Professor Good Ales

Profiled by Ken Carman for professorgoodales.net

This is superb. I was amazed how much it reminded me of Geuze from Belgium. this is from… Cincinnati?

Rocky head, slight: fades very fast. Light urin color. Sorry, but that’s what it is. SRM is probably 2 at best. Hazy.

Mouthfeel is a sour that lingers and a light pilsner malt in the background. This is as light as air, body-wise. Slight tingle from slight carbonation: pleasant.

Aroma: brett-lie, sour with hit of sweet and funk that could only get more funky in time. Perhaps a bit horse saddle.

Taste: sour dominant, but not offensive so in any sense. This is a delicate quaff. Malt background way back. I would say this is one of those rhubarb-like sours that should get even better in time. I would recommend doing as per the style: mixing aged versions more. This one seems a bit young. But I recommend: buy.

Welcome to the new PGA rating system: one beer “Don’t bother.” Two: Eh, if someone gives it to you, drink. Three: very good, go ahead and seek it out, but be aware there is at least one problem. Four: seek it out. Five: pretty much “prefecto.” This beer was rated…

Label image courtesy beerstreetjournal.com

Without intent, I have collected well over 1,000 beer bottles since the early 70s. When something finally had to be done about the cheap paneling in this old modular, I had a choice. Tear down the walls while, oh, so carefully, replacing the often rotted 1X3s. Or: cover them with…

The Bottle Collection.

 

Written by Ken Carman

Although some reviewers rate this as lightly sweet, I seem to remember it as medium to very sweet for a milk stout. Bare in mind, it’s no Mackeson, which to my palate can sometimes come close to “sickeningly sweet.”

Haven’t seen it for a while, but I haven’t been looking. A lot of malt character: mostly pale with the obvious roasted barley that defines a stout. The head was good, plentiful and very black. The taste lingered for quite a while: sweet dominant backed up by the malt and few hops.

Aroma: sweet with dark malt sense, from what I remember. I remember the aroma as the best part of an otherwise good, but could be better, beer: via balance.

Mouthfeel indicates if there’s not any oatmeal in this, it’s like there is. I’m guessing the gravity is not that high, but the complete, cover the palate, mouthfeel gives the perception of more boy. If I had to liken it to fruit I would say a hint of milk coated plum.

I would rate this as close to a classic of the style, from what I remember, but not quite. Back off on the sweet/lactose/milk sense just a tad.

Profiled by Ken Carman for professorgoodales.net

Damn this is expensive.

Damn this is good.

Obsidian black with no light shining through. Head fades so fast hard to assess… perhaps pillow with a hint of rock. Second pour held. Soft, delightful, pillow upon the mustache head. Held longer 2nd time. Off the srm chart. Light carbonation supports a thick, luscious, dark malt dominated viscosity. If there’s any black patent in here just enough. The alcohol is obvious, but not intrusive. Full body, but carbonation on lighter side of medium.

Deep, dark, malt nose with a hint of sweet. Sweet, dark, malt dominated taste. Not lactose, but hint of to the taste in sweet. 10% plus, but not that alcoholic for that. Some molasses-like sense.

This is a substantial beverage. Almost after dinner-ish. Very rich, deep malt sense.

Very respectful.

Written by Ken Carman

Ken Carman is a BJCP judge; homebrewer since 1979, club member at Escambia Bay, Salt City and Music City Homebrewers, who has been interviewing professional brewers all over the east coast for over 10 years.

Diary of a Beer Judge: Fugetaboutit

   A few years ago Tony Giannasi from the Barley Mob Brewers: Chattanooga, convinced a few of us at the Music City Brew Off to come on down and judge at the first Fugetaboutit homebrew competition. Since then we’ve judged for Fugetaboutit at Terminal Brewhouse, the third year at a business in downtown Chattanooga. Continue reading “Brew Biz: Werts and All”