Official 999 Swap Feedback Thread...

[CBBaron]

999 - niquejim
Substantial medium tan head that lasted through most of the glass. Amber in color and fairly clear (much clearer than my own)
Strong aroma of bread of fruit. Almost like a pie
Taste just like it smells with a light sweetness, bready and fruity.
Full bodied and slightly sweet, but not cloying.
Warming alcohol without noticeable hot alcohols.

Compared to my own 999 I tasted last night, this one has lighter fruit flavors and is less sweet. The beer tastes cleaner and is not as dark.

Really enjoying sampling this.


Unfortunately I am a lightweight and a 12oz barleywine is all I can handle on a work night. The others will have to wait for another evening.

Craig

 

[mmb]

I'm a slacker and going to have to do these over the weekend.

Terj, All C hops, Centennial and Cascade with Galena bittering. US-05

 

[NCBeernut]

No problem man, was it the hub bearing like I thought?

I will find out tomorrow for sure. I just hope I don't have to wait for parts to get shipped. Either way, I can use Anna's car on Friday if mine isn't ready.

 

[FSR402]

I don't think xiang got into the swap but he did brew it and at the last Michigan Mashers brew day he left a bottle of it here for me.

Aroma: 8/12
Strong caramelly and resiny, clean with no strange smells. No hop notes that I could get.

Appearance: 3/3
dark copper/brown with deep red notes. No head what so ever and never did build one. But it was nicely carbonated.

Flavor: 15/20
Noticeable alcohol presence but not overwhelming or strong. slight caramel and resin notes. Hops start to pick up here. but a little on the sweet side.


Mouthfeel: 5/5
Smooth full bodied beer

Overall Impression: 8/10
This is a great Barleywine. Clean with nothing wrong, just would like to have a little more hop bitterness.

So with that said I give it a score of 39
Great job Tony.

 

[Stratotankard]

Ok, pretty sure this was Nealf's 999.

Aroma 8/12
Light and caramelly sweetness dominates, with some fruit notes (apple?). Hop aromas very light but are present in the back ground. Not complex or very full.

Appearance 2/3
Medium brown with significant haze/cloudiness. Very dense cream-coloured head settles, but never fully dissipates. Shows legs when swirled in the glass!

Flavour 14/20
Very caramelly with balanced but subdues hop bitterness. Fruitiness in the aroma definitely comes through as apple notes. Some phenolics, Belgianesque cloves show towards the finish. Hop flavours seem a bit lost.

Mouthfeel 4/5
Nice and thick mouthfeel with velvety smoothness on the tongue. Alcohol warmth is a little strong, just bordering on hotness in the throat. For the nice head this has, the carbonation is low (this is not a problem, just surprising).

Overall 6/10
A good, drinkable barley wine. It's missing some complexity and depth. Bitterness is fine, but the hop flavour is low and feels hidden behind the caramel maltiness. Possibly a bit warm on the ferment, the cloves/fruit come on a bit strong. I would drink this again.

34/50

Terje

 

[Stratotankard]

I'm a slacker and going to have to do these over the weekend.

Terj, All C hops, Centennial and Cascade with Galena bittering. US-05

Wow, really? I would have thought Fuggles/Golding on the hops. Did not get the typical citrus/grapefruit the C's give me. I guess the orange flavours could have been that, but very mild compared to my experience with them.

Terje

 

[ShortSnoutBrewing]

KingBrianI's 999-

Aroma - Liking this. A little smoke in there playing nice with the caramels. Maybe a little raisny/fruity action going on.
Appearance - Dark amber, boarding on light brown. Pretty clear. Head starts out strong, then dissipates/ Small, tan head sticks around. Not going anywhere.
Flavor - Not what I'm used to with a BW. Rauchmalt is totally upfront on this bad boy. I can't decide if it's just right, or a tad too much. Must keep drinking. Not getting much hop on this one. The sweetness/raisin comes in at the finish. Alcohol masked by the smoke. I think I like it Getting better and better as I continue on.
Mouthfeel - Chewy but smooth. Nice bubble from the carbonation. A little alcohol heat.
Overall - Wow. I wasn't expecting the Rauchmalt, but I like it. This would be great in the winter sitting by the fire. I'm gonna have to hold on to the other bottle for a few months. Be interesting to see what happens with the smoke in that time.

