11-11-11 Old Ale Swap and Critique Thread

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jmo, thanks for the review! You're right, your wife does have an excellent palate. The beer was oaked and had black rum added. The base style is a belgian dark strong, I guess I should have mentioned that earlier. Thanks again for the great reviews, and the great bargain! Two reviews for the price of on bottle! :D
 
smokinghole said:
So are we all pretty much waiting for closer to 11/11 to taste all the 11/11s in the packages?
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Received all my packages. Everything arrived safe and is chilling / settling. Probably wait until the weekend to get into them. Doing the Old Ale on the 11th sounds like a plan.

On that note, I have bad news for jmo88. I just tracked all my out going packages and found that NJ to Seattle takes a full week. Your package is scheduled to arrive on Monday the 14th. Sorry for not making it for the 11th.



edit to say:
My other outgoing packages were scheduled for 1-2 day delivery.
 
AnOldUR said:
Received all my packages. Everything arrived safe and is chilling / settling. Probably wait until the weekend to get into them. Doing the Old Ale on the 11th sounds like a plan.

On that note, I have bad news for jmo88. I just tracked all my out going packages and found that NJ to Seattle takes a full week. Your package is scheduled to arrive on Monday the 14th. Sorry for not making it for the 11th.

edit to say:
My other outgoing packages were scheduled for 1-2 day delivery.
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It's cool. Mine are not going to be making it by 11-11 to the others either. I wasn't planning on tasting all of the 11-11's that day anyway.

Looking forward to it!
 
KingBrianI said:
jmo, thanks for the review! You're right, your wife does have an excellent palate. The beer was oaked and had black rum added. The base style is a belgian dark strong, I guess I should have mentioned that earlier. Thanks again for the great reviews, and the great bargain! Two reviews for the price of on bottle! :D
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Good to know. It was fun not knowing anything about the base style or spicing though— no preconceived notions. What spices did you use?
 
jmo88 said:
Good to know. It was fun not knowing anything about the base style or spicing though— no preconceived notions. What spices did you use?
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Cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and clove. They infused in the rum with the medium toast oak cubes for a while before adding to secondary with the beer. The rum was a really molasses-y black rum.
 
smokinghole's Belgian Pumpkin Ale

Aroma - Esters of overripe fruit and prickly phenols dominate. There's a sweetness from the malt that brings out a touch of cocoa. Hints of caramel are buried in there.

Appearance - Poured a hazy chestnut brown with reddish-orange highlights. A creamy, luscious ivory head sprung up and retains well. Solid cap of foam remained through the glass and left nice lacing.

Flavor - Sweet malt with almost a hint of smokiness hits first, then evolves into a chocolatey finish with what I think are hints of pumpkin. Beer starts sweet and finishes sweet, but is never cloying. There's a bit of bitterness in there to help balance the malt. I'm getting very little in the way of spices, maybe a touch of something in the finish, though I can't pull out any particular spice. The alcohol is definitely noticeable, but not at all harsh. The smokiness I detected in the first couple of sips went away further into the glass, but there remains a bit of a roasty/burnt character in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel - Very smooth and creamy. Nice medium-full mouthfeel backed up by a moderate carbonation feels just right for this beer.

Overall - Definitely not your typical pumpkin ale. I really like it though. The use of a belgian yeast helps to set it apart as does the darker flavors and lack of strong spices. I'd be very interested to see the recipe for this beer. I'm also very interested to try the version fermented without belgian yeast. I'm not done enjoying this beer yet though. I'm going to quit typing and start drinking! :D

D7K_3439.jpg
 
If anyone wants a recipe for anything I've sent let me know and PM me your email. I will happily send you the beer smith file if you have beer smith. If not I'll send a text file.
 
AlphaWolf & MarsColonist:

I got your packages, but I am suffering a cold today so I want to wait until I can taste again before I try any of them. I'm headed out of town for a wedding this weekend also. I will start on Monday afternoon and post reviews as I go!
 
