Strange-steve's Homebrew Reviews

[Oneflewover]

Today's beer is a Brett Quad brewed by @Oneflewover which I've had stashed away for a while now, and it holds special interest for me because my own brett quad is currently conditioning so it'll be interesting to have something to compare to...

Aroma
Lots of overripe fruitiness of berries, cherry, raisin and funk from the brett, with an interesting cacao hint and subtle vanilla spice. Some alcohol on the nose too but very complex and inviting.

Appearance
Very little hiss on opening and I had to pour this vigorously to get some head on it but it lingered quite well. Gorgeous deep red/brown colour and good clarity.

Flavour
A sugary sweetness up front with complex malt flavours following, but actually quite light on the palate. Some pleasant and subtle aromatic spiciness and then the ripe fruitiness, which adds a nice sort of mid-level of flavours along with some soft, biscuity malt before the finish, which is surprisingly dry after the initial sweetness, with a herbal bitterness. Also an interesting, almost savoury earthiness to the brett funk.

Overall Impression
Now there's a lot going on here and a lot to unpack in this one. First of all it's a shame that it's rather under-carbed. It's lightly sparkling to a point that I'd maybe like an impy sout or something, but this would really be improved with more fizz. I have a suspicion that some unfermented priming sugar is the reason for at least some of the sweetness up front, which is a bit more than I'd like and does take a couple of sips to get used to. Those are the negatives, and I hope with a bit more conditioning those things will sort themselves out, but there's really a lot to enjoy in this too. The alcohol flavour is noticeable, but it's soft and smooth which suggests a healthy fermentation, and personally when drinking a strong beer like a quad I like it to feel like a strong beer, it enhances the perception of "specialness" for me. Next is that interesting earthiness I'm picking up from the brett, which as soon as I tasted it made me think of the smells and tastes I experienced at the Cantillon brewery. Trust me, that's a really good thing and is the embodiment for me of what Belgian funkiness is all about. I really enjoyed this, but it also frustrated me just a little because it's right on the cusp of being incredibly good, and if only it carbed up it might be there. If it makes you feel any better though I'm in the same boat, my brett quad is taking an age to carbonate. In my mind there's really something special about a good quad and when done right I think it's untouchable in the the world of beer styles, and adding brett to this creates something really unique, truly unlike anything I've tasted elsewhere so thank you for sending this mate, it was an enjoyable experience, and if mine ever carbs up I'll send a bottle out to you in return :hat:

Thanks Steve. I think that the primary yeast has completely given up the ghost, but I did think that the brett would consume the priming sugar more readily than it has. Maybe it'll get there, and perhaps I'll stash the remaining half dozen bottles away for Christmas.

I've got another quad in the fermenter now, very similar base recipe. I'll probably inoculate a gallon with brett again because I think that if I get it right it'll be pretty good.

Cheers

 

[strange-steve]

I think that the primary yeast has completely given up the ghost, but I did think that the brett would consume the priming sugar more readily than it has.

What's the ABV on this? Mine is just under 11% and like you I reckon the primary yeast has had it.

Maybe it'll get there, and perhaps I'll stash the remaining half dozen bottles away for Christmas.

Brett is notoriously slow as a secondary yeast, so fingers crossed for you.

I've got another quad in the fermenter now, very similar base recipe. I'll probably inoculate a gallon with brett again because I think that if I get it right it'll be pretty good.

I think you're right, good plan

 

[Oneflewover]

What's the ABV on this? Mine is just under 11% and like you I reckon the primary yeast has had it.

Brett is notoriously slow as a secondary yeast, so fingers crossed for you.

I think you're right, good plan

I don't recall the exact ABV Steve, but from memory it was around the 10% mark. It was a strange primary fermentation, finished far too high. The yeast struggled from day 1.

The current batch is down from 1.100 to 1.020 after 10 days, and sample tasted good. It's still obviously fermenting, looking good so far.

 

[strange-steve]

Today is the first of two Belgian beers sent by @dave_77 a Belgian Pale ale. Can't wait to get into this...

