Switching Strategy
Tasting session 29
Beer 1 Choices: Munich Helles, German Pils, International Pale Lager, Witbier
Beer 2 Choices: Belgian Dubbel, Wee Heavy, Doppelbock, British Brown Ale
Beer 3 Choices: Gose, Gueuze, Berliner Weisse, Oud Bruin
Beer 4 Choices: Wee Heavy, Belgian Dark Strong, Doppelbock, Weizenbock
Score: 3/4
Beer 1 things to look for:
Munich Helles: not bitter, clean yeast
German Pils: bitter, clean yeast
International Pale Lager: not bitter, clean yeast, neutral/watery, poor carbonation
Witbier: orange/coriander
Notes:
An initial smell/taste test revealed no orange/coriander, so I eliminated Wit first. I wasn’t getting much bitterness on the palate or after swallowing, so I felt comfortable eliminating German Pils next. The beer was very thin, and the foam was made up of tiny bubbles that faded almost as fast as they formed. The lack of body, flavor, and foam retention was a dead ringer for a mass produced lager, so I went with Intl Pale.
Beer 2 things to look for:
Belgian Dubbel: phenols, light body/high attenuation, dry (not sweet)
Wee Heavy: cherry/sherry
Doppelbock: clean yeast, bready dark malt
British Brown Ale: esters, no booze, lighter body
Notes:
My first impression was that this had a lot of cherry/fruity ester character on the nose. After a sip, I still noticed these flavors, but the beer seemed a lot drier than I’d expect out of a Wee Heavy, so I started leaning toward Doppelbock. I took a break from the sample after eliminating British Brown and Dubbel, which each usually have a lighter body/dryness to them. In addition, there were no spicy yeast phenols or high levels of carbonation that would be present in a Dubbel.
When I came back to the sample, I was picking up rich bready Maillard notes that seemed to outshine the esters. I wasn’t getting much booze, and the body seemed pretty dry, so I ended up incorrectly picking Doppelbock. Wee Heavy vs Doppelbock is a comparison I get wrong a lot, so I’m switching strategies.
Relying on cherry/sherry/booze notes for Wee Heavy and rich bread for Doppelbock just isn’t working for me. My favorite kinds of beer to drink are dry, bitter, and light in ABV; styles like Wee Heavy with lots of residual sweetness, a heavy body, and high ABV just aren’t what I usually go for. Since it’s clearly a weak point, I’m going to deep dive Wee Heavy and Doppelbock in hopes of upping my game. Hopefully in the next week or two I’ll start nailing these and have better ways to differentiate the styles.
Beer 3 things to look for:
Gose: coriander, salt?, lactic acid
Gueuze: complex flavors/acidity, earthy, Brett?
Berliner Weisse: very high acidity, doughy malt, Brett?
Oud Bruin: malty and acidic
Notes:
There was lots of sour, but no carmelly malt sweetness that would make it an Oud Bruin, so that was first to go. Next, there was no coriander/spice that would be indicative of a Gose. In addition, I wasn’t detecting salt or a soft mouthfeel. I usually don’t detect upfront saltiness with Gose; it’s more of something that I’ve experienced to contribute toward a softer mouthfeel. I chose Gueuze because the beer was extremely complex: earthy soil, wild grass, fresh apricots, with an extremely dry finish that ended softly and smoothly. Berliner Weisse is much more acidic in my experience, with an intense lemon juice-like finish that lasts long after the beer gets swallowed. I haven’t had the chance to try a lot of Berliner Weisse, so I’m not sure if this is the norm, but it’s been the case with the samples I’ve tried so far.
Beer 4 things to look for:
Wee Heavy: cherry/sherry
Belgian Dark Strong Ale (Belgian Quad): phenols, esters, high carbonation/attenuation, dry (not sweet)
Doppelbock: clean yeast, dark bready malt
Weizenbock: Weizen yeast (banana/clove), Bock booze
Notes:
My first thought when stirring around this sample was “hallelujah, this is too foamy to be a Doppelbock or Wee Heavy”. After swirling, the foam tripled in size and stuck around for quite a while- very Belgian. The spices on the nose and palate confirmed it wasn’t Doppelbock or Wee Heavy. I was picking up notes of tarragon, fenugreek, plums, raisins, black pepper, and allspice. There were some banana esters and clove phenols too, but since I was picking up those other notes, I felt comfortable eliminating Weizenbock and going with Belgian Dark Strong.
Note: I find St. Bernardus 12 to be drier and lighter in body compared to other Quads like Boulevard Brewing’s “The Sixth Glass”, a different commercial example listed in our guidelines for Belgian Dark Strong. Compared to Quads like St. Bernardus 12 or Chimay Grande Réserve, I find The Sixth Glass is heavier in body, has more alcohol warmth, and has less yeast character. I mention this because, like “testing for Tank 7” with Saison, it may be useful to “test for Sixth Glass” when presented with a Belgian Dark Strong comparison since there is so much allowable variance for this style.
