Beer - #584 - Independent Brewery - NZ Pure

Pure beer, Pure music, pure numbers and puuurty.

NZ Pure is a new class of premium lager

This is the the handy 330 ml bottle of a 4.7% ABV beer, so less than 150 calories a serve size, and 1.2 standard drinks in the bottle

Brewed by Independent Breweries NZ (Boundary Road) In the Style: Premium Lager and they're based in Papakura, Auckland, New Zealand

Not to be confused with Steinlager Pure. Of course.

[caption id="attachment_10873" align="alignleft" width="300"] I tried not to stare at the sun.[/caption]

NZ Pure lager has a subdued malt backbone overlaid with a subtle hop character from the NZ Hallertau aroma hops used late in the boil. A refreshing easy drinking lager, perfect ice cold and straight from the bottle.

NZ Pure is a new class of premium lager made only from New Zealand malt, hops, water and a specially selected yeast with no additives or preservatives.

So, what could go wrong?, ice cold, flavoursome, pure beer... In a bottle with a twist top.

Opening is a malty beer affair.

Pours like and smells like a Malt lager, golden pour, nice head that seems in keeping and is persistent.

Bit of a hop bite to it in drinking but not a lot that really stands out. An everyman lager then.  Quaffer. It was really cheap, it might have been confused with Steinlager Pure which is quite a nice beer.

MrsPdubyah had a sip, and if I was honest this was from the second bottle, and said she'd drink it.

The prosecution rests.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 6 a of its things from the thing. What? Above average? Well it's not bad, and for audacity it deserves a mark. It really is neutral drinking, and cold enough, there might not be any taste at all. Lucky I was thirsty, it was cold enough and it hit the spot.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? Alarming yes, for the reasons of thirsty.


2. Would I have another? I have 12, 11 , 10 left... 9 left


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Of course it says PURE and NZ on it, argue with that!

Nick Drake, underrated as an artist, and I'm listening to this gem  Bryter Layter. Nick Drake was an English singer-songwriter and musician, known for his acoustic guitar-based songs. He died in 1974.  The clip below is from an Album "Five Leaves Left", you might check that out too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2jxjv0HkwM

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.

Beer - #583 - Gigantic - Ginormous

Superlatives, Super Bands, Super Numbers, Super groovers

A myriad of juicy citrus hop aromas and flavors envelope your mouth.

I have the the bottle that is 650ml (22 fl oz), a beer that is is 8.8% ABV and over 100 IBU things, 264 calories a serve size, the whole of which is 4.51 standard drink units in NZ

Gigantic - Ginormous - brewed by Gigantic Brewing Co. in that style known as Imperial/Double IPA and that happens in the exotic and romantic sounding  Portland, Oregon  USA

Every time we brewed an Imperial IPA you asked for more. So we put our brewing skulls together and formulated the ultimate mecha Imperial IPA. We present to your olfactory zones Ginormous Imperial IPA. Available year-round.

[caption id="attachment_10861" align="alignleft" width="300"] Big Fellah has a big beer[/caption]

Developed in a secret testing facility deep in S.E. Portland, Ginormous is powered by seven mighty hops.

His mission is simple; to deliver a massive hop punch to those in need.

Definitely not a bitter IIPA, just enough to balance the sweetness of the alcohol.

Label Artist: Rob Reger

What could possibly go wrong with that?

On opening no mistaking a high grass hop aroma there.

Pour is light chestnut brown, and I proved I have poor skills as I got a head like a ice-cream soda, but I could smell the aroma as I poured, it's divine.  A closer sniff gives a bunch of malt sugar sweetness and a more muted grassiness.  Like it calmed down a bit. Not the head that will take ages to calm down.

Good gravy. That has a lot going on immediately, 3 or 4 things all have a clamour for attention, sweet, sour, sugar, bitter, smooth and sharp. I;m going to sit back and try again in a bit.

There is a sudden and creeping dryness at the back of this, just thought I'd mention in passing until I'm brave enough to go again.

So, that all calms down a bit second time up, although the malt does hit a peak as the stand out note this time, it's unusual the way it does that.

The to nose aroma is great.  The bitterness, isn't all that bitter, it is being constrained. The dryness is just the dryness.

Warms up more and gets more, if I could use it, oaky, to describe the roughness that creeps in in the middle. Almost certainly the wrong way to describe the flatness that you taste.  Which would be the malt thing, which seems to be the core of this beer concoction.  As I ponder and drink more I get less enthusiastic. That would be change go styles and exceptions. Too much malt man.

The gap between expectation and delivery is of course the disappointment.

