Home
ScubaSteve's Honey Apfelwein   
10:45pm 12/05/2008
  Background: Brewed by HomeBrewTalk member ScubaSteve, received as part of the 08/08/08 RIS swap. Based on EdWort's Apfelwein with honey added.

Appearance: Golden yellow, a slight haze.

Nose: Apples and alcohol.

Taste: Funky, apple-y, and dry. Some rubber and yeast notes.

Mouthfeel: Dry, some hot alcohol.

Overall: Definitely could do with some age (whoops, my bad). Though I try not to get tetchy about such things it's also way out of style for an apfelwein, being carbonated and much too strong.		  
     Post
 
ScubaSteve's IPA   
09:30pm 12/05/2008
  Background: Brewed by HomeBrewTalk member ScubaSteve, received as part of the 08/08/08 RIS swap.

Appearance: Pour was a bit absent-minded, so I'm not sure if the lack of head is my fault or the beer's. Nice coppery color, a ring of white bubbles around the edge of the glass.

Nose: Grapefruity hop aroma, honeyed caramel underneath.

Taste: Piny and citrusy hops predominate, with a decent dose of bitterness underneath. Very much a candied fruit impression, with some darker dried fruit showing up along with the caramel from the nose. Some biscuity malt starts to come through near the finish.

Mouthfeel: Good carbonation, medium-light body, some warming alcohol presence.

Overall: Decent enough, but I think it might be slightly oxidised.		  
     Post
 
Wine Blogging Wednesday #45: Old World Riesling   
10:30pm 07/05/2008
  The mission: Choose a Riesling from Germany, Austria, Alsace, Northern Italy, the Czech Republic or Slovenia and blog about it.

Well, I forgot this was coming up, so I made a quick trip to the shop and snagged a bottle of German Riesling. Served with mixed sashimi - salmon, tuna, and hamachi.


Geheimrat Wegeler Winkeler Hasensprung Auslese Riesling 1992

Background: An off-dry wine from the Rheingau region.

Appearance: 500ml dark green bottle, cork closure. Pours a vibrant yellow.

Nose: Light, floral, honey and green apple.

Taste: Lemon, grapefruit, and tropical fruit, nice balance of sweet and tart, long finish with a hint of petrol.

Overall: Light and refreshing. An excellent wine.		  
     Read 2 - Post
 
Arbor Brewing Espresso Love   
11:00pm 06/05/2008
  Background: The coffee for this beer is made with locally roasted coffee blah blah fair trade blah blah ground to order blah blah "by our friends at the Ugly Mug small batch artisan roastery." Hey, that's cool--I've been there, and they have good coffee. A "breakfast stout", combining an oatmeal stout with cold-brewed coffee.

Appearance: Opaque brown body, beautiful tan head.

Nose: Rich, luscious coffee and a hint of dark chocolate, with sugary vanilla coming through on the high notes.

Taste: Slightly tart lactose sweetness hits first, followed by roasted notes from the coffee and malt. A bit of bittersweet chocolate, some black patent bitterness, and a small amount of bitterness from the hops.

Mouthfeel: Slick and lightly carbonated; sugary sweetness from what I believe is lactose sticks around way longer than it's welcome.

Overall: Love the aroma, don't care for the taste. I think there's a good beer buried underneath the overwhelming sweetness...maybe this has more appeal for people that add sugar to their coffee?		  
     Post
 
Samuel Adams LongShot 2007 - Weizenbock   
08:33pm 03/05/2008
  Background: Original recipe by Rodney Kibzey of Illinois.

Appearance: Murky brown body, fine-grained tan head.

Nose: Cloves and dark dried fruit.

Taste: Spicy banana bread, medium hop bitterness and some vanilla.

Mouthfeel: Thick and creamy, bubbly carbonation.

Overall: Very rich and chewy. Fun, well-balanced flavour, but very filling. All in all, exactly what I think of when I hear "weizenbock". Good on yer, Rodney.		  
     Read 1 - Post
 
The Session #15 - Begin at the beginning   
07:30pm 02/05/2008
  The mission: "How did you get into good beer?"

Now that's an interesting question.