Good work KBI!

Video of the pour:
DSCN2563.flv video by BusterButt - Photobucket

 

[KingBrianI]

Cool, I'm glad you liked it! It's funny, because for probably 6 months after I brewed it, there was no smoke flavor or aroma in the beer at all. I thought either I hadn't used enough, or, since I bought the grains all mixed and precrushed from AHB, that the rauchmalt might have been left out. Then it started to sneak in a bit around that 6 month mark and has been a bit stronger every time I've tried it up to today where it is really sticking out. I found that when still pretty cool, it seemed a bit overwhelming tonight. But as it warmed up to room temp, it began to really combine with the caramel in a nice way, and I quite enjoyed it. You're right about it being good for nursing by a fire. Hopefully we'll get some snow around here this year and I can make an event out of it!

 

[TexLaw]

Oh, boy, I have had the great pleasure of drinking three very nice barleywines. Thank you Conpewter, Wildwest450, and Stratotankard. You have all done yourselves proud and made me a bit ashamed of what I sent out among our swapping comrades. I wish I could judge flights this good every time out.

Let me post reviews in the order in which I grabbed the bottles. Stratotankard, you're up first:

Stratotankard – 999-2 – oaked with 1 oz. med. Toast for 2 months
Ar: rich malt with mildly moderate caramel and bready melanoidin notes; very mild, spicy? hops; smooth, pleasant, spicy alcohol; mild vanilla and coconut notes; mild fruity notes (peach); mildly sweet; no diacetyl, DMS, phenol – 10
Ap: Brown with copper hues; brilliantly clear; poured dense, fine, tan head that reduced fairly quickly to a film; legs on glass – 3

F: rich malt with mildly moderate caramel accent; definite but restrained notes of fig and prune (milder that fig); no appreciable hop flavor, but bitterness is just enough to balance sweetness to where the beer is not cloying – needs a bit more for American Barleywine, but just right for English; oak is more noticeable (mild tannins), but still mild and complementary; mild bready notes; very mild alcohol flavor; finish is long and malty, but not cloying; no diacetyl, DMS, phenols, or bad oxidation; with a bit more time, the oak tannins become quite powerful and almost drown out the rest of the beer – 14

M: very full-bodied – can cut this baby with a knife; alcohol is quite strong, but not hot or overly harsh – just a very big beer; no astringency; moderately low carbonation does not foul up luscious body; frankly, it’s almost too full-bodied, as I seem to have to swallow it twice (but ALMOST too full-bodied – I love this sort of body, but it can be a bit disturbing). – 4

O: A fantastic beer that most certainly is a barleywine! This one makes me wish I had a fire going. It lacks what one might expect as hop character, but that happens over a year – so be it, as that is the way beer ages. The oak is just barely noticeable, which was a bit disappointing at first, but I don’t know that I would change it. It’s a nice balance. It does lack other signs of age, which are not crucial, but they give some explanation as to why the hops are gone. I would like a bit more esters in the aroma and flavor to give a little more complexity. When you lose the hops in an American Barleywine, you want to have that complexity to fall back on. Great mouthfeel! This made me think more of an English Barleywine than American, but that ain’t bad! – 9

Total – 40/50

Thanks! I will get your other two barleywines up when I can!


TL

 

[TexLaw]

Wildwest, your up next!

