Beer - #387 - Beavertown - Bloody ’Ell

The amusingly named beer from Beavertown -  Bloody ’Ell -

Brewed by Beavertown in the style that is an India Pale Ale (IPA) and they are in Hackney Wick, England.

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330ml bottle of a 7.4% ABV beer,  220 calories give or take for a standard glass, and this in NZ is 1.93 standard drink units equivalent.

"Blood Orange IPA" Zest and juice of blood oranges were put in the kettle at the end of the boil. Big rounded modern IPA full of orange flavours.

This has some of the best art on a beer bottle for a long time.

However  the interwebs does not garner a lot of information given away about this beer though

Beer - #386 - Ballast Point - Fathom India Pale Lager

It's a Sunday, I wanted a quiet beer to get me to the end of a nice weekend, so here it is Ballast Point Fathom India Pale Lager. 

Brewed by Ballast Point Brewing Company in the style that is  Strong Pale Lager/Imperial Pils and they are in San Diego, California USA

This is a 650ml bottle,  it is @ 7% ABV, which would be 210 a serve  (385 for the bottle) calories and 70 IBU things on the scale if things, which is more bitter than an ESB, Stout or your average IPA. Oh and about 3.6 standard drink units in NZ.

Lager meets IPA in a winning combination.

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Our Fathom India Pale Lager combines time-honored lagering techniques with the hop profiles of a West Coast IPA recipe. The cold-fermenting lager yeast provides a clean base that allows the citrus and pine aromas from the hops to really shine. The result is a gold medal beer with a refreshing, easy drinking character and just the right amount of depth.

So a weird mash up on the face of it, but it does seem to resonate with people

Beer - #385 - Pink Elephant - Trumpet

Home alone and so it's comfort beer (I hope) and one that's been in the fridge a while - the Pink Elephant Trumpet - 2013 vintage - of course Brewed by Pink Elephant this one in the style of a  Barley Wine and they are based in a nice part of the country - Blenheim, Malborough, New Zealand

A 500ml bottle, which is  9.6% ABV, so being 3.75 standard drink units, but only 315 calories.

Trumpet is a Barley Wine. This is lovely when fresh as the hop additions are
prominent with an aroma of mixed fruit leathers. 
Has some caramel, Honey, vanilla and dried apricot flavours.It may be cellared for many years and will lead to an amazingly complex ale Vertical tastings are possible with this Ale

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A hoppy and malty Barley Wine style. This is lovely when fresh as the hop additions are prominent. However, it may be cellared for many years and will lead to an amazingly complex ale as the many ingredients blend together to give a truly classic Barley Wine

Poured a slightly dark golden with a weak almost white head. Aroma of mixed fruit leather I used to get in my lunchbox at school, some stale caramel and honey, quite sweet but still pleasant. Thin mouthful for the abv. lots of weird cola, vanilla and dried apricot. so many fruits come to mind when drinking this stuff its incredible. The finish is a touch warming and shows more stonefruit. good stuff.

Beer - #384 - Unibroue - Maudite

Canada! Unibroue Maudite - it's all on. 

Brewed by Unibroue (Sapporo)  in the style of the  Belgian Strong Ale and they are in Chambly, Canada

355 ml bottle (12 fl oz) of a beer of 8%ABV, so not a session beer, 2.24 standard drinks in this, and 240 calories. IBU is 22 which is the low end for the style. (I added a handy page guide).

Maudite has a deep amber-red color with a rocky foam head and an appealing aroma of wild spices and floral hop notes. It is spicy, vinous, and deliciously complex with a crisp hop finish.

 The robust maltiness and spiciness of our amber-red ale is counterbalanced by an assertive hop finish, offering a distinctive flavor that is cognac-like in complexity.

[caption id="attachment_8347" align="alignleft" width="300"] Selfie by any other name[/caption]

In November 1992 Maudite (the damned one), was the first strong beer to be distributed in Quebecgrocery stores. Maudite is a mahogany-colored, rich-tasting premium beer that has a distinctive, complex taste. Because of the warmth it releases, this strong character beer must be served cool but not cold. Perfect with pasta, red meats, stews and spicy dishes, it also makes a good aperitif and after-dinner drink.

Maudite has a typically Quebecois name that is reminiscent of the legend of the Chasse-Galerie (the legend of the Flying Canoe). Legend has it that a group of lumberjacks struck a deal with the devil to fly home in their canoes, guided by Satan himself, to make it home in time for Christmas.

Looking forward to this a bit 

Beer - #383 - Renaissance - Enlightenment Series - Bière de Garde (a redux)

This is Brewed by Renaissance Brewing in Blenheim, New Zealand, and of course as a  Bière de Garde. and I've had it before of course. I had the draft version,  this is the bottle. I thought it was a bit good then.

A 500ml bottle of a 8.4% ABV beer and that translates into a 3.3 standard drink units thing of  something like 255 calories a serve.

[caption id="attachment_8323" align="alignright" width="300"] I know right[/caption]

Brewers would craft this beer in the winter months, but aimed to make a style that could be enjoyed for the rest of the year. As beer was often used as payment for farmhands, they had to be refreshing in the hot summer months. Bière de Garde (Beer to Keep) became the name for these unique, rustic ales. This is our take with a different aging technique. This fine ale is aged in chardonnay and gerwürztraminer barrels for four and a half months. This beer is dry with honey biscuit characters and a finish of the fine flavours with a hint of French oak. Thanks to Matt Dainty for this interesting beer.

So I'm ready are you ? (he said to himself).

Aroma is lemony sweet,  candy.