Lager Time

Despite the over-saturation of average Lagers in the beer market, and despite the increase in availability of excellent Ales, there is still a place for the humble commercial brew. Lets face it, on a hot day, pretty much nothing beats a cold, crisp Heineken (even if it is brewed under license). So it warms the cockles of my heard when a craft range brings out a Lager.

Despite being the most widely drunk beer in the world, Pale Lager still has the potential to surprise. Bottom fermented and cold stored, Lager is renowned for begin easy drinking and refreshing.

Boundary Road up the ante considerably with Ein Stein Munich Lager. First appearances are deceiving  it looks and smells like any other lager, but the first sip reveals incredibly well balanced roasted malts, incredibly almost impossibly crisp and just a hint of bitterness.

A Lager this most certainly is, but what a spectacular beer. Between this and a couple of other new releases from Boundary Road, this brewery is taking it's craft to the next level!

History of Homebrew

Well this is quite neat - Huffington Post are reporting on the discovery of what appears to be a 3500 year old microbrewery - they had a kiln capable of roasting various grains indicating that they may have had various styles of beer. The Bronze age wasn't all bad!

There's even a recipe for Bronze Age beer for the avid brewers out there!

IPA and the rise of over-hopped beers

To me, good beer is good beer. And while I have preferences of style and season, a good beer will always be, to me, a good beer. But beer has waves of popularity, and while it's enjoyable to be in the middle of a craft beer revolution currently that can be polarising. I'm not just talking about the hipster "I was drinking it before it was cool" attitude either.

There is a genuine case to be made for bandwagoning in the beer world. Commercial, Micro and Nano breweries can be guilty of it, but its an accurate observation that there seem to be a heck of a lot of Pale Ales out there at the moment.

Like every other type of beer, there is both good and bad Pale Ale, and that comes down to both preference and craft. The trend with Pale Ales in general, and IPA's in particular is to throw a ton of late addition hops into the mix, giving a sometimes floral, sometimes fruity, sometimes bitter flavour. Again, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, but again it's accurate to point out that it's happening a lot. It used to be that every brewery worth it's salt had a dark ale, then it was wheat beer, and now it's Pale Ale, what's next who knows (I'm hoping for Lambic, but I don't see that as being likely).

Regardless, it's easy to make the call that there are too many over hopped beers around (and the current "big hop Pilsner" isn't helping things) but as long and people are drinking and enjoying them then where's the harm? If a bunch of would be brewers are inspired to mix malt, wheat, hops and water to yeast because they happened to like some high-hop brew then I say "great" more beer is only going to be better for the craft and the industry.

Beer and Advertising

It's a divisive subject, especially in craft beer circles but the reality of the commercial beer world is that there are large budgets and therefore some of the best creative advertising is for beer. Ethically is it right? Well in a free consumer market, technically it's consumers choice, however in reality advertisers use subtle and inventive ways to make their products more appealing. The same can be said for most consumer products, but the results with beer are so often breathtaking!

The offshoot of this is that the creative stakes in beer advertising are high. Accounts are fought for and creative's put some of their best ideas into beautiful explorations of ideas.

Here are some stunners

http://10steps.sg/inspirations/artworks/75-creative-and-humorous-beer-ads/

New Releases

I haven't talked about any of the more commercial breweries in a while, focusing on craft beers is a full time job, and with so many incredible beers around I have my work cut out for me! But both Mac's and Monteith's have quietly (or not so quietly in the case of Mac's) slipped new brews onto the market... and those brews have made their way to me...

It's always quite strange to reflect of the parallel paths of these breweries - both were once independents, bravely forging their way into beer drinkers hearts and minds through innovative and invigorating brewing. Mac's is widely credited with bringing back all malt brewing to New Zealand and a compelling case could be made for both breweries reviving interest in craft beer in our fair land.

So it's perplexing to see that both have just released brews cashing in on the recent wave of Pale Ale popularity. And while its great to see them putting their own spin on the style I can't help but feel that something is missing. Once the innovators they have become the imitators.

My pick of the two would be easily Monteith's Pacific Pale Ale. They've made more of an American style and combined local and US hops. All the elements are their, and very well balanced at that, but the end result is slightly... well, for want of a better word "commercial". Now in saying that, this isn't and drop at all, and twice in recent weeks I've been perusing the selection at the supermarket looking for an easy drinker and this has been my pick. Which is to say that on it's own merits, amongst a selection of global brand lagers, it's a clear winner.

Next up, Mac's have, with their usual and charming brand personality, launched their own Pale Ale, nicknamed "Shady" (sic). Unfortunately the colour is the only real resemblance to Pales Ales you might recognise - the hops are so far down in the mix that all you're really left with is what seems like a top-fermented version of Mac's Gold. Which once again isn't to say that this is a bad beer, just somewhat disappointing. And once again this is quite palatable as a session beer, but if you're expecting something similar to an Epic, Boundry Road or Fat Yak you'll be wanting something with a bit more character.

Great White on their other hand is something to consider next time you're browsing the aisles. Aside from Hoegaarden, we don't tend to get a lot of White/Wit styles in the country and that is a shame. Perfect for summer drinking, a decent Wheat beer is the perfect choice. Great White delivers and more importantly, puts Macs ahead of the curve. Now I'm not sure if I'm picking up on the "rose petals" or "turkish delight" but this does bring all the right characteristics, and with a slice of lemon it's delicious. Mac's proves that they still have the spirit of innovation and that is a great thing to see by a brand once recognised as being cutting edge.

Moa and shares in the brewery.

Firstly, let me fess up: clearly my posting schedule needs some attention and for that I am sorry. With that out  of the way, on to bigger and brighter things - namely beer! Beer wonderful beer to be precise! There is an old joke about drinkers "owning shares in the brewery", but recently via a very slick marketing campaign Moa launched "own a brewery".

Feelings about slick marketing campaigns aside, if there ever was a case for putting your money where your mouth is, it would have to be this! Moa make splendid beer, quite outstanding beer in fact, and what's more, they make a whole range of it. I've written about Moa here and their wonderful beer here so with news of their IPO fresh from the tap (excuse the bad puns!), it seemed like the perfect time to go back and review another of their incredible brews.

