First Bottle

Oh man. I got to taste my beer for the first time in its carbonated state aaaand...

It's only been in the bottle for about 5 days, but it's already showing some signs of being a wonderful brew. The malts I used in the recipe gave it not only a nice caramelly sweetness, but also a BEAUTIFUL color. This beer is the most beautiful caramelly amber EVER! The Wye Target hops proved excellent for bittering, and the Goldings have the most amazing flavor--so earthy and yet with a residual estery fruitiness with hints of juniper and light citrus (calamansis or tangerines perhaps?). It was just *slightly* hazy with an equally *slight* yeastiness to it. Not necessarily a bad thing, and certainly a characteristic of unfiltered, unpasteurized, bottle-conditioned English Bitter, but it will fade into the wallpaper along with the haze as the bottles sit for another couple of days.

The final prognosis: this beer is already great, and it is going to get even better. My lovely girlfriend, who doesn't even like beer, thought this was delicious :). It's earthy character along with its silky fruitiness will prove to be a treat for any palette as it matures these last couple of days.

Lastly, I have been neglecting the fact that this beer is LIKE NO BEER I HAVE EVER TASTED BEFORE. And why shouldn't it be? I made it here at home. It's fresh, delicious, and made mimicking the water of Burton-on-Trent, England, thus adding extra authenticity and a character that you wouldn't necessarily find in other American ales.

Happiness!

-The Brewmaster

P.S. I was so excited about the beer that I forgot to take a picture of my first pint of the ale. It is so beautiful, I promise to share it with the world soon :)