Beer – #1028 – Kereru – Paloma
A Barley Wine, this one a New Zealand version, the 2017 vintage Kereru Paloma – Treat it like a port or red wine and serve it in an elegant glass – which may or may not happen of course, the beer is fresh from the fridge and whist I have no doubts that the advice is sage and accurate I’m doubtful that I could let a beer get to a room temperature and enjoy it. The equally dubious in me also thinks I’d rather have seen it presented more as a wine and not in the familiar and normal beer style packaging. Like the Garage Project Pas de Deux I had recently
Do not serve cold!
Kereru Paloma is a 500ml bottle of a beer that is 14.3% ABV and 60 IBU things, which is around the 439 calories a serve size, this is 5.6 standard drinks in NZ. This is bottle 73sqiggle of 1560 so mid-batch
These unique casks have a great story to tell and amazing flavours to contribute to the beer.
Meant to be sipped and shared with a friend. Production will be limited to a few batches and then the casks will be all gone.
I sense the grace and feel the magic in your touch
This deep amber strong ale was aged more than 10 months in unique whisky casks that held very special NZ single malt whisky for more than 8 years. The casks have a great story to tell and amazing flavours to contribute to the beer. The casks (French and American Oak) originally held red wines from Mills Reef in NZ and then created the special Double-Wood/Oamaruvian releases from the NZ Whisky Co. The resulting beer is rich, nutty, and smooth with notes of dried fruits, raisins, Christmas cake, and tawny port.
There were a very limited number of NZ Whiskey Co. barrels, and we can coax the whiskey character out of a barrel and into a beer only once. After that, the barrel may offer oak flavour, but the whiskey character is essentially lost. Each bottle is hand numbered. The 2017 release is available. Annual releases are planned for 2018 – 2020 and supply is very, very limited.
Count yourself fortunate if you are lucky enough to get your hands on some of these bottles. It is a unique experience which can’t be repeated and the beer will age gracefully for years. We expect the sweet spot to be around 3-5 years.
Do not serve cold! Treat it like a port or red wine and serve it in an elegant glass.
Get it while you can!
So, What could possibly go wrong?
That’s quite a bold aroma, rich deep, steeped fruits, the familiar Christmas pudding thing, Pour is a muddy murky deep brown rather than a deep red, and there is of course no head, it sits moodily in the glass, not the most appetising of things that I’ve ever seen.
The aroma in the glass is quite rich though, and that brought that smile back.
The taste is fantastic, rich full and there’s a heat at the finish to keep you from wandering off in a blissful haze.
As it warms, because I’m being good and letting it breathe and settle it become even more intense and full, that body richness really ballooning out and that lingering heat pricking away at the back of the throat. It’s a lot of beer to enjoy.
I recon given the patience that is cellaring that this really would kick on and become quite outstanding. It’s almost already at the legendary status, and I’m torn between this being a 9 or a 10. I’m reluctant because it’s not a pretty beer when you pour it, but it has all the other things that make is properly nice.
There’s nothing I can say that’s worse than it looks a big ‘meh’ when you pour it, but that is the style, the original and best hazy beer 🙂 I really do like that alcohol heat at the back, it’s pleasing and pleasant and not intrusive or astringent and sharp, it’s just there being warm. I like the aroma, it’s big enough to be there every time you want to have a quick sniff, and each mouth-sip is a full and rewarding experience.
Finally, there is some unintentional irony in the choice of music “Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost”, where I think that saving this for cellaring would have been a tremendous gain. And that’s all I’ve got, I’m here all week thank you folks….. goodnight.
The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 10 of its things from the thing. I like Barley Wine beers, and I particularly like the New Zealand versions as they are difficult to make, rare, time consuming but generally pretty good, this is the first two of those things and not only it is pretty good it is, in my opinion, rather excellent.
The double dip review
- Where did I get it? The local Liquorland had some, it’s been in the fridge a while
- Am I enjoying it? Yes this is lovely, quite lovely
- Would I have another? Yes
- Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Yes it is outstanding, and a small glass of this is worth a thousand words.
Music for this: ”Part 1 Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost by Foals on the Spotify player
Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 1 is the fifth studio album by British band Foals, released on 8 March 2019
BARLEY WINE
A Barley Wine is a strong, top-fermenting ale, with an alcohol contents of at least 9% and up to 13% (or more) by volume. Hops may be hardly noticeable at all or very noticeable. Sip them out of the special glass, that will concentrate the aroma. They are excellent with cigars or with dessert.
A life just as ordinary 