Harviestoun

Ola Dubh 16 year old
8.0% alch, from Scotland

Alrighty here we go for another beer review. This time I am hitting up the Ola Dubh line of brews, I have had the 12 and 18 year old beers already and they were fantastic. So I picked up the 16 and 30 year old brews.

So the aroma is pure molasses, not much more I can say about it really. It is not sweet smelling just that nice richness of a good molasses. There is a slight hint of roast in the aroma that squeaks through at the end.

The appearance is that of a nice dark tar like substance, the head is think and tan and lingers for a long while. It pours nice and even eluding to its body.

The first taste is a sweet dark fruit, that leads into a nice dark smokiness. Normally I am not a fan of smokey beers but this is so rich and luxurious that I cannot resist. The body is thick as it looked while pouring. There is a slight hint of the alcohol in the overall taste, which isn't too bad but slightly off putting. There is also a nice touch of roast in there also. Carbonation is low as is to be expected and nice.

So overall I really enjoyed this beer I enjoyed the 18 year old slightly more than this, but I guess we will see what happens when I taste the 30 year old. So scurry out of your holes if you haven't tried any of the beers in this line and let me know what you think of them.

What the Huck!

So I am just sitting down to drink a beer from the Fernie Brewing company, its called What the Huck. They list it as Huckleberry Wheat Ale. I don't ever remember having a huckleberry so I am not sure what it is supposed to taste like.

So...what can I say about this, it definitely has the wheat malt aroma, with very little hops. It almost seems a bit earthy, I wonder if that could be my damp jeans as I just got back from a walk. It also does have a little sweetness in the aroma. The color is reminiscent of ice tea, maybe a little more towards orange. Has the nice cloudiness from the wheat.

The flavor is nice clean wheat malitness with a definite berry tasty in the middle. The lingering taste is all malt, not really a touch of hops at all it seems.

Tasty beer but not anything spectacular or anything, I wouldn't advise anyone to run out and buy this. But if your looking for an easy drinking ale then go ahead and pick this one up.

Wittebrew

So today was a brewday, I was planning on brewing 5 gallons of a Wit but I didn't have enough flaked white wheat to make 5 gallons. So that kind of sucks but again I didn't have a way to serve 5 gallons yet, and you all know how I feel about bottling beer.

So here's the recipe:

1.10 kg Pilsener Malt
1 kg Flaked soft White wheat
.3 kg rice hulls (cause of the wheat!!)
.27 kg flaked oats
70 g Munich Malt

So that's the malt bill or the mash. I only ran the Pilsener and munich malt through the mill, not sure if you have to mill the soft wheat or not. My thought was that the wheat would be ground up too much and might clog the mill wheels. I mashed in at 50 C and let it circulate through the HERMS coil for 15 mins. I then raised the temp to 67 C, but started the 60 minute timer when the temperature hit 63 C. After that I raised the temperature to 77 C for mash out and let that circulate for 30 mins. Meanwhile I had another 10 L of water warming up to 77 C for the sparge water, I batch sparge. So once the first running's were drained down I added the sparge water and let it circulate for 10 mins to clear. Then I ran the sparge water off and started up the boil.

Stuff added to the boil was:

13 G Hallertau hops
7 G Crushed coriander seed
2 G dried chamomile flower
20 G fresh orange zest

So I did a 90 min boil with the hop addition at 60 mins. With 15 mins left I added a pinch of irish moss. At 5 mins I added the rest of the ingredients. Once the boil was over I circulated through the chiller plate for 10 mins to sanitize it, and to help settle the trub in the kettle. After filling the fermenter to 11.5 L I injected the wort with pure oxygen for 20 seconds, then pitched a fresh smack pack of yeast.

So my efficiency taken from the kettle was 82% which was bang on for what I was aiming for, this has been my system efficiency for the last 4 brews. I had initially set it to 75% but it always worked out to 82% so that's where I set it to. Thing is my OG's are coming in a tad low, like this one should have come out as 1.050 after the boil but it was actually only 1.044. I gotta figure this out cause it bugs me coming in low, but the pre-boil efficiency is bang on.

