Tag Archives: Beer

May 19 2013

Beer – #171 – Verhaeghe – Duchesse De Bourgogne


Sunday, I’ve just been to the movies, I’ve switched on the UFC, and I’ve decided to have a single beer – this on the Verhaeghe – Duchesse De Bourgogne.

Brewed by Verhaeghe in the style of a Sour Red/Brown and it’s made in Vichte, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.

Verhaeghe - Duchesse De Bourgogne

Duchesee de Bourgogne is the traditional top fermented reddish-brown ale from the West-Flanders region of Belgium. This refined ale also known as “The Burgundies of Belgium” is a blend of 8 and 18 months old ales following careful maturation in oak casks. 100% natural and unpasteurized.

250 ml bottle of a 6.2% ABV beer (1.2 standard drinks). And the last time I had a sour beer it was a long drink, and although not really my thing I rated it very well (the Lindemans Gueze)

Sour and Cidery on opening, dark red brown and very lively beer (like 50/50 beer head pour, but it’s settles back to a 70/30). Head holds itself too. Sour aroma remains, but tending to a more sweet note, sort of like a fruit chutney. (bet you never read something like that in a wine review, or possibly any other beer review)

It is sour, but not puckering up sour, and it’s somewhat refreshing on the palate. There is a lovely fruity base and plenty of carbonation to make this overall a pretty nice drink.  I liked the last sour beer in a strange change of pace kind of way, and this is as good as if not better than that.

They’re a bit similar and dis-similar at the same time, this appears to have it’s roots in a fruit beer that aims to be sour other then a straight up sour beer.  Fruity beer done punk rock. I like it.

The pdubyah-o-meter says 8 things in it’s scale, making it “very good” on the arbitrary scale of things. As a change of beers and as a exploration this is a nice find. It has many elements of other fruit typle beers and ciders. I’d easily go another

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May 18 2013

Beer – #170 – Garage Project – Aro Noir


Garage Project – Aro Noir – I’ve been looking forward to this - Brewed by Garage Project in the Style of a  Stout and they’re all about Wellington, New Zealand

Garage Project - Aro Noirfor those of you who don’t know Aro there is a light side and a dark side to the valley. For those of us on the dark side of the street it’s been a long dark winter. But salvation is nigh. The coming of Spring has brought the first teasing hints that the sun might come again to the Garage.

It’s pitch black and full flavoured but with a nice balance of hops and roast malt character. At its heart is English Maris Otter pale malt, with a touch of Crystal and a generous addition of Roast and Black malts. The hops are American, Chinook andSummit, creating a nice citric bitterness and aroma which marries nicely with the roast malt character. At 7.1% abv it’s rich but not heavy or cloying.

Yes, it is inspired by the darkness of a Wellington winter in Aro Valley, but truly it is a stout for all seasons.

A generous 650ml bottle of a 7% ABV beer – making it about 3.8 standard drink units, I’m unreasonably excited by the prospect of this. Madmess.

The cap-off aroma is of chocolates – It’s a tar black pour with a brown fluffy head that soon dies away. There seems to be a rich collection of aromas in the glass, but I get a lot of dark fruit.

And there is nothing you’re you’re not expecting in the taste, it’s full rich and a bit good.  There is smokey, there is coffee, there is a nice bitter front and a long warm finish. I would have liked less bitter up front, but that’s a pick not a complaint. There is enough each mouthful to make this very enjoyable.

The pdubyah-o-meter says 7.75 of it’s things, it could do with more body and for me a bit more malt sweet. The layers of taste are there but they could be there more.  It’s not to say that I wouldn’t over indulge with this on a night out, and that’d make the walk home a bit wobbly and longer than  expected. Fine stuff.

Oh and as an aside – this is post #500. I’m not sure what else I wrote about other than beer, I’ll make a note to review it some time.

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May 18 2013

Beer – #169 – Queenstown Brewers – 25oz Pilsner


Queenstown Brewers – 25oz Pilsner - Brewed by Queenstown Brewers in the style of a Pilsener and of course from Queenstown, New Zealand

Queenstown Brewers - Pilsner

330ml bottle of a 5% ABV beer (1.3 standard drink units) and 31 IBU things – Pilsner being 25-45 range

A crisp Kiwi style Pilsner made from premium NZ malt and hops. Not fined or filtered.

in1870, a 28oz gold nugget was found by the miners at One Mile Creek. They celebrated with barrels of beer…

it says.

Tang of hops on opening, Pale Golden pour with a nice headsworth of froth, the unmistakable lager  aroma. And passionfruit.

