Beer - #478 - Moa - St Josephs Tripel

A realisation, records, randomising and ruminating.

Moa St Josephs is a classic Belgian Tripel. Strong spice, caramel and banana ester characters create complex flavours and aromas which are heightened by its extended bottle conditioning period. The combination of bittering hops, malt and candy sugars compliment the high alcohol content and integrate into a very approachable and drinkable Tripel.

This is beer that I have drunk and I thought that I'd written about, turns out yes I have drunk it and no not for this diary. I'm now looking forward to this, the Moa St Josephs Tripel.

Brewed by Moa Brewing Company in the style that is of Abbey Tripel and they are based Blenheim, New Zealand

Beautifully presented 375ml bottle, cork and cage too, with beer that is 9.5% ABV, and 285 calories. and 2.8 standard drink units in this bottle to round that out.

[caption id="attachment_9682" align="alignright" width="300"] Mini Champagne, cork- cage, custom bottle[/caption]

Moa St Josephs is brewed in the traditional style of a classic Belgian Tripel. Strong spice and clove characters create complex flavours and aromas which are heightened by its extended bottle conditioning, with a combination of malt and candy sugars complimenting the high alcohol content produced by the Belgian ale yeast. Best served at 8°C in a goblet after gently rolling the bottle to distribute the sediment signature. 

Moa St Josephs is a true abbey style tripel with strong clove and spice flavours apparent with a noticeable fruit ester profile. Smokey phenolic characters can be detected. The bitterness is designed to be complimentary rather than dominant. Moa St Josephs is a complex beer that has no added herbs or spices, and is best served at approximately 8˚C in a tulip glass. 

Love the presentation, it makes it a real occasion beer. And I like the Belgium style, so I should be happy as this unfolds. From memory of drinking this I should just be happy.

Fantastic sweet malt aroma initially that fades. Orange golden pour that you need to work at to make cloudy as desired by the brewer, head is light but persistent.

Chewing-gum aroma is there but it's not prominent.

Full sweet mouthfeel of beer, lots of sweetness. But it's tempered by the bitterness at the top.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 8 a of its things from the thing. It's a style that I like to enjoy and although this isn't a jaw dropping example it is very good and very enjoyable.

So, to summarise, I would have thought more aroma, slightly fuller body, tad more sweetness and more alcohol at the end would make this overly much better.

Not that you need alcohol astringent, but it is by some measure a feature of the style. I'd really like a fuller/fluffier mouthfeel than this gives, it's as if the malts have been held back for a reason. You can pick the typical Belgium style aromas and notes on the palate, but you have to go looking for them a bit.

It's not as good as I remember it being, or it's in someway different than I remember, bearing in mind that a lot of beer has been drunk between, and I've had a few good beers since. Perhaps my own benchmark has changed, again. Or of course I don't remember drinking it, as mentioned, and came in with rose tinted glasses in hope.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? Yes, I am because for its faults it isn't all bad.


2. Would I have another? Yes, I'd be keen to go again, it's an occasion beer for any occasion.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Yes, I'd be happy to share and share this, they make it in a a proper sized bottle too for the grand occasion.

The new Johnny Marr  album is a whole level much better than the last effort, so I thought.

This is "Easy Money" off that new Album "Playland"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_P5iSG_APE

ABBEY TRIPEL

Like other abbey ales, Tripels are strong, yeasty-malty beers. But they are also pale, and have a notable hop profile. Hop bitterness may be higher than a typical abbey ale, up to 35IBUs. But the finish is where the hops really shine, as tripels should finish fairly dry. Otherwise, maltiness is still essential to the style, and the assertive yeast note typical of all abbey ales will be more apparent in tripels, since they do not have the rich dark malts to distract the palate. Alcohol flavours feature more prominently in Tripels that in just about any other style.

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 - #455 - Wigram - Czar Imperial Russian Stout

Stout time. This one the  Wigram Czar Imperial Russian Stout.

Brewed by Wigram Brewing Company in the style that of the  Imperial Stout and they are based in Christchurch, New Zealand

500ml bottle of an beer that is 8.5% ABV, that would be 255 calories a serve, and  3.35 standard drink units in NZ.

[caption id="attachment_9414" align="alignleft" width="300"] He was looking so was I[/caption]

Brewed in the authentic historical style of an Imperial Russian Stout, this big bold beer is crafted from rich roasted and toasted malts, fermented with a classic English ale yeast this Czarist favourite is an intense, living, bottle conditioned, full bodied Stout.