So from the first taste the coriander levels seemed to be bang on to me and the orange was nice also. The chamomile is alright I guess I can't seem to taste it all that much. I guess I will have to pass it around to see how people like it. Oh I am fermenting it at 18 C.

If you want pictures in the future posts of my system and some of the steps let me know in the comments below.

Random beers

So over the last couple of days I have been trying out the Dieu du Ciel mixed pack. I am happy to say that all the beers in this pack are very tasty. Its a bit of a toss up as to which would be my favorite of the pack though, the fore runners would have to be the Blanche de Paradis, and the Rosie d'hibiscus. The Blanche is a wit that is truly amazing and so very tasty, best part is there are 4 bottles in the pack. The Rosie is nice a fruity with a peach or apricot flavor, problem is there are only 2 bottles in the pack :( . The other tow beers consist of a hemp ale and a blonde ale, both tasty in their own right but not as memorable as the other two.

So I also just got back from being out with some beers with a couple of buddies. If you are ever in Edmonton looking for a nice place to eat the OJ's downtown by 124 st is a great choice. They have a really good selection of beer on tap and the food is well prepared. Some of the other OJ's in town are ok, but not anywheres close to this location.

The plan for this week involves brewing a Wit beer tomorrow. Followed by various session involving some beer. Oooh I do plan on having the 16 year old and 30 year old Ola Dubh so I will keep you informed on how those turn out.

Grrr packaging

I must admit that the only part about this hobby that I hate is the packaging. Bottling drives me nuts, it is so hard to get motivated to actually do it. I do enjoy kegging cause for a lazy man like me the math makes sense, 40 or 50 bottles, or 1 Keg. Hmmmm, no brainer. Well why don't I keg, well cause I don't have anywhere to serve my kegs from right now. I used to have a second temperature controlled deep freeze for serving and storing beers in, but since I have moved a couple times in the last few years I have lost one. So my next project is going to be to build a kegerator, I'll document it on here.

Well all that being said I was busy bottling this morning. I had 2 beers in my cellar that I had to get bottled. They have both been lagering for over a month so they should be well ready. These are two of the beers that I am gonna send to some facebook friends that answered a little status thing I put up. What I will be sending them is a Dusseldorf Alt and a Bohemian Pilsner. The Alt turned out a little low, and easy to drink. The Pils turned out really good to me, well balanced with the Saaz hops up front and a nice malt finish. I hope they enjoy them. Ended up with 48 bottles from the 2 three gallon batches, with 24-335ml bottles and 24-500 ml bottles. Oh and two 1L bottles about 3/4 full.

So the next post might be notes on the tasting of both beers after they have carbonated up. If not it'll be my next brew which is gonna be a Wit.

Laters

Dave

Back in the saddle

Gonna change the Blog a little, gonna start tracking my brews. Its gonna involve info about my set up and what I am brewing. Also you'll see how my brew days go and how the beer actually tastes. Lets see how this one goes.

Tranquair
Jacobite (Ale flavored with Coriander)
8%

First aroma I get is a nice rich and caramel smell of the malt, very little hoppiness. The hop aroma I do pick up is a bit of earthiness and spice. The spice could be coming from the coriander. This beer feels like a scotch ale to me. Pours with a nice standing head with an ivory color to it and medium sized bubbles. Head stays around the rim in a bit of a lace as you drink it.

The malt comes to the fore front again in the flavor, is a rich dark fruit type of flavor. The lingering taste is almost of a herbal quality, maybe from the hops, or from the coriander. The is a little warmth from the alcohol in the middle but it is not overpowering, even for a beer that is rated at 8%. Bitterness is well balanced, so that the beer is not sweet nor is it to bitter from the hops.

Mouthfeel is medium to light heavy, with a medium amount of carbonation. Feels a little slick at the end but that could have been the from the alcohol in the middle.

Very tasty beer, like I said I think this feels like a scotch ale, but not as cloying in sweetness. I should sit down and do a better study of coriander flavors and aromas to properly judge the levels of it in this beer. I like it you guys should give it a try if you can find it.

Innis & Gunn
Triple Matured Oak Aged Beer
7.2%

Interesting deep red and copper color, with a slightly tanned head.

