My Brew Mates corey and Jason, have released a commercial Beer. Congrats guys, I got given a bottle to try out (I've also had it on tap.)
So Here is my review of the beer, as I see it.
STYLE: West Coast American IPA
BREWING CO.: Fiasco - New Zealand
WEBSITE: https://www.facebook.com/fiascobrewingcompany?fref=ts
AROMA: HOPS, HOPS, HOPS. Maybe some more hops, just for good measure. Its big and bold, and I do get some Malty sweetness, coming through which is a nice touch.
APPEARANCE: Pours copper colour, with Off white head, Clarity, is very good. I love the colour of this beer, perfect for the style.
FLAVOUR: This beer smashes you with hoips. Carbonation is Bang on, it really makes those hops ping out of the glass. Small amount of Malt, just enough to back up the big flavour hops.
MOUTHFEEL: good head and retention seems good and rocky. Not thin, not thick of Cloying like some beers. About right really.
OVERALL: Great beer, just as the style intends, bitter resin, hoppy and unapologetic, as the bopttle suggests. I'd also like to point out, that it gives me a hinted flavour of the green flash west coat IPa, mainly the hop flavour. this will be the simcoe hops. AWESOME.
Wednesday, 13 November 2013
Lesson Learnt...
Well, lesson Learnt, I've tasted the beers, and they are correct there are some considerable faults in each one. (except for the Porter, I still dont getit...)
So its time to take a fresh approach. I've gotten some advice off of forum.realbeer.co.nz, in regarding to hop intensity, vibrancy, and the like. so its time to put some of this into practice... I was originally going to brew the Russian River 2RowHill56 clone, however after reading the feedback I decided I needed to change up a couple of things.
Firstly, the Beer i was going to Brew. It's time to come up with something that works, and tastes like a winner, so I made a winner... apparently. I saw this thread, and the beer does actually look pretty tasty, and at a more sessionable 5-5.5% I figured why not, as I had some hops that needed using.
here's the thread: SOBA NHC 2013 Recipes.
I used Kelly's Smell the roses, which I've put onto brew toad; Here. scaled down to a 21 litre batch, (this is what I aim for into the fermenter)
So time will tell If my processes are correct, and how well I'm actually doing.
I'll also be using a different Fermentaion process... I'll be 2 weeks primary, then a week in secondary, for dry hopping.
Brew date was last Saturday.
So its time to take a fresh approach. I've gotten some advice off of forum.realbeer.co.nz, in regarding to hop intensity, vibrancy, and the like. so its time to put some of this into practice... I was originally going to brew the Russian River 2RowHill56 clone, however after reading the feedback I decided I needed to change up a couple of things.
Firstly, the Beer i was going to Brew. It's time to come up with something that works, and tastes like a winner, so I made a winner... apparently. I saw this thread, and the beer does actually look pretty tasty, and at a more sessionable 5-5.5% I figured why not, as I had some hops that needed using.
here's the thread: SOBA NHC 2013 Recipes.
I used Kelly's Smell the roses, which I've put onto brew toad; Here. scaled down to a 21 litre batch, (this is what I aim for into the fermenter)
So time will tell If my processes are correct, and how well I'm actually doing.
I'll also be using a different Fermentaion process... I'll be 2 weeks primary, then a week in secondary, for dry hopping.
Brew date was last Saturday.
Wednesday, 6 November 2013
Alot to Learn!
Well the weekends results didn't go anywhere near to plan. My biggest hope gained the lowest score.
A real shame, as the beers actually taste quite good.... to me.
All Beers were tried and tasted that njight to see if I could pick up what the judges were saying.
I'm not sure how to attach the pdf files... so i'll tell the notes by writing them for you.
First marks back:EMPIRE OF GOLD - Blonde Ale
Aroma: Cidery, Tart
Appearance: Slightly Hazy
Flavour: Cidery, Tart, Some Oxidation
Mouthfeel: Pleasant Hint of CreaminessTart.
Overall: Lacks Malt Structure, Overly Thin, Tart
Whe I retasted the beer,s I could pick up a tart ciderynote in the beer, not unpleasant, but definitely shouldnt be there.
Second Back was worse, I knew there was an issue with the beer, but given my green palate, I couldn't pick it out.
Bathed in Blood American Red Ale:
Aroma: Sweaty Hops Smell, Lacks Malt Smell.
Appearance: Dark gold Too Light
Flavour:Thin, Dry Astringent, Lacking Malt dimension and Hop Character
Mouthfeel: Good Carbonation, Lacks body.
Overall: Lacking Malt & US Hops Character
There was also a tick box for Vegetal character, but seems slight
I knew there was an issue, I just struggles to pick out the flavours individually, now I pick things up.
The beer was a bit thin, M/Otter will fix that up. I disagree with the colour/appearance, it dead middle of style, and definitely too dark for an APA. Its lacking some real malty flavour. I knew the hop character was out of whack, it didn't quite seem right, not enough punch.
