A wickedly hoppy West Coast APA
I have then a 1.25 litre growler of a beer that is 5.8% ABV, 55 IBU things, that's around 174 calories a serve size, and this bottle contains about 5.72 standard drink units worth.
Brewed by Baylands Brewery this is styled as an American Pale Ale and they are in Petone in Wellington, New Zealand.
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Different background same old hobo looking man[/caption]A perfectly balanced bold American pale ale jammed full of Amarillo and Centennial hops
Amarillo hops for aroma and flavor, orange citrus characters and a bit of floral profile, too.
Centennial hops for citrus and/or floral character, bittering and aromatic characters.
What could possibly go wrong?
This was flown up from Wellington and hand delivered, well it was brought up from Welington by a close friend who was here in business and thought I needed a new experience "from a small craft place" he'd discovered. He has good taste, has just discovered that I write about the beer I drink and has recently moved to Wellington where the craft beer thing is leading the charge. Funny thing is we went to a local pub in Auckland where it was on tap, not usual though to get this in the take-out form here abouts. Winning!
Boldly hoppy and malty sweet on opening. Still winning.
Much darker pour than I would have though, for no reason than again I'm thrown by the 'pale' in Pale Ale. Of course I am. Couldn't pour with a head but you know I;m not an expert in that.That lovely hoppy aroma and sweetness blooms in the glass. Lovely level of bitterness, 55 IBU is quite high really. I do think that this might be just so slightly past best though, it's not as well carbonated as you would like it to be. Not a huge problem though, the beer is good enough to carry itself.
Grassy hoppy note is quite nice, bit peaky, and it has a decent finish and linger in the mouth.
Got a head on the second pour, I still have the gift. This is quite moorish and welcoming as a beer, it's bitterness though would lend itself to a balancing act of some food-thing just to keep the whole thing in check.
The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 8 a of its things from the thing. I though the bitterness was high, and that made it uncomfortable as a stand alone beer, and I don't think i should session on it (have a few/many in one go) I think I'd end up with a very dull palate and dryness. But for that it's really nice to drink and brings a smile to the dial.
The double dip review
Am I enjoying it? Yes it's rather nice.
Would I have another? Yes I am having the whole of it :-)
Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? This is a beer that lends itself to conversation and a few hours contemplation so yes I'd bring it if there was a discussion to be had like who would win a fight between Batman and Spiderman for instance.
Music for this, arguably a New Zealand icon Don McGlashan, he has a new Album out, Lucky Stars, you can listen here on Spotify
Don McGlashan is a New Zealand musician and songwriter who won fame with bands Blam Blam Blam, The Front Lawn, and one of my favourites The Mutton Birds, I'd say if you like well crafted songs with thoughtful lyrics you might seek them out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAwJiq_W2wk
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.
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