The Butternut Stout! is a fabulous Christmas brew. It pours a rich, dark ebony, with a full, dark head and good lacing. It tastes of spice and roastiness with a pleasant amount of squash - not too much! - on the back tongue. I would do this brew again tomorrow. And the day after. It's very rich and full and delicious.
The Wise Pumpkin Dunkel brew is not. It isn't bad. It is, in fact, quite drinkable, and I expect it to get better as it ages and things settle down. But, the spice of the yeast clashes with the spice of the spice. This will mellow, though. In time, this will mellow. The issue that is unsalvagable is the body of the brew. The pumpkin and wheat together thinned out the mash so much that it's practically a graf. Again, not unpleasant, but not desired. My wife, when she first tasted it, said it tasted like apple cider. And, it really does. The thin mash, the caramel from the piloncillo, and even the high percentage of wheat malt in the mash contribute a light body that is reminiscent of cider. It's not bad. It's just more of a graf than a beer. I hope, in a couple more weeks, when the spices and yeast settle down and smooth out in the bottle, that more pumpkin flavor might come through.
Regardless, Butternut Stout!
Next time I crack one open, I need to snag a picture.
Next up is a wild experiment. You see, I received a bonus yeast in the mail that was likely dead. And, I tried another yeast. It also seemed to be dead. In desperation, with my last packet of yeast spent, I pitched quickrise bread yeast. (I don't live anywhere near a homebrew shop, alas!) Now, I have some wort. It looks it is making beer, but...
Well, I'll tell you about this later.
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