Beer - #644 - Summer Wine - Teleporter

BeerJerkNZ Beerclub beer! This week another interesting and delightful looking beer, the Summer Wine Teleporter. Two beers one glass, two genres on album, a choice of numbers and choosing your mates.

"Evolutionary beer from Yorkshire"

This is a 330ml bottle that contains 150 calories of a beer that is 5.5% ABV, and 1.3 standard drink units.

Brewed by Summer Wine in the style that is  Porter and that happens in Holmfirth, England

[caption id="attachment_11605" align="alignleft" width="300"] Anticipation abounds[/caption]

A Rich Dark Porter brewed with 10 different malts giving a sweet roast richness that is balanced with just enough hop character. This ale has a surprising drinkability for it’s colour and abv.

Don’t let the sumptuous roast malt fool you, this porter is seriously potent & has the potential to take you to another place!

Imagine standing in an espresso bar sniffing a chocolate selection box then somehow converting the aroma to liquid form and sticking it in a bottle. It would be sort of gross and we'd have no idea where to start anyway with all that state of matter business.

So what could possibly go wrong? These days "porter" and "stout" are used pretty much interchangeably and there is some interesting history in the styles, and it's explained here.

Aroma on opening is hard to pick, I though that it was more hoppy, then I thought it had a note of roasted malt or chocolate.

Pour is a lovely dark chestnut brown and a fair decent firm and light brown head. Its  noisy beer should you take a listen, just like snap crackle and pop.

Initially I though this has a more sour edge, it's a familiar note, you'd know it. But the na few minutes of warming and some lovely aromas break through, and some soft flavours also begin to shine. I'd say a slow burner but it just needed a moment.

Also it looks great in the glass.

A decent Porter then, but given that they talk it up a bit you could be miffed for it not having a lot more body and oomph in the middle bit, perhaps. I would have though there might have been a bit more depth or a punch. There wasn't.  Not a disaster though since it carries well and drinks well enough without making you gasp in wonderment.

Not sweet, not sour, not dry to finish, no sharp or rough edges to catch you, this is a well crafted drink.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 8 of its things from the thing. Eight being the arbitrary 'very good' on the random scale. I like porters and stouts, and so this isn't a real surprise and it'd have to be really something to get a better or worse. This sits very nicely in the competent and enjoyable field without fuss.

The double dip review

Am I enjoying it? Yes, it's a pretty beer to look at and an lovely beer to drink.
Would I have another? I would if I had the chance.
Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? I would, this really does pour well and drinks well, I'd have no problems sharing this with the right crowd.

Music for this, odd choice perhaps, in the style of Goth-Pop from " Cemeteries " their album  "  Barrow"  of course on the Spotify player

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSkCe0c1q88

PORTER

Black or chocolate malt gives the porter its dark brown color. Porters are well hopped and heavily malted. This is a medium-bodied beer. Porters can be sweet. Hoppiness can range from bitter to mild. Porters are often confused with stouts.

Beer - #633 - Theakston - Old Peculier *bottle*

I had this beer as #12, when the idea of keeping a diary of beers was new. #12! so many beers ago. So here we go with; The Legend, Legends, Legendary and Leg-ends

Its initial sweetness is, apparently, "of roasted and vinous notes with a subtle bitter aftertaste". Strong fruitiness, often with "banana notes" standing out, is derived from Old Peculier’s fermentation process.

500ml bottle of beer that is 5.6% ABV, 168 calories a serve size,

Brewed by Theakston in the style that is  Old Ale and that happens in Masham, England

Old Peculier is possibly one of the country’s most well-known and loved ales.

This unique, beautiful brew is often imitated but never matched and is sold literally all over the world. With countless awards to its credit, it is something of which every Briton can be very proud and is the epitome of the greatest of British brewing tradition.

