Beer - #201 - The Twisted Hop - Enigma

The Twisted Hop Enigma, a Barley Wine, Brewed by The Twisted Hop in the style of a  Barley Wine in good old Christchurch, New Zealand. Where I shall be next week, and not having thought this through with not enough time to take a side visit.

[caption id="attachment_5073" align="alignright" width="300"] Looking old, worn out and a bit fuzzy here I am brandishing the beer, like a shield.[/caption]

Deep copper in colour and a soft floral aroma with hints of cherries. Its sweet maltiness is balanced by the flavours of stone fruits and a robust hop bitterness. A period of maturation in American Oak contributes hints of vanilla and a tannic dryness. Flavours of dried fruits develop and Epiphany finishes long, dry and bitter. A great accompanyment to strong blue cheese.

330ml bottle of a 9%ABV beer, 2.25 standard drinks give or take and 85 IBU things, Barley Wine being 70-100 making it fair to middling.

I'm trying to listen to the Vinyl version of "The National" . "High Violet" and I'm confused by the "fuzzy" sounds reproduction. I may have to try the iTunes Version. I mention this as I paid some cash today to go see them live in NZ in, wait, 5 months time, be prepared said the boy scout!

Anyway, I best open this...  Lovely fruity raisin aroma,  rich ruby red colour, decent head, such a nice muted sweet aroma in the glass too.

Cor!, thats a bit noice, This is really in your face, there is a real upfront BOSH of sweet caramel fruit really heavy and sweet, but it's all bluster as it gives to a decent length of taste.

It's not subtle at all . It's crammed full of things without a direction, and nothing that suggest that there is a way forward.

The pdubyah-o-meter is a bit very confused, with a love of the sweet way that the fruits carry a big front note, and that the alcohol is is not a feature. But it runs out of legs in a hurry. Which leave you with a big glass of of a lot of beer to drink without a clear sense of enjoyment or more importantly anticipation.  So and for that this is muchly a let down. Lets agree a 7 - as good - and be done.

Or not because I'm righty royally miffed that this wasn't more defined, better, richer, longer in taste, or just more in line with anticipation over delivery. Raisin Richness is nice, heavy sweetness is great, but that can't be all.  Truth is this might be waving towards bitterness as a note. very muddled.

Look, ok, you had an earthquake, I have no idea how traumatic that is day to day, but it's not a baseline for anything other than progress. This seems like a thing that you are leaning on as as a call-to that event, Don't.  I wish I could like this more, I can't. :(

Beer - #200 - Harviestoun - Ola Dubh Special Reserve 18

200 beers that I've written about, and this one is #200 - A Harviestoun - Ola Dubh Special Reserve 18.  Seems appropriate that I get there with something a little left field.

Numbered bottles and everything.

So, a 330 ml  bottle of a 8.0% ABV beer, which on it's own is 2.8 standard drinks.  Perhaps an imprudent way to get to 200 :-) and so early in the evening.

Nice packaging, fancy label, little neck note think, foil wrapped cap

Bottle # 02852 December 2012. Should be good until November 2015 if you had to keep it in a dark place. Which I'm not about to do.

Ola Dubh (or "Black Oil") is so named because it is gloopy and viscous. This limited release has been matured in casks from Orkney’s award-winning Highland Park distillery to add complimentary whisky notes to what is already an amazing brew. It is chocolatey with a roasty, bittersweet aftertaste. Special Reserve 18, whisky notes: Highland Park 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky was named Best Spirit in the World by F. Paul Pacult; it offers toffee sweetness, almond nuttiness and a prolonged, smoky aftertaste.

Or

The initial whisky hit on the nose gives way to more delicate aromas of chocolate, fruity coffee grounds and hints of woodland berries. The flavour is a very appetising blend of sweet malts, vanilla, oak and tobacco. It has undertones of raisins and other dark, dried fruits; a delicious testament to Highland Park’s bias toward sherry casks.

Initial aroma is of deep fruit raisin fruits. Deep dark black pour, but true to form no head :-). Aroma remains as raisin based.

Smokey taste, but not raw and rough, soft edged if you will. And a bag of carry with it too., not all up front.  Some chocolate notes, and you begin to pick the whiskey theme, it's a pretty multi-layer affair.

These are difficult beers to be enthusiastic about in the sense of beer drinking as a thing. As a beer that's a thing this is fantastic and something special. But it's not a beer that you bowl up to your local and start in on, it's an occasion beer.  I can't imagine anyone getting a 6 pack of this in. It's a connoisseur beer fair and square, face it if you wanted a whiskey you'd have one, But as a whiskey based beer, the deuce!