Aroma
Loads of rich caramel, toffee and bready notes, complex maltiness and a lovely green/herbal hoppiness. Just the faintest spice, but barely there. Smells really lovely.

Appearance
Incredible ruddy copper colour (much lighter than my crappy photo shows) and crystal clarity, with a lovely white head. Great lacing.

Flavour
Much like the aroma it's very malt forward, with bread crusts, fruity caramel and toffee. There's also a hint of apple fruitiness which blends with the malt flavours to give a really interesting toffee apple impression. Just a subtle citrus acidity, perhaps slightly orangey. Despite those sugary descriptors it's not sweet at all, finishing with a refreshing, clean bitterness that balanced it out nicely. Again very subtle spiciness that only started to come through as the beer warmed.

Overall Impression
Well first and foremost this was really delicious, quite simply a lovely easy-drinking, malty but balanced beer, perfect for an autumnal afternoon. The yeast strain used (Imperial B54) isn't one I'm at all familiar with, but the fermentation character is quite subtle compared to some Belgian yeasts with almost no pepper/clove spiciness (at least that I can pick up). There's a nice fruitiness from it though that blends beautifully with the malt flavours, and actually boosts the impression of rich, dark toffee, and that toffee apple effect I got from it was delightful. It actually has a lot of similarities with a good English bitter, with the same lightly toasty malt but well attenuated, balanced and immensely drinkable. The carbonation is quite light (almost certainly because this was bottled from a keg) which adds to that similarity. When I looked at the recipe I expected to see some dark crystal/Special B or the like to account for the colour and toasty toffee flavours but you've used only fairly light crystals, so presumably a lot of that maltiness is being enhanced by the biscuit malt. I don't think I've went as high as 5% before but I certainly will because it's great. I can't really fault it to be honest. The only change I'd maybe make if I was to brew this would be to increase fermentation temperature a degree or two to perhaps get a bit more yeast character, and maybe cut back on the gypsum a tad, but that's just my personal preference and it's great just as it is. So many thanks for sending this and I look forward to the next beer. SAISON! :hat:

 

[dave_77]

Today is the first of two Belgian beers sent by @dave_77 a Belgian Pale ale. Can't wait to get into this...

Aroma
Loads of rich caramel, toffee and bready notes, complex maltiness and a lovely green/herbal hoppiness. Just the faintest spice, but barely there. Smells really lovely.

Appearance
Incredible ruddy copper colour (much lighter than my crappy photo shows) and crystal clarity, with a lovely white head. Great lacing.

Flavour
Much like the aroma it's very malt forward, with bread crusts, fruity caramel and toffee. There's also a hint of apple fruitiness which blends with the malt flavours to give a really interesting toffee apple impression. Just a subtle citrus acidity, perhaps slightly orangey. Despite those sugary descriptors it's not sweet at all, finishing with a refreshing, clean bitterness that balanced it out nicely. Again very subtle spiciness that only started to come through as the beer warmed.

Overall Impression
Well first and foremost this was really delicious, quite simply a lovely easy-drinking, malty but balanced beer, perfect for an autumnal afternoon. The yeast strain used (Imperial B54) isn't one I'm at all familiar with, but the fermentation character is quite subtle compared to some Belgian yeasts with almost no pepper/clove spiciness (at least that I can pick up). There's a nice fruitiness from it though that blends beautifully with the malt flavours, and actually boosts the impression of rich, dark toffee, and that toffee apple effect I got from it was delightful. It actually has a lot of similarities with a good English bitter, with the same lightly toasty malt but well attenuated, balanced and immensely drinkable. The carbonation is quite light (almost certainly because this was bottled from a keg) which adds to that similarity. When I looked at the recipe I expected to see some dark crystal/Special B or the like to account for the colour and toasty toffee flavours but you've used only fairly light crystals, so presumably a lot of that maltiness is being enhanced by the biscuit malt. I don't think I've went as high as 5% before but I certainly will because it's great. I can't really fault it to be honest. The only change I'd maybe make if I was to brew this would be to increase fermentation temperature a degree or two to perhaps get a bit more yeast character, and maybe cut back on the gypsum a tad, but that's just my personal preference and it's great just as it is. So many thanks for sending this and I look forward to the next beer. SAISON! :hat:

