Mar
25
2009
Tasting #6 — Winter Red Apple Ale 
We were on the moon, all right? Hey! Apple Ale! Boy this sure is yummy! Let’s see how we did!
1.061 OG; 1.012 FG; 6.5% ABV; 19 IBU
Appearance: Thick, fluffy, off white head. Reddish brown and almost opaque.
Nose: Apple apple apple. Crisp, tart, and cidery, with just a little bit of caramel maltiness.
Taste: Apple apple apple and malt malt malt. The hop bitterness perfectly balances the sweetness of the caramel malts and the tartness of the apples.
Mouthfeel: Dry, crisp, and refreshing. Medium bodied. Syrupy, but without clinging to the tongue.
Overall: Though it never forgets that it is indeed a beer, our Winter Red Apple Ale is seriously appley, which it had better be — It’s 2/5 cider and infused with five pounds of apples, after all.
Unfortunately, the spices didn’t come through as much as we’d hoped. I can spot the nutmeg if I’m looking for it, but the cinnamon, ginger, and coriander aren’t prominent enough. Maybe we’ll make a spice extract next time or steep the spices in the secondary fermenter, since the boiling tactic obviously didn’t work out.
Even without all of the spices, though, the big blast of apple and caramel really snaps the tastebuds to attention. It’s fun and playful, and if our respective families’ testimonies can be trusted, it’s also an excellent gateway beer. We’re calling this a winner.
What apple variety did you use? Did you just cube them? I’m thinking of trying to do a Floris Apple clone, which is a Belgian Wit with with a big apple flavor.
We used 3 lbs of Granny Smith and 2 lbs of Gala, cubed up. We were going for something tart. I haven’t had Floris Apple, so I’m not sure what kind of tart/sweet balance it has.
You’ve given me an idea by saying the word “wit”: We should use a heffe yeast next time to help with the spiciness. Hmmmmm….