What are you drinking ?

[jt]

Ok, so What Are You Brewing was a hotty, as topics go.

Now I'm 15 pints into a keg I only filled on Tuesday and wondering if anyone else has a favourite at the moment ?

It's my second brown with US-Oh05 and it's better than the forst, maybe Ikept the temps down a bit during the scorcher we had in januray

[Reviled]

Went to Hallertau on Monday for lunch and sadly weas met with the flu afterwards so havnt been able to post this...

BUT - Get in there guys, on Monday there was not only Maximus and Summit IPA, but Oak aged Armageddon too, oh my!! So awesome to have all 3 on side by side!!

[Martin Bridges]

My wife went to Sydney recently so I asked her to bring me back some new-wave craft beers. She didn't have a lot of time so just popped into a Dan Murphy's and picked me up 2 bottles each of 3 beers. Notes here from my Ratebeer writeups:

Murray's Nirvana Pale Ale: Rich gold colour, creamy head which persists very well. Really appetizing looking beer. Some malt on the aroma with a little fruity hop. Light malty hit, then cleansing bitterness. English in style, so more balanced rather than hop driven. An excellent food beer I would think. Not overly complex though, so nothing outstanding.

Mountain Goat Steam Ale: Pale gold with a tight white head. Subtle aroma. Palate has strong hints of honey and citrus. I’d guess Golden Promise organic malt and some form of Goldings hops. Very drinkable.

Redoak Organic Pale Ale: Lovely colour. Aroma slightly floral. Excellent quenching ale - malt & hops well-balanced, very dry, almost tart finish. Would go really well with food, but would also be an excellent session beer.

Overall, all very drinkable beers but nothing to blow my socks off.

[Bambule]

Your having a very good week on the beer front Martin. I can't hide my jealousy. I'm slightly bitter today having missed the Emersons tasting last night.

[Stu McKinlay]

Some recent beers:

Emerson's JP 2010 - fantastic. I have one little problem with this beer, otherwise it could well be the best NZ brewed beer I've had this year... I won't say as I'm interested to see if anyone else thinks the same.

Epic Thornbridge Stout - ok... but not something I'd go back for much at that price. I'm really looking forward to the oak-aged version though. Coming out very soon, I think.

Regionals/Emerson's RSB - wow, a US-Belgian-ESB. Strong, red, warming, bready, with a nice balanced hop finish. Well drinkable. It may have actually been a bit over the top with an English yeast and that malt profile.

Emerson's Oreti Red - "strawberries!" - the same problem I've had with all my homebrew reds and with 8 Wired Red Dwarf. Tasted great for the first half pint and then I struggled to finish the quart rigger.

Had a sample of a Golden Bear Tripel or Strong Golden (750ml bottle)... had potential but is a bit young at the moment.

[Phil]

I had a pint of the Emersons Oreti Red at Hashigo the other night, and was so impressed I went back for another straight away. I thought it was fantastic!
I wonder if now that I've got the 'strawberry' thing in my head it will start to taste like that to me? That happened with the Spruce Beer from Wigram. I used to love it, and then someone mentioned the taste of meat, and bugger me if next time I had it it was all I could focus on. The mind is a terrible thing to use sometimes...

[Sam Possenniskie (TGM)]

Emerson's JP 2010 - fantastic. I have one little problem with this beer, otherwise it could well be the best NZ brewed beer I've had this year... I won't say as I'm interested to see if anyone else thinks the same.

you didn't brew it?

[Stu McKinlay]

No. but it is good enough for me to wish it was mine.

[Mike Neilson]

Strawberries = Melanoids = Munich Malt

[Stu McKinlay]

NZ hops plus Caramel malts = strawberry, I reckon.
I've had a big problem with Motueka especially... I can't get anything between gold and black to taste good with the old B in it.

[Mike Neilson]

Its probably true as well but I brewed that Fuck you bastard Imperial Red IPA again with 15% Munich Malt in it straight after the last one that you tried, as it was pretty good. Exactly the same apart from the Munich and that was the only change, It had a huge strawberry flavour to it that I could only put down to munich, I dont know if any of your other beers or the one you brewed had it in it but I find if I add it in bingo its there. I also read this by Kelly Ryan in Lukes blog

Luke weaved his malty magic and a backbone of British Maris Otter was accompanied by copious amounts of Munich malt to add a layer of caramel (and sometimes even strawberry-like)

[Greig McGill]

The tiny problem? Complete waste of Belgian yeast! I just don't get the Belgian influence. It's an amazingly good IPA though!

[Stu McKinlay]

No.