Monthly Archives: June 2011

Beer Hunter’s Mufloni Intianpässi

1 Reply

 

  • Brewery: Panimoravintola Beer Hunter’s
  • Country: Finland
  • Style: India Pale Ale
  • ABV: 4.5%
  • Size: 330 ml
  • Bought from: K-Citymarket, 5.10€
  • Not on Beer Advocate
  • RateBeer

    •  

    This is a ‘low ABV’ (i.e. it can be sold in supermarkets here in Finland) India Pale Ale, brewed by Beer Hunter’s. It is hopped with Cascade and Amarillo, and supposedly has an IBU of 150! Let’s check this one out!

    [easyreview title=”Beer Hunter’s Mufloni Intianpässi” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer has a golden-amber color, and is slighty hazy (the beer is unfiltered and bottle conditioned), leaving a medium fluffy white head (leaving lacing along the glass).” cat1rating=”4″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The hoppiness of this beer gives the aroma fruity and citrusy tones, but there is some unpleasant aroma hiding in the background that I can’t put my finger one. It’s a shame as it’s probably unintentional.” cat2rating=”2″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”A slightly malty initial flavour that quickly is overtaken by some fruitiness and finally a massive bitterness that ends in a dry finish. I feel this is very unbalanced, and cannot understand why the brewers would choose to have such a large bitterness for such a light beer. Tasted a lot like my first attempt at homebrewing (an IPA with Amarillo, Cascade and Citra): way too bitter, way too dry, and way too little hop flavour. The malt profile could be a lot stronger to help balance the bitterness (I know this is difficult because the ABV has to be under 4.7%), and the hop profile could be changed towards late hopping to improve the flavour and aroma, while simultaneously lowering the bitterness.” cat3rating=”2″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The body is dry and light, with moderate carbonation. The large bitterness, combined with the dry finish, makes this quite unpleasant to drink.” cat4rating=”2″ summary=”I hate giving this low of a score to a microbrew from Finland, but this was on the border to drinkable. I love bitter beers, but I also like them balanced and packed with hop flavour. I would love to try Brew Hunter’s CCCCC IPA which I have heard is much better. It’s a shame this wasn’t good, as I was hoping for a tasty supermarket IPA. The high price combined with the low score means I definitely won’t be buying again.”]

    Beer Hunter’s Mufloni Simcoe

    Leave a reply

     

  • Brewery: Panimoravintola Beer Hunter’s
  • Country: Finland
  • Style: Bitter
  • ABV: 3.5%
  • Size: 330 ml
  • Bought from: K-Citymarket, 5.10€
  • Not on Beer Advocate
  • RateBeer

    •  

    The Simcoe version of Beer Hunter’s Single Hop series, that won the beer of the year award at the Helsinki Beer Festival 2011. I’ve had this one once before and it was really tasty, so lets see how it does in the review!

    [easyreview title=”Beer Hunter’s Mufloni Simcoe” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer has a golden-amber color, and is slighty hazy (the beer is unfiltered and bottle conditioned), leaving a slight cream colored head (leaving some lacing along the glass).” cat1rating=”4″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The beer aroma is dominated by fruitiness (mostly grapefruit) and pine, with some sweetness and maltiness hidden behind.” cat2rating=”3.5″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The flavour is fruity, with hints of grapefruit and peach, and resiny, with hints of pine, that finishes in a quite dry and bitter aftertaste. I feel the malt profile is lacking a bit, and the beer could benefit from a stronger body.” cat3rating=”3″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The body is dry and light, with moderate carbonation. Quite easy to drink, but not perfectly balanced in my opinion.” cat4rating=”3″ summary=”I remembered that this one was a lot tastier, so am slightly disappointed. Not a bad beer, but would think twice before buying again because of the high price. Beer Hunter’s are one of the more interesting microbreweries in Finland, and will be trying their low-ABV India Pale Ale next.”]

    Homebrew

    3 Replies

    Last Thursday (23.6) I had a go at brewing my first two all-grain batches of beer. First a Centennial Blonde, a hopefully light and refreshing summer ale, and then a Fresh Squeezed West Coast IPA, a heavily hopped American IPA.

