Loving Californication
This is a late review of my Californication, but I have had a good chance to sample enough of it now to formulate a good opinion of this beer.
I have to say, I was a bit weary about this beer at first as I am not crazy about the "lager" taste that is the mark of lager yeast. I was not sure how that would blend with the recipe I made or if it would be overwhelming. Well I was very pleased with the flavor and the subtle nuances of this beer. Here is my assessment without any scoring:
Appearance: Pours medium copper color with a long lasting head. The head is really think and creamy and lasts quite a while. I think this is the result of the DME conditioning because I have never had a brew do this before.
Aroma: This has a very clean smell, a lot of malt without a lot of hops. There is a little hint of the Larger aroma, but it is second or third on the list of things I would say I can smell.
Taste: There is a light sweet flavor that is anything but overwhelming. It's subtle and stays on the tongue without dominating the experience. There is a touch of bittering at the end of the experience, but it passes fast and you are left with the subtle sweet carmel flavor (again, very subtle)
Mouth Feel: This is a very smooth beer. The carbonation is in line with the style being average for high drinkability.
Drinkability: This is one of the more drinkable beers I have ever brewed. It's smooth and refreshing with the ABV to make it a session beer. It has the body and character of a bigger beer, but stops shot of being overwhelming making you want more!
Conclusion: This is without a doubt one of the best beers I have brewed. It may be the style that I am growing attached to, but these days when a lot of brewers are really focused on big intense flavors, this is really refreshing. The American Lager I made was too little, the ESB, maybe a little too much, this is the baby bear, it's just right!
I have to say, I was a bit weary about this beer at first as I am not crazy about the "lager" taste that is the mark of lager yeast. I was not sure how that would blend with the recipe I made or if it would be overwhelming. Well I was very pleased with the flavor and the subtle nuances of this beer. Here is my assessment without any scoring:
Appearance: Pours medium copper color with a long lasting head. The head is really think and creamy and lasts quite a while. I think this is the result of the DME conditioning because I have never had a brew do this before.
Aroma: This has a very clean smell, a lot of malt without a lot of hops. There is a little hint of the Larger aroma, but it is second or third on the list of things I would say I can smell.
Taste: There is a light sweet flavor that is anything but overwhelming. It's subtle and stays on the tongue without dominating the experience. There is a touch of bittering at the end of the experience, but it passes fast and you are left with the subtle sweet carmel flavor (again, very subtle)
Mouth Feel: This is a very smooth beer. The carbonation is in line with the style being average for high drinkability.
Drinkability: This is one of the more drinkable beers I have ever brewed. It's smooth and refreshing with the ABV to make it a session beer. It has the body and character of a bigger beer, but stops shot of being overwhelming making you want more!
Conclusion: This is without a doubt one of the best beers I have brewed. It may be the style that I am growing attached to, but these days when a lot of brewers are really focused on big intense flavors, this is really refreshing. The American Lager I made was too little, the ESB, maybe a little too much, this is the baby bear, it's just right!
* For the record, I am wearing a golf glove because I took those pics on the way out to practice my short game in my back yard.
**Yes, I am anal and wear my glove when practicing in the yard, but not my shoes, I am not that anal.
3 comments:
Yeah... had to read to the bottom of the post to see why you were wearing a glove. I just thought you were a stalker or something.
Maybe a Michael Jackson impersonator.
P.S. That beer sounds delicious. Perhaps the perfect beer to relax after a long day of putting around in the yard?
jonathan,
My older bro was the MJ fan, had the glove and everything. I am just a drunk hack that loves to have a beer in the backyard and work on my short game.
This is the perfect beer for just that! The weather here in upstate has been great and I have really enjoyed going home to a few of these bad boys while I get ready for the NBA playoff game of the night.
Cheers!
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