Secret Santa 2013

[PokeHer]

Sorry this is a bit late, I have had a very busy Christmas!

Here is my review of X5 - The Usual Suspect 3.8% ABV - Traditional Ale

I had been storing this since the beginning of December and thoroughly looking forward to cracking it open

It poured well, a nice head and a nice amber colour, slightly darker than I had imagined it would be. Slightly cloudy but certainly nothing unexpected or unpleasant!

I am not brilliant at being one of those people that can pick out grapefruit smells or other minor smells and tastes! But the beer gave of a very pleasant aroma, very clean and fresh.

To taste was at first, quite 'normal', I couldn't taste anything unusual or different but it was nice. It had a slightly malty after taste and was reasonably bitter. As I had a few more sups, the beer tasted nicer and nicer! I thought that this was an AG brew, purely because there was no 'kit' taste.

The head retention was very good. The only real negative I'd say about this beer is that, I thought it was a bit too carbonated.

After about half-way through the pint, I opened the letter and it starts 'I hope you aren't too disappointed...' But the brewer it appears had intended to send me something more adventurous which didn't turn out quite so good! So this turned out to be bog-standard Woodfordes Wherry Kit. After reading that I was very surprised! I certainly didn't think it was a kit brew. Congratulations, you have done something that I could never do, you have got rid of that 'kit' taste. The only way I got rid of the kit taste was to stop brewing kits so I'd certainly like to try some of your more adventurous brews in the future

Overall I'd give this beer a 3.5/5 and I would order another if served this in a pub. Nice work Mr Secret Santa Brewer Sir :thumb: (although I think I know who you are :) )

You mention that you added 1 tsp granulated sugar to the bottle when racking, personally, I'd suggest you try 1/2 tsp (or less) next time

Thanks Santa and thanks to all who have organised this enjoyable event

 

[calumscott]

Finally, a few moments to myself to open and enjoy a Secret Santa beer. No Santa hat or Christmas jumper I'm afraid.

Unicorn's Horn Bitter was the brew (X15). 'twas destined to be enjoyed with a leftover turkey curry... it didn't make it. :thumb:

Pale, really quite pale for a bitter with a good head on pouring. Caught out by the Newkie bottle, forgot they're a pint!

Aroma - great hops, couldn't put my finger on it at first but I knew I could smell hops that I like. A malty hint too, just a hint.

Flavour - a decent slug of hop, (hints [but only hints of Brewdog beers) cutting though the bitterness (which was just right IMO). At this point I gave up and opened the notes. Amarillo and EKG, I KNEW it was hops I liked!

At this point I was puzzled. This beer has a few interesting malts; wheat, oats and biscuit on top of pale and I was struggling to find them.

I thought overall it was just a wee bit too fizzy so I hit it with the pocket beer engine (OK, I hit it way too hard and lost nearly a quarter of a pint to the kitchen worktop... ) and afterwards... well, a total transformation!

The malt came though, the biscuit was the star, the hops complemented rather than taking centre stage and...

...well that's why it didn't accompany the turkey curry, it was long gone before the rice was ready!

So the answers to the big three questions:

Would I have another one? Yes please.
Would I pay for another one if served it in a pub? Certainly.
Would I dedicate a brew day to recreating it? Yup, but I might make it a shade and a half darker.

All in all, a very good beer Santa! Merry Christmas!

 

[redhousebrewing]

After a couple of days off colour (unfortunately a bug :sick: and not overindulgence) I am very pleased to have been able to undertake the greatly anticipated tasting of X7…

Secret Santa brew X7 aka "Between the Sheets" an Anglo/American OG 1051
Stored in the cellar for around 3 weeks this was eagerly awaited.

Poured with good carbonation, very clear, well compacted/controlled sediment and just a little head (I still don't have any nucleated glasses so I suspect head retention would be better in an alternate glass).
A lovely reddy-brown colour (not as dark as the photo suggests) and strong citrus aroma - promises of a refreshing elixir.
First taste didn't disappoint with strong and varied citrus flavours gently melding with the malts, the initial tastes then transition to a more specific grapefruit after-taste which lingers nicely refreshing.
After the tasting it was time for the notes (the envelope did say "no peeking") - the name had suggested to me it was going to be BIAB/BITS but interested to see how the intense citrus flavours and transition from varied citrus to grapefruit was achieved.
The notes spilled the beans including unmasking the brewer :shock: - between the sheets was brewed in 2 voile sheets, 1 for the mash and the other as a hop filter.
Northern brewer, liquidized chinook and finally citra for dry hopping all worked together to create the aroma and taste sensation together with 3 months maturing.

