Review: #55 The Callen 2013 (2nd Place Oaked Wee Heavy)

Scottish Wee Heavy.  I really enjoy them, but have not been able to make one I enjoyed in my 2 previous attempts.  One was infected and had lots of cherry pie.  The other was left to age on the yeast too long and tastes like pot roast (great for cooking stew, chili, or Corned Beef).  For this one I used a base of Golden Promise for a richer and sweeter malt character, and layered on top of it Cara-Pils for body, and British Dark Crystal, Carastan, and a hint of Special B to play up the rich toffee and dark fruits.  I wanted this one to hit hard on all cylinders.  Add to that aging it in the keg for a few months on second round oak chips and some Bourbon.  Almost perfect.  Needs a couple tweaks.  10.4% tastes nice, should drink great this fall after a few more months in the cellar.

Aroma: 10/12

The first thing to hit the nose is dark plums, caramelized figs, and rich toffee.  Behind this is a dark crusty bread.  Layered in and around the malts are medium-low notes of vanilla, barrel juice, and char.  Notes of molasses and burnt raisin linger in the back with a finish of alcohol.  The malts are dominant, but the level of aroma is medium high at most which is too style, malty, but doesn't jump out of glass like other styles.

Appearance: 3/3

Poured into a traditional Scottish Thistle glass at cellar temps, the beer is a clear dark brown with deep garnet highlights under a thin wispy khaki head that remains as a ring all the way through.  Leaves no lace, but lots of legs slip on the glass with each sip.

Taste: 12/20

As you sip you're greeted with rich malts, dark bread crust dominates.  Not much of the dark fruits from the nose though which is sad, but there is a good medium level note of burnt sugar.  Touch of age is on the palate with a hint of Sherry, but this is behind the woody oak, Bourbon juice, notes of vanilla, and a deep char from the wood.  The Bourbon character is low, the wood a little more expressive, but not by much.  Quite sweet.

Mouthfeel: 2/5

The beer is full and chewy, sweet, borderline cloying.  Low carbonation as to style.  The finish is sweet and full and rich, not really a trace of hop bitterness.  Definite warmth from the high alcohol, but it is clean.  The finish is flabby, needs some pH adjustment to finish a little cleaner on the palate.  Also need to use fresh hops instead of homegrown ones that are a little old, needs a touch of bitterness to balance it out.

Overall:  6/10

This beer is rich.  Super malty, with big alcohol warmth.  Great blend of oak and dark fruits and melanoidins in the nose, and caramel and oak on the tongue.  As far as a base recipe, I am thinking I hit it on this rendition, but still needs some tweaks on water and pH to help the finish, as well as a beefier IBU to help with all the sweetness and aging.  The oak and Bourbon need some help.  I actually think that this beer would be better with a little more oak, and Rum instead of Bourbon.  A touch of acid in the glass helps the finish round out better and cleanses the palate on the swallow.

33/50

1/31/15*** This beer took 2nd Place in Wood Aged Beers at the 2015 KLCC Homebrew Competition***

REVIEW: 1st Place KLCC #52 The Caleb (Oak Aged Imperial Stout)

I do love a good Imperial Stout, and a Bourbon Aged one all the more.  they are way too overpriced to buy commercially.  But when you make one at home, it can be a thing of wonder.  At this point mine needs some more age on it as it is not everything I want it to be.  I'm hoping that pulling the keg and letting it sit until next year will add some depth and complexity, allow the roast and oak to shine.

Look: 

Pours like an oil change on my 77 Ford F150.  Jet black, clear but completely opaque.  Dark brown head is thick and lucious, tiny bubbles, about a 1/4" high, fades to a whisp on top with thick ring around the edge.  Light lacing, and nice legs down the side.

Aroma: 

Vanilla, wood, dark fruits, cherry and plum, char, hint of bourbon, chocolate, coffee grounds, roasted grain.  Hint of dark bread.

Taste: 

Chocolate, dark fruits, cherry and plum, burnt sugar, vanilla, charred wood, light nutty yeast, berry, clean alcohol notes.  Rich.

Mouthfeel:  

Silky smooth, full body, rich, light carbonation, oak tannins (a little too much), balancing hop bitterness, pulling roasted dryness in the finish lingers.  Alcohol warmth.

