Beer - #596 - Beavertown - Bloody ’Ell

The still amusingly named beer from Beavertown -  Bloody ’Ell which I've had before in a bottle, this is from the keg.

"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.

From the keg at the FYO station, 1 litre bottle of a 7.4% ABV beer,  220 calories give or take for a standard serve, and this in NZ is  5.68 standard drink units equivalent. Also this is 70 IBU things.

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

We have never brewed a straight IPA at Beavertown, why change the habit of a lifetime!

[caption id="attachment_11028" align="alignleft" width="300"] Orange like a fake tan[/caption]

Here we take a stripped back IPA malt bill and highly hop it with the tropics of Amarillo and Citra and pile head on with kilos of Blood Orange zest and juice late in the boil, bringing you a smack of citrus and hints of warm orange aromas.

So what could possibly go wrong?

Looks great in the bottle, a cloudy orange, aroma on popping the swing top is mostly grass, and some sweetness of malt. Something vaguely spice too, a hint more than anything.

Pour is a cloudy orange  beer, with a lovely decent white and fluffy persistent head. I get much more pepper in the aroma, caught me a bit made me cough in surprise in the way it does.

Much less bitter than I remember with an interesting back of sweetness. It really is quite pleasant.

I remember from the last time I drank it that I thought it was bitterer and convoluted. From the keg I don't think the same.

This is really smooth drinking, I mean really smooth, there is no catch of bitterness up front. no tap of dryness at the back, the whole just washes over like a comfort. It is very comforting.

Don't know if the blood red oranges are for show though, I might have thought that there would be more tartness. Not disappointed though, this is a steady drink that I think I could be very happy with. Lucky really because I do have another glass and bit to go. No rush though, it'll be there when I get to it.

I'm going to let it warm up a bit, with restraint I can add since I'm keen to sit and enjoy. Who am I kidding.

Is it though an IPA to die for?, an IPA that is hop front and dry at the finish?, something that bangs it's drum in your mouth?. No, no and no. But that shouldn't be a show stopper, because as an IPA this is quite a good example, if a bit on the lower side of the peaks that I enjoy in a beer, it's all fairly restrained and a bit muted.

I like the citrus notes (there are some) and they dance around a bit, the finish becomes slightly drier, the whole becomes more a journey through a landscape. Which is quite poetic of me really, for a beer, I might need an intervention.

This is much nicer at the slighter warmer state, the grassiness is more, the citrus tang more, and the dryness states away, the overall very pleasing.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 8 a of its things from the thing. I go out of my way for a 8 beer on a tap. 8 beers on tap are wonderful things that need to be sought out.  A very mellow and enjoyable beer that I'd be happy to sit and have a few of in a pub and watch the world go by.

I'm off to study how to write haiku, this is worthy of one.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? I seem to be at one with this beer, on this day and in this light, that is. It is much calmer and less bitter, and more soothing and edifying than I expected and that's a good thing.


2. Would I have another? Thank you kindly I think I will.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? I would be happy to turn up with this and a section of a cheese and crackers to fill those gaps between the conversation, which today might be on all sorts of things moral and right.

Music for this was "The Brian Jonestown Massacre" an American neo-psychedelia band formed in San Francisco in 1990. The band's output spans psychedelic rock, folk rock and shoe gaze. This is from an album called "Musique de Film Imaginé", you can listen to the tracks on the Spotify here 

This is a track Philadelphie Story (with Soko)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_r3ddNGz1C8

The album is a soundtrack for an imaginary French film, and pays homage to the great European film directors of the late 1950’s and 1960’s such as François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard.

I have to say I found the album a bit of a challenge and not as good as the album "Revelation" which is like chalk to cheese and which I really do enjoy (also on the spotify here)

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

• Review: Two uncommon IPAs


• Review: Notch Left of the Dial IPA


• IPA, or India Pale Ale


• Here's How the IPA (Really) Got Its Name! - Food News


• How many calories are in your beer? Take our quiz and find out!


• Brian Jonestown Massacre - Musique De Film Imaginé

4:11 am and the clock goes tick-tick-tick Musings

I found this, which reminded me of the problems associated with the insomnia musings about being able to shrink smaller and smaller.



I'd thought about the atoms of oxygen needed and set aside the weight issue.

Sadly it seems I'm not the only one with time on my hands in the dark of the night .

Beer - #595 - Tuatara - Conehead Air Hopped IPA (2015)

The Tuatara Conehead Air Hopped IPA (2015) in a bottle. I know there is a keg version, stand by.  Older new beer, old new music, old number math and oldies only parties.

Enjoy vibrant notes of passionfruit, gooseberry and grapefruit that only the freshest Sauvin hops can provide

A Bottle that is 500ml, with a 6% ABV beer, about 2.37 standard drinks in NZ, and @ 45IBU things, with 180 ish calories a serving. I think that covers it.

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

The hops are always greener on the other side, in this case the other side of Cook Strait.

[caption id="attachment_11013" align="alignleft" width="300"] He looks keen![/caption]

There's only one way to get those cones to the North Island in prime condition and that's to scramble the jets.

OK, it's to scramble a single engine prop plane with the seats taken out, but be assured that the 800kg of green hops that went into Conehead 2015 were flown direct from Nelson to Paraparaumu in an actual plane, touching down right next door to the Tuatara Brewery.

One short hop for a brewer, one giant green-hopping for mankind.

I've had previous versions of this beer, that I wasn't a fan of, but hey, what could possibly go wrong? If this is ok perhaps I'll get the keg version at the FYO. 

"Air Hopped" of course reference to the tiny tiny aircraft they jammed all the hops into, as opposed to the more usual 'Dry hopped' There are pictures on twitter if you can find them.

