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You are here: Home --> Forum Home --> General Forum --> Homebrewed Beer Reviews --> Review of Wandering Barbarian by Homebrew Dad

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Matt
Charter Member
Normal, IL
341 Posts


Aroma 10/12
High, fruity hoppiness, which dominates the other aspects of the aroma. Out of the three tasters, I was the only one to perceive any malt sweetness, but there was a hint of sweet malt character. I wouldn't say that it provided a layer of complexity or that it was a backbone against the aroma, but there is absolutely a note of it there which I enjoyed. That being said (which wasn't a criticism so much as an observation) the aroma was still layered nicely, dominated by a candy-like fruit and citrus characters. I personally thought of lemon being those flavors, but one of the others tasters noted more of an Orange characteristic than anything. There was a layer of peach as well, which I was the only one to really pick up, and one other taster noticed it when they were pressed. I think I noticed it because I was looking for it. Also, low alcohol presence, just a little bit right next to the malt sweetness. Overall, the aroma was fantastic. Nothing grey about it, layers were defined and complimentary. My only possible criticism is that the other layers (peach, malt sweetness) aren't as noticeable as they could be. I think fermenting a bit warmer (no idea what you did this at) will bring out more of the peach character, which I think would help balance out that candy-like aroma which could get you a more full complex-aspect.

Appearance 2/3
Deep orange-gold, and incredibly clear. There was a finger and a bit more of head, which had good retention, not great. Damn fine looking beer! After getting hit with that aroma, I'll be honest and admit that I paid less attention to this aspect than the others, I really wanted to give it a taste. 

Flavor 17/20
High hoppiness right up front which continues throughout the sip, medium bitterness in the middle which finished smooth. The malt backbone is present and is represented by a familiar clean grain flavor. The hoppiness is a noticeable sweetness, not grassy or astringent in any way. I don't get the stone fruit notes that I did in the aroma, but the citrus is absolutely there, more present than the aroma, and the candy-like flavor is less present. It is a more balanced sort of profile which I really enjoy. There is some honey-like sweetness in it as well from the grain. There is a hint of a resinous character in it in the middle of the sip. I'd like there to be a bit more of a malt presence here, maybe some more toastiness. This is a hop showcase, for sure, and it does that really well, but if it were me I'd push for just a little more malt character. 


Mouthfeel 4/5
Great carbonation, medium-light body, very smooth. I do pick up that resinous character a bit, and the beer finishes medium-dry. 

Overall 8/10
Olan, this thing was awesome. It was really balanced, leaning a bit too much towards the hops but still excellent. I don't have anything to say here I haven't said already, a benefit of not being restricted to those tiny forms. So as a summary, the only thing I would end up doing differently would be to ferment warmer for more peach character, maybe add a bit more for head retention (carapils or flaked barley/oats? Not sure what you used), and then maybe dry hop less to deal with the resinous character or layer the dry hopping by using a muslin bag and a marble attached to fishing line so that you can dry hop for a few days, remove the hops and add more, repeat.




Posted 34 days ago.

homebrewdad
Charter Member
Birmingham, AL
2480 Posts


As I mentioned in email, I'm humbled that you enjoyed it apparently as much as I have.  Thanks for taking the time to give such detailed feedback, and thanks to your club friends, too!



Posted 34 days ago.

vinpaysdoc
Charter Member
High Point, NC
321 Posts


OK, I had to go get me some of this. No fancy formal review because, well, I feel like a pretentious ass when trying to come up with detailed descriptors. Many folks think that even when I'm not.....

This beer was enjoyed with guacamole/salsa/chips! Nice carbonation level and head retention. Mild fruity hops on the nose. Great clarity. Mild on the palate with little hop bitterness or taste present. This is a very easy drinking and tasty beer. From the above description, the hops presence seems to have faded clearly in the Pale Ale range. Still, this is quite enjoyable as is.

Thanks for sharing Olan!
G






Posted 34 days ago.

homebrewdad
Charter Member
Birmingham, AL
2480 Posts


I'm glad you enjoyed it, sir!  Your Baltic porter is warming on my table as I type...



Posted 34 days ago.

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