Not-So-Secret-Santa Christmas Swap

[Weezy]

Finsfan's Big XII triple

This was tasty. Aroma is flat, but there is a lot of spicy, peppery yeast character there. A touch of alcohol heat, which I prefer in most Belgian beers tbh, good. No lasting head under modest carbonation..... although, it kept giving off a steady stream of tiny bubbles, leaving a super thin creamy layer on top. Almost spritzy. Interesting.

Very clear.

Flavor is spicy, peppery, layered in modest maltiness, with alcohol on sides of tongue.

Overall, I'm pleased and well brewed. I'd like it drier. I think it should be drier. A sugary sweetness builds up in the mouth the farther you go into the glass. And carbonation is lacking. But it wouldn't stop me from getting two more.

Thanks Finsfan!

 

[finsfan]

Finsfan's Big XII triple

This was tasty. Aroma is flat, but there is a lot of spicy, peppery yeast character there. A touch of alcohol heat, which I prefer in most Belgian beers tbh, good. No lasting head under modest carbonation..... although, it kept giving off a steady stream of tiny bubbles, leaving a super thin creamy layer on top. Almost spritzy. Interesting.



Very clear.



Flavor is spicy, peppery, layered in modest maltiness, with alcohol on sides of tongue.



Overall, I'm pleased and well brewed. I'd like it drier. I think it should be drier. A sugary sweetness builds up in the mouth the farther you go into the glass. And carbonation is lacking. But it wouldn't stop me from getting two more.



Thanks Finsfan!

Thanks for the feedback, glad you liked it! Cheers!

 

[coyote68]

@ Wolfhound180
Finally got through all the beers you sent and keeping with the spirit of the swap here’s the reviews on the beers you sent. Let me know when you get your homebrews ready and maybe we can set up a swap in the near future. Thanks again for these beers.

whiplash white ipa:
This was a nice light bodied beer with a solid hop profile. I found it a nice change of pace compared to the vast majority of IPA’s out there.

Sweet Baby Jesus: just a great beer. I always keep a case on hand.

Birra: this is a staple of prairie. A very good saison/farmhouse ale. If you haven’t tried it… you really should.

128 Gose the Kimmie, The Yink, and the Holy Gose: a refreshing beer that is in the middle of the gose tart/sour range. It is easy drinking and less salty than others out there. This would be a good starting point for anyone wanting to try this style, then have a westbrook which is at the more extreme side of the style.

Great Return: what an unexpected ipa. The grapefruit aroma is awesome, followed by that well balanced citrus flavored malty goodness!! I will have to pick some of this up next time I’m in the Richmond area.

Alewerks Coffehouse Stout: this is a-good beer. Very well balanced with just enough sweetness to bring it all together. I had this cold which was good, but I let it warm to room temp. and that’s when the magic happened!! The taste changed to another level.. Like a double shot of espresso.

again great selection and thanks for the chance to try some very good beer.

 

[eatmorefrogs]

Long overdue post here, I've gotten to enjoy beer a lot less than I had hoped!

@coyote68

Cherries in the Snow
The aroma is subtle cherry. What a great cherry flavor! As I work my way through the glass the cherry flavor morphs from sweet and fruity to more of tannin-like stems and skins flavor. I think this gives a lot of character to the drink. I like when the beer is an experience from start to finish and the cherries play host to this. Didn’t detect any off flavors, the carbonation is perfect.

I like the choice of a Belgian style as the base. it makes itself known without stealing the show from the cherries. A perfect stage.

The flavor is a fruity and somewhat sweet. I’m not detecting any hops coming through.

Easily one of the best home brews I’ve ever had (and it’s not even something I’d typically pick!) Bravo!

In case you’re wondering how it’s aging color-wise, it’s a reddish gold color, SRM ~15. A lot of cellared beers are like a 10% ABV so you can pick up a bit of booziness - I don’t pick up any booziness in it either, what’s the ABV?