Brilliant tactile bottle, as always,  fresh muted hop aroma and a gentle hiss on opening.

Pour is lovely orange brown with a small but firm persistent head, I have my pouring mojo back. Aroma in the glass is still more muted hops with a hint of spices.

Lots of resinous dryness, and the middle of my tongue seems to have become numb, that's never happened before, I think I like it. Plenty of malt sweetness in this that lifts and carries. The bitterness is quite mild, present but not stingy bitter, just smooth and pleasing. It's clever.

The bitterness picks up a little as it comes off the coldness from the fridge, and that's nice too, just a little pinch to remind you. The dryness at the end of the palate isn't so bad, although it's quite broad.

Is it fantastic? It isn't but it is nice and very enjoyable. I know it's fresh, I've seen the pictures and everything, and it does make me smile when I drink it, offering a couple of challenges, by which I mean little peaks of flavours and layers, when you quaff.

It isn't though quaffing beer, more a meandering enjoyment, far to nice to quaff and be done, unless, unlike me you have another waiting. For the single sitting beer this should be enjoyed for as long as your will power holds out.

As I near the end the lovely subtle grassiness of the hops is really enjoyable, the dryness is still there, the malt less, the whole a lot more than was expected.

An Annual beer, much anticipated and much enjoyed and appreciated, not though, for me, a flagship beer, regardless I'd be happy to sit for a while and drown all my sorrows to this, a few times.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 8 a of its things from the thing.  8 is 'very good' on the scale of my own making. Even I'm confused by it, this is 'a bit good' and would be enjoyed by a range of people with a range of expectations. It really is just a nice beer to drink on an autumn afternoon.

Cheers. 

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? Yes I am enjoying it, it's quite smooth, delivered in a flatter profile of tastes making it a lovely drink to savour.


2. Would I have another? I would like to try the keg version.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? I would, this is a beer to enjoy with friends and you should if you could get some. I think you'd enjoy it.

Musication was from  Mono Town is an Icelandic musical band from Reykjavík, this is "In the eye of the storm" which for no reason made me bop about a bit. You can listen here on the Spotify or the everywhere else possibly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqZSF1ONqc0

I like this Album, a lot.

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.

Related articles

• Next Round: It's all about the IPA


• Brewworks' Hoppy Grounds Pale Ale Is What's On Tap

Beer - #594 - Samuel Adams - Boston Lager

Samuel Adams Boston Lager.  A gift which I failed to look in the mouth. But never let it be said that I'm a snob, and this is a beer you can readily buy and enjoy.  So Boston Beer, Boston the Band,  Sports numbers and Cheers at the party.

a full, rich flavor that is both balanced and complex

This is one of 6 of the 335 ml bottle sized, that has beer of 4.7% ABV inside, giving it 144 calories a serve size, and 1.3 standard drink units in the bottle.

Brewed by Boston Beer Company in the style that is an Amber Lager/Vienna and they are, no surprises here, in Boston, Massachusetts  USA

Samuel Adams Boston Lager® is the best example of the fundamental characteristics of a great beer, offering a full, rich flavor that is both balanced and complex.

[caption id="attachment_11009" align="alignleft" width="300"] Smile like it's not a grimace[/caption]

It is brewed using a decoction mash, a time consuming, traditional four vessel brewing process discarded by many contemporary brewers. This process brings forth a rich sweetness from the malt that makes it well worth the effort.

Samuel Adams Boston Lager® also uses only the finest of ingredients including two row barley, as well as German Noble aroma hops. The exclusive use of two row barley not only imparts a full, smooth body but also gives the beer a wide spectrum of malt flavor ranging from slightly sweet to caramel to slightly roasted.

The Noble hops varieties, Hallertau Mittelfruh and Tettnang Tettnanger, add a wide range of floral, piney and citrus notes, which are present from the aroma, through the flavor, to the lingering smooth finish. We take great pride in the Noble hops used in our beers. They are hand selected by Jim Koch and our other brewers from the world’s oldest hops growing area.

Among the world’s most expensive, they cost twenty times as much as other hops.

What could possibly go wrong with that? Well Vienna Lager is of course the darker maltier version of lager, which if done well is a treat. On the other hand if it's made with 'the world's most expensive hops' how was this half the price of other beers?

Dark malt aroma, quite intense, Pour is the most glorious bright burnt orange beer with a lovely head of firm foam that looks a right treat.

Aroma in the glass is more malt beer than anything else, just dialled up a bit.

Taste is hard to pin down on this, there is a lot of sweetness thorough this that somehow bring a sense of a full bodied beer.

This is a very hearty and enjoyable beer. Enjoyable that it isn't challenging and you can drink it without prejudice, foreboding, expectation or thinking too much about subtle hop combinations and brewers notes.  A Couple of these in an afternoon wouldn't be a bad way to waste a couple of hours if you had to. Sure there are better beers, there always are, always. I can imagine this being popular as offering a different take to a lager, and yet not be a bitter, sort of beer someone who wanted to show off just a little bit to a crowd of standard lager drinkers might drink.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 7 of its things from the thing. It really isn't bad. It isn't spectacular.  Rates as well as the other Vienna Lager types I've had, and is a style that is probably not explored or enjoyed as much as it might be.

The double dip review

• Am I enjoying it? Yes, it's surprisingly quote enjoyable.


• Would I have another ? I have a 6-pack so I will be enjoying another.


• Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? I don't know that this is an 'everyman' beer and 'Lager' would confuse many as it's a style of lager that isn't golden malt plain old lager, so I'd be careful about taking to some places.