Thank you very much for your detailed review...your much better at it than I am. I'm glad you liked it, i think I have brewed a variation of this recipe with Ardennes or this yeast(I believe it's imperials version of the same strain)4-5 times as I really enjoy it. I usually start it around 18c for first 24-30 hrs and increase the temp each day up to 23c so it would be interesting to see the difference if I started at 19-20c. Thanks again, enjoy the Saison

 

[strange-steve]

This evening I have the second of @dave_77's beers, a 6.7% SAISON! Bring it on...

Aroma
A lovely balance between fruity esters and light clove spiciness, and the distinctive bubblegum aroma of Belgian strains. Slight citrusy orange and lemon notes and just a hint of alcohol.

Appearance
A light orangey straw colour with a little haze. Great head retention, lasted till the end. Perfect level of carbonation.

Flavour
Interesting and surprisingly complex malt flavours up front, with the typical lightly bready pilsner malt coming through nicely. The complex yeast character follows with all the spiciness that you'd expect of the style. The fruitiness is also there, again with an orange-like (and just a hint of lemon), soft citrus quality which blends well with the bitterness in the finish. Crisp and refreshing, with well hidden alcohol.

Overall Impression
Overall I would say this is a really solid saison and I don't really have much in the way of critique. One little thing, if I'm being harsh, is that although certainly dry, it's not quite as bone-dry as a saison typically might be. The bitterness is fairly robust which definitely helps with the refreshing quality, but maybe a touch more attenuation would make it more distinct from a Belgian blonde ale. That might be personal preference though, I often use Wy3711 which typically has an attenuation percentage in the mid 90s, and it is only a minor niggle because I really enjoyed this. I noticed that you used Sorachi Ace as a late hop, and it's not a hop I'm familiar with. I wonder is it contributing to the orange flavours? Either way there's nothing clashing or out of place here so it compliments the style nicely. As it warmed a little the complexity of the yeast flavours really shone (shined?) and reminded me why I love a saison (and pale Belgian beers in general), with bags of flavour while being remarkably and dangerously drinkable. I was pleased to find that it didn't have the slightly unpleasant (to me anyway) funkiness that often accompanies a saison, because many people seem to think they should be fermented at Saharan temperatures. I much prefer the cleaner, more defined profile from a nicely controlled fermentation like this, so great job mate. Thanks for the beers, I thoroughly enjoyed both of them and look forward to our next swap :hat:

 

[dave_77]

Thanks alot for your detailed notes I'm glad you liked it. I have enjoyed this beer, although I have felt it didn't feel as dry as the 1.005 finishing gravity would suggest. In the past all of my Saison's have been with more traditional hops and I have decided that I prefer this. Although Sorachi Ace is nice I think at the level I used in this beer for me it is a little too fruity from the hops and I thought that it was this that was giving a slightly sweet impression. Next Saison will be with this yeast but with German or English hops..l have a few Belgians in the brew schedule over the next couple of months so I few more swaps would be great
Brewing a Black IPA for the first time as we speak..

 

[strange-steve]

Tonight's beer is a Oud Bruin kindly sent by @Pennine, a style that I've never brewed but have sampled plenty in Belgium so looking forward to this...

Aroma
An unusual floral/soapy quality that I can't quite place, with something like an earthy, funky cacao aroma. Some alcohol as it warmed. Very unique and intriguing aromatics.

Appearance
Very deep red/brown, a nice white head with great retention.

Flavour
Just a little touch of citric acidity up front, but quickly fades leaving the distinctive earthy and fruity brett flavours which dominate the palate. In the finish there's a pleasant toasty nuttiness along with a really clean but pronounced bitterness and just a suggestion of alcohol. Not a hint of sweetness anywhere, absolutely bone dry.

