September brought the Underground Brewers to Bridgeport, where Berlinetta generously offered a table (and glassware, as yours truly left the club glassware in the wrong car…) and a wonderful environment to dive into our theme of English Ales. A relatively small gathering with less than 10 members able to make it out meant more whole group conversations, as we enjoyed some beautiful Berlinetta lagers, including their Oktoberfest that many members were seen leaving the taproom with as the night ended.
Whether talking beer, life, or the upcoming SNERHC competition (you are signed up to judge, right?), we always know how to have a good time. So good, in fact, that I don’t believe a single picture was taken throughout the course of the night. Good company, good beers, and good food… truly, a wonderful night out.
Tasting Notes:
- Best Bitter (11B) – Santi: low side on aroma, mostly hops on the nose, lacking some malt. Maybe some bubblegum, maybe sweet phenolic? A little funky. Nice fermentation character. Slightly hazy. Moderate bready malt. More malt than the aroma suggested. Moderately low fruity, pear apple. Slightly astringent, thin. Dries out fast. 7/2/13/4/7 = 33
- Best Bitter (11B) – Andy T.: more fermentation character, ester-y, low earthy hop. Maybe moderate floral fruity. Plum? Not much malt aroma. Good appearance, on the lighter side. Fermentation esters come through in the flavor. Fresh Apple. Moderately high bitterness, but not astringent. A little caramel – caramel apple without being sweet. Super drinkable. Medium light body. Low carb. Dries out without being astringent. 7/3/15/5/7 = 37
- English Barleywine (17D) – Andy C.: eird funky thing at the beginning, slightly tart (like a barrel/oak). Almost dark sour aroma. Vinous. Goes into dark caramel. Dried cherries. Bit of spice on the end. It looks like a 3. Carb is prominent. Dark fruit, fig – balance towards sweetness. Alcohol stands out on the finish. Lychee? Spice on the finish. Toffee, carb and hops balance out the sweetness on the finish. A bit thin on the mouth – carb is too light, probably thinned out from that. A little rough around the edges. Will improve over time. It’s young. 8/3/16/3/7 = 39 *From Andy: bottle conditioned with dried Brett yeast (BR-8), only in the middle for 4 months.
- British Strong Ale (17A) – Andy T.: cinnamon, cherry pit, more than moderate. Wintergreen/menthol note. Dark cherry. Light caramel malts. Maybe medicinal? Gorgeous. A little nutty with the malt, some toasty bitterness. Cherry lozenges, maybe some of that menthol from the aroma. medium bitterness. Taste doesn’t match the nose, flavor not as complex. Not quite medium full, a touch of astringency on the finish. 8/3/14/3/6 = 34 *From Andy: an ESB that “went wrong”
- Pre-Prohibition Porter (27) – Santi: something vegetal in the aroma, spinach/broccoli. Blows off. Low DMS to start. Roasted grainy malt – maybe a touch too high. It smells pre-prohibition. Maybe unburnt tobacco. Pretty amazing flavor. Corn with roasted malt. A touch metallic on the finish. A little astringency – from malt. Carb seems moderate to mod-low. We loved this beer. Noticeably different than a post-prohibition porter. 9/3/17/5/9 = 43 *From Santi: used Thrall 2-row and molasses
A few other beers and ciders were opened and enjoyed as the night came to a close, but after the porter we went back to talking over drinks, rather than about them. Cheers to all who attended! Looking forward to the October meeting at the Huxford’s in Easton!