Musically, of course not Boston, nor Aerosmith,Pixies, The Cars, NKOTB, Boston Dolls, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, or Lemonheads,  but I went with the DropKick Murphys.

Dropkick Murphys are an American Celtic punk band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts.  This is "'I'm shipping up to Boston"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-64CaD8GXw

AMBER LAGER/VIENNA

Your typical macrobrewed Dark Lager, often rendered dark with either brewer’s caramel or black patent malt, but each brewery will have a different approach. Aside from caramelly notes, these beers will not typically resemble other dark lager styles so much as they do the lighter styles, due to low amounts of hops, malt and body. Vienna as a beer style was theorized by Michael Jackson, but his oft-cited example was Negra Modelo, which is a macro dark lager like all the others. Some beers have taken on the idea of a Vienna lager as a distinct style, loosely based on the 1840 Anton Dreher beer, and these can be expected to be all-malt, with a fuller body and more character than the average macro dark

Beer - #593 - Renaissance - Grandmaster Fresh Hop IIPA

Renaissance Grandmaster Fresh Hop IIPA. Reminds me of some disco things. Anyway, memories, reminiscing, remainders and reunions.

Somewhere between a Barley Wine and an American Double IPA... So we thought we would tweak it…

a 9%ABV beer, at the fyo station, so I have 1 litre of beer, that's about 260ish calories a serve size,  and this would be 7.1 standard drink units

Brewed by Renaissance Brewing in the style: Imperial/Double IPA and they're in Blenheim, New Zealand

To brew this special Ale we have used large amounts of freshly harvested hops, and for that we have selected one of New Zealand sexiest hop varieties, Wai-Iti.

[caption width="300" id="attachment_10995" align="alignleft"] Doing my GrandMaster Flash and Melly Mel impression.[/caption]We drove over to Motueka early one March morning and got the hops fresh off the vines, then drove back to Blenheim and brewed with them in the afternoon.

Wai-Iti is part of NZ ‘Hops with a difference’ breeding program Wai-Iti bursts with mandarin and lime zest and leaves the ale with a smooth finish.

The huge soft bitterness is balanced by the malt sweetness of the base beer yielding a very drinkable heavy ale.

So then, what could possibly go wrong with that?

This is loudly hoppy aroma on opening, as you might expect, I didn't get a background sweetness, just a hop dash.

Grandmaster pouringpour gets the lovely orange brown beer with a lovely cloudy fluffy head that is all bubbles and just nice.

and.......Wow!

That is just spectacular, a gorgeous stop and gasp amount of malt sweetness a really gently and fantastic wash of bitterness and a finish as soft as a kiss.

[caption width="224" id="attachment_10996" align="alignright"] A picture of a divine creation[/caption]What a tickle up for the tastebuds this is, I've stopped to think, and I don't recall having a beer that has been this good for a while. It is really remarkable that it has such a soft and accessible palate for a beer that is a DIPA and 9%ABV.

As it warms, in the few moments that I've managed to stop sipping, this is developed a bit more and there is a real faint citrus tang, like limes, in the mix. Oh a joy to behold.

Another day when I should have learnt how to write a Haiku.

I love the lip smacking dryness the linger in the mouth of the faintly but persistent dry grassiness, the idea that I have another glass to drink and that I can buy more, in limited supply in the keg and thereof FYO,  but it's in bottles too.

I'd buy you this as a gift.

In the break between the first and second pours I went and had some dinner, as you do. Lamb Shanks. Anyway, the beer warms and the dryer end of the palate gets to the fore, which isn't such a bad thing. Still such a good beer.

What I'm really surprised about, is there is a #HopFresh15 thing going on at the moment, and my local "The Deep Creek Brewing Company" currently have three beers, called Yin, Yang and YinYang. They are made with Sauvin, Motueka and a combination of both. I really like the Yin (Sauvin) as it it's pretty aggressive and hoppy and bitter, the Yang (Motueka) is softer and calmer and I thought less, the combination was very very nice.  Anyway long story long, is that the GrandMaster Fresh is based around Motueka hops which are, by my experience, softer and rounder.  I learnt something today. Well yesterday, and remembered it today. I like the Sauvin hops, appears I like the Motueka ones just as much.

Who knew?

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 10 a of its things from the thing. I'm not even going to mess about trying to score it down and make light of the poetry, this really is a bit spesh (as the yoof might say). Lovely caramel malts, amazing bitter that isn't puckering, but more a wash, and a finish that is a bit of a kiss and an explosion (I might not have mentioned the explosion).

Not often that I get to the end of a beer and realise that it taught me something.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? I proposed to it, it didn't reply but I'm sure it's thinking about it.


2. Would I have another? I am for sure going to go again, this is far to good not to.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? This is spectacular, and just the ducks nuts, and if you didn't like it we couldn't be friends is how much this beer is good for the porch and the stories in my opinion. Bring a friend it's that good.

Musically, for a change, Kings of Leon, an American rock band that formed in Nashville, Tennessee. This from 'Mechanical Bull' is  -'Supersoaker;  you can listen to the album here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izzY55ACUQo

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.

Related articles

• Three Imperial IPAs


• Next Round: It's all about the IPA


• The State of Craft Beer in Michigan


• 8 New Beers You Should Know

Beer - #592 - Moa - Cherry Sour

Moa Cherry Sour- the 2013 year. I've been buying sours. I'm going to stop. Stop and go music, stopping the dial, stop the dance and stop the party!

"..A food friendly beer..."

This is a 375ml bottle (that's a half standard wine bottle) with the cork and cage presentation, posh, 5.9% ABV, which is 177 calories, and 1.74 standard drink units.