[caption id="attachment_11471" align="alignleft" width="300"] Old Peculiar with his old Peculier[/caption]

In the early years of the modern brewing era, about two hundred years ago, many brewers produced a dark, strong ‘stock’ beer in the winter months, to provide a base amount of fermented beer to add to beers brewed in the rather more volatile months of the summer. Old Peculier probably owes its origins to this. The name pays tribute to the unique ecclesiastical status of Masham as a ‘Court of the Peculier’ and is also reference to the strong characteristic of the beer! For many years it was affectionately referred to as Yorkshire’s ‘Lunatic’s Broth’.
Old Peculier is a beautiful, yet very simple beer, brewed using a very generous blend of finest pale, crystal and roasted barley with two bitter hops combined with the majestic and noble ‘Fuggle’ hop to produce a beer of awesome full-bodied flavour with subtle cherry and rich fruit overtones. It tastes superb when accompanied by rich stews, strong cheeses and sweet puddings.

So what could possibly go wrong? Have I lost my sense of British beers, let find out.

Ok, that's a familiar and friendly aroma of malts and hop, it is very like tobacco leaf as an aroma.

Pour is a lot darker than you'd expect, really dark burnt chestnut brown, and a lovely head. That musty english beer aroma full of itself.

The taste is like a time-machine back to my youth. Lots of sweetness from the malt and caramel, and the twitch and tang from the hops. This is a beer for the ages.

Looks brilliant too.

What can you say really about a beer that reminds you so much of home and long nights in pubs?

Lots of malt, heaps of burnt caramel, lots of the juggles hop thing that is very specific, it really is a time machine beer.

I might have been away from home a long time but this does have that unmistakable English beer aroma, Simmering hop but not grass it's more straw perhaps. The Sweetness of the beer is lovely, that backbone is being enough to carry a really forward an bold palate set.

It really is a strong, full action, all on, quintessential English beer. I loved it 600 odd beers ago, I still love it now. You could be cruel and nasty about British beer styles all you like except that this, and others, is really how it is, and sometimes it's really just a bit good.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 10 of its things from the thing. I loved it. really loved it. I loved the memories that he aroma and the taste delivered, I loved the sweetness and the lovely bitterness that was layered over that backbone. I just loved it.

The double dip review

Am I enjoying it? It is a beer you should try to give you an in to he British beer culture that you may or may not get, trust me a few hours in the local with this and you'll be an expert.
Would I have another? I would love to have local that served this.
Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? You'll hate it but this is really what English beer is corner-stoned on, this sets the bar and mark and you may hate it but this is a marker for beer.

Music for this,  ' The Clash ' and ' London Calling ' on the Spotify, seemed appropriate. The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. The best wave, the real wave.  Gt your ears around  London Calling ....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfK-WX2pa8c

OLD ALE

Old Ale is a simple enough style to figure out. At least, once you understand that there are three or four beer styles called Old Ale. The first is the best known - the strong dark Old Peculier style. The second type of Old Ale is a blended dark ale. At least one of the beers comprising the blend will be aged for a couple of years in wood casks. The third version of Old Ale is a form of mild – a low-gravity dark ale. Another version of Old Ale is closely related to the first. For me, these are robustly malty beers, akin to a top-fermented version of a doppelbock.

Related articles

• Ten beers to drink before you die(t)

Beer - #628 - Beavertown - Bloody ’Ell - the threepeat

Bottle, keg and now the can, The first beer I can recall where I've had all three versions. The still amusingly named beer from Beavertown -  Bloody ’Ell which I've had before in a bottle, and also from the keg.

"With every sip I get a little sad because I know it's coming to an end."

This version comes in a  330ml can, which contains a 7.2%ABV beer, which is of  70 IBU things, This can would be around 1.87 drinks in NZ, this is 216 calories in this serve size.

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_11424" align="alignright" width="300"] Man and a Can[/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.

Softly carbonated with an oily mouthfeel, Bloody 'Ell is dry but sweet and fruity but bitter. Above all- it is awfully more-ish.

So what could possibly go wrong?

Popping the tab releases an immediate bust of grass citrus hop aroma, that is always welcome of course.

Pour is light marmalade orange and there is a local y white head of fluffiness. The aroma is light of hops, and a hint of a citrus.

Coarse dryness finish to a bitter front that leaves a tang in your mouth, It is very dry, particularly at the front middle of the tongue.