Overall verdict - a lovely refreshing beer that I'd be happy to be served in a pub. For me its a refreshing thirst quenching beer that I'd start a session with or enjoy at the end of the day after some hard work!

Great job Andrew :thumb: and many thanks for sharing!

Stuart

 

[dpclark1977]

Thanks for the Review - ST4 was my 1st Ever AG Brew - Just bottled my 2nd yesterday (An Arrogant ******* Ale Clone)

I agree about the maple syrup flavour being lost - I would have liked more - but I was too Scared to deviate from the recipe - But will brew again and change.

D

Review of ST4 Santa's Relief, a chocolate, maple syrup porter...



Aroma- Sweet, roasted malty aroma with low hoppiness

Appearance- This is perhaps the darkest beer I've ever seen, pure black, almost opaque!

Flavour- Quite smokey at first, then quite a bit of crystal sweetness with lingering roasted and hop bitterness

Mouth feel- Full bodied, with low to moderate carbonation.

Overall impression- A strong, very robust porter with lots of smokey, roasted flavours. Moderate bitterness, well balanced by the crystal sweetness. Unfortunately the maple syrup flavour is a little lost, maybe due to high amounts of black and chocolate malts. A good robust porter though, with big flavor. We'll done :thumb:

 

[redhousebrewing]

Now feeling rather better and refreshed by a previous Secret Santa it was time to sample the 2nd of my Secret Santa swaps...

Secret Santa brew LW4 aka JD's Weissbier from Newcastle upon Tyne
Shipped in a clear glass Newcastle Brown bottle the beer was clear and the sediment well compacted even on delivery, so after 3 weeks stood in the cellar this was going to be crystal clear and a big contrast to my memories of wheat beer...

Poured with good carbonation, retaining a small head and as expected very clear, the well compacted sediment just stayed put leaving a full pint of golden clear nectar waiting to be sampled!
A gentle wheaty aroma alluded to what might be.
This is a much more subtle wheat beer than I have sampled in Germany and IMHO all the better for it!
Very smooth wheat & gentle fruit flavours initially with the wheat enduring - so mellow it is deceptive and doesn't feel like 5.2%!
The tasting notes included a full beersmith profile and that this was brewed for a baby shower - I think it will have been very well received :clap:
Overall verdict - I wouldn't normally choose wheat beer but this surprised and pleased me.
I'd definitely have another and be pleased to pay for this in a pub.

Great job Brian :thumb: and many thanks for sharing!

Stuart

 

[morethanworts]

It's beer O'clock on New Year's Eve and bottle BG8 Strong Belgian Saison 8.7%ABV has somehow survived the week since I sampled my other swap bottle.

I'm writing this 'live' and will open the secret envelope shortly!

From a generous 500ml bottle, there was a reassuring big "pffffhhhh" as I flipped the cap. It poured really big, but I had got a spare glass to hand, just in case! Looking like great head retention and carbonation:

As clear as a bell. No chill haze, even at the 8C or so that I've chosen to start sampling. Sediment really well stuck to the bottom as well - I don't think saison yeasts are known for this so this is great.

Aroma - totally beautiful. Delicate citrus notes and just the appropriate yeast funk for the style. You can just tell this is good almost without tasting.

Mmmmmm... Wow. Perfect. Hang on...

Wow. :clap:

Where to start? Great mouth-feel - I bet this finished really low (SG) but the high carbonation (3.5 vols+ I'm guessing) brings the feel right back where you want it. Dry finish and someone really knows how to herd the saison yeast here, right through. Peppery tones (presumably the hop additions) and a beautiful balance of the Pilsner malt (I can't detect any other grain at all) and understated bitterness. Very, very clean indeed.

I've had a few saisons before, all lower in ABV I think. This one succeeds in keeping its delicate, fragrant hop character at the higher strength, without stepping into tripel territory too much. The yeast esters are just right (for my taste) for this style, as I understand it, with suitable complexity.

Opening the envelope now...

Yep. Pilsner, and [email protected]% of the bill - lower than some Belgians, but may well have avoided the yeast producing too much banana (amyl acetate), while still getting the dry finish and yes, the FG was indeed very low, 1.002/3. 65C mash has helped this ferment right out.

EKGs and Southern Cross (+ more EKG) late. I wouldn't have picked the EKGs, and it took a lot to get up to the 28.8 IBUs, but it works brilliantly. 3.75 vols.

Danstar Belle Saison - A dry yeast? That's got to be the best beer I've ever knowingly had from a dry yeast, but then I'm learning fast. I totally thought it was a WY/WLB liquid. Pitched at 18C and (as I suspected) raised right up to the high 20s over a period. Lagered for 20 days and reseeded with Gervin G12.