Moa 5 Hop is touted as a Winter Ale but this delicious brew would be fantastic any time as far as I'm concerned. Made in the ESB style, it has a lovely amber, almost red colour. Floral and herbaceous on the nose as well as a bit spicy, it almost reminds me of Gingerbread.

Credit goes to the fantastic beer blogger Philcook for the image.

The taste? Utterly delicious, sweet around the edges marks this as unmistakably Moa. Complex malt base, perfectly balanced bitterness and flavourful hops giving a distinct kick on the finish. A great example of craft beer working to style but with its own personality. A great brew for sure!

Not the most interesting beer in the world

A bit of fun for Friday - probably the best beer commercial around if not quite the most interesting beer.

So wacha want (to drink?)

Having just discovered a supply of Yeastie Boys beers I thought it best to give some of their most famous brews... and while I was there I grabbed another couple to sample. Yeastie Boys beers have so far proven to be excellent beers, so I was expecting good things from my selection.

First up, the famous Digital IPA. Containing a nearly ridiculous amount of hops I was expecting an overpowering bitterness. Thankfully the guys at Yeastie Boys are craftier than that and the hops mix and balance provide some pretty impressive aroma and flavour. Golden amber and about the clearest beer imaginable the first whiff reveals a wonderful floral and sweet aroma. The first sip. WOW. There really is an impressive harmony between the hops and malts that finished with telltale pacific jade bitterness. A well rounded fruity and floral beer and definitely one of the best beers I've ever had the pleasure of drinking.

Then it was Rex Attitude. The beer they said couldn't be made. Crystal clear amber again and with a sharp smoked twang sitting on top of the rich malt aroma. Theres a smokey over-the-top flavour but an incredible silky mouth feel with lovely carbonation. It's almost sickeningly sweet and smokey so I couldn't really describe this as my cup of tea, but an adventurous beer none the less.

The interestingly named Gunnamatta IPA. Slightly darker than the other two but still impressively clear, theres a heady tea flower aroma mixed in with the fruity and floral malt and hops. Very smooth and fine bubbles means this beer glides down my throat - its so smooth it almost drinks itself. And the flavour! Beautiful rich and complex it almost threatens to overwhelm but the balance between the bitterness of hops and the sweetness of malts is perfectly complimented by the late addition tea leaves creating a unique and impressive beer.

Interesting Beer Facts

Sorry, crazy-busy couple of weeks and I haven't had nearly enough time to think about beer. In the absence of a proper beer review I'll leave you with this, some interesting factoids about beer, enjoy!

Homebrew Review: Highetbrau

Good beer comes in many shapes and sizes, and just like a lot of things making your own can be even more rewarding and enjoyable than the commercial stuff. Highetbrau have been in the beer making game for a couple of years now - starting like so many homebrewers with pre-hopped malt and adding sugar. But good beer doesn't just mix itself up like cordial and brewer Jason Highet quickly moved on to crafting his own ales. And what wonderful ales they are!

It today's world of mass produced lagers and commercial craft beers it's easy to forget that the technical process of brewing beer is relatively simple. Boil malt, add hops, pitch yeast and wait. The real trick is in the detail. Highetbrau follow that simple ethos and it's the attention to detail where Highetbrau beer shines. Every brewer knows that cleanliness is next to beeriness and Jason is logical and methodical when it comes to preparing both his beer and his equipment.

You can find out more about Jason's philosophy over at booze bros, but for now I'll just straight into the good stuff. Today I tried 3 beers, Amberbier, Feijoabier and Darkbier.

First the Amberbier. Well it lives up to it's name and it's certainly Amber, as well as being impressively clear for a homebrew. Being an Amber Ale there is tremendous breadth in what the beer might be like, but there's really only one way to find out... There are lovely nutty and caramel aroma's with hints of citrus. The taste is full of caramel and grains with the distinctive bitter sticklebract hops finish lingering. Delicious and very easy drinking!

Then it was time for the Feijoabier. Very pale and tantalisingly cloudy. Clearly it's aroma is of feijoa but what's impressive here is that it smells like it was picked yesterday, fresh and sweet smelling. On the taste, the first thing you notice is light smooth texture with wonderful sparkling effervescence, then comes the feijoa taste which reveals a nice and light malty finish. Incredibly refreshing and this makes me hunger for warm sunny summer afternoons.

Then we meet the Darkbier. The aroma is classic porter - chocolate malt and coffee. In the mouth it definitely has the lighter body of a porter but quite surprisingly the rich depth of flavour that you might usually associate with a bigger stout. Subtle and effective hints of the chocolate malts and a lovely dry finish. 

All up, these beers are fantastic. They all have unique characteristics both reassuring of style and showing the spirit of experimentation that many craft brewers strive for.  

She's Crafty

Craft beer is a growing market in NZ, partially thanks to a renewed interest in brewing as an art, partly because the quality of craft beers has risen dramatically over the past few years with innovators and experimenters testing the limits of what a beer can be. Yeastie Boys from Invercargill take even the modern adventurous craft beer spirit to a new level.

Yeastie Boys famously bring a breadth of tasting experience to their beers, and though I've only sampled a couple at this point it's clear that they work hard to achieve the subtle balances that make good beer great. Their approach to brewing is challenging and rewarding, as is their entire approach to the industry. As far as I'm aware, no other brewer has produced an "open source" beer. Yep thats right, if you're inclined you can make it for yourself. Crafty indeed. Not only that but such kiwi beer alumni as Beer for a Year think pretty highly of the official version too!

Today I'm drinking one of their seasonal releases: Red Rackham.

It's a Belgian Red with a pretty big point of difference. Dark red to amber colour, herbaceous, spice and red stone fruit aromas as well as the obligatory maltiness you'd expect. Mouthfeel is impressive, full and prefectly sparkling... then theres the flavour. Knowing what I know about Belgian beers I was expecting rich malty frutiness. But thats not where the complex flavours stop, there's nuttiness, summer fruits, and something estery from the yeasts, then you get the unexpect twist of bitterness. Something a bit out of the ordinary for a Belgian style beer but something amazing none-the-less!

What do beer and oatmeal have in common

Actually not much but this great image the The Oatmeal should help clear that right up.