Are they bad things? Not at all, it's interesting to have a beer that starts as one thing, gives you A, then B, then C, and still ends up quite drinkable and enjoyable. Memorable is the missing bit. The gap in the beer.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 8 a of its things from the thing. All in all a bit good, and somewhere to aim at if you wanted to make a good dIPA. I thought though that not quite spectacular and awesome as it could be, as I thought, and it's just me, that this might be too malty, which kind of dulls it down a bit.  Too sweet, by just enough to be enough to make you under if it really was a good idea.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? I started off really liking it and waned as I got more into it.


2. Would I have another? I would love another, there is nothing like a good hop forward beer with great aroma to tickle your fancy.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Can't see why not, this is well regarded and the amount of taste things I got would indicate that it should appeal to a lot of people.

Super Band, who was I kidding, in a pop rock kind of way I ended up listening to "First Aid Kit", you can here. First Aid Kit is a Swedish folk duo. Klara Söderberg sings and plays guitar. Her older sister Johanna sings backing vocals and plays keyboards.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwLMRA3Fi7E

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 - #582 - Hallertau - Resurgence

Hallertau Resurgence. A born again beer.

Beastwars IPA reborn, apparently, as a Stong Pale.

Same but different beer, same but different music, same number and same party thoughts

this is a 500 ml bottle, 6% ABV, 38 IBU thingies, 2.57 standard drink units, the bottle is about 180 calories a serve or 240 calories in the bottle. 

Brewed by Hallertau Brewbar & Restaurant in the style that is  American Pale Ale and they are Auckland, New Zealand

[caption id="attachment_10852" align="alignleft" width="300"] Wistfully looking at a beer[/caption]

Nose of Pineapple Fruju with a squeeze of lime.

A tangy pile of hops on the palate, rich and resinous.

Lean malt flavour with hop oil sweetness helping balance out the fresh bitter finish.

So what could possibly go wrong? I never had this the first time around, this shows though a brewers faith in their recipe. Get in!

Big fruity burst of aroma, lots of hops, and that passionfruit note. I've settled on passionfruit as a go to. I'm probably wrong.

Pour is really light golden, which si a surprise and the head is fluffy white and persistent, aroma has moved to more grassy hop.

Whilst I don't get pineapple, I do get resinous hops, and it has a lovely smack of bitter at the finish. It is big on hops.

Which is pretty much as advertised.

A really crisp beer to drink as well, nothing out of sorts of disconcerting in this that I've found, even if I really thing that some of the taste points are a bit peaky, sticking out over the overall profile in places.

I've had what seems like more than a fair share of Pale Ale styles of late, and this one seems more memorable than most, and remind you not to get bored or just over them.

Easy drinking, I discovered as I ran out, and now I mope as I don't have something that I think will be the equal of. Well played Hallertau.

[caption id="attachment_10854" align="alignright" width="150"] Comes with a warning[/caption]

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 9 a of its things from the thing. It is hard to be over enthusiastic about a beer style that in your heart you don't actually want to enjoy, personally I prefer a cracking IPA or at the other end a Belgium Tripel for instance.  This though is good and is mellow enough and at the same time aggressive enough to make it both drinkable, enjoyable and a bit special at the same time.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? I am, it is particularly and peculiarly enjoyable, and as advertised.


2. Would I have another? I so would.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? I would indeed this is quite nice an appealing.

The latest discovery is an artist called "Clem Snide" the album "Girls Come First" is on the music machine, you can listen here . Clem Snide is an alt-country band. Not on that album but worth a listen is this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh55NuFEAwc

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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• Three Imperial IPAs


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Beer - #581 - Garage Project - Cherry Bomb

Garage Project Cherry Bomb

Warning - may contain hints of stone age love.

The big 650 ml bottle, 9% ABV, 270 calories a serve, and that makes it 4.6 standard drinks. It's all on for a Tuesday.

Brewed by Garage Project in the style: Imperial/Strong Porter and they are inWellington, New Zealand

[caption id="attachment_10846" align="alignleft" width="300"] Shiny Haircut and a big beer.[/caption]

Hello world, it's Cherry Bomb imperial porter, a complex, decadent dessert beer, spiked with sour cherries and cacao nibs.

The finished beer has a rich ebony hue with a pronounced, bitter-sweet, dark chocolate and ripe tart cherry character. 

Warning - may contain hints of stone age love.

What, then, could possibly go wrong?

Lots of dark chocolate aroma on opening this.

Pour is deep cherry red and a small but positive head that slowly starts to fade but is still there.

In the glass I get a big aroma of coffee, and then lightly some sweet sugar aroma.

There is a lot of alcohol note, a lot. It is really predominant. It really is 9% ABV so dur! Beneath that though you get a lovely whole sugary warm drink with a lovely finish that is more bitter than dry and none of that alcohol. It's like it's almost backwards.

I left it to warm itself in the glass seeing if the cherryness will take up, and the whole mellow a little.

~pause~

And it does get nicer, but the high alcohol is still noticeable. Overall though it's quite nice but not spectacular. I would have though more of those fruit notes perhaps? or sweetness.