At 8.5% abv The Czar lives up to its name.

Plus I saw this in the pub the other day and though to myself I should really try it, seeing as how, well pub, and that looks like a beer I should drink. So Thanks to the nice people at Liquorland in Forrest Hill for having this available.

The pub in mention is the new 16 Tun bar on the viaduct in Auckland, which I might go back to and write a bit about later this week, weather depending.  Certainly worth a visit or two.

I digress though...

Beer - #338 - St. Austell - Proper Job (Bottle)

Sunday beer time.  I'm just looking forward to an average beer to be honest.

Bottle Conditioned Proper Pour - Brewed by St. Austell This one then is in the Style of an  American Pale Ale  and they brew that in St. Austell, England

Bottle of 5.5% ABV beer, 500ml (pint-ish), in NZ thats 2.1 standard drinks in NZ,  and 165 calories per serve or about 220-ish for the bottle.

First brewed in December 2005 for the St Austell Brewery Celtic Beer Festival.

Ingredients:Cornish Spring water and malt made from 100% Cornish grown Maris Otter barley. Cascade, Chinook and Willmette hops.

Proper Job is dedicated to the 32nd (Cornwall) Regiment who stoutly defended their garrison during the Indian Mutiny in 1857-58. In recognition of a ‘Proper Job’, Queen Victoria awarded the 32nd the honour of becoming a Light Infantry Regiment.

"Light, clear and refreshing with an assertive hop bitterness, Proper Job IPA is based on a traditional IPA recipe which makes it perfect for long, hot summer days."

Unexciting opening, familiar sour note, Pours ok yellow orange with a decent head that persists. Aroma still muted.

Expectation met. This does not appear to have anything special or interesting in the palate that would make me write things.

All in all though this does not set my world on fire. I drank it briskly though, but ended up feeling that it finished towards the sour on the palate, which isn't a good thing.

The pdubyah-o-meter would say 5 making this average. I wouldn't turn this down if I was offered it as a beer at a party, you could be taken in by the up front boast on the label. But there are beers with more flavours and better defined that this. But it was Sunday and I was thirsty.

Am I enjoying it? Not enough
Would I have another? Not today no, probably not again
Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Bizarrely this is a beer you could share though and have a chat over, it's inoffensive and un-challenging and would not distract the conversation.

I have Neil Young playing in the background - Live from the Cellar Door. It's way better than the beer

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zP14N9ZQcE&w=560&h=315]

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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Beer - #151 - Zeelandt - Pale Ale

The second of the two beers- this one the Pale Ale - Brewed by Zeelandt Brewing Co of course in the style of a English Pale Ale and that's in sunny Napier, New Zealand.

500ml Bottle - 5% ABV bottle conditioned beer (thats about 1.97 standard drinks). It claims 35 IBU's which is near the upper end of bitter for a Pale Ale

A classic pale ale that delivers a glass full of hoppy flavour. This bright, copper coloured beer has a malty backbone, wonderfully balanced with citrus hop flavour and a clean, refreshing finish. This pale ale leaves you wanting more.

Copper brown, headless, and an aroma of mainly citrus and malts. If there are hops in this they are the silent types.

There is carbonation though, but it didn't translate into head. And it's very light on hops. Very. The mouth is dominated by the carbonation, a sweet note, and a slight finish of bitterness. There's no lacing either.

Frankly it's a bit meh. The pdubyah-o-meter says 7 and be happy.

Meh as in nothing outstanding, or rewarding in this, it's not particularly flavourful, aromatic, or alcohol heavy.  A safe beer from a new brewery.

A report card might say B- Must try harder.

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Beer - #138 - Maredsous 8 Brune/Bruin

The second of a pair for this afternoon - a Maredsous 8 Brune/Bruin. Brewed by Duvel Moortgat in the style of a Abbey Dubbel Breendonk-Puurs, Belgium.

300ml of an 8% ABV beer - Bottle conditioned.

A brown or brune ale brewed under the supervision of the monastic community of Maredsous. Top fermented beer, brewed according to Benedictine tradition. Refermented in the bottle;, and conditioned for two months. Maredsous Brown should ideally be served at a temperature of 6-10 C

I'm really hoping for more malts and sweets in this and less alcohol note.