Three Pale Ales and One DJ

I was feeling quite thirsty on Saturday, so I decided to have my own little beer tasting. I've spent a lot of time with the darker ales of late so it seemed like time to explore something different. Enter the "Three Pale Ales and One DJ" tasting. OK so there wasn't really a DJ.

First up, Epic Pale Ale. I can still remember being blown away when I first tasted this. It was one of the first craft beers widely available in supermarkets and back then as an uneducated Lager drinker it rocked my world. This is quite possibly the first Pale Ale I ever tried. Wow. The label doesn't lie - it does indeed just taste bigger.

The nose is all citrus with a bit of caramel, the colour is the most appetising of bright gold, then the taste. BANG Hops. Fruity Hops. Crystal sharp taste and that lovely lingering bitterness. Yes, Epic Pale Ale is all good.

Next out of the gate, Wigram Mustang Pale Ale. It might be that I did this tasting in the wrong order, but I kind of expected more from this. Granted, the style is intended to be American Pale Ale, but to my mind the differences should only be in the hops flavour and Epic uses US hops.

So maybe it's me but first whiff and a distinct something missing. Nice chocolate malts, but not really any hops up front. Not to be put off I pushed on. Colour was slightly muddier than I like a Pale Ale, but again, nothing too amiss and the colour is easily representative of a clever malt mix right? On to this sipping. There they are! The hops flavour starts coming through, unfortunately instead of the crisp fruity American hops I'm expecting, I get the earthy subdued flavour of UK Fuggles or something fairly similar. This might have been a passable bitter, but as an APA I feel a bit let down.

Now comes the stars of the show. I recently discovered that a local bottle shop stocks a fine, fine range of craft beers, including a couple that I've been hearing about for a long while. Last years Epic Hop Zombie was high on my "must sample" list.

What to say: If Wigram didn't meet expectations, Hop Zombie blows them out of the water. I almost think this is something beyond beer, except it most definitely is. Aroma is like the undead, earthy, musty, fruity sweet floral and honey, incredibly pleasant and already promising succulent fluid within. Lovely colour again, gorgeous, light golden as you'd expect from Epic. The taste, it's like they've resurrected hops from the dead, really just unbelievable. It's alsmot sweet but the sweetness doesn't seem to come from the malts - theres really something special about this hops (it's classified) and I'm not at all surprised that Epic are keeping this one close to their chests. Simply put, this is a beer unlike any other and highly delicious.

Good Beer, Bad Name

Wow, I feel like I'm a couple of rounds behind! A bit of disruption has kept me from blogging lately, but not from trying delicious beers so I have a bit of catching up to do. Great beer waits for no man, so I'll do a brief roundup of whats been sipping lately:

Just around the corner from my work is a little beer Mecca, unbeknownst to me until a couple of weeks ago. I would be remiss for not sharing this little secret for those other beer lovers out there. Liquorland on Forrest Hill Road has a pretty impressive collection of craft beers and their chiller and I are now well acquainted.

The plucky go-getters at Boundry Road Brewery have sneakily put no less than 5 rather splendid beers on the market in recent months. I was well aware that they had an IPA in the making, they'd made a rather lot of noise about that, but blow me down if they didn't drop a Porter, and Amber Ale, a lager and a Pilsner too! The former is available in 6 packs, while the latter I've only seen in half litre singles, clearly aimed at the growing beer enthusiast market to compete in the space that Moa, Emersons and countless internationals play in.

I'll focus on the Porter for now, since it's still winter and I'm still loving the Dark Ales (although I've had a couple of very respectable Pilsners and Pale Ales's recently that I'll get to in another post). Named Chocolate Moose (presumably the makers had sampled a couple come naming time!) because of the generous helping of chocolate malts in the making this beer isn't for everything, but it is completely captivating.

Ideal for a cold night with a roaring fire (as pictured) we've got a satisfying thick finish, lovely rich and nearly sweet malt aromas and an intriguing deep chocolate brown. So far Chocolate Moose is living up to it's name. I'm prepared for a unique experience, but the taste... beautifully rewarding, thick body and yes, a whole lot of chocolate. It might not convert a true chocoholic, but as a character beer this little beauty is sure to warm your cockles on a cool night. Like I said, it might not be for everyone, it lacks some characteristics of a good porter, but it makes up for it in other ways. If you're into trying something new, definitely get in there!

Slam Dunkel

Water, Barley, Hops, Yeast. The ingredients list for beer is short but the variety that comes from those four things is vast and inspired. We are told that to make great beer we need the freshest ingredients, the best ingredients. The best beers much like the best meals, are made with attention to these details.

In order to preserve the purity of their beers the Reinheitsgebot was established in one of the birthplaces of beer, Bravaria in 1516. Reinheitsgebot, or "German Beer Purity Law" for short, initially excluded yeast, because it wasn't until after Louis Pasteur revealed the role of micro-organisms in fermentation in the 1800's that yeast was revealed to be an essential part of beer.

German Beer Purity Law, or at least the tradition of it has inspired beer makers ever since and particularly German/Bravarian beermakers which brings us to today's beer: Flensburger Brauerei Dunkel.

Right here we have a classic German Dunkel, which is just any mid strength beer made with darker roasted malts. Made in the classic pop-top bottle giving it a real european feel the beer is a warm reddish brown and much warmer in colour than many northern European Dark Ales. Wonderfully deep aroma with cereal and dough. The taste is rich warm and nutty with a nice light carbonation, a very pronounced cereal with a lingering bitterness.


More balanced than many of it's English counterparts for sure, and the colour is just so inviting on a cool winter's evening. 


It's sparked some interest on the role of yeast in certain beers which I'll look at another time.

Porter vs Stout - the battle continues

When is a Porter not a Porter? What makes a Stout? I see this as a continuum of dark-malted ales that ranges from Mild Ale through to Stout with some convenient and delicious stopovers along the way. But it's the blurring of lines that can be confusing so lets try and clear that up in a rigorous scientific experiment... or really just me tasting two beers.

