WineSwap Feedback

[anthonyUK]

Hi Rozza,
The Merlot was from one of the last of my Reserve du Chateau kits (Paklab) bought from Amazon last year.
They really were a bargain at £15-20. The kit was made as per instructions if a little 'short' and bulk aged.
Glad you liked it too.

 

[narmour]

7W Review:

Sorry about the delay in posting this review. If i'm honest the only thing we were sure about when testing (and 6 people were offered a taste over the course of the weekend!) was that we universally think it was delicious!! :clap:

The liquid was lovely and clear. The first thing that i thought was that it had a distinctly 'Porty' smell, almost fortified. Then upon tasting i found it to be dry (in a very good way) with a very fruity berry flavour. Some people thought there were blackberries involved but we weren't able to get a reasonable consensus :)

I'm new to wine making and i hope that, given time, i will be able to produce drinks that taste as good as this! If you wouldn't mind posting the recipe i'll definitely get some on the go ASAP!

Thank you for sharing this with me, it livened up my weekend and showed me what is possible

Wow thank you that's a really nice review of my wine!! I'm very happy you liked it so much. You were right, it is mostly made up of blackberries, with a bit of elderberry in there as well. It is last year's vintage, made in November and bulked aged for only 8 months so hopefully it will taste even better this time next year!!

I will dig out my note book after we move house next week (it is already packed away) and give you the recipe in time to get to work on this year's blackberry crop.

Thanks again, you've made my day :thumb:

 

[Boatbrewer]

The good lady has just text me to say 12W has arrived. Its in the fridge waiting for me to get home from work.

 

[ubewty]

Thanks Narmour, looking forward to seeing the recipe, i found a huge secluded bunch of blackberries whilst on a walk the other day and i'm hoping nobody else knows about them

 

[Boatbrewer]

12W Mixed Fruit Wine with honey.

I poured a glass of this last night and I thought it looked a bit cloudy so I put it back in the bottle and gave it another day to rest after its journey in the post.

It is a lovely pink colour and pouring it released a wondeful fruity aroma. Lots of raspberry and a bit of strawberry too, I would guess. Taste wise, the fruit continues and I got a hint of sharp cranberry. I am guessing that this is a young wine with some lovely flavours that have yet to mellow. You can just about taste the honey which gives a smooth sweetness and is a nice complement to the sharper fruits. The lable says 14% and I do not doubt this!

My only negative is that it is not properly cleared. The cloudyness is still there today and I when I finished my glass, there was some debris left behind in the bottom. This is such a shame as it is an otherwise excellent brew. Well done!

 

[Druss]

Review of 1W

My first thought on glimpsing the label was 'wow, that's rather well aged' at 800 years old its certainly getting on a bit

Overall verdict was a definite positive, the wine has a beautifully clear golden hue and smells distinctly fruity. No percentage ABV was listed but I would guess at around 8% (based on my notes from when I attempted a batch of this some time ago and the fact that it is extraordinarily dry so unlikely to have been back sweetened). Ordinarily I prefer my wines with a bit of sweetness to them and usually end up adding lemonade to anything too dry, but here I was pleasantly surprised to keep it as is.
The flavour is very fruity and has a depth to it that my own attempt seriously lacked, the variation of subtle fruity notes meant that the flavour I first noticed was not the same as the flavour that remained moments later when I was compelled to have another taste.

The only negative point is that it was too easy to drink

 

[Boatbrewer]

1W that is mine.

Thanks Deano I am glad you enjoyed the Medieval brew. What a complete numpty! I cant believe I did that. :lol:

This is my staple brew that I make once or twice a month and is the Good Lady's favorite. If she were to ever donate blood, this is what they would get!

Yes It is dry, but I hope in a clean crisp way rather than a lip curling way, and ABV comes out at around 10%

Thank you for taking the time to comment.

