Beer - #387 - Beavertown - Bloody ’Ell

The amusingly named beer from Beavertown -  Bloody ’Ell -

Brewed by Beavertown in the style that is an India Pale Ale (IPA) and they are in Hackney Wick, England.

[caption id="attachment_8394" align="alignleft" width="300"] Selfie[/caption]

330ml bottle of a 7.4% ABV beer,  220 calories give or take for a standard glass, and this in NZ is 1.93 standard drink units equivalent.

"Blood Orange IPA" Zest and juice of blood oranges were put in the kettle at the end of the boil. Big rounded modern IPA full of orange flavours.

This has some of the best art on a beer bottle for a long time.

However  the interwebs does not garner a lot of information given away about this beer though

Beer - #386 - Ballast Point - Fathom India Pale Lager

It's a Sunday, I wanted a quiet beer to get me to the end of a nice weekend, so here it is Ballast Point Fathom India Pale Lager. 

Brewed by Ballast Point Brewing Company in the style that is  Strong Pale Lager/Imperial Pils and they are in San Diego, California USA

This is a 650ml bottle,  it is @ 7% ABV, which would be 210 a serve  (385 for the bottle) calories and 70 IBU things on the scale if things, which is more bitter than an ESB, Stout or your average IPA. Oh and about 3.6 standard drink units in NZ.

Lager meets IPA in a winning combination.

[caption id="attachment_8366" align="alignleft" width="300"] why no have a Selfster[/caption]

Our Fathom India Pale Lager combines time-honored lagering techniques with the hop profiles of a West Coast IPA recipe. The cold-fermenting lager yeast provides a clean base that allows the citrus and pine aromas from the hops to really shine. The result is a gold medal beer with a refreshing, easy drinking character and just the right amount of depth.

So a weird mash up on the face of it, but it does seem to resonate with people

Beer - #385 - Pink Elephant - Trumpet

Home alone and so it's comfort beer (I hope) and one that's been in the fridge a while - the Pink Elephant Trumpet - 2013 vintage - of course Brewed by Pink Elephant this one in the style of a  Barley Wine and they are based in a nice part of the country - Blenheim, Malborough, New Zealand

A 500ml bottle, which is  9.6% ABV, so being 3.75 standard drink units, but only 315 calories.

Trumpet is a Barley Wine. This is lovely when fresh as the hop additions are
prominent with an aroma of mixed fruit leathers. 
Has some caramel, Honey, vanilla and dried apricot flavours.It may be cellared for many years and will lead to an amazingly complex ale Vertical tastings are possible with this Ale

[caption id="attachment_8356" align="alignright" width="300"] yes, it's a selfie[/caption]

A hoppy and malty Barley Wine style. This is lovely when fresh as the hop additions are prominent. However, it may be cellared for many years and will lead to an amazingly complex ale as the many ingredients blend together to give a truly classic Barley Wine

Poured a slightly dark golden with a weak almost white head. Aroma of mixed fruit leather I used to get in my lunchbox at school, some stale caramel and honey, quite sweet but still pleasant. Thin mouthful for the abv. lots of weird cola, vanilla and dried apricot. so many fruits come to mind when drinking this stuff its incredible. The finish is a touch warming and shows more stonefruit. good stuff.

Beer - #384 - Unibroue - Maudite

Canada! Unibroue Maudite - it's all on. 

Brewed by Unibroue (Sapporo)  in the style of the  Belgian Strong Ale and they are in Chambly, Canada

355 ml bottle (12 fl oz) of a beer of 8%ABV, so not a session beer, 2.24 standard drinks in this, and 240 calories. IBU is 22 which is the low end for the style. (I added a handy page guide).

Maudite has a deep amber-red color with a rocky foam head and an appealing aroma of wild spices and floral hop notes. It is spicy, vinous, and deliciously complex with a crisp hop finish.

 The robust maltiness and spiciness of our amber-red ale is counterbalanced by an assertive hop finish, offering a distinctive flavor that is cognac-like in complexity.

[caption id="attachment_8347" align="alignleft" width="300"] Selfie by any other name[/caption]

In November 1992 Maudite (the damned one), was the first strong beer to be distributed in Quebecgrocery stores. Maudite is a mahogany-colored, rich-tasting premium beer that has a distinctive, complex taste. Because of the warmth it releases, this strong character beer must be served cool but not cold. Perfect with pasta, red meats, stews and spicy dishes, it also makes a good aperitif and after-dinner drink.

Maudite has a typically Quebecois name that is reminiscent of the legend of the Chasse-Galerie (the legend of the Flying Canoe). Legend has it that a group of lumberjacks struck a deal with the devil to fly home in their canoes, guided by Satan himself, to make it home in time for Christmas.

