Block Party Amber Ale Grains - Question

While I wait for my NB Cream Ale to finish fermentation, I am looking back over my first bath of BPAA and trying to learn from everything I did. Process, tools, smells, tastes etc, and one of the things I am trying to figure out is the distinctive smell/taste from that brew.

I am not sure what grain it was, or maybe just a combination of grains (hard to narrow down since they are mixed in a bag), but the smell of the grain bag, came all the way through to the final beer. Some people love the taste, others not so much, I like it more now that it has mellowed out some, and some have no taste in beer so I somewhat ignore their remarks lol. I just wish I knew what the distinctive smell/taste was.

Specialty Grains:
0.5 lbs Caramel 80L
0.125 lbs Special B
0.125 lbs Lightly Roasted Barley

I know asking about taste when people haven’t tried the beer is silly, but I figure for those who have made it, maybe someone else has had the same thought. Any ideas, or am I completely overthinking about it?

This link might help:

Crystal Malt 80°1.033-1.035
Sweet, smooth caramel flavor and a red to deep red color. For porters, old ales.
Roasted Barley 300° 1.025
Sweet, grainy, coffee flavor and a red to deep brown color. For porters and stouts.
Special Roast 50° 1.035
Provides a deep golden to brown color for ales. Use in all darker ales.

Any of that sound familiar?

I don’t think it was caramel (unless it comes through different in brewing grains)… But I think grainy would be a good way to describe it.

Ah… you might like Breiss, then… (sorry, old inside forum joke).

When you say Grainy, is there something specific? Sometimes Grainy can smell almost nutty, sometimes sweet like sweetened oatmeal, maybe a little sharp and roasty. Also, that “caramel” descriptor can mean anything from sweet like honey to a more burned toffee sweetness. After I don’t know how many batches, my brew room smells generically like a homebrew store. I don’t know if I could break down that smell, but I’m sure you all recognize it.

When I get home tonight I will open another bottle and pay more attention to the flavor, especially now that I have an idea of what to look for. To be continued… :beer:

Tom Z.

The Special B(150L*) would bring in a plum/raisiny taste… Was that it?