Overall Impression
Although labeled as an Oud Bruin you mentioned that it maybe isn't accurate, which is probably correct. I'd maybe expect a little more sourness and some more plum/raisin dark crystal flavour. I kind of suspect that this might be what a historical old ale may have been like as the brett took hold. But never mind all that, it's an interesting beer that drinks much easier than its 8.2% abv would suggest (edit: now I've finished I can confirm the strength!). It's rather impressive how smooth this is, and I suspect the lager yeast has helped control any hot alcohol flavours. Now as much as I love brett B I find it tends to dominate some of the more delicate flavours that might be there, I've certainly noticed this in my own attempts to use it too, and I wonder how this would be with something a bit less funky and more fruity like brett C. I think that's something I might experiment with in darker beer styles like this in future. That being said I really do enjoy the flavours of this brett strain so any beer brewed with it is a winner in my eyes. Thanks for sending this unusual beer mate, it went down beautifully :hat:

 

[Pennine]

Tonight's beer is a Oud Bruin kindly sent by @Pennine, a style that I've never brewed but have sampled plenty in Belgium so looking forward to this...

Aroma
An unusual floral/soapy quality that I can't quite place, with something like an earthy, funky cacao aroma. Some alcohol as it warmed. Very unique and intriguing aromatics.

Appearance
Very deep red/brown, a nice white head with great retention.

Flavour
Just a little touch of citric acidity up front, but quickly fades leaving the distinctive earthy and fruity brett flavours which dominate the palate. In the finish there's a pleasant toasty nuttiness along with a really clean but pronounced bitterness and just a suggestion of alcohol. Not a hint of sweetness anywhere, absolutely bone dry.

Overall Impression
Although labeled as an Oud Bruin you mentioned that it maybe isn't accurate, which is probably correct. I'd maybe expect a little more sourness and some more plum/raisin dark crystal flavour. I kind of suspect that this might be what a historical old ale may have been like as the brett took hold. But never mind all that, it's an interesting beer that drinks much easier than its 8.2% abv would suggest (edit: now I've finished I can confirm the strength!). It's rather impressive how smooth this is, and I suspect the lager yeast has helped control any hot alcohol flavours. Now as much as I love brett B I find it tends to dominate some of the more delicate flavours that might be there, I've certainly noticed this in my own attempts to use it too, and I wonder how this would be with something a bit less funky and more fruity like brett C. I think that's something I might experiment with in darker beer styles like this in future. That being said I really do enjoy the flavours of this brett strain so any beer brewed with it is a winner in my eyes. Thanks for sending this unusual beer mate, it went down beautifully :hat:

You are very welcome and im glad you enjoyed it. I agree with you about the Brett b it's quite dominating and definitely seems to give that orval characteristic. Granted this one came from dregs of orval and the clone you sent me.

I will definitely give brett c a try soon and I wonder if even a mix of the two would be nice.

 

[strange-steve]

Today's beer is a Festbier very kindly sent by @Pennine. When I started brewing I never thought I'd be interested in lagers, but over the last few years I've really grown to love German lagers so looking forward to this...

Aroma
First impression was of honey, with a little lightly toasty toffee, and a slight herbal note. Very clean though, no obvious yeast character.

Appearance
Beautiful amber colour, very clear, cracking fluffy white head with great retention and nice lacing in the glass.

Flavour
Lightly sweet maltiness initially, the specialty malts come through really nicely with just enough light caramel and toasty maillard flavours to add complexity without overpowering the lovely breadiness from the base malts. The bitterness cuts through the sweetness well with a lovely floral hop flavour, and the crisp, dry finish cleanses the palate in a refreshing way.

Overall Impression
When I looked at your recipe for this I was expecting it to be the darker, older style Oktoberfest, like a Märzen, so I was pleasantly surprised to see it was the lighter, more modern iteration of the festbier because it's been a while since I had one of these. Now the mark of a good festbier is that it should be very drinkable and this certainly ticks that box. In fact it manages that not-inconsiderable feat of being malty and flavourful without being overly rich and filling. I think you've judged the melanodin malt perfectly, it could easily overtake in a beer like this but it adds just the right balance of richness and complexity. I absolutely loved this beer and am definitely going to add it to my (ever-growing) brew list. I can't really offer any critique, I don't think I would change a thing and so I don't have anything else to say other than great job and thanks for sending it mate :hat:

 

[Pennine]

Today's beer is a Festbier very kindly sent by @Pennine. When I started brewing I never thought I'd be interested in lagers, but over the last few years I've really grown to love German lagers so looking forward to this...

