright, not a super thorough critique, but it had a thick soft head, just a little to the aroma, taste was smooth, with some bitterness in the aftertaste. IBUs around 40? Super clean, just what I'd want in a stout. Solid brew, I can see why it won best in show.

So, mind sharing the recipe? ;-)

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Thanks buddy, glad you liked it. Here's the recipe. Pardon my use of metric, it makes it super easy to write recipes in percentages and then scale them to whatever batch size you want.

Size: 6.0 gal
Efficiency: 75.0%
Attenuation: 73.0%
Calories: 267.98 kcal per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.080 (1.050 - 1.075)
Terminal Gravity: 1.022 (1.010 - 1.022)
Color: 33.54 (30.0 - 40.0)
Alcohol: 7.69% (5.0% - 7.0%)
Bitterness: 58.1 (35.0 - 75.0)

Ingredients:
6.16 kg Pale Ale Malt
0.33 kg White Table Sugar (Sucrose)
0.41 kg 2-Row Caramel Malt 40L
0.16 kg 2-Row Caramel Malt 80L
0.74 kg Chocolate Malt
0.41 kg Roasted Barley

33.0 g Magnum (13.6%) - added during boil, boiled 60 min

20.0 g Centennial (10.0%) - added during boil, boiled 10 min
20.0 g Cascade (5.5%) - added during boil, boiled 10 min

30.0 g Centennial (10.0%) - added during boil, boiled 1 min
30.0 g Cascade (5.5%) - added during boil, boiled 1 min

30.0 g Centennial (10.0%) - added dry to secondary fermenter
20.0 g Cascade (5.5%) - added dry to secondary fermenter

Mash at 152 for an hour, ferment with WLP007 (a large pitch) at 65F and ramp up to 70 over the course of 5 days.

jmo88's Ramble on Rosé

Aroma: Floral aroma, like spring wildflowers. A touch of spicy phenols, but very subdued and in the background.

Appearance: Deep cherry red in color, somewhat hazy. Very small white head that lingers.

Flavor: Cherry notes run from the beginning to the end of the taste. Strong dark cherry flavor is balanced by some spicy phenolics, wood tannins, and a moderate amount of bitterness. This is a very, very nice tasting beer. Very dry finish is balanced by a perceived sweetness from the cherry flavor.

Mouthfeel: High carbonation, good acidic co2 bite on the tongue that supports the cherry in this beer.

Overall: This is a great beer, well done. Very clean, nice dry finish, and a wonderful cherry flavor that takes center stage without becoming cloying or overbearing. I could drink a lot of this.

jmo, can I have the recipe for your cherry saison?

Let's keep the beer reviews coming guys. The feedback is one of the best parts of this swap!

Thanks for the positive review. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Here is the recipe and sorry for the metric. I have no idea what the ABV actually was since the cherries were added after primary fermentation.

Recipe: Ramble on Rosé- (Oaked Cherry Saison)
Style: 16E-Belgian And French Ale-Belgian Speciality Ale

Recipe Overview

Wort Volume Before Boil: 7.00 US gals
Wort Volume After Boil: 6.00 US gals
Volume Transferred: 5.80 US gals
Water Added: 0.00 US gals
Volume At Pitching: 5.80 US gals
Final Batch Volume: 5.00 US gals
Expected Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.049 SG
Expected OG: 1.057 SG
Expected FG: 1.005 SG
Expected ABV: 6.8 %
Expected ABW: 5.4 %
Expected IBU (using Tinseth): 32.2
Expected Color: 3.8 SRM
Apparent Attenuation: 89.9 %
Mash Efficiency: 77.0 %
Boil Duration: 90.0 mins
Fermentation Temperature: 70-77 degF rising from pitch to finish.

