PDubyah: March 2014

Monday, March 31, 2014

Beer - #331 - Rogue Farms - Honey Kolsch

Brewed by Rogue Ales this is obviously styled as a Kölsch and the farm is in Newport, Oregon USA

7500ml bottle, which is bright yellow!, has an ABV: 4.8% which makes it in NZ Standard Drinks: 2.83, 26 in IBU and 144 calories a serve.

[caption id="attachment_7602" align="alignleft" width="300"]

Of Course, the selfie ![/caption]

Situated just across from 40 acres of Rogue hops, 119 colonies of bees were carefully kept and fed and the honey was uncapped, extracted, filtered, and finally infused into a refreshing Honey Kolsch ale.

This has 10 ingredients: Rogue Farms Dare™ and Risk™ Malts; Wheat, DextraPils & Aciduated Malts; Rogue Hopyard Honey & Wild Flower Honey; Alluvial Hops; Free Range Coastal Water and Kolsch #2 Yeast. Free Range water!, I like the flippancy. I do like the bottle, which is painted glass and not ceramic. So slow on a sunday drinking. Not a lot by way of aroma on opening, not a bad thing, but it did hiss nicely with carbonation.

Pours a really clear pale yellow with a decent and lasting head. Rather thin on the initial tasting, and slightly sour bitter in the middle. I Was expecting a light and easy drinking beer, and this meets some of the expectations well. I was expecting something perhaps sweeter and fuller though. The pdubyah-o-meter says an easy 7 for this, for am a slower sunday recovery day. I might have liked this a bit sweeter and perhaps something hopper on the palate, the aroma hints at that. But this is a bit thin and doesn't deliver what it says on the label especially the honey note, but then if it wasn't in there perhaps you would appreciate it more.

So the double dip review

Am I enjoying it? As a Sunday recovery beer yes, it's mellow. refreshing and is doing a thing.
Would I have another? I easily finished the first 80% of this, then I found it heavier going.
Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Yes, I would, this is a beer that would aid and assist conversation

Musically it's Two Door Cinema Club in the background

www.youtube.com/embed/YXwYJyrKK5A

KÖLSCH

Golden, top-fermented style native to Kln, Germany. The style has a very narrow profile and many beers that consider themselves to be kölschbiers are not. Generally they have a moderate bitterness, but fairly prominent hop flavour (typically Spalt, Tettnang or Hallertau). They have high effervescence, medium esters, but a rounded, stylish character derived from lagering.

Kolsch and an Intro to Using Grain

Brief Review: Golden Road Brewing 'Cabrillo Kolsch'

Kolsch! - my very 1st all grain... totally from scratch!

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Beer - #330 - Hallertau - Hopocalypse IIIPA 2014

Well it's a Friday so Hallertau Hopocalypse IIIPA 2014 it is! Four Horsemen Of The Hopocalypse -

Four Horsemen of the Hopocalyse – a collaboration with four of the most hop driven brewers in New Zealand. Joseph Wood from Liberty Brewing, Steve Plowman from Hallertau, Kelly Ryan and Luke from Epic. Could you add anymore hops to one beer.

This is listed as brewed by Epic Brewing Company (NZ) in the Style: Imperial/Double IPA, and they are in Auckland, a ways up the road in Riverhead. I could visit anytime I like. Or I can drink at home :-) They have a fine restaurant.

I brought a 1 litre growler (1000ml) of this, which is 12% ABV 180IBU's, This might contain near 1,000 calories if my maths is up to it converting Ml to US Fl Oz. That's a bit extreme. A Standard serve is 12 US Fl Oz, or about 355ml., this contains a whopping 9.4 standard drink units when calculated by ABV. Golly.

It's almost sweet smelling on opening, there's not much giveaway if this is a hop monster beer. Aroma really kicks in on opening though, pours fantastic burnt orange and with a fluffy head that dissipates but seems to persist a bit.

This is a lot sweeter than you could expect it to be, seems to have a lot of caramel malt thing going on, which is interesting.

There is the alcohol that you can pick on the top, it's pretty obvious if you were wondering, and it lingers and finishes a bit tart. But hey it's a big IBU beer and these are things that you could be expecting to happen it shouldn't be a surprise.

This might not be the most sensible thing I've ever drunk, particularly pre-dinner.

The Pdubyah-o-meter ticks up a tad, makings this a 7.5 which is better than good but not on the podium for medallists.

Watching the Formula 1 practice on the teevee. These new V6 cars are like sewing machines compared to the thunder and lightening that was last year. You can hear the tyres squeal and the turbo chirp. I guess that's a good thing, but I prefer the noise. Someone should invent an app.

I know it's important to round this off with a couple of things.

