Score Cards Are In ...

I went to What Ales Ya to pick up my score cards from the local homebrew contest. It is always fun, frustrating, and interesting to read the judges comments. I can think about how I can improve my brewing practices.

Export Helles

Entry Number: 1-D-2

Final Assigned Score: 26

Place Awarded: Bronze

Bottle Inspection: excellent pop; proper fill w/ label fragments left on bottle; filled properly

Aroma: Slight DMS appropariate. slight solvent note. low hop aroma (5/12); light DMS aroma w/ malty sweetness appropriate. subtle solvent smell in background. little to no hop aroma. fruity esters. (6/12); clean grainy slight DMS aroma (7/12)

Appearance: Golden yellow, head white deminished quickly, slight haze (2/3); moderate head retention and color to style, slight chill haze (2/3); good head retention & color, slight chill haze (2/3)

Flavor: malty sweet, low hop flavor, solventy flavor, possibly from fermenting at a high temp. or fermenting too long on trub (12/20); malty with little to no hop flavor true to style. some fruity esters and alcohol hashness with dry finish. some oxidized flavor as beer warms up. (10/20); strong esters to solvent notes, very low malty flavors, slightly oxidized flavor (10/20)

Mouthfeel: medium mouthfeel. stingy mouthfeel attributed to source of off flavor (3/5); medium body with medium carbonation. slightly astringent and harsh (3/5); good carbonation, slightly astringent (2/5)

Overall Impression: Off flavors detract from a good beer. found the beert to be slightly more bitter than appropriate. good base, correct off flavors and a good beer should arise (4/10); malty to make good base beer, but slightly problematic. lower fermentation temps or racking beer off trub earlier may help (4/10); too many fruity esters, almost solvent (5/10)

Super Saison

Entry Number: 16-C-2

Final Assigned Score: 33

Place Awarded: Silver

Bottle Inspection: good fill

Aroma: hints of honey, slightly herbal, low spice aroma (8/12); some honey with some alcohol. subtle spicey aroma. no esters (citrus like) were detected (8/12); slight clove smell, some of alcohol, slight aroma from spices, no hop aroma (7/12)

Appearance: Pale orange color is good, lacks head (2/3); pale golden color with little/ no head upon pouring. slightly cloudy. (2/3); no head when poured. color is near perfect and clarity is to style (3/3)

Flavor: pleasant spice flavor with undertones of citruss, honey and alcohol in higher forms. some warming character (13/20); initial flavor is fruity with spicy character as it warms. alcohol is evident. little to no hop flavors with enough bitterness to balance. the spicy character overpowers the malt (13/20); spicy flavor with a hint of cloves and maybe some honey. bitterness from hops is balanced by the sweetness. needs acidity to balance flavors(14/20)

Mouthfeel: medium body, CO2 a little low for style (3/5); medium bodied with a light carbonation level. alcoholic warmth. the carbonation is a little low for style (3/5); mouthfeel is great for body. the malt comes through. the alcohol is evident in the finish. low acidic nature for style (3/5)

Overall Impression: appropriate and pleasant spice flavors and an enjoyable beer. lacks acidity and complexity of a Belgian Saison (7/10); this beer is a little too full bodied and lacks a complexity/balance between the spicy and malty flavors (7/10); Need more carbonation to ???? head to foam. great overall flavor but the sweetness and body need to be offset by some acidic (6/10)