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Showing posts from February, 2014

Out of the Bottle: Great Beer with a Terrible Picture

At long last, I have time to actually write about beer again!  Life has been crazy busy (there are things that take precedence over beer, believe it or not), so I've been kept away from my passion for a few weeks. It's time for to that to finally change! Without further ado, it's time to talk about how my second Weizenbock turned out. First off, the picture doesn't do the beer justice. I haven't had time to take the usual daytime shot, so this one was taken in my not so scenic kitchen. But hey, you've got to do what you've got to do. This beer is the result of my longest brewing day ever. As I found out, a triple-decoction mash takes forever and ever and ever. I try not to think about how many hours I spent brewing this beer. Thankfully, the results were totally worth the effort. Let's start with the pour. My Weizenbock has the proper hazy chocolate hue and a rocky cap that stays and stays. Head retention is exemplary and a nice bit of lace i

Out of the Cellar: Old Man's Chest

2014 I can't believe it's been a year since I bottled my last Old Ale . I suppose time flies while you're having fun. Anyway, it's time to see what's taken place in the last 12 months. Things have changed quite a bit the last 12 months. First off, the flavors meld better than they did before. This is still a complex flavored beer, but the balance of the different pieces is more cohesive. Bitterness has faded just a bit, but still carries the black tea bite that was there before. 2013 The rum-like qualities have really cut through with time. There's an almost vinous quality to the beer that wasn't around before. This is especially true in the nose. A slightly heavy body persists that is drier than before. The beer finishes with lingering toffee and rum flavors. Overall, I'm quite happy with how this beer aged. I'd still tweak the recipe if I brewed it again, but time has made for a much more cohesive brew.