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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Beer - #97 - Mike’s - Organic Vanilla Coffee Porter

Brewed by Mike’s Organic Brewery  in the style of an  Imperial/Strong Porter and that'd be from Taranaki, New Zealand

I laughed .... " Mike’s taken our robust Imperial Porter infused with single origin certified organic Peruvian coffee beans, the result is stunning. Is it beer? Is it coffee? You be the judge. Enjoy with good company, probably not for breakfast though... Then again, maybe?" 

Headphones c/o XFactor and my desire not to listen to ceecee cry or whatever that is that passes for music.

That's a dark thick beer of a good mocha coloured head,  not a lot of lacing though, an 8% ABV of a 650ml bottle, there is coffee for Afwica in this,,, and a bit ..  and the taste is like a blanket of coffee and  Vanilla and there is chocolate and just nice. A lot of nice. I stopped Laughing and I paid attention a lot of attention.

I'm not sure if I just being a wuss, but this is a special thing.  As a side note I was listening to "The XX - Coexist" at the time, it's a nice thing. Both of the thing. The all.

So separating those things the music and the beer, and glancing at the pdubyah-o-meter I see a cheeky 9, the heck! This is Dynamite. Make that a 9.4, this is a beer that I would give your money back if you brought it and failed to enjoy as a Coffee Porter, or a Vanilla Coffee Porter.  Get in!

Today, Thanksgiving day, not a Turkey shoot, and I'm almost weeping with a joy unbounded.  Not only because I've never met Mike and is Organicmatron, but because this is a mighty mighty glass of beer. Joy unbounded. For real.