Secret Santa Review Thread 2021!

[Clint]

Ahhh I'm sorry santa the plum porter wasnt for me, I felt that it was well made, not off or anything, clear well carbed, and I felt that underneath the plum was a nice porter/stout but the plum wasnt for me at all. Thanks for sharing!

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Thanks for the feedback! I do get mixed opinions on the plum porter..you either like it or you don't.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Thanks for the feedback! I do get mixed opinions on the plum porter..you either like it or you don't.

I thought they were from you! Yeah the plum just didnt do it for me, I was put off plum porters after having a dodgy one in a wetherspoons years ago.

 

[Cowman]

My 4th beer was the saison
Very drinkable with orangey flavours
It had very little carbonation but was very good.
Cheers santa

 

[jayk34]

My first Secret Santa,
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a 4.7% dry stout.
No hiss opening the bottle. The head dissipated very soon after taking the photo.
Aroma. Light malty wth a hint of chocolate.
Appearance. Very dark, as it should be, could almost see through it with a torch held behnd it.
Flavour. No harsh flavours, no astringency, almost a sweet, chocolate after taste.
Mouthfeel. Lighter bodied than expected. My son and I thought low carbonation, my daughter said "too fizzy".
Overall Impression. Very drinkable, pleasant stout. The BJCP style guide says Guinness is a typical example. I'm not a big fan of stouts and don't really like Guinness. I'd much rather drink this than Guinness, thank you Santa.

That's mine, thanks for the review and glad it wasn't offensive on the palate . Did have an issue with head retention on this one and not sure why.

 

[Cwrw666]

My first SS was a `Lager Boch'. As a reviewer of this I'm a bit hopeless as I've never actually had a `Boch' before either commercial or homemade. I've also never used most of the ingredients before so no idea how the others would affect the taste.
It was crystal clear, nice head, not overcarbonated. Rich and malty and with a definite alcohol hit, though not as much as the 6.8% might indicate. Very moreish.
I've been drinking a bit of Leffe Bruin recently. I'd imagine this is what you'd get if you fermented that with a lager yeast rather than a Belgian abbey yeast.
I liked it a lot.

Second up was this lovely Prima Donna golden ale. Yes it was golden, and crystal clear, and a lovely drop. Slightly citrusy but I couldn't make out that marmalade flavour I get with my own homegrown prima donna. Nonetheless it was excellent. I wish pale ales down the pub were as good...

 

[Cowman]

The 5th beer is the Belgian tripel
There is floral notes from the hops in the aroma
Some grain sweetness and more floral notes in the flavour and balanced well.
Cheers santa

 

[Leon103]

It wasn't very difficult tracking u down, since u left your address on an envelope used as padding in the box!! No **** Sherlock!.Thats not the point mate, because besides the carbonation issue they were for me, superb. Salute!

Ah an envelope, was there anything in there?

Was carbonation wrong? Or just head retention?
Carbonation should be spot on.

 

[Irishwizard]

Ah an envelope, was there anything in there?

Was carbonation wrong? Or just head retention?
Carbonation should be spot on.

Nothing in envelope you will be pleased to know. Carbonation was spot on but head retention poor. Bit of a weird one, since some of my beers with a single malt lace all the way down whilst others dont. Its not something I get worked up about.

 

[Tanglefoot]

Pre boxing day lunch tipple with my second bottle from Santa.
This espresso stout has a real coffee kick, both in flavour and aroma.
With molasses like sweetness, light bitterness, it's well carbonated though lost a little head as I drank it.
Might have to try something like this myself, many thanks to whoever brewed it

 

[Leon103]

Nothing in envelope you will be pleased to know. Carbonation was spot on but head retention poor. Bit of a weird one, since some of my beers with a single malt lace all the way down whilst others dont. Its not something I get worked up about.

They were bottled from keg so because I need to make some adjustments, both have a good head off the keg. The porter, too much if I use the stout tap.