Looking forward to this a bit 

Beer - #383 - Renaissance - Enlightenment Series - Bière de Garde (a redux)

This is Brewed by Renaissance Brewing in Blenheim, New Zealand, and of course as a  Bière de Garde. and I've had it before of course. I had the draft version,  this is the bottle. I thought it was a bit good then.

A 500ml bottle of a 8.4% ABV beer and that translates into a 3.3 standard drink units thing of  something like 255 calories a serve.

[caption id="attachment_8323" align="alignright" width="300"] I know right[/caption]

Brewers would craft this beer in the winter months, but aimed to make a style that could be enjoyed for the rest of the year. As beer was often used as payment for farmhands, they had to be refreshing in the hot summer months. Bière de Garde (Beer to Keep) became the name for these unique, rustic ales. This is our take with a different aging technique. This fine ale is aged in chardonnay and gerwürztraminer barrels for four and a half months. This beer is dry with honey biscuit characters and a finish of the fine flavours with a hint of French oak. Thanks to Matt Dainty for this interesting beer.

So I'm ready are you ? (he said to himself).

Aroma is lemony sweet,  candy.

Beer - #382 - Bach Brewing - Kingtide Pacific IPA

One of 3 beers from this brewer - Bach Brewing Ltd This is Brewed at Steam Brewing Company and this one is in the style: of and  India Pale Ale (IPA) and they are in Auckland, New Zealand

210 calories a serve out of a 500ml bottle of a 7% ABV beer, so about 2.7 standard drink units. 68 IBU   is way up the high end  for IPA type beers.

[caption id="attachment_8309" align="alignleft" width="300"] Might as well have a selfie[/caption]

At the heart of is our passion for craft beer and our love for the Kiwi Bach…escape, freedom, simplicity and time together with family and friends.
Kingtide Pacific IPA is brewed with a caravan full of five character hops from the NZ and US coasts of the Pacific Ocean - Riwaka, Motueka, Amarillo, Chinook and Citra.

The 3rd of the 3, this being the newest of them.

I brought this, and the other two only because the sales rep was in the bottle store at the time, I've kind of been looking past them before that, and I shouldn't do that really. Or perhaps I do it because they're unknown quantity and therefor a gamble.

Beer - #381 - Bach Brewing - Hopsmacker Pale Ale

One of 3 beers from this brewer - Bach Brewing Ltd This is Brewed at Steam Brewing Company and this one is in the style: of and American Pale Ale, and they are in Auckland, New Zealand

174 calories a serve out of a 500ml bottle of a 5.8% ABV beer, and at 48 IBU Is well in the top of the range (20-50) for the Pale Ale style.  This would be about 2.28 standard drink units.

[caption id="attachment_8303" align="alignright" width="300"] of course the S-E-L-F-I-E[/caption]

Hopsmacker is the reinvention of an award winning original recipe, a new world style Pale Ale brewed with bucket loads of NZ Riwaka hops and US Cascade hops. Original Hopsmacker was Champion Pale Ale, BrewNZ annual awards 2003, 2004.

Tasting notes:
Fresh and aromatic, bursting with passionfruit and citrus.

This is allegedly a corkingly good beer!.

One of those beers that does it foam out of the top of the bottle on opening, not a gush though, manageable, and unexpected sip of foam for me.

Beer - #380 - Bach Brewing - Czechmate Pilsner

One of 3 beers from this brewer - Bach Brewing Ltd - This is Brewed at Steam Brewing Company and this particular one is in the style: of a Czech Pilsner (Světlý) and they are in Auckland, New Zealand

150  calories a serve out of a 500ml bottle of a 5% ABV beer, and at 42 IBU in near the top end of 45 for a Pilsner. This is 2 standard drink units of beers-worth.

[caption id="attachment_8297" align="alignleft" width="300"] Selfie of course[/caption]

Czechmate is a classic Bohemian style Pilsner featuring noble Czech Saaz hops and Bohemian Pils malt. Twice crowned champion international style lager.

Tasting Notes:
Refreshing Pils; Crisp with spicy herbal.

This one might be the "Weakest" of the three, if you read th reviews, but that might be because of the unusual style for the locals.

I pontificate.

Beer - #379 - Panhead - Vandal (Fresh Hopped)

Ah there's a new version off this beer I had a while back and gave it a 10! - This though is  a Fresh Hopped  version.

The Vandal is Brewed by Panhead Custom Ales in the style of an  India Pale Ale (IPA) and they're in Upper Hutt, New Zealand

This is a 500ml bottle of an 8.0% ABV beer, and 90 IBU things which is  3.15 drink units in NZ, I think this about  240 calories a serve.

Not only did the Americans invent hot-rodding, they invented hop-rodding too.

In the late 1960's a Tauranga teenager called John Reid threw a kiwi hat in to that ring with the the famed "Vandal", a dazzling green flake 1919 Dodge Bucket.
In his spirit we are rising to the other challenge with a beer named in his honour - a big, bitter APA stuffed with the tropical hit of Nelson Sauvin, Kohatu and Riwaka Hops.

