Beer Review: Monkeyhead Porter, a homebrew.

Monkeyhead Porter

Bottled on 12/28/2010

5.2% ABV

A collaborative beer brewed by Sturgess, Montgomery & Crawford. Our mash efficiency wasn't very good because of time constraints and ended up having to rush the sparge. The beer, however, turned out mighty tasty nonetheless. Click on the title link above to view the recipe.

Color / Appearance: Pours a nice flat black color, opaque! A rich looking creamy off-white head forms, about a finger tip in height. Lacing is thick, but slowly erodes down the glass.

Aroma: Raisin and chocolate notes are abundant on the nose. Hop aroma is faint and carries a fruity, herbal like makeup.

Taste: Chocolate, chocolate, and touches of raisin. Chocolate dominates the palate with notes of raisin and a slight coffee roast character. Mouthfeel is medium body and finishes a little dryer with a nice earthy character. Rich, chocolaty and smooth!





This is a collaborative beer brewed on Thanksgiving weekend, 2010, by three homebrewers/beer geeks who share a common passion for craft beer.

Cheers!
SMC

On Tap: Warriors' Wit

Warriors' Wit, my version of a Belgian style Witbier.

Ah yes, as you can see this is the latest and greatest from the SMC Home Brewery. I teamed up with my brother in law and brewed this just over a month ago, mainly for my wife, who enjoys wheat beers such as this one. The name I chose for this brew comes from my days in the Marine Corps, as most of the names I come up with do. That's what Marines are, Warriors from the sea! I couldn't think of a better name than this. Besides, I dedicate this to all who, in the past and present, are slugging it out to maintain our way of life and that is about freedom! So on with a little review.

I brewed this low alcohol beer specifically for the summertime. It can get hot here in the Temecula Valley and this Belgian style Witbier really tastes great on a hot summer afternoon. When you pour a pint from the tap you will right away notice that the beer is of a slightly darker color than most Witbiers and also the strong cinnamon notes when you put your nose to it. I threw in cinnamon sticks, fresh grated orange peel and ground coriander in with the beer during primary fermentation for about 12 days. The orange peel is also very noticeable and seems to mix well with the cinnamon. The best way I can describe it when you take your first swig is that it has a slight spiciness up front and finishes with a semi-bitter yet mildly sweet aftertaste. It really is refreshing and is loaded with flavor without any off-flavors. This one might be a regular summer beer around this household. Check out the recipe here: http://www.beertools.com/html/recipe.php?view=9086

Cheers!

SMC

On tap: Pollywog Porter

Pollywog Porter by SMCbrewing, a home brewery. I love this glass too!

I brewed this porter on July 1, 2009 after not having brewed anything since March. I already had plans to brew a 4th of July beer with my brother-in-law over the holiday weekend, but I figured why not brew up a quick batch before then! After all, I had two empty kegs in my garage that needed to be put to good use and empty kegs just takes up space. I ended up making a last minute decision and hurried to the homebrew shop as I was driving home from work. I didn't have time to do an all-grain batch, so I took the quicker route and bought the ingredients for an extract brew. I stayed away from the pre-packaged kits and picked out my own selection of ingredients which included some liquid malt extract and some crushed grain for steeping along with a vile of White Labs London ale yeast. I guess you could say I put together my own kit! Anyway, to make a long story short, I finished the brew around 11pm that same night and today I have the finished product kegged and fully carbonated as you can see in the picture I posted. The beer turned out to be everything I anticipated. It is rich and robust with an emphasis on chocolate malt and a touch of London throughout. The yeast did fall short of it's potential attenuation, but I am still very pleased by the amount of flavor that was produced. I will definitely attempt an all-grain version of this beer, but for now check out the recipe I used for this particular porter: http://www.beertools.com/html/recipe.php?view=9022

Cheers!

SMC