A Year in Brews

Hard to believe, but it's been over a year since Andrew and I started brewing. Things have gone much better than I had originally imagined, and I'm enjoying myself even more than I would have thought possible.

In celebration, here's a rundown of the brews we've made and how they turned out:

• Porter (P1) -- Our first attempt, 1 1/2 gallons short and a little weird, but drinkable. Ah, sweet success!
  
• Stout (S1) -- Tasty, and especially excellent after the "passable" port
  
• Trappist Ale (T1) -- Kit was a Christmas gift. Very nice, with the bubble gum/banana fruitness expected of the variety.
  
• Nut Brown (B1) -- First real failure... just turned out with a weird flavor, overly foamy.
  
• Porter (P2) -- Fantastic redux on the porter. One of my favorite batches.
  
• Irish Red (R1) -- Good red color, nice flavor, a solid entry.
  
• West Coast Stout (S2) -- Great stout. When I found one more six-pack of it recently in the utility room, I actually cheered.
  
• Habanero Amber (H1) -- Solid Amber ale + habanero kick. Not kill-your-taste-buds-off hot, but you definitely need another drink by the end of it.
  
• Belgian Wit (W1) -- Our lightest beer yet. Expected more of a spiciness from the coriander and orange zest, but drinkable.
  
• IPA (I1) -- Enter the hops! Not quite as light as many IPA's in color, but good flavor.
  
• Stout (S3) -- Another good stout. Intended for gift-giving (really, I will give it away soon once it's rested enough!)
  
• Porter (P3) -- Ditto the S3. Good porter effort, but not long for my home unfortunately.
  
• Porter (PB) --Arg, busted thermometer screwed the batch!
  
• Porter (PB') -- Still in the carboys, but it's the "baby porter" for after my wife can drink again.
  
• Stout (SB/S4) -- Stout base for a bourbon spiked stout. Still in the primary, but hopes are high!

All in all, far more success on that list than I expected getting into the brewing game. Plenty of other challenges ahead, but then the rewards make it all worthwhile.

Keep brewing out there folks!