I had been thinking that this would end up as a pretty malty beer (hadn't read the style guide) but it's turned out to be quite hop forward. It's definitely closer to pale ale than brown ale in terms of hop/malt balance. Four months is a bit longer than I'd normally wait to take notes on a hoppy beer but this one has aged gracefully which I'm happy about.
I made my own candi syrup for this beer. It was a lot of fun taking plain sugar and finding a way to get some extra flavors out of it. I can't be sure but I think these flavors did come through as extra caramel and dark fruit in the final product.
Tasting Notes:
- Aroma:
- Hops are the most prominent smell. Less prominent than they were a couple months ago but it's still pretty hop forward. It is a grassy/piney aroma. The malt comes through pretty strongly as well - this is mostly caramel. There is a fruitiness to the aroma that may be from the yeast or maybe the candi syrup. No alcohol on the nose.
- Appearance:
- The beer is a dark copper/light brown color. Has cleared very well. A slow pour yields a thin white head that quickly fades down to nothing.
- Flavor:
- Up front I get piney and herbal hops along with a bit of caramel and bready flavor from the malt. The finish is slanted a bit towards the hops but it is reasonably well balanced out by the malt. The bitterness lingers for a while. There is a bit of alcohol in the flavor and a bit of fruitiness.
- Mouthfeel:
- Medium bodied. Slight astringency along with the bitterness. Carbonation is light.
- Overall:
- As I mentioned before, I was expecting a beer more balanced between malt and hop than this one turned out. This drinks like a slightly maltier pale ale really. It is pretty nice regardless. The flavors are pretty bold and, as I like a hoppy beer, I find them to be very pleasant.
No comments:
Post a Comment