Mount Hoodie (2013) Tasting Notes and 2014 Comparison

Original Post: Mount Hoodie 2013
Style: American Amber Lager
Brew Date: Winter 2012/2013
Tasting Date: October 14, 2014
ABV: 4.8%
IBUs: 32

This is mainly meant to be tasting notes on the first batch of Mount Hoodie, but that beer is well past its prime. It should have been consumed well over a year ago. I happen to have some of the 2014 batch, which is already a bit out of date as well, so I’m going to try to compare them. In my memory, the first batch was excellent fresh. One of my favorites, thus leading to the follow up. That re-brew was botched, though as you might remember and while the beer turned out okay, it was a disappointment after the great first batch.

I poured both beers and got a huge head on each. The color of both are similar, though the older batch is much clearer and as a result appears a little lighter. The color is light for an amber lager. It is barely into the orange range and the highlight definitely qualify as yellow. It may not be what most would expect from “amber” beer, but I like it quite a bit and I still think it qualifies, though I wouldn’t call it red.

Taking a sip, I don’t get a lot of aroma without looking for it. Once the beer is in my mouth, it still has some nice malt flavor, but there are no hops left. It isn’t too badly oxidized, considering its age, though there is some of that problem.

It is a real shame to lose the Mount Hood hops that lend this beer its name. The lighter color comes from less of the malts that give most amber beers their defining characteristics. I like the lighter malts in this when it is showcasing hops, but now that the hops have faded, the maltier version would be welcome.

Getting back to the comparison, time to break into the newer version. There is definitely more hop presence in this. It is still less than I’d like, but I could identify Mount Hood hops in this, both in the aroma and the flavor. The aroma is lightly citrusy with some earthy spice. These aromas are echoed in the flavor, although they are cut even more by the malts. The malt flavor is very similar to older version but has held up a little better with a year less aging.

In their current states, the newer version is far superior. I don’t doubt the original was much better fresh, but I do wonder if it hasn’t also been built up in my mind. It was my first lager and the clean, crisp fermentation was new to my homebrew. I hope to brew another batch of this beer in the coming Winter. I plan to up the hops a little bit and keep the malts pretty consistent.

While I still have some of the newer beer left, I have finished the original, so I’m going to say that is a wrap on these tasting notes.

Star Thief IPA Tasting Notes

Original Post: Star Thief
Style: American IPA
Brew Date: March 23, 2013
Tasting Date: October 7, 2014
ABV: 7.3%
IBUs: 74
The carbonation is very high on this beer. I’m getting used to this from doing these old beer tasting notes, but the idea that homebrew that has aged for a year or more is continuing to ferment and carbonate in the bottle still seems strange to me. As far as I can tell, though, this is the last bottle of this beer in existence, so I guess I can’t do much testing on it right now.

The beer is very clear and looks like an American Pale Ale. IPA’s are often lighter in color… though definitely not always. This one is not. It is by no means dark, but it is definitely more towards the honey or amber color range than the yellow or blonde range.

As is expected with the high carbonation, there is a lot of head. I have taken a while to write this, and while it has started to die down, there is still a good amount left. Despite the age, there is still a slight bit of Centennial and Galaxy hop aroma. Though it is faint, the fruitiness of the Galaxy hops are still present. The Centennial is even more subtle. Some citrus aroma is present, though.

With a sip, the age becomes more evident. There is some serious wet cardboard oxidation character. A faint bit of the hops is still there, though it is mainly bitterness, it is still the one redeeming quality here.

Behind all of that, there is some malt character. It is more biscuity than bready. It is very dry, not Crystal Malt sweetness, though the over carbonation may have contributed to the dryness. I don’t remember what the recipe for this beer was and I’m going to refrain from looking so that it hopefully won’t influence my tasting notes.

Anyway, this is not very good. I don’t remember it being great when it was fresh, but as expected for an IPA, it has only gotten worse with age. The hops are still present, which could be slightly surprising, but they are greatly diminished.

Beyond the oxidation character, there is the original problem with the beer. I remember it being a bit soapy and that is still there in the background. It actually fits into the wet cardboard character, though. Not in a pleasant, complimentary sense, just in the fact that the cardboard covers it a bit and makes it less obvious. Two wrongs don’t make a right, but in this case, they don’t multiply each other, either.

