Funny story. Somehow this keg got buried in the basement and forgotten, only to be re-discovered last weekend. As promised, this post is a followup, albeit a few years later than intended.
I followed Jens-Kristian's advice and, as I recall, added about 300 grams of dark brown sugar, and 300 grams of buckwheat honey which, as one would expect, restarted vigorous fermentation. I also added in a just a smattering of orange zest. I don't remember much else, but I can say for certain that once the...tertiary fermentation slowed down, I transferred the beer out of it's 6-gallon bucket into a corny keg for quaternary fermentation and bulk aging (leaving behind about two inches of lees in the previous vessel). And there it sat for over three years, until it was rediscovered a few days ago. It should come as little surprise that the beer was initially overcarbonated, but once the keg was sufficiently degassed and chilled, I dispensed it into a standard pint glass, and sampled. Here is the result:
Serendipity of the most spectacular, and ridiculously unlikely kind; this beer is brilliant!
There is a very strong, bright, distinct fruit character on the nose; yellow and red plums, and maybe...I know this is going to sound weird...the tiniest hint of mango? It's odd, but very pleasant. There are a lot of toasty, sugary, caramel-y notes on the nose, too. And lastly, there's the alcohol; this is the best (and oddest) part. When you first take the first whiff, there's no mistaking that this is a high-gravity concoction; the presence of alcohol is vast. But (and here's where it gets weird), it's very mellow, and very smooth; there is none of that sharp, burning, engine degreaser character that I've experienced in some other highly alcoholic brews. I'd almost describe the alcohol scent as "rich." It's very odd. The best way I can desribe it is like this: the alcohol character doesn't make you think "
Wow, I couldn't drink too many of these,," it makes you tell yourself "
Wow, I shouldn't
drink too many of these!"
(I'm not sure if that will maks sense to anybody else...)
The flavor profile is a just a stronger, sweeter, slightly tangy version of the nose highlighted with a bright, acidic, almost lemony note. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there is a a deep, pervasive, but not overpowering yeasty flavor that acts as more of a backdrop for the others. It's like a good bassline; you're immediately aware of it's presence, but it's not the first thing that grabs your attention, yet if you concentrate on it for a moment you realize the whole really is the sum of it's parts, and that this is a very, very important part.
You know how a lemon cream sauce has a the smooth taste of butterfat that is highlighted by the sharp, acidic point from the lemon? And even though the two elements seem like an unlikely pair, they just "work?" The effect of this beer's finish has a similar kind of effect. Compared to the main bouquet, the finish is smoother, softer, and the flavors are more....homogenized, merged into one single flavor, as opposed to a collection of flavors that work well with one another. Overall, it is mildly sweet and smooth, but there is just the tiniest hint of an acidic crispness. The last thing you take away from a swallow is a reminder of of the alcohol content; it's not intrusive at all, but you definitely know it's there, and you definitely know it's big.
Having just re-read what I've written, it occurs to me that it might all sound a little silly, or perhaps hard to follow.
Sorry. But, I realized that I've never analyzed a beer this closely before (and relatively few wines as well), and I really got thinking about what I was experiencing.
Anyway, if anybody has some of these ingredients laying around and is up for an experiment, I'd recommend this heartily. I am going to make another batch as soon as possible, but I'm pretty skeptical that I'll be able to recreate what I suspect if a freak stroke of luck. Whatever happens, I'll be sure to let you all know.
Thanks for the guidance. Cheers.