Beer - #631 - House of Nicholas – Sarah

Sarah is an IPA. It's fairly secretive about what it is, so I have Secret beer, a musics secret,  secret numbers and a secret from a party.

A moderately strong British-style ale with a focus on the hoppy aroma and dry finish

500ml bottle, brewed by The House of Nicholas, in the style that is of  English IPA, which I presume just to mean IPA, since they started in England and everywhere else has just taken a spin on it? I'm in a surly mood though.  This is a collaboration beer between Luke Nicholas of Epic and Simon Nicholas of Hop Federation.

An uncommonly media shy and reluctant beer in a 500ml bottle that is beer of  30 IBU and 5.7% ABV, and it comes in at 2.2 standard drink units, and about 168 calories a serve.

[caption id="attachment_11450" align="alignright" width="300"] Royal regal and ready to be drunk, the beer not me[/caption]

First brewed for Craft Beer Capital's Hopstock fresh hop beer festival, this beer celebrates a common ancestor between the two "Sarah" from around the time of the first IPA's (1700's). 

The latest version is a 5.7% IPA brewed using traditional dry processed hop pellets as wet hops or "fresh hops" are only available during harvest in March

So what could possibly go wrong?

The aroma is of a beer that is very brightly hopped, no mistaking what leads here.

IF it was a beauty completion this would be a winner, it is as pretty as a picture and pours lovely more to pale orange with a lovely head that loses its persistence and settled to a thickish film.

Taste is interesting, it's not overly bitter and then there seems to be a gap between the initial taste and the lovely finish. I'm trying that again.

This isn't then a crashing explosion of over hopped beer, it is very measured and paced, delivering a lovely drink of some quality. Respect.

Aroma is a highlight, so is the easy mouthfeel, this is very drinkable, and moorish, has a lovely finish that is just a tough of bitter dry and a lovely lingering taste, but all very subtle.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 8 of its things from the thing, it is very good. Lovely drinking, almost a session drinking beer, or perhaps it is a session beer and I don't get out often enough, I think that if you like IPA in an original and genuine way then this is a brilliant start, it's a marvellous take on a very common beer with uncommonly good results.

The double dip review

Am I enjoying it? Very much so.
Would I have another? I would indeed, this is quality.
Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? I would because it has a back story, and is a genuine beer, nothing outrageous, extravagant, special or seasonal, it's a good stock beer, a very good stock beer, from good stock. Huzzah!

Music for this, well local is as local does so Virginia Claire "Gin" Wigmore (born 6 June 1986) is a New Zealand singer, and she has new album ' Blood to the Bone '  I'm listening on Spotify

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDNSQ7ccTGA

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.

Beer - #623 - Sparks Brewing - Frontier Extra Stout *keg*

Still to come: A confused beer ' Outlander' or 'Frontier', music to confuse, confusion in numbers, and a confusion of numbers.

Chocolate on the nose, dry and roasted taste with a bitter finish.

For  Sparks Brewing this is brrewed at Scotts Brewing Co in the style that is of: Foreign Stout and that's all done in Auckland, New Zealand

as it's FYO this is 1 litre bottle that contains beer that is 6.2% ABV, so 4.89 standard drink units, coming in at around 186 calories a serve size

[caption id="attachment_11362" align="alignright" width="300"] Winter beer, summer haircut, what's going on[/caption]

A dark and intensely roasty ale, with strong aromas of chocolate and coffee. The rich body is balanced with all New Zealand hops added late in the boil and a good layering of crystal malt leaves a hint of liquorice and an almost rum like quality to the finish.

2012 National Homebrew Competition Gold medal recipe, considered by the judges as “a world class example of the style”.

So what could possibly go wrong? I've had this in the bottle form, and I quite liked it.  As with many beers the bottle and the keg sometimes are different in small ways, it'd be interesting to see how this one goes.

Roasted malt chocolate aroma on opening, as it did with a gentle hiss, not overly carbonated it seems, even though it was lively going into the bottle..

Pour is that strange silky luxurious flow, and it ends with a head of substance, mocha chocolate adjacent the pitch black beer. The chocolate aroma that was is now there but slightly more a sour note, briefly and then it settle into a sugar sweetness.