Am I enjoying it? Yes I am, it's both sweet and bitter, and a bit quaffable despite the misgivings about the alcohol astringent
Would I have another? I do have another, and I'm looking forward to it. I may have the munchies later though.
Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Yup.

On the drive home I was listening to Muse, loudly. I'm sure I look odd in the car with this dialled up to 11

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_sBOsh-vyI&w=420&h=315]

IMPERIAL/DOUBLE IPA

Imperial IPA, Double IPA or DIPA is a strong, often sweet, intensely hoppy version of the traditional India Pale Ale. Bitterness units range upward of 100 IBUs and alcohol begins at 7.5% but is more commonly in the 8.5-10% range. The flavour profile is intense all-round. Unlike barley wines, the balance is heavily towards the hops, with crystal and other malts providing support.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

From a stressful job to the stress of no job

After 15 years with the same employer, doing various roles from sales to people management I got to point where enough was enough.

Having travelled more than 450,000 commuter kilometres to work and back day in day out I got to the point where enough was enough.

The meetings where we navel gazed and pontificated about things we didn't know or had control over, I got to the point where enough was enough.

The one-upmanship, the slide in company culture, the alliances made and broken, promises made and lies told. I got to the point where enough was enough.

So from having a steady employment I resigned replacing one stress with another.

To be honest it's a roller coaster of emotions, most of which, I think, relate to a stressful situation that frankly I don't think anyone is equipped to handle.

I'm confident of a new job, really confident, and that'll be really refreshing, and a challenge of making new connections.

I will look back with fond memories and a great time had, but sometimes change calls, and you have to face it head on.

Monday, March 24, 2014

Beer - #329 - Black Dog - Bite Hopped Pilsner

Black Dog beer, I've only had out on my travels in pubs from taps. So this is a new experience. Pilsner too, a style with which I have a love/hate thing with, at least in my head.

This is a 500ml bottle (16 fl oz) of a 5.5% ABV beer, which is 2.17 drinks, could be about 230 calories worth in the bottle, not a serve. I may have this all wrong.

Brewed by Black Dog Brewing Company This of course in the style of a Pilsener and they are in Wellington, New Zealand, and I will get to visit them one day.

[caption id="attachment_7195" align="alignleft" width="300"]

ah ha! the selfie[/caption]

This is a hoppy Pilsner done in the Kiwi style. This is our representation of a style that New Zealand brewers are really crafting into something unique, a hoppy lager style beer that showcases our country’s hops. Bite features Motueka and Nelson Sauvin hops, both of which are making a big name for themselves around the world. Kiwi hop growers can’t produce enough of these varieties so you better get a glass of this one while you can!

All I got on opening was yeast, but that's normal, right ?

Mint pour of a crisp yellow orange beer with a lovely foamy head and loadsa carbonation going all on in the glass. Nice.

Still only a yeast aroma, I'm not so bothered by this though. I am looking forward to the first sup.

This isn't as earthy as I lead myself to believe this might be, and it's actually somewhat muted.

It's also not that hopped in the way that you might think that hops = bitterness , or add flavours like grass or pine or cats urine, or whatever.

This is a pretty clean and crisp beer, it's nothing edgy or spectacular, or difficult or challenging, or something you drink to feel different, it's just a good beer done well.

There is nothing at all stand-out though, and this is where this, for me, becomes a good domestic beer, an everyman beer. Which isn't bad it's just a commercial beer, and being in the money is important for the side projects.

It's very quaffable and the pdubyah-o-meter rates this as a 6 on the scale of things, which is only at the average level of beer, for me. This however isn't the whole of it, because of the the arbitrary 3 Question Quiz

Am I enjoying it? Yes, yes I am

Would I have another? Yes, yes I would

Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? I think you could sit and have a share session with a few of these as it's low impact and high enjoyment.

So, I'd like another, yes I would, but if only we were having a Sunday afternoon half-back/quarterback session, but then you could insert commercial beer X in that slot and get a similar result.

If I was grading this for report it could be B- must try harder!

Musically we moved (I say we, MrsPdubyah insisted something more upbeat) to George Michael and his Symphonica Album , who doesn't like swing!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pARujCvm4Wo&w=560&h=315]

As an aside on Untappd I got another 'badge' Crisp as Day (Level 2) - Light and crisp, a Pilsner is all you need to make your day great. Though, perhaps another one would make it even better. That’s 10 different Pilsners. No one can claim I like all the same beers.

PILSENER

While the definition of "pilsner" is open to much debate in the beer community, it generally refers to pale, hoppy lagers, ranging from 28IBUs and up.

Year of Beer Paintings - Day 74

Beer of the Week: Breckenridge Regal Pilsner

A pair of pilsner pretenders...

