Supreme Champion Beer - New Zealand International Beer Awards.(2006)
This comes in both a 330ml 4-pack and a 500ml bottle, I have a little of each. I'm sure the insides is the same for both. This is a 5.4%ABV brew and in the 330ml bottle that's 1.4 standard drink units. and about 162 calories.
Epic Pale Ale, from Epic Brewing Company (NZ) is brewed at Steam Brewing Company in the style that is American Pale Ale and that happens in Auckland, New Zealand
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Epic![/caption]You can only drink so many beers in a lifetime, so you better make each one count.
That's where we can help. Because at Epic we're obsessed with creating big hop-fuelled beers.
This takes a shed-load of skill. It also takes a shed-load of hops. In fact there are 23 crammed into this bottle.*
Many brewers would call that 'insane'.
We call it flavour
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The label says 15 or 23 - squint a bit you'll see it[/caption]*Or there are 15 in the smaller bottle.
This would a bit like the 900 grapes in a bottle of wine thing, I'm guessing that each bottle requires 15/23 hops to make
What you're led to believe; Impressive aroma of grapefruit and perfumy rose petals, flavour of luscious creamy malt sweetness and summerfruit and citrus, and a finish of lingering bitterness and residual, nearly oily fruity sweet flavour.
What could go wrong?
It has a very hoppy aroma on opening, And pours the most amazing orange golden brown with a nice but fleeting head. Looks well carbonated in the glass.Aroma don't really bloom in the glass.
This is slightly sharper than I was expecting but it is surprisingly pleasant and pleasing, and I can see why it has a lot of fans. The aroma does come back and you get a nose of the hops before the sup, and then you get a warm malty beer that has a reasonable bitterness and a finish that is more towards dry.
As a drink-alone beer this does come up a bit short in the body, and therefore does need some food accompaniment to bring out its best points.
As a quaffable beer though, it's pretty easy drinking and there isn't a lot of negative points that make you reluctant to have another sup and I find myself with an empty glass and a wondering where it all went. No really I did.
Recapping though and all things considered I'm therefore not a huge fan of this, or perhaps it's the style that I'm not big on. Being foolish, as I am, I have a 4-pack of the smaller bottles to soldier through, but lucky for me there is some robust food on the way so that should balance up nicely.
The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 7 a of its things from the thing. It's churlish to mark this other than a competent good not the unfathomable scale of things that are the thing. It's not horrible, it's not the worlds greatest beer, it's worlds better than some I've had the pleasure of drinking.
The double dip review
- Am I enjoying it? Yes its amiable beer that has good character.
- Would I have another? Yes I'd be happy to drink more of this, I have plenty :-)
- Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? I would, it's a beer that isn't like a domestic 12 pack, it's just a little edgy and has flavour and character that would suit most beer drinkers, I'd certainly take it to a party.
Music wasn't really Epic, more the mellow, this is a band called "The Ocean Party" and this track "Head Down" from an album called "Soft Focus", the music was a lot warmer and calmer than the blustery chilly day out in the open. They're on Spotify, Bandcamp and Facebook if you want to look them up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEZ-HLiUk0U
AMERICAN PALE ALE
American Pale Ales are light in color, ranging from golden to a light copper color. The style of this beer is defined by the American hops used. American hops typically have high bitterness and aroma.This is a perfect beer for big fare like grilled burgers or combination pizzas, as well as lighter fare like sushi and green salads.
"The aroma does come back and you get a nose of the hops before the sup,"
ReplyDeleteI so want a beer right now. Dangit!! Your descriptions of these are so good.
Now you know how it is when you write about pizza :-)
ReplyDeleteI have a few in the fridge when I want a beer that isn't dross and does not require me to think about it too much, so basically when the football is on a 4 pack disappears.
ReplyDeleteWell, one day, I'll make you a pizza and you can pour me a beer.
ReplyDelete