There are two big lessons to be learned here. The first is: don’t skimp on your sanitizer. Star San is worth the money. Following cleaning procedures are essential. The second is: don’t save your IPA for a year or more. Drink it fresh. These should both be obvious, but don’t take them for granted.

Honey Gold Saison Tasting Notes

Original Post: Honey Gold Saison
Style: Saison
Brew Date: April 6, 2013
Tasting Date: October 4, 2014
ABV: 6.4%
IBUs: 29
The age is starting to show on this beer. That is not the worst thing, but this tastes a lot different from how I remember it. The beer looks great. It is a little bit lighter than honey, but gold sounds about right. It is crystal clear with a thing, but fairly persistent perfectly white head.

The aroma is mild, but once in the mouth, it opens up and is very complex. The character of the honey, which I remember being disappointed not to find initially, comes through nicely now. I’m not sure if I’ve gained more sensitivity to it as I’ve brewed with more honey or if it is actually coming out more, but it is there. It works great, too because this is bone dry and the flavor of the honey keeps it lively and gives an impression of sweetness.

There is also a ton of fermentation character. Overripe fruit is the biggest thing I get. Banana, a bit of cherry, some apple and even blueberry, all on the edge of spoiling. Not over that edge, though. Traditional Saisons are more earthy than fruity, but the overripeness of the fruit in this brings it in that general direction.

It doesn’t have any Brett character and this yeast definitely leans heavier on the fruit, but with age, this has come closer to more traditional saisons. It has gotten more carbonated, drier and more… well, ripe.

The hops, which I remember having some presence, though not a large one, are unfortunately all gone. That is the compromise, though. The yeast derived character has gotten better and much more complex, but the beer has lost its bitter hop edge. Even when fresh, I thought it could have used more hop aroma. I used Hallertauer hops, which are great for balancing malty lagers, but they were a bit lost in all the saison character. I’d switch to some Tettnang or even some newer American or Southern Hemisphere hops for more complexity.

Wow, I feel like there could be more to explore in this beer, but despite its complexity, it is going down quick and smooth. Looks like I’m going to have to wrap this up. There isn’t much beer left, but there is still a nice thin layer of foam.

Oh wait, it’s gone now. Along with the rest of the beer.

N.E. Pilsener Tasting Notes

Original Post: N.E. Pilsener
Style: Bohemian Pilsenrer
Brew Date: February 20, 2013
Tasting Date: August 21, 2014
ABV: 5.7%
IBUs: 47

This, again, is a beer well past its prime. I will not stop, though. If I have anything left from a batch, I’m doing tasting notes. So here we go.

It is lively. Not over carbed, but I’d say close. Bright, white, fluffy head. A nice mix of large and small bubbles. What causes that? Anyway, the beer itself is bright tan. I almost said yellow, but it is a little dark for that. Yellow highlights for sure, though.

The aroma is malty. Light bread. Not “light” like there isn’t much, light as in white bread. I guess I could have just said that. I remember this having a nice hop tilted balance, but I get no hint of that here.

Taking a sip and the malt train continues. There is some cardboard-y old homebrew taste, but it is not too offensive. The malt is still the main highlight. I would say, in fact that this could pass for a decent Helles. The age shows, but it is still enjoyable.

Initially, I was concerned with how low the gravity of this beer dropped. Although I didn’t intend to age it, I think that low gravity may have helped it age a bit. It is almost like a cleaner Belgian Blonde. That may seem to contradict my previous Helles comment. It’s somewhere in between the two?

I’m not sure if that makes any sense what so ever, but neither does aging a Pilsner for a year and a half. I’ll tell you what, though, it’s going down nice and easy. I don’t mean to cut this short, but my beer is just about gone and you know the rules.

Yes. I just finished the beer. Tasting notes over. Overall impression: definitely diminished, but still more enjoyable than I would have expected.

Grimmuss Irish Dry Stout Tasting Notes

Original Post: Grimmuss
Style: English Barley Wine
Brew Date: February 6, 2013
Tasting Date: August 27, 2014
ABV: 4.3%
IBUs: 42

This bottle looked like it wasn’t quite as full as it should have been. From experience, I had a feeling that that would mean it was over carbonated and while it wasn’t a gusher, it did take a couple pours to get it all into my glass with the copious tan head.