Grassy mouthfeel,  but it’s all up-front and doesn’t finish to much. I’m mildly disappointed in this, it seems, again, the brewer has settled for middle when they should be aiming higher. The pdubyah-o-meter says 6 things on its scale of things. Making this a beer that sits in a whole lot of other beers clamouring for attention that they don’t deserve.

I feel a bit mean and spiteful when I say there is not a lot of body, carry, or love in this. The brewer has two beers a brown one and a yellow one. Market covered. And they’re both a bit “emperors new clothes”  It’s a way short of any mark that would make it memorable or remarkable.

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May 18 2013

Beer – #168 – Queenstown Brewers – Steam Brew


Another new find - Queenstown Brewers – Steam Brew - Brewed by Queenstown Brewers in the Style of a California Common and not surprisingly they do this in Queenstown, New Zealand.

330ml bottle 5.9% ABV (around 1.3 standard drinks) and an IBU of 33 – which is low end English Bitter . Califonia Common - Style originating in 18th century California, where brewers without access to refrigeration produced beers using lager yeasts and warm temperatures. These still retain some of the rounded character inherent in all lagers, but with a dose of ale fruitiness.

Queenstown Brewesrs - Steam BrewDuring the Otago gold rush, miners brought with them a thirst for a beer that originated in the Californian goldfields called Steam. It was a highly charged brew that let off a good head of steam when the barrels were tapped. The brew had the smooth richness of lager, combined with the fruity bitterness of ale, much like the beer you are drinking now.

Bready yeasty aroma to kick off with.  It is a really nice brown colour beer, and has a decent head to go with it. Aroma on the pour moves more to hops.

This is decently bitter, but instantly I’m thinking it lacks body. There are grass notes on the palate, but there isn’t a lot of length in the taste to linger over it. There’s not a lot of swee under notes either. A bit one dimensional.

It is decently carbonated and as it sits for a bit the floral note is more evident. But it’s not really enough to move this forward. It is another new brewer doing something safe and middle-of-the-road, which for a commercial enterprise is dandy and fine. But this isn’t going to ring any bells and as a result the pdubyah-o-meter says that this is a middling 6 of it’s things on the scale of things.

If I’m in Queenstown again I’d be sure to look up the brewery and be in awe of the enterprise. This though as a beer is drinkable, enjoyable and would carry you a night of merriment and good company, but it wouldn’t be remembered for it’s presence. And that’s a pity.

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May 16 2013

Beer – #167 – Berthold Keller – Super Strength


Well this was a gift. A Can of beer. A Can!!! Berthold Keller – Super Strength - Brewed by Martens in the style of a  Strong Pale Lager/Imperial Pils and they’re in Bocholt, Belgium.

Berthold Keller - Super Strenght9% ABV 500ml can, being 3.6 Standard drinks of,  this is as far from craft as Noah’s Ark would be from an American Cup Yacht.

So A Belgium beer, which should rock my boat, but 9% ABV which will make my world spin.

And a can. I have to admit that the quality of beers in cans in NZ is lacking.

But I’m game so here goes…..  Sweet aroma on opening, pale golden yellow, lots of carbonation, but the head settles to a film and doesn’t hold, the aroma settles to a base malt. It’s really fizzy.

Now to be fair, I thought that initially this carries itself ok, there is that nice malty sweet taste, and a small kicker of alcohol at the end. But this is thin as rice paper, with no depth of flavour or carry. The after note of sour makes this slightly odd.

However I’ve had worse Belgium beers than this. What’s interesting is that you don’t get an overt indication that this is a very strong beer. But at the end of the day a lack of any taste means that there isn’t a lot to wrote home about.

The pdubyah-o-meter says 5.5 of it’s things of things, and I’m not overly unhappy. I really have had beer that’s been sold as being a thing, this comes in a can with no fanfare, and there is no downside to no marketing.  It’s not all bad, it’s just not a beer you might want your mates to see you drinking, as there appears to be no benefit or reason for the high ABV count other than “it just is” perhaps they have a different audience.

May 11 2013

Beer – #166 – Mountain Goat – Fancy Pants Amber Ale


Mountain Goat – Rare Breed – in this case the Fancy Pants Amber Ale.m a beer from ‘strayer. Brewed by Mountain Goat Beer in the unsurprising style of an Amber Ale and that’s in Richmond, Victoria, Australia, (West Island of NZ)

Right, firstly this is an Aussie Beer. Apart from Fosters, XXXX, VB, Carlton and Swan this is the first time I had an Aussie Beer, when not in Australia.