There is an orange zest or orange peel undertone to this that makes it quite exciting to drink without it being overly sweetening or intruding, it's a feature.

Lovely soft bitterness, lovely soft orange citrus notes and it just looks great in the glass, the head persistent and a lovely lacing in the glass as you sip.

The real pity is that there is just the one can, but that doesn't mean that I can't go get more cans, just not tonight.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 9 a of its things from the thing. This is nice, nicer than I recall from the bottle or the keg, the bottle I can understand but this, from a can seems to be rather spectacular. lips smacking good.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? This has really exceeded my expectations, it's like a taste explosion, a controlled demolition, it's all on point.


2. Would I have another? I've had three deliveries of this and the Can appears to win, couldn't drink it from the tin though, has to be in a glass.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? I most certainly would be bringing this the the next shindig.

Music for this was ' Against Me! ' and ' Transgender Dysphoria Blues '  the sixth studio album by the punk band. Now forgive me if I smirk at it being 'Punk', particularly as I grow up right in that Punk Rock explosion around 1974.  Anyhow listen here on Spotify.  It is reasonably listenable and enjoyable

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEE7iw5WYJI

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

• 21 Session IPAs, Ranked


• BEHEMOTH To Unleash Black IPA Beer - "Magick Is Happening!"

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

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 - #532 - Hawkshead - Cumbrian Five Hop

Five hops, hip hop, hop scotch and hopping to it.

"..a highly hopped aroma of tropical fruit and a blend of traditional and modern hops"

Hawkshead Cumbrian Five Hop, a beer gifted to me.

A 330ml bottle, 5% ABV, 150 calories in the bottle, and this wold be 1.3 standard drink units in NZ

Brewed by Hawkshead in the style that is Premium Bitter/ESB and they are from the home of the Mint Cake, Kendal, England

[caption id="attachment_10271" align="alignleft" width="300"] a gift that made me smile[/caption]

Well hopped golden ale made using, as the name suggests, 5 different hop varieties; Goldings, Bramling Cross, Fuggles, Citra and Amarillo.

Flavours of tropical fruit, orange marmalade and herbal hop aromas are balanced by a juicy malt character.

A strong, golden pale ale, with a highly hopped aroma of tropical fruit and a blend of traditional and modern hops, giving a full flavour and long, dry finish.

What could go wrong?

Grassy lemony citrus aroma on opening, almost like sherbet.

A really pretty color orange brown, but without a head, which means the old me is back on pouring duties. Still lots of lemon and citrus in the aroma in the glass.

And a mouth-party of flavours, sweet through the middle and a dry finish, that was all a bit sudden and urgent.

So a melange of flavours but unmistakably British with the Fuggles and Goldings in there, a lot of malt too. Makes this an interesting mix of hop tastes, some sweetness and as I mentioned the towards dry finish.

As a gift of a beer I thought this was excellent. It's a nice summery afternoon drinking beer, the lemon/orange/pineapple thing going on makes it pleasant in the mouth, but it is counterpoint to the finish and linger.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as a 7  of its things from the thing. A bit too much going on for me, but that isn't to say that it isn't nice, it might be a beer for a time and place. I just don't think that place was right here, right now.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? Sort of.


2. Would I have another? On the right day this probably is a cracker of a drink for what ails you.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Depends on if this post something or as a take-to party thing. I'd be happy to chug one after doing a chores, I'm note sure I'd take a 6 pack.

I lied about the hip-hop, I mean seriously, Instead though, right at the other end  and with Post-Rock Ambience and Atmos, I have "The Echelon Effect" on the music machine.

This is "Watching Over The Headland" from the album "Pacific"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSF-KB0eNUY

Which I found to be a bit good.

PREMIUM BITTER/ESB

In England, many breweries have a number of bitters in their range. The style that has come to be known as Premium or Special Bitter generally includes the stronger ( 4.6%-6.0%) examples. These are mostly served in the traditional way from the cask, but some are also found in bottle form where the extra malt allows them to stand up better than the more delicate ordinary Bitter. In the US, the designation ESB is common for this style, owing to the influence of Fuller’s ESB, the London brew that was among the first to be exported to the States. In the US, some ESBs are made with American hops and a clean yeast, but the alcohol range is the same, as is the range of bitterness, usually between 25 and 35 but occasionally creeping higher.