I realise that I've gone into this before, but it's encouraged some debate amongst fellow beer drinkers, and beer is good and therefore worthy of consideration. Beer is good as we know. Beer can be great and there are a lot of brewers all over the country embracing the noble pursuit of great beer. Harringtons in Christchurch is one such brewery. Like so many microbreweries it's a family run affair that started with a humble range of beers and expanded to produce a wide range of delicious malt and hops goodness. If you haven't sampled their wares yet I'd strongly suggest you make your way to their shop and rectify that.

Without further ado the direct Stout/Porter comparison Clydesdale Dry Irish Stout and Wobbly Boot Porter Ale.

Appearance

Stout: Thick tan head and an impenetrable dark brown to black colour.
Porter: Bigger fluffier head, still brown/black, but slightly less dense

Aroma

Stout: Warm and malty with hints of cocoa and a slightly unsettling metallic characteristic.
Porter: Very similar to the stout if slightly less malty, and maybe some hazelnut.

Taste

Stout: Thick and reassuring, wintery roasted malt and a lovely lingering bitterness that slowly resolved into a deep almost burnt sugar maltiness. Beautifully carbonated. Very nice, complex malts and a dry finish.
Porter: True to style slightly less body and more carbonation than the stout. Much more like a rich dark ale with nutty and bread like maltiness and more than a hint of caramel.

Verdict

They're both excellent but the Porter just nudges ahead due to the balance of complex maltiness and caramel flavours, but that's just my opinion and we're really here comparing two types of beer. The Stout is heavier, thicker and less carbonated and dryer to finish. The Porter is more subtle in it's use of roasted malts, and drinks more like a darker Dark Ale, is less heavy and more carbonated. Traditionally a Stout would be higher alcohol but here both are 5%.

Like I said earlier, it's a continuum of darker coloured Ales made using roasted malt that ranges from Mild Ale through Dark Ale and Porter and ends with Stout. Yes the lines are blurred but it's rewarding to try and make the distinction.

Opening a beer with a chainsaw

Because sometimes, all you have is a chainsaw

Hopping Hare and the fine art of correct serving temperature.

I was first turned onto Badger Ales while living in London - available at most of the supermarkets and many pubs their extensive and reliable range quickly becoming a go to brand for great beer. Brewed in Dorset since the late 1700's Badger championed a back to basics approach that has since become popular with craft brewers worldwide. Combining the traditional Malt, Hops, Yeast and Water into delicious beer seems to come naturally to them and their approach earned the attention of Hugh "River cottage" Fearnley-Whittingstall who joined forces for a special brew.

Badger are probably most well known for Tanglefoot or Fursty Ferret, both good examples of English Ales, but this cool autumn evening it was Hopping Hare that caught my eye. Up at Speakers Corner in Browns Bay there is a good range of beers, including a couple of Fullers range on tap. The pub is decent, and probably only one of a few around New Zealand that capture the English pub feel properly (possibly because it's run by ex-pats!).

Anyway, having warmed up on a London Porter it seemed that the new Badger bottles were getting some attention and ever inquisitive I decided to check out the offering for myself.

The verdict? Pretty good, if slightly misleading. For a beer calling itself highly hopped I thought it was more balanced and malty, but perhaps I've had too many IPA's lately? This isn't to say it's an unpleasant beer, quite the opposite: there are some very nice notes of fruit and bitterness, even if they're more subtle in the mix but there is also a lovely bread aroma in there. The flavour is very nice, rewarding and full with a rather enjoyable effervescent hops fruitiness at the finish. Despite being an English pub, in typical New Zealand fashion the beer was served just a touch above freezing, and it was fellow beer-enjoyer Matt that noted it would be better at room temperature.

As luck would have it I was in a room, so it was only a matter of time before I was able to enjoy even more of those delicious rich malty flavours in the manner which their maker intended.

Yes, I know that Lager needs to be cold. But Ale isn't Lager, it's about letting the subtle flavours come out rather than refining them to a crisp perfection. When too cold Hopping Hare fell slightly short of expectations, but came to life when allowed to warm.

There's a lesson here, for optimum enjoyment (and that's what it's all about, right?) it's best to serve appropriately. You wouldn't have Fish and Chips cold? Yes, we've all heard (or experienced) Ale's poorly cellered: flat, warm, bad. But the right temperature can bring a beer to life!

Hop to it!

I love beer. It's no secret. That I sing the praises of Ales by no means indicates that I have no love for it's bottom fermenting cousin - the Lager. Yes, Ales tend to be more interesting, have more variety and therefore can be more rewarding, but the easy drinking Lager should not be forgotten. When a Lager goes above and beyond, pushes the boundaries and delivers something unique - well that's truly something to be celebrated... so Cheers! Here's to the best Lager I've had in a long while. 

But let's step back and look at what makes a good Lager. The Lager family is the most popular type of beer worldwide, from the crisp sharp flavour of the Pilsner to the deep sweet maltiness of the Bock there is plenty to enjoy and explore. It's all too easy to think of your generic commercial beers. From Fosters to Steinlager to Heineken to Budwiser the easy drinking pleasant crisp style of a commercial lager has it's place. The subtle balance of malts and hops serve their purpose perfectly - everyday drinking or "session" beers. Lager can go far beyond that.

When thinking about what goes into a beer, the craft of the brewer is balancing the Malt, Hops, Yeast and Water to create the desired flavours. When a beer blows me away it's often because they get the mix just right and achieve something unique. Thanks to some awesome friends sending the latest and greatest beers across the world for me to try, I have (well... I had) a bottle of Camden Hells Unfiltered Lager. Camden Town Brewery in London are the latest version of the Brewery and Alehouse combination that's the heart of the Beer tradition. I samples a couple of their brews but the Unfiltered Lager really stands out.

What you've got here is an extraordinary beer and you should beg, steal or borrow to get your hands on. Lovely light straw colour and just a little cloudy in a very pleasant, hazy sunny afternoon kind of way. All fruit and floral hops on the nose and my first thought is "this is a whole lot of aromatic hops for a Lager". The flavour isn't quite as hoppy as the aroma would indicate, but it's impressively crisp in a way that would make a Pilsner jealous and there is a distinct and rewarding bitterness on the finish. Malts are present and know their place without ever becoming dominant. It makes me wish more brewers skipped the filtering if this is what's happens!