Also, and adding to that, this isn't a beer you take to an event, unless the event it a beer tasting. You wouldn't get this out in a drinking 'session', it's something you have to stop and think about, and talk about, in my opinion.  This does not make it a bad beer, just a beer that doesn't really have a place. I'd take it around to someone that I wanted to impress, I couldn't take this to a group to a group of mates, because well it'd be expensive for them to all have a crack at enjoying it. And for that it wouldn't make a good gift beer in many instances.

Do I like it? Heck yes. It's smooth, enjoyable, tasty, complex, challenging and just nice.  The lovely smokey taste, the thick raisin sweetness, the subtle whiskey , and that alarming way the glass is now empty.

The pdubyah-o-meter says 10.  Swing and a Ding!

Related articles

• Beer Review - Harviestoun Ola Dubh Special Reserve 40 (brouhaha.io)


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Beer - #199 - Garage Projects - L'il Red Rye

I start tonight with a beer that's been in the fridge for a while, because I've been looking forward to it, it's a Garage Projects - L'il Red Rye.

Brewed by Garage Project In the style of an  Amber Ale and they do come from the newly shaky city of Wellington, New Zealand.  Garage Projects say this is an "American hopped Red Rye Ale"

 A 650ml bottle, 6.5% ABV- or 3.3 standard drink units. Only available in bottles in NZ :-)

Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf? Humulus Lupulus, the wolf bine can be fierce, but L’il Red Rye, the grain at the heart of this beer, has more than enough character to run with the wolves. Amarillo and Simcoe hops combine with the earthy spice of rye, and the richness of Munich and caramel malts to create a beer that’s well worth a short cut through the woods.

Red or Amber - one means stop one means go faster, no wait that's traffic signals....

Initial aroma is sweet and earthy. Pours a brilliant ruby dark red with a decent full body head, aroma as it is settles to a slight grassy hop note.

And the flavour is fair cracking, a lovely burst of bitter and a wonderful mouthfeel of malty sweetness to follow, the bitterness making a welcome return at the end. Delightful.

As a counterpoint to tonight's music the Jack White Blunderbuss Album this is really nice.

One thing that you could pick on is that seems to be overly carbonated or there are some very active bubbles in the beer. I'm really never sure if I like that or not, I think that on the whole probably not so much.

But the fact is that this is a pretty awesome beer, and I'm going to be miffed if I've missed out on getting this again.  This delivers a hearty amount of subtle bitterness, and a goodly amount of malts to offset it, and it carries itself the whole journey. I think I like that.

The pdubyah-o-meter says easily 8.5 making this just shy of great and better than very good, or to put it another way, get some in you'll not be disappointed. It's a honest beer, honestly delivered and would be a great companion for a long night in watching sports and telling stories.

So far then this might be slightly less than the Red Rocks, or the Pernicious Weed but I think if they weren't available and this was I'd still be smiling and think I'd scored.

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Things this week: A potted History.

Had a bit of a week.

Did some management things which are the things that shouldn't make a Manager happy.

Couldn't play in the 5-a-side finals night, I was travelling in Australia. We defaulted and therefore came 4th. Ah well.

Took an overnight one day trip from NZ to Australia.

• Had no local money used only a Credit Card.


• Didn't buy any Duty Free


• Used a new passport reader thing to leave the country, had to talk to a person on the way in, and she said "Welcome Home" and that made me smile


• Hotel was a shambles, I arrived very late and the room hadn't been serviced by room service so that made me unhappily


• Sat in premium economy on the way back, much more leg room, bit like  economy class you see in the movies.


• Car parking for essentially 32 hours = $69. 'nuff said

Brought another suit, just because I can

May have spent an imprudent amount of money on one shirt.

Had a hair cut and brought some product - MrsPdubyah is worried about this new thinking about myself thing

Went to my favourite record store, Rhythm Records in Ponsonby only to find they've been put into liquidation and so that's made me sad. Did buy some old vinyl from what was left, you have to do your bit.

Saw David "Tuaman" Tua. He was looking angry at his car, didn't really think it was a good idea to point out that slamming the hood wasn't technically what a mechanical person would call maintenance, or that he should save it for the Gym, or his fight that is coming up. Brave, not Stupid.

Still don't have a PS/3.

 

Beer - #198 - 8 Wired - HopWired IPA

8 Wired HopWired IPA. Brewed by  8 Wired Brewing , although brewed at Renaissance Brewing in the sttyle: India Pale Ale (IPA) and that's all the thing in Blenheim, New Zealand.

7.3% ABV making 500ml about 2.9 standard drinks. And at 70 IBU is at the higher end of IPA.