Smoked porter

The beer pours very dark - when holding it up to a lightbulb I’m unable to see through. The aroma is a fairly typical porter. I get some smokiness from the aroma, but not a whole lot. I’m trying to decide if my brain is playing tricks on me, but I almost pick up a hint of fruitiness in the aroma as well. The beer pours with a picturesque head that sticks around. The carbonation is a little high, but not enough to be a distraction.

The smoke taste is right on point. It’s easy to overdo smoke, this is just enough to let you know it’s there. This would have been a fantastic beer to pair with barbecue or a burger. Would be very sessionable.

 

[coyote68]

@eatmorefrogs
that version of cherries in the snow is 8% and is one of the best versions that i have done.

the yeast in the porter lends a nice fruitiness. i got that strain in england from black sheep brewery. it's an odd strain to brew with as temp. control is real finicky. when it hits 70 F it gives a real nice apple aroma.

thanks for the great reviews!! lots of good info to use.

 

[mufflerbearing]

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View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1425846580.537932.jpg

 

[mufflerbearing]

Just opened #2 Espresso Milk Stout.

Poured a nice dark black with a strong brown head that stuck around.

Sweet thick mouthfeel that you want from a milk stout. Excellent roasty and chocolate balance. Finished with the dryness from the coffee. Very very nice beer.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1425846678.441238.jpg
They thought so too. Toot

 

[mufflerbearing]

Just getting around to whatever this is in the Corona bottle. Yellow red in color not much carbonation starts with a nice sour taste then changes to a fruity/Barry finish. It's nice?. What is it?

 

[jtd_419]

That's blackberry apple cider. Fresh wild blackberries picked along the river every year give the slight sourness which complements the apple sweetness nicely

 

[sfgoat]

Good to see reviews are still rolling in. Might consider doing another swap as we move into the summer. Got a few grain and hop bulk buys to finish running first though.

 

[BGBC]

I've still got a couple of the meads left, but having @Johnnyhitch1 's Rock of Love. Brett bottle dreg beer.
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1427066228.988375.jpg

Nice malt character to back up a good level of tartness. Getting some good cherry/stone fruit flavors too. I'd be happy with this as a commercial beer, good stuff. Going to let it warm up a bit and sit with it for a while. Thanks again. Saving the bottle dregs for my house culture.

 

[eatmorefrogs]

@coyote68

You're talented, the range of styles of beers you've sent and the quality of each is wonderful. I commend you for not only doing a lot of styles, but doing them well. It takes some courage to dabble in sours and gose.

La Folie Sour
Pours a slightly reddish copper and is slightly hazy with no head. As far as sours go it's on the halfway between mild and medium, but in a good way that would make it sessionable but with a healthy amount of sour. I'm detecting a slightly bitter finish that could stand to be dropped altogether, but it's minor. It's not a bad bitter, just a distraction from the sour. The mouth feel is wonderful. This would pair really well with some fun cheeses and charcuterie.

Gose
Pours a cloudy straw yellow. It was a bottle volcano! Heavy carbonation. My first thought is that I'd love to have this with barbeque, I think it'd pair well with brisket or pulled pork. It's dry and cidery with and appropriate amount of sour for the style.

 

[Hello]

I'm glad you replied to this thread @eatmorefrogs because I've been meaning to ask you, should I be storing your HB wine on the side? Right now it's upright in a pantry to keep it out of the way of light.

 

[coyote68]

@coyote68

You're talented, the range of styles of beers you've sent and the quality of each is wonderful. I commend you for not only doing a lot of styles, but doing them well. It takes some courage to dabble in sours and gose.

@ eatmorefrogs.
Thanks for the reviews. yes that gose is highly carbonated it is a little more than i wanted. and i noticed the bitterness in the la folie so i cut it way back on my latest batch. nice to know they came out well. i like to push things so now i'm on to some forgotten english beers.
thanks again

 

[eatmorefrogs]

I'm glad you replied to this thread @eatmorefrogs because I've been meaning to ask you, should I be storing your HB wine on the side? Right now it's upright in a pantry to keep it out of the way of light.

Sideways to keep the cork wet so that it stays expanded. It's not a big deal to leave it upright for months at a time, they do that in wine stores all the time.