Canned on 10/11/2021, tasted on 1/15/2022. Aroma is slightly sharp and dry, almost like roasted peanut shells. Interesting complex flavor balancing a sweet, dark, 10% ABV Stout, and a complex nutty taste.
Maybe a bit too much alcohol heat and peanut flavor for my palate.
3.5 out of 5 stars.
Sweet, mild aroma of some hops and caramel malt. Slight edge of hops on first taste, but quickly overtaken but a smooth caramel malt flavor. Goes down fairly smoothly, almost slick-like, with a kick of hop bitterness at the very end.
4 out of 5 stars.
I’ve had Kolsch in Cologne, Germany a few times, and it’s been fresh and delicious. Most of the Kolsch I’ve had in the US has not been very good, other than rare exceptions. I’ve tried many times myself to brew one and they never come out to my expectations, with the unique yeast flavor overpowering my palate. This time I tried a recipe that seemed close before, but fermented under pressure, which is a technique used to suppress yeast flavors. Didn’t work. I’d say it even accentuated the flavors I was trying to subdue. Tasting notes below are after lagering in keg for 61 days, but the flavor wasn’t calming down.
Strong sweet aroma somewhere in between a fruit and a wine. Taste is slightly tart with minor hop flavor in background, then finishes fairly clean, with lingering sweetness.
Brewed: 9/27/2021. Distributed: 12/10/2021.
ABV: 4.5%, IBU: 20
Malts: Brewer’s 2-row, White wheat, Vienna.
Hops: Magnum, Saaz.
Yeast: White Labs WLP029 German Ale/Kolsch.
This recipe came from a book I have with homebrew recipes written by commercial breweries, for some of their beers. This one was from a brewery in Wisconsin. I hadn’t had this beer commercially before, but it looked like an interesting combination of rye malt with this yeast. I can’t say I’m a fan of the result. Tasting notes below were after 39 days lagering/aging in a keg, hoping to tame down some of the more bitter flavors.
Strong alcohol aroma. Hot, almost like a bourbon. Taste is crisp with some floral hop flavors in the background, mixed with a slight caramel malt taste. Rye sweetness comes on strong and flavorful. Overall leaves the mouth fairly “warmed” with lingering rye flavor.
Brewed: 10/11/2021. Distributed: 12/10/2021.
ABV: 6.4%, IBU: 20
Malts: Brewer’s 2-row, Rye, Flaked Rye, Munich, Caramel 80L.
Hops: Nugget, Challenger, Willamette.
Yeast: Wyeast 1318 London Ale III.
Nice aroma of dark malts mixed with a strong hop sweetness. String dark malt bite with a coffee like roastiness. Hop bitterness wipes the palate clean with a gusto, leaving the faintest remnants of sweet dark malts way in the background. Crisp and refreshing for such a dark beer.
4.5 out of 5 stars.
Faint sweet hop aroma. Taste starts with a sharp hip edge, then turns really sweet with caramel malt, and finishes even sweeter almost like sugar and hops bitterness mixed together. Aftertaste is a lingering mild sweetness, but then a sourness creeps in at the end. Overall too harsh and sweet.
3 out of 5 stars.
Bright, fresh hop aroma. Crisp bitter bite of hops, followed by a mouthful of hop flavor. The go flavor is somewhat harsh and seems to clash for my taste buds with the complex yeast.
3.5 out of 5 stars.
I’ve made this recipe many times. The first time I brewed this it was perfect, reminded me of exactly the Alt beer’s in Dusseldorf, Germany. This time turned out decent, but I didn’t get the exact yeast. Not sure if that made the difference or not.
Sweet aroma, almost like corn? Crisp malt bite that’s very flavorful and break-like. Slight hop crispness that helps give it a bite then disappears before giving a notable hop flavor. Crisp and bready- like a cracker or something, I guess.
Brewed: 10/7/2021. Distributed: 11/20/2021.
ABV: 5.1%, IBU: 44
Malts: Munich.
Hops: Spalter Select.
Yeast: Imperial G02 Kaiser.
This is the second rye lager I’ve made, in trying to make a beer like I remember Bell’s Smitten. This didn’t turn out like I wanted it, but still turned out enjoyable.
Faint sweet aroma of malt. Crisp taste of malt and a hint of yeast. Hop flavor is very much in the background, but gives a slight bite. Leaves palate fairly clear with a mild lingering malt sweetness.
Brewed: 10/3/2021. Distributed: 11/20/2021.
ABV: 5.0%, IBU: 38
Malts: Brewer’s 2-row, Caramel 20L, Munich, Rye, Vienna.
Hops: Magnum, Willamette.
Yeast: Imperial L17 Harvest.
Got this as part of a Hoppy Christmas mix pack in 2021.
Great fresh hop aroma with hints of yeast, reminiscent of Huma Lupa. Flavor is sharp and sweet, with a slightly ragged edge on the back end, followed by strong caramel malt sweetness. Too sweet and bitter for my tastes.
3.5 out of 5 stars.