I also seem to get some berry=thing going on.

I can only describe my first sip as smoooooooth and light, fluffy and luxurious. Delightful.

It does not have any of that big hop harshness but does have a finish that veers towards dry rather than neutral or sweet .

I recall this having a more raw greenness but this keg version doesn't seem to have that.  I also recall it having more coffee about it than I sense or taste now. I get a milk chocolate smoothness though, some things are always good.

Like the last time I do still feel that this needed something more in the body to lift it, how or what I have no idea, it's just something that it might have had.

That said that it does fit totally the description of being less robust but still as flavoursome, and slightly sweeter than a full Stout.

With that in mind you change your stance a little, as you must, to adjust to the beer that you're drinking, opposed to the beer you want to be drinking and are confused about.

So a lesser bodied Stout sums this up exactly and almost perfectly, all that previous wittering superfluous.

When you've reset your expectations and appreciate what you're drinking this becomes all the much better and brighter beer, delivering some lovely subtle tastes with fine balance and a lovely finish and linger that isn't intrusive, difficult or challenging.

In other words 'it's a bit good' and 'lovely drinking' One which I'm really enjoying thanks.  At this point you might be able to tell this is a couple of paragraphs longer than usual and this happens when I'm really enjoying something and expressing it in different ways.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 10 a of its things from the thing. Honest to goodness this is true to the style and you get totally what you should be getting. The flavours and aromas might be subtle and muted but the whole is fairly tight and compact. Add that there is no harsh hoppy thing or dry finish then you get a beer that is just early drinking.  It is a beer that you need to understand to drink, I thought I was getting a ruler more robust beer, which is a different style, I was wrong.  This will appeal to a to of drinkers of beer and should be a great gateway to the darker beer styles and the imperial Stout types, or you could stop here and be totally satisfied.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? I was confused and confounded, then I understood and now I've see the light and yes I really am enjoying it.


2. Would I have another? I would indeed, it's really good.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? I would encourage everyone to have some, it's just good beer done well and that's all you need.

I have on the music machine  ' Jamie XX ' and his new album ' In Colour' which you can get on the spotify  Jamie Smith is an English music producer and remix artist who is known both as a solo act and as a member of the London-based band The xx. And they're really good.  This is ' loud places '

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TP9luRtEqjc

FOREIGN STOUT

Foreign Stout began with the beer that would become Guinness Foreign Extra Stout. This was a stronger, extra-hopped version of the basic Guinness Extra Stout, brewed to survive long journeys overseas. The classic FES still exists in a few different forms, but many of the original destination countries (Jamaica, Sri Lanka, etc.) now have their own, locally-produced versions. Foreign stout occupies a position between basic stout and imperial stout. It is sweeter than a basic stout, but not as robust as an imperial. It is less fruity and less hoppy as well. Foreign stouts are sometimes made with local grains and adjuncts sugar is not uncommon. Alcohol ranges from 6-8%

Related articles

• Your Glassware Did What? A Sensory Experiment of Time and Temperature


• Flying Dog Pearl Necklace Oyster Stout


• Guinness unveils two new beers, inspired by diary entries from 1796 and 1801 (IrishCentral)


• 3 common beer myths busted


• Salted Belgian Chocolate Stout Is Dessert in a Bottle


• Craft Beer 101: An Ode to Stouts


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• Beer Mythbusting: The Truth About Porter and Stout

Beer - #556 - Garage Project - Hops on Pointe - a redux

Ballet beer, Ballet Music, Pas de Deux, and post opera party.

Beer and ballet – the perfect Pas de Deux. Brewed by Garage Project for the Royal New Zealand Ballet. 

Available at all good barres.

I have 1 litre, FYO from the growler station,  bottle of a 6.7% ABV beer, making it about  5.29 standard drink units, and 201 calories a serve size.

Garage Project Hops on Pointe - a beer for the New Zealand Ballet. Brewed by Garage Project In the style of a Premium Lager and they do that in a garage in Wellington, New Zealand, probably.

