Back in November 2011, a bunch of us from the Homebrew Club were gathered for our inaugural Brew-Together session, hosted by Owen. It was interesting too, as I pitched my (comparatively) ghetto setup against the automated Spiedel Brewmiester. The recipe came from me, and it was to be a 8% ABV Saison, fermented in 2 different locations using Wyeast's 3711 Saison yeast. I tried a sip 2 weeks later - it was gross. Rocket fuel. Headaches. Nail polish remover. It was full of higher alcohols, or "hot" alcohols.
A month later during a regular Club meeting, it was still gross. And at our next Brew-Together session, everyone had a try as well - while the "hot" alcohol taste had subsided somewhat, it was still very much prominent. I decided to stash the whole lot away and forget about it for several more months (maybe even forever), partly because I put in a lot of effort to do up all the bottles' labels!
As I was rapidly running out of stuff to guzzle (everything in the kegerator's reserved for an upcoming party), I pulled one out this weekend. Lo and behold, it was like magic. Not even the slightest hint of "hot" alcohol remained. It poured a beautiful golden-orange colour with a fluffy, billowing head. Nose was fruity, with a hint of barnyard / hay. Body was medium-full, with an initial perception of sweetness that fades into a decidedly dry finish. Taste of fruitiness and some spiciness was quite upfront. The alcohol couldn't be tasted but was definitely felt after just a glass.
Bottom line is: never give up on your beers (within reasonable limits, of course ..). Time heals everything!
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