Beer - #531 - Hawkshead - NZPA

Surprised by the beer, Surprised by the music, surprised by the numbers and surprising party things.

A pale ale brewed with 100% New Zealand hops to celebrate our 1000th brew here in Staveley, by our resident Kiwi, Matt Clarke

Hawkshead - NZPA -  a beer from the UK from hops from here in NZ.

330ml bottle, they do it small over in the UK, this is 6% ABV, 180 calories, and this is 1.56 standard drink units in NZ.

NZPA is brewed by Hawkshead  in the style that is: American Pale Ale and they are in the mysterious sounding Kendal, England, where the only thing that comes to mind is Kendal Mint cake.

Don't ask.

[caption id="attachment_10260" align="alignright" width="300"] It's a small beer[/caption]

NZPA is a complex, strong, modern pale ale.

It is packed with wild fruit flavours and hoppy aromas.

Made using four New Zealand hops: Green Bullet, Riwaka, Motueka & Nelson Sauvin.

Matt, our Kiwi Head Brewer's very own personal beer.

What could go wrong?

Passion fruit or Mango on opening, the lip cap very firmly in place, I nearly broke a sweat getting it open, let the beer go little bottle, let it go.

Very pale pour, much more than I was expecting, clear yellow almost. No head, I'm on a roll again.

Aroma is really a fresh bouquet of things fruit, like passion fruit, mango. MrsPdubyah, in a rare moment, said that this smelt amazing. Then she tasted it and grimaced, not a rare thing, and complained that this had a 'tang' at the back, like 'tea', which is why she isn't a professional.

This is really sweet, or more correctly, but not sweet but 'full' of fruit or I though honey that gives it a really big body, and full mouthfeel, surprisingly nice.

The hops, for there are some, are second fiddle in this, playing an admirable support, and as it warms the begin to be centre and front, which again, is nice as a journey.

I find, for me, that this is a bit hard work, there is a lot going on in the glass, a lot of layers and competing things all clamouring for your palate attention, which is or isn't a bad thing depending on what you want from a beer. It's good, it's different, and it's from not around here. Welcome home, but we're a little less shouty than you remember.

I like the passion fruit thing going on, the aroma is nice, but i thought this was 'hard' drinking, not for any not pleasant things, but that I thought each mouth was like a hammer blow, and I wanted something more measured and longer in drinking, this is one of those short drinks, it all happens up front, then a gap, and then you are left with a lingering thing that makes you frown a bit, as if like you didn't enjoy it, making you a bit gun-shy.

Or simpler, I didn't engage with the profile of this, and I ended up not enjoying drinking it for the overall feeling I got. Also I like The Nelson Sauvin hop, and drink a domestic beer that uses it, it really is nice, It might be wasted in this.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as a 7 a of its things from the thing. It became hard work, and I didn't look forward to the next sup, I wanted it to be over, I wanted to be happy and although I enjoyed this I didn't end up loving it. If I was in the UK, where they presumably love it, I'd be a happy man. In NZ though I'd suggest that they calm down a bit.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? I am, but it is complicated.


2. Would I have another? This is something of an overload  so I might not.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? I think as a beer showcase it is great, as a beer that you want to party with, no so much.

MrsPdubyah was taken by "The Tallest Man on Earth",  Kristian Matsson,  who is a singer-songwriter from Dalarna, Sweden.

This is a live version of "King Of Spain"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8Twcp46kT4

MrsPdubyah, as I said, is enjoying our early evening with this, which makes a change from some the feedback I get when it is beer and music hour.  Give it a listen it is good folk music with great lyrics and musically very complete.

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

Beer - #464 - St. Austell - Admirals Ale

In this post: Beer from St. Austell  in the form that is Admirals Ale, Music from Snow Patrol, Random Numbers and double dipping. "I see no ships..."