[caption id="attachment_10568" align="alignleft" width="300"] The face of a man about to...[/caption]

Brewed with premium German malts, Nelson Sauvin hops and finished with champagne yeast, the result is a pale gold lager with a crisp, clean palate, rich tropical fruit aromas and tight champagne bubbles forming a dense white head of foam. 

Hops on Pointe was originally brewed to celebrate the world’s first ‘Beer Ballet’ called Bier Halle that Royal New Zealand Ballet are staging.

Saison hops promise much, and champagne yeast should make it light.  What could possibly go wrong?

This does have the familiar aroma of Sauvin hops, they're sort of passion fruit and soft.

Pour is nice, the light yellow beer pours with a small but persistent white head of foam, doesn't look overly carbonated in the glass though.

Drinking it, well it's been a while. This is hop forward the grassiness and bitter bite up front are not all just up front, they have a bit of carry in them, and finish and linger. Added to this the lovely soft mouthfeel in the middle, it is quite clever.

Like a pilsner like no other. Well probably. Well possibly. Well nice though. This does have that nice pilsner thing going on, you know the hop bite, but it's really dialled up elsewhere so that the overall seems to be everything is dialled down. It isn't.

And, I might add, at 6.7% ABV this is beer that needs some attention, because too many might see you doing the wobbly leg walk later.

I remember that in the bottle I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would, the idea that you could toss in a champagne yeast and it would somehow make a difference. I was wrong then and I still am.

The most surprising thing is the easy drinking, and despite the lingering this is still just a bit moorish, as my now empty glass attests.  Lucky for me however I have more! Get in!

The only doubt then is that the tall hops overshadow what might be a nice sweetness of aromatic fruits, like passionfruit, or lemons or whathaveyou, making this more a lager than anything. Countering that is the high-isn level of sweetness that this has.

A beer that has it's fans, and detractors, mostly positive though, I enjoyed re-visiting this when it came back around, now in cans too, clearly a winning combination.  A sort of beer for a thinking drinker, because you know that 'premium lager' or 'pilsner' is a dime a dozen. And sometimes that is their cost. this though a beer that pushes that and really works on that style.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 8.5 a of its things from the thing. It is remarkably consistent for beer I had almost two years ago, and has much the same effect on me, in some ways. Reading that last time I was a bit more enthusiastic in places than I am now. This does seem much more hop-forward and less cushioned by sweetness than it did. It is still however a bit good.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? I really am.


2. Would I have another? I really would, and I am.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? I'd hate to disappoint you by not brining one around to yours to watch you imbibe and wax lyrical. I'd happily try this to convert a 'domestic' lager drinker into a new wonderful world of beer with more than one taste sensation, a drink for more than just drinking.

Music player settles on Young Statues an American indie-rock band from Philadelphia

This is "Run The River Dry"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPUPLIyIO_4&spfreload=10

Unlike the beer this is a bit all over the place, some of it interesting, some of it a bit over worked and under thought. I did listen though, it was great background to a beer, and a soundtrack to the sportsball

PREMIUM LAGER

A beer that straddles between the mainstream Pale Lager and Pilsner. Not all beers that call themselves Premium Lager are, but those that are will typically have a deep gold to light bronze colour, and distinct influence of malt and hops. They should be free of adjuncts and will have a softer carbonation than Pale Lager or Classic German Pilsner.IBUs will typically range in the 20’s, and lagering times will typically be 4-6 weeks, more in line with what pilsners have. Overall accent will be malty-to-balanced, alcohol in a slightly tighter range than either Pale Lager or Pilsner (4.5-5.5%). Most often the product of a microbrewery or brewpub, but macrobreweries can make this style if they jack up the hops a bit and make it all-malt.

Related articles

• Beer - #159 - Garage Project - Hops on Pointe

Beer - #555 - Altitude - Mischievous Kea

Altitude, Attitude, Aptitude and a good old party.

Hoppy yet balanced all NZ IPA.We give away a portion of profits from this beer to the kea conservation trust.

This is a 500ml bottle, and it has beer of  5.5% ABV and 58 IBU things, so 2.17 standard drinks, and around 220 calories in the bottle.