I'm reminded of the 'stone age' so I've convinced myself this is paleo beer. (kidding)

I love the aroma you get before you drink, then the sip, then the pause as the burn passes then the warm bit and a hint of the sweetness.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 7.5 a of its things from the thing. It's somewhere between good and better than good but not great.  I think a beer like this really shows up how at the big beer end of the scales, how wide the styles can be. This is pretty mush as describes as the style Imperial/Strong Porter, but blindly you could think that you'd be getting more a Stout or more a Porter. Not so.

A bit different then, and not totally unpleasant, it's a drink that probably needs a bit of a run up to, not a desert beer, but possibly too big to go straight into, unless I'm going a bit soft.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? It's ok when you get over yourself and your expectations. 


2. Would I have another? I think perhaps with a cigar, instead of a port.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? This is some heavy duty tall tale telling juice. why not.

Brendon Thomas and the Vibes, currently appearing in an NZ talent show. very polished and doing the right things. You can listen to an Album thing here it's called 'The Eclect' Or there is this live ad hoc performance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APh2sfw1_1g

 

IMPERIAL/STRONG PORTER

Imperial or extra-strong porters fall in between the traditional porter, a Baltic porter, and an imperial stout. They range from around 7.5% upwards, with hefty dark malt character, but lack the overt roastiness of an imperial stout.

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Thoughts on a beer

I was kindly sent a 12 box of beers from Harrington's Brewery. Out of the blue, unsolicited but very welcome. I've listed them below and in brackets the arbitrary score out of 10 that I chose to reflect how I felt about them. The links click to the specific reviews.

• 5-6 = Average,


• 6-7 = Above Average,


• 7 = Good,


• 7-8 = Better than Good,


• 8 = Very Good,


• 9 = Great.


• 1-4 you need to avoid and 10 = Awesome

The 12 beers then:

• Big John Special Reserve (9)


• Prince Harry Ginger Beer (7)


• Wobbly Boot (can) (6)


• Classy Red (8)


• Ngahere Gold (5)


• Brewers’ Selection Strong Pilsner (7)


• The Rogue Hop Organic Pilsner (Can) (7)


• The Rogue Hop Organic Pilsner (8)


• Belgium Trapist – thRreedux (7.5)


• The East Indies Lager (6)


• Brewers’ Selection India Pale Ale (7)


• The Yankdak APA (7)

I invested some time and learnt a few of things drinking beer from Harrington's.

They talk to the  winning the Brewer's Guild Grand Champion NZ Brewery Award in 2012, A sterling effort in itself, so congratulations on that success.

Harrington's started up in 1991 as a response to "Overpriced brown ales" and straight from some romantic novel began to brew  "real beer at a price that was agreeable to the hard working folk of New Zealand". The founder also prefers to be knows as "the Godfather of NZ Craft Beer". 

I notice that I don't see  'craft beer' but I do see "real beer" and an alternative to what was available, so pretty much something not 'Brown Ale' by which of course they mean "California Common, or Ambers", but I digress.

"The beer was different because it was brewed according to the German purity law",  Which is either some laudable crusade or brewing sensibly with the kit available at he time. Or, and I'm going to get really offside, a bit  like Homebrew.

Currently they boast a range of over 30 beer, yes over 30 beers. Range suggesting common regular output, not specials or collaborations. a roster of 30 beers through their brewing facility.

I want to pick on a phrase "Not bad for a stubborn little idea" which I think is the crux of the matter. I think, and this is just me, that John Harrington might have at one time been the leading edge, but not so much now.

An Earthquake in 2011 might be the catalyst for a lot of the changes they've been through, the brewery might have realised this and are hurrying to re-brand, re-package and re-invent their beers, but not re-invent their recipes. This would explain the confusion of names, and style descriptions with some of the beers I drank so far.

So where others have gone to batch brewed beers,  for instance to 'hop overload' styles Harrington's have stuck to the way they did it in 1992. Things have changed. They haven't. Or don't appear to have. Perhaps they're on that journey now. Perhaps they're at the end and are satisfied. 30 beers on a roster is a big roster.

Sure of course they've won awards, some of the beer isn't bad, but if it ever was it's just not the edge anymore.

I don't know if they know how to, or want to,  get there, the edge, stubborn is good, but stubborn and blinkered isn't. Commercial quantity brewing, as distinct from craft quantity brewing might be where I went wrong. These are commercial quantity mainstream everyman beers, that's what they do, that is what they are.

I don't think these beers are craft, and the cynical in me says they're making a play for the craft beer drinker based on the huge rise in the number of craft mic brewers that have appeared.

For me the beers sit well in the pack of similar beers, nothing outstanding, nothing too dreadful, nothing different, just safe, mainstream, middle-of-the-road.

You are expected to pay a premium price for that though, which  is the bit I really don't get.