jrprice wrote:[color=blue]
> In article <4272109d$1@clear.net.nz>, Robert Fraser <"rf at paradise net
> nz"> says...
>[color=green]
>>I want to identify a flavour I have had in a few of my pale ales (half
>>mash).
>>
>>What I don't know:
>>
>>My palate and my ability to describe flavours is poor in the extreme, so
>>I know I am not helping myself by not being able to compare it to something.
>>
>>I can't really identify the flavour from the descriptions in various
>>books/ web sites (eg howtobrew.com), although I'll admit I don't know
>>what horse sweat smells or tastes like.
>>
>>What I do know:
>>
>>I know from extensive research :-) in England and Scotland (and here in
>>New Zealand) that this isn't a flavour that is normally present in pale
>>ales. However, I have found this flavour in many Belgian ales -
>>although from slightly less extensive research :-(
>>
>>The flavour was not present when the beer was very young (only two weeks
>>after bottling), but has developed after the four - six weeks point.
>>
>>Any help appreciated.
>>
>>Cheers
>>Robert
>>[/color]
>
> Ummmm... send a few bottles over this way. I'll be glad to "taste it
> out" for you.
>
> Belgians? Is it banana-like? Best word for it I can think of.
>
> enjoy and don't sweat it.
>
> bob [email]pwhite@hart5.freeserve.co.uk[/email][/color]

Love to get your opinion, but for the price of shipping a couple of
bottles of my poor attempts, you could get a couple of crates of decent
real ale in the UK :-)

Can't say it struck me as particularly "banana-like", but I'll crack
another one tonight and check it out.

I am enjoying the brews, but it isn't quite the taste I was after - more
experiments are called for. If I can identify the taste and the cause,
I'll try a belgian-style ale soon, as winter is not too far away here.
Speaking of which, we are having a warm autumn here, and the temperature
in the basement where I store the bottles hasn't been below 18 deg C (65
deg F?) yet.

Would refrigerating the bottles to a lower temp make a difference to the
taste as they mature?

Cheers
Robert