Tasting Notes: Brownstar

Brewed this at the end of February. Bottle conditioned 4-5 weeks ago.

Aroma: Tons of pineapple and peach, slight berry up front. Supported by a slight warm toasted bread smell, and a hint of roast.

Flavor: Fruitiness is a bit more muted by the malt than in the aroma. Still moderate mango & peach flavors. Some citrus appears in the middle. Graham cracker malt flavor mixed with a bit of roast like burnt edges on toast. There is a slight piney resinous flavor hiding out that pops up towards the end.

The head on this beer lasts forever. Its a bit hazy but I don't mind in such a dark beer. Big, full bodied mouth feel with a sweet impression up front that I get from most hoppy beers. The carbonation and bitterness lead to a clean dry lingering piney, bitter, dark toasted bread finish.

A lot going on in this beer. I'd cut back on the dry hop to an ounce of simcoe the next time. The aroma is amazing but makes this beer more of a brown IPA than a brown ale. I'm really happy with the way this one turned out. I'm fired up to brew my next batch. I have so many recipe ideas floating in my head, but I can't decide what I want to drink in a month. Suggestions?

1934 Kidd XXX Tasting

The carbonation in the Kidd XXX has settled in to the perfect level so I figured I'd write some notes while this beer is in its prime. Should go quick because its just what I want to drink this time of year.

1934 Kidd XXX

Appearance - Dark golden with an orange hue. Small one finger head dissapates quickly but leaves a nice foamy ring and lacing. Impressed by the clarity, I did use some gelatin finings after fermentation. Its nearly briliant but I wouldn't go that far.

Aroma - Honey, grapes, not too familiar with brambling cross hops but the beer definitely smells like the hops as they went into the boil. The malt is in the backround, with a toasty lady finger smell. When the beer warms the corn aroma is slightly evident. Also smells sweet, not sure how thats possible. But I guess all the aroma's are associated with foods that are sweet.

Taste - Sweet upfront, the honey, grape and berry flavors fill out the middle. Then the hops come in and wash the sweetness away with a nice bitterness thats slightly earthy and haylike. Slightly reminiscent of noble hops. Finishes pretty dry with the corn and six-row husky flavors. The same lady finger/cookie taste stays on the palate with the hop resins. Begs you to have another sip to figure out what the hell you just tasted. I'm loving this beer. Complex yet drinkable. Everything is subtle yet noticeable.

Mouthfeel - Carbonation is low, but just how I like it. However, a little bit more could dry the beer out just a tad and make a bigger head. Nice medium bodied beer for 6%. Not too chewy or watery. Right in the sweet spot. I've had a couple super dry highly carbonated comercial beers lately and I'm not into those. This one is like liquid velvet. The tannins from the hops are nice and prickly on the finish.

Drinkability & Notes - I'm impressed by this beer. Everything came together rather nicely. I wish it would have attenuated a slight bit more. Since my invert sugar was a little lighter than planned, the sweetness upfront is a little too much. I definitely enjoy this one, and always want a second. I'd be curious to see how the Bramblnig Cross hops work with american hops, and other english varieties. I definitely need to start thinking about oxygenating with pure O2 and keeping fermentation temps more steady with a fridge. I think a better overall fermentation could help make the beer a bit more crisp and polished.

O.G. 1.060 F.G. 1.014 ABV 5.9% IBU's 42 Wyeast London Ale 1028