Fermentables
Belgian Pilsen Malt 9lb 8oz (79.2 %) In Mash/Steeped
US Rye Malt 1lb 8oz (12.5 %) In Mash/Steeped
US Flaked Rye 1lb 0oz (8.3 %) In Mash/Steeped

Hops
US Magnum (10.0 % alpha) 22 g Loose Pellet Hops used 60 Min From End
German Tettnang (5.7 % alpha) 30 g Loose Pellet Hops used 10 Min From End

Other Ingredients
Black Pepper 3 g used In Boil
Bing Cherries 1451 g used In Fermenter
Oak- Medium French 34 g used In Fermenter

Yeast: Wyeast 3711-French Saison

Mash Schedule
Mash Type: Full Mash
Schedule Name:Single Step Infusion (67C/152F)
Step: Rest at 149 degF for 60 mins

Recipe Notes
Add Pepper at 5min remaining. It is 1.5 Tbs roughly cracked. Add Oak once fermentation starts. Put the oak in a dish with a little water and boil it in the microwave and add all of the oak and the water to the fermenter. Add the cherries once fermentation is finished. Pit and pasteurize the cherries at 170F and let sit for 10 minutes.

Strat thru marshall's 11-11-11

Aroma: My roommate smelled apple, and hops. I definitely get a sweet, not really sour fruit notes. Also some earthiness.

Appearance: White head dissipated quickly. Deep red to mahogany in color, just slightly cloudy.

Flavor: Sweet, not overly so, but not overwhelmed by the brett. There is a sour twinge, but it takes a back seat to the malt, and other complexities that I just cant put my finger on.

Mouthfeel: Excellent body! What did this finish at? How did you stop the Brett from drying it out too much? Carb level is low, which i think is right on for the style. Finish is a bitterness that lingers long enough for you to say "Wow, that was unique!"

Overall, great! I would guess you have excellent control of your entire process, I didn't get anything I might think is a flaw. Did you oak this one? For how long?

Nice one!

AnOldUR's 11-11-11

S- Dark chocolate, vinous, dark dried fruits. BIG sherry notes (strong oxidative character) pleasing though. Sweet fruit aromatics and big old malt characters like a classic old ale/ barley wine. Some brett, but secondary to the malt and sherry.

A- Dark brown with ruby highlights. Hazy. Dark tan head, dissipates to a ring.

F- Brett in the front, followed by sherry notes, finishing with a rich deep dark chocolate character almost like a fancy hot fudge. Sweet and heavy on the chocolate, at least beyond what I was expecting.

M- Full. Nice carbonation to cut through the richness.

O- Wow. This is different than what I was expecting. It is very delicious but remarkably different than the ones I've sampled so far (mine and KingBrian's). Honestly, it is more to style and in line with BJCP than the others. I bet this would do well in competition. Maybe a little heavy on the oxidation, but well done!

CA-LT1 said:

Strat thru marshall's 11-11-11

Aroma: My roommate smelled apple, and hops. I definitely get a sweet, not really sour fruit notes. Also some earthiness.

Appearance: White head dissipated quickly. Deep red to mahogany in color, just slightly cloudy.

Flavor: Sweet, not overly so, but not overwhelmed by the brett. There is a sour twinge, but it takes a back seat to the malt, and other complexities that I just cant put my finger on.

Mouthfeel: Excellent body! What did this finish at? How did you stop the Brett from drying it out too much? Carb level is low, which i think is right on for the style. Finish is a bitterness that lingers long enough for you to say "Wow, that was unique!"

Overall, great! I would guess you have excellent control of your entire process, I didn't get anything I might think is a flaw. Did you oak this one? For how long?

Nice one!

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Thanks man. I had it on 1oz American oak chips for the full year of secondary. I didn't do anything specifically to stop the brett. To be honest this is one of my first brett beers, and I guess I just got lucky. As far as process control, I am a total gear-head and have basically turned the garage into a brewery with attention to each step of the brewing process.

Glad you've liked the beers so far. Did you get the American Brown or the English Brown from me?

CA-LT 11.11.11

Poured with alot of head but quickly returned to a small ring. Was a dark amber in my glass. Smelled very sweet with a small amount of the tart cherry brett at the end. Tasted very much like a lot of the Old Ales I have had before, malty sweet, full bodied small amount of oxidation. The brett took a much smaller role in yours than did in mine. So did the oak, I can get a little bit of oaky tannis at the end but that is it. Over all a very enjoyable beer and quite a bit different than mine. I would like to know what your FG was?

