Secret Santa 2013

[abeyptfc]

are we to own up if our beers have been reviewed already?

 

[bobsbeer]

That maybe depends on the review. :lol: But it's up to you.

 

[Kinleycat]

Fess up abey!!

 

[nobyipa]

are we to own up if our beers have been reviewed already?

go on be the 1st
:drink: :thumb:

 

[Duncs]

are we to own up if our beers have been reviewed already?

go on be the 1st
:drink: :thumb:

Ok, I'll be first. Zombie Runner was mine and it did have silly hop additions. A better remake of the beer i made last year, Named after the Zombie Evacuation race that I ran. Thank you for the review :

 

[abeyptfc]

This is my review of Z4 ESB/Best Bitter 5.3%. I drank this on Christmas Eve but wasn't sure I was meant to post a review then. Family visitors then got in the way so I've only just found time to post. No pictures as I was too thirsty and no silly Christmas clothes as I didn't get them until Christmas Day - perhaps next year.

The beer came with the recipe and some notes - it's based on Wez's Big Kenny Bitter from the forum recipe section but with modifications to match the brewer's stock.

On opening the bottle and pouring into the glass it was very well carbonated and had a very nice head. This lasted all the way down the glass - something I never seem to be able to achieve. The beer was a fairly dark caramel colour which seems to perfectly match the style. The recipe includes both chocolate malt and roasted barley so that obviously gives it the colour. The wheat malt helps the head but that doesn't seem to help my beers much. At least I now know it's not my glasses.

The flavour was quite bitter but it's a nicely rounded bitterness complemented by the maltiness and hops. A very nicely balanced flavour. Delicious in fact.

So it was an excellent pint that I would have been proud to have brewed. I think it's going to be my next brew as I think I have all the ingredients in stock, although the crystal and chocolate malts might be different colours. It will be interesting to see if my attempt is anything like as good.

this was my beer cheers RPT. :drink: the big kenny beer was superb.this was my brewday post - http://thehomebrewforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=45304&hilit=boab

 

[nobyipa]

are we to own up if our beers have been reviewed already?

go on be the 1st
:drink: :thumb:

Ok, I'll be first. Zombie Runner was mine and it did have silly hop additions. A better remake of the beer i made last year, Named after the Zombie Evacuation race that I ran. Thank you for the review :

yup nice one Duncs just this aftey re read the notes and saw you name on it
was ultra clear and no sediment whatso ever great beer


:drink: :

 

[nobyipa]

Cheers Duncs, I brewed USA5 - glad you liked it! :thumb:

My review of USA3 - a great, copper coloured, strong beer. Excellent use of cascade, Columbus, simcoe and Amarillo hops. I've only used cascade out of those four - will defo buy the others in the future. Good head retention throughout, good body and mouthfeel. Hopefully I can brew beer to that standard next year! Thanks secret santa!!! :clap:

you just had Nobby'sNut'sRubySundaySoother


glad you enjoyed it
recipe here

http://thehomebrewforum.co.uk/viewtopic ... 14&t=43949

: :thumb:

 

[Msdean]

Sorry for the slow response here is my review of CH3 Santas Winter Warmer.
Firstly a very nice brew, I could not tell from the taste that it was 7% which could have been very dangerous. There was a really nice hoppy aroma from the beer and I could taste a hint of orange peel which was excellent. There was a small head on the beer but it stayed for the whole pint. After reading your notes I could not taste any cinnamon or ginger either.
If this was served in a pub I would certainly order a second pint and contemplating making batch for next Christmas with more ginger and cinnamon.
Thank you

 

[Cononthebarber]

My Review of Z5.

First off, may I say some of the reviews on here are frighteningly professional, but I'll give it my best shot.

All I had to go on was 'Pale Ale, ICA 5%'
Opened with a nice little 'Pssst', poured well with a small head, which dissipated quickly, no lacing on the glass. No aroma that I could detect, but a couple of nasal polyp operations have left my sense of smell in tatters, so that's not surprising.

The first gulp produced a nice, silky mouth feel, nice bitter taste, not too much alcohol. At first there was a short, bitter finish that left you feeling slightly disappointed, but then it got a second wind and returned with a long, malty, lingering finish.

Sadly I am not experienced enough to talk of hop varieties, etc, but overall a nice clear beer with good carbonation, not too gassy, and a nice finish that keeps you coming back for more. I haven't opened the secret envelope yet, but I suspect this is an all grain brew that has been made this way more than once.

My congratulations to the brewer, very well done, I would be more than happy to pay for a beer of this quality.

OK, I have now opened the tasting notes, and I wasn't too far away. ICA stands for 'Intense Citrus Ale'. The botched polyp operations robbed me of the 'strong citrus fruit aromas', but I think I got the rest pretty much as described.
I can only aspire to brew a beer of this quality one day!

PS
I did take some photo's, but I'll be buggered if I can work out how to post them!

