CS8 - Precious Pints - Topaz Amber Ale

[Dan]

Ok, this beer is not as WOW, as some of the other beers in this swap. Even by my usually hoptastic standards, it's tame bordering on boring! The hops for this are a new breed from Aussie - I picked them up on holiday in Brizzy over christmas. There wasn't much info available, and what there was, was conflicting. So I reined in my hopping compulsion and brewed a "nice" wee Amber ale to see what the hops can do. Enjoy!

 

25lt batch - Brewed 1-4-12, bottled 15-4-12

 

4kg    Golden Promise

200g  Pale Crystal

75g    Caramunich II

20g    Special B

 

65'c mash - 60 mins

 

60 min: 10g Topaz - 16.5%AA - 16 IBU

30 min: 10g Topaz - 16.5%AA - 12 IBU

10 min: 10g Topaz - 16.5%AA - 6 IBU

0 min:   20g Topaz - 16.5%AA

 

YEAST - 2nd gen WLP051, fermented @ 19'c

Bottle conditioned.

IBU: 34

O/G: 1.044 - 84% eff

F/G: 1.012

ABV: 4.4%

SRM: 7.5

[Andrew]

I had this beer 2nd up and I've just read your post, I think your underselling this! I really enjoyed it. First up I could get a little dicetyl on the nose but it was at quite a low level so not too much to worry about. Carbonation was spot on with a nice head.

It had a really nice copper/amer colour like the Kennedy St Pale ale. Seemed to have more colour than the 7.5 stated above. I quite liked the aroma of this, it was almost pilsener-esque. Like a cross between a Czech Pils and a hoppy NZ pilsener. It was quite crisp with a hint of fruit. The Bitter:Body balance was spot on for me. I could quite happily of drank a few of these. Good recipe to test these new hops, I might have to try and get my hands on some of these. Cheers

[Richard Jack]

Enjoyed this one last night. Lovely subtle beer, I imagine it's a real crowd pleaser.

Looks a little pale to call an amber, but that's just semantics really isn't it? Reading Andrews comment though, maybe it was just my glass? If I'd had to guess the style based on taste and appearance I would have said a blonde ale.

I found it hard to put a name to the hop flavours... Some sort of really faint tropical fruit maybe? Certainly a pleasing bitterness. I'm looking forward to finding some of these hops and playing with them myself.

Didn't spot any brewing flaws. Nice recipe and nice beer, and great to try a new hop.

Cheers!

[Tilt]

I've been looking forward to this one as I'm visiting Oz soon and wanted to know how Topaz measures up.  Nicely chosen grist for the hops I reckon.  Beaut dark golden colour with a dense white head that laces the glass well.  Carbed at a level I prefer - lowish.  The aroma I get is mildly citrussy and hints of passionfruit.  The bitterness is fresh and forward but doesn't carry through too long.  Nicely balanced crisp malt but no sweetness to speak of which adds to this being refreshing and clean.  Clean ferment in my book and well balanced beer - coming into winter I'd wait a few months to brew this for next summer. Can't say that Topaz is that distinctive as a flavour/aroma hop - but sits well in this beer -  Thanks Dan - good beer. 

[Martin Bridges]

After an exhausting day I sat down with this beer an it was just what the doctor ordered. Lovely and clear, more of a pale ale than an amber in my book. Interesting aroma, slightly lacking in malt backbone but a good honest pale ale and one that I could drink plenty of. Cheers mate.

[John H]

My only negative with this beer was in the name - Amber Ale. As a Pale Ale it was great -gorgeous clear golden colour, luscious fluffy head that subsides to generous lacing.

Crisp, well balanced and very drinkeable. Like you would have liked some more hops - but nice beer nonetheless. Thanks for sharing.

[Adrian Tayler]

Nice appreance, lovely color.

Aroma, very suble pashionfruit, bubblegum maybe?, I cant put my finger on it, a new hop for me indeed.

Flavor is perfect, nice balance, easy to drink and certainly one to have on tap for the summer.. I will take a baseline from this recipe for a summer brew thats for sure..

I love a slightly sharper mouthfeel so for me I would have enjoyed it even more with a higher carbonation.

Thanks for the swap.

[Stu H]

Poured a brilliantly clear medium amber with a bright white fluffy head, which hung around for a little while. Ow in the nose I get that "confectionary" grape flavour, which I don't get as much in the flavour. Really nice balanced easy drinking beer, though I would have probably dumped a few more late additions in there to get more of an idea of what the hop was doing. I don't think I've ever drunk a beer made with Cal V before too...

Nicely brewed too! Cheers!

[SR]

Clear copper

Creamy dense head, but does not last

Metallic on the nose?  Very little aroma

Fruity hop flavour - after looking at the recipe, was suprised how few hops were used, though we notice the high AA... we got a fair amount of hop character

Nice round bitterness, astringent at the end resulting in a nice dry finish

Good carbonation and mouthfeel

Tastes much bigger than you would expect (after reading the recipe & notes)

As it warms, more maltiness & sweetness come through...

A really nice beer - thanks... not as boring as you think Dan!

[Paul Harrison]

I get what you mean by bordering on boring but I gotta say this beer went down very easily.

 

Little to no aroma for me and the aroma I did get was kinda grainy. I've never had a beer with Topaz hops in it before. (i don't think I have anyway)

mild citrus from the hops and mild sweetness from the supporting malts. nothing dominating. very well balanced.

 

I'm gonna toss my hat in the ring on the was it a pale ale or amber and I would have said it was more amber than pale. Then again who cares. I need to start making more sub 5% session beers.

Cheers

[Matt Smith]

Last CS8 review for me. It's been awesome!

Just looked back through to make sure I covered all the beers, and I'm really sorry I don't mean to do your beer an injustice, but this one slipped through the cracks and I didn't get any notes down. I do remember enjoying it, that is was nice and clear, and thought that the Topaz hop character seemed kinda German/noble'ish. I can't really offer anything else that hasn't already been said. Thanks for sharing this !