AnOldUR said:

Hand's been slapped by Big Brother. It's been suggested that I keep quiet.
In case I don't come back, here's what my 11-11-11 blind tasting looked like. Mine and KingBrian are in the mix along with my three swaps.

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Any info on which one you preferred?

AlphaWolf-Brewery said:

Any info on which one you preferred?

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Poor guy! I don't think he made it at least he went out with a bang.

Guess Im out of the loop, anyone care to fill me in?

Alphawolf, thanks for the write up. I must admit, when I tasted a bottle just before I shipped them out, I was thinking I missed the mark bigtime. After hearing the reviews, and tasting others, I think I must have gotten something right. Here's the gravities:
Brewed on 11/26/10 (OG 1.079), racked to secondary with oak on 1/1/11 (1.018), kegged it, force carbbed, and bottled in July(1.010). The pellicle seemed to reform in the bottles, gravity is now 1.006

I need to get on the ball and review some other beers. I have my last 11-11-11 to do and a couple others.

CA-LT1 said:

Alphawolf, thanks for the write up. I must admit, when I tasted a bottle just before I shipped them out, I was thinking I missed the mark bigtime. After hearing the reviews, and tasting others, I think I must have gotten something right. Here's the gravities:
Brewed on 11/26/10 (OG 1.079), racked to secondary with oak on 1/1/11 (1.018), kegged it, force carbbed, and bottled in July(1.010). The pellicle seemed to reform in the bottles, gravity is now 1.006

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Wow that shocks me, there is now way I would have guess the beer I was tasting was 1.006!! It tasted much fuller, chewy almost. What and how much oak did you use?

Sorry for the lack of reviews lately. I was in Germany on a business trip for a week then got back and have been working like crazy trying to meet deadlines and catch up on work. Might get around to reviewing one tonight but I'd rather just drink a beer.

jmo88's Spelt Saison

Aroma - Lemon peel and honey. Slightly spicy ginger. Cotton candy. Sweet hay and wildflowers.

Appearance - Poured a nicely-clear, sunny gold. A bright white head of large bubbles popped up then fell quickly.

Flavor - Citrusy, bright, honeyed sweetness but dry in the finish. Clean but flavorful. Slightly spicy in the finish and down the throat. Reminds me a lot of Hennepin, a beer I really like. Very nice balance of flavors.

Mouthfeel - Very nice body, crisp but full. Very satisfying. Moderate carbonation helps keep things lively without becoming prickly. Great job.

Overall - An extremely well-crafted beer. Great flavors, highly drinkable, clean but not lacking in character. Aroma, flavor, mouthfeel - all are spot-on. This is a beer I would buy repeatedly if available. Don't change a thing in this recipe!

Thanks for the encouraging review. I submitted this in the specialty category as an American Farmhouse with raw spelt. It didn't fair well– 29 points. The judges missed the whole saison/farmhouse thing I think because all the sheets just said raw spelt so I got docked for: too spritzy, thin body, phenolic– you know, saison characteristics. Oh well, I thought the american hops and high spelt content deemed it a category 23. I'll try the saison category next time.

Your right though, regardless of any competition, it's a good beer that I feel doesn't need adjusting.

MarsColonist's 810 Dry stout

S- Creamy coffee and light roast notes. Again, this stout immediately reminds me of Guinness, but I am picking up just a bit of staling here and there but it may be this yeast's esters (I don't really know the steam beer style well- especially the yeast). Either way, it is subtle.

A- Dark brown with ruby highlights. Clear. Poured with a small dark tan head that fell to a thin film and dense ring.

F- Some subtle sour notes balancing the light roast. The flavor falls a bit flat pretty quickly. There is a bite to the finish that covers up the subtle roast and enjoyable finish of the style.

