Dark Red & Hoppy?
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kiwirevo
Well-Known Member
This is a good article that is partly the reason I decided to try this beer. Have a read, it's quite interesting
http://www.mrmalty.com/late_hopping.php
http://www.mrmalty.com/late_hopping.php
crusader1612
Well-Known Member
Kiwi set me a bottle of this. So once he gives me the ok to taste ill post some notes up. Thanks Kiwi 
kiwirevo
Well-Known Member
Well I just opened my first bottle of hopped lately? And although still not properly carbed it has a very deep brown colour, the aroma is a combination of caramel, toffee, pine and richer fruits, like apricot, maybe Xmas cake, and some faint permanent marker, despite the sweet aromas it still has some fresh edge to it. In the mouth its sweet and bitter, an exceptionally smooth bitterness, but once past that there's a hop freshness that levels out the sweetness and makes it quite drinkable. There's a hint of chocolate . It does leave some sweetness in the mouth but that disappears to leave the smooth bitterness that's quite enjoyable. For me it doesn't scream 11%, and the freshness breaks up the sweetness nicely. I think it hides the amount of hops in it a bit much.
Tweaks would be less darker malts and more hops... Yes MORE hops!
Tweaks would be less darker malts and more hops... Yes MORE hops!
kiwirevo
Well-Known Member
I just opened another bottle but it's barely carbed, I'm thinking there's not enough yeast still in suspension so carbonation may take a while. However, this is the best undercarbed beer I've ever had!
crusader1612
Well-Known Member
kiwirevo said:
With a beer like this it'll take awhile. Sounds like I'm in for a treat though
kiwirevo
Well-Known Member
Just opened another bottle that I knew was more carbed than the rest as i fill a couple of plastic bottles first when I do my bottling and they get more yeast.
There's maybe some peppermint to the aroma but its quite muted, i think a hop back or dry hop would improve the overall aroma, but the flavour... OMG it's just so full of flavour and the bitterness is so round and smooth, it is bitter definitely but it's a bitterness unlike any other, it comes and then gets rounded out. It's grassy, sour, sweet, bitter and some umami (that weird 5th taste from soy sauce and miso) and malty. There's no sign of the alcohol.
As i get down in the glass, the aroma improves and with it the flavour moves more grassy piney but still the smooth bitterness is there.
I LOVE this beer. The colour looks dark, but the taste is nothing like a dark beer, it's got sweetness but not like a really malty beer.
There's maybe some peppermint to the aroma but its quite muted, i think a hop back or dry hop would improve the overall aroma, but the flavour... OMG it's just so full of flavour and the bitterness is so round and smooth, it is bitter definitely but it's a bitterness unlike any other, it comes and then gets rounded out. It's grassy, sour, sweet, bitter and some umami (that weird 5th taste from soy sauce and miso) and malty. There's no sign of the alcohol.
As i get down in the glass, the aroma improves and with it the flavour moves more grassy piney but still the smooth bitterness is there.
I LOVE this beer. The colour looks dark, but the taste is nothing like a dark beer, it's got sweetness but not like a really malty beer.
crusader1612
Well-Known Member
Right,
So I cracked this open on a sunday afternoon aqfter being in the fridge for a week, and I'm feeling a bit happy. Lol.
I'll attempt to offer some notes on this and a picture will follow later.
appearance: Dark red/Brown colour Very much a colour I'd expect from an Imperial amber, although slightly hazy, I'm assuming this is the hops causing this. (there were quite a few)
aroma: huge aroma of american hops. I could smell this all day.
Flavour: low carbed. Not sure if this was supposed to be the case. big amber flavour, caramels are very in there with the flavour, lingering bitterness, and really smooth considering the high late hopping. I see what you mean with the late hopping giving that smoother bitterness.
Overall: If this was on handpump I could drink more than 1 although the alcohol content might be a bit high. very nice beer, advice for next time, would be more carbonation, to make those hops smack you in the face. and the other thing I'd do, although some peiople may in fact beg to differ would be that the alcohol content may be slightly too high, but very warming none the less.
Handpump this with a sparkler it'll be awesome. Pour it into a Drink bottle with a hose on the end with a sparkler attached for a makeshift hand pump.
Make this again and send me more lol
cheers Kiwi maybe we'll do a swap again sometime soon??
So I cracked this open on a sunday afternoon aqfter being in the fridge for a week, and I'm feeling a bit happy. Lol.
I'll attempt to offer some notes on this and a picture will follow later.
appearance: Dark red/Brown colour Very much a colour I'd expect from an Imperial amber, although slightly hazy, I'm assuming this is the hops causing this. (there were quite a few)
aroma: huge aroma of american hops. I could smell this all day.
Flavour: low carbed. Not sure if this was supposed to be the case. big amber flavour, caramels are very in there with the flavour, lingering bitterness, and really smooth considering the high late hopping. I see what you mean with the late hopping giving that smoother bitterness.