KingBrianI's 10-10-10

Aroma: This beer has smells like pear cider almost. To me it definitely has a pear nose I can't really decide whether it's pear cider or poached pears, but I smell pear. I smell the sweet smell of alcohol as well. Belgian esters and slightly yeasty show up but are less pronounced than the pear and alcohol scents.

Appearance: It pours a deep golden with a slight haze. The foam poured to a good two fingers in my glass but then slowly died down to a thin ring. I think it could have been more clear but the shipping and only a week in my fridge may not have settled the beer back down.

Flavor: Slightly cidery, with spicy phenols. The spicy flavor has a very long finish. I can taste it for 30-45 seconds after taking a sip. The belgian esters are there with a very apparent alcohol presence. This reminds me of a tripel I put cane jaggery sugar into. It has a mild unrefined sugar flavor that could be contributing that cidery flavor. I get the alcohol and cidery flavor more in my sinus while sipping the beer than through the nose or in the mouth. There is some solid pils malt sweetness in the background that seems slightly amplified potentially by the sweet flavors associated with the alcohol. The best summation of the beer is very wine like.

Mouthfeel:
The mouth feel is about perfect. It's lighter than a tripel but it is heavier than Duvel. It is a nice medium bodied beer with moderate carbonation. The carbonation allows for the flavors to prickle off my tongue while holding the beer for a long taste. I suspect the carbonation may have been slightly higher since this I assume is from the 10-10-10 swap. With that being over a year ago this beer was likely brewed two years ago.

Overall:
This is a solid beer. As I said it reminds me a lot of a Tripel I made with cane jaggery. I think while the recipe is nice and solid it might benefit from less sugar and lower alcohol. It has aged gracefully into a winelike high alcohol golden ale. This is something I can certainly drink and it'd be a beer I could see buying if sold in a store.

HPIM2149.jpg
 
Great review! I agree on both counts of less sugar and lower alcohol! That's the beer that led to my insistence for the 11-11-11 and 12-12-12 that we concentrate more on flavor and less on crazy high ABV. That beer comes in over 14 %ABV and while it's much more tame now, 2 years after brewing, it still packs a punch. I strayed a bit from the 10-10-10 recipe on that beer in that I used homemade light candi syrup for the sugar addition, instead of plain white sugar. I wonder if that produced the jaggery flavors you noticed?
 
I've gone ABV crazy on more than a few beers. They were good brews but I found that keeping the more restrained works better. Plus it's easier, cheaper, and doesn't take two years to age!

I guess the light candi syrup could be the reason for the light jaggery flavors. The other cause of the flavor that I associate with the flavor of jaggery could just be a high amount of sugar to boost the ABV. My tripel was closer to 11% abv with 80% pils, 10% munich, 10% light colored cane jaggery.
 
CA-LT1's Torpedo Clone

A- Bright Orange to Amber, bottle opened to a slight hiss. I didnt get much head on the beer but it was sufficiently carbonated. Very clear

S- Right after pouring I got a sweet smell, I was then hit with the smell of citrus hops. Very Orange smelling, very pleasing

T- Oranges and lots of them. Finishing with a nice bitterness

Overall - A very tasty IPA, I need to find out what hops you used because I have never tasted such a profound orange taste in the beer. Good work!

IMAG0604.jpg
 
Hey AlphaWolf, thanks for the review. I received the package from you, and Smokinghole, all in good shape!

I used Magnum for bittering, Magnum and Crystal for aroma, and dryhop with Magnum, Crystal, and Citra.

I know it's not cool to link to a recipe on another website, so if you want the recipe I followed, I'll just post my version.
 
AnOldUR's American IPA

I received a special package from AnOldUR so the least I can do is post some reviews. Here's the american IPA.