Beer - #328 - Croucher - Anzus

Croucher Anzus, for a lazy sunday - I don't drink enough Croucher beer, - Brewed by Croucher Brewing this one is in the style of an India Pale Ale (IPA) and they are in Rotorua, New Zealand

[caption id="attachment_7188" align="alignright" width="300"]

Of course a Selfie[/caption]

A Tri-nation brew created for the Great Australian Beer SpecTapular as a low alcohol alternative to the 6-10% ABV ’hop bombs’ currently flooding the market. Croucher have hoped with ANZUS IPA to give these three nations another shot at working together in harmony - however rather than it being on a military basis, this time it would be on the craft beer frontier... specifically HOPS! Representing New Zealand was the newly released Kohatu, the Australian representative was our new favourite hop Galaxy, and the new US release Zythos.

A Bottle - 500ml - of a 7% ABV beer, being 2.7 standard drink units, 210 calories a serve. Nicely cold.

Nuclear Free ANZUS IPA is our effort to repair relations between these three international Super-Powers. While a Nuclear Free ANZUS military alliance didn't work, the Nuclear Free ANZUS IPA with its heady blend of the best aroma hops from Australia, New Zealand and the USA sure does. After a glass of this it won’t be Uranium they’ll be smelling on your breath.

Grassy hop burst on the opening, light fizz, so not expecting a head.

Pours a cloudy golden orange, and a small and persistent head, a win! Nie hop aroma.

Sip and .. a full mouthful of Bitter resinous grassy hops and a bang of malt sweetness.

I was expecting something less cloudy and perhaps less aggressive.

Then is suddenly settles down, and you get something like but not quite an orange zest note that carries the bitterness to a reasonable finish, which isn't dry not does it wreck your palate.

I'm a bit on the fence though about this, the flavours all appear at once, and the really present hop bitterness is very persistent. Although there is a decent carry and length I don't feel fulfilled, or as fulfilled as I think I could be.

The pdubyah-o-meter then has this at a 7 on it's scale of things, which is still good, but fails to break through the field and become a front runner, at least in my opinion, which may differ.

I'm not enjoying this as much as I think I could be, and I'm hoping that I finish it soon so I can move on to something else.

So the newish 3 question finale

Am I enjoying it? I think I am, but I could be enjoying this more.

Would I have another? Actually no.

Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? I don't think that as it is, just the beer, It works as a discussion beer. I can't wait to finish it and more on to something else, and that can't be good for conversation.

As an aside i'm also on Untappd and with this I earned the "We believe in IPA and you should too. You certainly have a taste for the hops! That's 40 different IPAs" badge. I feel like a lush, which is slang you may have to look up.

Musically I'm having a listen to the Who is William Onyeabor album

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoUY_0-w9hQ&w=560&h=315]

INDIA PALE ALE & IPA

India Pale Ale gets its name and unique style from British brewers who were making beer for export to India. This style has an intense hop flavor which was used to preserve the beer for the long voyage. India Pale Ale has a golden to copper color with a medium maltiness and body. The aroma is moderate to very strong. IPAs work especially well at cutting the heat of chili, vindaloo or Sichuan cuisine.

Business Profile - Croucher Brewing Co.

Small brewery making big impact

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Learning all the time about beer

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Beer - #327 - Celt Experience - Ogham ’Willow’

Recommended to me - Celt Experience Ogham ’Willow’

Brewed by Celt Experience this is in the style of a n Imperial/Double IPA and they are in, a first for me, Caerphilly, Wales. More than just cheese!

[caption id="attachment_7175" align="alignright" width="300"]

Half Selfie[/caption]

Ogham Willow Magestic IPA – 8.8%
95 IBUs – American Yeast, Big World Hops and Euro malt
Willow is instrumental in spawning spiritual visions, engendering a clearer understanding of the world in which we live. A Big beer…. A Magic craft….. Magestic…… Yes Magestic, not just majestic Created with percolating, infusing and dry hopping with potent US hops, but allowing balance through deep bodied British malts and cultivating a smooth citrus backbone from Eastern European hops.

330ml bottle, 8.5% ABV, 95 IBU, 264 calories and 2.21 standard drink units .

Lots of yeast and hop aroma on opening. Dark Orange pour, and of course no head!, fruity aroma though.

Wow that's a whole mouthfeel of flavours, bittern some sweet notes, finishes bitter and a bit dry.

Come Citrus too, orange.

It's quite nice, it's a full on experience in the mouth, but it's a complicated beer, in my own opinion.

The pdubyah-o-meter thinks that this is ok, but it's in a big field of many good beers. This does have things going on and layers in it that others in this class don't have, the orange is quite pronounced. Bitter and finishes dry. So a deserved 7 making this a good beer. I do have another, which his unusual for me, and so I reserve the right to review my review or on appeal.

It's Friday, this friday there is no music, as yet.... but it is early and I do have ideas.....