This is brewed by Moa Brewing Company in the style that is  Sour Red/Brown or perhaps Lambic, and they are in Marlborough, New Zealand

Moa Cherry Sour 2013 Vintage is a barrel fermented and aged cherry sour beer.

[caption id="attachment_10983" align="alignleft" width="300"] Like Cherry Cola, but a beer, and sour.[/caption]

Brewed with a wheat beer base and whole Marlborough cherries harvested in December 2013, with 12 months in a combination of tank and barrel on both the skins and stones, cherry flavours are very upfront.

Farmyard characters are evident from the Brettanomyces yeast and it is tart rather than over acidic.

A food friendly beer well matched with Brie or aged Gouda.

What then could go wrong? Except that I only had Camembert.

Fruit sour aroma, I know that aroma!

It's pink!!! a pink beer. that pours with a great fizz but not a lot of head. Aroma remains the 'sour' of course.

Taste was a let down though, nothing by the way of cherry that I could discern. That was a disappointment I can tell you having got all up and excited about the colour.

There is a lot os sherbet sour in this, and not a lot else, it's mildly refreshing but not dazzlingly so, doesn't do an awful lot to the palate except annoy it.

I wanted so much more cherry or at least cherry hint sweetness, if you'd ever get sweetness in a sour beer.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 5 a of its things from the thing. I've had a few of the sour beer offering in the last couple of weeks, this, whilst not the best, or the worst, is sadly somewhere in the grey area of 'meh' it isn't overly sour, it is under flavoured, it's just a bit average.

I think I'm done with the sours. I prefer the Saisons, I prefer the Dubels, Tripels and Quads.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? No, it's  disappointing.


2. Would I have another? Not of this no, until the next vintage release :-)


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? I couldn't bring myself to take one of these and front a 'guess what I have' thing, it would end badly.

Musically it's Boz Scaggs that took my fancy. William Royce "Boz" Scaggs is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He gained fame in the 1960s as a guitarist and sometime lead singer with the Steve Miller Band. Who knew.

From the album "A Fool to Care" this is "Last Tango on 16th Street"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9sjaVmnrMQ

SOUR/WILD ALE

Sour ale is a broad spectrum of wild ales, from the fruity and acetic Flanders Red Ales and Oud Bruins, to the experimental ales gaining popularity in the United States which use lactobacillus, brettanomyces and pediococcus in new and wild ways.

LAMBIC STYLE - FRUIT

Lambics are wheat beers made with stale hops and fermented with wild yeasts and other microorganisms, traditionally only on the Senne Valley in and around Brussels. The most traditional of the fruit lambics are kriek (cherry) and framboise (raspberry). In modern times, peaches (peche), blackcurrants (cassis), grapes, as well as more exotic fruits are used. Traditional lambics are commonly denoted by the term "oud", which is a reference to "old-style", and these are the most sour. More commonly, though, lambics are sweetened to cut the intense acidity. Serve with sharp cheeses or pickled dishes, or use in the preparation of mussels.

Related articles

• The New Belgium Brewing Company Explains Sour Beer


• Cascade Brewery expanding its sour beer operations in Beaverton


• The Rare Barrel: delicious, rare sour beer


• How many calories are in your beer? Take our quiz and find out!

Beer - #591 - Beer Baroness and Epic Brewing Co - Lady Danger Extra Hoppy Red Ale

Beer Baroness & Epic Brewing Co. Lady Danger Extra Hoppy Red Ale.

Long names for beer, long time dead bands, long division and long service parties.

 Extra Hoppy Red Ale which is a collaboration with Epic Beer

I have a one litre growler from the FYO station of course, it's 6.5% ABV, 195 calories a serve, and that makes is 5.13 standard drink units in the bottle.

For the Beer Baroness this is brewed at the Steam Brewing Company  in the style this is Amber Ale or American Amber / Red Ale and it's from New Zealand.

For her second brew, Ava Wilson has partnered up with Epic Beer’s Luke Nicholas to create an extra hoppy Red Ale.

[caption width="300" id="attachment_10963" align="alignleft"] Brewed by a Lady, for the betterment of men[/caption]Nicholas being globally known for his fondness of hops has certainly flexed his muscles delivering a bold shot to the taste buds as well as the olfactory nerves.

For the 6.5 per cent ABV Extra Hoppy Red Ale, Wilson says that she has brought the “sweetness” – working with Nicholas to ensure a balance between the floral notes and alpha levels of the hop mix and the rich red malt used in the brew.

So, what could possibly go wrong?

Aroma is lovely bitterness and sweetness, 'tis  thing of beauty. I thought, but then that's when the problem started, I thought of limes.

Brown as a chestnut pour with a lovely head that is persistent and firm. 'tis a thing of beauty.Aroma is lovely, again I get limes or strong citrus.

Taste is intense florals, like Parma violet, which of course is Violets  not limes. but then you knew that.

This is really very good, lots of really loud florals up front, and a massive sweetness that carries it to a lovely nearly dry finish and a brilliant linger. Phwoar.

A beer to write poetry by.  Lovely up front, lovely middle, finish to make you want to start again and a little early hint in the linger.

Poetry then.... I could probably manage a limerick if pushed, I'm rubbish at Haiku.

Made a mistake and slopped the second serve, so ended up a half-half beer and foam. Showing off because that's all the head I ever get. (I'll get my coat).

This has such an intense in the glass aroma, it doesn't translate so well to the nose when drinking, but if you were to take a sniff of the glass it's quite pleasant.

At this point there isn't a lot of pretence that I'm really enjoying this then, it is however slanted more towards the florals and sweets than the bitters and dryness. Which when you consider it is exactly how they've pitched it.

