Brewed by Townshend Brewery in the style that is Dry Stout and they are in Upper Moutere, New Zealand
This is a 500ml bottle of a 4% ABV beer, making it only 120 calories a serve, and a total of only 1.6 standard drink units in NZ.
A sweet stout. This well balanced dark ale has plenty body and length.I've always enjoyed the likes of Guinness and Murphys stout and have heard that they are both better if imbibed at their point of origin, Ireland.
The same goes for this beer: drink it in the Moutere where it belongs.
I see.....
Dark chocolate wet oats sort of aroma on opening.
Pours as dark as expected but without much in the way of head, looks almost blackcurrent red, smell wet oats sort of.
The taste is, for want of a better descriptor, thin of mouthfeel. There is a reasonable hint of coffee in this, but it's at the low end of reasonable, and that really is all the profile and flavour this has.This does fall short in body, and does fall short in overall taste profile, however it does drink well, except that for me that over-carbonation, the too many bubbles that distract from the taste are a thing that drags this back.
I have no idea what causes that and it appears in some beers and not others. I should pay more attention.
For a low ABV beer, which this is, then sessionable, this does tick a few of the things that I would drink for a few hours at a pub, if I could get over the over bubbles.
This shoes though that craft beer doesn't have to be thick, heavy or wildly alcoholic. It does show that you can make a reasonable and reasonably good beer with a decent profile that isn't wildly expensive. In bottles at least. But.....
I did have a 'commercial' beer recently, the Arabica Dabra Stout, that yes was higher in alcohol, but was just as good, if not slightly better than this. Honest. And, it was dollars cheaper. So what to do? Based on it being an accessible beer in the stout style I'd be conflicted.
The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 7 a of its things from the thing, which is ok, but it's playing in a bog sandbox of beers of similar taste and delivery with a premium price, which I'm struggling to justify, even if I'm enjoying it a lot and have quaffed like a parched man.
The double dip review
- Am I enjoying it? Yes it's quite pleasing.
- Would I have another? Night out with the boys, in a bar, for sure.
- Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Yes, it's a solid domestic level ABV beer, but it's premium price might make drinking lots of them and telling stories a problem.
I was listening to the band Chains of Love, finding a video was s problem but they are on Spotify here
This is "He's Leaving With Me" It's not easy finding a video sometimes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZAGOdu_3Us
Dry Stout
The "Irish-style" stout is typically a low-gravity stout with bitterness ranging between 30-45 IBUs. Roastiness is present, but restrained, and there should not be hops in either the flavour or aroma. A little bit of acidity can be present. Often, this type of stout is serving via nitrogen, with all the effects that has on a beer - low carbonation, extra-thick head, lifeless palate and muted flavour and aroma.
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