    Here are the slightly modded recipes I used:

    Centennial Blonde

    3.5kg Pale Ale Malt
    0.35kg CaraPils
    0.25kg Light Crystal
    0.25kg Vienna Malt

    10g Centennial 55min
    10g Centennial 35min
    10g Cascade 20min
    10g Cascade 5min

    Nottingham Yeast

    19 Liters

    OG was ~1.043 (10.6 brix)
    IBUs should be around 25-30

     

    Fresh Squeezed IPA

    5.8kg Pale Ale Malt
    0.5kg CaraPils
    0.5kg Light Crystal
    0.25kg Munich Malt

    14g Chinook 90min
    14g Simcoe 90min
    7g Chinook 60min
    7g Simcoe 60min
    7g Chinook 30min
    7g Simcoe 30min
    21g Chinook 15min
    21g Simcoe 15min
    14g Amarillo 15min
    28g Cascade 10min
    14g Chinook 0min
    21g Simcoe 0min

    US-05

    19 Liters

    OG should have been around 1.070, but mine ended up ~1.060 (14.8 brix)
    IBUs should be around 100

     

    Here are some pictures from the brewday:

    My mashtun, made from a 32L Coolbox from Etola, wrapped in a layer of camping mattress from Clas Ohlson. Have also fitted a tap and a stainless steel braid as a filter.

     

    Here is the interior of the mash tun. You can see the filter.

     

    I brought everything expect the Carapils premilled (as I had some uncrushed Carapils left), so I had to bring out my Corona mill to get the malt crushed. Luckily it wasn’t much that had to be crushed.

     

    Here is a picture of the mash.

     

    I’m draining the wort into my homemade boiler. It is made out of a 35L polypropylene tun, to which I have fitted 3 water boiler elements (900W) and a tap.

     

    Another picture of the boiler. The electric safety isn’t the best, will have to work on that later.

     

    Sparging the mash. Turns out I fly sparged, even though I was planning to batch sparge, which means my efficiency was quite low, meaning I ended up with a little lower OG than expected for my IPA. Next time I will try batch sparging.

     

    Here are the hop additions for the Centennial Blonde.

     

    Here are the hop additions for the Fresh Squeezed IPA. Lots of hops!

     

    Here is the boiler in action. Hot break is forming, no boil yet.

     

    The boil is chilled to fermentation temperature with a 8m copper immersion chiller. Worked great!

     

    Finally the wort ended up in the fermenting vessel together with the yeast. In a couple weeks time I will hopefully get to taste some great beer!

    Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel

    Leave a reply


     

  • Brewery: Brasserie d’Achouffe
  • Country: Belgium
  • Style: Belgian IPA/Tripel
  • ABV: 9%
  • Size: 330 ml
  • Bought from: Germany, 1.99€
  • Beer Advocate
  • RateBeer

    •  

    The Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel is a blend of two different ale styles, Tripel and India Pale Ale, and is available in both small (33cl) and large bottles (75cl). The beer is hopped with Saaz, CTZ (Columbus/Tomahawk/Zeus) and Amarillo, and features an IBU of around 59 (varies with source).

    [easyreview title=”Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer has a yellow-golden color, and is slightly hazy, with a foamy white-colored head, that quite quickly collapses leaving loads of lacing along the glass.” cat1rating=”4″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The aroma is mostly belgian yeast, with tones of fruit, grass and slight maltiness. The yeast tones definitely dominate over the hops. I would say the aroma is much more a Tripel than a IPA.” cat2rating=”3″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”Slightly roasted malty tones, that are quickly overtaken by some flavours of citrus and spice, ending in a dry and slightly bitter finish. There are also some tones of earthy hops as well as alcohol in the flavour. The yeast aroma present in the aroma, was not at all as present in the flavour, contributing just slightly to the fruitiness and spiciness. The hop flavour seems a little on the low side.” cat3rating=”3.5″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The beer has a light body, with moderate-high carbonation, which makes the beer a little difficult to drink. Alcohol is detectable, but otherwise quite well balanced.” cat4rating=”3″ summary=”An OK beer, that I am a little disappointed with. Was expecting more IPA and less Tripel. Don’t know if this was a bit old (BBD 06/2012), or if it just wasn’t my type of beer, but probably won’t be buying again. The price wasn’t bad though when bought from Germany, but it is way more expensive from Alko.”]

