March is here, now MARCH

Hey son, them's some migh-tee fine lookin' suds!

That's right pop, they sure are. Now in the video in the previous post I didn't really tell you how they tasted too much. I just said that they both came out nicely, which is true. They're both getting better with age too. With the AB clone, the hops (all Chinook) are actually coming out more as it ages. Talking about the aroma mainly; the bitterness and flavor are just meshing more and more nicely with the malty base to make a wonderful, rich beer. I reckon that will taper off at some point, but I don't plan on letting them last that long. I'm down to my last 3 bombers now, and those look scared every time I open the fridge.

The Brown is doing better and better too, as I near the bottom of the keg. The faint hint of cinnamon nicely accents the malty, roasty back bone; I let the hops lay back in the mix, no solos on this one which would clash with the cinnamon/malt combo. Those hops were all Chinook too, like the AB clone, so they're not trying to be too up front anyway. So that about sums it up.

One last note though, if you notice my numbers, you might think the ABV would be higher in the Brown. Well, maybe it is, but I definitely feel it more, and get more warming from the AB, which also has more robustness, a more viscous head, and is an all around meatier brew. So I think either my software, or my palate is off. Maybe both. If the brown is higher in alcohol though it makes me really proud to have brewed such a clean, fresh-tasting, easy drinking beer with that much nicely unobtrusive alcohol.

In other news, the 'Off-kai' was held this past Sunday at a community center here in Tokyo. That's a sometimes-monthly event staged by a local on-line supplier, to get foreign and Japanese brewers together, share brews and food (tons of foodies among us!) and knowledge about brewing, and to induct new devotees to this most ancient, mysterious, and awesome craft of ours. By the way, 'kai' means 'party', or meeting, and 'Off' is English, referring to the fact that we are meeting 'off' line as opposed to 'on'. Funny huh?

Buncha inbred yokels on the family hooch

That's some of us gaijin brewers and J-brewers there, having just finished the great Arrogant Bastard re-brew-off tasting/judging, which we did at the Off-kai. The gentleman in the back left was kind enough to be our impartial judge. He is the winner of the 2010 Wancup (Japan's version of the American Homebrewers' Competition) with his...I forgot...IPA I think. Anyway, an accomplished brewer. The wiry, smily British Kojak-looking chap in front turned out to be the winner. We all agreed that nobody really cloned it, but they were all terrific beers, and his was the best--mainly because it had the most intense hops! Nah, not really but...it did.

Another interesting thing that somebody pointed out was that each one had its distinct 'house' taste to it, even though we all more or less followed the same recipe. Allowing for differences in water profiles, mash times and temps, boil length, and fermentation profiles must account for much of it. But I also like to think there's another element that makes each brewer's product his own; a little element I like to call...love.