Nighshift Morph (7/1/16) Different Pours, Different Tastes/Appearance

Discussion in 'New England' started by AlcahueteJ, Jul 11, 2016.

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  1. AlcahueteJ

    AlcahueteJ Grand Pooh-Bah (3,242) Dec 4, 2004 Massachusetts
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    First, I love this batch of Morph. Second, what I'm going to be dicussing isn't necessarily unique to this beer specifically, I've had this happen before with other beers akin to this style of IPA, and even other unfiltered beers (Weihenstephan's 1516 for example, and definitely many Belgian beers).

    Last week I enjoyed a Morph pouring it as usual, not trying to decant the yeast, just a normal pour and whatever gets in there, gets in there. See below.

    [​IMG]

    Then at night, I had another, but this time I poured most of the beer, leaving a few ounces in the bottom, then swirled and poured (I don't remember why I did exactly). I noticed the appearance was far different than during the day. Bear in mind, my beer photos tend to look different/darker at night as opposed to being in natural sunlight. See below.

    [​IMG]

    This past Friday night I had another, but this time I poured most of it normally into my glass for the first 3/4, see below. Notice it doesn't have that lighter yellow tint, it looks more like the first photo.

    [​IMG]
     
    #1 AlcahueteJ, Jul 11, 2016
    Last edited: Jul 11, 2016
  2. AlcahueteJ

    AlcahueteJ Grand Pooh-Bah (3,242) Dec 4, 2004 Massachusetts
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    Then, I swirled and poured in again into the same glass. This not only looked much different (like the second photo in the OP), but this tasted much different. Far less bitter, but not as pleasantly juicy or sweet. Definitely not as appealing, and it had a distinct spicy peppery note. Almost as if I'd just eaten spicy food.

    [​IMG]

    And for good measure I did the same thing yesterday during the day, it is definitely darker, but as not as yellow/dark as the one above. And I tasted the same spicy note I mentioned above.

    [​IMG]

    Anyone else notice this with any other IPAs/pale ales that are in the "New England-style" or any other beers that are not a Hefeweizen? Any preferences? Suggestions @masterob8?

    Personally, the beer tastes the best when I pour it normally, not trying to decant, but not excessively swirling and pouring. This is what I found with the 1516 as well. I believe having SOME of what is at the bottom in the beer creates an ideal flavor profile for me. Belgians I prefer to decant, and then swirl and pour the last ounce or two just to have a sip.
     
    #2 AlcahueteJ, Jul 11, 2016
    Last edited: Jul 11, 2016
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  3. CD00

    CD00 Initiate (0) May 30, 2013 Massachusetts

    It's pretty common in NE IPAs. I think what you do is a matter of mouthfeel. Personally I never swirl an IPA, there can be some crazy sediment at the bottom of those NE IPAs.
     
  4. Jbrews

    Jbrews Pooh-Bah (2,214) Aug 6, 2013 New Hampshire
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    This will explain it, ignore that it's another beer and the aging portion of the topic. It's just the sediment, which can drop out real quick.

     
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  5. AlcahueteJ

    AlcahueteJ Grand Pooh-Bah (3,242) Dec 4, 2004 Massachusetts
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    Ha, I actually watched that video today for the first time. I didn't think anything of it until I noticed how different the colors were on the two pours, I assumed it was simply because one was taken at night, and the other during the day. The full pour taken at night was the night before the day picture. So when I looked at the beer I thought, "Wow, that's REALLY different."

    I thought at that point that the sediment caused the difference, so I looked inside the can and there wasn't very much left at all, even though I hadn't swirled and poured that one (just poured it normally). Perhaps swirling and pouring the last few ounces as opposed to a full pour rouses more of the sediment, enough to change the color dramatically. I don't recall that peppery/hot/spicy note in the full pour with the roused sedimen though. Only with the half pour. I suspect it's more pronounced with less liquid there.

    Anyways, interesting experiment nonetheless. I'd like a full pour with sediment during the day to note the difference, but I enjoy the beer more when pouring normally, and I only have two left!
     
  6. Jbrews

    Jbrews Pooh-Bah (2,214) Aug 6, 2013 New Hampshire
    Pooh-Bah

    Occasionally with really hopped up beers I've gotten that almost burning spice note from the little bit of sediment. It's almost to the point of uncomfortable in your mouth. Like someone who was a glutton for Warheads and likes beer would adore, if that makes sense.
     
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  7. AlcahueteJ

    AlcahueteJ Grand Pooh-Bah (3,242) Dec 4, 2004 Massachusetts
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    It does, but that's not exactly what I perceived. It was more like I had just eaten a jalapeno. The first time I noticed it I was wondering why there was still an after taste in my mouth from dinner. Then I took a few more sips and realized it was from the dregs I had just poured in.

    Like I said, if I just pour it normally I don't perceive this flavor/mouthfeel. Just a nice balance of fruity/tropical sweetness and grapefruit bitterness. The first half of the pour without the sediment is more bitter, with the sediment on the second half of the pour it's spicy, sweeter (but almost an off-flavor sweetness, not as pleasant as before) and less bitter.
     
  8. meefmoff

    meefmoff Pooh-Bah (1,922) Jul 6, 2014 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I just now happened to absent mindedly drink down the last dregs of a Morph can after having poured the rest of it in a glass (and to be clear, I didn't pour it with any intention towards leaving anything in the can) . I'll be damned if I didn't have a very similar experience. I'd describe it as more black pepper corn than jalepeno, but it was definitely very spicy and quite astringent - especially in the back of the throat.

    I'm not sure I've ever noticed quite the same taste before, and I don't avoid the last swig of IPAs in general. It wasn't exactly unpleasant, but it didn't really have anything in common with the taste of the beer itself (which is awesome). Pretty interesting.
     
  9. lic217

    lic217 Pooh-Bah (2,090) Aug 10, 2010 Connecticut
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I have not had this experience with night shift, but I have had a similiar experience with some of my homebrew bottles. No jalapeño, but definately like a black pepper taste as well. Not very pleasant...
     
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  10. AlcahueteJ

    AlcahueteJ Grand Pooh-Bah (3,242) Dec 4, 2004 Massachusetts
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    Thanks for the replies, good to know I'm not crazy. :wink:

    Perhaps jalapeño was a bit overboard. Definitely spicy though, perhaps chili pepper might be more appropriate. I would say it was a bit more intense than black pepper, somewhat uncomfortable and unpleasant.

    My roommate wanted to try the aggressive swirl and pour, so I did this with his beer (pouring everything but the last few ounces, then aggressively swirling and pouring the last bit). He said it tasted a bit different, but not spicy. I also don't remember it tasting any different when I poured the entire beer together, I think the spicy character is only prominent when it's in a smaller amount of liquid and not poured into the entire 16 oz.

    With the two I have left I think I might drink one normally this Friday night, and then perform the aggressive swirl and pour into the full 16 oz. (with an accompanying daytime picture) the next day. For what it's worth, when I did this aggressive swirl and pour with Weihenstephan's 1516 there was a noticeable amount of astringency I was picking up that I didn't detect with a normal pour (but not decanting, just pouring everything in at once). Perhaps in unfiltered beer the leftover hops/yeast/whatever potentially always have a spicy and/or astringent character, and this wasn't a flavor profile isolated to this batch of Morph.

    Regardless, when I'm not fudging around with pours, this batch was still fantastic.
     
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  11. meefmoff

    meefmoff Pooh-Bah (1,922) Jul 6, 2014 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    When I say black pepper I really mean like crunching on a mouthful of roughly cracked whole peppercorns, so we might not actually be very far off in our perceptions of intensity :slight_smile:
     
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