Like any good hotrod, it's built to attract as much attention as possible.

Beer - #378 - Weezledog - DickleDoi Imperial Ruby Ale

A peculiar name and I didn’t realize it was local,  I have Weezledog - DickleDoi Imperial Ruby Ale.

So then, from Weezledog Brewing Company but brewed at Black Sands Brewing Company this is in the style of an Amber Ale or depending on where you read about it an "Irish Red Ale", or the brewer says "Imperial Ruby Ale" and they do this in Auckland, New Zealand.

500ml, 7% ABV, 210 calories a serving, and 2.76 standard drink units. At 35 IBU should be fairly nice, jsut at the bottom end of an English Bitter or Stout.

"Too hoppy and strong to be considered a traditional Irish Red, but far too malt focussed to be called an American Amber/Red Ale, Imperial Ruby Ale is what it is; big red and malty."

Big, red and not shy on the malt, somewhat of a forgotten ingredient in many modern beers. A huge malt base of biscuit, dark crystal and a pinch of chocolate malt provides some fruitcake-eskey notes with a hint of nutty roastiness, making for a truely unique beer. We let the malt play front and centre for this beer, so the yeast is American, keeping it clean and allowing the NZ hops to really smash through late.
Anyway, enough salesman speak... buy it, try it, and let us know if you think it’s as good as we do. After all... It’s all about the beer.

Let them know? Last time I let someone know I got free beer, the time before that I got cussed out :-).

Beer - #377 - Garage Project - Death From Above

I went to the bottle shop today, Liquorland in Forrest Hill, and I walked in the door, and the man behind the counter flourished this at me,  Garage Project - Death From Above, good man! He also told me I was too early for the weekly new beer delivery. That's the way it goes sometimes.

Brewed by Garage Project this is in the style: India Pale Ale (IPA) and they are in Wellington, New Zealand.

650ml bottle of a beer of 7.5% ABV which makes it 225 calories a serving, and 3.8 standard drinks in this bottle.

This has been one of the most challenging Garage brews to date. At its heart was the idea of combining aggressive, high citrus character of American hops with the heat and sweetness of Indochine flavours. Have you ever tried a Vietnamese mango and chili salad? If you haven’t you should. It could be life changing. It’s an idea that has been rattling around the Garage consciousness for a while and the Great Australasian Beer Spectapular seemed like a fitting opportunity to give it an outing. It was always going to be a challenging brew to pull off – mango, chili, Vietnamese mint and lime juice aren’t exactly conventional ingredients. Don’t bother checking, they aren’t listed in the Reinheitsgebot. Add a lavish addition of Chinook, Centennial, Citra and Amarillo hops, a deadline launch for an international beer festival and take it straight to a 2000 litre batch without any chance for small scale testing and you get what could have been a recipe for spectacular, monumental disaster. The idea of trying to bring all these flavours together in a coherent way given the pressure of time and prospect of public humiliation was, frankly, shit scary.

Thursday afternoon, late Autumn sun, couple of hedgehogs roaming in the garden - no idea what they're about at this time of day, they ate some cat biscuits and toddled off somewhere else.

Beer - out and about - Deep Creek Brewery

I decided that rather than mope at home, now that I may be jobless, that I would make a trip to the local pub, in this case the Micro Brewery - "Deep Creek Brewery" who are in Browns Bay (and they have other brewing facilities of course - they make bottles of the stuff now)



I came specifically for the Tsar Bomba beer, which is an American Amber / Red Ale, at 6.5% ABV. So a pint of this is about 2.75 standard dink units

Brewed by Deep Creek Brewing Co

It was served a lot warmer than I would have served it,  but then I'm not an expert, and of course it's a pint, the head looked ok but disappeared by the time I got the the table I was sitting at.

It is a lovely chestnut colour and has a lovely lacing in the glass, I can attest this as I've been supping and enjoying this.

Its  taste is high in caramel and therefore sweetness, and not at all bitter, or its pleasingly bitter and has a decent finish which isn't dry or uncomfortable.

This is supposed to be a 'Fresh Hop Brewed Beer". I'm not convinced that it's a success as it might be overly sweet and less harsh that you might be expecting. From memory it's also similar to another of the beers they brew, "The leprechaun's Belle", or their "Little Armoured one'

Essentially then, a 'special' beer, but on a well worn theme. Which is all fine and dandy and there is nothing wrong with that at all .

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 7 a of its mystery bag of numbers akin to a 10 sided dice.  It's a lot less harsh and a lot sweeter than you might be expecting, but it is pleasing and pleasant and a nice beer for a showery afternoon watching the world mooch past.

