Not-So-Secret-Santa Christmas Swap

[mufflerbearing]

Made it without a drop spilled. Now let's chill these baby's!View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1419040884.535523.jpg

 

[mufflerbearing]

Schnapps?

Not quite. It's more like clear "mountain medicine"

 

[Hello]

@eatmorefrogs Maple Syrup Ale.
Pouring I got maple right away. I am regretting not having this with pancakes. The maple is not over powering but yet it is there. There's no twang whatsoever from the syrup. The aftertaste reminds me of this wonderful candy I got in Canada. It's very good and sweet. Malty and I cannot even figure out which hop was used. This is truly a treat. I was skeptical, but if I had not eaten dinner just now, I'd be making pancakes. I want more.

It's not thin, wonderful mouthfeel and I'm glad it's not too thick because I think I'd perceive it as more syrup and maybe not love it. Poured with a small head, very small. Perfect if you ask me. This has only gotten better as it warmed to about 48F.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1419042902.305325.jpg

 

[jtd_419]

Made it without a drop spilled. Now let's chill these baby's!View attachment 242957

The unmarked corona bottles are blackberry apple cider, a little tart from the blackberries. I think the rest are pretty easy to figure out

 

[jtd_419]

Not quite. It's more like clear "mountain medicine"

If that's what I think you're saying I would love to get my hands on some

 

[Gentlemans_Ale]

@eatmorefrogs Maple Syrup Ale.
Pouring I got maple right away. I am regretting not having this with pancakes. The maple is not over powering but yet it is there. There's no twang whatsoever from the syrup. The aftertaste reminds me of this wonderful candy I got in Canada. It's very good and sweet. Malty and I cannot even figure out which hop was used. This is truly a treat. I was skeptical, but if I had not eaten dinner just now, I'd be making pancakes. I want more.

It's not thin, wonderful mouthfeel and I'm glad it's not too thick because I think I'd perceive it as more syrup and maybe not love it. Poured with a small head, very small. Perfect if you ask me. This has only gotten better as it warmed to about 48F.

View attachment 242973

@Eatmorefrogs, I want the recipe!

 

[Wolfhound180]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1419083870.049443.jpg

Got a sweet box from Keith last night. Never had any of these. Sorry I didn't update sooner.

 

[jtd_419]

Bryan (bford) sent an awesome package of homebrews and commercial beers that i haven't tried before.

I'm going to chill all except the two that are still conditioning and will crack em open in a couple of days

By the way your Altex caps and labels look great.

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[cmoewes]

Finally cracked on of the brews tonight. House Pale Ale

A little darker than I was expecting but very nice. Pleasant hoppy aroma. Nice malty flavor. A little sweet, like maybe a touch of chocolate or darker caramel. Not a very bog head but it did stick around in the glass for a while. Very enjoyable.

 

[campbellmike]

Just poured my first HB from inkman15. It's described as a hoppy pale ale. Just to quantify this review, I don't have the developed taste buds of a beer expert but I like beer. It's a very nice golden hue with a white, quickly dissipating head leaving some lacing on the glass. It has a slight haze but is visually appealing to me. I can only detect malt in the nose. It has a very pleasant, mild, mid palate bitterness but the grain bill appears to be fairly simple. Light body, this is a great summertime, sitting on the patio beer. For me, I would be pleased if I had been served this at a bar or brewpub. Good job.

 

[Weezy]

I just had Finsfan's...

Vanilla Face RIS: brewed using this recipe. I ended up adding Jamseon soaked oak beans (yes I meant to type oak beans, look it up) and 1 vanilla bean and let that age for 3 months before bottling. I enjoy this one but think it needs tweaking. I probably wont use oak beans again and may forgo the vanilla in the future as well.

I really like the base beer and the amount of Jameson you used comes out nice. Its not boozy but the flavor is there. Any negatives I'd post about the beer would be personal preference things so nothing is to be said. Nice beer.

 

[bford]

Bryan (bford) sent an awesome package of homebrews and commercial beers that i haven't tried before.