Overall:  

Very nice stout.  I really enjoy the depth of flavor, the creamy body, and the appeal of looking at this beer.  I was hoping for much more roast and much less dark fruit, but didn't get it.  I may have to cut out the darker crystal next time and add some Black Patent for more char and ash.  The oak is a little off.  It is still kind of hard to get in the aroma and flavor, but it shows up too much in the mouthfeel.  Needs more bourbon as this part is untraceable.

NOTE: This beer took 1st place in the KLCC BJCP comp in February 2014 in the Wood Aged Beers category.

REVIEW: Feed the Machine (Autumn IPA)

Autumn hit and almost instantaneously my taste buds shifted quickly away from light, fruity, crisp, refreshing, to big, bold, dark, dank, full bodied, malty, bitter, hoppy, warming.  Couple that with all the freshly dried and packaged hops from this year's harvest, and my mind began to churn up an idea.  I wanted a beer that screamed AUTUMN.  Biscuits, warm malt, body, lightly chewy, sweetish, sweet breads, spicy, all to hold up a big resinous, piney, pithy hop profile - no tropical fruits or melons, something much bigger and heavier.  I concocted the recipe, and brewed it up, double dry hopping, and serving quick from the keg.  I must say, I think I hit it spot on.  Many of the guys in the club tried it at our meeting and really liked it, positive feedback all around, and the president said keep the recipe and re-do that beer.  I plan on it, especially in the Spring for the annual (and local) Sasquatch Brew Fest (which I placed in 3 categories last year).  This beer would make a great Glen Beer (special tribute beer to Glen Hay Falconer [where Falconer's Flight get their name] big, malty, dark, and absurdly hoppy).

LOOK:

Pours a fairly clear (for a double Dry Hopped beer) deep red with a super sticky thick khaki head.  Leaves really nice lace and a thick foam ring with each sip.  Some legs evident as well from the alcohol.  Head fades down to a thick whispy cap

AROMA:

It's like shoving your nose in a bag of hops, are walking into the hop room at a brewery.  Big dank hop resin, pine needles, grapefruit pith, spicy, touch of berries.  Background cocoa, bread dough, sweet malts, and alcohol.

FLAVOR:

First rush is hop oils coating the tongue, giving way to biscuits, resin, more pine.  Fruity, berries, spicy hop notes, sweet malt palate.  Bready.  Not as crisp as I'd like, kind of a "heavy" taste to it.  Alcohol is there, but very hidden.

MOUTHFEEL:

Medium to Med-Full body, combo of semi-dry, and alcohol, sweet, with a big bitterness cleansing the palate.  Balanced bitterness and malt with alcohol.  Warming alcohol in the back.

OVERALL:

Very nice Imperial Red IPA.  Balanced, bitter, alcohol, malty, lots of hops everywhere.  Too drinkable.  Hit spot on for the flavors I was shooting for.  The heaviness in the finish is kind of flabby, need to retool for this aspect.  Not sure if this is brewing salt related, or malt related.  Possibly cut back on the flaked barley, or cut it out next time?  Possible pH of finished beer issue, might try adding a touch of acid to a glass to see if that helps before tweeking the malts.

Review: 1st Place - Procrastinator (Dopplebck)

I was never really a big lager guy, well, I guess I was a BIG lager guy seeing as the only lagers I really cared for were Dopplebocks.  Big, rich, malty, toasty, dark fruits, full body, dark, clear, warming.  When it finally came time for me to brew my first lager I jumped in with both feet.  I brewed a Dopplebock, low and behold, it took 1st place in its category, and I am told did well in the Best of Show round (but didn't get to the final table).  7 months after brewing I finally got around to doing the review, and the time lagering has been of benefit as it has really begun to come together even more than it was in May for the competition.  I was shooting for a Salvator like beer, and I think I got fairly close.

Look:  Pours a super clear garnet with ruby highlights, thick tan head with medium size bubbles, fades to a thick cap which eventually becomes nothing as it warms.  Light lacing, long legs.

