End of Year BBQ 2011

Its a good thing that we were just getting together for a few beers and snags, so after we all finally made it we thought we'd have a few of our favourites or as we usually do, bring something new. Without any notes (yes I take notes!) the following are in roughly or maybe the correct order. The Tuatara Helles comes back brought by an old friend. Good for a BBQ. I picked up Invercargill Brewery WASP honey pilsner over the Xmas break on the southern pilgrimage. A new one... Tuatara's APA; Aotearoa Pale Ale, with American Hops hard to obtain, they have done a fine job with the local product. New Steve pops in with Emerson's Bookbinder and the last one for H is Macs Gold. A good day for a beer.

December 2011

Ok so its been a while...I've been busy and I might have a rest from these beers ...just enough to write something. We start with the Valkyrie Brynhild golden ale from the Valkyrie Brewing Co. A hell of a lot of stuff about the Valkyrie on the label in a small font and not much about the beer. It actually drinks ok. Nothing bad. Now for the Montieth's Single Source. Very nondescript. Now for the Tuatara Helles. Well bugger me if the Tuatara beers don't have a tuatara on the cap. The beer gets better....after three lagers they are all very similar. And we come to the Flying nun 30 year anniversary Ale from epic. After three reasonable lagers, this is a revelation. The Stoke Bomber Smokey Ale (5.7%)... Interesting ...someone thought they could get layers of biscuits and flowers although this maybe simply bollocks on the label. Its getting dark now and up comes the Wigram dakota dark, its bittery chocolate. smells of vomit or honey? not sure of that one...no wait its bee vomit. Actually its a good dark beer. And we finish off with the 8 Wired Black Dwarf. Mixed feelings from the team but I like it. A dark beer with coffee.

valkyriebeer
Tuatara
EPIC
Wigram
8 Wired

8 in the big house

November 2011
With a full quota and then some we are off again. First up its the Wigram ginger Jerry, a ginger infused Wit Bier. Its good, apparently appropriate for after mowing the grass.... the girl gets a 9, nice melons. Straight from ChCh its the Cassel's and sons Pilsner, can taste the bitterness. Not bad but an average one. Nice bottle. A Moa has popped up, they seem to have a lot of hype surrounding them but we haven't tended to try a lot of them. This time its the original, its a lager, its good, fine and would probably work after cutting the grass. Up next its the Renaissance MPA Imperial IPA. As expected its big and hoppy not much else said really, it is what it is. Two lables make it a bonus (infiltrating the US of A)We've had plenty of beer snacks over the meetings but Mike is planning on whale on a stick being the next big thing! With the brains trust assembled we always try to answer the hard questions in life. This time, Why can we spell neutrino when we can't even prove they exist? And now for another new one, the Wigram Morning Glory golden ale, following up on the success of moa breakfast beer. Its good! well balanced and Good! Best beer of the night. This was followed up with the Brewmoon amberley Ale, alright but a tough call after the morning glory. And now another of the growing list from Stoke, the stoke bomber KPA (Kiwi Pale Ale). Doesn't come across as a pale ale. Its pleasant, a red/amber Ale and a whole lot of bollocks on the label. To finish, the renaissance Elemental Porter. Its a Porter, chocolatey! Its good. After a big night there are 3 standouts, the ginger jerry, morning glory and the MPA. (167 down)

October tastings

So I know the idea of a blog is to post regularly. As you may have worked out, I haven't managed to do it. But since our last discussion, we have knocked back about 15 new beers. To start with we continued on with the Boudary Road Brewery "Chosen One". Written up as rather ho-hum we could only agree. Based on first impressions, it couldn't have been made by speights (a compliment to speights). The Chosen One will not be chosen again. Should be called "Chosen Once". With a little more investigation, Brewery Road is not craft beer...it Independent Liquor. Moving on, the Reefton Phoenix Golden Ale from the Racecourse Brewery, Brewed by Wigram. Well we ticked that off the list (not memorable)! Up next the Townsend Sutton Hoo (which is some historically significant place in Suffolk!), Its a Hoppy, Amber coloured Ale, Well balanced...did I say hoppy? And now, Mac's Sassy Red. I do have a soft spot for Mac's. This is reliable fizz, mostly harmless and a good cleanser for the meaty ones we usually jump into. Its Good! The latest brewer'a reserve from Emerson's is the Brownville Brown Ale. Its Chocolatey but can't taste the fruit or the melon. A good drop for a brown ale.

Now its time for more history with Wigram's spruce beer. It has more mouth than nose and a big mouth at that. Smells like ginger beer. With one of us missing out on the Rex Attitude last time we we had a spare bottle, now termed the durian of beers! Thanks Stu for the email and I'm looking forward to the xeRRex. We finished that off with the Tuatara Porter, unfortunately weak and disappointing.

Wigram
Townshend Brewery
Emersons
Tuatara

This is not a problem!

This "represents" 150!... and most are off getting filled

Sausage Rolls

And the next beer is #150! Thats right 150 different beers in NZ and still charging along. No need to look outside Dunnas to buy them yet. A new one on the market, its the Boundary Rd Brewery Bouncing Czech Pilsner Lager. Not bad at all but can't quite see the explosions of citrus that is "expected". Closely followed by the Flying Fortress Pale Ale. A better brew, nice flavour and hoppy. Ok so we're still waiting...where are the sausage rolls?! Just for the record Kangaroo's heads DO move when they hop! Up next the Townsend JCIPA... not sure what the JC stands for....First taste is mouldy...dank....but drinkable. Then its the Emerson's JP 2011...is good..is strong at 9%. Then we're into the box og Tuatara Pale Ale. Can't remember whether we have had this but these guys do well. Hang on ...all is not as it seems, the box is filled with yeastie boys Rex attitude....No comment but drinkin it. Smells worse than it is. Could be refined a little I reckon, not quite our choice. Charging on to 200!

boundary road brewery
Townshend Brewery
 Emersons
Tuatara

Gettin fruity and smokin

Heading into the depths of winter we start with a fruit beer. The Mata Feijoa. Not bad, pleasant, lagery...can't really taste the feijoa but what would I know...comes in at the end. Not liked by all. Try it in summer. Up next. Monteith's "Radler bier"...I tried to stay true to the cause but the mission is to try them all, so I had one. General consensus: too fizzy, stupid name. Not really good in winter. Then its the Yeastie Boys Rex Attitude made with 100% whiskey malt. Ok its malty! Smoky! Just very phenolic... a bit like a depth charge. It has 1 redeeming feature... its 7%. Helps you get thru the coal tar. 3/4 down ....its not bad now. Just need to remind everyone of the Beltane Maiden. Its the Bogan chick beer! Moving on, Emerson's 1812, bottled, familiar and good! (technically we aint had the bottled one). To finish its the Emerson's Brewer's reserve Dubbel. A few have not recovered from the rex....Over the past month I've had enough of this to say its dam good.... doesn't take many to put you on your back. And the one with two mother's in law is now on probation. Until next time...


Mata
Yeastie Boys
Emersons