Beer – #575 – Harrington’s – Ngahere Gold
Ngahere Gold – Heller Bock? Strong Lager? Golden Lager? Euro Strong Lager? Going with the brewer here and their label of “Strong Lager’ then, but if you look around you’ll see confusion.
In the rest of this post then possibly a German beer, some German precision music, precision numbers and just a party.
To be drunk with moderation!!
This is a 500 ml bottle of a beer that is 7.2% ABV, and that would be 216 calories a serve, 30 IBU and 2.8 standard drink units.
Brewed by Harringtons Breweries (Christchurch) in the style that is perhaps Strong Pale Lager/Imperial Pils or Heller Bock and that’s done in Christchurch, New Zealand
A thumb not some weird ear growth
A strong lager brewed with locally sourced pilsner malts using Canterbury’s purest artesian water and Nelson’s finest hops.
A Holy trinity of ingredients creating a lager of international quality for Godzone enjoyment
What could go wrong? So the same Lager 3 ways, 4 ways? Anyway a beer in the ‘strong’ ABV range of strong. But I can’t shake the idea I’ve had this beer in different forms from this brewer already.
Bready yeasty aroma on opening. Nothing particular.
A really pale pour, with a small but fluffy persistent head. The aroma reminds me of “everyman” beer, lots of malt.
Taste is interesting, somewhat more fruity than I would have expected, but otherwise this really seems to be leaning on the malt content for flavour, and perhaps the higher ABV.
At this point I realise that I might have over-reached the drink all the beers from a brewer thing. I don’t know that drinking the all the lager styles in one go does anyone any favours, I’m confused between the difference in the various ‘lager’ styles. It might be my problem.
This might have been a Heller Bock except it’s way to pale, and it for sure is a well malted beer. It has had confusion in it’s lifetime with a couple of different styles tagged to it.
Things are are good: Pour is nice, looks ok, come lacing in the glass. Things not so good: a bit too sweet, and a general lack of hop flavours.
The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 5 a of its things from the thing. I really wanted something more, something that didn’t taste like Euro-Lager. But if I had wanted something strong and likely to get me to dance to random ’70’s music wearing a tank top then this might have been the thing, if that was the measure of the beer I was drinking then a lot more random arbitrary pdubyah points.
The double dip review
- Am I enjoying it? No, I thought (and that’s where the problem started) that this was something else/better.
- Would I have another? No.
- Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? No.
Strong Pale Lager/Imperial Pils
Most commonly found in Poland, but also in other European countries as well, especially the East. These are essentially stronger versions of pilsners, though the increased malt and alcohol will noticeably reduce the hop accent. Because these are usually all-malt, and comfortably hopped, they are easily distinguishable from malt liquors. Without the malt character of bocks, these are worthy of a style all their own. In the US, a similar idea has been derived and is usually called Imperial Pilsner.
HELLER BOCK
The Heller Bock is primarily a malty beer from the German brewing tradition with little hop character – neither bitter nor aromatic – though the style typically has a little more hops than the standard Bock. The color is golden to light brown or amber. They should normally pour with a substantial white head. All examples are pale and clear.
A life just as ordinary 
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Please find me a nice easy to drink lager (over 7%) available in New Zealand and im there for a a taste test!
Thought the Ngahere was pretty good but, keen to try one of these other lagers. Hope there’s something else readily available in NZ.
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