O- I went in to this beer with expectations, sorry I couldn't help it Your other stout with wlp005 was AMAZING but I feel this yeast didn't work for this beer. I assume the yeast is the only difference? Maybe less carbonation too? It's interesting how much a yeast can have an impact on perception of the malt. Thanks for sending this beer. I really enjoy experiencing the differences the yeasts make!

jmo88's Spelt Saison

Aroma: Ginger and banana, some earthy phenolics I can't quite put my finger on.

Apperance: Golden and slightly hazy with a nice white head which dissipates quickly.

Mouthfeel: Moderately thin body, highly carbonated and spritzy. Good carbonic bite on the tongue.

Flavor: Complex estery, phenolic up front. Grainy and spicy middle with a dry finish that is reminiscent of tart, underripened strawberries.

Overall: This is a very good beer. This is what the Belgians would call very "digestible". Nice dry finish that is right on to style with a Saison/Farmhouse ale. The Spelt adds an extra dimension that gives this beer a lot of character. It's somewhere in between the malty richness of Munich and the spiciness of Rye and lends a very nice backbone to the esters and phenols coming from the ferment. Very well done!

By the way, I am slowly working my way through each of the beers I received in this swap. I'm going to try to get through some more on Sunday and Monday.

jmo, what is the beer labeled "BP", I looked back but didn't see it posted in this thread and the damn 5 pm limit means I probably deleted the pm it was in if you sent it there. Thanks!

KingBrianI said:

jmo, what is the beer labeled "BP", I looked back but didn't see it posted in this thread and the damn 5 pm limit means I probably deleted the pm it was in if you sent it there. Thanks!

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Brown porter

jmo88 said:

Brown porter

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Ahh, ok. That sounds really good. I'll probably do it next!

smokinghole's 11-11-11

Since your wife likes this glass so much, I decided to use it again for your beer!

Aroma - Upon opening and hearing the big pfft the aroma hit me. Very strong brett character. Lots of pie cherry, muscadine grapes, smoky oak, the stuff janitors use to clean high school floors. There's a smooth, creamy malt character underlying the brett.

Appearance - Deep toffee-colored amber, tinging on red. Poured with a creamy, 1-finger khaki head that holds well. Moderately clear.

Flavor - Surprising flavor. There's a nice sweet maltiness upfront, that pairs with a fruity tartness through to the finish. The finish is clean and short, with a smooth bitterness and a lingering smokiness. The maltiness is becoming more complex as the beer warms. There's a dominant caramel flavor with a gentle nuttiness coming through. I'm getting very little in the way of roasty or toasty flavors, though the smoke from the oak or yeast is nice.

Mouthfeel - Very nice. Moderate-full body and moderate carbonation feel just right. I was a bit worried about the carbonation being too high when it let out the big pfft when opened, but it is just right. The mouthfeel is very smooth with good weight behind it.

Overall - Another great old ale. This one retained much more malt character than mine did as well, which I really like. You mentioned that body building techniques were important for this beer and it seems to have worked for you. I mashed at 158 and the saccharomyces only got my beer down to 1.028 so I'm not sure what I could have done to retain that maltiness like yours and Alphawolf's beers had. Anyway, back to your beer. I enjoyed it very much. The body is especially nice, feeling nice and heavy in the mouth. Despite the brett character, the beer is very clean and I can tell it was well-made. I think a trend of these beers (or possibly this brett strain) is a complex aroma but a fairly clean taste. In this beer the major flavor I was getting from the brett was a mild fruity tartness. It blends with the malt sweetness and dense mouthfeel to almost give the impression that a fruit juice is being drunk.

Thanks for the kind words. I know body building is important with this kind of beer especially using brett. The thing is short of mashing at 158 the only other option would be docoction mashing or even mashing at 160 (which would be a marginal difference). I just did a RIS with this yeast blend and I used a docoction mash to try and get it to finish between 1.020 and 1.030. I hope the sacch takes it down to about 1.040 when I transfer in a week or two.

I have to get to reviewing the last few beers this week.

I checked the case of this I have sitting at my inlaws house so I don't drink it all. I popped the tops of each and every swing top to see if they were carbonated appropriately. I have uneven carbonation in this batch it seems. Some gave me a very intense pfft, while some were quiet.