This was my beer :) glad you liked it :

 

[Duncs]

Sorry for the slow response here is my review of CH3 Santas Winter Warmer.
Firstly a very nice brew, I could not tell from the taste that it was 7% which could have been very dangerous. There was a really nice hoppy aroma from the beer and I could taste a hint of orange peel which was excellent. There was a small head on the beer but it stayed for the whole pint. After reading your notes I could not taste any cinnamon or ginger either.
If this was served in a pub I would certainly order a second pint and contemplating making batch for next Christmas with more ginger and cinnamon.
Thank you

Wow, thanks for the positive review :thumb: it must have matured since I last tasted it, I'll have to try a bottle of it tonight. It will have to have a lot more ginger and cinnamon next year :lol:

 

[morethanworts]

BG4 Kriekydeeky was mine. Thanks for the nice report Jimmy321!

The 150g sugar mentioned was just to get the OG where I wanted it, if I recall correctly. It was highly primed though, after a stint in secondary DJs. I like the sour cherry taste that comes through and I reckon it was one of the best two kits I ever did before brewing from grains, the other being the Wherry (which I'd put just ahead, after a dry hop).

It was bottled on 10th June. I did a 'brewday' on it here.

:

 

[StevieDS]

X20 - Winter Night was mine, thanks for the positive feedback knthrak :thumb:

ST8 - Paddys Oatmeal Stout was also mine. I think this ones best days were behind it but thanks for the good feedback anyway dpclark :

 

[tubti01]

Sorry no pictures, will post later...

I got ticket Z6 which was an IPA it also included a brucey bonus beer of a "2Bee" stout.

The IPA first...

Aroma: Smells great, lovely citrussy note heavy grapefruit and floral...just what I look for in an IPA. I'd say Galaxy hops?

Taste: Massive hop flavour citrus and grapefruit follows through to a great long lasting bitterness. Its hops all the way with this, very little malty flavours just what I wanted :)

Look: Lovely clear pint with a long lasting head which lasted till the end of the glass. Was carbonated to just the right level with good lacing and bubbly tight head.

All in all - An awesome IPA exactly to style and well made, no off flavours - can't get any better than that really. Well done to the brewer! :thumb:

And the stout...

Aroma: Very neutral aroma, no hop, slight chocolate maybe?

Taste: Has coffee, dark chocolate and has a lingering bitterness which is really nice.

Look: Very dark with a good initial head however it dissipated quickly but still left a nice layer on the top which again lasted to the end of the glass.

All in all - A great stout nice and dark in colour and the malty goodness you should expect. Well done again!

Both beers are awesome and I'd be proud to brew them myself, many thanks to the brewer and santa...now to open the secret envelope :)

These were mine. Thanks for the brilliant review, sorry they were both kits, but next years will be all grain, promise!!

 

[RobWalker]

X10 opened and consumed. First, super well produced, very professional in terms of head retention carbonation and off flavours!

Nice slightly amber colour. This is definitely some sort of spiced ale, maybe a blend or a spruce? Spices blend well. Reminds me of routes d,epices by dieu de ciel. Nice syrupy body that reminds me of either belgian or german beer a little.

A little low on hop flavour but I guess thats to bring thr spices forward.

All in all a cracking beer that could use a little more flavour. Very well made and enjoyed a lot! Congrats to the brewer. I will add a photo when im on my computer.

Cheers!

 

[JimmyB78]

Just finishing up CH5 and it's a lovely pint! A nice mild mix of fruit and spice on the tongue mellowing to some nice malty flavours and slight nutmeg aftertaste.

It's a lovely rich and dark colour with a nice head on pouring. Very nice and well put together beer, well done to eh over brewed it!

It went beautifully with some cheese and biscuits in front of the fire.

Cheers! :

 

[Paddy]

My beer number 2 : "Traditional Saison" BG 5

You clearly got the yeast to fully attenuate, somthing I never managed, what temps did you ferment at ?

Thanks for the great beer, Merry Christmas T

No probs.

This one was me. Thanks the great feedback. Allowed it to ferment for three weeks at room temp. Then 22 for three days, 25 for three days and 28 for another week.

Cheers
Paddy

 

[bobsbeer]

X10 was mine Rob. Thanks for the kind review. It was actually a hacked kit. The base was a Woodfordes Sundew with 100g Junga hops thrown in during the fermentation phase. Started 15/9/13 and fermented for 29 days no secondary then kegged and bottled on 18/10 with 1 tsp granulated for the bottles and the keg was forced carbed. No water treatment as our water is very soft. I think the extended fermentation helped it, although I don't control temps it was kept around 18-20c.

Glad you liked it. I only bottled 4 bottles, the rest went in the keg which I'm still drinking. :

 

[Msdean]

Review of CH2 Satur-ale-air 6.2%
It was a lovely tasting beer, with a smooth taste and a nice bitter aftertaste.
There was very slight hoppy aroma but a very hoppy and malty finish to the beer. After reading the notes I was surprised it was not hoppier ( if that is a word).
The beer lacked head but that could have been down to my glasses.
Overall an enjoyable beer which was most defiantly rich and complex. Thank you

 

[Msdean]

Just finishing up CH5 and it's a lovely pint! A nice mild mix of fruit and spice on the tongue mellowing to some nice malty flavours and slight nutmeg aftertaste.

It's a lovely rich and dark colour with a nice head on pouring. Very nice and well put together beer, well done to eh over brewed it!

It went beautifully with some cheese and biscuits in front of the fire.

Cheers! :

Thank you very much for the kind review. The beer was an extract kit from brewuk. Wreck the halls I was very pleased being the first speciality beer I have brewed.