beers and brewing

[montjoye]

Two more tastings, possibly the last for a while. At least until I buy more to try anyway! Lots of beer in the house but it's all of my making. These two are all from memory. The bottles are already washed and stashed.

Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout.
Ruddy delicious I reckon. Very much a treat, not your average beer. Rich, slightly sweet, high alcohol (10%). Tastes like a beery version of very high quality dark chocolate.

Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout
I liked this one too. It's described as semi sweet. Yes it's sweeter than I would usually go for but there is enough bitterness and flavour to balance that. I'm interested that one can get this much flavour into a beer without it being high alcohol. This is ~5%. I'd certainly drink this again. Might even try to brew one but I reckon I'll have a go at the porter first.

Pale Face II (my latest American Pale Ale)
was bottled two weeks ago, is at least mostly carbonated and very tasty. It's quite fruity while still being bitter. I like the change of hops. I used less Willamette and introduced some Amarillo. I also tweaked the specialty grains but might have gone too far on the wheat, the beer has ended up a bit cloudy.

I'm planning to mash again next Saturday, which amusingly is two days before the anniversary of my first ever full grain mash. It will be mash #8, and possibly #9 too if I get keen and efficient.

The current two ferments are still happily glooping away. I'm feeling impatient for them to finish but they have only be going 10 or 11 days. Patience grasshopper.