First off, the phrasing is interesting. I've never been into bad beer. I've never even been into light lagers, which is what all too many beer elitists mean when they refer to bad beer. I would think that one wouldn't "get into" something unless it was felt that that thing was good. So why specify good? Shouldn't the question simply be, "How did you get into beer"? Well, I guess it's not really that important.

I remember the first time I drank an alcoholic beverage. A couple of months prior to turning 22, I had some wine. I don't recall the year or the producer, but I know that it was a single-varietal Greek wine made from Moschofilero. I didn't care for it. I also remember the second time I drank an alcoholic beverage. About a month later, I tried Glenfiddich. Now this was something I could get behind, as it didn't taste like spoiled grapes. In fact, it tasted downright good. Being the highly logical person that I am, this caused me to embark on a mission to become a connoisseur of non-distilled alcoholic beverages derived from Vitis vinifera. Yes, that's right: I went back to wine and began amassing as much knowledge as I could about how it was made and how it was supposed to be approached. A couple of months later, having gained a new appreciation for wine, I went back to whisky and other distilled spirits and read voraciously about them.

What does this have to do with beer? Well, it seemed only natural to me that I should give it a try; after all, it was a fairly major division of alcoholic beverages. Having two introductions to disparate beverage families under my belt, I determined not to make the same mistake with beer as I had with wine--it seemed to me that I could do this by learning something about it ahead of time. Sadly, I'm much better at determining that sort of thing than I am at following through. A few days later I was perusing the shelves at my local Trader Joe's and saw beer! Right next to the wine! So I grabbed a four-pack and put it in my cart. Tried a couple of the bottles over the next week, but found it unimpressive. Then I did the voracious reading thing again, tried a few more beers, and haven't looked back since.

So I suppose now is as good a time as any to do some looking back. That first beer was Ommegang's Abbey Ale, and I just so happen to have the fourth and final bottle from that original purchase cellared.


Ommegang Abbey Ale

Background: Dubbel-style bottle-conditioned ale from Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, New York. Non-vintage, and no age code on the bottle; purchased in 2006.

Appearance: Seal is still good and the cap hasn't rusted. A bit of foaming even before the pour. Pours a brownish burgundy with a cap of red-tinted foam.

Nose: Sweet and sour cherries, burnt toffee, plums, and a bit of spice.

Taste: Rich, malty, and fruity, with a lot of spiciness on the high notes and a somewhat wine-like impression overall.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and silky, a bare hint of alcohol.

Overall: Definitely good. Really wants to be paired with food, though; I'd like a nice leg of lamb right now.		  
     Read 1 - Post
 
Samuel Adams LongShot 2007 - Grape Pale Ale   
11:45pm 01/05/2008
  Background: Since 2006 Samuel Adams has held a yearly AHA and BJCP sanctioned homebrew competition. Two winners are selected; the winning beers are released in a mixed six-pack with the winning beer from a homebrew competition among Samuel Adams employees. (Well, usually. This year's sixer is only two beers, as there were ingredient sourcing issues with Mike McDole's Double IPA; blame the hop shortage.)

This Grape Pale Ale was created by Samuel Adams employee Lili Hess, and was brewed with "natural grape flavor" and maple syrup.

Appearance: Beautiful bronzed orange colour, fluffy white head with decent retention.

Nose: Toasty grain, vague fruitiness, nutty maple. I fear I may be imagining the last part, though.

Taste: Solid light malt profile, with some mild caramel character. Green grapes show up in the middle along with a hint of breadiness, and getting closer to the finish we add a little spicy hops and maple syrup. A dry finish keeps it from seeming overly sweet.

Overall: I like it. It has well-rounded flavour and uses its specialty ingredients well; they're not just there to make people go "Hey, that's odd."		  
     Post
 
Galil Mountain Sauvignon Blanc 2004   
11:30pm 25/04/2008
  Background: Dry white wine from Upper Galilee in Israel. Kosher for Passover.

Appearance: Light straw with a green tinge.

Nose: Melon, pear, and peach.

Taste: Some citrus, some grassy herbal notes and a chalky backbone of minerality. Good acidity to balance the fruit.

Overall: Decent.		  
     Post
 
Anchor Bock   
10:00pm 20/04/2008
  Appearance: Dark reddish-brown, rocky brown head.

