[jaybeerman]

Read some interesting comments last night about a dark beer in Slovenia

Their temno, which the waiter  told us is 4.8% ABV, is a rich dark brown lager, bursting with flavour – dark chocolate, sour cherries and coffee. This was the best dark of the trip.

So it's a beer of "darkness" (i.e. temno) what do you think it would be? Perhaps a euro dunkel, doppelbock, baltic porter, or...?  Sour cherries?  Of course, this guy might not really have a beer palate, or he had a very oxidized dark lager.  Also there’s limited ways to get a cherry character in a beer without adding cherries.  Anyone have some info or good guesses?  Cheers, j

[pinnah]

I see you added baltic porter in there, that was going to be my guess...a session strength baltic porter? 

Not sure on the cherries; couple pounds of special B and a warm ferment?

[jaybeerman]

Yeah my two best guesses were euro dunkel, baltic porter; just forgot to add the baltic porter.  Dunkel would be the right size but baltic porter fits the description the best I suppose.

"couple pounds of special B and a warm ferment," sounds rough. Now that you mention it a session strength baltic porter does sound pretty good.  cheers, j

[majorvices]

Probably not at all what you are looking for but I just aged a 10.5% belgian specialty ale on home toasted cherry wood chips and while I didn't get a lot of wood character I was shocked at how much actual cherry aroma and flavor came though. Only the faintest hint of wood.

[jaybeerman]

Probably not at all what you are looking for but I just aged a 10.5% belgian specialty ale on home toasted cherry wood chips and while I didn't get a lot of wood character I was shocked at how much actual cherry aroma and flavor came though. Only the faintest hint of wood.

Not what I'd look for in this beer but cool nevertheless.  How much toast did you put to the chips and how long of a soak?  I keep meaning to get around to some experiments with fruit wood and smoke beers.  Oh, speaking of cherry - I've been messing around with mahleb in my cooking lately with awesome results (drew has a mahleb beer in the latest zymurgy that looks tasty) guess it's time I try it in beer.  cheers, j

[hopfenundmalz]

Probably not at all what you are looking for but I just aged a 10.5% belgian specialty ale on home toasted cherry wood chips and while I didn't get a lot of wood character I was shocked at how much actual cherry aroma and flavor came though. Only the faintest hint of wood.

Not what I'd look for in this beer but cool nevertheless.  How much toast did you put to the chips and how long of a soak?  I keep meaning to get around to some experiments with fruit wood and smoke beers.  Oh, speaking of cherry - I've been messing around with mahleb in my cooking lately with awesome results (drew has a mahleb beer in the latest zymurgy that looks tasty) guess it's time I try it in beer.  cheers, j

A guy in our club uses mahleb often in his meads.  He makes some mighty fine meads.

[jaybeerman]

A guy in our club uses mahleb often in his meads.  He makes some mighty fine meads.

I already have more beers lined up to brew than I'll be able to brew in my lifetime.  Sometime after I brew the fruitwood smoke beer I'll get around to making a mahleb beer and somewhere in the middle I need to make a summer beer with cumin. 

[1vertical]

That mahleb that wound up in my Solera "Oaked rochefort sour cherry Kriek beer" did really really
nice things especially to the aroma. Last people to sample that beer at New Belgium Brewery went....
grin....Cinnamon.......smells like Cinnamon.....(personally I don't get those notes but hey).
This goes nice in beer. I would not so much put it thru the mash and or boil as I would crush it up
and soak it in some everclear then add the mix to your keg or secondary. Let the flavors develop
from there. Like dry hopping only with  mahleb.

[jaybeerman]

Let the flavors develop from there. Like dry hopping only with  mahleb.

I already have more beers lined up to brew than I'll be able to brew in my lifetime.  Sometime after  I brew the fruitwood smoke beer I'll get around to making a mahleb beer and somewhere in the middle I need to make a summer beer with cumin. 

you're the man I'll look up as soon as I'm ready to make the beer  which will be after I make the Slovenia dark lager <sigh>

[jaybeerman]

...no thoughts on cherry character in a lager without adding cherry or mahleb?

[1vertical]

...no thoughts on cherry character in a lager without adding cherry or mahleb?

Would you go thru the extra labor of producing a lager fermentation and then add a culture of
lambicus Brett to induce cherry character?   I would not....rather I would only utilize an ale yeast much
simpler process.  Savor the extra labor and keep the lager clean and simple.

[jaybeerman]

Would you go thru the extra labor of producing a lager fermentation and then add a culture of
lambicus Brett to induce cherry character?   I would not....rather I would only utilize an ale yeast much
simpler process.  Savor the extra labor and keep the lager clean and simple.

my only thoughts are that the guy had very aged lagers that had all picked up fruitiness which he described as "cherry" or they served him a shandy type mix of sour cherry brandy and dark beer??? 

I'll think about it for a while and come up with a plan - probably just a warm-ish fermented lager, lagered and then brought back up to 40f for a few months.  unless someone comes forward with info...