So like all poetry there comes the angst and the clouds and weights on shoulders. What I've got is a wonderfully lovely drinking beer that suddenly and abruptly hits the stops and tips over into the 'that's a bit of  a mouthful' beer.

Too sweet, too floral, not dry enough at the back, all those things. Didn't stop me really enjoying the way that this changed as it warmed, and I'm now thinking I could well easily go again with this tomorrow.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 9 a of its things from the thing. This really is a thing of beauty and hidden talent, and you could easily lose yourself in it and become one with everything, like a hotdog. 

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? It really is a bit good, and I'm smiling like I found my happy place.


2. Would I have another? I would and I might tomorrow.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Yes. this is spectacular as a beer that unfolds and changes takes you from a high to a slightly less high and then smacks you and then makes you want to go again. I'm taking up writing Haiku.

Musical notes were provided by "The Zombies" , Here on Spotify, the Album called  Odessey and Oracle from 1967!  This is "Time of the Season"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Gf7ettG5Y8

You'd be surprised at the number of original songs they came up with, I was, and then I wondered how they're not more well known. This was music of a generation that has become a bit more than that.

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

Beer - #590 - Wild Beer - Ninkasi Premier Cru

Wild Beer Ninkasi, the Premier Cru

in for a penny..

"..created by the time and the oak are incredibly tasty, complex, layered beers, perfect for enjoying with friends through the winter months. "

This is a 330ml beer, which is  10 %ABV, that would be then be 300 calories a serve, and 2.6 standard drink units.

Brewed by Wild Beer in the style: Belgian Strong Ale and they are in the little metropolis of Shepton Mallet, England. on the other hand it could be a Saison / Farmhouse Ale.

Named after the ancient Greek goddess of beer, 

Part of the Barrel Trinity 2013 series - came about after a visit to the Somerset Cider Brandy Company at Burrow Hill where Julian Temperley showed us around his amazing farm.

[caption id="attachment_10958" align="alignright" width="300"] It's special, like me[/caption]

On smelling some of his used barrels we thought they would be the perfect vessel to age some of our Ninkasi in. The cider brandy flavours naturally combine beautifully with the apple flavours in the beer and the farmyard brettanomyces character in the beer has become more dominant.

This is a beer we always wanted to make and we are delighted to say, it doesn’t disappoint. Not as highly carbonated as the "normal" Ninkasi, this is softer, more mellow, with a long lingering fruit character.

Well that sounds promising and what could go wrong?

The now familiar sour aroma, like a cider but less sweet. Pour is a richer golden,    and in appearance has more body. Nice head too.

Of the three Wild Beer beers that I've had this is by far the most accessible and sensible. Yes it's a sour beer, but it's a level that is less, more mellow and a bit less edgy, more rounded.

I quite like the way this tastes

Good job I had this last then, otherwise it would have been a disaster.

The aroma has calmed down too, it's now more oaky, unless I've just convinced myself of that.

It isn't a beer to fall in love with,  for me at least, but it is a beer that is quite complex and develops as it warms in the glass, in the way that some beers do. Possibly either because It was too cold in the first place, or because it was too cold in the first place.

A beer that is much sweeter in the front which makes the whole thing quite enjoyable and makes you appreciate that some sour beers are really worth a punt, but I imagine it really is a minefield. Actually I know it's a minefield.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 9 a of its things from the thing. As things go this is a fairly clever beer, it has layers that develop as you drink and it draws you in, all the while hiding that it's on the stronger end of the ABV scale really, and lucky it's in a small bottle.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? I am, in a slightly uncomfortable way.


2. Would I have another? I think I'm mostly done with sours.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? This one might make the grade as a share beer to discuss why it's a thing and why it's worthy of the table. To my mind it this one is.

Kurt Vile, there's a name you don't hear often enough. This is from his album called "It's a big world out there, and I'm scared, you can of course listen here on the Spotify, or mostly all the other places no doubt.

Kurt Samuel Vile is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer. He is best known for his solo career and as a former member of indie rock band The War on Drugs

This "Feel my pain"

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

BELGIAN STRONG ALE

Belgian Strong Ales can vary from pale to dark brown in color, darker ales may be colored with dark candy sugar. Hop flavor can range from low to high, while hop aroma is low. The beers are medium to full-bodied and have a high alcoholic character. Types of beers included here include tripels, dubbels and ultra-strong abbey ales.

Beer - #589 - Wild Beer - Somerset Wild

Wild Beer Somerset Wild, it was that kind of day. Wild about beer, Wild about music, Wild with numbers and a wild time out.

Spontaneously fermented berlinner weisse inspired beer. "the yakult of beers". Lactobacillus, pediococcus, brettanomyces. Wild apple starter to generate the fermentation organisms

This is a 330ml bottle, and it is of 5% ABV and that makes it both 150 calories a serve and 1.3 standard drink units.

Brewed by Wild Beer  in the style that is  Sour/Wild Ale and they are in the glorious town of Shepton Mallet, England

Fermented with a locally harvested culture of yeasts and bacteria from the orchards that Somerset is famous for

[caption id="attachment_10933" align="alignleft" width="300"] Wild and windy, and that's just me[/caption]

The wet climate of Somerset is perfect for the orchards and pastures that are the lifeblood of our area, they are also perfect conditions for the yeasts, bugs and critters that we need to make a unique sour beer.

Somerset Wild is a beer that shows how much we love working with our environment and the seasons to produce idiosyncratic beers that leave you questioning your perceptions. A beer with the acidity levels of a white wine or farmhouse cider,  with a depth, complexity and refreshing drinkability to it that makes it a wonderful beer to pair with food.

This is a magic beer to enjoy with fish, particularly oily fish such as mackerel or sardines, caught off the south-west coast, or even better why not try it with a ceviche. The acidity of the beer will work as the perfect accompaniment.