Nose: Toffee, molasses, and caramel with some fruitiness.

Taste: Rich malt with lots of dark and burnt sugar notes, a hint of cocoa and earthy hops, and a background of slight breadiness. Lightly bitter finish that fades quickly, leaving a hint of acid malt.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and slick, with moderate carbonation.

Overall: If I wanted to get pissy (and increase my beer snob cred) I could say that this strays a bit far from the traditional bock style--but I won't do that, as I feel that while it's somewhat different, it's firmly rooted in tradition. Also, it's good beer, and no pretensions to stylistic purity should be allowed to diminish that. Drink it. 's tasty.		  
     Post
 
B & C Brandy [Second Bottling]   
07:00pm 20/04/2008
  Background: From the St. Julian Wine Company. The base wine is made from Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and Vidal; after distillation the brandy was aged for two years in Hungarian oak, two years in neutral French oak, and two years in barrels previously used for St. Julian's Solera Cream Sherry. Bottle #87. 40% ABV.

Nose: Vanilla, cinnamon, almond, and nutmeg.

Taste: Solid oak background, some hazelnut presents, light flowery notes and a hint of rubber. Long, dry finish.

Overall: A solid second outing for the distiller(s) at St. Julian. Flavourful and smooth.		  
     Post
 
Evets' Smoked Porter   
11:00pm 15/04/2008
  Background: Homebrewed by HomeBrewTalk member Evets. Received as part of the 08/08/08 RIS swap.

Appearance: Opaque brown, minimal head.

Nose: Sweet, roasted malt. A hint of smoke.

Taste: Too much smoke. A background of earthiness, caramel sweetness, and cocoa. Dry, very slightly astringent finish.

Mouthfeel: On the light side of medium, good level of carbonation.

Overall: Needs easing up on the smoke, or something more to counterpoint the heavy smoke. I'm not sure what, though. The mouthfeel and what I could discern of the base beer were both good.		  
     Post
 
brewt00l's 08/08/08 RIS [Bottle 1]   
11:45pm 14/04/2008
  Background: Brewed by HomeBrewTalk member brewt00l. Received as part of the 08/08/08 RIS swap. Sampled early due to brewer's concern over possible hot-side aeration during sparging.

Appearance: Opaque black with brown highlights. Minimal brown head displaying no retention.

Nose: Rich, roasted malt.

Taste: Chocolatey, with a medium bitterness. High notes are alcohol, low notes are malt. Some generic hoppiness. Dry finish with hints of coffee and tar.

Mouthfeel: Moderate carbonation, smoothly warming alcohol. Medium body.

Overall: Good, but still young. No overt signs of premature oxidation.		  
     Post
 
Evets' Belgian Tripel   
11:00pm 14/04/2008
  Background: Homebrewed by HomeBrewTalk member Evets. Received as part of the 08/08/08 RIS swap.

Appearance: Deep golden-brown, good clarity. Thin off-white head quickly subsides into a ring around the edge, but the ring then proceeds to stick around.

Nose: Smells Belgian. Spicy phenols, citrusy esters. A hint of caramel. Some alcohol is evident, but that's okay.

Taste: Spicy and fruity. Moderate peppery phenols, light fruity esters. Herbal hops in the middle, medium-high bitterness lasting into the finish. Said finish is on the sweet side.

Mouthfeel: Good, zippy carbonation. Medium body is bordering on too much, but manages not to cross over. Creamy and slightly warming, a very slight hint of solventy alcohol.

Overall: Decent, decent. I'd like to see a drier finish and the alcohol is a bit evident. On the aesthetics side, it's darker than it should be--but that doesn't affect the drinkability, which it has plenty of.		  
     Post
 
Fudo Myoo Junmai Ginjo Saké   
11:15pm 07/04/2008
  Background: Produced in Oregon, probably by SakéOne. An off-dry sake sold in 375ml bottles.

Appearance: Extremely light yellow with a green tinge.

Nose: Tropical fruit.

Taste: Smooth and crisp, a hint of alcohol and lots of estery fruit.

