Beer - #296 - Eagle vs Dog - Episode 3 Hitch-Hikers Guide Don’t Panic

Yes indeed. Eagle vs Dog Episode 3 Hitch-Hikers Guide Don’t Panic - an Imperial Wheat

From the Golden Eagle Brewery and brewed at Raindogs Brewing Co this one in the Style of a : Doppelbock and that's the go in Christchurch, New Zealand

Episode one being the Pilsner and Episode two being The Pan Galactic Gargle blaster which I drank ages ago and rated a 9.

A 500ml bottle this, and it's at 7.5% ABV making it 2.95 standard drink units, around 250 calories. I have high hopes.

[caption id="attachment_6390" align="alignleft" width="300"] The Selfie ![/caption]

"It's the first helpful or intelligible thing anybody's said to me all day."
If only this beer could be that simple. Complex clove and banana characters from a German yeast, plenty of malted wheat for a full body and flavour, and to top it off we over did it with the late and dry hopping.
IPA meets Hefeweizen sums it up. Apparently just the thing to help recover from a brain explosion after a third puff on a Fallian albino marsh worm

Which is all confusing and that.  Don't Panic is a common name or a beer, because I do research :-) Thais as far as I got, I have not idea if the others are part of a series like this one. I prefer direct plagiarism.

After a few heavier coffee oriented beers, this is real zesty and fruity on opening, really summer like,  you'd be a clown not to pick this as wheat based, and although I am a clown not this time.

This is a blindingly  good beer. There is a lots of summer, there is lots of lemons, orange zest, there is that lovely yeasty thing going on, it looks fantastic orange and has  a fluffy head that shouts of fun.

This is to summarise, just a bit good.

I know there are people that don't like the wheat beer, but they are so missing out on beer that has as a an integral part of their delivery flavour and refreezing things. You may not want a beer that is all about sherbet and Zing and Zang, but unless you're stuck in some bizarre OCD place you have to try to challenge yourself. This beer isn't a challenge, it's so different from a coffee vanilla porter as you can imagine, but I love to jump from one to the other,

This is, then, according to the the pdubyah-o-meter- a cracking 9 and bit's worth on the scale of things. It's not perfect. It's a bit 'dense' to look at as if its cloudy when it it isn't. The sharp notes don't quote reach their promise, but this pours great, looks great and drinks great. A few things to tweak and this would be stunning.

It's lovely and full in the mouth, a full-ish mouthfeel, the aroma stays and carries and you get delivered a lovely orange zestiness that isn't sharp or unwanted and just sits well.

This is nice. Very nice.

The Music this time : Bettye Swan because you need Soul.  Because also it's a bit good, and because MrsPdubyah thinks I'm pretty clever in picking music, it's all bluff.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pOkpwgOOiI&w=420&h=315]

DOPPELBOCK

Doppel means double and while these are stronger brews than the traditional German bocks, they are typically not twice the strength. Color is light amber to dark brown. Very full body with a high alcoholic flavor. Low hop flavor and aroma.

Beer - #176 - Schneider - Aventinus

Schneider Aventinus - Tap 6 - Brewed by Weissbierbrauerei G. Schneider & Sohn in the style of a  Weizen Bock in Kelheim, Germany.

bit like me then ----- Deep and complex – for big and relaxing moments by the fire.

Dark-ruby colored wheat doppelbock with a creamy fine head. Strong notes of ripe bananas, raisins and plums meet liquorice and roasty aromes. Full-bodied and warming, with a well-balanced and smooth finish. The ideal companion for hearty roast meat, venison and also fruity chocolate desserts, “Kaiserschmarrn” (pancakes), “Elisenlebkuchen” (christmas cookies) or blue cheese.

Oldest wheat doppelbock of Bavaria. Since 1907.  500ml bottle of an 8.2% ABV beer - making it 3.2 standard drinks - and I don't have a roast meal either. I have rice crackers, this may end badly :-)

I get the same slightly sour aroma on opening, it's a very dark pour, I got a smidgin of a head, and it settled to a lovely fruit aroma. Rich like raisins.

The think I noted on the mouthfeel was the alcohol astringent. It kind of looms over the taste a bit. Perhaps I have it too cold, there are fruit notes in there but aren't being forthcoming.

And for that though the pdubyah-o-meter thinks this is a bit of a fail, and comes up an arbitrary 6 on the scale of arbitrary- making it at the low end and just above average.  I might be having an off day, I didn't get any of the notes that I was expecting to get - the plums, the liquorice,  and it's not full bodied by my understanding.

I'd be reluctant to have another.

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Beer - #140 - Harrington's - Big John Special Reserve

Harrington's Big John Special Reserve, which after the disastrous Belgium Tempest I'm slightly wary of.  This however a Limited Edition, and at the same time a Special Reserve !  Cover both bases.

Brewed by Harringtons Breweries (Christchurch) Styled as a Dunkler Bock and as always that's al majicked in Christchurch, New Zealand.

500ml of a 6.5% ABV beer, (2.6 standard drinks), in a standard brown bottle.

Dunkler Bock - The dark Bock has a deep copper to dark brown color. Medium to full-bodied, malt sweetness and nutty or light toasted flavors dominate. Hop flavor and aroma can be light to non-existent.

but they say in the notes - Strong dark ale, full flavoured brew with a hint of spiciness. Smooth roast malt flavour balanced well with hops.

Sets some expectations.

Aroma is sort of chocolate, and I thought faintly of orange  but it's not insistent, or overpowering, dark beer, reasonable head, not overly excitable carbonation.

They're right that the flavour in this is mellow and low key, you can get the roasted/chocolate -notes, you get a mouth of fizz, and a linger on the palate. There's a fairly decent lacing on the glass as well, not something I mention enough.

The top of this though carries an alcohol note, and that's not something you generally look for in a beer of any kind, sure some have it and you know that you're likely to find it, but I wasn't expecting it with this.

The pdubyah-o-meter finds it a struggle to get to a 6 from 10 on this in it arbitrary way or all thing. My bottom line with this is that I have a friend, oh yes I do, called John, and would I give it to him as a novelty gift? And I think not.  I rate it better than 'meh' as it really isn't very offensive, it'd be ok to share with a friend and might spur you forward to try other dark beers, the porters, stouts etc.

But I'm glad I don't have another if I was being honest.