Mountain Goat - Fancy Pants Amber AleWe found some fresh hop flowers down the back of the couch the other day (in their little protective foil bags so they really were fresh), and we all said as one: “Fancy Pants.” Could we do it again? Easy said, only one way to find out. Long story short, its back: Fancy Pants Amber Ale. Stupid name, serious beer. We used Galaxy Flowers through our hop-back to give a full-on tropical fruit/spicey aroma. On top of alot of traditional ale malt we threw a liberal dose of crystal malt, a little wheat and fermented her warm with an American Ale yeast. It’s deep copper/amber with a full, rocky head. 5.2% alc/vol, 35 BU, served in the bar in our fanciest glass.

So 640ml bottle – in itself an odd size, 2.5 standard drink units at 5.3%ABV and with 35IBU this is a low bitter beer. This is part of their “Rare Breed” beers, the one-offs or the as the season takes their fancy.  It appealed because it’s label which is far to detailed and in far to small a font to read :-) , and because I’m a sucker for packaging.

The opening is promising of a hopiness that made me smile. Dark amber pour and well decent creamy fluffy head, the hopiness aroma in abundance. And it tastes ok. The low bitterness ins’t too worried by the malt sweetness that you have.  There’s a bunch of floral notes too, all very complimentary.

This is fair dinkum ok. If anything there is too much floral, but the hops and the malts are well balanced and that makes it ok by me.  It’s a very good bar beer.

Is it a spectacular beer? Not really. But it rings my bell (at least tonight ) The pdubyah-o-meter says 8.5 but wants to be 9, making it a good evening in my house. I hate to say it but if you were drinking this out you’d be easily persuaded to have another and one for the road, or two. A decent and happy session beer.

You know that thing where if you like Amber Ale and try this and don’t like it, I’d probably give you your money back, that. Of it’s kind and of this beer it’s pretty good.

It’s annoying both of high quality, and drinkability. It’s a shame that this is a limited edition, I’m sure there is a reason for that that I don’t have the inclination to follow.

If I was, in some parallel universe, brewing commercial quantities of beer, that would be a great strategy, but you could only do it from a solid base. Like many commercial craft beers Goat seems to be based around a micro-brewery pub. I’m glad they do enough to get a wider audience. at least to NZ.

A fantastic Aussie beer.And there I was thinking something else. Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi! Oi! Oi!  ’nuff said.

May 11 2013

Beer – #165 – 8 Wired – Grand Cru 2011


All Poshed up with this then : 8 Wired Grand Cru 2011  - Brewed by 8 Wired Brewing in the style of a : Abt/Quadrupel and as always that’s all happening in Blenheim, New Zealand

A Quadrupel!, actually  a Barrel Aged, Sour Quadruple - and I chose it by the label without reading it, a sucker for packaging. I probably would have brought it anyway had I thought it through. On the packaging all the labels are crinkly – they say because of deformed bottles – beauty is in the eye….

Sp an 11%ABV beer  in a 375ml bottle, thats 3 standard drinks worth.

8 Wired - Grand Cru 2011Aged for 16 months in Pinot Noir Barrels with Brettanomyces and Pediococcus.

Grand Cru started out as The Sultan. When we made this beer last year I filled 8 old Pinot Noir barrels and more or less forgot about it. The native bugs in the barrels kept fermenting the beer, making it slightly sour. To further enhance the funky character, I blended it with 2 barrels of a Flanders Red kinda thing, that has also been fermenting funky for about 18 months.

Which screams of  - to minimise a loss we’ve thrown something together – given it a fancy name, and an impressive looking label, and sell it for a goodly margin. At least they’re up-front. I’m not sure that this isn’t the whole ethos of 8 wired though – a bit of hit and hope. Unless I’m just being cruel for the sake of it.

Anyway.  Opening aroma is cider apple. It’s a murky cloudy pour, with an effort at a head but not a good one, the sour aroma remains. I guess it could be tannin wine? It settles to a red-wine nose though.

So it’s fizzy red-wine then. Or is it. It’s got a lot of what seems like cherry flavour. And it does have a wine background and nose, but does not carry the roughness of the tannin that get with some red wines.

This is at both times then a bit cranky and weird, but odd and comforting. It’s not a hard drink, and you’d forget that this is a strong beer, and being as how it’s a large serve you’ll soon be squiffy if you take it lightly.

The off-putting thing is the muddy cloudy colour, and to be honest I would have enjoyed more head, well to be honest any head.  The up-side is that this has an understated sourness, none of the tannin rough, no after burn from alcohol and is pretty tasty.

I can see how this might not please either a wine drinker or a beer drinker. It says Quadrupel, and it probably could say anything. I have to bow to their description.