Wildwest450’s 999
Ar: Moderately rich malt; mildly moderate citrusy/grassy American hop aroma; moderate fruitiness (strawberries); mildly moderate caramel; a bit of fig; mild, smooth alcohol in nose; toasty/biscuit notes adds complexity; no diacetyl, DMS, phenols, oxidation, or other off aromas - 9

Ap: Copper; brilliantly clear; poured, thick, fine, beige head that fell a bit but lasted for some time; thin legs on glass – 3

F: Rich, biscuity malt with mildly moderate caramel; mildly moderate, American hop flavor grows in finish to moderate and lingers for some time; alcohol flavor is present and almost too high, throwing off balance a bit, but not solventy or harsh; mildly fruity with notes of fig and prune; hop bitterness is mild, at first, but grows into long, dry, bitter finish -- 16

M: Medium-full body is a bit velvety in mouth but finishes very clean and dry; medium carbonation lends some sting that detracts from maltiness but helps to clean palate between sips; very dry finish, but not astringent; alcohol is nearly hot, but appropriate for the strength of this beer. – 4

O: Very nice beer that is certainly an American Barleywine. It does lack some malt richness and complexity, but that is nitpicking. The hop character is on the mild side, but quite appropriate for the age of the beer, as is the lower body, and it adds complexity to an otherwise fairly simple malt character. I do not mean “simple” as an insult, though, as many “American Barleywines” seem to have simpler malt profiles, nowadays and are more like DIPAs. Still, the best ones have markedly richer and more intense malt in both aroma and flavor. No matter what I say, though, I do like this beer! I certainly am glad you sent two! – 9

Total – 41/50

Thanks!


TL

 

[TexLaw]

Conpewter, you get to wrap it up!

Conpewter’s 999
Ar: Moderately rich, sweet malt with moderate caramel and bready (bread crust/biscuit) notes; mild hop aroma and fruitiness; alcohol is quite present and a bit strong, throwing the aroma out of balance; fruitiness increases a little with time to moderately mild and raisiny; no diacetyl, DMS, phenols, or other off aromas; no oxidation, other than the pleasant, sherry raisin notes – 9

Ap: Brown, with copper hues; poured tall, course, fizzy, head that did not last; brilliantly clear; thin legs on glass – 3

F: Rich malt with mildly moderate caramel; bready/biscuit notes are mild at first but grow into long, malty finish; hop flavor is very low for style, but is present and could be low due to age; mild fruitiness; alcohol flavor is strong and a bit harsh and solventy, especially in finish; finish is dry, long, and malty, with high alcohol and mild, raisiny/walnut/sherry character – quite pleasant, if the alcohol were smoother; the raisin and walnut notes add some pleasant complexity; the alcohol really does throw the flavor out of balance, though; no diacetyl, DMS, phenols, or oxidation (beyond that nice bit of sherry) – 14

M: Medium-full/full body is nice and luscious, but medium-high carbonation stings the tongue and cheeks; the alcohol is quite strong and exacerbates the carbonation effect; dry, but not astringent; very warming – 3

O: Very nice beer, but probably still needs some more time in the cellar, as alcohol still is quite powerful; very nice maltiness, but lacks some of the complexity of a barleywine; hop character also seems to have faded more than expected over the last year, but sherry notes indicate that it may have aged a bit quickly. This is a well-brewed beer that is still a bit rough around the edges. I like this one, and I am glad I have two. I look forward to opening it in, maybe six months, and seeing how it has come along. Thanks! – 7

Total – 36/50

 

[TexLaw]

Unfortunately, the guy I was going to do the tastings with couldn't make it over today, so my reviews will have to wait until later in the week.

DOH! I hate waiting!


TL

 

[conpewter]

Thanks TexLaw! My brewing process has changed quite a bit since I brewed this so I hope I don't have the higher alcohol issues anymore. It never did have enough hops, not exactly sure what the problem was with that.

I'll be doing some tasting tomorrow. woohoo!

 

[wildwest450]

Wildwest, your up next!

O: Very nice beer that is certainly an American Barleywine. It does lack some malt richness and complexity, but that is nitpicking.
Total – 41/50

Thanks for the review. Any suggestions as to how to get "more" maltier and complex? Any tips are appreciated.