"This beer contains barley malt and is suitable for Vegetarian"

Another, the last, fathers day gift, St. Austell Admirals Ale, again a supermarket beer, so not difficult to get or particularly rare.

500ml bottle that is 5% ABV, making it 150 calories a serve, and 1.97 standard drink units.

Brewed by St. Austell this is in the style that is  Premium Bitter/ESB and they are in, weirdly, St. Austell, England

Originally brewed as a special to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Nelson’s victory at

[caption id="attachment_9498" align="alignright" width="300"] Ships... I see no ships....[/caption]

Trafalgar in 1805. However, production of the bottled version and, occasionally, the cask has continued.

This premium bottle-conditioned ale has been uniquely brewed using our own Cornish Gold malt. Locally grown barley is traditionally malted using a special kilning process which develops a deeper intensity of colour and flavour than ordinary barley malt.

Blended with both Styrian Golding and Cascade hops, the result is a deep bronze ale with a delicious rich biscuit flavour and a wonderful spicy aroma.

This is a Bottle Conditioned beer.

This uses Celeia hops for citrus and Cascade for spice, it is truly the Christmas pudding of beers.. they say, its September - what could go wrong?

Beer - #463 - Badger - Hopping Hare

This episode: I have an expectation: Crispy, Zesty, Grapefruit, Hoppy. I have a beer, Badger Hopping Hare, some music: Dashboard Confessional, the double dip and a random number.

This was a gift for Fathers day, much appreciated, as is any gift, and available in supermarkets so not difficult to get, or particularly rare or crafty

"Bound to satisfy"

500ml bottle of beer, that is 4.4% ABV and that means 135 calories a serve, this is 1.74 standard dink units in NZ.

Brewed by Badger (Hall & Woodhouse) in the style that is a Bitter and they are in Blandford Forum, England

Light and crisp with a wonderful hoppy aroma and bite, it is an ale that is 'bound to satisfy'.

[caption id="attachment_9490" align="alignright" width="300"] Man with after run glow, meets cold beer[/caption]

To give the Hare its distinctive and characteristic hoppy aroma and taste our talented team of brewers use Super Styrian hops (added twice to the Copper) and Styrian Goldings Dry Hop added to cask for extra aroma. 

Triple hopped - Super Styrian hops added twice to the coppers then Styrian Goldings added. Hopping Hare is thrice hopped with three types of hop used during the brewing process. Aromatic Goldings and Cascade combine to provide an uplifting citrus-grapefruit and floral aroma, whilst First Gold carries the bitterness. The effect is a refreshing ale with a unique hoppy aroma and well-balanced bitterness that is bound to satisfy! It is a terrific match with roast lamb and spicy Thai dishes!

I see. Well I've been out exercising and so this will fill up the space left.

Beer - #477 - Bachata - Bachata Rum Beer

Despite everything wrong with this I'm going to attempt to drink a Bachata.

" ’’Ba-cha-ta’’ Finest quality lager blended with a dash of golden rum to create an exciting new flavoured beer." 

Made by Flagship Brands, brewed at SHS Drinks and in the style that is  Pale Lager this hails from Manchester, England, not a million miles, literally, from Cuba.

Thankfully a small bottle 330ml, 159 calories in total for a 5.5% ABV beer, this makes it a bout 1.43 standard drink units in NZ

Premium lager blended with golden rum, a touch of vanilla and a hint of orange zest to create a

[caption id="attachment_9475" align="alignright" width="300"] That is a full frown[/caption]

delicious new 5.3% flavoured beer.

Bachata is a style of music based on Cuban salsa with Afro-Caribbean rhythms.

Bachata beer was inspired by Alvaro, a Cuban musician who travelled the world jammin' with Latin bands and partying at every opportunity.

Alvaro enjoyed a few drinks after the gigs, but often disappointed with the local lagers, he would flavour the beer with a slug of his favourite rum and a wedge of orange.

Bachata beer contains genuine Cuban rum.

Serve chilled with a slice of fresh orange and taste the real spirit of Cuba

Orange slice in my beer. I'll give it a go what's the worst that can happen

Beer - #457 - Young's - Double Chocolate Stout

I find myself in a track of a type of beer, Stout. This time as a gift from my daughter, this one a  Young's  Double Chocolate Stout.