There's more to this beer than just the cool label and if you're in that neck of the woods, relish in the knowledge that a really impressive beer is pouring freely at a pub near you!

It's a Porter not a Stout

I've had a look at Porters before, but I want to consider what makes a good Porter and what makes a great Porter. In my previous post I looked at the more well known Stout and compared that with Porter. I'll also take a sip or two of a fantastic Porter, one that reshaped my expectations of what a Porter can be.

The name "Stout" came to represent Porters that were stronger than usual but where did the Porter originate and what is the real difference to the modern beer drinker? According to the ever wise Beerhunter, Michael Jackson: Porter was the forst "National" beer style, becoming synonymous with UK and particularly London brewing. Rumour has it that as malt prices started rising in the 1700's brewers began kilning their Barley for longer and adding more hops to get more flavour into their beer. The name itself is supposed to come from it's popularity with workers carrying goods around the markets of East London around Shoreditch - yes it was popular with Porters, so became known as... Porter!

The Porter style has an interesting and very close relationship with a number of other beer styles. It was developed at around the same time as the pale Ale (though the pale Ale wasn't perfected until nearly 100 years later). Lower gravity Porters evolved into Mild Ale and fuller bodies, higher alcohol Porters became known as Stouts. Pale Ale evolved into Bitter and IPA and there you have the majority of today's English based beer styles.

So, the amazing Porter that reshaped my expectations?

Based in the heart of New Zealand's wine making region, Renaissance aim to make a beer as rewarding as it Marlborough grape based cousins.

At this tasting I tried the Scotch Ale and the Elemental Porter Ale, and these folks are doing an admirable job of meeting their aim. Both beers were surprisingly complex and now that I have them on my radar I will be spending time to get to know the rest of the range.

It's deep brown to black reminding me more of a Guiness than anything else but the lovely light coffee coloured head hints and surprises lurking within. It's aroma is potent with nuttiness and a burnt brown sugar or caramel with a bit of winter fruit. The first thank that strikes me about the taste is the rich warm rewarding caramel which dispoves to coffee bitterness. There are wonderful complex malts, and hints of brown sugar. It's a wide and delicious flavour profile and perfect for the autumn evening.

My interest has been truely sparked!

No, It's not salty, but it is Zythos.

Epic Beer make a lot of incredible beer. They have stood as beacons of great beer for a fair while now, and just keep getting more and more inventive. They have informally specialised in IPA - Indian Pale Ale, a fact for which I completely understand, and am very grateful for. Armageddon IPA has been turning heads for a while now with it's potent hoppiness, and the latest in that line of thinking (or drinking) is Zythos IPA.

There is apparently a hop shortage (but don't panic). Back in 2006 a glut in the US hops market forced prices down, and in response farmers pulled up their hops in favour of more profitable crops. The saving grace is that this primarily effected US Hops varieties. It's a cycle of boom and bust, and pretty much a classic example of supply/demand economics. Things were looking up in 2009 when Epic started making Hop Zombie, a tribute to the big American Pale Ales and American IPA styles. But (gasp) disaster struck again and we're back into the "shortage" part of the cycle. 

This presented an obvious problem in the production of Hop Zombie. Not to be dissuaded (and obviously happy to craft up a hoppy beer at a moment's notice) - head brewer Luke Nicholas whipped up Zythos using some hybrid hops and some good old fashioned kiwi ingenuity.

The result is spectacular.

Much has been made of the name - no it's not the Greek name for the salted Egyptian brew. Much has also been speculated on the exact hybrid and blend of hops that goes into this masterpiece. I don't know that (though I would love to hear!). 

What I can say is that this forging of flavours is truly something to get your lips around.

Satisfying deep red to amber in colour with a lovely light amber head, it's easy on the eye but offers some surprised for the palette. The nose is all warm citrus, there is something herbaceous almost christmassy about it, and there might just be a pinch of fresh bread in there too.

The taste is crisp and bitter up front, softening to rich fruits and citrus and maybe a hint of woodiness. These are all incredible things. It tastes like so much more than the sum of it's parts, I almost to find out that this is more than just the usual combination of malt, hops and water. It has a lively carbonation with light bubbles and a full malty mouth feel.

It's good. Bloody good. It might just be better than Armageddon if that's even possible. I have heard that this is in fairly short supply, so I'd get out and get some quick if I were you...

It's Rye but it aint Whiskey

A lot of beer drinkers don't like anything outside the norm. To some degree I can understand the thinking, but that's not me - I love trying something new, different and have learnt to enjoy the challenge of something a bit different. Rye beer shouldn't be too much of a stretch really, considering it's been brewed for hundreds of years. Rye is also a familiar ingredient in whiskey.

Kaimai Brewing might not be trying to start a Rye resurgence, but they do have a take on the traditional Barvarian beer style. Whether you consider Rye Beer to belong with fruit beers on the fringes of the beer canon, or somewhere near wheat as a kind of speciality beer, it's worth taking a look at the tradition and the characteristics of Rye Beer.

Rye Beer is made when malted Rye grass (funnily enough) is substituted for some of the barley malt on the grains bill. In the 1500's Rye was a fairly common addition to beer but repeated Ergot infections caused the use of Rye to be outlawed. Ergot poisoning is pretty nasty so this was probably for the best. Anyway in 1988 the law was repealed and as the current generation of inventive brewers found their places in the beer world Rye once again cropped up in our favourite tipple.

So is it any good?

Kaimai Brewing Co have declared themselves specialists in Rye Brewing so I decided to give their Golden Rye Ale a taste.

True to it's name it sure is Golden - right the way through to a beautiful deep amber colour. This sets the tone for the beer - the intensity is unmistakable. Check out that lovely think head too! It pulled down fairly quickly but held the entire glass.

Then we get to the aroma - malty, but not the familiar barley notes, theres something a bit more going on here and the rye really comes through. Without further ado the taste... The first taste is a lovely chocolatey malt, with a bit of citrus and a nice lingering bitterness on finish. It does bring to mind whiskey comparisons, but mostly through the complexity. It's good, almost too complex to be beer. There's a lot going on in both the aroma and the flavour. It's a wonderful beer to taste but definitely not a session beer! The mouth feel is really something too - full, silky, and almost creamy. It almost feels like it needs chewing.