A massive thank you Mr BG8. I may well have a go at this some time, especially as it doesn't even involve a starter! Very, very impressive. 10 out of 10, really.

 

[Monte Cristo]

Secret santa brew Z1
Evening Chaps and Happy New Year to everyone!
This is the first time i have done one of these bottle swaps so i was a little apprehensive, but i received bottle Z1 from Lapland in early December it was a little murky in the bottle after the red elves had given it a good shake, but a couple of week in my cellar and it was crystal clear.
I popped it in the fridge a couple of days ago to chill it down as Santa prescribed and have just quaffed it now.

The bottle opened with a reassuring psst and the beer poured with a lovely creamy head quite lively in the glass the initial aromas slight citrusy.

Well Santa, you have done your self proud there sunshine, a beautifully smooth beer quite lager like no unpleasant after tastes and disappointingly far better than anything i've brewed to date!
Judging by Santa's note it looks like it was a AG brew or BIAB which I have to say was a thoroughly descent pint and would gladly order another. I have only done kits up until now but can clearly see why one would move on to AG brewing!
Cheers Santa :hat:

 

[Monte Cristo]

drank z2 Damn Scoundrel on Christmas day. Wish I never drunk in when I was already drunk as would be able to give a better review. From I member it was a rather nice IPA with lots of fizz and citrus notes. I gave the father in law a taste and he normally just drinks lager and he gave it the seal of approval that he could drink it. I don't even know what I done with the letter with it but I remember reading it and it was an adapted kit which was dry hopped. I never made any kit which tasted as good .

Cheers Scott that was mine it was Festival Razorback IPA. what did you think of the Grand Cru? :hat:

 

[scott-ayling]

the grand cru was also very nice I actually thought it was the better of the two so I've actually ordered a kit of it. yea mine was an AG but since I've ran out of Homebrew Ive brewed another AG today but going to get a couple kits on too as they are much quicker to brew.

 

[markpeace]

Happy New Year's Eve all. My turn to review Secret Santa swap USA5.

. One glass for me, and one for the missus.

Beer pours clear, with a lovely foam which persists throughout the drinking (I struggle with head retention on mine). Aroma is full on malt, with a bit of fruit on the back end, and this follows through in flavour, which is a massive malt bomb. Hops are less pronounced than we might expect of a US beer, but this allows the malt to take the centre stage.

We enjoyed this beer, and both finished our glasses - so thanks to the brewer. It's a nice beer, with some good features. It was perhaps a little bit oxidised, but hey, stuff happens - and it didn't get in the way of appreciating the end product.

 

[nobyipa]

ey up Mark thanks you've just had me Nobby'snuts Strong American Amber Ale (Amerillo cascade )AG7

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=44651&p=442860&hilit=american+amber#p442860

:drink: :drink: :

 

[JonnyD]

Will post mine in the new year!

 

[Duxuk]

After a couple of days off colour (unfortunately a bug :sick: and not overindulgence) I am very pleased to have been able to undertake the greatly anticipated tasting of X7…

Poured with good carbonation, very clear, well compacted/controlled sediment and just a little head (I still don't have any nucleated glasses so I suspect head retention would be better in an alternate glass).
A lovely reddy-brown colour (not as dark as the photo suggests) and strong citrus aroma - promises of a refreshing elixir.
First taste didn't disappoint with strong and varied citrus flavours gently melding with the malts, the initial tastes then transition to a more specific grapefruit after-taste which lingers nicely refreshing.
After the tasting it was time for the notes (the envelope did say "no peeking") - the name had suggested to me it was going to be BIAB/BITS but interested to see how the intense citrus flavours and transition from varied citrus to grapefruit was achieved.
The notes spilled the beans including unmasking the brewer :shock: - between the sheets was brewed in 2 voile sheets, 1 for the mash and the other as a hop filter.
Northern brewer, liquidized chinook and finally citra for dry hopping all worked together to create the aroma and taste sensation together with 3 months maturing.

Overall verdict - a lovely refreshing beer that I'd be happy to be served in a pub. For me its a refreshing thirst quenching beer that I'd start a session with or enjoy at the end of the day after some hard work!

Great job Andrew :thumb: and many thanks for sharing!

Stuart

I'm happy to 'fess this as mine! I saved a bottle to compare notes. It has a little mango flavour in there too. I'm sure i'll brew it again sometime :drink:

 

[calumscott]

X18 - Goon Brenn.

Firstly :hat: to Secret Santa for the presentation, made me and the missus grin!