And then.... I had the "Undercurrent Pilsner" a 5% ABV beer, that of course is a pilsner. A Pint, no flash glassware here it's how they roll.  So this is about 2.1 standerd drink units

Brewed by Deep Creek Brewing Co of course as a  Pilsener and they are in walking distance from me in Browns Bay Auckland, New Zealand

Point breaks, sunshine, crisp beers on hot days. This easy drinking pilsner has a calm malt profile, with a swirl of floral aroma, and an undercurrent of citrus zest. We take its bohemian beginnings and introduce a taste of New Zealand with Nelson hops, to produce this latest wave in the Deep Creek set.

Origin: A New Zealand spin on a Czech innovation creates a stunning lager base, bombed with the fruity Nelson ‘Sauvin’ Hop. The passionfruit undercurrent and special lager yeast achieves a crisp, dry flavour. This session beer is a winner for those long summer days or a Pilsner/ch’i hybrid for those after a handcrafted health kick!

Smells that great Pilsner hoppy in the glass, I'm sure I looked weird smelling my beer like that.

This has a banging amount of hop delivery, but I thought two things, It's not as cold as I'd serve it, and again I'm not an expert, and I also though that this was a bit thin in the delivery and body.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this one as 6 on the wheel of fortune scale of things, It promises more than it delivers. Also harping on, this was served a lot warmer than I would have liked it. Did like the grass hop note that persisted to remind you that this really could be a good beer if they tweaked a couple of things. Wonder what it's like really cold? 

I'll add more, that as this warmed it really did take on a much deeper and over-riding hop laden beer, which surprised me.  Better.

I could get used to this more relaxed life-style I'm not sure I have enough money or patient enough wife for that to happen. 

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? Yes, the Tsar Bomba but I wish I was enjoying it more,


2. Would I have another? I mightn't depends on what's on the taps, and I changed to the Pilsner.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? If you were here I wouldn't have a problem with ordering a Tsar for you. The Pilsner, if you wanted a similar softer palate beer but in the lager style.

AMBER ALE

A style without definition, amber ales range from bland, vaguelly caramelly beers to products with a fairly healthy malt and hop balance. Often the differentiation between a quality amber and an American Pale is that the amber might have more dark malt character, or a less assertive hop rate.

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.

 

Beer - #376 - Tuatara - APA

Brewed by Tuatara Brewing Company this in the style of the  American Pale Ale and they are in Paraparaumu, New Zealand

A custom made complete with scales and ridges - 500ml bottle,  5.8% ABV and 2.4 standard drinks worth,  50 IBU and about 170 ish calories a serve

Hopped With Chinook to bitter, and Simcoe and Zythos to flavour and dry-hop.
Barack Obama isn’t the only American to be returned by popular demand. Tuatara’s famous, original APA is back, accompanied by the seductive aromas and flavours of its all-American hopping regime. American Pale Ale is the wild colonial iteration of the famous English IPAs of the nineteenth century. In a country whose idea of an urbane well-bred Englishman is Piers Morgan, American Pales make the most of a hop breeding culture originally founded by Californian hippies, the kind who got their start in more illegal forms of horticulture. Tuatara reflects that freewheeling adventurousness from the giant fruit on the nose to the fabulous bitterness at the end.

Not a lot of aroma on opening to make a pick, but I get a light vinegary thing, I don't know I make a lot of this up.

Beer - #375 - Speakeasy - Big Daddy IPA

I brought this after much prevarication, someone mentioned in passing that it was 'average'  but I've had a lot of average lately so the heck -  Speakeasy - Big Daddy IPA

650ml bottle, 6.5% ABV, 55 IBU things, and that makes it 195 calories a serve, and it's 3.3 standard drink equivalents in this bottle.

Brewed by Speakeasy Ales and Lagers in the syle of an  India Pale Ale (IPA) and they are in San Francisco, California USA

No lightweight, Big Daddy I.P.A. tips the scales with a huge hop flavor and a dry, clean finish that leaves the scene without a trace.

[caption id="attachment_8196" align="alignright" width="300"] After exercise beer selfie[/caption]

San Francisco’s Speakeasy has a cool, Prohibition- and organized-crime-themed style—their mailing list members are collectively known as “The Mob,” and the brewery’s website refers to the staff as “The Family”—but their beers are mostly modern and West Coast in style. Big Daddy’s taps can be found around the Western US, and bottled beers have been available since 2000.

Flavors and aromas Big Daddy IPA is a dry-hopped beer with a big floral-citrus nose. It’s bitter, but not overwhelmingly so; the full-bodied malt balances the bitterness to a point where you may find that this comes together more like an amber ale than an IPA.

So a mixed bag of things, mostly I've read that this is fairly good though.

Soda Review - #4 - Hӧpt - Elderberry and Herb

What's going on ? Soda Review ? Yes but.. soda made with hops, which is like beer.
Hӧpt - Variety 4 - Elderberry and Herb.

There are 4 varieties, I chose #2 and #3, then brought the #1 and #4, so the review order has nothing to do with the variety order, just to be awkward.

This is the 4th of 4 reviews.