Brewed by Altitude Brewing Studio this on is in the style that is India Pale Ale (IPA) and they are in the very picturesque Queenstown, New Zealand

[caption id="attachment_10559" align="alignleft" width="300"] Mischievous you say?[/caption]

Much like the parrot that this brew is named after, the mischievous kea is a uniquely Kiwi brew with a cheeky attitude that separates it from all others.

Brewed using all Kiwi ingredients, it is packed with a carefully chosen blend of Malborough hops, that gives us the vibrant and fragrant IPA style with a tropical sweet citrus twist.

The malts are all sourced from the Canterbury plains and are purposely selected and mashed to balance the vibrant hop profile, with a toasty malty sweetness that gives the brew a rich full body.

So what could go wrong?

Not as strong an aroma as I'd expected, but a nice 'hiss'. Aroma is vaguely floral.

This is al of the 56 IBU things and tarty and sharply bitter. Despite that though there is a resounding and strong maltiness about this that fills it's boots nicely.

That though just adds a twist and makes this sharply bitter beer with a strong over-malted back, and leaves it with an oily bothersome coated tongue linger. No pleasing some people.

So I find myself not overly keen on this, which for an IPA surprises me, Not enjoying the aggressive front bitter hops, and the malt is perhaps a tad much.

It does look fantastic in the glass though, rich brown orange with a brilliant white head that is persistent and enjoyable. Looks a picture in the glass.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 7.5  random things of its things from the thing.  If I had enjoyed it more I'd mark it higher, but it's as I drink it. I'm not sure I'm too far off the mark with the descriptions and experience, although this profile does appeal to some. Plus and let's not forget that this is a solid effort of the style, and would find a wider audience, and appreciation. I'm talking myself into liking it more as I drink it and would love to find it on tap in a pub somewhere, I should travel more perhaps I would.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? I'm not enthusiastic.


2. Would I have another? I would because it has most of the right things in the right place.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? I might, because it has a cracking back-story and it is different as IPA's go in a field where there are a bazillion IPA beers.  Plus it looks great.

So I'm listening to a group called " Mountain Goats" and a rather splendid song "Best Ever Death Metal Band In Denton"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fKcROeuvCI

It is not death metal, all produced or any of those things, but it's just a really good set of lyrics that paint a picture and engage your thinking in a really good way. Go on treat yourself for 3 minutes.

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.

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 - #470 - Sparks Brewing - Frontier Extra Stout

Still to come: Rare beer, staring at my shoes, unfathomable maths, and second thoughts.

Chocolate on the nose, dry and roasted taste with a bitter finish.

I was in the beer shop, Liquorland in Forrest Hill, buying a well considered list of beers, and they kindly suggested that I try what they said was a beer not generally available in Auckland, from a new brewer - Sparks Brewing - their take on a Stout style - Frontier Extra Stout. Of course I believe anything. I check their website and it's true!

This beer is from Sparks Brewing who are a contract brewer based in Auckland in the style that is of  Foreign Stout

Simply and crisply presented in  a 330ml bottle that contains beer that is 6.2% ABV, so 1.6 standard drink units, coming in at around 180 calories in the bottle.

[caption id="attachment_9569" align="alignleft" width="300"] Rare as beer gets[/caption]

A dark and intensely roasty ale, with strong aromas of chocolate and coffee. The rich body is balanced with all New Zealand hops added late in the boil and a good layering of crystal malt leaves a hint of liquorice and an almost rum like quality to the finish.

2012 National Homebrew Competition Gold medal recipe, considered by the judges as “a world class example of the style”.

Drink fresh or cellar for up to two years. Like I could let beer sit for 2 years.

Lots of rich chocolate on opening this, that's a cracking aroma.

Thick deep dark pour with the most magnificent head of deep thick firm bubbles.  Deep and Thick the theme here so far.

Aroma carries to the glass but more towards a milk chocolate, it's very very nice.

Giddy up! This is quite tart and bitter up front, but there is a magnificence of soft warm chocolate that crowds it out and gives it some balance. Decent length and finish that is to dry and bitter but not distractingly so.

Head has flattened out, and sits as a film in the glass.

