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

[Greig McGill]

B&T rocked. All of the beers rocked.

[Raffe]

Bob's, Bob's, Porter, Bob's. The last Bob's after the porter was the best - I guess it was the contrast.

[Reviled]

"The last Bob's after the porter was the best - I guess it was the contrast."

Or the alcohol doing its job ;o) lol

[jt]

You boys gone all limp on Riwaka now ?

Thought you were all bouncing about on metre long prongs about it not long ago.

So who's throwing their's in the compost, or putting it on trademe cheap to get rid of if then .. or are we waiting for a spate of Burnt Fat Tire Clones ?

[jt]

Drinking ?
Mostly from bottled stock at the moment - I need some bottles for the two brews last weekend - bottling next weekend - gotta keep my hands off the taps ...

[Matthew]

Had the arvo off so sheltered from the southerly for a bit at the malthouse. Bookbinder for starters then shared a Green Flash Le Freak. Freakin' Awesome beer! Big American IIPA with belgian yeast. So, imagine a IIPA-Trippel. Big resiny citrus with a malty bready, dry-as-a-bone finish.

Just cracked my first bottle of home made pear and apple cider. Homegrown pears with a mix of a couple fruit juices. Very apple to begin with but you get the pear afterward. Fruity up front but it does seem to disappear quickly at the end. Not fussed though, I'm just stoked I made my own cider.

[Ally Mcg]

Tonight some Townshend Lager. Tasty little drop, nicely malty with a hint of juicy fruit sweetness.

Now onto 8 wireds Red Dwarf.


Quiet night on the sauce with a 1st v 3rd tomorrow at football. The proverbial 6 pointer.

[Michael]

The Red Dwarf sounds like it will be good!

[Pilgrim]

Birthday today. Thanks to those who sent me Birthday best wishes.

I always take Annual Leave on my birthday and potter in the shed. No plan, that way I can't end the day dissapointed that I didn't achieve anything. If I do then that's great, if I didn't then that's great too.

Made a couple of outrigger arms for the brew tower so it doesn't topple over when I swing the crane out with 6Kg of wet soggy grain into the bucket (nearly wore the whole lot once).

Anyway, made it to the Celtic Arms by 3:40 this afternoon and Caroline and the girls had a card, some balloons and a bottle of Black Duck Porter waiting for me. Kisses all round and a few more Ducks and a couple of Guinesses (or is that Guinni).

My daughter bought me a bottle each of Young's Double Chocolate Stout, Wychwood Hobgoblin and Wadworth's 'The Bishop's Tipple'. I shall enjoy one or more tonight.

[Michael]

Renaissance Porter Ale

This is a good tasting beer. The 'roastiness' is balanced nicely with the hops. However, it does seem a bit over-carbonated. I try pouring this into a pint glass, and half of the glass is a head, with half of the beer still sitting in the bottle.

It is a tough life, but somehow I will manage to drink this. ;)

[Michael]

ok...so this is a Renaissance Brewery night for me...

I am here to say that if anyone ever tells me the NZ does not have good beer, they are full of crap! I have had some excellent beers here, and these beers from Renaissance are no exception!

Earlier I had the Porter, which was a bit over carbonated, but tasty. Followed that with an Imperial IPA, and finally, a Stonecutter Scotch Ale to end the session. (Over many hours so not to get too pissed.)

The Imperial IPA was down right tasty, and although it was edging up on the higher alcohol side, it still did not have too much of an alcoholic taste, and was nicely balanced.

This Scotch Ale is damn good! I am enjoying this beer, and it is even better having eaten a small bit of chocolate.

Guys, this is a good night, and I recommend this Scotch Ale. You should also give the other two a taste if you have not. I like them quite a bit.

[Stu McKinlay]

Some of my favourite beers of the week, all from the tap unless mentioned:

Mountain Goat Surefoot Stout
Feral Hop Hog
Feral Ragin' Flem
Feral Dark Funk
Mikkeller Single Hop Amarillo IPA
Wicked Elf Wit (330ml bottle)
Kaimai Porter's Rye Ale
Bridge Road Saison (750ml bottle)
Bridge Road Galaxy
Red Oak IPA
Stone and Wood Draught
Red Hill Harvest Ale (bottle - gushed a little, which made me nervous, but then wow!)
Holgate Temptress Porter (330ml bottle)
Little Creature's Roger's Beer

Stumbled into a Porters/Stout homebrew comp (a lot like WBC) in the Darlinghurst Local Taphouse on Tuesday night... tried quite a few FES and Imperial Stouts. A couple of really cracking ones. Magnificent timing! Met some really cool homebrewers there. A must see pub if you are ever in Sydney. Only $10 in a cab to get there from Red Oak in the CBD (and, the bonus, the guy I was staying with lived 50m away!).


Overall the beer scene is very impressive, especially the selection in little bars/cafes. There is a lot going on there and some very very good beers, though the quality of the bottled product seems to have a long way to go. the same beers on tap are unrecognisably better. Great people everywhere I went and the Melbourne weather was perfect.


Some excellent results from the kiwi beers at the awards and it was exciting to have PKB on tap ni central Melbourne! [shame we didn't take a tap badge!! :-( ]