I thought it might be fun to share the tasting notes on two of our beers.
Last month two of Flogthis Brewing’s home brewed beers were judged as part of the Battle of the Brews home brew competition. We here at Flogthis Brewing want to thank the Sonoma Beercrats for the home brew portion of this event.
The two beers were part of a split batch of our House Pale Ale (recipe here); one batch was pitched with Safale S-05 yeast and dry-hopped with Australian Galaxy hops, and the other with Safale S-33 yeast. The beers were entered as a Pale Ale (BJCP Category 10A) and a Blonde Ale (BJCP Category 6B) respectively. Given the hopping schedule, the Blonde category was a bit of a stretch, but the S-33 yeast does eat a bit of the bitterness.
The Pale took Second Place.
Here is the feedback the beers received from the two sets of judges:
Judge #1 – 10A American Pale Ale entry 45
Aroma 9/12
Nice hoppy aroma, citrus, floral, piney-good array of American aromas.
Appearance 2/3
Clear, good Golden-Amber color, moderate head falls quickly.
Flavor 13/20
Good hop flavor supports aroma. Crisp, refreshing. Good bitterness, not overdone. Malt flavor is a bit neutral; more like a blonde ale.
Mouthfeel 3/5
Well carbonated, medium-full mouth feel. A bit astringent.
Overall impression 8/10
A very nice example of the style. A little more richness from the malt would better support the well-chosen hop profile, maybe a touch of caramel malts?
Total 33/50
Stylistic Accuracy
Classic Example _ _ _ _ _ Not to Style
Technical Merit
Flawless _ _ _ _ _ Not to Style
Intangibles
Wonderful _ _ _ _ _ Lifeless
Judge #2 – 10A American Pale Ale entry 45
Aroma 8/12
Has hop and malt aromas. light bready aromas from the malt, but distinctly missing the hallmark hop character of an APA. No diacetyl or DMS. Some hops come through as it warms up.
Appearance 2/3
Very clean gold color with off-white head that quickly subsides to a thin foamy film.
Flavor 13/20
Light vegetal flavor (DMS?) Comes through over the malt flavor. Strong hop bitterness but surprisingly less hop flavor. Malt comes through with bread and crackers. Slightly sour character too. Maybe from grain hull tannins?
Mouthfeel 3/5
Medium light body, a little light on the carbonation and some astringent dryness in the finish.
Overall impression 7/10
I see where this beer is going but it seems too bitter, and without enough aroma and flavor. Also there is a little sour/astringency that distracts from the overall character. But, with lesser bittering and more hop flavor/aroma this would be right on track.
Total 33/50
Stylistic Accuracy
Classic Example _ _ _ x _ Not to Style
Technical Merit
Flawless _ _ _ _ _ Not to Style
Intangibles
Wonderful _ _ _ x _ Lifeless
Judge #3 – 6 B blonde ale entry 46
Aroma 8/12
Hop-dominated aroma, yet light overall. Vinous, grapefruit-rind, orange-rind combo. Lighter fruits like melon, peach appear. Light malt graininess, no off aromas.
Appearance 3/3
Clear, golden, SRM ~ 5. Thick, long-lasting head and fine white bubbles. Looks great.
Flavor 12/20
Balanced flavors of hops and malt, though pushing the upper “west coast” and of the blonde style on hop flavor and bitterness. Appropriate fermentation, no off flavors. Aftertaste.
Mouthfeel 4/5
Medium body, high carbonation, some astringency. Light warmth from alcohol.
Overall impression 6/10
This is a “West Coast” blonde. Although I prefer a less intense blonde with hoppiness, this is mostly to style. My biggest criticism is the lingering bitterness. As this should be an entry-level craft beer, the lingering bitterness reduces over all drinkability.
Total 33/50
Stylistic Accuracy
Classic Example _ x _ _ _ Not to Style
Technical Merit
Flawless _ x _ _ _ Not to Style
Intangibles
Wonderful _ x _ _ _ Lifeless
Judge #4 – 6 B blonde ale entry 46
Aroma 7/12
citrus and peach hop aromas-medium, some grainy malt in background, light esters-OK for style
Appearance 3/3
deep gold-like copper, clear, light phase, persistent white head
Flavor 11/20
light, clean malt flavor, some slight graininess-wheat? Medium hop flavor-American, moderate bitterness
Mouthfeel 3/5
Medium-light body, medium-high carbonation, some alcohol warmth-not to style
Overall impression 6/10
This blonde ale is close to crossing the line to pale ale territory. The hop bitterness and alcohol are too high for a blonde ale. The fermentation and execution otherwise is fine; lower your malt and hop bitterness.
Total 30/50
Stylistic Accuracy
Classic Example _ _ _ x _ Not to Style
Technical Merit
Flawless _ x _ _ _ Not to Style
Intangibles
Wonderful _ _ x _ _ Lifeless
Batch-22 