Weka Beer

[Steve Plowman]

Has any one tried the new Weka beer from the people at Moa? Is it an ale or is it a lager?

More importantly, has any one told the fellas at the Mussel Inn that one of their beer names has been ripped off!

[Rusty Chch]

Better still, give me a call, I'll make a 'publicity for beer' deal with you both, satisfaction guaranteed!


The question is whose satisfaction are you guaranteeing!?

[Stu McKinlay]

Tried it - in summary I would have felt ripped off if it wasn't free.

It is not as good as Epic Lager and it is probably twice the price per 330ml bottle. Another stunning dropkick from the constant disappointment that is Moa. I still think their Original is good and the Harvest was really nice. Nothing else has been any more than over-priced and average.

I've not read the label, about what it is trying to be, but will take a look tonight. Seemed like a Monteith's Golden with hops. Nothing much else to report.

http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/beername/89166/

[nzbrewer]

Nice call Stu. I did get the feeling it had come out of the DB wort stream, as it was very bright, good head, banana on the nose, and low BU's. If it had a best before date on it of 12 months it was two months old and had no signs of oxidation. No oxidation and brilliantly clear after two months is a miracle for a small brewery in NZ. If this truely has been produced and bottled at Moa huge ups to them cause they are doing an outstanding job of brewing and bottling another NZ Golden Lager, even on the scale of big breweries with all their technology.

I understand Weka has an exclusive distribution deal with the Liquorland chain.

[Stu McKinlay]

I didn't even bother getting the pen out to take a note. It had nothing interesting going for it.

I didn't get any banana but I wasn't looking hard and it is probably one of my weaker spots in tasting.

[nzbrewer]

It's all made clear here

"Over the last couple of years the Moa beers have improved enormously in both consistency and quality under the watchful eye of brewer Dave Nicholls. Having trained in Holland, Germany and the UK and worked for DB in New Zealand, then Asia Pacific Breweries (DB's parent company), Nicholls came to Marlborough with a wealth of brewing experience."

http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlboroughexpress/4597962a26793.html

[Stu McKinlay]

Some good news there, if they are bringing out a Tripel. I've always thought that quality of the bottle far outweighs what is inside. Here's hoping that the liquid is on the way up now...

[Stu McKinlay]

I came across this thread while looking for something else.

I'm still not keen on Moa Noir or Blanc and I've never been enamoured with St Joseph's (too sweet, not quite bitter enough and, generally, I'm not a fan of the yeast).

But:
* Moa Original is always one of the first beers on my list of best NZ beers.
* I LOVED the Moa Russian Imperial Stout, after getting over the fact that it was not Russian Imperial Stout as I know it (and that's a great thing!).
* Moa Resurrection was the top beer for me at Marchfest. And it apparently used the same yeast as St Jospeh's!

Lots of great things going on down there in the middle of the vines... seems to me like it was a great move getting the grumpy brewer on board.

[Andrew]

Reminds me - better pick up some Weka today and stash it so I can compare it with the McCashins version brewed last week. This will be their first beer through the old plant and as a contract brewer I'm sure you'll be interested to see how they do Stu.

[Stu McKinlay]

Yeh, they've sent us some info... but $$$ look like they must be wrong!

Interested to see you are giving them a crack. You've already taken over Invercargill. You'll be taking over the world soon Andrew!! South Island at least...

[Andrew]

We havn't committed yet but we're looking. Its the Moa Weka that they brewed, not ours - I guess you sussed that.
Hey - the South Island is the the world isn't it?!

[Stu McKinlay]

Oh yeh, I forgot Dave mentioned they were getting some brewing done there (and a nice big new brewhouse for themselves!)

ps. it must be time you updated your profile pic now that everybody else is on the 3D bandwagon.