Having not experienced other Rye Beer I don't have a lot to go on here - it's bloody tasty, very interesting and highly complex. Kaimai also make a Rye Stout so that's on my to do list...

Another day, another Pils

Pilsner (like most beer) is pretty good, and while I might dwell on Ales at times it's important not to forget our cold-fermented friends, the Lagers and Pilsners.I've talked about a damn fine beer - if not a typical Pilsner before, but today I want to look at a couple of different beers, including one of the best Pilsners.

In my review of Mac's Hop Rocker I talked about the history of Mac's brewery and it's importance on the New Zealand beer scene, but I neglected to delve into what makes a Pilsner. Some time in the 1800's bottom fermenting yeasts were used to make beer that was then kept in caves around modern day Germany and Czech Republic - the process called Lagering (German for "Storage") led to the style's of beer we now call Lager's. Pilsner is technically a type of Lager (much the same as Bitter is a type of Ale) with unique characteristics. The first real Pilsners were made in the Bohemian town of Pilzen around 1840 using the newly popular bottom fermenting yeasts, as well as the recently developed pale malts - with local soft water and Saaz hops from a nearby town. The result was then left in caves to mature and clear.Pilsner Urquell is still made there today.

If your only experience with Pilsner is Heineken then you're in for a treat. While northern European commercial Pilsners (Heineken, Grolsch, Amstel, Stella Atrois) tend to be slightly sweet and malty, traditional Czech and Barvarian Pilsner is more crisp with a notable bitterness of hops. Urquell (meaning "Original Source" in German is officially the first Pilsner and easily one of the best. Very real and present Hops in traditional Saaz dominate the flavour, finished by crisp malt. Everything about this beer is refreshing, from the light golden colour through to the clean finish and the lasting head. Best drunk in Bohemian beer halls full of laughter and song!

For a brilliant modern take on the Pilsner, I look no further than Monteiths Pilsner. Back when DB Export Dry was saving kiwi blokes from the popularity of wine (according to the advertising anyway) Monteiths were upgrading their production to cope with demand for premium quality beer. Along came Monteiths Pilsner. It might not be the most experimental or innovative Pilsner, but unlike a lot of other variations on the theme, this fantastic beer is true to style. Warm gold in colour and a fraction sweeter than Bohemian Pilsners but with more distinction than your average Heineken, this Pils had something special going for it - Nobel Hop varieties grown locally. Compared to many of today's beers the hops remain subtle (though the same could easily be said of Urquell) but their presence adds complexity to a delicious and charming beer.

Pilsners are great session beers, and the perfect refreshing pint on a warm sunny afternoon - kind of like how this one is shaping out!

STOP! Porter time.

Stout is a beer with quite an interesting history. Before the early 1700's the huge majority of Beers were dark, largely because the art or lightly roasting malt hadn't yet been developed. Stout's are made with dark malt, obviously, and traditional stouts were simply the stronger Dark Ales. Stouts today are thicker and creamier than Porters but both tend to be 4-5% in strength, and with lasting head. I'll look at some of the most popular Stouts and one of the best Porters.

Without a doubt the most recognisable Stout in the world is Guinness Extra Stout or Draught from the tap - interestingly Guinness was originally called Guinness Extra Superior Porter which should tell us something about the intertwined nature of these beers.

At it's best Guinness is rich, creamy, slightly chocolate and coffee with roasted malt and only the merest hint of bitterness. I say "at it's best" because a lot of the magic about a Guinness depends on the pour and the condition of the Beer. Too often Guinness is less than amazing because of bad carbonation lines - either not clean, or not mixed correctly. Although developed in London, large amounts of Stout were shipped to Ireland where it quickly became the tipple of choice, and it wasn't long before the Irish started brewing it themselves and what a great job they've done ever since!

There really isn't anything quite like nestling down in front of a roaring fire at the local pub on a cold winters night and enjoying a Guinness!

Guinness is classified as Irish Dry Stout, as are the other mainstays of Stout: Murphys and Beamish. Aside from dry Stout there are a few other varieties of this delicious wholesome beer. Imperial Stout would probably be the next most popular, so names because of it's origins in Russia. Imperial Stout tends to be stronger, ranging up to 11%abv and was designed to help Russians stay warm in the long cold winter months. There are also Milk Stout and Oatmeal Stout the former being sweeter (Lactose sugar is non fermentable to brewers yeast) and the latter being creamier. Porter can have all of the flavour characteristics as Stout but without so much of the variety, and as I said, less thickness.

Stout and Porter are also popular with micro brewers and craft brewers, and many beer makers include a Stout/Porter in their range. I'm going to skip straight to a microbrewery just outside of Naiper: Hawkes Bay Independent Brewery.

Black Duck Porter lives up to all of the promise of a great Porter. It's rich, has perfect creaminess and lovely mouth feel, being thick but not quite as heavy as a proper Stout. Flavour wise Black Duck is outstanding, with all the goodies in there in well balanced measure, from hints of dark chocolate through to a lovely coffee bitterness, HBIB have done very well with this. If I was to fault this beer, particularly in comparison to Guinness it would be that it's head didn't last all the way down. Normally I don't make a huge deal about head retention but this beer was absolutely outstanding so I thought I needed to find some fault.

With winter on the way I'm going to look forward to more Stouts and Porters... and getting the fireplace cranking!

Do you need glasses?

Beer Glasses are a big thing for me, so I'm going to talk about why people use beer glasses, the types of beer glasses, the best beer glasses for different beer styles and a whole lot of other glassey goodness.

We all know the line when someone hands you a bottle beer of beer and asks if you want a glass: "it already comes in one". And to a large extent, with non-distinct lagers that's a fair statement to make. In fact one of the great joy's of beer is it's portability - going to the beach? Pack a couple of cool brews and you're set.

But there's a counter argument - a glass allows you to enjoy the beer more. You can experience it's colour, it's effervescence (I'm not exactly comfortable with that word in describing a beer), it's head and allows you to get a better handle on it's aroma. If you're taking export gold's to a party it hardly matters, but if you want to get the most out of your limited edition craft ale - or even your better than average lager the right glass can make a good beer even better. If a beer glass can make even a ho-hum lager halfway decent, imagine what it can do for that special IPA you've had tucked away for months!