 

[Druss]

2W - Cherry and Cranberry juice drink 5.4%

I was initially disappointed to have received this in the wine swap but having tasted it, it is surprisingly good.
A little sweet for my taste but I can see this be VERY popular at a BBQ.
You can easily think this would be thin and lacking in body but I thought it stood up really well.
Perfectly clear and if the recipe is available I would definitely put a batch of this on

This was mine, I realise that juice drink wines aren't considered the finest of beverages but I've got some of my best results this way, the cherry and cranberry was one of my better results but to be honest I was a bit wary about entering it into the swap...glad it was appreciated though.
As for the recipe, very basic indeed, I just chucked a few litres of Ocean Spray cherry and cranberry juice drink into a demijohn, added a couple of crushed b1 tablets and a teaspoonful of super yeast compound. Ferment out as far as it will go then back sweeten to taste (mine was a little too sweet lol).

Thanks for the feedback :)

 

[narmour]

Here is feedback for 6W. Many apologies for the delay, I was away at the weekend so I'm only getting a chance to taste now. I tried a bit straight out of the bottle, then chilled and retried. I prefer it chilled.

Colour- deep browny red almost cola coloured.

Clarity- nicely clear, even though it is a dark wine it is obviously well cleared.

The wine clings nicely to the glass, and has good 'legs'.

Nose- a subtle caramel like initial hit, followed by a warming alcohol glow in the back of the nose.

First taste- Deliciously smooth, fruity flavour with caramel like after taste. Absolutely no harshness or flavours which shouldn't be there. This is quite a sweet wine, I would enjoy it as a dessert wine, ice cold with a sticky toffee pudding or something similar.

Aftertaste- it does have a slight cola quality to it (this is not a bad thing, it's very subtle and quite pleasant) which slowly fades on the pallet.

Overall- this is a lovely wine. I am struggling to work out what it is made from. It is obviously very well aged as it is deliciously smooth. The mouthfeel is enhanced by glycerine I think, and by just the right amount. I would be very proud of this wine and would love to know the recipe!

I'm looking forward to glass number two:grin:

 

[anthonyUK]

...I just chucked a few litres of Ocean Spray cherry and cranberry juice drink into a demijohn, added a couple of crushed b1 tablets and a teaspoonful of super yeast compound. Ferment out as far as it will go then back sweeten to taste (mine was a little too sweet lol).

Thanks for the feedback :)

For something so simple that is even more impressive.
Will have to give this a go and may make a 'sparkling' version :thumb:

 

[bobsbeer]

I think the one thing this swap has highlighted is how good juice wines can be. We shouldn't denigrate them as cheap alternatives. They are a great way of producing excellent wine.

 

[narmour]

Everyone who has tasted someone elses wine has requested the recipe, which makes this as much a sharing exercise as a critique. My impression as a swap newbie is that it was well worth it. I will definitely take part next time!

 

[Gayle]

Sorry I haven't posted my review yet, I've not been feeling well enough to have a drink but I'm looking forward to it so will drink it tonight :)

12W Mixed Fruit Wine with honey.

I poured a glass of this last night and I thought it looked a bit cloudy so I put it back in the bottle and gave it another day to rest after its journey in the post.

It is a lovely pink colour and pouring it released a wondeful fruity aroma. Lots of raspberry and a bit of strawberry too, I would guess. Taste wise, the fruit continues and I got a hint of sharp cranberry. I am guessing that this is a young wine with some lovely flavours that have yet to mellow. You can just about taste the honey which gives a smooth sweetness and is a nice complement to the sharper fruits. The lable says 14% and I do not doubt this!

My only negative is that it is not properly cleared. The cloudyness is still there today and I when I finished my glass, there was some debris left behind in the bottom. This is such a shame as it is an otherwise excellent brew. Well done!