I get a strong licorice aroma when I sniff said foam. This is a much more aggressive aroma than I’m used to from Dry Stouts. The aroma comes through in the flavor of the first sip, but the smooth roastiness also arrives.

This feels a bit heavy for a Dry Stout. There is more coffee and more malt, along with the licorice than the ubiquitous Guinness. This could be good or bad, depending on your preferences, but either way it doesn’t line up the style guidelines.

I’m not sure where the licorice is coming from. I remember that, even stronger, in my aging bottles of Val’s Portly Porter but I credited that to the molasses in that beer. I don’t remember this flavor in this beer when it was young.

The beer was a bit too hoppy for the style when it was fresh and I thought that it improved after about six months of aging. I was hoping it would still be aging gracefully, but this is definitely way past its prime. This beer was never great and it’s still not terrible. Despite changing more than expected over time, it has remained thoroughly middle-of-the-road.

I mentioned coffee. It tastes a bit stale. Not fresh, starting the day coffee, more just trying to get through the long afternoon several hours old coffee. And it is behind the licorice.

I believe this beer did finish fairly dry. Although it does get extra mouth feel from the flaked barley, I don’t remember it being this thick. It isn’t mouth coating like Maggie Moo’s Cocoa Cream Stout, but it’s not an easy drinking Guinness, either. The foam is right on target, though. It may have been a bit too voluminous in the beginning, but an appropriate amount has stuck it out down the the bottom third of the glass and it tickles on every sip. It is the best you could hope for without nitrogen dispensing.

The initial anise flavor threw me for a loop, but as the beer warms a bit (not too much, I didn’t give it much time) and I am now braced for it, it isn’t as bad as I thought. This beer is definitely past its prime, but as I’ve just shown myself, it is still quite drinkable. Beyond that, though it is very interesting to see how it has changed.

5 O’Clock Ordinary Bitter Tasting Notes

Original Post: 5 O’Clock Bitter 
Brew Date: January, 2013
Tasting Date: August 15, 2014
Approximate ABV: 3.7%
IBUs: 35
This beer is much older than it should be, but it looks and sounds great. Perfect carbonation pop and perfectly clear. It is light orangey-amber with very fluffy pure white foam.

The hop aroma is gone, but it doesn’t smell bad or cardboard-y. There is not a lot of aroma coming off it at all, actually. It is slightly malty but very restrained in every order.

The first sip brings a little bit of the oxidized old-homebrew-flavor, but it isn’t too bad. Despite the lack of hop aroma, there is still a good bitterness along with a nice blast of malt flavors. The Special Roast comes through and is quite surprising after seeing the color of the beer. The roast blends well with some caramel sweetness and just a bit of crusty bread flavor blended in.

Foam never got out of control, but it is sticking around and it’s very pillowy and soft. I expected beer this old to be a bit prickly or just plain bland and this is perfectly lively without getting out of hand. A nice surprise.

Don’t get me wrong, this is well past its prime. The hop flavor is sorely missed and while the oxidation is not as extreme as it could be, it still takes away from the overall beer. I feel like some of the fermentation character is lost in the oxidation. I don’t remember which yeast I used, but I know it was a characterful English yeast and I’m not getting much of that at all.

As I get closer to the bottom of the glass, the roast character may be a bit much. With hops over top, I remember it being nice and subtle, but now it is coming out a bit more with each sip. It isn’t unpleasant, but this is a beer meant to be drunk in quantity and I think it could get in the way of that over time.

Overall though, I’m surprised how well this 3.7% ABV beer has held up. Between Ordinary Bitter and Mild, I think I should keep an English session beer around at all times. I’ve brewed a lot more Mild, it me be about time to revisit the Bitter.

Week Twenty Two

I hope you enjoyed Pumpkin Beer Week more than I enjoyed drinking pumpkin beer in July. This week, though, it’s back to normal. I’m not brewing anything this week, but just about all of the batches I have going have had something done to them, so a batch update post is in order.

Beyond that, I will continue chronicling old batches. With the pumpkin beer out of the way, all of my 2011 batches have been covered. 2012 is almost done (but won’t be finished until after I do a Hard Cider Week…) and I’ll inch forward with that. I am debating doing some tasting notes this week, but they are harder to do right now while I’m on night shift. I have two more weeks, then I’m back to day shift and I may just wait and then do another Tasting Notes week to celebrate. Stay tuned.