Aroma:  Deep aroma of malts, burnt raisins, toasty breads, plum skins, a little molasses, alcohol, light metal (dissipates as it warms), chocolate as the beer warms.  No hops, no DMS, no diacetyl, clean lager character.

Flavor:  Taste starts off with chocolate, then leads to plums, alcohol, sweet breads, toasty, rich melanoidins, deep malt character.  No hops, no DMS, no diacetyl, clean.  Towards the end, as it warms, there is a kind of flabby fruit flavor in the finish.

Mouthfeel:  Medium-light body, fluffy carbonation, semi-sweet finish, bitterness is perfect for balance, light alcohol warmth.

Overall:  Looks great, everything I was hoping for, perfect color and clarity, the head needs help though as it falls flat eventually.  Clean beer.  Whoever says that you have to brew a smaller lager to get enough yeast to do a Dopplebock was wrong (this was a 2L starter stepped up again to another 2L), as was the person who said Melanoidin malt won't give you the same thing as decoctions.  Rich malts, deep melenoidin character, raisin and plum, light chocolate, smooth, alcohol is clean and warming.  The body is too light, needs to be chewier.  Next batch needs to have a thicker body, better head retention, and a fix to the flabby finish (water chemistry/pH maybe?).

NOTE: This beer took first place in May 2013 in the Sasquatch BJCP comp in Bocks, and took 2nd Place in February 2014 in the KLCC BJCP in Bocks.

Review: BANGARANG: Rufio (Imperial West Coast Red)

When I developed the recipe for this beer I was shooting for a deep red, bold, hoppy, malty, dry, yet balanced West Coast Red.  Big, flavorful, aromatic, dank, woody, fruity, sticky.  On almost all cylinders I got what I had hoped for.  The color (as with all of my reds) is too amber, not actually RED.  Other than that adjustment, the beer turned out great.  The Vienna base with Munich worked really well to give the beer a nice depth in the malt backbone that balances out the 112 IBUs, low FG, and higher alcohol.  Definitely a repeat recipe with a color tweek.

Look:

Pours a murky copper / amber with a thick and sticky tan head.  Head lasts for quite a while and eventually drops to a thick cap that persists all the way through the glass, leaving sticky lace througout.

Aroma:

Hops jump off the glass with grapefruit leading the charge followed by berries, resin, sticky hops, alcohol, and rounds out with a earthy/woody finish.  Malt is low.  Was hoping for more pine with the Simcoe and Chinook.

Taste:

The taste follows the nose, lots of hoppy goodness, grapefruit, resin, pine, spicy alcohol, fruity.  There is an undefined malty backbone to support it all.  Touch of tropics in the background.  Again, low pine which is what I was hoping for.

Mouthfeel:

For the low FG this beer actually has a fairly medium body, creamy, bitterness presents in the finish, but doesn't assault the mouth leaving it dead to all the flavor.  The alcohol warms the throat, but isn't hot at all.  Dry finish leaves you wanting another gulp.

Overall:

Well balanced hop bomb.  There are lots of hops, complexity, good malt backbone to support the hops and bitterness, no raisins or plums which is typical of the style, but I am okay with that since I really don't like the flavor and aroma of dark fruits messing with my hops (the reason the recipe doesn't contain any crystal malts).  Alcohol is evident but no fusels.  Very balanced beer.  Color is too light, needs adjusting to get to the RED I am hoping for.  Might try to tweek the hops a little next go round to up the pine.

Review: BANGARANG - Thud Butt

I wanted a Hop Bomb that would make you BANGARANG!, and I got one, and I have the lost volume to prove it too.  I underestimated the impact that the dry hops would have on the final volume, as well as the difficulty of getting 5 oz of hops into the Better Bottle, and out again.  The bitterness is low for the style and needs to be adjusted.  I attribute this to using the home grown hops since I was guessing at AA% for the bulk of the hops in this brew.  A little more gypsum wouldn't hurt either.  There is a sweetness that is not malt derived that came from all the hops, it might be best to cut back on the additions next time.  The color is also darker than I wanted.  Other than these few details the beer tastes great.  Super dank and hoppy with big citrus and a supporting malt backbone that finishes dry.  Alcohol is present yet clean.  I will be sad when this beast is gone.