Malt balance is nice, chocolate is there, Coffee is easily pickable.

This though might be a bit young and needing a bit of time to mature and settle into itself int he bottle. A task for which I have no patience.

This would push out the body a bit and allow the chocolate and coffee to work better together. Might also temper the bitterness. This one has a label that says it  was brewed on the 27th August - they might mean bottled? of course they might mean brewed, what am I a brewmaster? That would make it awfully young though.

Update “@SparksBrewing: @philwalter thanks for the review Phil. Spot on. And it is the bottling date! Thanks for being our first ever review!”

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 8 a of its things from the thing. I like this bit I'm not a fan of the dry finish so much. I really do wonder what this would mellow into in a few months or a year though. There is enough to suggest the coffee and chocolate might deepen, but would it be enough to edge the bitterness? Who knows?

All-in-All though thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding. Thanks Liquorland in Forrest Hill.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? Yes it wasn't a beer I was going to buy but it was recommended.


2. Would I have another? Yes I would in a few months, I shouldn't be stingy and get one for the dark cupboard.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? I think that I would at the end of an evening this would be a nice way to get your palate working again perhaps.

I'm listening to  and album by True Widow titled  Circumambulation. Somehow described as "doomgaze" or "Shoegaze" or "DoomRock"  in style. This is a track called "Four Teeth" It fits all those style and perhaps better in a dark room with candles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxiJSif55fk

FOREIGN STOUT

Foreign Stout began with the beer that would become Guinness Foreign Extra Stout. This was a stronger, extra-hopped version of the basic Guinness Extra Stout, brewed to survive long journeys overseas. The classic FES still exists in a few different forms, but many of the original destination countries (Jamaica, Sri Lanka, etc.) now have their own, locally-produced versions. Foreign stout occupies a position between basic stout and imperial stout. It is sweeter than a basic stout, but not as robust as an imperial. It is less fruity and less hoppy as well. Foreign stouts are sometimes made with local grains and adjuncts sugar is not uncommon. Alcohol ranges from 6-8%

Related articles

• Your Glassware Did What? A Sensory Experiment of Time and Temperature


• Flying Dog Pearl Necklace Oyster Stout


• Guinness unveils two new beers, inspired by diary entries from 1796 and 1801 (IrishCentral)


• 3 common beer myths busted


• Salted Belgian Chocolate Stout Is Dessert in a Bottle


• Craft Beer 101: An Ode to Stouts


• 8 Delicious Beers To Drink On St. Patrick's Day


• Beer Mythbusting: The Truth About Porter and Stout

Soda Review - #3 - Hӧpt - Salted Lychee

What's going on ? Soda Review ? Yes but.. soda made with hops, which is like beer.
Hӧpt - Variety #1 -Salted Lychee  There are 4 varieties, I chose #2 and #3, then brought the #1 and #4, so the review order has nothing to do with the variety order, just to be awkward.

This is the 3rd of 4 reviews.

330ml bottle of a Soda, made in New Zealand, 281Kj or about 67 calories in this bottle.  16.2g of sugars. Bottle = 1 Serving. That amount of sugars is about 18% of the recommended daily intake

I was asked to point out that this is significantly less than the sugar content in a can of Coke for instance, significantly being half. 

Hӧpt is made by Lion Dairy & Drinks (NZ) Ltd, and Lion make beers and dairy and all sorts.

Hӧpt sodas are unique fusions of hop extracts with flavours like lychee, pear, watermelon, elderberry, basil, mint, lemongrass and limeflower, and much less sugar*. Select hops such as the fragrant Columbus, Tomohawk and Zeus varieties are harvested to create Hӧpt. Their unique characteristics make our sodas crisp and refreshing.

An intriguingly delicious unison of lychee juice and real hop extracts balanced with a distinct saltiness

Twist top, Lychee aroma in spades with this, a lot.

Aroma is really overpowering, and the taste is full of itself. That's a really full on experience. The aroma might not be to everyone's taste though.

Just off clear pour, well carbonated and it looks refreshing. I've drunk some and can tell you it is refreshing.

Not sure what the salt does though.