Aroma
First impression was of honey, with a little lightly toasty toffee, and a slight herbal note. Very clean though, no obvious yeast character.

Appearance
Beautiful amber colour, very clear, cracking fluffy white head with great retention and nice lacing in the glass.

Flavour
Lightly sweet maltiness initially, the specialty malts come through really nicely with just enough light caramel and toasty maillard flavours to add complexity without overpowering the lovely breadiness from the base malts. The bitterness cuts through the sweetness well with a lovely floral hop flavour, and the crisp, dry finish cleanses the palate in a refreshing way.

Overall Impression
When I looked at your recipe for this I was expecting it to be the darker, older style Oktoberfest, like a Märzen, so I was pleasantly surprised to see it was the lighter, more modern iteration of the festbier because it's been a while since I had one of these. Now the mark of a good festbier is that it should be very drinkable and this certainly ticks that box. In fact it manages that not-inconsiderable feat of being malty and flavourful without being overly rich and filling. I think you've judged the melanodin malt perfectly, it could easily overtake in a beer like this but it adds just the right balance of richness and complexity. I absolutely loved this beer and am definitely going to add it to my (ever-growing) brew list. I can't really offer any critique, I don't think I would change a thing and so I don't have anything else to say other than great job and thanks for sending it mate :hat:

Thanks I am really happy you enjoyed it as much as I do, one of the few lagers I like to drink. I was thinking I might increase the bitterness a bit next time, I felt like it's slightly over balanced to malt. Although festbiers typically tend to be that way. I think what I was imaging was a festbier with a Czech pilsner finish. So maybe some saaz in the next one.

 

[strange-steve]

Thanks I am really happy you enjoyed it as much as I do, one of the few lagers I like to drink. I was thinking I might increase the bitterness a bit next time, I felt like it's slightly over balanced to malt. Although festbiers typically tend to be that way. I think what I was imaging was a festbier with a Czech pilsner finish. So maybe some saaz in the next one.

I have a German pils lagering right now, I'll get a bottle sent out in a couple of weeks

 

[strange-steve]

Well this evening I have something a little different from the usual review, and another opportunity to break out the numbered glasses for a side-by-side tasting courtesy of @Pennine. This time it's a couple of hoppy pilsners with two different yeast strains, one with M76 and one with 34/70. Now 34/70 is my go to dry lager yeast so it'll be interesting to see how the MJ compares.

Unfortunately there was a carbonation issue, as both of these overflowed the bottle as soon as I opened them, so I left them to settle down for a bit before I poured them, but the sediment was stirred up quite a bit.

Very similar aroma, loads of ripe fruitiness of strawberry, mango, and orange, but the M76 has a deeper fruity hoppiness, but also a touch of sulphur which I don't get from the 34/70.

Theres a lot going on with these in the hop flavour, with lots of general fruitiness, particularly orange, but I think the 34/70 is a touch more crisp and defined, with a little more lightness on the palate, but I think also more bitterness coming through, and definitely a hint of alcohol which I don't get in the M76. The M76 has a nice raw-grainy, and lightly biscuity malt flavour coming through the hop flavours, which seems to soften the bitterness a tad, along with just a little sweetness in the finish.

Interestingly the glass I finished first was the M76, even though it was a little less defined in terms of flavour, I rather enjoyed it with this recipe. I do suspect however that with a more traditional German lager recipe I might be more drawn to the crisper flavours from the 34/70.

I was surprised at how different these beers were, I really expected them to be identical. That being said of course, it's easy to find differences between two beers as you drink them side-by-side, and I reckon if I was unwittingly served one then the other I might not have noticed the differences. I am certainly going to give M76 a go in the future though.