Look: Pours a rich, hazy amber w/ a thick, dense, long lasting beige head that leaves thick lacing throughout. Sparkles.

Aroma:  Smells of big resiny hops, grapefruit peel, citrus, orange zest, dank, tropical fruits, pepper, spicy hops, sweet toffee and light caramel, spicy & floral alcohol, raisins.

Taste:  Taste mirrors the nose.  Dank hops, resin, chocolate, citrus peels, spicy alcohol w/ hints of rose, big hops, passion fruit, spicy hops/pepper, raisins, lightly burnt sugar.  Sweet hops.  No off flavors.  Nos solventy alcohol.

Mouthfeel:  Sweet, creamy, full body, spicy alcohol warms the throat, semi-dry finish, drinkable.  Bitterness comes in the finish and, with the carbonation and low FG cleans the palate, but the bitterness is fairly low for the style, more English IPA then American.

Overall:  Big Hops!  Hops shine in the flavor and aroma, though not in the finish.  Malt plays a great supporting role.  Hops give a heavy resin and sweetness.  Color is a little dark.  With a few adjustments this beer will be all the glory it was supposed to be, but it definitely makes you BANGARANG!

Review: IMPtolerant - Imperial Milk Stout, Batch #2

Batch #2.  My first ever batch of homebrew was a kit for cloning Widmer's Snow Plow, a Milk Stout and my first ever Craft Beer.  I loved it.  I had not drank since I had become a Christian, wrongly believing that the two were opposed to one another.  After some long battles with the Bible on many topics I was wrongly raised to believe, I came to an understanding that alcohol was not the Devil's drink, but a wonderful gift God had given to man to enjoy responsibly.  I began my journey by imbibing in Odouls while I was still living on my Bible College campus that forbid alcohol.  After some time my wife and I were at Chili's for dinner with my buddy and his wife; they had Snow Plow on tap and I decided to have a beer, a real one.  I tasted the Snow Plow and had to have a full pour.  Having not drank alcohol in nearly 5 years, this not-so-strong beer packed a punch.  It was unfortunate that Widmer ceased making it, and yet, when I was looking for my first recipe to brew and saw a clone for it, I had to do it.  First craft beer.  First homebrew recipe.  After brewing that beer I had left over hops since it only called for 1/2 oz bittering and 1/2 oz flavor (and no idea yet about isomerization and gravity), as well as a nice healthy yeast cake.  I decided to buy the grains and extract and make a smaller batch to increase the gravity, and added brown sugar as well.  I had no temp control, so the batch needed some aging.  While aging it, I added some Bourbon soaked American Oak chips to some, and left the rest plain.  After about 3 months I bottled the batches, and have aged quite a few for a year and a half now.  Thought it was about time to give a review.  This is for the straight Imperial Milk Stout, 8.8% ABV.

Look:

Pours like jet black oil, thick 1 finger brown head fades quick to a thin collar.  No lacing.

Aroma:

Smells of deep, rich chocolate, light coffee roast, toffee, chocolate milk, vanilla, caramel, tobacco, plums, mild cherries.  Almost smells barrel aged, but it's not.

Taste:

Tastes of vanilla, cherries, plums, toffee, sweet breads, light roast, mild milk chocolate, tobacco, honey.

Mouthfeel:

Smooth on the tongue, bubbly, medium body and light, semi-dry finish, warming.  A tannic-astringency on the back end, but not much.

Overall:

Not bad for a second batch with all the missing information on how to brew an Imperial that I now have.  I think the tannins in the finish comes from over sparging and squeezing the snot out of the grain sack... repeatedly.  Surprising how the dark malts nearly disappear in the flavor, almost Barley Wine like.  Deceptively drinkable for 8.8% ABV.

Review: The Callen

I set out to do a partigyle Wee Heavy and 80 Schilling.  The hope was to brew a big Scotch Ale to name after my son Callen as an owed to our heritage, as the label reads:

"For such a wee lad, he is a heavy one.  Assertive and bold, but effervescent, one would do well to watch in amazement as this one ages.  Or enjoy him while he is young and smooth, w/ hints of flowers and earth; ne’er a harshness to him at all.  Take your time with him, and ponder the many intricacies of what he is; if you go too fast you’ll miss the wonders of truly knowing him, and he may just sneak up and bite ya’ in the ars!"