 

[Griff097]

My first SS after spending yesterday recovering from overexuberance on Christmas eve, when will I learn!

I was very, very lucky for my first beer to be an absolutely stunning pale ale 5% citra and simcoe, a slight hiss on opening hid a nice level of carbonation, which poured with a good head which lasted.

Lovely hoppy aroma and citrussy notes, it looked hazy in the glass but tasted superb and didn't last long, I could happily sink a few of those of an evening.

Thank you Santa.

 

[Clint]

Thought I'd try a SS while Mrs Clint is relaxing...
This has been outside for a few days so is super chilled. Opened with a short hiss and pours hazy with initially a good head that faded to a thin covering that lingered and left light lacing.
I've left it a short whole as I felt the cold was killing it a bit both in taste and aroma. I'm not sure of the beer style to be honest but there's a soft bitterness ,lemon/ subtle spice aroma and slight grain,juicy finish. Its obviously very pale,almost lager like and carbonation has remained through to the end. What is it??
I'll have a wild guess...a NZ pale?
It also doesn't hint at anywhere near the 6% ABV on the label.
A curious one for me but I quite enjoyed it! A thirst quencher that would have been better on a warm day...but dangerous as its easy drinking..like those SAISONs!
Thanks for sharing...but do tell!
I'm getting "oranges" burps off this!

 

[Cowman]

The 6th and final beer of the swap
A jet black impy stout
Coffee and vanilla on the nose
the same in taste with a long lasting creamy roast coffee finish. Absolutely beautiful and I shall make this one myself.
Thank you very much both Santa for a very beery Christmas

 

[Clint]

Last of my SS...a Belgian triple! Instructions to serve cold..Big hiss and lots of fizz,soft white billowing head which receded to a half cm retained head powered by the fizz. Pale golden and crystal clear!
Now,I'm not "into" Belgian beers and very rarely buy them so I can only pass a comment on how this was for me and not a comparison to the style. So here goes...
Visually pleasing.
Spicy aroma!
Fizzy!
Tasty..very much (to me) SAISON like..but not quite!
Overall...I feel this is a very well made beer that I'd drink again. Can't remember/,recall a stated IBU but being a Tripel its gotta be quite high...in fact I'm starting to feel a bit warm round the face! Ideal in my Arctic extension!
Lovely....thanks for sharing!

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

Am I the only saddo who keeps refreshing this thread every couple of minutes looking for 'one of mine' like an expectant father

 

[Clint]

Am I the only saddo who keeps refreshing this thread every couple of minutes looking for 'one of mine' like an expectant father

Being an expectant father is less stressful...

 

[Griff097]

Next SS was a 10% Belgian Triple, bit of a gusher on opening and despite a slow pour a lot of debris ended up in the glass which was floating up and down with the carbonation.

I had a couple of sips and it tasted on style with the right carbonation for a Belgian beer.

I couldn't drink it with all the debris which wouldn't settle, I believe it may have been fermenting in the bottle or picked up a bit of trub bottling.

Thank you for the gift though Santa.

 

[Cptn_Needa]

Am I the only saddo who keeps refreshing this thread every couple of minutes looking for 'one of mine' like an expectant father

Nope, you’re not alone

 

[Griff097]

Next up was a 12.2% Quad, a nice hiss on opening, lovely carbonation and beautifully clear in the glass, with that distinctive malty flavour, didn't taste like the 12.2% it is, a sipper for sure.

Thank you Santa.

 

[samale]

Next SS was a 10% Belgian Triple, bit of a gusher on opening and despite a slow pour a lot of debris ended up in the glass which was floating up and down with the carbonation.

I had a couple of sips and it tasted on style with the right carbonation for a Belgian beer.

I couldn't drink it with all the debris which wouldn't settle, I believe it may have been fermenting in the bottle or picked up a bit of trub bottling.

Thank you for the gift though Santa.

That's not good, the pale and tripel are both mine.
I have sent 8 bottles out, sorry your the first to report that it's over carbonated