Just been on a trail walk with MrsPdubyah and this really hits the spot as a way to re-hydrate. Ir's probably not the right thing to rehydrate with though.

This has no lychee in it at all according to the ingredients list, and a whopping 0.02% of hop extracts. So roughly 0.066 of this drink is relevant to hops.

Of course that might be enough of the stuff to make itself known.

They do say  "Select hops such as the fragrant Columbus, Tomohawk and Zeus varieties are harvested to create Hӧpt."

The pdubyah-o-meter on Sodas then. This is nice at 8 which is good on the scale of things.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? It's ok


2. Would I have another? Of the 3 so far this has been the most flavourful, but also the most aromatic and I prefer the former tot he latter.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? You're thirsty, this is in the fridge, perhaps, yes I would.

There's always good music to listen to, and whilst drink in and writing about this I was listening to a very good album by the The Horrors -  this is "So Now You Know" 

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wr7TAfOkEVc&w=560&h=315]

Beer - #345 - 8 Wired - Semiconductor Session IPA

Yes, Semiconductor Session IPA, not the full conductor.

This is brewed for 8 Wired Brewing . Brewed at Renaissance Brewing this in the style of a Session IPA and they are in Blenheim, New Zealand.

A session strength IPA brewed with a blend of American and New Zealand hops. Maximum flavour, minimum regret.

This comes in in a 330ml bottle, and is only at 4.4% ABV which for a beer is only 1.4 standard drinks, also low bitter at 30 IBUs (the low end for English Bitters)  and only 132 calories

IPAs are great but sometimes you just don’t want the amount of alcohol that comes with most of the good ones. In this spirit we brewed Semiconductor. an IPA designed to be drunk by the gallon, if you are that thirsty.

Certainly has a hop aroma on opening, and a noticeable hiss, aroma has some yeastiness too.

Pour is  a really pale yellow, not what I expected, and a head that appears to be persistent in the glass. Nice hop aroma.

Lots of grass in a burst, and a reasonable length but not a long carry, so you taste this and notice this, but there is no second or longing taste on the tongue, or dryness.

So what do you got? An IPA that hints at hops and bitterness, delivers a punch of grass in the front and that is it and the bitterness in one.

So the semi is really the indication that you're not going to get a full. But sometimes that could be a thing, you don't want that dry finish that makes you regret drinking a beer, but you want a bitterness that keeps you interested and engaged with what you are drinking.

Leaves a nice lading in the glass too, sometimes that's important.

The pdubyah-o-meter then rates this as an accomplished 7 better than good beer. Sadly though it's way more expensive than stronger lager beer types in 12 packs, so unless there is a method of getting the price point down to something more reasonable then this is going to be a small volume beer that you might take to a party or gathering knowing you can have perhaps 3 and enjoy your night out. No way you could afford to "session" on this, as a bang for buck proposal unless there was a lot of talking and very little drinking involved.

Perhaps it could be be my idea of "Session" that is wrong, my though was "big night in with the beer, for hours", and for that reason the grinch in me hates this, on price.

The drinker in me comparing this to a domestic beer though loves it, it's lower in alcohol, better taste profile and more enjoyable. Just can't afford it.

I enjoyed the full conductor 8 on the scale of things, by the way, I think I linked to it at the bottom, it was a lot of beers ago, that I drank it, not when I linked it :-)

The Double Dip review

1. Am I enjoying it?  Yes and No. Yes for what it is, and I'm a bit miffed that it's actually so expensive.


2. Would I have another? If I could afford it perhaps, or if it was the same price as other "domestic" beers at the bar


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights?  If they were buying of course, I'd be very protective of my stash if I took these anywhere, so no.

Cranked up the music a bit with Seasick Steve  - You can't teach an old dog new tricks

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

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.

 

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Beer - #303 - Gösser - Gösser Beer (Export)

A Can. A gift. Gösser Beer (Export). It's been sulking at the back of the fridge for ages.

Brewed by Gösser (Brau Union) in the style of a Pale Lager and I'm being all continental because they're in Leoben, Austria

A 500ml can, 5.2% ABV which is about 2.02 standard drinks,  and this is 156 calories a serve.

