10-10-10 BGS Swap Sign-up and Details

[Hookstrat]

Yes, come to dark side Matt. Hopefully this serves as your gateway to the land of wild brews.

 

[jacksonbrown]

Packages have been shipped. I PM'd Brian and Ed with tracking numbers (SpanishCastleAle, your box is full). They should all arrive on Friday, and hopefuly intact.

 

[KingBrianI]

Looks like all the packages I sent were delivered today!

 

[jacksonbrown]

Yup, just got mine. Nice packing job!! Looks like a nice haul, thanks!

 

[KingBrianI]

Yup, just got mine. Nice packing job!! Looks like a nice haul, thanks!

Looks like you took the question about the code off but here it is again just in case:

Alright, all of my packages are going in the mail tomorrow. Everyone should get them in a couple/few days. Here's the key to the secret codes on the caps!

10-10-10 Self-explanatory! Mine came out to like 13-14% ABV so it packs a punch. Fermented with the flanders golden ale strain and I used a homemade light belgian candi syrup in place of the white sugar.

HSA Holiday Spiced Ale. Brewed in the belgian dark strong style with spices, rum and oak. Kind of like a liquid rum cake. Very smooth, rich, and decadent. You might want to save this one for a cold night.

HS Herbed Saison. Saison with the addition of fresh-picked herbs from the backyard added at flameout. One sprig each of rosemary, sage and lavender. Crisp, refreshing, lightly perfumed, it will make you think you're enjoying a local farmhouse ale in some meadow in France with wildflowers in bloom on a sunny spring day!

PA Pumpkin Ale. My https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f76/samhain-pumpkin-ale-140674/ recipe. If you like pumpkin ales you'll LOVE this beer.

W12 Westvleteren 12 clone. Brewed simply with only belgian pilsner and pale malts, and homemade dark candi syrup. Decocted for complexity. It scored better than the real thing in the Westy 12 competition.

RIS Russian Imperial Stout. It's this recipe: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f68/heart-darkness-ris-196161/ . I brewed it in conjunction with NCBeernut and we split the wort. He fermented his with WY1028 and I used Thames Valley II. While his is drinking very good right now, this one still needs some time. It is a big, BIG stout, not in alcohol, but it flavor and complexity. You would really do well to leave this one somewhere for a while before opening, because those flavors are still overwhelming at this point. This beer is "meaty"! But I think it will drink very well at some point in the future. I'm hoping so anyway!

So that's the secret decoder. I hope everyone likes them. Please post feedback on them! I'd appreciate it if you were completely blunt, honest and critical. I'm always trying to improve.

 

[Edcculus]

KingBrian and SpanishCastle - I picked up your packages from the front office of my apt complex.

To my recipients - you will be getting 2 packages. One will be just the 10-10-10 beer. I'm having my brother send those packages out since all of the beer is back home for my wedding. He will be sending the packages out tomorrow.

I'll also be sending a package with a few bottles of a Rye IPA. Its a 7.5% IPA brewed with 2 row, rye malt, crystal 60 and honey malt. Hopped with Warrior, Amarillo and Simcoe. Dry Hopped with Simcoe and Amarillo. Its a little on the darker side for an IPA, but the hop flavor and aroma are out of this world. I'll be getting those out tomorrow also.

I was going to send some cider, but the keg kicked as I was filling the first bottle. Sorry!

 

[jacksonbrown]

Bad news Ed, you pkg apparently got damaged in transit. I haven't received an official claim but that's what it says when I clicked the tracking number. I'll send you out another tomorrow (Friday).

 

[KingBrianI]

First review, couldn't wait any longer! Since the beer appeared to be bottled from a keg, I figured it didn't need to settle and opened it tonight.

SpanishCastleAle's Vienna Lager

Aroma: Generic frutiness from possible brett contamination?, toasted marshmallow, sweet malt

Appearance: Copper to Pale Brown, slight haze. Smooth white head.

Flavor: Thin maltiness giving over to a balancing bitterness. Finishes with a very slight tartness with a gentle mineral bite. Rising above everything is a frutiness similar to that smelled in the aroma. I've had this same flavor arise before after having what I think might be a wild brett infection. It forms that thin white layer on top of the beer in the fermenter that is easily broken up. I've heard several people say it doesn't contribute to the flavor, but I've always been able to taste its kind of weird frutiness. I've kind of developed a hatred of the particular flavor and though it is slight in this beer, it detracts from the other flavors.