What could therefore go wrong with that? Apart from the not having the fish thing?

Forewarned that these might be well carbonated I hesitated....

This one has a much deeper danker aroma on opening than the 'sourdough', does not smell sour.

Crystal clear pour that goes all cloudy when you pour the whole thing, except this time I god the wisp of a head.

Aroma is of 'sour'

Goodness this is sour with some tastes in there, and I'm not really sure what they are of. I'm thinking bananas, or perhaps sour milk, or perhaps something else.

Some people have found the aroma off-putting and the taste just odd, I don't have a aroma thing, but the palate is definitely odd, unusual and a little cruel.

I find myself having a hard time trying to enjoy it, although conversely I'm not hating it. The sourness has nipped the sides of my tongue, that really is a bit odd too.

I wish I could put a name to the taste that seems to be the strongest one, I know it, just can't name it. For sure this is the oddest tasting beer I've had for a long while.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 7 of its things from the thing. It really is frowningly difficult to enjoy this when there are tastes that are just out of reach of identification, given that it also happening under a blanket of sour that is washing the tongue and dancing up the tastebuds into submission.

Palate cleanser? yes, palate refresher not so much, quenching? not so much either. I find myself trying to hustle though it in the best controlled facial expression I can manage.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? It presented a number of challenges. 


2. Would I have another? I don't think that you could add me to the fan list, so no.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? These are such individual beers that I don't think sharing them over a discussion is a thing, this isn't a low ABV beer (it's not high either) so it's a serious beer that adds alcohol into your body,  I don't know that concentrating on trying to figure out the tastes, if you like them, and what were you thinking are conducive to a conversation.

From 2007 I'm listening to "The National" and their album "The boxer", you can listen here on Spotify or all the other places probably.

The National is an American indie rock band formed in Cincinnati, Ohio. This is the track "Fake Empire"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KehwyWmXr3U

SOUR/WILD ALE

Sour ale is a broad spectrum of wild ales, from the fruity and acetic Flanders Red Ales and Oud Bruins, to the experimental ales gaining popularity in the United States which use lactobacillus, brettanomyces and pediococcus in new and wild ways.

Beer - #588 - Wild Beer - Sourdough

Indeed. Wild Beer Sourdough. Strange beer, strange music, strange scores and strangers at a gathering.

Collaboration with Hobbs House Bakery. Sour ale based on a Berliner Weisse.

This is a 330ml bottle,  and the beer is 3.6%ABV, that would be 108 calories in the serve, and it is .97 of a drink unit.

Brewed by Wild Beer in the style that is  Sour/Wild Ale and they are in the fine town of Shepton Mallet, England

Beer and Bread have been showing off the magic of yeast for thousands of years, we decided to combine the two.

[caption id="attachment_10928" align="alignleft" width="300"] Wild and sour.... and that's just me[/caption]

The old and the new, contemporary ideas and historical techniques and ingredients, a very special beer that combines all these things and more. 
6 months before we even had a brewery we started talking to Tom Herbert about the Hobbs House Bakery’s 58 year old Sourdough yeast, and whether we could use it to ferment a beer. Tom was excited, we were excited! 

After a year of trials (each trial took a really long time to develop) we decided to loosely base the beer on a Berliner Weisse style - a historical Sour beer style from Northern Germany, but with a Wild Beer slant to it.

We have used the 58 year old sourdough culture and a little brettanomyces and put the beer straight into oak barrels for its primary fermentation. 
It has been slowly fermenting, maturing and souring for 4 months in the barrels and will continue to evolve and develop in the bottle.

There is a lovely gentle rounded fruity sourness to this beer. It isn’t harsh, and its low alcohol makes it the perfect brunch beer to enjoy with smoked salmon and scrambled eggs on some Hobbs House Bakery Sourdough.

Serve chilled.

What could possibly go wrong with that then? I'm pretty chilled most of the time...

Summer is doing that lurching into Autumn and Winter thing, one day it's shorts the next day raincoats and jumpers. Today was a bit of everything, soaked in the rain and got a 6km exercise in in the sunshine.  Anyway.

This smells of sour, which came as no surprise.

The pour was of clear like lemonade clear, until of course I poured the whole bottle and then it clouds up, it's now cloudy lemonade looking. Does look nice, even if I can't get a head on beers it looks nice.

There is a nose of sourdough bread, of course this could be just me thinking it so, but it is that sour yeasty aroma.

And gosh it's very sour, more so than I expected having read the blurb, i though it was going to be lower is all.

So after that shock, the quick nose and the sudden shock of sour I'm taking stock.

What to think though? The beer itself lacks anything that you could describe as 'body' there isn't a lot of things going on

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 8 a of its things from the thing. If you like sour beers this is quite interesting, not as sour as some that I've had, and at the same time this is more sour than I expected.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? After the initial shock this is quite a good sour beer and I enjoyed it.


2. Would I have another? I have some of the other Wild Beers to try, I'll come back to it maybe, maybe not.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? I don't know, these are very specific beers, and I don't think they're for sharing and being open about, unless you're in a place where they are, if that makes sense.

Musics: Well Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds took my fancy, This is a track called "The Ballad of the Might I"

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

The album is called 'Chasing Yesterday' I've had it on rotate for a few times and it gets better. You can find it   Here on the Spotify and the everywhere else probably

SOUR/WILD ALE

Sour ale is a broad spectrum of wild ales, from the fruity and acetic Flanders Red Ales and Oud Bruins, to the experimental ales gaining popularity in the United States which use lactobacillus, brettanomyces and pediococcus in new and wild ways.