    Nøgne Ø India Pale Ale

    Leave a reply


     

  • Brewery: Nøgne Ø
  • Country: Norway
  • Style: American IPA
  • ABV: 7.5%
  • Size: 500 ml
  • Bought from: Alko, 6.21€
  • Beer Advocate
  • RateBeer

    •  

    [easyreview title=”Nøgne Ø India Pale Ale” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer has a golden-amber color, and is hazy (the beer is unfiltered and bottle conditioned), with an slight cream-colored head.” cat1rating=”3.5″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The beer has a citrusy and resiny aroma, coupled with some sweet and caramelly maltiness. A very slight perfume-like tone as well, that feels like it shouldn’t be there.” cat2rating=”3.5″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The initial taste is malty, with tones of caramel and biscuits, which is quickly overtaken by some hop flavours with tones of grapefruit, pine and grass. The taste ends in a pleasant bitterness on the tongue. The flavours are very well balanced.” cat3rating=”4″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The beer has a medium body, with moderate carbonation, which make the beer easily drinkable. Well balanced, with a slightly dry finish.” cat4rating=”4″ summary=”A good beer, that is (like other beers from the same brewery) a little on the expensive side. Compared to the #500, this beer is less sweet and a little milder in taste. Overall a tasty brew that I definitely would drink again.”]

    Oakham Citra

    1 Reply

     

  • Brewery: Oakham
  • Country: England
  • Style: American Pale Ale
  • ABV: 4.6%
  • Size: 500 ml
  • Bought from: K-Citymarket, 4.25€
  • Beer Advocate
  • RateBeer

    • Here is another Citra single hopped pale ale, which has gotten some good reviews in the Finnish beer community. It is also readily available in larger K-Supermarkets and K-Citymarkets (here in Finland), so it should be easy to find if you want to try it out. Note: The picture above makes the beer seem darker and redder than it really is.

    [easyreview title=”Oakham Citra” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer has a pale yellow-golden color and is slightly hazy. The beer has a slight white head, that leaves a little lacing along the glass.” cat1rating=”3″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The beer has a smooth fruity and floral aroma, featuring tropical fruits and citrus. Definitely a lot of typical Citra aroma. Not much maltiness in the aroma.” cat2rating=”3.5″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The flavour is full of sweet, floral and fruity Citra hops. There is some mango, orange and lemon, that combine with a light and sweet maltiness. The flavour finishes quite dry with a very slight bitterness and some fruitiness.” cat3rating=”4″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The beer has a quite light body with a low level of carbonation. The beer is very easy to drink and refreshing.” cat4rating=”4″ summary=”The beer is great showcase of the fruity Citra hop, and a very refreshing beer. It isn’t super hoppy, bitter, or malty, but a well balanced session beer that’s light and tasty.”]

    Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale 2010

    Leave a reply

     

  • Brewery: Sierra Nevada
  • Country: USA
  • Style: American IPA
  • ABV: 6.8%
  • Size: 350 ml
  • Bought from: Alko, 4.25€
  • Beer Advocate
  • RateBeer

    • Here is another review on a Sierra Nevada beer (probably the last one for a while). This one is their seasonal IPA, brewed every winter with fresh Cascade, Centennial and Chinook. The beer has a bitterness of 65 IBUs.

    [easyreview title=”Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer has a golden-amber color and is slightly hazy. The beer features a fluffy white head, that leaves some nice lacing along the glass as it quite quickly collapses.” cat1rating=”4″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The aroma is filled with citrusy and piney hop aroma, combined some caramelly maltiness. Note: This beer is not super fresh (over 7 months old), so I can almost guarantee that it has lost a lot of its aroma.” cat2rating=”3.5″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The taste is hoppy from the beginning, with a spicy, citrusy and resiny hop flavour, that is quickly joined by a caramelly sweetness. The taste ends in some bitterness, but it is not as strong as I expected. As with the aroma, I really wish I could have tasted this half a year ago, since I’m certain this beer has lost much lovely hop flavour to time. ” cat3rating=”3.5″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The beer has a medium body and carbonation level, and is quite well balanced. Nothing special here.” cat4rating=”3.5″ summary=”As with many of the other Sierra Nevada regulars, I have to say this is a good beer, but nothing spectacular or amongst my absolute favorites. It’s a shame it is almost impossible to get fresh US IPAs here in Finland.”]

    Midtfyns Double IPA

    Leave a reply

     

  • Brewery: Midtfyns Bryghus
  • Country: Denmark
  • Style: Imperial IPA
  • ABV: 9.2%
  • Size: 500 ml
  • Bought from: Alko (Arkadia), 7.10€
  • Beer Advocate
  • RateBeer

    • Here is an Imperial IPA I grabbed from the shelf of the ‘Lippulaiva’ Alko (Arkadia). This beer is hopped with Cascade, Chinook and Centennial, which together add up to an IBU of 119. Let’s see how it scores!

