Beer – #406 – Garage Project – Pan Pacific

From a brewer that is increasing it’s styles and beers daily it seems – this is Garage Project and their beer Pan Pacific

Brewed by Garage Project this is in the style that is an Amber Ale and they are in Wellington, New Zealand

650ml bottle of a beer that is 6% ABV – 180 calories a serve, and 3.08 standard drink units in this .

Pan Pacific is brewed with golden syrup, suggestively named Golden Naked Oats and a combination of New Zealand Motueka and Australian Galaxy hops.

Pan Pacific is a rich red amber, with generous malt and fruit hop character, and a subtle hint of toasted coconut at the end of the palate. It’s a brew to meet the arrival of Autumn, with nice body and character with just a hint of warmer climes.

Originally inspired by the humble ANZAC biscuit, Pan Pacific is brewed with golden syrup, suggestively named Golden Naked Oats and a combination of New Zealand Motueka and Australian Galaxy hops. It was originally released as a 20 litre cask at the first Pacific Beer festival with a name acknowledging the biscuit which inspired it. Interesting fact – it’s actually illegal to use the word ANZAC in the name of any product other than ANZAC biscuits (which can’t be called cookies). Who knew?

This latest big batch brew has an addition of toasted coconut and a new name acknowledging its pacific ingredients. Pan Pacific is a rich red amber, with generous malt and fruit hop character, and a subtle hint of toasted coconut at the end of the palate. It’s a brew to meet the arrival of Autumn, with nice body and character with just a hint of warmer climes.

Come fly with us.

Now I like an Anzac Biscuit and so I’m looking forward to this

I finally got around to drinking this, which sounds like I’ve even drunk a lot recently, or that I’ve been abstaining. Neither of which is true. It’s always nice to have a beer that suits your mood, or is in a style that you can lead from or go to. I don’t have a lot of similar beers though so this is jumping off point.

Only a faint yeasty aroma on opening, almost like a typical English beer, bready yeast.

Pours dark chestnut brown with a fluffy head that’s persistent.

Tastes almost like an English beer too. Although to be fair this has more bite from the hops than you’d get which is its saving grace.

Golden Syrup – No

Toasted Coconut – No

That in itself is a major let down from such a good brewer, although you can’t like each and every beer they produce, and they have had a couple of swings and misses. Not often.

This though is a bit of a swing and miss.

It isn’t a horrible beer for that though, it just does not deliver what is on the label and then in your head as an expectation.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 6 a of its things from the thing. Terribly disappointing and frankly a bit average. I’m reminded of more a golden ale style, it would be fairly standard ‘tap’ beer in a bar.

The double dip review

Am I enjoying it? It isn’t all that bad a beer, so yes.
Would I have another? No. I have better beers to drink.
Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? It would be ok to share but not to ponder over.

Popular with Martin Gore & David Sylvian fans, I’m listening to “Alien Skin” the band ; this is “Simon & Garfunkel”.

Not totally sure I’m down with it though, you might have find them on Spotify.

Amber Ale

A style without definition, amber ales range from bland, vaguely caramelly beers to products with a fairly healthy malt and hop balance. Often the differentiation between a quality amber and an American Pale is that the amber might have more dark malt character, or a less assertive hop rate.

American Amber / Red Ale:

Primarily a catch all for any beer less than a Dark Ale in color, ranging from amber (duh) to deep red hues. This style of beer tends to focus on the malts, but hop character can range from low to high. Expect a balanced beer, with toasted malt characters and a light fruitiness in most examples. The range can run from a basic ale, to American brewers who brew faux-Oktoberfest style beers that are actually ales instead of lagers