Pumpkin Bourbon Dubbel

[ChasidicCalvinist]

The first batch--the 5 gallon one--is still coming into its own. I had some a few nights ago, it is okay. I think it needs a long time to mellow in the bottle.
The other one I haven't brewed yet. I have been out of town most of the week and looking ahead, between work and Thanksgiving, I don't anticipate brewing this until the end of November.

 

[LeverTime]

I just bottled the second iteration of this recipe posted by ChasidicCalvinist. The only modification was that I also put the pumpkin in, roasted as described in the original recipe. This is my first GF beer.

At bottling, it tasted a bit... agricultural? I'm talking a strong grassy, earthy flavor. I'm not sure where that is coming from. Hopefully it will go away with time. Has anyone gotten this in a beer before?

 

[ChasidicCalvinist]

I think the earth tones comes from the saaz hops--I've never used them before so that is a guess though.

This beer gets much better with time. I read somewhere that bourbon beers need 6-8 weeks to mature in the bottle. That is proving to be true. Give it time, it'll get pretty good. I opened one tonight and I couldn't believe how good it tasted.

 

[LeverTime]

I think the earth tones comes from the saaz hops--I've never used them before so that is a guess though.

In this case, I don't think it is the Saaz. I use them a lot (went through 2+ pounds last year) and have never tasted this specific taste before. I was concerned that I may not have roasted the pumpkin long enough.

In any event, I will definitely let this sit in the bottle for a while. I've got quite a backlog to get through before I can open this batch.