Bitter Old Man Tasting Notes

Original Post: Bitter Old Man
Style: 14C. Imperial IPA
Brew Date: May, 2012
Tasting Date: June 24, 2014
ABV: 8.8%

The first thing I notice is that this bottle is full almost to the brim. I’m immediately afraid of what is going to happen when I pop the cap. Homebrew this old tends to be over carbonated in my experience, being so full seems like an invitation for trouble. Opening it… nope. Perfect carbonation. It pours with a nice, bright white head. It is not as clear as I’d expect from a beer this old, but the color is very nice. It is tan and orange and pretty.

The aroma is immediately memorable. I loved this beer. I remember it having a nice Amarillo hop aroma along with a complex array of malts. The hops are gone but those malts have stood the test of time. Taking a sip, the malt promised in the nose is delivered with a bit of the notorious old homebrew cardboard character. The cardboard comes in late and definitely takes away from the beer, but when it first hits my tongue, it is very nice.

There is, of course, no trace of the hops. I expected the subtle flavor and aroma to be gone, but I remember this beer having a nice bitterness, too and there is none of that. This is all malt and age. I guess it is balanced okay, but I don’t specifically detect bitterness.

I keep mentioning the malt complexity, I guess I need to try to explain it, though I don’t know that I can do it justice. It starts biscuity and then gets a sourdough character and transitions into some general graininess. Victory and Biscuit Malts are often compared and said to be so close as to be interchangeable but I really think including them both here lends some indescribable complexity that could not be achieved otherwise.

Both malts are said to be “biscuit” accented, but they are subtly different and combining them adds something that is really unique and I think it is the hallmark of this beer. And while it probably shouldn’t be aged for two plus years, I love this beer.

It is a time capsule that takes me back to an exciting time. I won’t go into the details of the Summer of 2012, but this beer brings them to the front of my mind and I am very grateful for this glimpse into my own past.

I’m not finished with the beer, but I don’t want to rush it. I’m going to break my own rules and cut off my tasting notes here so that I can enjoy the last few ounces and, in the immortal words of Charlie Papazian, “Relax, don’t worry, have a homebrew.”

Celebrating Three Years of Homebrewing: Irish Red Ale Tasting Notes

Yes, it was three years ago today that I brewed my very first batch of beer. It was an Irish Red Ale extract kit from Midwest Supplies and I saved a bunch to drink every year on the anniversary. Here are my tasting notes for this three year old beer that probably should have been consumed within about six months.

Original Post: My First Batch
Style: Red Ale
Brew Date: June 21, 2011
Tasting Date: June 21, 2014

It’s a bit of a gusher. This was not a problem when it was fresh. I wonder if something has gotten in there? It smells very dry. I was expecting cardboard, but I don’t get any of that on the nose.

The first sip is definitely a bit sour. Woo, much more sour in the aftertaste. And bitter. Not hop bitterness, more like grapefruit rinds. What has happened here? This is neither the beer I remember or anywhere near what I expected to find.

I’m not sure what has infected this, but it has definitely turned into a different beast. The initial flavor is actually pretty nice. A little sour with some slight roast malt character, but upon swallowing it gets extremely, unpleasantly bitter.

I am very curious if this how all of the bottles of this have become. I have a feeling this bottle may be unique. My plan is to continue only drinking one a year, though so I guess I’ll have to wait to find out.

Extract Kölsch Tasting Notes

 
Original Post: Kölsch
Style: Kölsch
Brew Date: April, 2012
Original Serve Date: June 2012
ABV: 3.8%
This is a last minute addition to Vintage Beer Tasting Notes Week. I just found this bottle after already writing most of the rest of the posts for this week. It is older than a lot of the beers I’ve already done, so I’m pushing everything else back to fit it in.

This beer has not held up well. Not that you would expect it to. It is full of yeast and protein. Cloudy to the point of being soupy. Not what you want in a Kölsch. If you can get past how hideous it is, though, it doesn’t taste too bad. It’s very bready. Is this bread yeast? I hope there aren’t any more bottles of this hiding in the basement.

Yes, it doesn’t taste too bad, but it is extremely one dimensional and boring. Bready is really the only word I can think of to describe it. It feels almost gritty in the back of my throat, there is so much sediment and… junk floating around.

I already gave some recommendations on how to improve this recipe in my original post about this batch, now I have another one: don’t save it for two plus years.