 

[Warrior]

FSR402 09/09/09

Ar 8/12
Good rich caramel and malt aromas. Fig and raisin fruity aromas with a mild citrus hop aroma. Nice and inviting sweetnees that makes me want to drink it.

App 2/3
Very dark amber color with a small tan head that wasn't very big.

Flavor 15/20
Good malt sweetness followed by some hop bitterness. The alcohol is evident but in a nice subdued way as it should be. This beer is kind of in between an american and english style barleywine. I prefer the english over the american but I'm judging this as an american style. The 09/09/09 that I brewed shows that character more towards an english style also.

Mouthfeel 4/5
Nice full thick and chewy body the alcohol cuts it enough to keep it from being to cloying. Low carbonation which is acceptable for the style.

Ov 8/10
Very good example of the style. I actually prefered this over the american style but judged it as an american barleywine. This was more of a cross between the two styles and I enjoyed it very much. If you want more of the American version I would increase your hop flavor and aroma additions. The bitterness seams to be a good balance with the malt sweetness. Overall I could enjoy this beer many times over.

Total 37/50

 

[Warrior]

Kilted Brewer 09/09/09

Ar 9/12
A lot of citrus piney type hop aromas followed by the malt in the background. These aromatics will age well as this beer gets older. Should become more of the sherry type aromas if it ages in the two to three year range. But that will take some willpower to keep it that long.

App 3/3
Medium and clear amber color that had a full tan head that lasted a while. My 09/09/09 came out flat as I tired to bottle condition. Was this forced CO-2 carbonated?

Fl 16/20
High hop flavor with the citrus pine type hop character followed by some malt sweetnees. Malt flavor is a little more subdued than it should be. Could use just a little more malt flavor to go with the hop bitterness and flavor.


Mouth 3/5
Body was a little lighter than I expected for a Barleywine. Keep in mind I mean light as not as chewy and as big that I expect for the heavywieght barleywines.

Ov 8/10
Overall an excellent version of an American style Barleywine. The only change I would make is maybe a little less attenuation of the beer. I'm guessing this was a very active ferment that fermented down fairly good considering the O.G. of the beer. Maybe a little cooler fermentation temp to give a slower ferment and getting a little higher T.G. Again this is just a guess on my part. The other guess is that your O.G. was a little lower than the 1.116 of the recipe, maybe in the mid 90'S?

Total 39/50

 

[nealf]

Ok, pretty sure this was Nealf's 999.
...

34/50

Terje

You're too kind... glad it wasn't as bad as I was expecting it to be... The competition I entered it into dinged me quite a bit for the phenolics and high fermentation temp... an issue that has since been taken care of.

 

[Couevas]

I am not gonna lie......
I'm a little nervous.

I have been brewing for many years, but this is my first swap and I have never really had anyone that "knew" anything about beer sample and critique my stuff. We'll see how it goes.

Be gentle...........j/k:rockin:

 

[niquejim]

999 - niquejim
Substantial medium tan head that lasted through most of the glass. Amber in color and fairly clear (much clearer than my own)
Strong aroma of bread of fruit. Almost like a pie
Taste just like it smells with a light sweetness, bready and fruity.
Full bodied and slightly sweet, but not cloying.
Warming alcohol without noticeable hot alcohols.

Compared to my own 999 I tasted last night, this one has lighter fruit flavors and is less sweet. The beer tastes cleaner and is not as dark.

Really enjoying sampling this.


Craig

Thanks for a kind words. My beer had a good bit of rye in it and I wanted it to be somewhat of a BW/IIPA blend as I don't really like most BW's. Keep that fact in mind when I review the beers sent to me. I entered this swap as a challenge to myself, to see if I could brew a style I'd never done before and do it well, even if it's not my favorite style.