Thired was my highest ranked, freshest beer and most undercarbed...
Knights of Freedom Pale Ale
Aroma: Sweet fruit Lacking Hop Intensity
Appearance: Hazy, Poor Head retention
Flavour: Lacks Vibrancy
Mouthfeel:Body ok Lacking Carbonation
Overall:lacking lively flavours
I agree with most of this, its still young and will improve. I've since spoken to memebers of realbeer, and they have given some hints tips etc. for good vibrancy and intensity for hops.
Last Beer, and unfortunately, my favourtie, and lowest score...at least its double digits.?
Sons of Liberty Porter
Aroma: Initial Nice Hop Character, then Phenolic character appears.
Appearance: Good
Flavour: Phenolic Character Distracts from nice hops flavour, lacking malt complexity
Mouthfeel: thin
Overall: Review Sanitation, and recipe for malt character.
I'll be honest I disagree with a few comments regardingthis, its a great beer, sure its probably a bit thin tasting, despite finishing at 1.020. Making it dangerously easy to drink. The Phenols I disagree with, I'm pretty sure they're picking up a slight smokey taste, which I believe will be the Black malt adding a little extra in there, some malt complexity you might say.?? I do pick up the flavour they are talking about. they seemed to think there was a sanitation issue, could be a bad bottle maybe??
The other interesting thing is how do you make a Porter more complex without getting overly complicated with extra malts?
I'm putting this down to a bad botle, and it will be re-brewed in autumn, to give me something warming to drink in winter.
well thats it, I hope this doesn't put you off my blog, and so on. I will talk further about the hop vibrancy thing to give people advice (which I have received myself) and comment on it, I'll be listening to those comments and testing them out, and I'll report back. Until then, catch ya!
A real shame, as the beers actually taste quite good.... to me.
All Beers were tried and tasted that njight to see if I could pick up what the judges were saying.
I'm not sure how to attach the pdf files... so i'll tell the notes by writing them for you.
First marks back:EMPIRE OF GOLD - Blonde Ale
Aroma: Cidery, Tart
Appearance: Slightly Hazy
Flavour: Cidery, Tart, Some Oxidation
Mouthfeel: Pleasant Hint of CreaminessTart.
Overall: Lacks Malt Structure, Overly Thin, Tart
Whe I retasted the beer,s I could pick up a tart ciderynote in the beer, not unpleasant, but definitely shouldnt be there.
Second Back was worse, I knew there was an issue with the beer, but given my green palate, I couldn't pick it out.
Bathed in Blood American Red Ale:
Aroma: Sweaty Hops Smell, Lacks Malt Smell.
Appearance: Dark gold Too Light
Flavour:Thin, Dry Astringent, Lacking Malt dimension and Hop Character
Mouthfeel: Good Carbonation, Lacks body.
Overall: Lacking Malt & US Hops Character
There was also a tick box for Vegetal character, but seems slight
I knew there was an issue, I just struggles to pick out the flavours individually, now I pick things up.
The beer was a bit thin, M/Otter will fix that up. I disagree with the colour/appearance, it dead middle of style, and definitely too dark for an APA. Its lacking some real malty flavour. I knew the hop character was out of whack, it didn't quite seem right, not enough punch.
Thired was my highest ranked, freshest beer and most undercarbed...
Knights of Freedom Pale Ale
Aroma: Sweet fruit Lacking Hop Intensity
Appearance: Hazy, Poor Head retention
Flavour: Lacks Vibrancy
Mouthfeel:Body ok Lacking Carbonation
Overall:lacking lively flavours
I agree with most of this, its still young and will improve. I've since spoken to memebers of realbeer, and they have given some hints tips etc. for good vibrancy and intensity for hops.
Last Beer, and unfortunately, my favourtie, and lowest score...at least its double digits.?
Sons of Liberty Porter
Aroma: Initial Nice Hop Character, then Phenolic character appears.
Appearance: Good
Flavour: Phenolic Character Distracts from nice hops flavour, lacking malt complexity
Mouthfeel: thin
Overall: Review Sanitation, and recipe for malt character.
I'll be honest I disagree with a few comments regardingthis, its a great beer, sure its probably a bit thin tasting, despite finishing at 1.020. Making it dangerously easy to drink. The Phenols I disagree with, I'm pretty sure they're picking up a slight smokey taste, which I believe will be the Black malt adding a little extra in there, some malt complexity you might say.?? I do pick up the flavour they are talking about. they seemed to think there was a sanitation issue, could be a bad bottle maybe??
The other interesting thing is how do you make a Porter more complex without getting overly complicated with extra malts?
I'm putting this down to a bad botle, and it will be re-brewed in autumn, to give me something warming to drink in winter.
well thats it, I hope this doesn't put you off my blog, and so on. I will talk further about the hop vibrancy thing to give people advice (which I have received myself) and comment on it, I'll be listening to those comments and testing them out, and I'll report back. Until then, catch ya!
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