Check out her ramblings at The Polly Jar if you've a mind too, she's just started and might like a bump in visitor numbers.

Surprisingly  it's brewed by Wells & Youngs in the style that is a  Stout and they are in Bedford, England

A 500ml bottle that contains a 5.2% ABV beer, that has 156 calories a serving, this works out as 2.2 standard rink units in NZ.

Chocolate malt and real dark chocolate are combined with Young's award winning rich,

[caption id="attachment_9432" align="alignleft" width="300"] It's like a trophy![/caption]

full flavoured dark beer to craft a satisfyingly indulgent, but never overly sweet experience.

Luxurious and at the same time with a hint of decadence, Young’s Double Chocolate Stout has it all, delivering a satisfying, indulgent taste without ever becoming overly sweet.

Pale Ale and Crystal malt, Chocolate Malt, a special blend of sugars, Fuggle and Golding hops, real dark chocolate and chocolate essence are combined to deliver a stout of with real credentials.

I remember as buying some of this years a go as a christmas present, based only on it being "chocolate beer", from which point it's remained an annual staple in the black Russian invention at the christmas day beach party.

Beer - #453 - Badger - Fursty Ferret *A redux*

MrsPdubyah has been buying me random beer at the supermarket, this time Badger Fursty Ferret, which was beer #6 on the list of beers that I've been writing about so far, it seems so long ago. I rated it then a 7 on my newly made up and arbitrary scale of things.

Brewed by Badger (Hall & Woodhouse)  in the style that is  Bitter and they are in Blandford Forum, England

A 500ml bottle of beer that contains 4.4% ABV of beer, making it about 132 calories a serve, and 1.74 standard drink units n NZ.

Bottle: Pasteurised.

[caption id="attachment_9398" align="alignleft" width="300"] Nice looking beer in the bottle there[/caption]

Named in honour of the inquisitive and extremely “fursty” ferrets of the Gribble Inn, a celebrated golden brown ale, full of character.
At the heart of many a countryside village can be found an inn. A place where locals go to relax after a long day. At one such inn, rumour has it that inquisitive ferrets would sneak to the back door to cheekily sample the local brew.

A sweet nutty palate, hoppy aroma and a hint of Seville oranges, give this tawny amber ale its distinctive personality. Recommended with smooth and creamy West Country Cheddar or indulgent pork pies and mustard.

I wonder what it's like so many beers and tastes later?

Beer - #436 - Beavertown - Black Betty

More beer in a can, the new normal -  this one a previous gift from the nice people Beertique.co.nz - Today I'm drinking the Beavertown Black Betty.

Brewed by Beavertown in the style that is Black IPA and they are based in Hackney Wick, England

Can is 330 ml, (just over 11 Fl Oz), and contains a 7.4% ABV beer that is at  60 IBU, and of 222 calories a serve. In NZ this would be 1.93 standard drink units. 60 IBUS would be in the middle of the  range for an IPA, which can be 40-80.

A big fat contradiction, jet black but light and hoppy. Heavy-handed use of Columbus, Chinook and Citra, with some clever German malt makes Betty a big, stinky brew.
Malt: Simpsons Best, Caragold, Caramalt, Carafa II & Carafa III.
Hops: Magnum, Columbus, Chinook & Citra.

This has a big following and is well liked, so I'm looking forward to this on a changeable afternoon where it's alternating between sun spells and bitter cold showers.

Beer - #435 - Timothy Taylor - Landlord *Redux*

I'm going again, even though this was only about 30 beers ago, so once more into the breech with  -  Timothy Taylor Landlord  - English beer.

I really didn't like it first time up, and was contacted by the importer and he offered me a new bottle of new stock. Humbled that anyone reads me I accepted.

Brewed by Timothy Taylor in the gold old style that is a Bitter or it might be  of course a real old English Pale Ale and they are in Keighley, England

A 500ml bottle of a beer of 4.1% ABV, all of  123 calories, this makes 1.66 standard drinks in NZ. IBU could be be expected in the 30-40 range

First brewed in 1952 as a bottled beer called Competition Ale. Changed name to Landlord in 1953.