What inspires beer art: The Celt Experience

Friday, March 21, 2014

4:04 am and the clock goes tick-tick-tick Musings

I was watching some youtube things, and you know how that ends up, normally pictures of cats right. Well not in my case.

Hollow Earth Theory : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollow_Earth

Hollow Earth. Hidden entrances at the North and South poles. Hitler sent expeditions! The claim was that the earth’s crust is only between 8 miles and 200 miles thick

Gravity? Well there is a micro start in the center providing gravity for those on the outside. Not sure how those on the inside get on, perhaps they’re squished to the ground flat, living in 24-7 sunlight

Oh this is where UFO’s come from too.

Which lead me to Expanding Earth Theory http://hollowearththeory.com/articles/expandingEarthAnimation.asp

But before that how NASA made up UFO’s so they could launch loads of satellites and space weapons, and how they use chemtrails to fly holographic aircraft

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemtrail_conspiracy_theory

http://www.disclose.tv/forum/chemtrails-and-holographic-planes-t37043.html

Which lead me to a video about how the human race is an Alien Experiment….

I’m not judging but the most plausible was the NASA one., well not the holographic chemtrail thing but.

I could expand on that by saying there are many possible scenarios of life on other planets

There is life on other planets.

Life on other planets is at a similar stage of development to that on Earth

Life on other planets is more primitive than that on earth

Now because we don’t perceive or have an explanation for things that can travel Faster-than-light, or an understanding of worm-holes that may or may not get us from one place in the universe to another doesn’t mean they don’t exist or are not feasible.

But the question is that begs is how would you detect life on the 3^rd rock from the sun at the edge of a spiral arm we call the Orion Arm, which is about two-thirds of the way from the center of our galaxy to the edge of the starlight?

It was a slow night

Monday, March 17, 2014

Beer - #326 - Rogue Farms - 7 Hop IPA

So a bottle of this on an overcast sunday. Rogue Farms 7 Hop IPA. Rogue Ales, styled as an Imperial/Double IPA and they are in Newport, Oregon USA

650ml bottle of a 90 IBU beer, of 8.2%ABV and 242 calories a serving. I just burnt 480 caories or so on a 5km jog around the block. So same/same. I have a feeling that I'm going to enjoy the input rather than the use of calories in this instance. This would be about 4 standard drinks units in NZ.

[caption id="attachment_7158" align="alignright" width="300"]

Post Run, Unshaven, thirsty[/caption]

This is John Maier’s secret recipe that blends all seven hops grown in the hopyard of Rogue Farms. It is a true taste of the terroir of the Wigrich Appellation, the oldest hops growing region in Oregon.

Malts: Rogue Farms Dare,™ Risk,™ Maier & Dare™ R-3

Hops: Rogue Farms Liberty, Newport, Revolution, Rebel, Independent, Freedom & Alluvial

Yeast & Water: Pacman Yeast & Free Range Coastal Water.

Really nice hop aroma on opening, just balanced and sweet.

Fantastic bright golden orange pour with a really nice head, and a fantastic first mouthfeel makes you smile.

Florals and sweet, not ranging bitter that makes you gasp or hesitate, just a banging drink with a really refreshing and decent palate. I had another mouthful to check.

Still the same, dangerously drinkable.

I like the idea that this has free range water :-)

Anyway there is not a lot of give-away that you're drinking a high abc beer and that you're drinking it on the double.

I mentioned that this is way too easily drinkable and I seem to have made a decent dent in it. Not like I didn't re-hydrate after exercise either.

The pdubuyh-o-meter would have you belive that this is a 10 on the scale of all things. It's hard to find a fault that would make me mark it down. The bitterness is low on the palate, despite the claim of 90 IBU (normal for a DIPA), there is a lot of malt sweetness that carries this delightfully. It's refreshing on the tongue and has a decent length, and does not finish dry or make you wonder what you need to eat to calm your palate down again

So I'm asking my own three questions to me, because sometimes although the beer is good you might not get a 3 yes votes, my own personal Beer-Idol....

Am I enjoying it? Yes, a Lot.

Go again? Yes, I wish I could, I only have the one.

Share with a friend and tell stories on the deck in the sun? This is a beer that I think fits the brief of being a beer to tell lies, and make stuff up over.

[caption id="attachment_7162" align="alignleft" width="300"]

This is what the party in my mouth is like[/caption]

So the Rogue Farm 7 hops joins a few beers that I would rate as 10. I'm surprised that this is the only Rogue beer to be in the gallery. A beer that might just have knocked off one of my go-to beers the Rogue OREgasmic ale off it's perch in the beer fridge pecking order.

I'm actually going to have to sulk for the rest of the evening as there is no topping that.

Buy this, if you don't like it I will give you your money back if you don't enjoy it.