Beer – #493 – Tuatara – Act of God
Closing in on 500! Here we have Act of God, Class acts, Actual numbers and Acting the fool
What’s particularly notable is that this microbial intercession was totally unplanned. An Act of God if you will.
Act of God is a Sour Abby Ale – Brewed by Tuatara Brewing Company in the style that is: Spice/Herb/Vegetable, and they do that in Paraparaumu, New Zealand.
This is a 650 ml bottle, notable since it isn’t the normal Tuatara bottle with all the lumps and bumps but it has the familiar cap top holding back a beer of 7.6% Alcohol by volume and 3.84 standard drink units. The bottle would be 420 calories give or take.
Tuatara Act of God – Brewing is an organic and uncertain process in which brewers are not the only primitive life forms involved.
Hand of Phil…
As well as the usual yeast in this rich, apricot-tinged biere de garde, a delicious creamy sour note has been struck by a bit of wild fermentation in the bottle.
What’s particularly notable is that this microbial intercession was totally unplanned. An Act of God if you will.
Like most things organised by the Almighty, this one is for keeps, so feel free to cellar it for as long as you can stand the suspense.
So, not being able to hold back I’m all in.
Sour aroma of course, cider-like, of course. Darker than I expected, decent head that is brownish white. It fades. It is terribly sour. Who is surprised?
But underneath there is and are signs of what this might have supposed to have been. Seems there is a decent maltiness, and that gives it some sweetness that wasn’t unwelcome.
It clearly is a mixed bag. I get that candied sugary sense on the after-taste, toffee like.
I can guess that as a biere de garde it would have been quite interesting, and I can see how they suggest might cellaring could help it fill out and blossom.
As it is though It’s a fairly sharp and not unpleasant drinking beer. I think that this should be best enjoyed in the mid afternoon, perhaps with some snack or accompanying food because this seems to be a beer for sitting around and chatting by, certainly not a quaffing beer in this format.
So a bit home-brew gone wrong if I was to have made this myself, and fair cop Tuatara called themselves on it and instead of trashing this they’ve rescued it and given us a chance at a once off. Nothing hidden.
I’ve had beers in the past that have clearly been ‘wrong’ and have been given a new label, or name, not in keeping with the brewer tradition. You know “Brewers fancy” or even worse.
I didn’t find anything undrinkable about this, and there might be some merit in setting this aside to develop more, as if I have the patience.
The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 8 a of its things from the thing.
The double dip review
- Am I enjoying it? Yes I’m impressed that this was as good as it was.
- Would I have another? I would on a sunny day, or if someone has patience and wants to crack one out in a year? Any takers?
- Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? I would so. This is a pleasant supping beer, pass the chips.
Musically I was torn but ended up with something half decent. This is a band “Glass Owls” and a song called “Tired of the Internet” and as a bonus it features Wayne Anderson – the Singer of Songs! So a New Zealand band with a New Zealand thing going on, Glass Owls, an alternative-pop foursome from Auckland. Find them on Bandcamp
As a Bonus here is Wayne Anderson, the 4th best singer in NZ. Knock yourself out and enjoy it.
SPICE/HERB/VEGETABLE
Any ale or lager made with herbs, spices or vegetables. The additive should be distinctive in the aroma. See beer description for flavor. Body, color, hop character and strength vary depending on the type of spice, herb or vegetable used.