The pdubyah-o-meter is confused as all heck, but seems that 8.5 is a good score. I like it but I don’t love it, It would a fantastic beer to crack out in a bar and impress your less well travelled companions, and as a gift to a wine drinker this might be something to consider.

Would I rush out an get another? Possibly not. Would it get better with age? It’s not a wine, it’s doubtful. Am I ashamed at dissing them with insinuations of hit and hope? A little, yes.

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May 10 2013

Beer – #164 – Geek – Coconut Porter


All in then on a Geek Coconut Porter- Brewed by Geek Beer in the style of a  Porter and they weave this magic in Windy Wellington, New Zealand

Never had a Geek beer – but couldn’t pass this one up. A 330ml bottle of a 6% ABV beer (1.6 Standard drinks), and at 30IBU this isn’t going to be too challenging middle range bitter.

Geek - Coconut PorterGeek Coconut Porter is a dark robust porter with a depth of flavour created from a wide range of carefully selected malts with the addition of toasted coconut. The intriguing aroma and rich chocolate flavour makes for a truly delicious beer. You could even say it’s Geekalicious.

Aroma on opening of desiccated coconut and of chocolate, it’s like confectionery.

Dark pour, no head, not even a hint of one, it’s almost dead flat calm, even though I know I could hear carbonation a happening. The Aroma remains a dark rich fruity base.

And a confusion of tastes follows. Mostly burnt fruit. But of coconut there is some, not all up in your face but you can hear it singing on the wings.

I’m betwixt and between on this, it seems like it should be heavier but it’s a bit thin on length. There is a magnificence of chocolates and fruits and coconuts, but  there could be more.

It’s ok, but they could all be turned up to 11, as it is though this lacks lenght, and turns into a rather sweet experience that might make it a longer drink than you’d like.

The pdubyah-o-meter after a first flush peters out to a rather disappointing 7 things on its scale of things. I would have liked more, I’m glad I came, and it won’t put me off another.

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May 3 2013

Beer – #163 – Garage Project – Red Rocks


Garage Project – Red Rocks - Brewed by Garage Project in the Style: Amber Ale in Wellington, New Zealand

All a bit special. 650ml bottle, 7.5% ABV – 3.6 Standard Drink units.

Garage Project - Red Rocks ReserveRed Rocks is a rich ruby red ale with loads of chewy malt character. There wasn’t a lot of restraint shown in the hopping of this beer. We had a fair bit of whole cone Nelson Sauvin hops in the fridge and they all went in. The end result is a nice balance of malt sweetness and bitterness, with some assertive hop aroma and flavour.

These guys party when they make beer, and well this was a bottle I couldn’t go past.

Big bang of hops on the aroma, rich dark brown pour, but a poor effort of head. The hop aroma isn’t fussy and just is, and it’s almost chocolate like, but that might be fanciful.

My mouth is a bit watering with expectation, and that a weird thing. OMG, this is a delightfully rich deep beer. There is a smash of malt sweets and a layer of hop bitter, and it’s like a party going on in my mouth! The hops are raw and grassy, the caramels are just on point, and the carbonation is lovely and mellow.

The hops get more prevalent as it sits, but they don’t carry a sourness or sour end with them, and they are carried well by the malts.

Love it a lot, the pdubyah-o-meter is 9.25th of a thing, it’s a bit good. Lovely balanced beer well put together.

’nuff said.

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May 3 2013

Beer – #162 – St Peters – Suffolk Gold


Change of pace again , this time to a St Peters Suffolk Gold in the style of a Premium Bitter/ESB - Brewed by St Peters (UK)  in Bungay, England

500ml bottle, 4.9%ABV,  2.45  Standard drinks. And the Bottle is a magnificent thing in itself.

St Peters - Suffolk Gold“Suffolk grown First Gold hops provide the bitterness and aroma for this well hopped premium beer. This is brewed with Suffolk malt to produce a full bodied ale with a lasting hop aroma”

And there’s me doing my best Wurzel Gummidge impression.

Because it’s a friday, and I am looking forward to this. Beer that is, not necessarily this beer.

English bitter aroma, golden brown pour, a bit cloudy, reasonable head. The aroma is light and faintly grassy hoppy, the taste is somewhat soft too, and there is a hop kick in a long tasting mouthful. Nice lacing too.

I like the hoppiness in this, they taste fairly green, but aren’t sharp or annoying, there is however not much else you can say. I’m sure there are malts but they all part of a thing and not individual players.

Pretty inoffensive and not a lot to write home about, the pdubyah-o-meter says a lazy 7 on this.   When you have a wide selection of bitters it’s not easy to be different or stand-out. This is a beer you could easily share with friends, and drink a lot of without getting all rowdy.

For a Friday it’s probably a good thing.