There is a fruit aroma, like sultana, and it's a very dark brown pour, with a magnificent fully head. The aroma settles to a rich malty note, but like the Tripel it carries a sourness about it.

There's nothing of anything in the palate for this, it's fairly soft, and unassuming. I could get why you loved this beer, it's not a challenge and it's fairly strong, you could impress your mates with it.

However when push comes to shove this is a struggle to get to the same 5 on the pdubyah-o-meter  that the Tripel did. This is a beer that's comes with a reputation, one that I might have even made up in my own head, but I was expecting something with a bang and got a whimper.

I can take that it's a beer brewed at commercial levels if it ended up being true to itself, but this isn't that, it seems to be brewed to be inoffensive and to maximise an audience. The dinky bottle and the indication that it should be special are just  not enough.

Beer - #137 - Maredsous 10 Tripel

Back to the Belgium beers with a Maredsous 10 Tripel - Brewed by Duvel Moortgat In the style of a Abbey Tripel in Breendonk-Puurs, Belgium.

A bottle conditioned  Golden beer with a characteristically fresh bouquet and sweet after-taste. 330ml of a 10% ABV beer.

There's quite an alcohol aroma up-front. It's a lovely chestnut golden with loud carbonation that gives up a decent head,

The aroma, as I can discern it changes to sour almost a vinegar.  There's a maltly sweetness that you expect but it's not prominent or pushy.

I'm a bit underwhelmed by the sour note in this, and by loudness of the alcohol. Not something that you expect to get, and frankly a bit difficult to enjoy. The strength of this beer does not make up for the shortcomings that are in it.

As a consequence the pdubyah-o-meter only slides to a 5, making this an also ran beer in the big scheme of things, which doesn't make me happy at all. But then I come to this expecting fireworks and that's not what I'm getting.

I'm having the sister beer the Maredsous 8 Brune next, I hope that puts more a smile on my dial

Beer – #23 in a series – Steampunk Strong Ale

I have bottle 353 of the limited edition Steampunk Strong Ale. From the Nelson based Monkey Wizard Brewery.

A Belgian style ale with a fruity finish and subtle hoppy aroma

Strength: 7.3%  Size: 750ml  Champagne bottle

 This is a rich strong Belgian style ale with a fruity finish and subtle hoppy aroma. Availaible soon in 750ml Champagne bottles. Limited amounts of bottle conditioned ale can be purchased from the brewery wired and sealed with champagne corks

With a bit of trepidation since this is a "strong" ale,  and I've been known to be overly generous when I'm happy on fine beer.  I was a bit overawed by the 750ml size, but that really is only a couple of glasses, and 4 drinks to be fair.

On taste this was a little sour,  dark as expected, and reflective of the strong belgium beer tendency. It's not unpleasing but it's not drop dead gorgeous.  It sits ok in the glass, nothing special by way of head, aroma or colour

And that brings me to the pdubyah-o-meter and this is 6 from 10 arbitrary stars, it was expensive, playfully labelled and intriguing, however like all things harking to things past,  more romantic in the read than the deed.

Thanks Liquorland Forest Hill Road, always a treasure chest!

Beer – #16 in a series – Emerson's Weissbier.

Oh Hai!  I'm a bit partial to the Wheatbeer beer, and so I get around to one that's been on the list for a while the Emerson's Weissbier but often taken a back seat to some of the other more extravagant beers that I've been lucky to try of late.

Googlvating tells me "An especially imported Bavarian yeast strain gives Emerson’s Weissbier its authentic German character. The beer pours a cloudy, pale golden colour, and has a sweet bready aroma with notes of banana and sherbet. In the mouth the beer is spicy and tart, with some grainy sweetness. With age, Emerson’s WeissBier develops a clove-like aroma and the taste becomes softer and more cidery. Bottle Conditioned."

It's a 500ml bottle of  ABV 5.0% beer, so up there with the "premium" beers you get in smaller bottles. I did get the "cloudy' that I sort of expected and you do get the lemon tang that is weissbier, so a sort of result. Frankly though a bit disappointing overall it's not as zingy on the tounge, and fizzes away in the glass like a cheap firework.

So to the arbitrary pdubyah-o-meter this is a disappointing 6 from 10 stars. If you're offering I'm drinking but if I'm out and buying I'll have a closer look at the rest of the shelf first.

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