Aroma - Wow! Beautiful mix of malt and hops. Lots of fruit from the hops and a really rich caramel aroma harmonize and make me want to dig right in. Hops are of juicy citrus and pineapple, while the malt is thick with caramel, sweet confections, and a touch of milk chocolate. Somehow I'm also getting a little strawberry milkshake. Again, wow!

Appearance - Poured a honeyed-gold with a light haze and a thick, small-bubbled white head.

Flavor - The flavor is rich and malty, with toffee and caramel balancing with a satisfying tingly bitterness. Finish is off dry with that malt flavor carrying into the aftertaste. A bit of the strawberry I was getting in the aroma is carrying through into the flavor. The malt:bitterness balance is just right. I'm really enjoying this beer. There is a nice "layering" to the flavors, where each sip reveals new intricacies.

Mouthfeel - Medium to full body, with a creamy, smooth mouthfeel. Moderate carbonation is just right. Very, very nice.

Overall - A great beer! I don't think I would change anything in this beer if I could. Balance is just right, with tons of malt, but plenty of bitterness and hops to balance it. Complex and inviting hop character coexists with the solid malt presence perfectly. The mouthfeel was great, and whereas the aroma had a bit of strawberry milkshake, the mouthfeel almost made me think of "beershake". This is a very well-made beer, and I'd love to hear what hops, yeast and malts were used. Basically, can I have the recipe, please?! :D

D7K_3450.jpg
 
This was my first year participating in the annual recipe. Unfortunately, I was late to the swap and was not able to trade with anyone.

I tapped the keg tonight and am enjoying this very much. I am amazed at the color variance in the pictures. Mine is a deep brown.

I also notice a black licorice taste and I was curious if anyone else noticed the same. It comes in on the backend but it is very pronounced and quite delicious.

I am going to place the order tonight for the 12/12/12
 
KingBrian's 11-11-11:

S- Lactic acid upon first impression and soon after with a cherry fruitiness. As it warms notes of smokiness and leather come through. A complex barrel-aged character emerges reminding me of aspects of La Folie. Sherry and oxidative notes reveal themselves reminiscent of walking through a musty basement with a lot of wood around. Finally, I'm getting a thorny/peppery nose backed with hints of peppermint in this that I really dig.

A- Pours a hazy deep copper with a little to no head. A foamy ring persists.

F- At first sip, it's immediately surprising that the lactic acid isn't' more present. A firm bitterness supports a rich and soft grainy character. Aside from a deep maltiness, the fruitiness of the brett combined with the oak reminds me of sipping on a nice brandy.

M- Very soft yet full, probably attributed to the very low carbonation. I'm also getting a slick or silky mouthfeel.

O- A very contemplative well-balanced beer. The aroma is very inviting, so much so that I wish the flavor would follow through more not just with the acidic quality but all the complexities of the aroma. I wonder if bottle aging may produce more of this flavor. I think the oak is perfectly balanced. I'm loving how much this beer's aroma evolves over the course of drinking it. There is so much to find! For instance, on my last sip I was getting aromas of green jolly ranchers and nutmeg– a lot of fun finding these things. Most importantly, I'm struck at how different our beers are from one another, mostly in the aroma.
 
Brian. Thanks for the review, but as to the recipe, there’s a (boring) story. I was going for something similar to Ithaca’s Excelsior 13, but based on what I’d do to reproduce that flavor. Not the ingredients posted on their website. I was up there a couple of months ago and liked it enough to come home with a growler. What I brewed wasn’t a match, but was a pleasant surprise.

What you got was an early taste of what I kegged just a couple of days ago. It wouldn’t all fit in the carboy when transferring for dry hopping. I force carbed and bottled a handful of bottles from that. You got my last bottle from that preview.

The hydro sample and those bottles impressed me enough that I brewed a second batch last weekend without even tasting the final product. Your positive review is reassuring. It’s hard to know for sure if it’s good beer or just a case of me having ugly baby syndrome.

And to the other guys getting packages from me. I regret that this beer wasn’t ready sooner. I would have liked to share it instead of the commercial stuff.
 