That was mine, thank you for the kind review, although from seeing that photo I've just realised what I did :shock: :shock: It was a well cleared 9months old wine, but when I was pouring it from the glass 440ml bottle to the 500ml plastic one, I was worried about the airspace (maybe it wouldn't have mattered for a few days!), and I topped it up with a little of what I thought was the same wine from another bootle. Well, I've just gone to check that bottle and it is the cloudy leftovers from racking a strawberry mead a few weeks ago, complete with fruit pulp I had no idea til I saw the stuff floating in your glass, that really shouldn't have been there, and is probably why there are young harsh honey flavours in there. I am so sorry!

 

[Boatbrewer]

Ha ha easy mistake! It was really rather good... except for the bits. lol

 

[Dizzle]

Bottle 4W - strawberry and mango fruit tea wine. Has a very pleasant aroma and has a very powerful, but not overly so, taste of strawberries mellowed gently by another fruit which I assume to be the mango. The wine itself is very clear. I was expecting a red due to the colour in the green bottle but it's a rose so unfortunately I didn't try the first glass cold, still tasted great! I wonder what percentage this wine is as it's rather on the strong side but that does not compromise the flavour at all. Thanks very much for the bottle, I'd like to know the recipe if your willing to share :thumb:

On a side note I hear the recipient of my bottle had yet to receive it the other day. Hopefully it's with you now as it was sent on the 4th. Either that or your postman is enjoying it.

 

[rozza2010]

Bottle 4W - strawberry and mango fruit tea wine. Has a very pleasant aroma and has a very powerful, but not overly so, taste of strawberries mellowed gently by another fruit which I assume to be the mango. The wine itself is very clear. I was expecting a red due to the colour in the green bottle but it's a rose so unfortunately I didn't try the first glass cold, still tasted great! I wonder what percentage this wine is as it's rather on the strong side but that does not compromise the flavour at all. Thanks very much for the bottle, I'd like to know the recipe if your willing to share

Hi, 4W was mine. Glad you enjoyed it. I tend to do quite a few fruit tea wines, mainly because they are so easy to do.

This was made in a 1Gallon batch.

Twinnings Fruit Tea Bags x 20
juice of one lemon
2L of Grape juice
750g ish of Sugar
cup of strong tea
Throw in yeast n nutrient.

That wine is still quite young, only started clearing around the 7th June. One of my friends had tried this one as well, they also questioned the percentage. Although from all my readings etc it should be around 12%. Perhaps its because its a little dry.

Just glad my bottle got to you ok, especially with the Hermes courier lol

Thanks for the review, and glad you enjoyed it!

 

[Kinleycat]

Keep the feedback coming in "swappers" it is really invaluable.
The uptake has been great for a first swap and the feedback even better, it really makes the event worthwhile to read everyones contributions.
Any thoughts on the next swap (probably the secret santa), anything relating to dates, deliveries, sub groups or anything else for that matter will be gratefully received. The better we can all make it the more fun we can have and the more feedback we can get on our own brews.

KC :thumb:

 

[stevie1556]

I think we should do a end of summer/start of winter one!

 

[alanywiseman.]

Meant to PM this post

 

[Crastney]

narmour - 6W was mine - plum and damson wine. indeed well aged, as the fruit was from 2011 harvest. no glycerine in it though. recipe is here plum and damson wine*

Thank you for the very nice review - I never thought anyone would think so highly of it.

Moley suggested that it was sugar syrup and should be added to something extremely dry, and he tried some at the Spring Thing recently and quite liked it (as a dessert wine).

so after aging it looks like it turned out ok in the end.

*there are other threads with posts about this batch, search my posts for plum damson wine, and you'll find four or five threads with posts from me.

so the process had lots of mistakes - too much liquid for the amount of fruit, then too much sugar added for the amount of liquid, then too high a temp from the brew belt, then stuck fermentation, and oxidation, and colour change from too much sunlight, but after a long time clearing before bottling and a long time after ageing in bottles - it's actually rather good. Just goes to show you don't need to do everything perfectly to make good wine.