Mouthfeel: Very light-bodied, almost watery. Good carbonation.

Overall: This beer has a lot of potential. I'd really like to have tasted it without the brett. Did you notice the white film on top of the beer? I've noticed once a fermenter has had that infection, it is almost impossible to get rid of it. I think the weak malt flavor and thin body are a result of the brett. Having said that, the malt flavor present was very good. Especially on the finish, the sweet malt balanced well with the bitterness and created a great combo.

 

[jacksonbrown]

Popped open Brian's herbed saison this evening. I'm not as articulate as Brian, nor did I take pictures, but this is a very tasty beer. My wife's pallet is much more discerning when it comes to herbs and she picked out the rosemary and lavender without my even saying it was in there.
Big fluffy white head off the bat that settles rather fast, but still retains a little throughout. Copper wheat, someone hazy appearance. There's a little copper aroma that I find common in saisons with just a hint of the lavender coming through. The rosemary and sage come through very gently in the flavor and the lavender is something of an after thought. It really compliments the yeast flavor very well. Nice light mouth feel, carbonation could be a bit higher.
I enjoy this very much. When I get beers with unusual ingredients I tend to be hesitant. But I could easily drink a few of these and be very content.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

Sorry you didn't like it Brian. I haven't had one of those in a while but I'm going to open one and see. It was a NHC second rounder. I never noticed any white film on it. I remember it being crystal clear as well (you said there was haze) but it may have hazed when it got warm during shipment.

 

[Edcculus]

Ok, giving Spanish Castle's Vienna Lager a try:

Aroma:
Moderate malt aroma with a touch of toastiness in the background. Very slight caramel aroma. No real hop aroma. Very clean lager aromas. No diacetyl. No DMS. Very faint fruity esters when cold, however they disappeared when the beer warmed a little.

Appearance:
Brown copper in color. Has a haze when cold, even when I wipe down the glass. Clears some when warmed. Beautiful off white head that dissipates fairly quickly.

Flavor:
Nice round maltiness, giving way to a nice balance of bitterness. Toastiness from specialty malts brings complexity to the beer. Overall, a very balanced beer. I wouldn't describe it as overly malty or hoppy. Appropriately clean for a lager.

Mouthfeel:
Medium light bodied. Medium high carbonation. Finishes clean with a nice velvety texture.

Overall Impression:
Very tasty beer! This one is extremely sessionable. I didn't notice any real telltale signs of infection like Brian did, except for the haze part. I love the balance and the nice crisp lager finish to the beer. Thanks for sending it along!

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

Glad you liked it Ed! I'm wondering if Brian just got a bottle that wasn't sanitized well. My bottles are a mixed bag and some sat in a closet for ~9 years. They always get a long PBW soak, then Starsan but that prob doesn't catch everything if the bottle is old/dirty. I'll have to be more careful.

I've noticed that most of my beers; after sitting in a keg under refrigeration for a while, then bottled and refrigerated again, are crystal clear. But if I then let it warm and then chill it again there is sometimes some haze.

 

[KingBrianI]

Glad you liked it Ed! I'm wondering if Brian just got a bottle that wasn't sanitized well. My bottles are a mixed bag and some sat in a closet for ~9 years. They always get a long PBW soak, then Starsan but that prob doesn't catch everything if the bottle is old/dirty. I'll have to be more careful.

I've noticed that most of my beers; after sitting in a keg under refrigeration for a while, then bottled and refrigerated again, are crystal clear. But if I then let it warm and then chill it again there is sometimes some haze.

That could very well be it. After struggling with that same flavor in many of my beers and going through a bunch of equipment that I think was transferring the infection, I think I have finally gotten rid of it. But in doing so I developed a super-sensitivity to it that others may not have.

I've only done a couple lagers, but have noticed that they seem very fragile. Like you, I bottled a Marzen from the keg to take it to see family last Thanksgiving. Not only did the flavor degrade, it developed a haze it had never previously had. I left some of the bottles in the kegerator and they tasted as good as always.

 

[KingBrianI]

SpanishCastleAle's Hartford Lager

Aroma - Citrusy hops (amarillo maybe?). Very "juicy", inviting aroma. Slight green apple esters. Very light malt aroma.

