2nd Case Swap: James P - Dark Crystal

[James P]

Okay my first attempt at a beer that is not a blonde, pils, lager, pale ale or amber to light coloured beer....

I have yet to drink a stout, however this weekend will be looking at the Kilkenny's and Guinesses to compare my stout.

Let me know what you think!

[MrC]

I'm planning on drinking this tonight, just put it in the fridge. What temp would you recommend?

[James P]

Hey Mr C, the guidelines are 8-12C. Hopefully an enjoyable drop, I have not tasted it since about a week after bottling.

Looking forward to your notes/comments.

[Alasdair]

Unfortunately I think my bottle of Dark Crystal was infected. Hopefully it's just a gremlin in a random bottle, but you might need to double check your sanitation regime.

Poured with a huge tan head, nice colour - very dark, but love those ruby highlights when you hold it up to the light. Very low aroma - just a hint of malt. High, fizzy carbonation, very thin and astringent.

[James P]

I'm a bit guttered about that, and hoping it is only a random occurrence!! My brother had a bottle last night which is said was okay.

My sanitation regime is all bottles being cleaned in dish wash, rinsed in hot water, cooled then sanitised with Iodophor. The beer is then bottled with a sanitised cap. Could be the bottles didn't get enough contact time... I have put three random bottles from the same batch in the fridge to try later today at a BBQ.

[MrC]

I drank this one last night. At first I thought it was infected too but that didn't stop me.

Opened the bottle and bubbles immediately started forming in the bottle. Bubbles were large which in my experience is bad sign. I was expecting the worst to I quickly poured the whole bottle into two glasses. I have experience with infected beers and your best bet is to get it of the sediment ASAFP.

Poured very dark/black with ruby highlights and a huge, long lasting tan head. Aroma of chocolate noticable while pouring. Carbonation was high.
Aroma of chocolate, coffee & burnt.
Tasted fine to me, didn't taste infected.
Fizzy carbonation in the mouthfeel, body was lighter than expected, seemed more like a robust porter than a stout.
Aftertaste of burnt malt & roast barley.
I thought the malt balance was quite nice, nothing dominated but could taste the chocolate, patent & RB. Burnt but not too burnt.
The roast Barley seems to become more obvious as the beer warmed. S04 seemed to take over the aftertaste towards the end in the same way that it does in Cherry Brown :(
Burps were dominated by the curry that I had for dinner.

Easter bunny arrived after the first glass and the chocolate went well with the beer.

My only complaint would be the carbonation which I thought was too high. I supect that there is a minor infection in there, maybe the early stages of something. I'd drink it sooner rather than later. My bet is that they'll be gushing it a months time unless you store them cold.

My only suggestion would be to increase the body & make it a bit chewier. Rolled oats maybe?

I liked it, drank it all and I drank it quite quickly.
Last year I swore I'd stop using Roast Barley after brewing an Irish Red Ale but this beer a renewed my interest in it. I feel a stout coming on. Soon!

Cheers Jimmy!

[Ally Mcg]

Having read the comments about smidge of infection I was a bit apprehensive pouring this one incase it gushed everywhere, but no problem with that at all.
Decanted to a 1litre jug and filled my glass...

Thick creamy head, dark almost black beer. Bitter chocolate on the nose with coffee. Nice low level of carbonation, keeping the beer very smooth over the palate. Starts with a dry and reasonable astringent finish but after a few more sips it mellows and becomes sweeter. Can taste the roasted barley giving it a nice charryness and as it sweetens I detected some dary beerry fruit there, maybe brambles and more dark chocolate. Very easy to drink thanks to the smoothness in the mouth and I'm a bit disappointed I don't have another bottle.

Keep experimenting James - its a very good dark beer for a first go at one
Cheers!

[Doublehoppy]

Poured this into a pint glass, probably at the low end of your recommended temperature range. Was very very dark with a thick, long lasting off-white head, I thought the carbonation was spot on. Nice slightly burnt with medium bitterness and very nice mouth feel.
I did pick up a blue cheese flavour. Not sure whether this has anything to do with the suspected infection mentioned above? I had a similar taste to a recent Belgian pale ale effort of mine and I've got no idea why.
Cheers, Brett

[denimglen]

A sad moment, last (but not least) bottle from the swap.

Pours nice thick creamy, two finger head. Very dark brown with a hint of red in the light. Head turns pillowy and sticky and laces well.

A sweet aroma of toffee, coffee and some choc too. A little earthiness too.

Roasty chocolate in flavour, bittersweet chocolate. Roast malt and bitterness blend well in the finish with a little burnt, ashy-ness lingering. Some SO4 fruitness. Balanced.

At first I agree with Mr Cherry, rides the line between robust porter and stout. I'm a bit rough with the style guidelines and examples for most darker ales, just double checked now with BJCP and stacks up pretty well.

Overall, very nice beer mate, could work my way through a bit of this although I can't help think it would be a touch better with a different yeast.

[Stu McKinlay]

Pours a dark brown, near black, with ruby highlights and a light tan crema. Looks nice. Woody notes and greenish fruit esters that remind me of S04. Full and sweet in the mouth, almost lactose stout like in its residual sweetness. Sweetened cream in percolated coffee. I like this. Reminds me of a warmish, flatish, fuller-bodied Vita-Stout... and that is a good thing. Definitely a sweet stout rather than a dry one. Slightly astringent and "green" when it is cooler, perhaps a shade of bubblegum too. Opens up nicely as it vents and warms. I like the first glass and really enjoyed the second glass.

Would be worth trying this again with S05, or a liquid english ale yeast. Or dropping ferment temp a shade (if you can). Has good potential. I like the recipe but sweet stout really is a love it or hate it kind of beer. It's nice to have a stout with so many porters around these days.

Good job and thanks.

Try Invercargill Pitch Black for comparison rather than a dry stout like Guiness (or Murphy's which is a shade sweeter). unless you actually want to brew a dry stout!

[James P]

Thanks for the comments so far all, there are some promising results for another foray into the darker side.

I am however still guttered about the bottle you received Alaisdair I may need to think about sending you another!

[Alasdair]

I wouldn't say no to that! :) I'm a big fan of stouts, and the other case-swappers enjoyed it. I'd send you something in return too if you want.

[Barry]

Had this tonight, #5 from the swap for me. I'm playing case swap catchup tonight whilst everyone else is drinking American imports :)

Pours deep inky black with ruby highlights a short-lived tan head.
Roasty chocolatey caramel on the nose, some fruity yeastyness.
Beer is a little spritzy, slightly over-carbonated for me. Medium bodied, sweet malt rounded out by roasty toasty. More porter-like for me too, definitely not sharply dry/charcoal/roasty like I would expect from a dry stout.
I didn't pick up any obvious infection but my bottle was a little bubbly.

Overall I liked this beer, pretty damn tasty in fact. Well done James!