We believe HopWired is the first bottled version of a true new world India Pale Ale made with NZ grown base malt and 100% truly unique NZ hops. We bet you’ll find nothing else like it on the shelves. Although the malty sweetness is there, this beer is all about the hops. Unlike an American I.P.A. which will mainly hit you with a grapefruity-citrus flavour and aroma, the unique NZ hops used in HopWired are more like a tropical punchbowl: Passion fruit, lime, oranges and Sauvignon Blanc to name but a few. A local Marlborough winemaker said it smelled like gooseberries... Gooseberries? Who has ever smelled a gooseberry?? Decide for yourself or just enjoy it without further complications. Cheers!

This has a muted hoppy/grass aroma, which is really nice on the nose. Pours a lovely rimu brown with an understated head.  Aroma is stronger of the grass/hops that you'd be expecting.

This is interesting. I was expecting sharper more acidic taste, and I get a much softer bite than I would have expected or be expecting. It's not nearly as bitter as it could be.

There are some intriguing under-notes to this,  not grapefruit but something similar. It's an all-on mouthful.  Leaves a lovely lacing on the glass too.

So where is this at? It's not abundantly bitter, it's not overly layered with flavours. It's not tart and it's not sweet. It carries ok, but is short of a good length, but that does not make it thin.

Like many others I like this a good deal. The pdubyah-o-meter says easily a 9, which may be over-generous, but this for sure a very quaffable and amiable beer to be drinking. I'm going to enjoy the rest of my evening with this, and I'm listening to Buddy Guy - the  "Skin Deep" Album,  it's a Chicago Blues thing, and just now, just today it's right on the money :-)

Thanks to the nice people at Liquorland In Newmarket for having this "on tap" and available for take-home in a handy 2l container. Hey this one... it's only about 12 standard drink units.... stand by

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The less of me, the one with the heart

I'm not actually sure what I was thinking, but I have a Nike Sportswatch, and this allows me to track my exercise.

One of it's capabilities is to link to a suitable heart rate sensor. And being as how I had nothing better to spend more money on I invested in one.

Bit of a mistake really. Maybe.

It works ok, and gave me some readings, but having done no research the numbers it came up with were meaningless.  So I had to go investigate using the trusty Google and Wikipedias

What I found was a couple of interesting things, but I'm not sure if I'm nearer understanding or now just frightened.

Resting Heart Rate for MEN
Age	18-25	26-35	36-45	46-55	56-65	65+
Athlete	49-55	49-54	50-56	50-57	51-56	50-55
Excellent	56-61	55-61	57-62	58-63	57-61	56-61
Good	62-65	62-65	63-66	64-67	62-67	62-65
Above Average	66-69	66-70	67-70	68-71	68-71	66-69
Average	70-73	71-74	71-75	72-76	72-75	70-73
Below               Average	74-81	75-81	76-82	77-83	76-81	74-79
Poor	82+	82+	83+	84+	82+	80+

As can be seen on this chart, your resting heart rate can vary with your fitness level and with age. I'm wavering around Good to Excellent, according to this.

But then the point of a heart rate monitor is to show your heart under the stress of exercise. So I had to find that out. And I came up with this

• The most commonly used formula is to take       your age (in years) away from 220. For example, if you are 34, your predicted max heart rate is 186 bpm (220 - 34). The formula was derived from a range of maximum heart rate studies in 1970 by William Haskell and Samuel Fox.


• A study in 2001 with healthy adults found a more accurate formula of 208 - 0.7 x age (from Tanaka, H., Monahan, K.D., & Seals, D.R. (2001). Age-predicted maximal heart rate revisited. J Am Coll Cardiol. Jan;37(1):153-6.)

So I can derive then that my maximum heart rate should be around 171 (I'm old).

And then I found a handy chart that shows me what that looks like in terms of exercise effort heart rate to Maximum heart rate

Table of heart rate at training intensities from 50-90%

age	50%	60%	65%	70%	75%	80%	90%
50	120	130	135	140	145	150	160
51	120	129	134	139	144	149	159
52	119	129	134	139	144	148	158
53	119	128	133	138	143	148	157
54	118	128	132	137	142	147	156

Going back to the data then,  I've had the heart rate monitor on for 3 exercise things and have rates between 146 and 152, somewhere between 75% and 90% (on average), and a range between 70 and 90% overall. Average being a good thing as looking at the data, it says 163 at one point on one of the three days (last night it topped at 158).

So why am I worried. Well 75%, or 80% or 90%  - how do you know that ?  They 'feel' the same to me. I'm pushing as hard as I feel I can on most days, some days I hear the music, others I don't.  I don't want to 'back-off' yet now, I'm conscious that there is a limit to how much I should push, and this is going to change the way I do things, even if I pretend to myself it isn't and that I'll just ignore it. I won't.

Wheck out here http://www.topendsports.com/testing/heart-rate.htm for where I took my data and advice from.