Appearance - Poured a crystal clear, beautiful radiant copper. Billowy white head popped up and receeded to a thin cap.

Flavor - Citrusy hoppiness greets the palate and is followed by a smooth malt and prickly bitterness one-two punch. Finish is lager-crisp and dry, but lingers with the hint of malty-sweet aftertaste. The hops manage to give the impression some grapefruit or orange juice has been added to the beer. A slight tartness is alluded to but never quite shows up. The result is that the very sides of the tongue get that "thirsty" feeling that can only seem to be quenched by gulping down large amounts of the beverage in question. In other words, the beer is highly quaffable and thirst-quenching. Caramel malt flavor begins to come through as the beer warms.

Mouthfeel - Just right. Medium body and medium carbonation work wonderfully here and suit this beer perfectly. The lager crispness and the carbonation act to dry the beer out and make it very satisfying.

Overall - I'm very happy to have tried this beer. I felt bad that I might have gotten an off-bottle of the vienna lager and was hoping this beer would not be affected by the same flavor (or I look like an overcritical jerkwad). Upon pouring this beer and having the citrus fragrance waft up to me, I knew this beer was good. I really like how you have taken an american ale recipe and fermented it with a lager yeast. The fragrant hops and rich malt are really allowed to shine through by the crisp clean yeast. I couldn't put this beer down and unfortunately it went much quicker than I would have liked it to. I could definitely see myself making quick work of a keg of this, especially if the weather stays like it is here today (mid-70s, slight breeze, sunny, fresh just-rained air). This beer was the perfect accompaniment to the weather and the perfect start to the weekend. Thanks for sending along such a great beer!

 

[Edcculus]

Man, that beer looks beautiful!

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

Glad you liked it Brian! Since you said you're really sensitive to that off-flavor I was curious if it would be a common theme, glad it wasn't in this beer. The hops are a combination of Tettnanger, Crystal, Cascade; pure Tett for bittering, Tett also used for flavor, Crystal for flavor/aroma, Cascade for the latest flavor/aroma additions. I actually dry hopped it with Cascade but didn't leave it in long enough and with the cold temps (and subsequent lagering) it didn't yield quite the impact I was going for. It's not a Brooklyn Lager and it's not a Boston Lager but is dancing somewhere around those neighborhoods, hence 'Hartford' Lager.

Looking at my notes, this was the first brew I switched to Whirlfloc and I used a full tablet in 5 gal (I now use 1/2 tablet). Egg-drop soup after cold-break. Maybe that contributed to the clarity. I almost never use any other finings.

 

[Edcculus]

Sitting down with KingBrian's Herbed Saison right now:

Aroma - Nice spicy character from the yeast. Hints of herbs, but not overwhelming. It instantly lets you know there is something different about this beer - in a good way. Very slight hop aroma. What I'm perceiving blends nicely with the herbs and the sweetness of the malt into one harmonious aroma.

Appearance - Dark gold with a large fluffy white foam. Slightly cloudy, clearing as it warms.

Flavor - Light malt character. Medium high fruitiness. Well attenuated and quite dry finish. The herbs don't overpower the balance of this beer, and really add a nice complexity. Hop flavors blend nicely to balance the beer.

Mouthfeel - highly effervescent (appropriate for the style). The carbonation really picks up this beer to make it "pop".

Overall impression - Wow, what a great beer! A very tasty, dry refreshing Saison. The herbs really add a eluding and mysterious quality to the beer. Great job. The first sip instantly transported me to the first days of Spring. Fresh green fields waking up after the snow has finally melted away. A very nice reflection on the season as we are quickly moving into Fall.

 

[KingBrianI]

Thanks for the review Ed! I'm glad you liked it!

 

[KingBrianI]

Hookstrat's Imperial Pils

Aroma - Sweet malt dominates. Slightly grainy aroma comes through along with a white grape-like fragrance. Possible very faint noble hop-type aroma.

Appearance - Poured a mostly clear deep gold. I expected it to be a bit lighter but since it's "imperial" the extra malt probably darkened it a bit. A striking white head appeared and quickly dissipated to a thin cap.