MarsColonist's 11-11-11

Aroma - A slight bready smell, the brett notes are pretty subtle. I noticed candy orange and candy pear notes. Something just hit me late in the glass. Shooting range. The smell from smokeless power. Ah, I get it, a tangy smokeness.

Appearance - Crystal clear! Did you filter this? Head was a lasting 1-2 finger, and slightly off white. Color is spot on for what I was thinking when I read the thread last year: Mahogany!

Flavor - Big carmel and malt. Toasty. Very clean in flavor, doesn't leave any off tastes on your tong. The bitterness is interesting. I think my roommate put it best "You cant even tell the bitterness comes from hops, might as well be from burnt carmel". It lingers for quite a while. A little leathery too, like fresh leather.

Mouthfeel - Big body, but not quite syrupy. Carb level was high for the style (I suppose).

Overall - Solid. Different then mine, and the other's I sampled. I really enjoyed being a part of this swap, and seeing all the differences (and similarities) there are with the same recipe, just different process'.

jmo88's Brown Porter

Aroma - Toasty, roasty and caramelly malt aromas in abundance. Fruity esters are there too. Milk chocolate. Definite sharpness from the co2 after swirling.

Appearance - Poured a very nice dark mahogany color, quite clear, with a two-finger off-white head.

Flavor - I'm getting dark bread crust, caramel, and cocoa powder. There is a bit of a minerally bite from the co2 that detracts a bit from the malt flavors. I'm going to give the beer a good swirl to knock out some of the carbonation to see how it changes the flavor. Much smoother and rounder flavors now. The malt comes through more strongly without having to fight the sharpness of the carbonation. It tastes a bit sweeter and full of flavor now. The bready, caramelly flavors are heightened. Bitterness is low. Balance is good. Finish is dry and minerally.

Mouthfeel - Medium-low body is nice. Medium-high carbonation is a bit too much for this beer to me. There's a touch of carbonic bite that takes away from the smoothness.

Overall - A very nice beer, especially after I decarbed it a bit. Try this beer with a bit lower carbonation and see if you don't like it better. I almost wish for a bit more roasty flavors in the beer but it is still good as is. Overall a really good beer though. Thanks for sending it!

Thanks for the review! I agree, the English style should be a lower co2 level. I'm curious if my 11-11-11 will seem high too, since they were hooked up to the same regulator.

I hand wrote notes for a couple beers this weekend. I'll try to get them posted tonight.

AnOldUR's Oaked IPA

Aroma - Burnt sugar, raisins, cocoa powder, and buttery caramel dominate. Lightly fragrant hops and a touch of smoke play a smaller role in the aroma.

Appearance - Poured a dark amber to chestnut brown. Pretty clear but I was overzealous in the pour and got too much head, so had to break the pour in two. The second pour introduced a little sediment. A big ivory 3-finger head was produced featuring small bubbles. It fell slowly and retained well.

Flavor - Extremely complex on the palate. Rich malt, sticky hops and tannic oak all hit at once. Malt flavor tends towards dark caramel and light cocoa. Bitterness is firm but not overpowering. Oak is very light and blends into the other flavors. This is a fairly sweet beer. I think the aging on oak has allowed the hop presence to dwindle somewhat, as it is not where I would expect an IPA to be. The caramel sweetness and cocoa flavors are reminiscent of candy, and the bitterness only does a little to dispel that impression.

Mouthfeel - Moderate-full body and moderate-high carbonation. Slight tannins from the oak in the finish.

Overall - This was a very interesting beer. I wasn't expecting the complexity of flavor that hit me on the first sip. The oaking came through very lightly but was definitely noticeable. This is more of a cold night by the fire or dessert beer than I thought it was going to be. I'd ordinarily prefer and IPA to be less sweet, lighter on the caramel and cocoa flavors, and more hoppy, but I think that the oaking of this beer complements those characteristics. I think if it had been called a "holiday ale" or something along those lines, the dark flavors and lack of hops would have been less unexpected and I might have been able to appreciate those first few sips more. It's a great beer though, whatever it's called, and I'm glad to have tried it!