330ml bottle of a Soda, made in New Zealand, 281Kj or about 67 calories in this bottle.  16.2g of sugars. Bottle = 1 Serving. That amount of sugars is about 18% of the recommended daily intake

I was asked to point out that this is significantly less than the sugar content in a can of Coke for instance, significantly being half. 

Hӧpt is made by Lion Dairy & Drinks (NZ) Ltd, and Lion make beers and dairy and all sorts.

Hӧpt sodas are unique fusions of hop extracts with flavours like lychee, pear, watermelon, elderberry, basil, mint, lemongrass and limeflower, and much less sugar*. Select hops such as the fragrant Columbus, Tomohawk and Zeus varieties are harvested to create Hӧpt. Their unique characteristics make our sodas crisp and refreshing.

This blend of lemongrass and limeflower extracts with elderberry juice and real hop extracts is crisp, complex and herbaceous.

Twist top, and it's red like a fire engine! and I get a peppery aroma from this!

Tangy bitterness at the front but it's understated and it finishes sweet.

Same refreshing delivery, looks a lot nicer than the clear varieties.

This is the nicest of the 4, in my opinion. Much more taste and more tastes, I like the bitterness and didn't find to overly sweet. Saved the best till last.

According to the ingredients list,  a whopping 0.02% of hop extracts. So roughly 0.066 of this drink is relevant to hops. But a bunch of other assorted things at the same concentrate., like Limeflower and Lemongrass. 

The pdubyah-o-meter on Sodas then. This is nice at 8.5 which is good on the scale of things.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? of the 4 this is the best.


2. Would I have another? Of the 4 this is the one I'd buy again.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Yes I think that as a soda and chat this would ok, if you were like both into soda and had had a hard day and all that.

Beer - #374 - Moa - Methode (a redux)

Moa Methode- I've reviewed this before #47 on the list  and I gave it an 8.5 then, this was on special and therefore qualifies as purchasable :-)

Brewed by Moa Brewing Company and is styled as a  Pilsener and they are in Blenheim, New Zealand

A 750ml bottle this time, with 5% ABV , this should be around 165 calories a serving, also this is 2.96 standard drinks in the bottle.

[caption id="attachment_8183" align="alignleft" width="300"] Selfie[/caption]

Moa Methode is bottle fermented and conditioned to give a natural, more consistent carbonation and flavour. Due to the natural brewing process of Methode Moa, a light, beneficial sediment will remain. This sediment protects the beer from premature aging and leaves full, slightly spicy characters on the palate.

Moa Methode is a German style pilsner with a high bitterness balanced with a relatively full mouth feel. Citrus hop characters dominate aroma with the presence of fresh bread yeast notes. It can either be poured carefully off the lees or alternatively with the lees mixed in if a strong yeast character is desired.

Moa Methode is a complex pilsner best served in a pilsner glass at approximately 6˚C to maximise aromatic release.

'k... or from the fridge in my case. Foil, cork and Cage make this a performance beer.

Soda Review - #3 - Hӧpt - Salted Lychee

What's going on ? Soda Review ? Yes but.. soda made with hops, which is like beer.
Hӧpt - Variety #1 -Salted Lychee  There are 4 varieties, I chose #2 and #3, then brought the #1 and #4, so the review order has nothing to do with the variety order, just to be awkward.

This is the 3rd of 4 reviews.

330ml bottle of a Soda, made in New Zealand, 281Kj or about 67 calories in this bottle.  16.2g of sugars. Bottle = 1 Serving. That amount of sugars is about 18% of the recommended daily intake

I was asked to point out that this is significantly less than the sugar content in a can of Coke for instance, significantly being half. 

Hӧpt is made by Lion Dairy & Drinks (NZ) Ltd, and Lion make beers and dairy and all sorts.

Hӧpt sodas are unique fusions of hop extracts with flavours like lychee, pear, watermelon, elderberry, basil, mint, lemongrass and limeflower, and much less sugar*. Select hops such as the fragrant Columbus, Tomohawk and Zeus varieties are harvested to create Hӧpt. Their unique characteristics make our sodas crisp and refreshing.

An intriguingly delicious unison of lychee juice and real hop extracts balanced with a distinct saltiness

Twist top, Lychee aroma in spades with this, a lot.

Aroma is really overpowering, and the taste is full of itself. That's a really full on experience. The aroma might not be to everyone's taste though.

Just off clear pour, well carbonated and it looks refreshing. I've drunk some and can tell you it is refreshing.

Not sure what the salt does though.

Just been on a trail walk with MrsPdubyah and this really hits the spot as a way to re-hydrate. Ir's probably not the right thing to rehydrate with though.

This has no lychee in it at all according to the ingredients list, and a whopping 0.02% of hop extracts. So roughly 0.066 of this drink is relevant to hops.

Of course that might be enough of the stuff to make itself known.