First impressions on opening the beer, a little "pfft" and a waft of hop, I guessed right with cascade (a novelty for me!). Poured with not a lot of head but that could just be down to the "cellar" being a little colder than usual at the moment as actually the sparkle on the tongue would be just right for a hand pulled bitter.

Good malt on the nose and the cascade there too. Flavour-wise, well just an extension of the nose really, underpinned by a decent bitter finish. I find it quite similar to the Hooky I did for AG#1, and that's not too surprising either given the grain bill and hop schedule.

A good easy-going beer. And it's going. Easily! :lol:

If I have one suggestion, Santa, brew it again but with Notty, S04 or Rob's English Ale Yeast. It really is a good beer but with a less clean yeast it could be a bit special.

Thank you for a lovely pint, :thumb: and a very happy New Year to you and yours! :

 

[nobyipa]

Review of USA 2
Live
On opening a bottle bomb
But was easily tamed and put into 2 glasses
Photos to follow
:drink: :lol:

 

[nobyipa]

:electric: :electric:


smells kinda citrucy
ultra bitterness is masking hop flavour and IMHO there is too much bitterness for my taste
at the beginning a cutrus hoppy flavour comes through but then a massive bitterness and dryness takes over
creates great burps
would like another one just to check
thanks to the secret santa
: :drink:

 

[Jimmy321]

A massive thank you Mr BG8. I may well have a go at this some time, especially as it doesn't even involve a starter! Very, very impressive. 10 out of 10, really.

As you know by organizing the swap this was mine, it was bottled 20/09/13. I will likely make this again when the weather gets warmer but I will use cane sugar just to compare, even though the alcohol content was high I only used 1 pack of dry yeast as I read about good results on another forum. (Danstar Belle Saison if any one wants to know)

Thanks for the review.

:

 

[Asalpaws]

I also really like the Belle Saison yeast, brew looks really good Jimmy. T

 

[Brewtus]

My review of X6,apologies for taking ages to reply.

Initially, on opening, nice little hiss which I wasn't expecting gven that the envelope said it wouldn't be as fizzy as some. Poured wth a little head, which lasted the duration, and crystal clear.

Firstly it is very well rounded, more so than most shop bought beers. Really nice mellow hoppiness, floral, something English I presume? Though the bitterness which lasts until next Christmas must come from something else?

All in all I thoroughly enjoyed this beer, my only complaint is that I served it at my default room temp and it could have done with a little chilling, nothing against the brewer whatsoever.

On opening the letter from Santa I am surprised to find that this is the brewers first own recipe, an incredibly worthy entrant in the event,

Thanks and happy new year.

 

[Brewtus]

Sorry this is a bit late, I have had a very busy Christmas!

Here is my review of X5 - The Usual Suspect 3.8% ABV - Traditional Ale

I had been storing this since the beginning of December and thoroughly looking forward to cracking it open

It poured well, a nice head and a nice amber colour, slightly darker than I had imagined it would be. Slightly cloudy but certainly nothing unexpected or unpleasant!

I am not brilliant at being one of those people that can pick out grapefruit smells or other minor smells and tastes! But the beer gave of a very pleasant aroma, very clean and fresh.

To taste was at first, quite 'normal', I couldn't taste anything unusual or different but it was nice. It had a slightly malty after taste and was reasonably bitter. As I had a few more sups, the beer tasted nicer and nicer! I thought that this was an AG brew, purely because there was no 'kit' taste.

The head retention was very good. The only real negative I'd say about this beer is that, I thought it was a bit too carbonated.

After about half-way through the pint, I opened the letter and it starts 'I hope you aren't too disappointed...' But the brewer it appears had intended to send me something more adventurous which didn't turn out quite so good! So this turned out to be bog-standard Woodfordes Wherry Kit. After reading that I was very surprised! I certainly didn't think it was a kit brew. Congratulations, you have done something that I could never do, you have got rid of that 'kit' taste. The only way I got rid of the kit taste was to stop brewing kits so I'd certainly like to try some of your more adventurous brews in the future

Overall I'd give this beer a 3.5/5 and I would order another if served this in a pub. Nice work Mr Secret Santa Brewer Sir :thumb: (although I think I know who you are :) )

You mention that you added 1 tsp granulated sugar to the bottle when racking, personally, I'd suggest you try 1/2 tsp (or less) next time

Thanks Santa and thanks to all who have organised this enjoyable event

This, as I'm sure you guessed PokeHer, was mine. Thanks for the incredibly positive review, my firstbiab is in secondary now so someone in the next bottle swap will hopefully get something more exciting.

All the best.

Brewtus