What are you drinking ?

[jt]

Ok, so What Are You Brewing was a hotty, as topics go.

Now I'm 15 pints into a keg I only filled on Tuesday and wondering if anyone else has a favourite at the moment ?

It's my second brown with US-Oh05 and it's better than the forst, maybe Ikept the temps down a bit during the scorcher we had in januray

[Bambule]

That may be true, I remember buying a 4 pack of black mac for christmas in Brisbane about 15 years ago and 3 of them foamed everywhere.

That said, I'm a sucker for a beer glass Stu!

[Greig McGill]

Except Nelson Reserve, which was awesome, and if my memory isn't broken, was like a less OTT version of Nerdherder B.

[Stu McKinlay]

Nah, nothing like it Greig. Sassy Red would be closer... A twee Nerdherder with anorexia. Nelson Reserve was more a forerunner of Hop Rocker, wasn't it? Slightly maltier.

[Greig McGill]

Can't reply to Stu, so replying to me - pesky Ning.

I remember NR being a full bodied and very hop-flavoured beer, with Nelson Sauvin coming through quite well. That's how I found NHB too, though with a lot more hop complexity - the Sauvin marrying so well with the other hops, I couldn't tell where they begun and ended. You use hops so well, it's no wonder you hate SMaSHes! ;)

[denimglen]

Had a bottle of Thomas Hardy's 08 tonight, wanted to cellar it but meh, I'll buy another one for cellaring later, haha. Either way great beer.

On to the Pink Elephant Trumpet. Getting a massive blue cheese thing in the flavour. Noticed a very slight, but still similar thing in Hallertau's Porter Noir. Anyone know what's up with that? Brett or oak maybe?

[Soren]

I have a Trumpet in the cellar, much looking forward to it but haven't tasted it yet. rumor has it there is a bit of brett in there though, so that's probably it, I don't think Roger Pink oaks his beers

[Stu McKinlay]

I like my cheese on a plate next to the beer, rather than in it.
I've never got that off Hallertau Porter noir but definitely got it off a few Elephants...

[Mike Neilson]

Im just having my 100% Brettanomyces Bruxellensis fermented Pale Ale at the Moment and I can confirm that it has Blue cheese in it its more Roquefort than Stilton.

Weirdest beer I have ever tried!! Full Stop!!! opps.

[MrC]

I got massive blue cheese off the Hallertau Porter Noir that I tasted at the Malthouse during the WnBC (thanks Steph). I have since puchased a couple of bottles from Regional that don't really have the blue cheese aspect. I spoke to Keieren at Regional when I bought them and he mentioned that the 2009 version is still very young and the brett hasn't really developed yet. I don't know much about brett so I took his word for it. I'm currently cellaring the second bottle at room temp hoping that the blue cheese arouma will kick in. Fantastic beer!

[Stu McKinlay]

Can't say I've ever heard of beers with brettanomyces being cheesy. It is specifically undesirable in the Belgian sour styles.

[denimglen]

The bottle of PN that had it was very subtle and quite enjoyable but it was overpowering in the trumpet.

The undesirable Cheesey-ness in Belgian sours is because of the use of aged hops isn't it? The cheese in trumpet wasn't old hops cheese I don't think.

[Mike Neilson]

More Brett reading

The three most important known aroma active compounds are 1) 4-ethyl phenol (4-ep), which has been variously described as having the aromas of Band-aids®, antiseptic and horse stable 2) 4-ethyl guaiacol (4-eg) which has a rather pleasant aroma of smoked bacon, spice or cloves and 3) isovaleric acid which has an unpleasant smell of sweaty animals, cheese and rancidity. Other characters associated with Brett include wet dog, creosote, burnt beans, rotting vegetation, plastic and (but not exclusively caused by Brett) mouse cage aroma and vinegar.

Cheese? Yip I have it all over my WBC entrant!! Hmmmm loving the mouse cage aroma as well