They do say  "Select hops such as the fragrant Columbus, Tomohawk and Zeus varieties are harvested to create Hӧpt."

The pdubyah-o-meter on Sodas then. This is nice at 8 which is good on the scale of things.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? It's ok


2. Would I have another? Of the 3 so far this has been the most flavourful, but also the most aromatic and I prefer the former tot he latter.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? You're thirsty, this is in the fridge, perhaps, yes I would.

There's always good music to listen to, and whilst drink in and writing about this I was listening to a very good album by the The Horrors -  this is "So Now You Know" 

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wr7TAfOkEVc&w=560&h=315]

Beer - #373 - Schipper’s - Herr X Vienna Lager

Change of pace, Schipper’s Herr X Vienna Lager because just because.

Schipper’s Beer Company have this Brewed at Tuatara Brewing Company in the style of an  Amber Lager/Vienna and Schippers are in Mt Eden, Auckland, New Zealand, which I never knew, and go to often, so I should pay more attention. Or google them and visit.

500ml bottle, of a beer that is of 4.8% ABV and 31 IBU things, this is 1.89 standard drinks in NZ. It's about 144 calories a serve.

[caption id="attachment_8158" align="alignleft" width="300"] Selfie[/caption]

A complex but elegant lager with subtle cherry and raisin aromas. 80’s music nerds will be interested to note that Herr X is the B-side of Ultravox’s Vienna.

Vienna lager. Soft sweet spice and soft bitterness. Cocoa and biscuity notes with a hint of a smokey oaky note at the finis

A coat of many colours then, this might be a lager but not as we know it.

Just a hint of sugars as you open this.

Beer - #372 - Tuatara - Conehead Green Hopped IPA

The Tuatara Conehead it's been beckoning to me. 2014 Vintage.

Brewed by Tuatara Brewing Company in the well known style of an American Pale Ale and the are in Paraparaumu, New Zealand

A Bottle that is 500ml, with a 5.5% ABV beer, about 2,28-2.4 standard drinks in NZ, and @ 40IBU things, with 174 calories a serving. I think that covers it.

Limited Release. Tuatara's first go at a green-hopped beer (made with fresh or wet hops, meaning they have not been kilned or dried). On 19 March, the brew team headed down to Motueka to pick up 200kg of freshly cut Nelson Sauvin hops from the Mac Hops farm. Those aromatic hops were chucked in the back of the brewery’s refrigerated truck and, with some help from the ferry, driven back to the brewery where they went straight into a brew which was already running. Brewer Carl Vasta says the beer, which has been nicknamed Cone Head, is hoppy but not quite as hoppy as the Tuatara APA. It has a huge amount of late fragrant hop and is about 5.5%. The style is broadly an APA though some may consider it more of a Cream Ale.

Beer - #371 - Stoke - Coconut Vanilla Pilsner

More Properly - McCashin Family Coconut Vanilla Pilsner. And being a sucker for a lot of nice words my basket became one with this.

Brewed by McCashin Family Brewery in the style that is a Pilsener and they are in Nelson, New Zealand

A 500ml bottle, 4.6% ABV, 138 calories a serve, so about 1.81 standard drink units.

Found throughout the tropics, the coconut is an iconic fruit renowned for its versatility, while Vanilla, with its roots in Central and South America, has a similarly long list of applications. When combined with the skills of our resident Czech brewer, Ondrej Vojta, they conspire to create a well-balanced, creamy-smooth beer perfect for sunny afternoons! Crisp, zesty hops and the unmistakeable aroma of roasted coconut and vanilla blend seamlessly in this golden Pilsner, best served ice cold for that tropical, refreshing taste!

Serve Ice cold. That could be a good thing or a bad thing. Ice can subdue a lot of flavours.

Beer - #370 - Mata - Volcano Red IPA

Another Red Ale after the one last night - this is the Aotearoa Mata Volcano Red IPA.

Brewed by Aotearoa Breweries in the style of an India Pale Ale (IPA) and they're in Kawerau, New Zealand. Best part is that they have a woman, Tammy Viitakangas is  Head Brewer. Feel bad about pointing that out but hey it's unusual and to be applauded.

500ml bottle 7% ABV, which is 2.76 standard drinks, and that's about 210 calories serve, or about 280 in the bottle.

[caption id="attachment_8130" align="alignleft" width="300"] Selfie[/caption]

A New Zealand style Red IPA packed full of toffee and caramel malts that burst out along with an explosion of citrus hop flavors and solid bitterness.

WARNING: May set your taste buds on fire.

Alos found this note somewhere on line "Fresh ripe berries and stone fruit nose. Full bodied, nice balance with a bittersweet cherry finish." ! 

Hoppy aroma,  Toffee brown pour that looks really nice, and a decent full head that look nice too.

Grassy sour aroma in the glass.  Surprisingly bitter, even though it was hinted at, and the sweetness is of a different colour .

