Guybrau - the best all year

It was a lesson in everything - a new style, new hops, getting a proper temperature control setup in place and a rush to get everything done to be ready for the feast that was Christmas Day.

But after all that, did we nearly manage to poison another family member with bitterness ala last time? 

Thankfully not. This one ticked all the boxes.

Yes that's my brother on the label who up until this point hadn't ever graced a beer label, nor had his
lovely partner Dani who you can see peaking out on the left.

No points if you recognized the early Hoff there but well done if you somehow identified either of the Indonesian children from the movie My Sky My Home. All of the references on this label would mean absolutely nothing to anyone but my brother and that's what I love about brewing up a batch for someone specifically, you can really go to town on the details.

It went down an absolute treat on Christmas Day too as he was tickled pink that I made him a beer and he was impressed by the smell as soon as it poured ('mmm malty!'). While we got through quite a few of the small batch, thankfully there's a couple left over for review.
And photographic evidence.



Unfortunately my sinuses are still stuffed more than most turkeys on December 25 so the dry hopping addition of the perle hops won't have much happening here aroma wise but my taste buds are working just fine so without any further ado...



What am I smelling here?: Not much, see above. But I have it on good authority that it smells malty so that's great.

What am I tasting here?: A medium level of clean malts and a slight sweetness on the back end. It's medium bodied with a soft, slightly dry finish. There's no distinct flavors outside of the malts and grains but they're balanced and it's delicious.

Initial thoughts: Just a touch hazy with a small head that fades quickly but it's malty, smooth, the right level of sweetness and bloody easy to drink. #winner

Overall: Having never tried a Munich Helles before (or at least remembering it) I had to consult some beer judges in terms of the style I was trying to aim for here. Enter the notes from the BJCP style guidelines:

Aroma: Pleasantly grainy-sweet, clean Pils malt aroma dominates. Low to moderately-low spicy noble hop aroma, and a low background note of DMS (from Pils malt). No esters or diacetyl.

Appearance: Medium yellow to pale gold, clear, with a creamy white head.

Flavor: Slightly sweet, malty profile. Grain and Pils malt flavors dominate, with a low to medium-low hop bitterness that supports the malty palate. Low to moderately-low spicy noble hop flavor. Finish and aftertaste remain malty. Clean, no fruity esters, no diacetyl.

Mouthfeel: Medium body, medium carbonation, smooth maltiness with no trace of astringency.

Overall Impression: Malty but fully attenuated Pils malt showcase.

So aside from a very very low (barely there) bitterness, I think I've done alright!

Style aside, it's insanely repeatable. 

It's simply, the best home brew I've made so far. Bring on more of these!

4 out of 5 memorable Xmas's.