CS5 - Mackenzie's Windsor Ale

[Martin Bridges]

Based on a 19th century English recipe, via the American Homebrewers Association's Zymurgy magazine.

7.5kg Maris Otter

60g Manuka Honey (at flameout)

25g NZ Goldings @ 90 mins

25g NZ Goldings @ 30 mins

25g NZ Goldings @ 5 mins

Secret spice 1 @ 0 mins

Secret spice 2 @ 0 

Secret spice 3 @ 0

Secret spice 4 @ 0

Secret spice 5 @ 0

Fermented with Wyeast 1968 @ 19 degrees C

Secret spices 6 & 7 added prior to bottling

Bottle conditioned, so please take appropriate precautions.

OG = 1.074, IBUs = 31, ABV = 7.6%

Really looking forward to comments on this one, it's totally unlike anything I've brewed before.

[Dale Cooper]

Pulled this one out first up. Opened without chilling in the fridge, I figured the temperature in my garage is perfect for beer given the current weather here :-p

Mine was highly carb'd so fizzed out the bottle when I opened it, unfortunately it stirred up the yeast, bugger.

A pleasant sipping type beer, sweet with strong spice flavours. Star anise would be my guess for the dominant spice, something aniseedy anyway, couldn't guess what the other spices might be.

[Martin Bridges]

Interesting, I thought I'd kept the priming sugar low! I'm out of practise - I normally keg but decided to bottle condition these ones.

I can categorically state there is NO star anise in this beer. :-)

[Simon David kelly]

Just finished mopping the floor ... got a bit of a gusher ...

Didn't loose too much and got a full pint. Like dale it stirred up the yeast, but I'm assuming that it would have had a haze from the honey anyway.

Great flavour, attenuated well so there's not much residual sweetness. Slight hot alcohol after the spice notes die away. Head still sticking to the sides (and my floor) after 20 minutes although the bulk of it has died off. Definitely one for a winter nights and i shall be enjoying the rest of this glass in bed. Night night everyone.

Clove, Star Anise, Juniper, Ginger, Fennnel would be my guess at some of the spices.

[Martin Bridges]

I am doomed to failure on this Case Swap lark - last time the carbonation was too low, this time they're all gushing!

[Martin Bridges]

1 out of 5 for you there Simon :-)

[Dale Cooper]

Then i'm guessing fennel was Simon's correct pick. Is that right?

[Martin Bridges]

Nope. I'll give him Ginger.

[Dale Cooper]

Hmm ok given its an old recipe, is it wormwood?

[Martin Bridges]

Nope.

I guess the 2 late spices are probably masking the rest. Ginger is one of the 2 late spices.

[MrC]

I brewed a spiced ale once and it got infected. I added spices at the end of the boil and then again after primary. Not that I'm suggesting that yours is infected, just thought you might be interested.

In light of what has been posted here, I just purged a little CO2 from the bottle in the hope that it will help out when I get around to sampling it. I'll let you know...

[MrC]

First Auckland beer for me from this case swap.

Opened and quickly decanted into a jug then gently poured a glass. Poured a slightly hazy amber color with a large white head that lasted well. Plenty of aromatics going in that beer. Yeast character seemed a little odd to me with both English and Belgian characteristics coming through but it I liked it. A little sweet caramel and hop aroma in the background but up front it's the spices with ginger being the obvious one. There's a nice mix of spices in there.

I reckon the spices are:
Ginger
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
Allspice
Crushed Coriander Seeds

The mouthfeel was full & smooth and the flavours all seemed very well balanced between spices, yeast, alcohol, bitterness & caramel sweetness. I reckon that's a great recipe Martin.

I really liked this beer. I wouldn't drink a lot of it though, 750ml was about right for me.

Toward the end I got a little hot flush and this morning I wasn't feeling the best so maybe there were some high alcohols in there. Maybe it just needed a little more conditioning.

A great beer for a case swap, cheers Martin.

[Reviled]

Pours a nice bright orange with a big rocky head that trys to climb out of the glass, over carbonation is visible but its not a gusher... Aroma is surprisingly malty @ 8*c, and when it warms up its still not as spicy as the first time I tried this beer?? Im getting some clove and honey notes with some subtle cinnamon in the background? Well balanced on the palate, good mouthfeel but something sweet I cant quite put my finger on up front, a bit of hot alcohol which goes down well on a cold night and its leaving a bit of a peppery feeling on my lips!

This beer is just too interesting to put onto paper!! Great stuff!

My guesses on the spices are cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove and coriander??

Nicole also tried it and other than saying tastes like yucky malt, she said she could maybe pick up cinnamon and nutmeg?