Flavor - Sweet pilsner malt makes itself immediately apparent. It's a very clean but strong malt flavor. It definitely overpowers the bitterness to make the flavor very malt-forward. Very slight white grape flavor comes through. The noble hops make a very brief appearance in the finish. There's a bit of ethanol flavor in the finish, but it contributes no warmth.

Mouthfeel - Smooth and creamy. Unexpectedly smooth actually, but it's very nice in this beer. A moderate carbonation prevents the beer from being too creamy and helps the beer finish crisp.

Overall - A very good beer! I didn't expect the huge pilsner malt flavor. If anyone wants to know what pilsner malt tastes like, have one of these! It's like the pilsner malt flavor was distilled down into this sweet malty nectar. There is a smooth but firm bitterness that helps counter the sweet malt, but it's not so strong as to take over. This is definitely a malt-forward beer. The slightly vinous character along with the delicate ethanol that comes through suggest a bit of strength to the beer. I would have liked to have a strong saaz presence and a bit more carbonation, but that's getting picky. This is an outstanding beer as is, and is a showcase for the pilsner malt. It is very well-made and clean and I couldn't ask for a better beer. Thanks for sending it along!

 

[Hookstrat]

Thanks for the writeup Brian. I've never swapped beer before so it's really cool to see pictures and notes from someone else drinking my beer! I would probably up the hops a bit if I brew it again just to balance it out a bit. Overall though I'm pleased with the beer and I'm really glad you weren't too disappointed in the mixup.

 

[Hookstrat]

Hearing all of the tasty reviews I had to get into the game.

So, here are my tasting notes for SpanishCastle's Vienna Lager:

Aroma: I picked up mostly caramel malt (not much toastiness), but I do have a cold right now. Little to no detectable hop aroma. Light fruity esters from yeast, but no off flavors.

Appearance: Beautiful pour, red copper color with a slight haze. Thick, nearly bone-white head that fell quickly but still persisted through to the end.

Flavor: Full malt flavor with a nice lingering toastiness. Well-balanced with a crisp refreshing hop flavor/bitterness.

I don't drink a lot of lagers anymore, but to me this beer is like taking all of the tasty malt character of a Sam Adams Boston Lager but then replacing the nasty hop character with deliciousness.

Mouthfeel: Full but seemingly light bodied from the smoothness achieved from lagering. A little watery, but that may add to the drinkability.

Overall: Partly because I don't have many lagers in my arsenal, I really enjoyed drinking this beer while watching football today. There were no signs of the Brett infection that Brian described. Makes me want to brew a Vienna Lager!

 

[KingBrianI]

Whew, long Monday. I need a beer and I'm eyeing Hookstrat's 4-grain Scottish Ale. I'd like to let it age but it's probably excellent right now. If someone doesn't talk me down in the next 30 minutes or so, it's getting reviewed.

 

[Hookstrat]

Go for it Brian! It's already been aging over 3 months.

 

[KingBrianI]

Say no more! Here I go!:rockin:

 

[KingBrianI]

Hookstrat's 4-Grain Wee Heavy

Aroma - Sweet, thick malt. Burnt sugars. Dark fruits and jam. Strawberry preserves. Ethanol and whiskey. Dank oak reminiscent of the slightly sour, pungent smell of a distillery's aging cellar/room.

Appearance - Poured a dark murky amber with garnet highlights and a thin off-white head that quickly shrunk to a ring around the edge of the glass. Haziness seemed to lessen as beer warmed to room temp.

Flavor - Wow! I'm going to need another sip.... Excellent, complex intriguing mix of flavors. The first impression is of a oneness to the whole thing. There are tons of subtleties, but they all come together to tell one story. Luscious sweet malt comes together with dark fruits on the front of the palate. It is quickly followed by a vinous character tinged with bits of tart cherry tartness. Burnt, caramelized sugars then merge with a subtle but powerful whiskey smokiness that leads to a long off-dry finish. The whiskey comes through very round, with smooth smokiness that is almost buttery. The finish is very similar to a good whiskey, without any hint of the burn.

Mouthfeel - Thick, unctuous, almost syrupy without the sweetness. Very silky. Low carbonation suits the beer perfectly.

