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!