OBERON 2011!!!!

It's Oberon day!

Went to Chumleys after work today to partake in a couple pints. I was too dead after the matches yesterday to make it to the release party last night at midnight.

This year's is spectacular. Last year's batch was extremely fragile, which definitely took away from what the not-skunked beer tasted like. Nothing is more off putting than wondering how skunked the beer would be. The fresh beer last year was spectacular, and that's what I'll compare this years to.

This year's brew was much sweeter...so much so that I was a bit confused. However it isn't a bad sweet. It's still not like blue moon sweet, but sweeter than last years.

All of the rest of the flavor profile is as advertised...pure oberon. The mellow, pleasant flavor of the spices, balanced out by the wheaty earthiness and kiss of hops on the finish. Very awesome.

Last year's unskunked Oberon was slightly better, but it was so hard to find that do to the fragility of the recipe. If this formulation is a little more durable, this will be an amazing oberon season.

-James

Final on St. Pattys Uber Stout

Sounds like we may be drinking and watching games at Boone's place...my responsibility is to bring my beer. It should be ready, I put it in the fridge today and pulled off a pint to check it.

Final gravity (going into keg) was 1.007, getting me close to 5.9 % abv. Analytical chemist in me means I report it as 5.6-5.95%, I read the beginning gravity as 1.0509, and the final as 1.0065 with the last digits being uncertain (+/- 0.0005). I'm very excited about the abv, since I was aiming at 5-6%, and started with a kit capable of 4.6%.

Now, for the flavor profile. If I had my 'druthers, this would sit in the fridge another week, but I don't have that luxury. There are some surprisingly rich flavors here. I remember the unmolested recipe tasted almost exactly like Guinness, which isn't a bad thing, but I wanted a little more richness, more like a Murphy's. I got it. The generous chocolate malt definitely livened up the front end, and brought a fair amount of richness to the start of the flavor. The initial mouthfeel is almost velvety.

The middle of the flavor is pretty typical for stouts...pronounced sweetness with a mellowing smokiness. The end is where I'm a little disappointed (as is usually the case with these Mr. Beer kits). There is a touch of a tartness on the finish. That said, one day in the fridge has already started mellowing this out, so hopefully by Thursday it will be unnoticeable.

The happy part about this finish is the delayed warm wash of significant ABV. I don't doubt the 5.9% number for a second. This beer is potent and could sneak up on the unawares. *evil laughter*

Overall, I'm proud of this brew. I just needed to start it 4 days earlier.

-James