So, you know how much Will Ferrell likes Blind Lady, right? Well, after what seems like months of him hounding me to do a collaborative beer, it finally happened. The result: Sex Panther Strong Pale Ale.
I wanted to do something basic, since we are still getting used to the system here. This batch was as much about testing some systems as it was about making a beer...maybe even more so.
In order to make the beers I want, I need to know what the system is capable of...and as it turns out, the standard pale ale I was envisioning came out quite a bit stronger: 7.75% abv!
Oh well. It's tasty, but defies categories. Being such a big beer, it has a decent ester profile, which gives it some fruity aroma. The palate is balanced, but not tame: hop bitterness is fairly high, but so is malt character. The use of Munich malt gives a richness to the beer, even though it is fairly pale. It's had a couple of weeks of cold conditioning-- even a little freezing. Again, testing the system:)-- which has made it extremely bright, even though it is unfiltered.
(More notes to come as the carbonation develops, and some final touches are made. Like bits of real Panther, so you know it's good).
Looking forward to sharing a pint with you next Wednesday, Sept. 8th!
Cheers-
Lee
