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

[Martin Bridges]

Likewise.

 

This should probably be in another thread, but the news from the brewing community in ChCh so far is as follows:

Three Boys - Ralph is OK but the brewery is (in his words) "f***ed"

Twisted Hop - Martin & team are OK but the building is damaged

Pomeroys - Ava and the team are OK but the pub is badly damaged

BeerNZ - seem to be OK

JamesP - got a text from him saying he was OK, work was damaged, he was trying to get home

Soren was in ChCh today but he and family are OK

 

Sorry for any I've missed, my head is somewhat scrambled. I really feel for them all tonight.

[Rhyno]

Yeah terrible news, seeing the footage on the news of where I grew up in ruins is heartbreaking.

Looks like I will be heading down there to be with my family when the airport opens. And I was so looking forward to the next time I was in ChCh of being able to have a drink at the above mentioned bars. Have heard you boys talk so much about them.

Well at least they are ok is the main thing

[Greig McGill]

I've posted an update of everything I know at http://bit.ly/fmmNCq - I'll keep this updated as I hear more.

[Stu McKinlay]

David Cryer was also in Chch. Word is that he is also ok.

 

And the lads from Deflux, who do a lot of web work with brewers, are ok too. Their office is right next to the CTV building so they're feeling very lucky but obviously quite upset.

[jt]

Drinking last Sunday - North Welly beers on a fine warm day, thankfully in the shade at Chris'

The beast made an appearance and crushed Matthews grainbill for his North West Welly Ale brewed Wednesday just gone

Noteablely absent were sausage rolls - could've been the warm weather - but then there were spring rolls and chilli sauce

Anyway, drinking Matthews Nano - 3%. I'd been itching to try this. Great aroma and first taste was beaut, but it thinned out in the mouth afterwards. There was discussion that Roosters 2 stroke (?) was a bit the same. i reckon this could be a real goer with a bit of thought - considering it was left over runnings from another beer. With the thought that goes into these beers from Tawa, it'd be a winner if he followed through

 

A riwaka lager, well conditioned, from Chris. That conditioning showed patience and restraint, I'd have whopped the keg down months ago

 

A couple of Supert Alpha ales. Not great beers, experiments and something to work on, maybe

 

Missed out on Matthews Amber - it was getting on - i had  to go - apologies - but tasting tonight. Nice big hoppy nose to it followed by a nice big resinous after taste - cheers chap

 

Noteably all 3 to 4% beers on the day, is less still more ?

 

Did I miss one there guys ?

[Matthew]

Spot on summary that. We need more riwaka...

[Andrew]

I've tried a couple of beers guys have made only with Super Alpha, Its a decent bittering hop, but on it's own....it just can't do the business. Single hop beers are rarely good, it does happen but not often.

[Andrew]

Had a good weekend in the beer cateogary and even squeezed a brew in too, but that's another story:

Brewdog Tokyo - 18.2% - I really didn't want to like this because of all the B.S they spout on their web-site and packaging, but it was really damn good. Like Rochefort 10 with more of a kick. Raisin, almonds, a little alcoholic heat but doesn't fell like 18% .....until 5 mins later. This has a really rich body, not such a lingering aftertaste but warming and somehow it manages to be balanced for such a big beer. They say on the label its got cranberries in it and I don't know how but you can taste them, ever so slightly. I shared this around people at work too, and it was fairly unanimous. A 330ml bottle at 18.2% would have left me "injured" but I really wanted it for myself.

 

Yeastie Boys - Rapture 4.5% @ Galbraith's -  Very light in color, almost like a cider but with a little head. Has a mixture of H2S and SO2, BUT; it wasn't in an offensive way. I'm sensitive to sulphur  notes and it seemed to be 50:50 between these 2 aromas and in low levels which kept the beer in the session-able territory, as it should be for a summer ale. I would have taken a flaggon home...but I,m a tight Irish man...so I'll drink my homebrew.

 

Emerson's - Brewers Reserve Golden Ale 4.5% - Golden color....as the name would suggest;......but with not much aroma. More like a bitter than an ale but it had a bit of maltiness, it was bitter without being overpowering; with little aroma. Like prettry much every Emerson's beer I've had.........very....very..good, I could drink quite a lot of them. Come on guys....can you not screw at least 1 beer up so we can have a dig....apparently not...

[Stu McKinlay]

I'll keep a nose out for that, thanks Andrew... it's fruity as fuck for me. apple and banana.

[Greig McGill]

Second that. Alex and I also got a load of cinnamon/bubblegum blend last night which was weird, but cool.

I tasted side by side with the Europa, and I can't decide which I prefer. I think I like Rapture for "depth of character", but I'd drink Europa more often. Europa is an excellent version of a style I know very well, having had about 10 different kölsches in an epic (if ruined by a bit of a cold) crawl along the Rhine in Köln/Cologne. It's a little too bitter for the style, but then we had very bitter examples in Germany, so meh!

 

Reading Andrew's comments on (I assume) Tally Ho intrigued me though. I've heard mixed reviews on this beer from Emerson's and did wonder if they'd finally stumbled. When we tasted it at House on Hood last Thursday, I thought that they surely had. I found it weirdly worty and grainy. Doesn't taste in any way infected, just like the fermentation isn't quite right - a most un-Emerson's like thing to happen! I was wondering if it was just our keg at House, but I spoke to another chap who'd tasted it in Dunedin, and he said it was very similar. Anyone else?

[JoKing]

Had some at the Hop Garden 2 weeks ago, and couldn't finish my pint. Too fat / worty / husky. Had to wash it down with some hand pulled Tuatara APA (which was very clean / crisp / refreshing)... just need some refridgeration on that little keg that they are pumping out of.

[Stu McKinlay]

I think Tally Ho is 4.9%.  It was tasting splendid when I had it at the brewery about a month ago.

 

Greig - my preference is Europa by a country mile on handpump and Rapture by the same margin on tap. Thanks for the Kölsch props... I've never tried one, other than Köln-style beers made at this end of the world, of course.  It wasn't intended to be one, more a general "summer ale" - originally I'd wanted to use the European Ale yeast (which would have suited the name perfectly) but I knew Steve was using the Kölsch one for Ally McG, so thought we may as well make life a little easier for him.

 

Andrew - Tried Rapture on handpump and in bottle last night and couldn't get any sulphur at all.  Makes me want to fly up to Galbraith's... (that's not the only thing that makes me want to do that!).