The nose is oaky with a hint of sweetness, which is all about that I can nab from the aroma.

Body is nice with a a moderate amount of carbonation on the tongue. The flavors I am getting are like a raisin taste, with a slight amount of alcohol along with the sweetness. There isn't much bitterness through the beer, but there is a little bit of bitterness at the very end. I am noticing a slight amount of oiliness feel in the beer, but it is alright.

This is another great beer from I&G very tasty, but not as complex as some of their other oak aged beers. I was hoping for some of the vanilla flavors that I have gotten from some of their other beers but alas it was not there, but I will live.

Rogue
Mom Hefeweizen
5.2%

Nice golden color, with a nice white lacey head on it. I am getting banana smells, along with malt, and some cloves.

Wow very tasty, the coriander sure comes through in that fruit loop type of taste, body is nice and light. You get a nice hint of bitterness right away, but is well balanced and not over powering. There is a little bit of bitterness at the end, with a little bit of citrus taste.

I really am into this beer, I like hefe's but sometimes they are kind of overpowering. Where as with this one it is nice and light and refreshing with all the little flavors that I enjoy in these beers. Definitely try this one it is a keeper.

Thomas
Harday's Ale 2008 vintage
11.7%

This is the 2008 vintage serial number 48050. Kind of a murky red color, with no sort of head on it all.

Has a very fruity nose, with a slight hint of alcohol. Nice thick mouthfeel, with very low carbonation. Wow what lot of flavors going on, where to start. Starts off with a almost grapey like flavor but then slides into a nice licorice taste, like the little black pieces of licorice that you can get in Britain. There is a slight feeling of bitterness from the hops at the end, but very well balanced for such a big beer.

This is a very tasty vintage of this beer, can wait to find another vintage. I have been following this beer through several vintages and they have all been good and all with subtle differences. Anytiem you can find this beer you should pick it up and give it a taste.

Jerome
Andean Stout
6.5%

Well this is a black beer, as in very little light passes through it. Has a nice tan head on it that lasts quite long.

Not really a fruity aroma, all I get is a little coffee and alcohol off of the nose.

Coffee taste right of the first bite, with a earthy type of feel off of it. The body is nice, with a smooth mouthfeel and more carbonation than I would have thought. Bitterness is hidden, but has a slight backing of alcohol in it.

All in all a nice beer, not my favorite example of a stout but tasty never the less.

Rogue
Captain Sig's Northwestern Ale
5.3%

Well here we go, I read about this beer in the Rogue newspaper and was excited when I saw it at my local liquor store.

The head is a nice tan color and the beer is a reddish brown, but not very clear.

The aroma is fruity with a nice amount of hoppiness. I also get a slight hint of alcohol off of it .

Low carbonation, and a smooth body. The head is very long lasting on it.

Wow first hit is very hoppy, with a hint of apricot and pine. Sounds weird but that is the first thing I noticed. Once you get through the hops, there is a nice hint of malt.

This beer is a tribute to Sig Hansen and the boat Northwestern, from the show Deadliest Catch. As such portions of proceeds for this beer are going to the Fisherman's Fund.

Tasty beer, quite hoppy for my tastes but still a good beer.

Lindemans
Framboise Lambic
4%

Beautiful dark red color, with a nice lacey head. The aroma is tons of raspberry, with a hint of sourness. Smells like you are out in the raspberry patch. Hmm apparently the wife likes it lol.

Again a medium body with a medium carbonation, nice mouthfeel to it. The first thing to hit you is the sweetness, with a twinge of sourness thrown in there. At the end once the raspberry and sourness has left, you get a nice taste of the malt, which I really enjoy cause it validates the beer

This is a nice beer, but for me it is a little too sweet. It does still have the lambic sourness which is nice to see. The wife really likes this one, in fact she is asking me where I got it. LOL I guess I found something I can get for here next time I hit the beer store.

Tree Brewing
Raspberry Porter
5.0%

Very dark brown, with a hint of red in there. Did have a nice brown head to start with but it left quickly.

The aroma is chocolaty with a hint of raspberry, there also is a hint of sweetness. I also smell almost like a hazelnut coffee smell. Mouthfeel, is crisp with a medium/full body.