I started really liking this and then I stopped to be less effusive. If anything although this is bitter it's also burdened at the same time with sweetness and caramel in equal measures and amounts, it's all one thing, which drown both things.

There seems to be a cloying over-riding toffee sweetness that stats off intriguing and then turns and bites you. Then next time up it's more bitter.

So a beer of many things. I drank it all, It took most of the Album of music, as they always do, and at 7% it makes itself known that you've had a beer of some substance .

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 7 a of its things from the thing. It's a nice beer to drink and enjoy, and I think I'd buy one in the pub if that's what they had. I don't know I'd fridge one though. 

I thought the Red IPA was a new thing, I think I also might have had the best one first, but then what do I really know.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? It's nice drinking for a bitter beer.


2. Would I have another? I think one more might be ok, I think it'd be too sweet to have more.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? With some bread rolls with something in them (See below) I think I'd be happy with that.

Also made bread today -  It's a hamburger bun recipe that makes brilliant dinner rolls that I've many compliments about. I add italian herbs, they're very popular with the household and others who have them.  Chuffed the little loaf thing worked out :-)



 

There is a new Echo and the Bunnymen album I'm listening to  - so Echo & The Bunnymen - Holy Moses - the Album METEORITES

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYRzti9ImCg&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.

Related articles

• How to Shop for an IPA


• Colorado's Top Ten Beers: India Pale Ale


• Mythbusting the IPA on IPA Day

Soda Review - #2 - Hӧpt - Watermelon and Mint

What's going on ? Soda Review ? Yes but.. soda made with hops, which is like beer.

So I'm drinking this, a  Hӧpt - Variety #3 - Watermelon and Mint

There are 4 varieties, I chose #2 and #3, and I just went and brought #1 and #4. So the numbering in the order of review makes no sense. Except to my taste buds.

330ml bottle of a Soda, made in New Zealand, 281Kj or about 67 calories in this bottle.  16.2g of sugars. Bottle = 1 Serving. That amount of sugars is about 18% of the recommended daily intake . 

Hӧpt is made by Lion Dairy & Drinks (NZ) Ltd, and Lion make beers and dairy and all sorts.

[caption id="attachment_8125" align="alignright" width="300"] Soda Selfie[/caption]

Hӧpt sodas are unique fusions of hop extracts with flavours like lychee, pear, watermelon, elderberry, basil, mint, lemongrass and limeflower, and much less sugar*. Select hops such as the fragrant Columbus, Tomohawk and Zeus varieties are harvested to create Hӧpt. Their unique characteristics make our sodas crisp and refreshing.

Cool mint and real hop extracts unite with watermelon juice in a refreshing, summery soda

Twist top, strong watermelon aroma, and almost bubblegum.

Clear pour, but there is a tinge of something, possibly pink.

You can taste the mint in this one, and you can taste the watermelon-ness on the lips at least if not on the palate. Does not seem as sweet as the #2 .

Very refreshing to drink, different and engaging.

This has 1% of Watermelon and a whopping 0.03% of hop extracts. So roughly 0.1% of this drink is relevant to hops. This has more Mint extract in it than hops. 

Of course that might be enough of the hop stuff to make itself known.

They do say  "Select hops such as the fragrant Columbus, Tomohawk and Zeus varieties are harvested to create Hӧpt."

The pdubyah-o-meter on Sodas then. This is nice at 7 which is good really.  

Getting the watermelon, getting the hints of mint.  Getting quite a nice quenched feeling from drinking this one.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? Yes


2. Would I have another? I probably could


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? I think this might be an individual experience, if you like it you'll like it, I wouldn't want to press this on you just in case.

Related articles

• Hop Soda Delivers That Hop Aroma Without The Alcohol


• American and Japanese Sodas from Galco Soda Pop Stop


• Watermelon Juice


• Watermelon Lemonade with Mint

Beer - #369 - Hop Federation - Red IPA

A Red IPA ?  Yes, a  Hop Federation - Red IPA

Brewed by Hop Federation Brewery in the style of an India Pale Ale (IPA) and they are in Riwaka, New Zealand.

A 500ml bottle of a 6.4%ABV beer, 192 calories a serve. and it's 49 IBU things and 2.4 standard drinks in NZ.

[caption id="attachment_8110" align="alignleft" width="300"] Selfie[/caption]

Brewed with New Zealand and European malts with a big dose of hops from both New Zealand and America. Our RIPA has a full-bodied malt character that packs a punch on the palate and gives off a great, fresh aroma.

This India Pale Ale is a descendant of a tradition with deep colonial roots, stretching back several centuries to when pale ales were boosted with hops and alcohol to withstand the long sea voyage from England to India.

There is a hops variety from Riwaka - called .. he wrote sarcastically. But this has the following;

Malt varieties: Gladfield Ale, Red Back, Aurora and Shepherd Delight

Hop varieties: Simcoe, New Zealand Cascade, Motueka and Southern Cross

So that was a lesson.

