When I left you in my last update I went on a bit about quads, and the two that I was going to brew. Both of them have finished their primary fermentation, and have been put into kegs for the 60 day aging periods I have my quads undergo where it clarifies and matures to perfection. I use a cornelius keg for this application, as they are light proof, sturdy, easily movable and can be easily hooked up to dump any particulates or yeast that accumulate.
In some beers aging is a subtle endeavor, smoothing things out and making it more pleasant. With the Westmalle yeast, which was used in the Dark Strong Ale, the 60 day conditioning period turns the beer into something that doesn't resemble the fresh beer at all. The malt flavors develop into complex toffee, plum and cocoa flavors and everything just gets a lot more enjoyable.
Other Belgian yeasts are known for doing dramatic things while aging, but since I've never used the Allagash yeast before I don't know what to expect. As it is a big beer, complete with big complex flavors, its pretty assured to develop more in its aging period.
Here are my tasting notes for the beers. Note they are not carbonated since they are just starting their maturation process.
The Pious Batch 3 - Belgian Dark Strong 18E - Brewed 1-2-2010.
OG: 1.093 - 76% efficiency, more or less as planned.
FG: 1.013 - 10.5% ABV and 85% attenuation, also about as planned.
Appearance: Quite dark. My last brewing of The Pious used D1 syrup and the color came out kind of a dark golden color, reminiscent of Gulden Draak. My favorite quad, Westvleteren 12, is a bit darker and this comes in more or less in line. A little cloudy which isn't a problem as its going to clarify into a nice sparkling jewel.
Aroma: The lack of carbonation is muting the aroma some, but some hints of date, plum and toffee come out with a little bit of burnt banana and dark cocoa, not much in the way of spices.
Flavor: Rich malts, dark toffee, cocoa and burnt banana, very rich and complex. A little higher bitterness than usual, but that is because it is still quite young. No hop character which is per style guidelines. A little soft alcohol can be perceived.
Mouthfeel: Big but not as big as the original gravity would imply, quote smooth with a little warmth from the 10.5% ABV. The addition of 15% of highly fermentable sugar keeps the beer from getting too thick and leaves it nice and lively on the palate. The Belgians say this makes it more "digestible".
The Devout Batch 1 - 18D Belgian Golden Strong, brewed 1-9-2010.
OG: 1.093, also 76% efficiency as planned.
FG: 1.016, about 10.08% ABV and 81-82% attenuation. I was hoping for more so it would be comparable to The Pious, perhaps keeping the fermentation temperature hotter for a little longer would help.
Appearance: Light gold in color, but quite cloudy like I brewed with oats. After letting the sample sit in the glass for a while I could see some yeast that floccuated down to the bottom of the glass. The aging process will definitely help here.
Aroma: Lots of really spicey, potent fruity esters from this fantastic yeast. It's kind of like a slice of candied banana but a little spicier. A little toffee comes out in the finish.
Flavor: The flavor really follows the aroma here, with the addition of some more malt characters and a little bit of alcohol in the finish. Quite complex and more or less what I was hoping to get out of the Allagash yeast.
Mouthfeel: A little thicker than The Pious due to its slightly lower attenuation, but still not thick or cloying. A little sweet, quite intense.
Combined Overall: The beers are still quite young, but they are on the way towards what I had in mind for them. No off flavors or anything out of place which is always a relief. I Look forward to carbing these up in 2 months and pontificating over their finer assets further.
I plan on these beers being entered into the National Homebrew Competition and Sam Adams Longshot 2010 competition, where they will hopefully rack me up some points/medals. They should be nice and mature by the time they are judged which should bode well for medal contention.