Taste is very yummy, raspberry is right at the front but the dark malt comes through very nicely. Very well balanced with no residual sweetness, or over powering bitterness.

I like this beer it is very nice to drink, not heavy at all, and very tasty. Maybe not suited for someone who isn't into darker beer, or beers with flavor (lol). But then again people who are reading this blog are more interested in tasting good beer, so I say give this one a try if you can find it. Too bad it is a limited edition.

Rogue
Younger's Special Bitter pt 2
5.0%

Alrighty lets try this again, I went back down to Vines on Riverbend and explained to them about what happened with the last beer. The nice folks down there gave me a fresh bottle for free, good to see customer service is alive and well. Also I was contacted by Rogue and they showed quite a bit of concern for this problem and thanked me for letting them know.

On to the tasting, nice white lacy head with a nice apricot color, still seems a little cloudy to me. I get a nice malty nose in the aroma, with a hint of fruitiness.

Nice amount of body in the mouthfeel, very crisp on the tongue. First taste that hits is not what I thought, I was hoping for malt but I got more of an alcohol and hoppiness taste. Second sip gave me the maltiness that i was looking for with a nice finish of bitterness at the end.

All and all very enjoyable beer, I am glad that I got a second chance at the beer, I say giver a try you won't be disappointed.

Innis & Gunn
Blonde

Golden color, with a hint of orange in the color. Aroma is a nice oak smell, with a hint of yeast. Plus there is a nice fruitiness to the aroma.

The body is medium, first sip gives me a a taste of oak and follows with a candy taste, vanilla like. The hops are very well balanced, they don't take over, as well the malt doesn't take over. It is all about the flavors picked up by the beer while in barrel.

Very tasty beer, quite nice to drink. Not over powering at all, very much different from their regular beer. I find it easier to drink then their standard beer.

Rogue
Younger's Special Bitter
5%

Nice orange copper color, problem is there is a slight haze. Aroma is fruity, but there is a hint of diacetyl. Head is lacey and tan colored.

Crisp on the tongue, with a decent mouthfeel, not heavy and not light. Slight hint of cotton candy in the flavor, then the hops take over, the bitterness seems to envelope the tongue.

Not sure but I think that the bottle I have gotten might be off or contaminated. Reasons I believe this is when I first opened the bottle I had a gyser, then it is cloudy. Also there is the diacetyl present in the aroma and in the taste. I am sure this is a good beer and the one I got is just off. Oh well.

Howe Sound Brewing
Rail Ale Nut Brown
5%

Dark chestnut in color, with a tight tan head on it. Fruity yet nutty aroma, with a subtle hint of alcohol.

Medium body, with a low mount of carbonation on the tongue. Coats the tongue nicely, as it goes down.

My first sip was a little smoky with a subtle hint of hops at the front. Very smooth with no alcohol bite to it. The bottle claims a licorice hints, and yes I can agree. Took me a little bit to find them but yah I can taste it now.

Very tasty beer, only problem is the bottle I bought is 1L and I have no one else to drink it with me. Oh well it is easy to drink a big bottle of beer when it tastes this good, so I think I`ll survive.

Rogue
Mocha Porter
5.3%

Nice tan head, black through and through. Definitely has a mocha nose, nice hint of chocolate.

Crisp on the tongue, chewy body. Has a grapefruit type of bitterness that is nice and smooth. Also has that coffee type of bitterness. Their is a little bit of fruitiness at the front, which is interesting in that I didn't expect.

This is a nice porter, very easy to drink. A little heavier on the body then I thought would be there, but still very good. I am a porter fan and this one works for me. Probably not for everyone but very good otherwise.

Hacker-Pschorr
Munchener Gold
5.5%

Golden clear color, with medium carbonation. Nice white lacey head that has a good amount of retention.

Not much of an aroma, a little hint of fruitiness.

Crisp on the tongue with a slightly watery body. A little bitterness at the start from the hops that then rolls into a nice bit of malt flavor.

Tasty beer that is easy to drink with another bit of bitterness at the end. I need to get more beers in me so I can better describe what I am tasting. LOL.

Thanks for reading, sorry about the lapse in time between beers, I was out of town.