Cracking aroma on opening, nice hops, mellow and muted.

Dark rich brown red pour with a small and persistent head. Aroma in the glass blooms into something stronger and even more pleasing.

Gosh that's a mouthful of pleasing.  Wash of bitter and then a layer of warm malts.

Not overly endowed with body or a full mouthfeel this is however a really nice two step journey and a short and pleasing finish.

Really nice. Great arom,a nicely bitter, lovely sweetness.  I little bit in love.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 9 a of its things from the thing. It's really nicely balanced and gives a few flavour layers that are really enjoyable.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? Yes


2. Would I have another? Heck yes


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Yes, I might share a little, but I'd probably bring enough for two, for two or more.

New beer, new album - The Black Keys - Turn Blue

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5a1Cl_JOJM&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.

Related articles

• A Beer Drinker's Guide to Hops


• Ask a Cicerone: What's the Best Hoppy Beer?

Soda Review - #1 - Hӧpt - Pear and Basil

What's going on ? Soda Review ? Yes but.. soda made with hops, which is like beer.
Hӧpt - Variety #2 - Pear and Basil  There are 4 varieties, I chose #2 and #3

330ml bottle of a Soda, made in New Zealand, 281Kj or about 67 calories in this bottle.  16.2g of sugars. Bottle = 1 Serving. That amount of sugars is about 18% of the recommended daily intake . 

Hӧpt is made by Lion Dairy & Drinks (NZ) Ltd, and Lion make beers and dairy and all sorts.


Hӧpt sodas are unique fusions of hop extracts with flavours like lychee, pear, watermelon, elderberry, basil, mint, lemongrass and limeflower, and much less sugar*. Select hops such as the fragrant Columbus, Tomohawk and Zeus varieties are harvested to create Hӧpt. Their unique characteristics make our sodas crisp and refreshing.

Delicate extracts of basil combine with pear juice and real hop extracts in a crisp, cleansing cider-like creation – without the load of sugar and alcohol.

Twist top, Lots of pear aroma on opening. Light green tinge (pear like) in the glass of whats to be a very refreshing and clean drink

Not so sure about the taste though. Lots of pear aroma on the nose where a good aroma should be, but this doesn't really translate to a big pear punch in the glass. There are other pear concentrate soft drinks that do have a much more pronounced pear to them.

And no Basil. That I could discern.

This has 1% of pear and a whopping 0.02% of hop extracts. So roughly 0.066 of this drink is relevant to hops.

Of course that might be enough of the stuff to make itself known.

They do say  "Select hops such as the fragrant Columbus, Tomohawk and Zeus varieties are harvested to create Hӧpt."

The pdubyah-o-meter on Sodas then. This is nice at 7 which is good on the scale of things. It's very carbonated, might just be overly sweet, and lacks a pear punch. 

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? It's ok


2. Would I have another? I don't think I'd invest in the #2 again


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? You're thirsty, this is in the fridge, perhaps. I wouldn't stop the bus to buy some though.

 

Related articles

• Hop Soda Delivers That Hop Aroma Without The Alcohol

Beer - #368 - ParrotDog - Otis

Indeed, I've sort of been avoiding this out of deference, but I'm going to try it, I've wanted to for a while. ParrotDog - Otis

Brewed by ParrotDog Brewing in the style of a Stout and they are based in Windy Wellington, New Zealand

Oats bring out a lovely silky smooth finish to a stout, and this is no different.

330nl bottle of a beer with 6.3% ABV, 189 calories, and 1.6 standard drinks

Brewed with a generous lashing of rolled oats in the mash to achieve a silky smooth body, this deep black winter-warmer is perfect to sip on during these chilly evenings.

This is a limited release beer, I have no idea what to expect except something nice.

Aroma is different, oaty porridge like.

In the glass I thought immediately of 'plastic' but then perhaps damp oats might do as well .I don't know so much that I like it like that.

Taste is something though. It seems to be rich and deep, but that could be also read as weirdly different and unusual.

There certainly is a taste profile in this that I don't recall having. It is rich and deep and offers something to taste and ponder with each sup.

Not a quaffable beer though, this has a lot of challenges of taste, and easing up to enjoy them.

I started off not liking this, and nek mint.... I find myself really liking it.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 7.5 a of its things from the thing. I think this is a beer that gets better as it warms up in the glass and lets go more flavour. I can't move past the aroma that was off-putting but can be excused, but I don't think this is, overall, a winner. 

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? Both yes and no, to was that no then yes


2. Would I have another? I might on a different evening


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? I don't think that this is a share and care beer.

STOUT

Many stouts do not fit the classic “Irish” definition as exemplified by Guinness, either due to their hop or roast rates, or higher gravity (in the case of many American stouts). They are still basic stouts, however, not falling into any of the subclasses.

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