To comment on the recipe, I'll be honest that IPL/hoppy lagers aren't really my thing, but I think pushing this up to 6% has definitely made it more to my taste with a nice malty backbone that adds a little extra depth of flavour. I reckon this grain bill would make a lovely Vienna lager/Marzen. I'm not really much of a hop head and to be honest I find a lot of the tropical and fruity new world hops to be very similar, so I can't really comment much on the specific hop combo other than to say I liked the sort of fruit salad impression I got from it.

I really enjoyed this comparison, and both of the beers, so many thanks for sending these mate. I have just bottled my German pils so will get one sent out to you soon :hat:

 

[Pennine]

Thanks and sorry I meant to get a warning out that these were a bit overcarbed, not sure if I added too much sugar or there is a bit of hop creep going on. I think we agree on the differences it's interesting how two lager yeasts can vary so much with a hoppy beer. Especially how much fruitier M76 is in the aroma. I also used these yeasts in the festbier I just sent you and am planning on comparing them this weekend. I am curious if the differences will be as noticeable?

I am looking forward to the pils!

 

[strange-steve]

I think we agree on the differences it's interesting how two lager yeasts can vary so much with a hoppy beer. Especially how much fruitier M76 is in the aroma

Interesting also because these are often said to be the same strain.

 

[strange-steve]

Tonight I'm having the first of two beers sent by @BeerCat. This one is a Bretted Sour beer, and that's all I know about it so here goes...

Aroma
Very fruity up front, particularly an acidic white grape, vinous quality along with hints of berries, but countered by a nutty earthiness, with an interesting and unusual impression of hazelnut. Obvious brett aromas but balanced towards fruit rather than funk. Very interesting.

Appearance
A lovely light golden colour, just a hint of haze. Head faded quickly, which isn't unusual for a sour beer.

Flavour
A smooth and pleasant lactic acidity off the bat, which blends with the fruity flavours to give a lovely sharp grape and orange impression. This doesn't linger too long and allows a soft, bread crusty, almost toasty, maltiness to come through. The nuttiness is there too, but I have a feeling it's not a malt flavour (although I could be wrong), but rather an interesting brett flavour that I haven't come across before. Very subtle funk just hiding in the background. Also a slight hint of ethyl acetate in the finish, but it's light enough to add a nice fruity note without being solventy.

Overall Impression
It's tough to get just the right balance of flavours when brewing sour and/or brett beers, because once the bugs/brett are in there, you don't have an awful lot of control over what they're doing. You just have to sit back and let them do what they do, so often the sourness just isn't right or the funk is overpowering everything else. With this though I think you've managed to strike a nice balance. There's enough sourness to make your taste buds sit up and take notice but it's not face puckeringly sharp. Matched with those fruity brett flavours I suspect this would make a good "beginners" sour beer, which sounds a bit disparaging but really isn't meant to be. A good sour beer is not about being as sour as possible, but is about balance, and this beer manages that nicely. I like how the malt flavours aren't lost here, they add another little layer of interest right in the middle before the crisp finish, which is pleasantly dry and refreshing. I don't know how old this beer is, but I wonder if the brett funk will become more apparent as this ages. Anyway I really loved this beer, and the only slight niggle I have is that I'd prefer just a touch more carbonation, but that's it. There's something a bit special about the mixture of sour and brett which always takes me back to Belgium, so many thanks for sending this mate and I look forward to the next one :hat:

 

[BeerCat]

Thank you most kindly. Very happy to hear you enjoyed it. I normally have one on tap all the time now and i like it highly carbed so i know what you mean. I have not really cracked getting the correct volume yet and i have no where warm to store anything.
This might not surprise you but it was another no boil beer with wheat and pilsner. 100% brett fermentation with yeastbay beersel blend and some amylase. Lacto was added at some point, cant remember when but probably after 2 days. After a month or so i added oak chips which i stewed in boiling water and a week later dry hopped with 75g of citra. It clears like a lager in the keg.
Easy to brew and experiment with, you just need to make starters. Fermented at 25c. Finished at 1000 and is 5.6% ABV.

