Beer – #70 – Yeastie Boys – Motueka Raven

Yeastie Boys Motueka Raven, a small 330ml bottle of a 6.5% ABV beer.

Yeastie Boys, this one brewed at the Invercargill Brewery, in the style of a Black IPA, and Yeastie Boys are based in Wellington, New Zealand.

“This sumptuous beer should satisfy all of your beer related desires. Dark enough to take to bed and read a book with, yet hoppy enough to show off at your mates party. Try it alongside Liberty Brewing’s counterpart: Yakima Raven and decide for yourself if you prefer this NZ hopped beer, or if Liberty can suade you to the dark side with their US hopped edition”

So a big sell on the label for this one. And being a bit of a blustery day outside this might be something to distract from the storm.

Unsurprised by the hop aroma, It doesn’t look “black” when pouring but in the glass it is. Not pitch black mind, but it is at the darker end of the scale. Decent head too. You know from my previous rantings that a head often evades me.

It’s kind of bitter, bitter bitter, and that’s a storm on the tongue that might be masking other flavours, but for it’s bitterness it has an inversely nice mouthfeel, sort of creamy. I don’t know.

I’m not having any difficulty in drinking this, which can mean one of a number of things.

I’m thirsty
This has a palate that I’m finding compatible and moorish
There is no taste and it’s inoffensive

Well 2 out of three, the aroma of hops, and the palate are mild, inoffensive and don’t offer any challenge or real longevity on the taste.

I’d like to be arbitrarily more generous but this scratches a 7 from 10 on the pdubyah-o-meter because it can, not because it is. It’d stand being next to a food of strong character in my opinion, but all I can stretch too are some plain crisps, and they’re not compatible.