Overall - Superb beer! Incredibly intense and complex, but without ever being intimidating or overwhelming. Every flavor comes together so well that it is somewhat difficult separating them out in a description. The beer is pretty sweet, and there's very little bitterness to counter it, but it never comes off as cloying. Instead, The sweetness acts to enhance the flavors and thicken the mouthfeel to create a very luxurious experience. The aging in a whiskey barrel was done just right. Incredible flavors came out of the barrel without becoming overpowering or dominating the flavor. Instead, the flavors from the barrel incorporated into the whole so well that I could almost believe a master blender from a highly admired distillery spent a lot of time mixing batches of this beer to achieve the perfect balance. Now that the beer is fairly warm, I find myself enjoying the smooth smoky whiskey character that mingles with the complex caramelized malt in the long complex finish. This is an excellent beer that I can't do justice to in a review. For the two other people who received this beer in the swap, you're in for a treat! This was just the thing to get my mind off of work on what was a looong Monday. Thanks!

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

I'll prob review that 4-Grain Wee Heavy first. Tonight hopefully. Sounds tasty and I need to taste this style since I'll be making my second attempt in a few weeks (using a cake of Scottish Ale yeast just brewed Sunday).

FWIW, the Wee Heavy I sent doesn't really fit the guidelines even though the numbers are within the ranges. It's my first attempt having never even tasted a Wee Heavy. I took it to my homebrew club meeting Sunday and was told it was good but not really sweet/thick enough (and not strong enough). The yeast was too highly attenuative. So think of it as a strong 90/- or whatever.

Brian, you do a great job photographing these brews! You've set the bar pretty high for these reviews.

 

[KingBrianI]

jacksonbrown, a bottle of your red cap wee heavy is up next for me. I was waiting for the bottle to drop clear but I don't think it's going to. It's chilling now!

PS. I'm glad I like wee heavies, all three people sent me one!

 

[KingBrianI]

jacksonbrown's Wee Heavy

Aroma - Crazy strong toffee hits me right away. Good quality toffee at that. A bit of a milk chocolate aroma comes through too, combining with the toffee to make me really crave a toffee bar.

Appearance - Poured a muddy brown featuring dark orange highlights when held to a light. One finger tan head slowly fell to a thin cap.

Flavor - The flavor starts immediately malty then goes quite dry with a bit of acidity. The toffee comes through very nicely in the finish. A hint of wood seems to show up in the finish too to lend a sort of tannic aftertaste. I'm getting a bit of light cocoa mid-palate as well, but the dryness quickly wipes it from the taste buds.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied, moderate carbonation. I was really hoping for a bit more tongue-coating richness in the mouthfeel. Something a bit more rich and chewy. Carbonation could also stand to be a bit reduced. It works against any sweetness and chewiness.

Overall - I really enjoyed this beer. That aroma is incredible! What did you do, mash toffee bars with the grain? The toffee character carried over into the really nice flavor of the beer, but the dryness definitely crippled what really could have been an awesome beer. If you make this beer again, and manage to prevent it from drying out this much, you would have a top-notch Wee Heavy. As it is, it is still a very good beer, but the dryness left me wondering what could have been. That sweet toffee aroma begged for a similarly sweet and decadent flavor and a chewy, sticky mouthfeel. As the beer warms and becomes less carbonated, the sweetness is beginning to come out a bit more, and I'm able to imagine this beer's potential. I'm very curious to see this recipe. I really enjoyed this beer, despite my whining about it being too dry. Definitely hang on to this recipe! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Edcculus]

Jacksonbrown - got all of your beers today in tact.

Not sure what everyone's tasting plans for the 10-10-10 are. I won't be able to review anyone's on the day of since I'm getting married then. We'll be toasting with my version of the 10-10-10, so if you are inclined, join us in the toast around 8:30 ish. I probably won't get around to reviewing the beers until the following weekend, so don't think I abandoned ship!

 

[jacksonbrown]

Brian, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'm surprised to find you saying it's over carbonated because I always felt it was bit flat. The recipe is Jamil's Wee Heavy: 91.25% Marris Otter, 5.55% 40L, 2.6% Special B, 0.6% roast barley; 34g 8.3% AA Northern Brewer @ 60; Scottish Ale yeast. I mashed at 156 and did some kettle carmalization. OG 1.087, FG 1.024.

Edcculus - I'm certainly not planning to sample all three on Sunday. That'll just be too much. But I will go one by one in three consecutive days.