Reviews of Member's Homebrew

[Vossy1]

I don't really like whisky but for some strange reason I can't help picking some good bottles up every time I go through the airport
I've got a JW blue Label taunting me from the cupboard...it's done well, I bought it 2 years ago

EDIT not saying the JWBL is any good....I haven't tried it

[CyberPaddy66]

I bought it 2 years ago

What's wrong, is the lid welded on?

[Vossy1]

What's wrong, is the lid welded on?

It was 1/2 price on offer at £80

[Calum]

What's wrong, is the lid welded on?

It was 1/2 price on offer at £80

Its supposed to be very good but aimed at the American market. My every day malt of choice is Highland Park.

[Vossy1]

I've got a few in the cupboard. I must like the Dalwhinnie 1990, cause it's almost gone , same for the Macallan Elegancia 1992

Unopened, Famous Grouse 1992, JW Black label, JW Blue Label, Glenlivet Archive 21 years, Glenmorangie 12 years, Highland Park 12 years.

I had a few more that were very obscure, but they're gone. Another strange trait of mine is that if I recognise the name, I don't tend to open it, curiosity gets the better of me with the obscure ones, especially the Irish

[Wez]

Calums Paddys Porter
Bottled 20/11 4.1%


First of all thanks Calum for sending me the bottle As you can see from the pic on the left Calum had slapped a cool label on the bottle (I do like labels )

The beer opened with a hiss and poured with an immediate creamy head which went to about 1 inch thick and was a creamy/white colour, very tightly beaded, the beer appears to be almost black with some dark brown, when held to close to a light you get a deep red/brown colour.

There wasn't much aroma on pouring (that may be a stuffy nose issue on my part though), initially when I tasted this it seemed too dry for my pallet but as I got nearer the bottom of the glass I was much happier with it and now it's gone I could quite easily open another! It tasted extremely smooth - I don't understand how homebrewers can bottle condition an ale to perfection but some commercial bottles come out as fizzy as lemonade! Flavourwise - not much hop aroma but that isn't what this beer is about, as I mentioned above it had a very strong dry roast flavour initially and I got some liquorice, it's quite a complex dark malt brew with a lingering bitter finish as the pint neared the end I started to get some dark fruit flavours like cherries (?) this could have been as it warmed, (I poured it at 12 degrees btw).

This beer is very quaffable at 4.1% and ideal for this time of year, It was interseting to draw comparisons with my attempt at J_P's glasshouse porter which is much more 'in your face' with the dark malts not so dry and has a sweeter finish.

I'd say for a session Calums Paddys Porter would be the one I'd reach for but after a bad day at work on a cold miserable day I'd go for J_P's glasshouse Porter - horses for courses as they say.

All in all - so far I haven't recieved a bad beer - this one hit the spot suberbly! Thanks Calum

BTW I've got your GH porter to post out still

[Vossy1]

Another great result, well done Calum, and for the hard work...Wez

[Calum]

Glad you enjoyed it Wez

Most of this batch (along with a cornie of a TTL clone) has been delivered to my brother-in-laws for a party tomorrow night. Hopefully the drinkers will look onto it favourably aswell.

[mysterio]

Calum, i'll have a bottle of stout out to you early in the new year. It only managed to carbonate this week, four weeks after bottling in the cold weather

[steve_flack]

I don't understand how homebrewers can bottle condition an ale to perfection but some commercial bottles come out as fizzy as lemonade!

OTOH I had a bottle conditioned beer from a local brewery last night that was flat as a witches tit and oxidised to hell. Went down the sink.

[Wez]

I don't understand how homebrewers can bottle condition an ale to perfection but some commercial bottles come out as fizzy as lemonade!

OTOH I had a bottle conditioned beer from a local brewery last night that was flat as a witches tit and oxidised to hell. Went down the sink.

True, I agree i've also had the odd shop bought flat ale or two, more commonly though I find that they are too gassy, I got a load of bottled Batemans Rosey Nosey in and i've had to pour it from the bottle to a glass then pour from this into the serving glass to knock the gas out to a drinkable level.

Calums was like a keg drawn ale, spot on!

[Aleman]

One tip, for dealing with gassy beers is to keep a 10ml disposable syringe in your pocket. If you have a gassy beer , draw up 10ml, and then squirt it back into the beer, it will cause foaming and a lovely head to develop. Of course it could also cause the foam to 'explode' out of the glass and the brewer that passed this tip on also told mer about a friend who now has a crown on his front teeth caused by diving forward to suck up the foam. H cracked his teeth on the heavy rim of the glass.

[Vossy1]

H cracked his teeth on the heavy rim of the glass.

Painful

[Wez]

One tip, for dealing with gassy beers is to keep a 10ml disposable syringe in your pocket. If you have a gassy beer , draw up 10ml, and then squirt it back into the beer, it will cause foaming and a lovely head to develop. Of course it could also cause the foam to 'explode' out of the glass and the brewer that passed this tip on also told mer about a friend who now has a crown on his front teeth caused by diving forward to suck up the foam. H cracked his teeth on the heavy rim of the glass.

Just tried the syringe trick on a bottle of Batemans Rosey Nosey - worked a treat - cheers Aleman

[Calum]

One tip, for dealing with gassy beers is to keep a 10ml disposable syringe in your pocket. If you have a gassy beer , draw up 10ml, and then squirt it back into the beer, it will cause foaming and a lovely head to develop. Of course it could also cause the foam to 'explode' out of the glass and the brewer that passed this tip on also told mer about a friend who now has a crown on his front teeth caused by diving forward to suck up the foam. H cracked his teeth on the heavy rim of the glass.

Just tried the syringe trick on a bottle of Batemans Rosey Nosey - worked a treat - cheers Aleman

You used to get six packs of bottled Guiness (they were wee dumpy bottles if I remember correctly) that came with a cheap syringe so that you could inject some air into the poured beer and create the head. The draft can system put an end to those.