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.

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Beer - #438 - Hop Federation - American Brown Ale

Dial it back a notch, or up a notch with a Hop Federation American Brown Ale, possibly the oldest beer in the fridge that's not on the save to a really rainy day list

Brewed by Hop Federation Brewery in that style is of  Brown Ale and they are in the romantically named Riwaka, New Zealand

500ml bottle of a beer that is 4.5% ABV making it 1.78 standard drinks in NZ, (Although it says 1.6 on the label), and 135 calories a serving.  32 IBU things which is sort of entry level English bitter or Stout (A Pilsner might be 25 for instance)

Our American Brown Ale is rich and dark with a delicious chocolate caramel aroma. Subtle chocolate and citrus flavours on the palate follow through to a moderate bitterness on the finish.

Dark in colour but lighter in style and with modest alcohol, our American Brown Ale is brimming with comforting aromas and flavours.

At first, it’s redolent with chocolate and coffee, following through with a full malty flavor that’s derived from a carefully managed combination of six varieties of Gladfield Canterbury malts. An edge of dark-cocoa bitterness is nicely balanced by a hint of cherries, giving it the warmth and richness of a dark beer in a light to medium body.

Based on a style of ale that grew from English roots to flourish in America in the late twentieth century, our American Brown Ale takes the tradition a step further with an Antipodean touch.

Got to be good for you.

Beer - #329 - Black Dog - Bite Hopped Pilsner

Black Dog beer, I've only had out on my travels in pubs from taps. So this is a new experience. Pilsner too, a style with which I have a love/hate thing with, at least in my head.

This is a  500ml bottle (16 fl oz) of a 5.5% ABV beer, which is 2.17 drinks, could be about 230 calories worth in the bottle, not a serve. I may have this all wrong.

Brewed by Black Dog Brewing Company This of course in the style of a  Pilsener and they are in Wellington, New Zealand, and I will get to visit them one day.

[caption id="attachment_7195" align="alignleft" width="300"] ah ha! the selfie[/caption]

This is a hoppy Pilsner done in the Kiwi style. This is our representation of a style that New Zealand brewers are really crafting into something unique, a hoppy lager style beer that showcases our country’s hops. Bite features Motueka and Nelson Sauvin hops, both of which are making a big name for themselves around the world. Kiwi hop growers can’t produce enough of these varieties so you better get a glass of this one while you can!

All I got on opening was yeast, but that's normal, right ?

Mint pour of a crisp yellow orange beer with a lovely foamy head and loadsa carbonation going all on in the glass. Nice.

Still only a yeast aroma, I'm not so bothered by this though. I am looking forward to the first sup.

This isn't as earthy as I lead myself to believe this might be, and it's actually somewhat muted.

It's also not that hopped in the way that you might think that hops = bitterness , or add flavours like grass or pine or cats urine, or whatever.

This is a pretty clean and crisp beer, it's nothing edgy or spectacular, or difficult or challenging, or something you drink to feel different, it's just a good beer done well.

There is nothing at all stand-out though, and this is where this, for me, becomes a good domestic beer, an everyman beer. Which isn't bad it's just a commercial beer, and being in the money is important for the side projects.

It's very quaffable and the pdubyah-o-meter rates this as a 6 on the scale of things, which is only at the average level of beer, for me.  This however isn't the whole of it, because of the  the arbitrary 3 Question Quiz

1. Am I enjoying it?  Yes, yes I am


2. Would I have another?  Yes, yes I would


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? I think you could sit and have a share session with a few of these as it's low impact and high enjoyment.

So, I'd like another, yes I would, but if only we were having a Sunday afternoon half-back/quarterback session, but then you could insert commercial beer X in that slot and get a similar result.

If I was grading this for report it could be B- must try harder!

Musically we moved (I say we, MrsPdubyah insisted something more upbeat) to George Michael and his Symphonica  Album , who doesn't like swing!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pARujCvm4Wo&w=560&h=315]

As an aside on Untappd  I got another 'badge' Crisp as Day (Level 2) - Light and crisp, a Pilsner is all you need to make your day great. Though, perhaps another one would make it even better. That’s 10 different Pilsners. No one can claim I like all the same beers.

PILSENER

While the definition of "pilsner" is open to much debate in the beer community, it generally refers to pale, hoppy lagers, ranging from 28IBUs and up.

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Beer - #256 - Garage Project - Trip Hop

Sunday brings with it a Garage Project - Trip Hop - Brewed by Garage Project in the Style of an India Pale Ale (IPA), and of course they're in Wellington, New Zealand

The brewer says - "We love NZ Hops. How much? Here’s how much. Triple hopped with, Pacificica, Motueka and Riwaka hops in increasingly lavish quantities throughout the boil, Trip Hop’s bitter but (we hope) balanced on a malt base of pale, Carahelles, Vienna and Caraaroma. Rich amber red and redolent of the Nelson hop fields. Think easy drinking for resin heads and pucker up."

So stand by for bitterness from this a 650ml (22 Fl Oz) bottle of a 5.6% ABV beer. which is all of 2.9 standard drink units in NZ, and my guesstimate is around 300 calories in this bottle.

Of course a bitter aroma on opening, lots of the grass, but also other things.

Pours with a really lively head of fluffy bubbles, but they recede a bit to something more normal, and has a bitter aroma that I'm not familiar with, but which isn't unpleasant.

Plenty Floral things going on and there is a fair crack of malt sweetness to asset with the drinking.

This, to me, is more an English style bitter, for the reason that although you get an idea that the brewer wanted hops to be the thing they've run off and hidden themselves quietly and unobtrusively in the background.

A soft easy drinking beer, hardly a classic or one for the scarp-book from Garage Project, who's output any sane man would have trouble keeping up with.

The pdubyah-o-meter says that this would be 6 and one half on the random scale of arbitrary , making this an average beer in the scheme of things. Hey if you were out and someone wanted to 'try' a bitter her this might be the thing that you could get them by way of introduction.

To me however, to finish, I think this is a little thin and without a lot of depth and carry. I think that the hop aroma is pleasant, and the bunch of grass and flora notes that are delivered are pleasant and fulfilling. But it might be too sweet, and too soft. Not one for the scrap-book.

For background today,  the cricket plays to itself on the teevee and  Hooverphonic do their grooving on the music machine, accompanied by the drone of late afternoon lawn mowing somewhere in the distance. It could be a lot worse.