I've had my 11.11.11 in the bottle since October 23rd and I'm starting to see solids in the bottle that are sort of concerning. I'm 98% sure it's just yeast or pellicle from the 9097 or something benign like that. But I'm sort of curious if anyone else is seeing the same thing. What is that stuff?
 
Bottles are not chilled yet I was waiting for Thanksgiving to crack the first. 1.014 was the FG and it only dropped 2 points in 8 months and most of that was during the first couple of months in the secondary during initial pellicle formation. So it was 1.012 and I only bottled for 2 volumes using 2.8oz table sugar.
 
AlphaWolf's 11-11-11

Aroma - As soon as I popped the cap I got that tart-cherry brett aroma that the yeast is known for. Getting into the glass, I'm smelling the tart cherry, with slightly smoky and soury oak notes and an underlying green apple. There's some candy-like malt sweetness coming through as well. Overall, I feel it smells very similar to mine.

Appearance - The beer poured a delicious-looking deep amber. It is only very slightly hazy and where the light comes through it shines bright garnet. It had a one-finger, creamy, off-white head that dissipated slowly. It looks great.

Flavor - The first thing I notice is a very nice fullness to the flavor. The rich, sweet malt flavor comes through strongly, mingling with the tartness nicely and finishing nicely dry, with a nice smooth but firm bitterness. Oaky tannins help extend the finish and the aftertaste is pleasant and long. As I'm going through the glass, crackery malt character is starting to show, and lend even more complexity to the beer.

Mouthfeel - Moderate to full body is very welcome and unexpected. I didn't think the brett would leave such a fullness - at least it didn't in mine. Moderate-low carbonation is just right and the overall impression is of a round, smooth mouthfeel. Very nice! There is some tannic astringency from the oak that enhances, rather than detracts from the beer.

Overall - Really, really nice beer! Very similar to mine, but much fuller in the mouthfeel and malt flavors. Whereas I feel the brett kind of took over my beer, it played an enhancing role in yours. I really enjoyed the malt sweetness that came through, and the fullness of body. All the flavors played very nicely together without anything dominating or being a bully. It's a very drinkable example, given its ABV and complexity. This is a very satisfying drink, as easily at home with a meal (as I drank the second half) as it is as a contemplative sipper (as I drank the first half). Nice job, I'm impressed!:mug:

D7K_3460.jpg
 
KingBrianI's 11-11-11

Appearance: Poured a hazy copper brown with no head despite a vigorous pour. I used one of the freebie new castle glasses to pour this and due to the star engraved on the bottom a small island of buttles formed.

Aroma: It smells sour like there's a decent amount of acid production. I picked up some tart cherry aroma, with leather, and a slight smokiness. In a way the brett I think causes an aroma of a 3-4 day mash that was left to be cleaned up later.

Taste: It has significant brett flavor with a biscuity roast character. There is a slight malt sweetness that seems to be overshadowed by the brett funk. The body is greatly diminished due to the brett. I think this beer would be good to hold onto a while longer and use to blend with mild or bitter. The carbonation is minimal and I really like it at this level.

Overall: You can tell it is a well made beer but the brett did its own thing. All the base flavors are there but they don't have enough body to back them up. This beer is very enjoyable no doubt about it. I think the key to making this beer and not producing it via a blend like Green King (not to mention pasteurizing), is to utilize body building brewing techniques. Great flavor, nice acidity, just needs a little more body.
 
Marscolonist's Berliner:

My wife and I had another fun time sampling beers. We both wrote our notes without conversing about the beer until we were finished.

Jmo's notes:

S- Belgian pear esters. Hints of lemongrass and hay. Very clean non-offensive aroma. Smells very refreshing.

A- pours a nice white head staying about a quarter inch. Some lacing. Good clarity slight haze.

F- very tart acidic quality like biting into a gravenstein apple. Absolutely delicious! Dry and fairly one-dimensional wheat flavor.