I'm going to chill all except the two that are still conditioning and will crack em open in a couple of days

By the way your Altex caps and labels look great.

Ha.. last time I checked FedEx it was showing it was going to be delivered on Monday... glad it made it safe and sound.

I opened up a Citra Smash (in the Altex cap and label) last night and it was certainly still light on the carbonation. Just had the carbed apfelwein and it has farther to go... thanks to the higher alcohol level... but it tasted good... and has plenty of alcohol!

Took the Two Moe's Pale Ale and Lime Hefe to a party last night... all the bottles I took disappeared without complaint. The hefe does start to show its banana and clove more as it warms... when cold its more of an American wheat flavor with plenty of citrus.

Enjoy!

 

[bford]

Just finished up Hello's Chocolate Coconut Milk Stout.

Really good. Not a lot of carb, but enough. Lots of bitter chocolate on the finish. Good sweetness. Not sure I picked up the coconut, though I think I get some on the nose. I'm not huge on mouthfeel, never really bothers me either way... BUT this is what a great stout feels like in my opinion...right in the middle. 9 percent alcohol, so I'll just be having the one bottle of it today. Tomorrow one of the Pumpkin Stouts.


Very good beer.

Sorry for no pic. Left my phone in the car and my wife now has it in her purse as she is out shopping and didn't want to leave it in the car of course!

Oh...took the craft IPA's last night... all were thoroughly enjoyed... I got to taste all of them and shared with several other Texans who had never had them.

 

[coyote68]

package from Wolfhound180 fedex came early!!

Excellent selection several that i never had before...thanks

 

[BrewWho]

Breaking into the brews. Got the imperial ipa poured right now. Reviews to come View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1419136342.075155.jpg

 

[nmfree]

@nmfree, did the bottles arrive safely?

Yes, it did, and I apologize for not getting back to you sooner. I was waiting until the tree was finished so I could take a picture, and then I got lazy. I'm waiting until closer to Chrismas to drink the beers, and I'll post some pictures then when I post some tasting thoughts.

Package arrived safe & sound!!

You really outdid yourself with the hydrometer.
I havnt figured out how to upload pics as the HBT app no longer works on my phone, but as soon as I do I will post pics.
I'm gonna get started on them this weekend & will post back with results.
Been wanting to try apfelwein!!!

Excellent. I'm always a little worried when I ship homebrew.

 

[Hello]

Just finished up Hello's Chocolate Coconut Milk Stout.

Really good. Not a lot of carb, but enough. Lots of bitter chocolate on the finish. Good sweetness. Not sure I picked up the coconut, though I think I get some on the nose. I'm not huge on mouthfeel, never really bothers me either way... BUT this is what a great stout feels like in my opinion...right in the middle. 9 percent alcohol, so I'll just be having the one bottle of it today. Tomorrow one of the Pumpkin Stouts.


Very good beer.

Sorry for no pic. Left my phone in the car and my wife now has it in her purse as she is out shopping and didn't want to leave it in the car of course!

Oh...took the craft IPA's last night... all were thoroughly enjoyed... I got to taste all of them and shared with several other Texans who had never had them.

Wonderful! Carb is likely lite due to my poor bottling from keg skills and it was already just not carbing much. I am glad you're enjoying things thus far.

 

[LiquidFlame]

Yes, it did, and I apologize for not getting back to you sooner. I was waiting until the tree was finished so I could take a picture, and then I got lazy. I'm waiting until closer to Chrismas to drink the beers, and I'll post some pictures then when I post some tasting thoughts.


Excellent. I'm always a little worried when I ship homebrew.

Cheers

 

[sfgoat]

1) Jalapeno-Cucumber Saison, 8.3%, Bottled from keg. Gold metal winner. Sweet pepper flavor and refreshing cucumber goes really well with a strong saison base. Its an odd one but so damn good. No to very mild spice, was going for flavor of the jalapeno not spice.