Beer - #587 - Renaissance - Stonecutter Scotch Ale - Tap

This was at the FYO station, so hear we have the  Renaissance - Stonecutter Scotch Ale A beer I had a year ago in the bottle format.

In this post then; Revisiting tastes, revisiting bands, revisit the numbers and the after party visit.

And for those of you who want to know about where the name Stonecutter came from, you will need to know the secret handshake

This is around 210 calories a serve,  it is a 7% ABV  beer and the 1 litre is 5.52 standard drinks,

Stonecutter is brewed by Renaissance Brewing in the style of a  Scotch Ale and they live in Blenheim, New Zealand

This is the big, hearty ’red wine’ of our range. Nine malts are blended to produce layers of caramel, coffee, liquorice, chocolate and roasty flavours and

[caption id="attachment_10912" align="alignleft" width="300"] Wee Heavy[/caption]

these are balanced by a tart, raisiny fruitiness that gradually gives way to a lingering dry finish. Rich, full bodied. warming and moreish. Stonecutter pairs well with venison, roast beef or lamb, or the heartiest casseroles and stews. For dessert try with a creme brulee or, of course, Scottish shortbread.

We use nine malts blended together to produce layers of caramel, toffee, liquorice, chocolate and roasty flavours. These layers are balanced by a tart, raisiny fruitiness that gradually gives way to give this dark beer a lingering dry finish.

Rich, full bodied, warming and moreish.

Multi award winning Stonecutter Scotch Ale is the big, hearty, ‘red wine’ of our range. The Scotch Ale style is believed to have originated in Edinburgh in the 18th century and is colloquially known as "wee heavy" due to its higher strength than its paler siblings. We use nine malts blended together to produce layers of caramel, toffee, liquorice, chocolate and roasty flavours. These layers are balanced by a tart, raisiny fruitiness that gradually gives way to give this dark beer a lingering dry finish.!

What could possibly go wrong?

Has a real coffee / toffee aroma on opening.

Dark brown mahogany pour with a small and decently thick head. Aroma is still that burn toffee / coffee thing very malty.

Smoky to the taste, subtle smoky, complimentary smokey, deliciously smokey. Highly bitter at a really nice level too.

Has a surprisingly subtle and persistent linger too.

Whilst the smokiness is the most noticeable thing about the taste there is a decent amount of warmth and softness in the body of this, and the whole is a very decently balanced dark beer of some distinction.

I think last I drank this I had the sense of 'raisins' which I don't get now, but I get a big bunch of smoke that I didn't before. Odd things beers.

Don't find the pre-nose aroma that tempting as a thing, but it's not off-putting, though it's a strangely welcoming thing, the sort of aroma you'd romanticise about a pub having perhaps.

A very very drinkable and thoroughly enjoyable wee heavy to get my mood straightened up and flying right. A beer of many things, I've sipped and enjoyed it, I quaffed and guzzled, it fits the moment you're in. If the moment you're in is of course for a dark smokey beer of slightly higher ABV than usual.

[inserts some poetry here]. ..[kidding]

Pdubyah-o-meter rating this is 9, making it quite remarkable, well 'great' on the random scale of things. Still 'great' is just worse than 'awesome' that's how random the scale is. I can't believe that the bottle and the tap version could differ so much.  But then it's me and how the thing is at that moment.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? This is rather a good beer.


2. Would I have another? I would and would again a few times.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? I so would, you, me, the porch, (it's cold so couple blankets), might light a fire-pit or something, this, the stars and a whole lot of blether.

I like this album, Status Quo, Stripped Bare the Acoustic versions. Listen Here

Status Quo are an English rock band whose music is characterized by their distinctive brand of boogie rock. This is "Caroline"

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

I had boogie around the lounge.

SCOTCH ALE

Scotch Ale was the name given to a strong pale ale from Edinburgh in the 19th century. This was typical of the strong pale ales brewed in Britain at that time - mainly pale barley malt and moderate hopping, and were not that stylistically different to English Strong Ales or Barley Wines. The name however became regionalised so that a strong pale ale from Scotland became known as a Scotch Ale or Wee Heavy. Beers using the designation Scotch Ale are popular in the USA where most examples are brewed locally. Examples of beers brewed in the USA under the name Wee Heavy tend to be 7% abv and higher, while Scottish brewed examples, such as Belhavens Wee Heavy, are typically between 5.5% and 6.5% abv.

Related articles

• Beer Review #37: Squire Scotch Ale


• Case File #41 - Scotch Ale


• Beer - #310 - Renaissance - Stonecutter Scotch Ale

Beer - #586 - Good George - IPA

In a Squealer! Squeal of delight, squeal like a teenager, s=ql, and it's a party squee!

Smells like: Lemon, fresh cut hay, herbal.  Tastes Like: Mandarin, grassy, pithy.

(Disclaimer: although it’s an India Pale Ale, it was actually made here in Hamilton)

This is in a 1 litre bottle *actually 946, which is 32 OZ, fresh, from the factory, 5.8% ABV, so about 174 calories a serve, and this bottle is about 4.7 standard drink units in NZ

Brewed by Good George Brewing in the style of the India Pale Ale (IPA)  and they are in Hamilton, New Zealand. The 'Tron- city of the future.

[caption id="attachment_10905" align="alignright" width="300"] Good Gravy[/caption]

Inspired by the heady, spicy lemon aroma of fresh German hops.

Rich malty sweetness perfectly balanced with hoppy, mouth-coating bitterness makes this drop magically moreish.

What then could possibly go wrong?

Light hiss, and a muted aroma of hops on opening the twisty lid. There is an unusual aroma in this, a strange fruit.