M- effervescent and somewhat puckering. Mouth watering. Appropriately thin. There is a slight chalky feeling in the back on the finish.

O- I love this beer. Thanks for allowing me to try my first traditional Berliner. The flavor is much more tart than the aroma suggests. I would drink a case of these on a sunny August afternoon. Well done!

A's notes:

S- Champagne, pears, copper, subtle clove, light yeast aroma.

A- gold, very carbonated, jet stream, clear, medium head, decent lacing.

F- very crisp, like a tart green apple prosecco (if that existed), yet slightly sweet. I taste green jolly ranchers. Possibly a subtle vanilla? Subtle spicing reminiscent of pie, maybe clove (not suggesting it's in it).

M-fizzy that stays on lips an all over the mouth. Very smooth and crisp, refreshing. Light on the palate.

O- I love this beer. It would be great on a patio on a hot day. It's crisp, fizzy mouthfeel an slight tartness make it perfectly refreshing, like a light prosecco. This would complement a pesto sauce pasta or pizza well or other garlicky appetizers that need something to cut the strong favors.
 
statseeker said:
Bottles are not chilled yet I was waiting for Thanksgiving to crack the first. 1.014 was the FG and it only dropped 2 points in 8 months and most of that was during the first couple of months in the secondary during initial pellicle formation. So it was 1.012 and I only bottled for 2 volumes using 2.8oz table sugar.
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Alright, I'm less concerned now than I was even a few days ago. I just took out a bottle of RR Supplication and looked through the glass and I'm seeing similar looking solids/colonies/whatever in that beer. So, I'll wait for the tasting to be scared. :D
 
Don't worry. You should see my bottles of saison with ECY03. I don't know what caused it exactly but I had a serious coating inside the bottles. It was a flaky growth like coating that can be dislodged from the glass by just agitating the beer in the bottle. I suspect it's from the brett in the bottle consuming the priming sugar, or in my case, consuming the remaining sugar. They taste fine but certainly messy looking in the bottles.
 
AnOldUR's 11-11-11

Appearance: Poured a deep brown with amber highlights at the edges. The beer produced a fluffy white two finger head due to the vigorous pour.

Aroma: Slight aroma of esters and alcohol, bretty funk, and over ripe cherries. Has a slight vinegar aroma, with spice, leather, and smoke rounding out the aroma. As the beer warmed the esters and alcohol aroma had faded.

Taste: Has a slight taste of elevated esters. The alcohol smell comes through in the flavor but not in a big way. I think the two together are combining for a bit of a synergistic effect. As the beer warmed both calmed down which was nice. The flavors of the beer were roasty biscuit with toffee like sweetness. The body is very nice on this bottle, body is medium-medium/full. Not as much sourness detected in the taste as in the aroma. I think the body and malt flavors are cutting the acid flavor a bit. There's a slight smokey flavor present. Reminds me qualities in some jerky cures I've made with cider vinegar and liquid smoke.

My wife took a sip of this one while I was drinking and said it reminds her of "burnt caramel apples".

Overall: This is a very nice beer. It has a nice spiciness and smokiness going on. The spice and smoke are backed up nicely by the body with the toffee sweetness. Great on its on for sipping and I bet would be a great candidate for blending with young beer down the road.
 
Mars Colonist: I received your package. That's all 3, and everything came through in one piece, nothing broken, excellent packaging by all.

I'll get everything chilled, take a break from working my butt off (and this cold) and get around to drinking (and reviewing) all this awesome beer
 
MarsColonist's Dry Stout (wlp810)

Aroma: Roasted malt with slight coffee and chocolate notes. Low to no hop aroma.

Appearance: Black, with deep red highlights when held up to bright light. Poured with no head.

Flavor: Roasted malt flavors up front with strong fruity esters dominating the flavor. Banana and citrus flavors take over the palate and last long into the finish. Fairly tart, though in an acceptable way for the style. Slight alcohol flavor in the finish that grows stronger as the beer warms.