Got around to trying this tonight paired with my dinner of homemade chimichangas.

Appearance: crystal clear and golden in color, formed a nice head initially that dissipated quickly (although I've never seen a beer above 8% that didn't). Really a beautiful beer.

Aroma: apparent jalapeno in the nose coupled with the fruity funkiness associated with saisons.

Taste: vegetal jalapeno up front, definitely must have been sweet peppers because there is almost no jalapeno spice (which I would have liked to have seen). Very little hop character. Couldn't quite pick up on the cucumbers over the pepper. After the upfront pepper I get all the saison flavors of fruit , funk and pepper.

Mouthfeel: thin and boozy, almost like a champagne. But spot on for the style.

Overall: would have been nice to taste a little more cucumber and some spice from the jalapeno but those are my preferences. Otherwise I wouldn't change it. It is a very good example of the style with some vegetable adaptations. If it is how you like it than leave it be. But IMO more spice and less vegetable taste would have pushed this to near perfection.

 

[sfgoat]

Got around to trying this tonight paired with my dinner of homemade chimichangas.

Appearance: crystal clear and golden in color, formed a nice head initially that dissipated quickly (although I've never seen a beer above 8% that didn't). Really a beautiful beer.

Aroma: apparent jalapeno in the nose coupled with the fruity funkiness associated with saisons.

Taste: vegetal jalapeno up front, definitely must have been sweet peppers because there is almost no jalapeno spice (which I would have liked to have seen). Very little hop character. Couldn't quite pick up on the cucumbers over the pepper. After the upfront pepper I get all the saison flavors of fruit , funk and pepper.

Mouthfeel: think and boozy, almost like a champagne. But spot on for the style.

Overall: would have been nice to taste a little more cucumber and some spice from the jalapeno but those are my preferences. Otherwise I wouldn't change it. It is a very good example of the style with some vegetable adaptations. If it is how you like it than leave it be. But IMO more spice and less vegetable taste would have pushed this to near perfection.

I always forget to attach the pics.

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[DisturbdChemist]

I always forget to attach the pics.

It was an older brew so the cuke must have faded. I was going for sweet pepper on this. I removed the seeds. If i brew it again ill add a little heat to it. I probably cant get away from the vegible flavor but ill probably roast them next time and add a bunch more cukes. Looks like you enjoyed it overall

 

[sfgoat]

It was an older brew so the cuke must have faded. I was going for sweet pepper on this. I removed the seeds. If i brew it again ill add a little heat to it. I probably cant get away from the vegible flavor but ill probably roast them next time and add a bunch more cukes. Looks like you enjoyed it overall

Oh yeah. Great brew overall. Didn't really mind the veggie flavor either.

 

[inkman15]

Just poured my first HB from inkman15. It's described as a hoppy pale ale. Just to quantify this review, I don't have the developed taste buds of a beer expert but I like beer. It's a very nice golden hue with a white, quickly dissipating head leaving some lacing on the glass. It has a slight haze but is visually appealing to me. I can only detect malt in the nose. It has a very pleasant, mild, mid palate bitterness but the grain bill appears to be fairly simple. Light body, this is a great summertime, sitting on the patio beer. For me, I would be pleased if I had been served this at a bar or brewpub. Good job.

Thanks for the review and I'm glad you liked it. It's definitely a simple grain bill - only 2-row. This beer was meant to just help me use up some extra hops so I wanted to keep it simple. Cheers!

 

[inkman15]

Finally got around to posting. I've had a few of Weezy's beers over the past couple days.

Weizenbock - Had this one last night and really enjoyed it. A touch of funk on the nose (a positive for me) likely from the hefe yeast. Funk does not follow through to the palate. Restrained hefe esters are present - I detected some dried fruits and bananas but not overwhelmingly strong. Underneath is a nice malt bill with some caramel coming to the forefront along with some toasty/bready notes. Smooth and med/full bodied. Minimal alcohol warming. Nice job!

