tasting the Saison

This beer was originally intended to be my first shot at a Saison, but I ended up picking a different yeast than the one I'd intended (I grabbed WLP545--Belgian Strong--when I'd meant to grab WLP565--Belgian Saison I). As far as I can tell, it still fits the profile of a Saison, but it might be a bit drier, and the yeast phenolics are probably less pronounced than they would normally be.



Aroma: Banana and clove phenolics. (Belgian styles aren't typically my go to beers, so the banana-clove aroma isn't something I'm used to. Consequently it dominates my perception of the aroma. Somebody with more familiarity to Belgian yeast strains might be able to pick up on things that I'm not sensitive enough to notice.)

Appearance: Lovely "straw" color. Slightly cloudy/opaque. Had a nice bright-white head, but it didn't last (maybe because I forgot to rinse the glass first--dishwasher soap residue might have knocked the head down).

Flavor: Pronounced banana-clove, but not as cloyingly pronounced as a Hefeweizen. The only notable hop-presence is a mild bitterness that lingers in the aftertaste. A very slight hint of light malt from start to midway through, but you've got to be paying attention.

Mouthfeel: Very light, very crisp. I've been trying to adjust my brewing techniques in order to produce beers better suited to the warm climate in Hawaii, and this beer in particular is a very successful example of me meeting that goal. That said, the way the Belgian flavors come through sort of counters, in my banana-clove hypersensitive mind--some of the lightness of the body.

Overall Impression: I'm still getting used to Belgian style beers, but I'm actually quite pleased with how this beer turned out. My goal was to produce a light, refreshing "session-able" version of a Belgian beer, and this beer successfully meets all of those requirements. I don't know if it'll inspire me to write poetry or to ponder the deeper mysteries of life, or anything like that, but it serves very well as a crisp thirst-quencher. I'm giving it a thumbs up.

Tasting the Sage Pale Ale

The Sage Pale Ale I brewed a while back is at peak drink-ability right now, so I figured I'd write up tasting session notes for it, like I did for my Poi Wheat Ale back in March.



Aroma: Floral hop notes mixed with an apparent sage smell, and, inexplicably, a hint of "soap."

Appearance: Rich yellowish orange color. Clear enough to see the rising bubbles sharply, but not clear enough to read through. Copious frothy head that fades to a loose-packed, big-bubble cap.

Flavor: Pronounced bitterness initially, with sage kicking in halfway through, and sage and bitterness lingering long afterwards. Malt flavors are definitely taking second-seating to the hop-bitterness and the sage. And the sage flavor brings poultry dishes to mind, though of course there isn't any chicken/turkey taste to the beer. (This flavor-association phenomena reminds me of a tasting I attended at the Alaskan Brewing Company in Juneau. The standout beer on tap was, by far, their Smoked Porter, which features grains smoked with alder wood. Alder wood is commonly used to smoke salmon, too, and the alder flavor present in the beer made some people think the beer had fish in it.)

Mouthfeel: Very light in body (a successful result of my low-mash-temperature approach to this brew). Despite the flowing bubbles, the beer doesn't have any serious carbonation tingle. When you get most of the way through the glass, the hop and sage oils start to make the tongue feel a bit pickled.

Overall Impression: Pretty good! Provides the crisp, herb-oriented satisfaction of a Pale Ale, but it's definitely a unique experience because of the sage. I also appreciate the fact that it offers that herb-fix without the weight of an IPA (OG = 1.044, FG = 1.006; 5% estimated abv).

Other Info: I'm pretty happy with how this beer turned out. In fact, I'm happy enough to feel like it's worth sharing. If any local Homebrewing in Hawaii readers are curious to see how culinary sage fits into a Pale Ale style, feel free to send me an email at: mf.soriano (at) yahoo (dot) com. We can do a homebrew bottle trade!

Tasting the Poi Wheat ale

Jeffrey Crane wanted a follow up on the Poi Wheat ale I brewed a while back, so I figured I'd post about it following the tasting session approach Lewy's been using on his blog (plenty links in one sentence, yeah?).



Aroma: A subtle, pleasant fruitiness, sort of reminiscent of guava, probably from esters produced by the yeast in a warm fermentation. Also has a slight acidic citrus aroma, likely resultant from adding cascade hops late in the boil.

Appearance: Straw colored, or perhaps just a tad more orange than pure straw (the greenish hue I noticed when the beer first went into the carboy seems to have settled out). Translucent (lets light through), but not clear--probably resulting from protein haze caused by use of malted wheat in the mash (protein haze is not undesirable in wheat beers). A brilliant white head, reminiscent of egg white meringue, that persists for several minutes, and leaves some lacing on the sides of the glass as the beer is drank (or drunk, or drunken... whatever). Bubbles continue to rise throughout the drinking of the beer, maintaining a ring of foam inside the glass, though the carbonation isn't strong enough to result in bubble chains--it's more diffuse, like rain drops in reverse.

Flavor: Some initial fruitiness, probably linked to the aroma. A sort of powdery, alkaline taste hits the roof of the mouth a moment later. Finishes with an almost grassy bitterness from the cascade hops. Crisp and refreshing throughout, which I associate with the wheat/ale-yeast combination.

Mouthfeel: Not too heavy in body, and not too light--a sort of middling roundness. Very slight tingle from carbonation, well below sting-level. Somewhat cloying after the second bottle (which is where I'm at now, in the course of writing this review).

Overall Impression: In the end, it's a pretty good beer. Not the best I've ever brewed, but definitely the best I've brewed so far in Hawaii. I'm not too sure of what characteristics were contributed by the poi, though I'd be more confident attributing the powdery, alkaline flavor--which comes mid-way through a sip--to poi than anything else. I'm still interested in exploring poi as a beer ingredient--particularly in letting the poi sour for a few days before adding it--but at this point I can't say that there is any definite result that merits the extra cost.

Other Info: Original Gravity was 1.047. Final Gravity is 1.007. Estimated alcohol by volume is 5.3%, and the alcohol is felt in the head more than the heart--befuddling/relaxing more than emotively inspiring.

Also: The Taro root is considered a physical reincarnation of the ancestors. It is kapu to argue in front of the poi, and I'm applying that rule to this beer. If you wanna brawl, maybe try Fenton Smith's Sparring Spud Stout instead.