King Brian's RIS

Aged Roast aroma. Wood and Liquor (rum?) Some dried fruit notes mingle with roast. A nutty pecan aroma hides in the malt.

Poured a deep black. The head quickly fizzed to no head. Soda-like.

Sweet, but not cloying caramel malt and aged roast hit first with a dried/caramelized fruit finish. Really nice. The beer tasted well-aged with no noticeable oxidation.

Very full and silky rich. Great mouthfeel.

Nice job. The aroma, flavor, and especially mouthfeel were nicely executed. A nice example of a RIS. The only thing that was underwhelming was the appearance of the pour. Some head retention would've made this a great example on all accounts.

MarsColonist's 11-11-11

Rich caramelized malts, subtle fruity esters. Some subtle brett notes- smokey, rugged leather. Some earthy/grassy notes (did you use finishing hops?)No oak noticeable.

Poured with a nice 2-finger head that settled to a thin foam and dense ring. Nice amber color. Somewhat hazy. Very attractive.

Firm bitterness and rich complex malt flavors. Dark bread crust. Caramelization is noticeable. Great flavors! Maybe a bit on the bitter side.

The first thing I noticed was the full rich mouthfeel. Nice job.

Great beer. Verry well done. I'm liking the aroma, appearance, flavor, and mouthfeel where they are. The level of brett in this is wonderful- not too much in the foreground but present and balanced.

smokinghole's Pumpkin Ale

Aroma - Fruity esters hit first backed by thick, sweet malt. Then the spices come through, gentle but noticeable.

Appearance - Upon opening I knew I would have to pour carefully and I still had trouble getting it into the glass. Poured with a voluminous eggshell foam with a very fluffy texture. Color of the beer is a really nice dark amber, with a slight haze and countless streams of bubbles rising through.

Flavor - Very unique flavor. Sweet and slightly tart, with a strong fruity character. The fruity tartness continues into the finish where grainy, malt and dark fruit (raisins, underripe plums) linger. The spices are there in the aftertaste too, with no single spice sticking out and more of a general pumpkin spice character dominating. Bitterness is moderate, with a slightly tingling flavor mid to back palate.

Mouthfeel - Moderate body and high carbonation work well for this beer. I was a bit worried about the carbonation when I opened the bottle and when I was pouring, but it doesn't come off as harsh in this beer. The mouthfeel is nicely round and a bit slick. Slightly warming from the alchol.

Overall - Not what I was expecting, but very good. This is a very fruity beer! The fruity esters and dark fruit malt character really dominate this beer for me. The spices end up playing second fiddle. I'm not really pulling out any pumpkin character in the beer apart from maybe the bit of roundness and slickness in the mouthfeel. I wouldn't guess that this beer was the 9.something % you said. It hides it very well. Thanks for sending it!

JMO88's 11-11-11

Aroma - Sour leather? It has a tart nose with a smokey accent. I swear I smell baseball glove with many of these 11-11-11s.

Appearance - Mostly clear with a slight haze. I poured it vigorously and got a two finger head that cascaded like a nitro stout. However it died down to just a thin ring of bubbles after about 45 seconds.

Flavor - My senses are tasting some smokey burnt marshmallows with a fruity caramel flavor. The brett smokiness is apparent along with the fruity flavors. I can't pick up pie cherry notes as easily as I did in the other beers. There's still a firm bitterness. I think it's a combo of hop bitterness and a bit of bitterness from brett (I perceive bitterness from many bretts). As it is warming up the bitterness is slightly mellowing.

Mouthfeel - Medium. It's not thin but it's not full. It reminds me slightly of the sweetness level and mouthfeel of Greenking Old Suffolk. With it warmer the mouth feel is very smooth and almost slick.

Overall - Solid beer that all I could ask for is more body. It doesn't have that blast of brett on the nose but you can certainly tell it's there. Compared to mine which is a brett bomb to the nose, your's is restrained. It's a solid beer that I hope will age nicely for you and the rest of us.