To start with, C120 and Special B may not have been the best choice.  But knowing exactly what went wrong on this batch recipe wise will not be easy since the yeast that I pitched was a slurry of 1056 from a previous batch that I had no idea was infected with a wild yeast.  Gushing bottles, fruity esters, what might be Brett L.  Makes for a decent Belgian Dark Strong, too bad that's not what I was trying to brew.

Appearance:  Pours a deep copper (muddy from the yeast being stirred up by the gusher infection) with a super thick beige head that persists for days and leaves a thick cap for the entire drink.  Great lacing, and lots of carbonation.

Smell:  Smells of fake cherries, dark fruits, burnt sugar, faint bread crust, pears, strawberries, flowers.

Taste:  Tastes like it smells, cherries, burnt sugar, toffee, fruity, pie crust, spicy heat in the finish - smooth yet warm.  Honestly I get hints of Trader Joe's 2012 Reserve Belgian beer less the chocolate and over the top spice.

Mouthfeel:  Medium-full consistincy, sweet but warm finish, carbonation makes it lighter on the tongue and leaves a smooth finish.  (If I add a touch of Lactic acid to the glass it makes the whole thing pop).

Overall:  For a Belgian Dark Strong it would be very nice (maybe back off on the fake cherries some though).  As a Wee Heavy if fails miserably.  The gusher infection is very fruity, lots of cherry, and tears through residual sugars thus the gushing.  Hoping that the pie cherry flavor eventually begins to morph to some horse blanket and some acid as well, thinking Old Ale after some time in the cellar maybe.  We'll see where this one goes in time.

The Becca: Imperial Chocolate Stout w/ Cherries & Chipotle

The Becca: Smokin' Hot Mother of A Stout.  I got the idea to brew a beer to name after my wife, a complex, deep, rich beer to ponder, as the back of the label reads:

Gaze upon her beauty ever so longingly, be captivated by her sparkle, stand in awe of her mystery.  You would not think that she had the fortitude to withstand the years, yet with a strength that causes many to wonder at her power.  So dark that you would think her bracing, and with a gracious smoothness that drives one to ponder her infinite depths, the complexity and richness of who she is --- truly a sweet heart.

Great Western Pale Malt, Crisp Pale Chocolate, Black Patent, C75, Carafa III, C136/165, Cherry Wood Smoke Malt, Zeus hops, Chipotle pepper, 3.75# Sweet Cherries, 61 IBUs, 10.6% ABV.

Appearance:  Pours like oil, jet black, 1 finger dense brownish tan head that fades slow to a thick cap, leaving behind spotty lacing and nice legs.  The head has a slight rose-ish tint to it on the edges from the cherries.

Aroma:  Smells of dark chocolate, espresso, cherry, big sweet caramel, plums, burnt raisins, toast, deep dark fruits, baking cocoa, hints of smoke and spices, touch of alcohol as it warms.

Taste:  Flavors pop with chocolate cake, cherries, plums, burnt toast, slightly spicy, hint of smoke, bready, touch of coffee beans, big caramel presence.  Drinks like a black barley wine with hints of cocoa and smoke, roast is light and could stand to show more presence.

Mouthfeel:  A warming finish but not boozy, big, chewy, sweet yet semi dry finish, slick, light carbonation, coats the tongue and throat and leaves them covered.  Bitterness is in the background and balances the beer to keep it from being cloying, but doesn’t assault you.

Overall:  Very impressive Imperial Stout, and way too drinkable for 10.6% at only 4 months.  Deep, black, thick, sweet yet not cloying, mild roastiness, big fruits, chocolate.  The spiciness and smokiness of the Chipotle are hinting at their presence, as is the Carafa III bringing in a touch of coffee.  The cherry lets you know that it is there, but you wonder if it is malt & yeast or fruit.  It could stand to be a little more bitter to help balance it out, and a touch of roast barley or more black malt for a little more roast character and to help dry the finish out and leave you wanting more.  Looking forward to how this beer ages (especially since it had the last pitch of the dreaded infected batches).

And as an added bonus, it makes a killer addition to chocolate cake!