Beer - #515 - Moa - Festive IPA

Monday on the run into New Year*, it's really quite warm in the sun, and it's been a long day, but I have this a Moa Festive IPA. (*at this point you might wonder why this is being posted when it is, it's a long story about OCD me and wanting to do things in order, trust me it's weird)

So, Monday Beer, Monday Musics, magic Monday numbers and Monday is a good day to party.

"At 70 IBU, your mouth will be left comfortably numb"

This is a 500ml bottle, of a beer that is 6.4% ABV, 70 IBU, and 2.5 standard drinks, around 192 calories a serve size.

Brewed by Moa Brewing Company, in that style that is India Pale Ale (IPA) an they're in Blenheim, New Zealand.

This one is in the new standardised generic bottle, and is brewed in their own facility, they're moving from the wine bottle shape and sizes, corks and cages, and do contract brew where they need to.

[caption id="attachment_10083" align="alignleft" width="300"] Festival shirt and all[/caption]

Resinous and pine-like hop characters dominate this American style IPA.

Hopped using Citra, Amarillo, Simcoe, Columbus and US Cascade, and dry hopped with Citra and Amarillo, tangelo, lime and pine aromas feature.

At 70 IBU, your mouth will be left comfortably numb, making it the perfect beer for the festive season.

 What could possibly go wrong! 

I've left this one to warm up a bit from being in a cold fridge, there are some things I try to do properly, half-heartedly but I try.

Nice peppery hoppy aroma on opening.Lovely orange pour wit ha nice white head that isn't tall but is persistent.

That seems to be quite lemony and has a peppery and dry finish. Nice bitter though, and some comfortable sweet malt in the middle. Yes you can pick the Simcoe and it's unusual aroma.

I measured it with a thermometer thing, and it was 9c, or thereabouts, I'm sure the brewer might have recommended 7, how cold would that be, I'm not sure this is an experiment I want to continue.

As beers to this isn't swigging beer, it is more sipping beer than supping beer. The bitterness levels are persistent on the palate and leave that sticky resinous after note, which isn't all bad. For a New Zealand festival beer, it is summer after all, this is pretty decent drinking and would be great to BBQ by or even eat a BBQ by.

We're still eating the remains of the ham though*, so take a rain check on that.  (*again at this point you might wonder why this is being posted when it is, it's a long story about OCD me and wanting to do things in order, trust me it's weird)

I like this more than I was expecting, and yes I know it's an IPA and this surprised me in that it's not strictly a hop monster and there are more citrus notes that I've enjoyed in a  while, I like the finish, but would have like more in the middle, which seems to be a bit of a theme of wishes for me, I might even figure out what that means, but I think it means I want a constant flavour not a peak, middle dip, peak. I'll work on it.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as an 8 a of its things from the thing. It's very good and although I don't like the new delivery packaging over the old style, this does make me smile and think that the brewer is back on track and on point, not distracted by commercial constraint in any way, all of which I might have made up in my head.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? I am, but then it is a decent IPA that has some other things going on other than dryness and pucker.


2. Would I have another? I would love one, I might get one tomorrow on my trip to the bottle store.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? It's a festival beer, what could you not enjoy and share about it, it's festival beer!  Be festive and merry.

What I should be listening to is Pink Floyd, however what I'm listening to, because the world needs more pop music, is music from the group Tigers On Trains, and their album  Antarctica In Color,

This is a track "Stalking my Pulse" available available on Spotify, iTunes and on the band's website at http://tigersontrains.bandcamp.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMCl5gB1Xx4

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.