Beer – #1,100 – Rhyme & Reason – The Usual

1,100 posts and It has been a while since I posted as Beer & Me, in a numbered order, the #herevana posts, of which there are at least 125, sort of took over. So here I am 8 weeks between haircuts, making a long post that includes me on a short video. It’s also a day for vinyl and not that Spotify stuff. And I’ve good Cheese and Crackers and all the other fixings. What a day.

Rhyme & Reason in Wanaka got a word that I had become enamoured of Coffee infused beers recently, (you can check out my work at Hoppiness.co.nz) and they’ve gone out of their way to find my address and have sent me unbidden ‘The Usual’. A Red IPA that is Coffee infused. There’s also a branded glass, so I feel a bit like I’m there in the pub and also a bit like a VIP. I’ve had coffee IPA beer before, so imagine my amazement – someone has upped the game and made a Red IPA version. A Beautiful Madness?

dark chocolate and 24 hour raves.

I have had at least 6 of the beers from Rhyme & Reason Brewery in the past, The ones I’ve had I’ve rated highly, but to be honest I’ve not posted about them before. I did some research (that is I looked on the apps) and I can see a few that seem very wanty and I shall be looking to get some more. I guess there is only such much space on shelves at the local stores.

The Usual comes in a 400ml can, so at the 6% ABV this would be 2.1 standard drinks in NZ.

Rhyme & Reason Brewery make the Rhyme & Reason ‘The Usual’ in Wanaka, Otago, 🇳🇿  New Zealand in the style that is a IPA – Red

Introducing your new favorite vice: a Coffee-Infused Red IPA brewed in collaboration with Wanakup, a Wanaka nonprofit changing the approach to single use waste in hospitality, and Peoples Coffee.

Pairs great with dark chocolate and 24 hour raves.

Hops: Wai-iti, Sabro
Coffee: Peoples Coffee Guatemalan and Teddesse single-origin roasts.

A portion of the proceeds from this beer will be donated to Wanakup Environmental Organisation

Brewers Notes

So, What could possibly go wrong?

There doesn’t seem to be anything special on the nose when you crack that can open.

Lovely caramel colour pour, into an exact sized glass, what are the chances 🙂 A lovely light malty coffee head on top. It is a beer to make you smile on looks alone.

The coffee aroma gets legs too, not loud or raucous but it is there.

Well now. There’s a bit of a competition to be first; Coffee, because you’re expecting it, but a presence of malts and a lovely bitterness all vying to be he one.

The coffee is that low green earthy raw that you’re likely to get from cold-brew, and I like that, Cold-brew is underestimated, and reminds me now that I should make some. Anyway the coffee is present on the nose as you lift to sip, a strange forewarning on what’s to follow.

Each sup is slight different and uncovered something different each time. As it warms the coffee gets more legs, and for a moment you can forget that it’s a beer, that it is the afternoon and not morning smoko.

There’s quite a depth in this, or quite a bit hidden behind that coffee veil, I know it is a beer, and there are some things you expect in a beer that are or are almost always there if you look for the, no so the case here, the coffee is the showcase. The Supporting act though, that Red IPA, is clever by itself I recon.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 9 of its things from the thing. A quite outlandish idea, putting coffee in an IPA, although not new, but coffee in a Red IPA, where you’ve added a bunch more malts and the inherent toffee or caramel that they bring is quite bold. It shouldn’t be this good, it just is..

The double dip review

• Where did I get it? This was an unsolicited gift from the brewers at Rhyme & Reason Brewery
• Am I enjoying it? I am, there’s a lovely aroma each sup, and a lovely ride of beer that follows
• Would I have another? I do have another! It’s not going to make the end of side 6 of the vinyl album
• Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? You’d have to. This is a beer that looks like a standard beer, lovely beer golden brown, yet it has the aroma of coffee. And then it has the taste of coffee but with some of the beer things that you’d hope for in an IPA. I dare you not to try it, you might not like it but it most definitely is a thing.

Music for this:  Well I’m playing the Vinyl of : Led Zeppelin – Celebration Day. I don’t play this enough, today is a good day.

IPA – Red

The Red India Pale Ale (IPA), or India Red Ale, is reddish-amber to dark reddish-copper colored, hoppy, bitter, and moderately strong like an American IPA, but with some caramel, toffee, and/or dark fruit malt character. Retaining the dryish finish and lean body that makes IPAs so drinkable, a Red IPA is a little more flavorful and malty than an American IPA without being sweet or heavy. A Red IPA will differ from an American IPA with the addition of some darker malts giving a slightly sweeter, more caramelly and dark fruit-based balance. A Red IPA differs from an American Strong Ale in that the malt profile is less intense and there is less body. It still has an IPA balance and doesn’t trend towards a barleywine-like malt character. It is also like a stronger, hoppier American Amber Ale, with the characteristic dry finish, medium-light body, and strong late hop character. “Imperial” and “Session” variants are generally closer-related to the base substyle and should be listed with them.