In the great beer brewing parts of Europe, many beers have their own glass to enhance the flavour and aroma for us humble beer drinkers.

There are a boatload of sizes and regional types of glasses that I wont go into here, but broadly speaking these are the typical beer glasses as recommended by such beer alumni as Michael "Beer Hunter" Jackson.  

Pilsner/Lager Glass

Tall to reveal colour and carbonation, and with a taper to enhance head retention.Like the name on the box says, perfect for Pilsners and Lagers

Snifter/Goblet

For aromatic beers like IPA or "Big" beers for sipping like doppelbock. These are large, stemmed, bowl shaped. I throw beer flutes in this group mainly for simplicity.

Pint Glass/Mug

The classic, versatile beer glass, suits most styles, but atypically English.A clever wee feature is that these can actually enhance the carbonation of a beer.

Most importantly, a beer glass allows you to enjoy another fine aspect of a beer: the pour. 

Getting more out of your beer is an easy sell, and making a run of the mill Ale or Lager taste like something halfway decent can't be bad either. A glass that you can get your nose into, that you can see the beer and experience it's colour and fizz.

A Tale of Pale Ale

Pale Ale is one of the most popular Beer styles, produced using predominantly light (or pale, if you will) malts and brewed with top-fermenting yeasts. It's one of the most traditionally innovative styles of Beer and Pale Ale and to this day brewers are making winning Pale Ale's in a variety of ways.

Typically a Pale Ale does indeed derive it's name from it's light hue - before Lagers, it was the lightest beer style. it came about because roasting malts is a tricky business, especially in the pre industrial days when brewers relied on fire kilns to do their roasting. As you can imagine, roasting little bits of barley over open flame produced more than a little darkening of the malts - and hence at the time (this is the late 1700's) Ales were usually of the darker variety.

Anyway, today a Pale Ale is considered to be golden amber through to copper in colour, leaving plenty of room for brewers to experiment with malts to obtain subtle sweetening and complexity of malt flavours. Pale Ale is a broadly encompassing style of beer, including English Bitter, American Pale Ale, Irish Red, Blond and many more, but today I'm going to look at two.

I'll talk about Boundary Road brewery later, but for now lets consider the merits of this beer. Because of the flexibility of the style there is no one Hops profile typical to Pale Ale, and being a man who enjoys a lot of Hops in my beer, The Flying Fortress Pale Ale does not disappoint. There's a certain distinctive tangy frutiness to the NZ varieties of Hops, and Flying Fortress is rich with hoppy goodness. A lush but not overwhelming mix of Pacific Jade and Motueka provide wonderful fruity aroma and just the right amount of bitterness. What most impresses me with Flying Fortress is the beautiful mouth feel - delicate carbonation that could almost pass for bottle conditioning and an impressive almost creamy texture. Boundry Road are quickly establishing themselves as winners in the rapidly growing craft beer market and Flying Fortress is the cornerstone that grounds their excellent range.

I'm not particularly familiar with the craft beer market over the ditch (something that I plan on rectifying as soon as possible) but a little Pale Ale from Victoria is making inroads here. Matilda Bay have made a great Pale Ale with a strange name: Fat Yak.

It's a great contrast to Flying Fortress - this is made in the American Pale Ale style, making it more golden than amber, but is liberally hopped with the American staple: Cascase, with a little Nelson Sauvin for added depth. It's good - delightfully fruity and crisp on the palette, this beer practically screams "Summer Afternoon".

These two Pale Ale's offer a fantastic exercise in hops comparison - both are boldly hopped in different ways. Both are excellent. Enjoy!

Good Press for Moa

Getting big press doesn't seem to be too much trouble for Moa these days, but I didn't know that the head brewer there, Josh Scott, was none other than the son of Allan Scott - he of the fantastic Sauvignon Blanc!

Anyway, there's a great wee write up here about some of the thinking behind their amazing beers and the new craft beer Moa Quad.

I've already talked about Moa's fantastic Breakfast Beer and I'm always excited by Moa offerings, but I love the attitude that the new breed of beer makers are taking - it's not about sucking back a dozen bland commercial beers: beer is to be enjoyed and reflected on much like wine.

Now, being in Auckland my challenge is to track down this fine tipple...

Where Beer?

To my mind there are few situations that can't benefit from a cool refreshing brew, but the true home of beer is the Pub.

Lets just clarify what I mean by Pub.

Of the many types of drinking establishments, only the Pub and Tavern are real domains of beer.

I know you can get beer at a bar, and certainly many types of bars are beer bars - a dive bar is hardly the place to order a Martini, and a sports bar probably serves jugs. But a bar varies in nature - you have theme bars, vodka bars, ice bar's, wine bars. Bars often play music and don't usually serve food. Bars are night-time places and some bars don't pour beer into a glass which is a definitely faux pas... and faux pas isn't a beer word at all!

And nightclubs are something else entirely - clubs are places for dancing and frivolity and merriment for sure. Clubs are cocktails, bottled beer and maybe some wine. Clubs are about the entertainment and nightclubs, as the name implies are nighttime places too.

This isn't a criticism of either and I can confess to many a good time (and sometimes a decent brew) in both, but when considering the perfect environment to drink a beer you can't go past a Pub.

A "proper" Pub or Public House as it's shortened from, is to my mind a place where people go to drink, eat, talk and possibly listen to a little live music. Pubs serve food and are open during the day, they allow kids and outside of big cities pubs usually allow dogs. If they do have music it's secondary to conversation as the entertainment, unless the music is live (and most probably local).

A Pub may have several areas or rooms, and might even incorporate a bar. A pub has a Publican. Pubs have their origin in Roman times as Taverns - hence the similarities (though to my understanding a Tavern is likely part of a hotel, whereas a Pub is more standalone, even if some Pubs do have accommodation).

Most importantly, a Pub has Beer on tap, and if it's a good Pub it will have a good selection and if there's one thing this beer drinker loves, its a good selection!

If you want to go for a chat, for a feel of community, for relaxing and for a feed, it's a Pub you want. If you want to enjoy the best of what makes having a beer good, it's got to be a Pub.