 

[TerapinChef]

All right. Me and SWMBO reviewed two last night. I though it would be interesting to get notes from someone who is into beer, but in no way an experienced taster. Most of her more out there tastings have been things that I brewed, and my barleywine is the only one she has ever tasted. So here's my reviews (also in no way overly experienced, before last night I had tasted two, mine and Old Foghorn) in BJCP format, and hers in informal notes.

Couevas' Barleywine
Aroma
TC: Burnt caramel, plum/prune, faint vanilla, very mild 9/12
SWMBO: Light smell, sweet, earthy

Appearance
TC: Ruby brown, clear, small head, seems thin 3/3
SWMBO: Small tan head, dissapates quickly. Dark amber, very clear

Flavor
TC: Toffee, vanilla, caramel. Green apple on the front. Well balanced, yeasty, bit of peppery phenols. Hops assertive but not overpowering in finish, a nice dryness and roasted barley-like aftertaste. Bit of floral-y esters present 16/20

SWMBO: good balance, little fruitiness, slightly astringent, aftertaste is hops. Very slight medicinal flavor in the after-after taste.

Mouthfeel
TC: Body suprisingly light, nice mild carbonation. No creaminess or astringency, good viscosity 5/5
SWMBO: Good carbonation, right amount of fizz, clean finish, lasting aftertaste, medium body.

Overall Impression
TC: Good, oaked (?) Alcohol is mild or well hidden. Carb level is perfect. May have served this one a bit on the warm side, but makes a good showing of itself. Complexity is right on, could have used a touch more body. Would love to taste this one in a few years...8/10

SWMBO: Drinkable, enjoyable, taste is much more powerful than aroma. Would like a bit more malt/sweetness.

41/50, A great showing! And you get bonus points for sending 22's like I did so I'm not out as many as I thought!

 

[TerapinChef]

Amiaji's Barleywine
Same format as above.

Aroma
TC:Malty, apricot, little hops. Slight hay or grain husk. 11/12
SWMBO: Sweet! apple, fruity

Appearance
TC: No head, color of brown sugar, slight haze, very viscous 2/3
SWMBO: No head, cloudy, very red when held to the light, looks like iced tea, sticks to side of the glass

Flavor
TC: Caramel, very malty, toffee on the sides of my tongue. Hops present, but subtle. Clean ferment, little yeasty/bready notes. Taste a bit of oxidation or astringency in the middle. 17/20
SWMBO: Sweet at first, very little hop flavor, finishes with alcohol taste

Mouthfeel
TC: Medium body, little/no carbonation. Good creaminess and alcohol warming. 4/5
SWMBO: No carbonation, dry on the tounge, strong alcohol presence. Medium body

Overall Impression
TC: Great drinkability, not too aggressive, wonderful aftertaste. Slight fusel notes present, but not overwhelming or unpleasant. 8/10
SWMBO:Would like more carbonation and less alcohol taste. More hops to balance sweetness (I think I might have the beginnings of a hop-head on my hands...)
OVERALL: 42/50
A great showing from both brews!

 

[jmulligan]

I'm not educated enough on this topic yet to do a full-out review (or include points), but here are my notes from Saccharomyces' 09-09-09:

- Poured into glass, about 1/4" dark creamy head, lacing on glass when I tilted it; clear with a dark brown color, tints of red

- caramel aroma, not much on hop aroma

- first taste is sweet and with a light alcoholic warmth (not at all hot); as I let the beer linger, I get definite raisin, almost sherry-like flavors; good bitterness, not at all overpowering, but a good balance

- perhaps a little carbonated for my taste; the sharpness of the bubbles took away from some of the mellowness of this excellent beer

I drank this at several different temperatures (cold, cool, and room temp), and it was an amazing beer at all three. I really enjoyed this barleywine, Sacc! No wonder you won an award, it really is a great beer.