Simple Maris Otter IPA With HBC-342 - Loved this beer. I've never had HBC 342 before and now I'm looking at picking some up. Pungent citrusy/funky/tangy nose. Has a vinous note to it as well. Taste follows - a really excellent, unexpected mix of citrus, funk, even oniony. Kind of reminds me of Azacca hops that Victory used in Hop Ranch (which is one of my all time favorite beers). Finishes very dry and crisp. Fantastic beer!

White Christmas Light Lager - Nose is fruit juice and apples. Actually reminded me a lot of straight up apple juice. Taste follows plus some bready malts underneath. Very light body which is in line with the style. Carbonation was a touch low but that could be because this is an old bottle. Would have liked some more of the juniper flavor/aroma but I could drink a few of these at a Christmas get together.

Hope to get to the others in the next few days. Sorry about not taking pictures. Will take them for the remainder. Thanks!

 

[sloanfamilydsm]

@nmfree

Old Balakirev v1

Jet black in appearance. Nice lasting creamy head with a roasty chocolate nose. I didn't get any hop aroma, but that's ok cause I'm not a hop head at all. No off flavors detected with perfect carbonation level.
I really enjoyed this beer and would like the recipe!
I'm gonna be trying the apfelwein while watching some football today.
GREAT BEER!

 

[Hello]

American Light Ale (ALA) - This is a franken-recipe. When making the switch from extract to all grain, that was whatever extra stuff was left on the shelf. It's a fairly easy drinker. I forgot irish moss so it's cloudy. If we're in the safety tree of honesty, it's so "eh" that I almost didn't send it, but I decided to pad the numbers. It's not that it's bad, it's just boring. I'm really selling it, aren't I?

I was looking for something light and this was the choice. It's not bad at all. I PM fact, it's a pretty beer and it just kind of tastes like a mild amber. I don't hate it and would drink this all day. Thanks for this. A sideways pic because sideways pics on Sundays are okay.

 

[campbellmike]

2nd beer from inkman15. This is a citra SMaSH made with Maris Otter malt. This one was bottle conditioned and has a modest citrus smell. It's a little hazy and my wife tells me the color is topaz but I'd call it dark gold or light bronze. Nice carbonation and a slight mid palate bitterness. The body is light and you can start to detect some of the Maris Otter biscuit but it's difficult for me to describe. I might be tasting a bit of oxidation but no off flavors detected. Thanks!

 

[sloanfamilydsm]

My pic isn't sideways. I was demonstrating how thick the head was. Not a drop spilled!

 

[jakeasaur]

Finished the Madura and moving right along to a Homebrewed Graff that Jakesaur sent. This is great. I have not had a Graff so I had to look up the style. Typically I am really not a huge cider fan. Some examples can be good, but just not my first choice. I really like it. Light and fruity with a buttering bite that just is delicious. Somewhat clear, not brilliant, but somewhere in the middle, clean slightly fruity nose. I want this recipe. View attachment 242583View attachment 242586

Glad you liked it. I to am not a huge cider fan but do enjoy one on occasion. Like your you call it this was a mid week stove top batch. I'm having trouble attaching the link. The recipe can be found on here. Its Brandon O's Graff recipe. Followed exactly. I used cheep local supermarket apple juice and crystal 120L. For the hops I used 1 oz of 2% AA Hersbucker hops. And us05 yeast. Takes just over an hour from start to cleaned up.

 

[BGBC]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1419211908.481369.jpg
@Johnnyhitch1 's traditional mead. Lost some in the box in transit, so just one glass worth. Floral honey aroma, slight alcohol heat at 12%, but really smooth overall. Slightly thick mouthfeel.

If this is your least favorite of the 4 meads you sent, I'm really looking forward to the next 3.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1419212167.806994.jpg
BA Maple Porter up next. Really mellow oak/whiskey flavors, blends well with the malt base. Not getting a ton of maple coming through. Light carbonation and minimal head, which I like for the style. Really enjoying this beer. I imagine it would have been excellent younger, but as it is it is really nice.