The IPA Debate

I've been thinking about Indian Pale Ales - so it's timely that the very nice people at Boundry Road Breweries are about to release an IPA and are asking for tasters. You can get in on this by answering a few simple IPA questions here.

But I digress...

IPA's were famously developed because regular ale wasn't lasting the long trip from Great Britain to India in the 1800's. Brewers made the brew stronger and added more hops to preserve the beer and hide any off flavours picked up in the long voyage fraught with poor cask storage conditions. When it arrived it was watered down for the enlisted men (though officers were still allowed the higher strength)... or so the story goes. Demand in the homeland grew shortly thereafter and the IPA legacy was born.

So if we take the style to be full strength, pale ale that's both bitter and aromatic with hops we come to Fullers IPA.

Definitely full and hoppy, this is my flagstone IPA. Lovely body, beautiful fruit aroma, bottle conditioned. The only thing that's missing is good head (pun only partway intended). This is fantastic drinking.

So what ISN'T and IPA? Well, Tui for one. Lacking any notable hops, sweet instead of bitter and brewed as a Lager, Tui has no place calling itself an IPA. Tui is in fact, a good example of a New Zealand Draught - and Draught is the topic of an future post (and thanks to Randolf von Stagg for the suggestion).

There are of course in this brave new world of craft breweries, many fine examples of great IPA's - both classic and modern. Dunedin crowd Emerson's 1812 is a good traditional IPA, Epic (who can do no wrong) make a pretty stunning Armageddon IPA. I've yet to taste the open source beer from Yeastie Boys - Digital IPA, but judging by the Hop's bill that's going to be a mighty, mighty interesting experience... if anyone knows a shop or pub in Auckland selling it I'd be one happy, hoppy beer drinker.

Coopers Sparkling Ale - A real Southern Hemisphere Ale?

First international beer off the ranks - I specifically hunted this out because 1. It was on special at the supermarket and 2. I'm planning on brewing a batch of this in the near future.

Anyway, I have a small issue... a pet peeve if you want to call it that. Although we have many, many wonderful beers here in Aotearoa, we have a tendency to make beer that's not true to style. This isn't to say that we don't have some wonderful examples of craft beers that are true to form or an exciting evolution of an accepted style. It's a reflection of the market - we like Lagers and Hoppy Pilsners; therefore that's what the brewers make.

Australia too has a slightly unfortunate habit of doing the same - the "mainstream" breweries in both markets rightfully cater to the tastes of the public. And dammit the public want lager!

Forgiving the local pallet and forgiving the flavour of the ingredients... but some beers (I'm looking at you Tui and Speights) even claim to be Ale's when they are in fact Lagers. But beer is beer and beer is good.

So it was with a pleasant surprise that I popped open my Coopers Sparkling Ale and smelt the delicious aroma of top fermentation and bittering hops.

A real ale! Probably a little light in bitterness for the English and maybe lacking the complexity of a Belgian... but an ale none the less. In fact it's delicate flavour and effervescent sparkle make this a great companion to the southern summer. Coopers Sparkling Ale is a breath of fresh Ale in a Lager world - and from a mainstream brewer none-the-less!

As a note to beermaker's in our corner of the world - it's ok to make a traditional Ale, Bitter, Bock, Helles or Weizen. With the current increase in craft brewing I hope to see a lot more of these and more, but for now it's nice to know that there is a delicious alternative to lager at hand.

Too Early for a Beer?

Sometime last year, those wonderful folk at Moa Brewing Co. crafted something quite unusual. The called it "Breakfast Beer" and styled it after Belgian Wheat's. It was released to much wailing and gnashing of teeth from the media, worried that a beer in the morning would lead to widespread alcoholism.

Well, thankfully a year later the end of times hasn't arrived, and our society hasn't crumbled into a drunken wasteland. I can't help but think that at $8.50 a bottle, this is priced into the beer connoisseurs market, rather than the dedicated morning drinkers, but that's a different story.

What I can say is that this is delicious! On the nose it's all hops and fruit, it's a lot like a good wine in that the aroma is so alluring that i'd almost be happy just to smell it all day (but I wont because I know what wonders lie within! )A real treat to drink with a lovely full wheat mouth feel and a crisp slightly hoppy flavour, with only hints of cherry sweetness. Hugely rewarding and refreshing drinking, and I can't think of a comparable local Wheat Beer.

It really reminds me of a good European Wheat Beer, and a good Fruit Beer, my closest points of reference would be Hoegaarden Wheat Beer and Verboden Vrucht Strong Ale, but it's much more complex that the Wheat and less work than the Verboden Vrucht.

It's definitely not a "session" beer, a couple of these would be plenty. Moa have a reputation for crafting fantastic beers and this lives up to expectation. I don't know if I'd call it a breakfast beer, but I'd be up for 11sies!

Mac's Hop Rocker Review

The "go-to" beer.

Mac's is a kiwi institution, famously pipping the two big guns (Lion and DB) and starting a trend by being the first microbrewery in the country. Unlike the main brewers who use sugar to speed up fermentation, Mac's started by using just the traditional beer ingredients, malt, hops, yeast and water. It reminded us what beer was supposed to taste like.

Hop Rocker is good... damn good. It's full flavoured, loads of NZ Hops - the label says Motueka - adding aroma and bitterness. It sparked a trend of highly hopped beers in NZ. This is my go-to beer, it's awesome summer and winter, refreshing and full bodied.

Now as I said, I love this stuff, but Pilsner? It's like they've never supped the crisp clean flavour of a Budvar or Urquell. It might be made like a Pilsner, but this is one hell of a lot of hops flavour for a Pilsner. It's had the effect of convincing the beer drinking public that Pilsners should be hoppy. Perhaps that why they mispelt Pilsner? Other notable brewers have even replicated the style.

So, a reliable favourite, consistent with the quality of Mac's even if it's not true to style.

EDIT: I rechecked the label last night (what can I say? I'm a thorough researcher) and it's not Motueka hops as stated, but Nelson Sauvin and Cascade hops. Traditionally Pilsner is hopped with Saaz.

Beer Is Awesome

Formally recognising that Beer in it's many guises is awesome.