 

[Couevas]

Amiaji's 9-9-9 Barleywine

Aroma: Subtle (due to low carbonation) rich, dark fruits, sweet, no perceptable hop aroma, slight caramel and alcohol 9/12

Appearance: Thick, deep, dark, coppery tea color, no carbonation/head to speak of, highly viscous, clinging alcohol legs 2/3

Flavor: Intense thick caramel, very warm alcohol, malty-sweet, subdued hop bitterness/flavor (possibly masked by intense malt character), raisins, sweetness clings to roof of mouth-but not unpleasant and mellows as it warms, prevalent toffee notes 15/20

Mouthfeel: Rich, thick, almost chewy, very nice velvety body, pleasant aftertaste, not cloying, no carbonation, warm alcohol but not overly hot 3/5

Overall: A rich, strong, boastful American! Very drinkable (perhaps not more than one ), could use more of a hop presence in bitterness, flavor and aroma to help balance strong malty character, well done! 7/10

Total 36/50

 

[xiang]

MMB's 9-9-9

Aroma 8/12
Malty, hints of toffee and plum, low hop aroma


Appearance 3/3
Medium to dark copper, nice red hue's, low off white head that settles into a nice ring of bubbles.

Flavor 16/20
Nice malt backbone with the right amount of sweetness as to not be cloying. Hop bitterness balances nicely as it lingers in the finish. Nice warming as it descends.

Mouthfeel 4/5
High Medium bodied, nice warming, low carbonation is within style

Overall Impression 8/10
Excellent barleywine. The balance between the malt sweetness and hop bitterness was near perfect IMO. If I had to nit pic, I would ask for a more assertive hop aroma. I could very easily find myself sipping two or three glasses of these on a cold winter night.

OVERALL: 39/50

 

[Saccharomyces]

Appearance: low carbonation, no head. Mahogony color.

Aroma: toast, plums, caramel.

Flavor: caramel, dark fruit, bread. Bitter, dry finish. Alcohol warmth. Somewhat harsh alcohol/solvent flavor lingers (fusels maybe?) indicating the fermentation may have been problematic. Nice hop balance.

Overall: A very good American barleywine. Well attenuated, but may have been fermented too warm or without enough yeast. Slightly oxidized but OK for style.

 

[Saccharomyces]

Appearance: low carbonation, no head. Dark brown, slightly cloudy.

Aroma: oak, plum. No hop aroma detected.

Flavor: raisins, cherries. Relatively sweet. Slight caramel. A bit of diacetyl. Sweet finish.

Overall: full bodied, but under-attenuated. Fermentation seems clean except for some diacetyl. Hops aren't coming through enough. Still a nice beer... the oak definitely does compliment it quite a bit.

 

[ShortSnoutBrewing]

Overall an excellent version of an American style Barleywine. The only change I would make is maybe a little less attenuation of the beer. I'm guessing this was a very active ferment that fermented down fairly good considering the O.G. of the beer. Maybe a little cooler fermentation temp to give a slower ferment and getting a little higher T.G. Again this is just a guess on my part. The other guess is that your O.G. was a little lower than the 1.116 of the recipe, maybe in the mid 90'S?

Total 39/50

Actually, I came in a little higher at 1.118 and got it down to 1.024. Agreed that it was probably a bit warm when I let it go through. Brewed in July of 2008 and the basement only gets so cool, even here in the NW

Thanks for the feedback. Greatly appreciated.

And oh yeah, this was force carbonated.

 

[KingBrianI]

Just got through tasting all the BWs. That was fun! Thank you everyone who sent one to me. We enjoyed sampling them all. But, before I post the scoresheets I'd like to give a bit of a disclaimer. We didn't pull any punches in these reviews. We were completely honest and told it how we saw it. I prefer completely honest feedback, even if it's brutal, instead of someone blowing smoke up my ass, so that I can benefit from the review. I hope everyone else feels the same. If anyone would prefer I take their review down, PM me and I'll be happy to oblige. So without further ado, here's how it went down.

All set up for judging.

Guidelines Ready

Tasting Cups

The four bottles.

The four beers.

 

[KingBrianI]

TexLaw's 999

 

[KingBrianI]

Doog_Si_Reeb's 999