Lets go.

Beer - #429 - Thornbridge - Saint Petersburg

I've had a Thornbridge Saint Petersburg in the fridge for a while, and tonight seems a good night to get to drinking it.

Brewed by Thornbridge done in the style that is of Imperial Stout and they are in Bakewell, England

"Saint Petersburg is a fabulously full bodied – chocolatey, malt flavours with coffee finish combine to produce a great Imperial Stout."

[caption id="attachment_9143" align="alignright" width="300"] Selfie - in which I look incredibly old and squinty[/caption]

500ml bottle, with a great label art, 7.4% ABV, 2.92 standard drinks that would be in NZ, and as it's bottle conditioned may have yeast, This pops in at 222 calories a serve.

Rich and dark with smoke, subtle peatiness and the power of the dark malts. Molasses and liquorice and chocolate goodness all wrapped up in a smooth, warming liquid.

Finishes with a distinct humming bitterness carried well by the hop and malt combo.

So something dark, a bit sweet and enjoyable by the way it reads.

Beer - #422 - Crafty Dan - 13 Guns

I was a bit excited about finding this beer, I'm a marketers dream.

Despite being labelled as Craft Dan then this is   Brewed by Thwaites  in the traditional style of  India Pale Ale (IPA) and they are in Blackburn, England

An American IPA. Hops, hops and more hops - totally awesome! (Absolutely marvellous, to you and I.)

Tonight then I have a 330ml bottle of beer that is 5.5% ABV and 165 calories a serve. At 1.43 standard drinks this might be good for a Tuesday.

[caption id="attachment_9056" align="alignright" width="300"] Selfie[/caption]

An American-style IPA to salute Independence Day. A distinctive flavour with pronounced hoppy bitterness, inspired by July 4th.

Recipe #213
Malts: Pale Ale, Munich, Caramalt, Rye
Hops: Centennial, Citra, Amarillo, Apollo, Chinook, Kotatu

So I read this review, and now I have /Sadface.

You know that I think IPA is a pretty stock beer and there is a lot of variation, not always good

Beer - #417 - Thornbridge - Wild Raven

I had a plan in my head, but then I thought I'd drink this - Thornbridge Wild Raven, because well, Black IPA

Raven or Wild Raven is brewed by Thornbridge  and that's in the style that is  Black IPA and they are in Bakewell, England

500ml bottle of beer that is of 6.6% ABV, making it around 198 calories in a serve, and 2.6 standard drink units in NZ. this pops in at 65 IBU which is low end IPA

Originally released a for the Chesterfield CAMRA festival. 
Renamed as Wild Raven in 2013 due to another beer going by the name "Raven" elsewhere
The recipe for the brew came from James Kemp, who joined the team a few months ago. Previously crowned the New Zealand Home Brewing Champion in 2008 and winner of a Liberty Award, Kemp used Maris Otter, Black Patent and Chocolate malt along with Nelson Sauvin, Centennial and Sorachi hops.
The beer, called Raven, has bitterness and hop character and plenty of malt flavours to give it complexity.

Another of those beers that gets elevated from home to commercial.

Beer - #410 - Crafty Dan - Triple C

I picked up two beers from this brewer - this one more properly called  "Thwaites Crafty Dan Triple C", why two beers? Well the other one, to be drunk, had a label thing that I couldn't go past, and I thought well in for one in for two.

That might be an old Polish Proverb.

Brewed by Thwaites as an  American Pale Ale and they are in Blackburn, England

In a 330ml ml bottle (that looks much bigger) of a 5.3% ABV beer, that would make 1.38 standard drink units equivalent and a whopper of 159 calories in this, stand by!

Thwaites has labelled two different beers as Triple C over the years. The current version, described as "A full, smooth and balanced beer with an intense citrus hop aroma", is a 5.3% American Pale Ale hopped with Chinook, Citra & Centennial, hence three C's.

Chinook, Citra & Centennial Hops.!!

I have hopes for this that might not be delivered.