    [easyreview title=”Midtfyns Double IPA” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer has a deep amber color, and is slightly hazy. The beer has a cream colored head, which leaves nice lacing along the glass” cat1rating=”4″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The beer has a spicy and resiny hop aroma, with some caramel and fruit hiding in the background. Maybe just a slight bit of alcohol hiding behind the hoppiness and maltiness” cat2rating=”3.5″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”As you take a sip you are first hit by some caramel and butterscotch, which quickly is overtaken by a lot of hop flavour in the form of grapefruit, resin, and fruit. The aftertaste has a pleasant bitterness, that is well balanced since it isn’t overpowering (for 119 IBUs). Great balance of flavours, maybe could have a little less diacetyl (buttery flavour).” cat3rating=”4″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The beer has a medium-full body with a medium-low level of carbonation, and is quite easy to drink. As with the Nøgne Ø #500, this beer is quite sweet and on the borderline to a barleywine.” cat4rating=”3.5″ summary=”A very nice Imperial IPA, with loads of hop flavour in a maltier package. The price is a bit on the high side, but definitely an enjoyable beer.”]

    Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA

    1 Reply

     

  • Brewery: Sierra Nevada
  • Country: USA
  • Style: American IPA
  • ABV: 7.2%
  • Size: 350 ml
  • Bought from: Oluthuone William K. Sello, 6.90€
  • Beer Advocate
  • RateBeer

    • This beer was one of my all time favorites a couple of years ago when I started drinking ‘good beer’ instead of the typical ‘bulk lagers’. This beer has been mentioned a couple of times in previous posts, but this time I’ll make a full review of it. The Torpedo is an American IPA made with 2-Row Pale malt and Crystal malt, and hopped with Magnum, Crystal and Citra. The beer boasts and IBU of 65. Let’s see how it scores.

    [easyreview title=”Sierra Nevada Torpedo” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer has a, just slightly hazy, golden-amber color with a minimal cream-colored head, that leaves some lacing along the glass.” cat1rating=”3.5″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The beer has a caramelly and slightly citrusy and fruity hoppy aroma. I expected much more hop aroma. Would probably do better fresh.” cat2rating=”3.5″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The initial taste is sweet and malty with caramel tones. The flavour shifts over to slight tropical fruit and resiny hoppiness, which finishes in nice bitterness on the tongue. As with the aroma, this could you a bit more hop flavour, as the maltiness and bitterness dominated.” cat3rating=”3.5″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The beer has a medium-full body with a medium level of carbonation, and is easy to drink. The beer is quite well balanced, with nothing overpowering.” cat4rating=”4″ summary=”I’ve now given this beer 3 attempts this spring, and I must say this bottle was the best of the three. I still must say that this beer failed to impress me in the way it once had when I was a ‘bulk lager’ drinker. Still this is a good American IPA, but there are definitely better ones available on the market. Could use more hop aroma and flavour, or be a bit fresher when drunken.”]

    Stadin Panimo Citra Pale Ale

    1 Reply

     

  • Brewery: Stadin Panimo
  • Country: Finland
  • Style: American Pale Ale
  • ABV: 4.5%
  • Size: 330 ml
  • Bought from: K-Citymarket, 3.90€
  • Not on Beer Advocate
  • RateBeer

    •  

    Here is another one from Stadin Panimo. A Citra single hopped American Pale Ale. 33 IBU. Batch 386.

    [easyreview title=”Stadin Panimo Citra Pale Ale” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer has a golden-amber color, and is slighty hazy (the beer is unfiltered and bottle-conditioned), with a slight white head (producing some lacing along the glass). Very similar appearance to their Simcoe Lager.” cat1rating=”4″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The beer has a very fruity aroma, with citrus, mango and tropical fruits. You can definitely feel the presence of Citra. Slight sweetness is also present.” cat2rating=”4″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The initial flavour is sweet and fruity, with a strong presence of tropical fruit. The fruity hop flavours dominate, with a weak malt presence. The flavour ends quite dry, with just a slight bitter tingle on the tongue. The flavours could be a bit stronger, and it almost feels like this beer has been watered down.” cat3rating=”3.5″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The body is quite dry and light, and the beer has moderate carbonation. The beer is easy to drink and refreshing, but I feel it would benefit from a stronger body.” cat4rating=”3″ summary=”I think this beer was slightly better than Stadin Panimo’s Simcoe Lager, and it was a great example of the fruity properties of the Citra hop. A good beer, at a not all too bad price, from a Finnish microbrewery means I will probably drink this again, and buy Stadin Panimo’s products in the future.”]