[caption id="attachment_6654" align="alignright" width="300"] This can has lived in the fridge an bears many battle scars from being shuffled around at the back.[/caption]

This bottom fermented, light beer tickles the palates of beer-lovers around the world. Its aroma is mildly malty and its refreshingly sharp tang derives from balanced hopping

Is how they put it.

Even paler pour than the Zipfer beer, similar head but not as persistent. Aroma is again that earthy light thing.

Head dissipates quickly though, leaving a pale beer that looks under-carbonated.

Oddly ever less taste than other beers that I've had.

Mikey clearly had some intentions when he passed this on to me to try, and dare to write about. Cheers Mike.

Couple of things that might make this better. Splash of Lime, or a splash of lemonade making it a shandy.

Really this doesn't appear to have any redeeming features at all, which is possibly its redemption. They're not a local beer to NZ, so there must be some context.

If you're hunkering down at home  for sports-a-thon or at a party where you have to take something, usually so you can drink beer that someone else brought with them, and you want something inoffensive, and that everyone would be happy to drink then this is possibly a good choice.

For someone that enjoys a beer with a flavour then this isn't it. It might be a beer that has a place, and I can imagine a number of places where this would be beer that is served to the masses (I mentioned sports, perhaps also concerts).

For quaffing this is below average, for although there isn't a leading taste or a theme there is a taste that sits in the background thats just a little harsh and annoying, making you stop to think about the taste on the back of the palate. It's pretty persistent too.

So for that the pdubyah-o-meter says 5. A polite beer to keep in the fridge perhaps, or a four or six pack to take and leave some at a party. I wouldn't do that, but if I had to I would take and drink a couple, I might not be the happiest of people at the party but at least it's going to give you a buzz.

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Beer - #277 - Behemoth - CHUR! NZ Pale Ale

Indeed - a quick dash to the shops and I picked me up a  Behemoth CHUR! NZ Pale Ale.  From the  Behemoth Brewing Company who Brew this at The Twisted Hop in the style of an  American Pale Ale.  And they are in Wigram of all places.

[caption id="attachment_6030" align="alignleft" width="300"] Chur![/caption]

chur : -  kiwi for thanks, cool, sweet etc

'that was choice eh bro!'
"chur"

A standard 330ml bottle of a beer of 5.2% ABV,  being 165 calories,  which all adds up to 1.4 standard drinks in NZ - 35 IBU Things.

Huge tropical aroma and light and refreshing New Zealand Pale ale is New Zealand hops in a bottle, not too bitter, not too sweet just delicious easy drinking fruity NZ Pale Ale. Chur!

A lovely floral hop note on opening. Nice carbonation , no head, my run has ended.

Really pointedly grassy, but it's a very short note.

There isn't a lot else in this though, the up-front hops are great, and they're fairly soft and I like the way they taste.

There is also some fruitiness in this, again fairly pleasant and enjoyable.

However there isn't a lot of malt/caramel sweetness or body to asset this. What you get then is a thinness in the drink, which for me means that although I'm enjoying this I may not be so keen on another.

Disappointing as this is, in and of itself is not really to bad an effort. I'd rather it had more body, but I'm really enjoying the hop notes that this has, it is fairly easy drinking.

Despite all that the pdubyah-o-meter says that this would be a 7, making it good on the scale of things.  I don't think it's going to set the beer world on fire, or gather around it a coterie of fans, but it isn't off-putting, tasteless, or without any redeeming features. As a warm up beer for a couple of other fuller stronger beers this wouldn't be a bad choice.

The sun has made a late appearance, making the day a bit brighter, however counterpoint to the poor form England are shown in the cricket it's not helping.

September 14 Update to this: I've had this out and about, on tap, at the 16TUN bar on the Auckland Viaduct, and again now in a bottle.

I think that I might have been a bit harsh as this is a fine drinking beer that is actually better than I might have let on.

If I was redux writing I would rate this possibly 8 or 8.5.

 

As if to  compliment my drinking tonight in the background I have the really long version of Autobhan playing, the first track from the Kraftwerk album from 1974

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-G28iyPtz0

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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