Meetings at Mara’s are always fantastic. May’s meeting was no exception.
Attendance was on the lighter side, mostly due to Mother Nature being uncooperative. But it was no less enthusiastic for that. Pierre kept us entertained with his skills on djembe, Mara and Andy T revealed a new business collaboration to bring homebrewing gadgets to market, and Mara’s legendary beer cellar provided us with some outstanding items to sample.
The meeting opened with an educational presentation by Andy T. He brought a sample of a sour-beer-in-progress that had become “sick”, or “ropy”. This happens when Pediococcus excretes long molecular chains of sugars, making the beer thick and viscous. This can be a disaster for a “clean” beer, but it neither unusual nor disastrous for a sour which also contains Brettanomyces. The Brett will eat up these chains over the course of weeks or months and the beer will return to its proper viscosity. It just looks a bit gross in the meantime.
Beers judged:
NZ Brut IPA, Andy T
Beautiful hop nose with some bread dough and a little pepper. Perhaps a touch of sweetness or diacetyl (opinions differed). Yellow, very hazy, with a long-lasting head that left lace. Tastes of citrus and honeydew with a very dry finish and a firm bitterness. Just a little alcohol warmth. Light body and high carbonation. Dangerously drinkable.
This had been Andy’s entry at the Charter Oak competition, where it received very low marks. No one could figure out why. Outstanding beer.
10/3/16/5/8 = 42
Heirloom Cider, Sully
Smells of leather, wood, charred apples; just a little funk and alcohol. Pale and crystal clear with just a few bubbles. Slightly sweet with a firm tartness behind. Lots of tannin. Light body. Sweetness and tannin linger. Maybe just a little too acidic.
Beardsley’s 2023 blend, wild ferment, left on lees in Sully’s garage ever since it was pressed. One can of concentrate added to backsweeten when kegged recently. Will be outstanding after a little time for flavors to meld. No evidence of autolysis.
8/6/16/7 = 37
Smoke Porter, Cameron
Toasted marshmallow and burnt sugar – like creme brulee. Light roast, light smoke. Not aggressive at all. Very inviting nose. Black with ruby highlights and a thick, dark head which lasts forever and leaves lace. Complex flavor. Plenty of residual sugar but the dark malt bitterness leaves it perfectly balanced. Just a little smoke. Everything well-integrated. Drying finish. Creamy and rich; very smooth; smoke and carbonation work well to make it scary drinkable. Pierre: “One of the best beers I’ve had in a long time.” Outrageously good.
Cameron based the recipe on a beer he had at a commercial brewery. Aiming for less-aggressive smoke character. Fairly fresh.
9/3/19/5/9 = 45
Festbier, Pierre
Lovely spicy hop nose with a little crackery malt and bread crust. Squeaky clean. Maybe just the barest hint of vanilla and sulfur. Clear and golden; could use more head. Prominent bready/toasty malt flavor with a little sweetness. Medium-low bitterness. A hint of melon (hops?). Soft mouthfeel – needs a bit more carbonation. Very nice.
Pierre unhappy with it. Thinks it needs more hops. Was originally brewed as a kolsch but he had no kolsch yeast so he used lager yeast.
9/3/15/4/8 = 39