Overall: If this was on handpump I could drink more than 1 although the alcohol content might be a bit high. very nice beer, advice for next time, would be more carbonation, to make those hops smack you in the face. and the other thing I'd do, although some peiople may in fact beg to differ would be that the alcohol content may be slightly too high, but very warming none the less.
Handpump this with a sparkler it'll be awesome. Pour it into a Drink bottle with a hose on the end with a sparkler attached for a makeshift hand pump.
Make this again and send me more
lolcheers Kiwi maybe we'll do a swap again sometime soon??
crusader1612
Well-Known Member
Definitely dark red and hoppy. Good and malty btw.
kiwirevo
Well-Known Member
Right,
So I cracked this open on a sunday afternoon aqfter being in the fridge for a week, and I'm feeling a bit happy. Lol.
I'll attempt to offer some notes on this and a picture will follow later.
appearance: Dark red/Brown colour Very much a colour I'd expect from an Imperial amber, although slightly hazy, I'm assuming this is the hops causing this. (there were quite a few)
aroma: huge aroma of american hops. I could smell this all day.
Flavour: low carbed. Not sure if this was supposed to be the case. big amber flavour, caramels are very in there with the flavour, lingering bitterness, and really smooth considering the high late hopping. I see what you mean with the late hopping giving that smoother bitterness.
Overall: If this was on handpump I could drink more than 1 although the alcohol content might be a bit high. very nice beer, advice for next time, would be more carbonation, to make those hops smack you in the face. and the other thing I'd do, although some peiople may in fact beg to differ would be that the alcohol content may be slightly too high, but very warming none the less.
Handpump this with a sparkler it'll be awesome. Pour it into a Drink bottle with a hose on the end with a sparkler attached for a makeshift hand pump.
Make this again and send me more
cheers Kiwi maybe we'll do a swap again sometime soon??
Glad you like it, the carbonation should be higher but I think the yeast has gone to sleep, I also think it may be higher abv than 11% because there's a different calculation that's more accurate for high abv and that puts it at 12%. Thanks for the review. Do you have a link as to how to make the handpump? I'm interested in working out how to carb high abv beers as my next brew I'm planning is hopefully 20%+
I'm definitely keen for a swap again, if you've tried and like Liberty Brewing's Yakima Scarlet I have a very good clone if you're interested
crusader1612
Well-Known Member
Beer engine
NZLunchie
Well-Known Member
I'm keen for a recipe if you've got one?
crusader1612
Well-Known Member
se picture post above, and no worries.
Love that beer, if you have a recipe I'd be super keen.
definitely keen for another swap, but it'll have to wait, as I';m not brewing again for a few months, due to shoulder surgery. ACC finally came back to me.
But keep in touch and join us here: a bunch of kiwi brewers keep up to date on what everyones doing.
can keep in touch too for when we do another swap.
kiwirevo
Well-Known Member
Here's the Scarlet clone recipe, next time I'd increase the warrior by a gram or two as it doesn't have the punchy bitterness of real Scarlet, but I will brew it again so I'll send some when I do that as this current batch it's getting drunk fast.
http://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/36246/scarlet-yakima-clone-v-1-0
I'll give the hand pump a try. Thanks.
http://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/36246/scarlet-yakima-clone-v-1-0
I'll give the hand pump a try. Thanks.
crusader1612
Well-Known Member
awesome thanks man!
Haha yeah i know the feeling, too much beer not enough time, or is it the other way around??
Handpump works a treat, this isn't mine but a chch brewer made it and we've used it quite a bit, good head and brings out some of the hop character
NZLunchie
Well-Known Member
Awesome, cheers dude!
kiwirevo
Well-Known Member
If you brew it let me know how it goes
NZLunchie
Well-Known Member
Will do!
kiwirevo
Well-Known Member
Well I opened a GREAT bottle of it today, really well carbed. The booze shows through a bit much but the malt, bitterness and hops are quite balanced. I was hoping for a bit more hop aroma but other than that it's fantastic! Very deep red.
crusader1612
Well-Known Member
Here's one I took awhile back.
kiwirevo
Well-Known Member
Been a while but I just got the Spiegelau IPA Glasses and they turned this beer from great to absolutely amazing, no idea it's as alcoholic as it is, and the aroma is better, the flavour is just smooth bitterness.
crusader1612
Well-Known Member
They make a big difference Kiwi?
I've heard good things, so will test my set out tonight with some Green Flash West Coast IPA.
NZLunchie
Well-Known Member
Well, this got a Bronze medal in the American Barleywine category at the national homebrew comp yesterday. Pretty pleased with that
Congratulations!
crusader1612
Well-Known Member
Nice work. Having tried this beer. I'm not surprised. Well done.kiwirevo said:
