Beer - #222 - Firestone Walker - Double Jack IPA

The highly rated Firestone Walker Double Jack IPA Brewed by Firestone Walker Brewing Co. in this the Style of a : Imperial/Double IPA and they hail from Paso Robles , California.

Double Jack IPA is our first ever Imperial IPA. It features a big malty middle to cloak the high alcohol and mouth puckering hop bitterness. Huge tangerine, grapefruit and juicy fruit aroma blossom over the herbal blue basil and malt earthiness of this aggressive beer. Best enjoyed in moderation.

A small 355ml bottle of a monster 9.5% ABV beer,  which would be 2.66 standard drinks, a pocket rocket.  At 100 IBU this should have a power punch, being at the top end for the IIPA/DIPA style. Bring it on

A dangerously drinkable Double IPA.  Double Jack opens up with bright grapefruit and tangerine American hop aromas. Beautifully crafted undertones of stone fruit are revealed upon first sip, followed by the essence of blue basil and pine. A sturdy pale and crystal malt backbone brings balance to high hop intensity. Complex and aggressively hopped, and flawlessly balanced.

The bottle I have was bottled early June, and should be in the window of 120 days the brewer says you have to enjoy this in.

Huge hop note on opening, pours orange golden, with a small head, the huge hope aroma not lingering. settles more towards the malt.

'k there is a mouth full of what you could describe as sugary bitterness, I'm not sure I had a beer before that was by the reading something that would pucker and then delivery something that made me smack my lips in enjoyment. Hard to drink and smile.

As it sits the hop layer doesn't change, the malt gets warmer and together they party a little. The Alcohol makes itself known, reminding you that this isn't a quaffing beer, and I'm trying hard not to, because as usual I have the one bottle.

The pdubyah-o-meter thing of things says that this is an ok beer. Ok at 8 - which arbitrarily is very good on the scale of arbitrary.  I like it, but it's not go find MrsPdubyah and tell her to add it to my ever growing list of beer for christmas .

Is it good?  yes. Is it enjoyable?  very much yes. Is it a pack leader? I think that of late there are many new young turks aiming for this level of quality and craft, some of them are close and snapping on the heels.

If this was representative of the brewer then they have a ways to go, and I have many happy glasses of beer to look forward to.

Beer - #201 - The Twisted Hop - Enigma

The Twisted Hop Enigma, a Barley Wine, Brewed by The Twisted Hop in the style of a  Barley Wine in good old Christchurch, New Zealand. Where I shall be next week, and not having thought this through with not enough time to take a side visit.

[caption id="attachment_5073" align="alignright" width="300"] Looking old, worn out and a bit fuzzy here I am brandishing the beer, like a shield.[/caption]

Deep copper in colour and a soft floral aroma with hints of cherries. Its sweet maltiness is balanced by the flavours of stone fruits and a robust hop bitterness. A period of maturation in American Oak contributes hints of vanilla and a tannic dryness. Flavours of dried fruits develop and Epiphany finishes long, dry and bitter. A great accompanyment to strong blue cheese.

330ml bottle of a 9%ABV beer, 2.25 standard drinks give or take and 85 IBU things, Barley Wine being 70-100 making it fair to middling.

I'm trying to listen to the Vinyl version of "The National" . "High Violet" and I'm confused by the "fuzzy" sounds reproduction. I may have to try the iTunes Version. I mention this as I paid some cash today to go see them live in NZ in, wait, 5 months time, be prepared said the boy scout!

Anyway, I best open this...  Lovely fruity raisin aroma,  rich ruby red colour, decent head, such a nice muted sweet aroma in the glass too.

Cor!, thats a bit noice, This is really in your face, there is a real upfront BOSH of sweet caramel fruit really heavy and sweet, but it's all bluster as it gives to a decent length of taste.

It's not subtle at all . It's crammed full of things without a direction, and nothing that suggest that there is a way forward.

The pdubyah-o-meter is a bit very confused, with a love of the sweet way that the fruits carry a big front note, and that the alcohol is is not a feature. But it runs out of legs in a hurry. Which leave you with a big glass of of a lot of beer to drink without a clear sense of enjoyment or more importantly anticipation.  So and for that this is muchly a let down. Lets agree a 7 - as good - and be done.

Or not because I'm righty royally miffed that this wasn't more defined, better, richer, longer in taste, or just more in line with anticipation over delivery. Raisin Richness is nice, heavy sweetness is great, but that can't be all.  Truth is this might be waving towards bitterness as a note. very muddled.

Look, ok, you had an earthquake, I have no idea how traumatic that is day to day, but it's not a baseline for anything other than progress. This seems like a thing that you are leaning on as as a call-to that event, Don't.  I wish I could like this more, I can't. :(

Beer - #150 - Zeelandt - Helles

Something a bit new - Zeelandt - Helles - Brewed by Zeelandt Brewing Co in the style of a  Dortmunder/Helles- and they're in Napier, New Zealand

This Bavarian styled lager has a creamy white head and brewed with NZ hops of noble lineage. Medium to low hop bitterness, this beer is a thirst quencher.

New Brewery, they have two beers, this and a Pale Ale.

Low at 16 on the IBU scale, in a 500ml bottle and at 5% ABV (just under 2 standard drink units),  this appears a safe bet.

Nicely carbonated, and I understated that with a whole glass comprising of head. So a new glass and another go. Tad of yeast on the aroma, and a slightly bitter note. Nice golden colour.

Bitter gives over to musty. This is really lively in the glass, and almost uncontrollable head, and you know I'm no expert in the pouring.

I should also have paid a heed to the fact this is a bottle conditioned beer, and that of course comes with the dregs, and that clouds up the final pour. It remains very lively in the glass and still pours a head.

So how does this really rate? Quaffable isn't something that comes to mind, but it's not unpleasant, it's not bursting full of any flavour in particular. It's not leaving me wanting to take another mouthful to enjoy, but it's not a beer that you put down and discuss around.

A safe middle of the road beer, doing what it should in the way it should, possibly under hopped, it's not bitter it's not sweet. Despite being lively and heady it's not overly carbonated on the tongue.

The pdubyah-o-meter says a solid effort at 7. Plenty better, a lot plenty worse.

Beer- #136 - Harringtons - Belgium Tempest - revisited

I did this already - Beer #32 - June - a while ago, and I wasn't that impressed.

But clearly I wasn't that miffed, or disappointed or this might not have made it back to the shopping basket, unless it was under one of those buy one get one free things.

Brewed by Harringtons Breweries (Christchurch) in the style of a  Abbey Tripel from the deep south as far away as Christchurch, New Zealand.

Brewed using Belgian Ale yeast makes this beer big, rich and full of fruitiness. Palate is rich and subtle malty. Full bodied sweetness dominates most of the palate but dies to a dryer finish with a herbal/phenol crisp hop bitterness.

And because it was like 9 months ago, I start again, They set themselves a big bar, and a big expectation for this. So what do I want/expect: Golden or Chestnuet \ Malts and sweets \ Alcohol to the back\ citrus to the front. A s 500ml of an 8% ABV beer - thats 3.2 standard drinks in old money, it looks inviting with it's electric blue label this may have been what drew me back.

Stand by ...

The aroma isn vague  bit musty..  Well carbonated, chestnut colour no head, it looks like day old beer in  a glass, but it might be that's doing it wrong.

The aroma is dank, musty, yeasty, not so good, a bit plastic, and perhaps a bit of banana.

And the taste is a bit sour, and alarming, it's not inviting, and the malts take like forever to make a fleeting appearance, there is something not quite right about this.

I think that I gave this a 4  on the pdubyah-o-meter before, age or experience have not improved either this beer or my opinion of it. There is not even the begin of a head, carbonation or lacing, and this hasn't changed. Either the brewer is working to a schedule or this must be the last harrarh for this, who likes it? Even at a 2 for 1 deal your're being sold short.

Avoid

 

Beer - #110 - Mike’s - Organic Single American Pale Ale

Mike’s Organic Single American Pale Ale. 500ml of a 6.7% ABV beer that needs drinking, and just because I can. It's Brewed by Mike’s Organic Brewery  in the style of an  American Pale Ale and they do that in Taranaki, New Zealand.

The all American (hops) hero, real West Coast AIPA, but more refined (thats real. AIPA, not the real West Coast that would be Taranaki) Pours rich golden amber with a coppery tinge, and a creamy white head lacing beautifully. The aroma is complex with tropical fruit including passion fruit, pineapple and melons all vying for attention. The flavour is complex, with the tropical fruits now balanced out by the layered malt flavour and intense hop bitterness. Mouthfeel is rich but crisp and clean without being dry, and then the aftertaste is deep with a solid lingering bitterness.

I'm frowning because this is the first beer for the evening, and it's the equal of 2 1/2 units. So best I make my resolutions now as I might have a strong ale lined up.

Straight off you can tell this is hop-tastic but there is a nice mellow fruit undernote that takes the sharpness off. It's a lovely golden coloured beer, like rich Rimu, and a nice headsworth of froth. That nice hopiness is still with it.

Mike certainly has a thing going. I know that Pale Ale is a stock beer for craft brewery places, but this is a bit good. This is quaffingly good beer, I almost forgot to sit and mull over the range of flavours that this has. Almost. It's crackingly good.

So then, I get a grassy taste (expected, not unpleasant not harsh at all), The malt is doing it's job and adding a smooth note along the way, and there is a depth and length to this that I'm enjoying. You might have guessed that. And it made me burp. I've no idea about the burp though, I might mention it only because it was there, I should pay more attention in future and mention if it's ever there again.

The pdubyah-o-meter is 9's on this, it delightfully drinkable, tasty and looks great.

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