 

[strange-steve]

Thank you most kindly. Very happy to hear you enjoyed it. I normally have one on tap all the time now and i like it highly carbed so i know what you mean. I have not really cracked getting the correct volume yet and i have no where warm to store anything.
This might not surprise you but it was another no boil beer with wheat and pilsner. 100% brett fermentation with yeastbay beersel blend and some amylase. Lacto was added at some point, cant remember when but probably after 2 days. After a month or so i added oak chips which i stewed in boiling water and a week later dry hopped with 75g of citra. It clears like a lager in the keg.
Easy to brew and experiment with, you just need to make starters. Fermented at 25c. Finished at 1000 and is 5.6% ABV.

Thanks for the info. I didn't know it was no-boil, but actually every raw beer I've drank has had that same doughy, bready flavour which I rather enjoy. I'm guessing it's the oak chips that gives the toasty, nutty flavour, but it's subtle which I'm quite glad of because I don't particularly enjoy a lot of oak flavour. So this was only about 5 or 6 weeks before bottling then? How long has it been bottled? Curious because there was a lot of complexity there, especially for a quick sour.

 

[strange-steve]

Today I'm finally getting the chance to try what has become a bit of a forum legend, @Hazelwood Brewery's Summer Breeze IPA. I've been reading about this for a while now so pleased to get the chance to try it...

Aroma
On opening I was immediately hit with a noseful of ripe mango which was lovely, also with notes of passionfruit, lemon, and grapefruit. Tropical and delicious as I'd expect from the hop bill. Also just a faint sweet, biscuity aroma.

Appearance
Deep golden colour with a bit of haze (probably my fault for being impatient and not letting it settle), a great fluffy white head which stuck around the whole way down. (Note it's nowhere near as dull as it appears in the pic below!)

Flavour
As expected lots of citrus fruitiness up front which, along with the sturdy (but not overpowering) bitterness, gives a lemon pith and grapefruit impression. A light and crisp finish, very clean indeed, with just a hint of nutty, biscuity malts coming through which gives an interesting counterpoint to the fresh hoppiness. The malts came through more prominently as the beer warmed.

Overall Impression
In short I would say this is simply a well made West Coast style IPA. It has everything you want from the style, from the punchy, fruity, citrusy hops, to the clean, refreshing bitterness, and dry finish that leaves you wanting more. What I really like about this though is that you haven't ignored the malt bill as often we do with this type of beer. You’ve used Vienna malt (have you used Vienna for all the base malt or just a portion?) which gives a bit more depth of flavour, kind of like you might get in an English IPA. Personally I really don't like one-dimensional IPAs that are all hops and nothing else (session IPA as a style can go fornicate itself as far as I'm concerned). I suspect also that, although this has a lovely hoppiness, you haven't gone too mad with the hops. It is balanced nicely without feeling like you're drinking hop juice, and not being the biggest hop head myself, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The only issue I had with it was that it was a bit overcarbed. It has that mouth-filling carbonation you get in a Belgian pale or the like, which I have a feeling lightened the body a bit more than you'd want. That being said, I think you probably normal serve this from a PB which I reckon would suit it beautifully, so ignore this comment! Anyway thanks for sending this mate, I'm glad to finally have tried it and I wasn't disappointed. Look forward to the next :hat:

 

[BeerCat]

Thanks for the info. I didn't know it was no-boil, but actually every raw beer I've drank has had that same doughy, bready flavour which I rather enjoy. I'm guessing it's the oak chips that gives the toasty, nutty flavour, but it's subtle which I'm quite glad of because I don't particularly enjoy a lot of oak flavour. So this was only about 5 or 6 weeks before bottling then? How long has it been bottled? Curious because there was a lot of complexity there, especially for a quick sour.

Its actually a bit older than i thought, brewed end of August and bottled 2 months ago. Most of the flavour seems to develop in the first month before it hits final gravity because of the lager pitching rate for the brett and the gluco. You can bottle with a different brett for variation, i think it takes up to three months to become apparent but i have not tried that yet. I have turned others around in 5 or 6 weeks, by then they start to clear and can be kegged. Method is here> Sour beer - Modern Brewhouse wiki