Overall: Eh, it's okay, I guess. And inexpensive. To be served cold.		  
     Post
 
Old Plowshare Stout   
11:00pm 27/03/2008
  Background: Organic stout from North Coast Brewing in Fort Bragg, California. I don't particularly care about the whole "organic" thing (right bastard, aren't I?), but 'tis beer. Hopefully.

Appearance: Opaque brown body, fluffy tan head.

Nose: Herbal hops hit first, followed by rich chocolate.

Taste: Light chocolate character accented by lightly-roasted coffee. The grassy hops from the nose return, accompanied by a light bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Thin and dry.

Overall: Forgettable. The malt character and balance is decent, but the mouthfeel doesn't hit it and the hop flavour is higher than I like in a stout.		  
     Post
 
JosephsBrau Winterfest Lager   
10:45pm 27/03/2008
  Background: A Trader Joe's exclusive (probably contract brewed by Gordon Biersch, but credited to "JosephsBrau Brewing Company" on the bottle), this dark "double bock" clocks in at 7.5% ABV and has a shiny label.

Appearance: Pours a nice red-tinted brown, with a slight foamy yellow(?)-brown head.

Nose: Heavy malt, caramel, and a hint of breadiness.

Taste: A nice interplay of caramel, dark bread, and earthy tobacco for the main flavours, layered with dark dried figs and a hint of smokiness. On the sweet side, but a light hoppy bitterness cuts through right before the finish to prevent it coming off as cloying.

Mouthfeel: Creamy, but a bit light, with nice peppy carbonation.

Overall: Very solid beer, maybe not quite top-notch but definitely above average.		  
     Post
 
Motor City Nut Brown Ale   
10:30pm 24/03/2008
  Appearance: Clear dark brown (becoming opaque in the glass) with a minimal off-white head.

Nose: Tart fruit and toasty malt.

Taste: Tart green apple, citrusy hops, fruity esters and some nutty toasted malt.

Mouthfeel: Light-bodied, high carbonation.

Overall: Too estery. It's drinkable (barely) but not worth seeking out.		  
     Post
 
Dark Horse "Fore"   
08:30pm 24/03/2008
  Background: This peat-smoked stout is the fourth of five seasonal beers the brewery calls their "Holiday Stout Series".

Appearance: Thick black body with a foamy dark brown head.

Nose: Rich roasted malt, mild smoke, and some lighter toasted notes.

Taste: Wow. Huge malt flavour showing up as espresso and bitter chocolate, some molasses and charcoal, with a goodly amount of smoke showing up in the middle and sticking around well into the finish. To balance the powerful char is a fair amount of sweetness and some light to medium hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Not as heavy as I expected from the pour, but still full-bodied and creamy.

Overall: I like it. A robust, full-flavoured beer perfect for relaxing on a winter evening.		  
     Post
 
Popering's Hommel Ale   
09:00pm 13/03/2008
  Background: IPA from Brouwerij Van Eecke in Belgium.

Appearance: Poured from a corked, caged 750ml bottle. Light amber body, rocky white head with decent retention.

Nose: Floral hops, spicy yeast esters, lemon, sugar, and malt.

Taste: Crisp malt, lots of complex herbal hops, apple and lemon fruit, a hint of funkiness and some phenols in the middle following through in the finish. Medium-high hop bitterness. Not even a hint of the high alcohol content.

Mouthfeel: Body is on the light side of medium, and it could do with a bit more carbonation.

Overall: Excellent. Complex and layered taste, well-balanced, and unconstrained by any style considerations.		  
     Post
 
Bell's Amber Ale   
08:45pm 13/03/2008
  Background: The brewery's flagship ale, an American Amber crafted from "mainly" pale malts.

Appearance: Pours a beautiful amber with a dense off-white head. Very pretty.

Nose: Sweet, toasty malt. Any hop aroma is masked by the malt and a slight amount of esters.

Taste: Medium malt sweetness, some citrusy hops and floral notes. Malt has light toasted accents and a bit of caramel character. Medium hop bitterness to balance the malt.

Mouthfeel: Moderate body, high carbonation. Finish is oily, and the hops stick around.

Overall: Solid, middle-of-the-road example of the style. I don't particularly care for it, but then again it's not a style I particularly care for.		  
     Post
 
  flowerysong
 
 
skip