Pour is a lovely pale yellow, and a decent foamy head.

Aroma there is none.

It is lightly bitter, not big, not biting, just there.  Lightly grassy taste, but with something citrus lurking not really being in front. Lovely linger though lots of lip smacking going on. Not dry either at the back.

Fairly middle of the road then really. Truth is though we have an embarrassment of excellent IPAs in this country. A seriously goodly amount of riches.

In and of itself there is nothing at all wrong with this beer, when however you think about the competition, and at the slightly higher ABV this would begin to struggle to hold it's own on the taste and wallop, perhaps.

I do miss an aroma though, that harbinger of the tang on the tongue. I'd add one of those if I could.

At the half-way mark then.Still not setting any worlds alight with must have things that other beers should have, this is really just doing a number quietly and well on it's own. I'd be happy to sit in a pub and have this a few times, add some food things, perhaps a while longer. A beer to get you to a happy place but not in a rush about it.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 8 a of its things from the thing. 8 is 'very good' and this indeed is very good. I'd suggest that the timid beer drinker would find this a right treat of a thing to get them into an IPA. The seasoned IPA drinker might sniff, but on reflection would smile that they've enjoyed a beer that has not a of downside but a few things they might miss on the upside if they were after a hop front/heavy beer. Which I wasn't.

I did sneer, then I took stock and I smiled. Good work George.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? I so am! 


2. Would I have another? I so would!


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? for many reasons, the bottle is dinky, the beer is unassuming, and it's just a bit good and right for a few things.

Musically it's not teenage squealing though, I lied again, this time it's The Charlatans (known in the United States as The Charlatans UK) are an English indie rock band. They're a bit hit and miss but overall a good and  pleasant surprise. This is off the album "Modern Nature" and it's "Let the good times be never ending" Listen here on Spotify, or all the other places probably.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIoY7Wg1_LY

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

Beer - #585 - Behemoth - Hopportunity Double IPA

Behemoth Hopportunity, the Double IPA. Double up, double time, doubling and doubles only.

Never let a hopportunity pass you by unless you are driving, then let this one pass you by, and maybe have one when you get home

From the fill station, this ia 1 litre bottle of beer that is of 8% ABV, around 240 calories a see size and the bottle is 6.31 standard drink units in NZ. I noticed that this is 80 IBU things, which is in range.

For the Behemoth Brewing Company this is brewed at The Twisted Hop  in the style that is of  Imperial/Double IPA and it's from New Zealand

[caption id="attachment_10893" align="alignleft" width="300"] took my hopportunity[/caption]

Big Dry hoppy double IPA.

This beer is made to showcase the Centennial Hop (with a little Nelson Sauvin just for good measure).

Big dry and drinkable for such a big balanced bitterness that makes you want to come back for another sip

What could possibly go wrong?

Not overly hoppy or grassy on the nose on opening, more sweetness if anything.

Looks great on the pour,  lovely orange brown colour, with a lovely fluffy head that looks so inviting. The aroma doesn't take off in the glass, it still leans to sweet.

First mouth-sip is an explosion that slips by in a thrice.  Which is where it gets interesting.

There is a lot more grassiness than the aroma would indicate, and the finish is dry but not arid, the dip in the middle though, that caught me out.

This then is lighter than you might expect, you can pick the carbonation bubbles if you want to, the grassiness is more mown grass, and not at all aggressive, there is a softer edge to it, which is a good thing.

The dryness is interesting, again it seems to be muted down in a clever way leaving you with a beer that satisfies the most of the taste profile and finishes with that immediate thought of "lets sip again".

Of course it might be that it's just an IPA and a style I appreciate. But I'm drinking this take on the style, so focus.....

I do like that toffee sweet aroma. Like that burst around the mouth of the bitterness and I like the pause and then the dryness on the tongue. I like that.

There isn't a lot to suggest that this is a 8% ABV beer, I mention that because it could be easy to forget and quaff like a thirsty man, get all squiffy and that's an early night, thank you.

I could sum this up as, talk a big game, delivers a quite deceptively good beer, it's not overly loud, aggressive or in-your-face, and despite there being, to my mind, a gap between the front and the finish this really is a well rounded beer that deserves a bit of attention.

I've also ended with that interesting sticky lips thing. If you get it you'll get it.

Whilst I wanted this to be more, and I'm convinced in my head there is something skipped in the middle I've found myself smiling and foot-tapping away, and you can tell from wittering that I'm enjoying drinking, as this really is a live blog of sorts, I sip, I ponder, I write. I have a lot to say, except that it's mostly the same thing. How good this is.

You know it all IPA beer could be this accessible, and take you on a bit of a journey then it'd be great, however sometimes you need to have someone doing it "a bit good' to make you appreciate that the IPA and dIPA things are   very diverse and a there are many good ones, and sometimes, like this, a great one.  Get in!

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 10 a of its things from the thing. Because only because I started thinking that this was somehow short of a trick, or missing a trick, and found that it was me that was being tricked because the more you sip and ponder the more this really does touch a nerve, and light up the room.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? It's a slow burner, but it doesn't waver and first to last this is a bit of a cracker.


2. Would I have another? I know where there is a fresh keg just on tap, but it'll be gone soon enough, I don't think that this is going to be  a regular beer.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? I so would, I'd bring a few, and come armed with questions about politics, weather and religion. Or weird questions about science and speed of light travel.

It was kind of a Damien Jurado kind of evening, he's  an American indie rock singer/songwriter from Seattle. You can listen to some of his stuff here on Spotify.

This is a track "Silver Timothy"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4sQz6Y5g88

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.

Related articles

There's another review here

• Next Round: It's all about the IPA


• Three Imperial IPAs