Mouthfeel: moderately high carbonation with a somewhat strong co2 bite and tingle in the mouth. Body is a little on the thin side, which matches up with the tartness and fruity notes.

Overall: An interesting meld of two very different styles. It's evident that this is a good Dry Stout base recipe, and the Belgian Wit yeast strain brings some unexpected complexity to the beer. I'm not entirely sure that I love the way the banana and mango fruity esters play with the dryness and acidity of the roasted barley, but it is different and unexpected.
 
jmo88, i got your package today and one of the 11-11-11 bottles was open!!

It was weird, I was expecting to see a broken bottle inside based on the sopping wet UPS box, but only a single bottle of 11-11-11 had the cap cleanly pried off. very weird.

At least it was one that you sent two of so i can still taste it. The brew-log sheets were also soaked and ruined. Do you mind giving me a brief rundown of what each style is?

Thanks!
 
strat_thru_marshall said:
jmo88, i got your package today and one of the 11-11-11 bottles was open!!

It was weird, I was expecting to see a broken bottle inside based on the sopping wet UPS box, but only a single bottle of 11-11-11 had the cap cleanly pried off. very weird.

At least it was one that you sent two of so i can still taste it. The brew-log sheets were also soaked and ruined. Do you mind giving me a brief rundown of what each style is?

Thanks!
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Ahh! That sucks! Also weird that the cap just came off. I'd like to say that wasn't my fault, but I'm not sure how that could've happened if the cap was secured properly. I'm glad the box didn't soak through and get "discovered".

Ramble on Rosé: A saison with fresh bing cherries and french oak. about 8%ABV

Spelt: American farmhouse style with a ton of raw spelt. I used a cereal mash for the spelt before adding it to the main mash. also about 8%ABV

BP: brown porter. Basically a traditional English style porter at about 5%ABV.
 
MarsColonist's Berliner Weiss


Aroma: Fresh lemon zest with spicy phenols. Slight green apple aroma.

Appearance: Slightly hazy, straw colored. Small white head that lingers.

Mouthfeel: high carbonation creates a pleasant effervescence. Fairly thin body. Nice dry finish.

Flavor: Firmly sour up front, citrus and green apple flavors come through. Slight grainy pilsner malt flavor.

Overall: Very refreshing, crisp, clean sour beer. I like this one a lot.

Thank you, this was a very nice beer
 
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.

DSCF3786.jpg
 
AnOldUR, got your package safely. Looks good. Did you force carb your old ale?
 
smokinghole said:
Are they all old ales or is that a mix?
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Yup. Those were just the Old Ales. The different colors from the same recipe is interesting.


jmo88 said:
AnOldUR, got your package safely. Looks good. Did you force carb your old ale?
Click to expand...
Yup again. Kegged and bottled from the keg.
Glad to hear they made it safe. I was worried about the extended time they took to get to you.
 
Here's last night's notes for MarsColonist's Dry Stout 005

MarsColonist's Dry Stout 005:

S- English esters mixed with subtle roasted malt and caramel aromas. It reminds me a lot of Guiness in the aroma. Some chocolate and ashiness comes through after it warms.

A- Very dark brown. Ruby highlights when held to the light. Clear. Poured with a thick head and settled to a thin dense head with great lacing.

F- Man this is good! Goes down really smoothly. It's appropriately dry but has a gentle chocolate milk flavor without the sweetness, if that makes sense. The roastiness is perfect as it leaves the palate pretty quickly without a continuous burnt/acrid roast that the American style can have. It also has a nice level of acidity to it– not sour or even close but I feel that the pH is important for the style and this is right where it should be.

M- Full but maybe a little too carbonated.

O- Great beer. I could have a very happy session with these. The only thing I'd do differently is try to darken it up a bit without affecting the roast, maybe with some carafa and lower the carbonation. Well done again! I'm really digging your beers. Can I have the recipe?
 

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