Beer #190 – Deep Creek Brewery – Little Armoured One

Deep Creek Brewery, Browns Bay, a hop skip and a jump from home, This their “Little Armoured One” in the Style of an Amber Ale , or American Amber Ale brewed by Deep Creek Brewing Co , Browns Bay Auckland, New Zealand

I’ve had this many times on Tap, I even have a a “Creeker Card” loyalty program card there. But it’s fair that since it’s in bottles I take some time to really say what I think.

So, a 5.7%ABV beer in a 500ml bottle, (pint) which is about 2.3 Standard drinks

American Amber Ales were born in innovative microbreweries on America’s West Coast. They set out to recreate English style Bitter and Pale Ale beers. Their success was an amber coloured ale, with a caramel, malty flavour, complemented by a strong hop character. Frequent additions of Amarillo hops provide the inspiration for the beer named after the Armadillo, a mischievous and tough little creature who could easily be mistaken for looking like the hop cones. A challenge for the senses; intense floral aroma complimented by a toffee malt character.

There was much more head then this before, I drank a little then topped it up, Still excitable

There’s not much by way of aroma on opening, I was expecting a hoppy burst perhaps, Overly carbonated 1/3 head 2/3 beer in the glass, but it is a firm head. The beer is a dark brown colour, darker than I remember, perhaps pub lights are different. There is a faint aroma of hops.

The taste though, banging!, Lovely balance of malts and bitter with a nice twang, just like being in the pub :-).

From the bottle this is every bit as nice as from the tap. There is a nice richness in the malts that draws you back for more. The bitterness is subtle enough that you know you’re drinking a bitter beer but it’s not all pucker up and squint.

What I don’t get is “Floral” and I wouldn’t say this was “Amber” in colour, unless I’ve been doing traffic lights all wrong all these years.

The pdubyah-o-meter likes this truly local (to me) beer, the equal of many that I’ve drunk from much more experienced and know brewers. It’s swings to an 8.5 on the random scale of things, making it somewhere between very good and great.

It might be over-carbonated and that fizzy distracts you from the game. As it warms in the glass it begins to get into it stride, the stride being your steps back to the bar for another very rewarding and tasty beer. A very well balanced session beer, and if you’re ever in the mood for a craft brewer who is literally on the beach, and offers a menu of great food, and a lively atmosphere, then go on do yourself a favour. And if you do let me know, the first one will be on me.