I called it a "historical NZ draught" - so it's a bit too malty, estery and hoppy. most people wouldn't care if it was pitched to them as a draught though, it's still a session beer and not a knock your socks off strong hoppy pale ale.
I agree, it's worth a look for anyone into that kind of beer (in the chiller at Regionals it is on the top of the shelf on right as you walk in).
I receive a google news alert on Yeastie Boys... it was this that actually triggered my memory on what a nice beer it was with this article (it's easy to forget about a beer when it is not in your face much - there's a few nice ones hidden in the chiller at Regionals).
Yeh, as I've always said there is a fine line between styles. Ordianry bitter, mild, American amber can all read and taste as boring as NZ draught... But the best examples of them all are things to behold. The same can't really be said about NZ draught can it? Though I did have a couple of glasses of Totara Draught the other day and really enjoyed it.
Of course we do our utmost to sell different beers Stu - it's the business we're in :-)
The fact is those drinkers I'm talking about are fairly impervious to any suggestion - and that's the attitude that I was describing as being "a kiwi thing".
Standard beers are cheaper too - many have actaully taken umbidge at any suggestion of "trading up".
I've been hearing a lot about the "NZ Draught" Style of beer. The style name doesn't really make a lot of sense to me, how can you have a bottle of NZ Draught?
I suspect there is a historical reason for this, can anyone put me out of my misery by explaining how the name of the style NZ Draught came about?
Mr C, I'd love to know the answer to that as well! When I left the US to come here 12 years ago, my old man's favourite at the time was Miller Genuine Draft (Draught)... only served then in a bottle... hmmmm. Then I came here and found that nearly ever beer was called a 'draught'... Ya just can't escape it! So yea, what exactly is an 'NZ Draught'??
It's all about draught fresh flavour in a bottle, or course!
or 'draft fresh flavor in a bottle' if you are of that spelling persusion.
Here's the commercial style guideline (in WBC style) and the homebrew style guideline (in BJCP style). The SOBA homebrew one tends to look a little wider to me, as though to incorporate some of the microbrewed 'nz draughts'.