urban trappist brewery
Biography
A dark twin to Maplethorpe, this brew came from the same mash. I needed to do something a little wild since these nanobatches are intended to take the risk of complete ruination (see: Crucifixion Ale) without possibly wasting meaningful funds. The only remotely intriguing ingredient in my larder was the box of figs. And it had a great name with it, so voila!
Creation
Pretty straightforward. Mashing with a small amount of grains is easy, and this was well sparged and strained, helping it achieve a nice clarity. The figs probably should have been chopped more / boiled longer, as they seemed too firm after being strained from the boil. A puree might even have been appropriate, but that would have muddled the glorious transparence that ensued.
Stats
Style: Figged UpBase Grain: Maris Otter
Adjunct Grains: Brown Malt, Victory, Aromatic, Carapils, Melanoidin
Hops: Hallertau
Curious Additives: Black Mission Figs, Coconut, Cloves, Allspice, Ginger, Rose Hips
Yeast: WLP 007 - Dry English Ale
OG: 1.050 / FG: 1.010
ABV: 5.2%
Color: Garnet
Head: TBD
Flavors: Sadly, noticeable oxidation. But the figs are subtly present amidst a nice bed of spices. It needs to age and balance a bit, and let's hope the figment hasn't faded by then.