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

[denimglen]

Did you try that HopHead 'IPA'? What did you think?

I had one a while back and was quite dissapointed. Didn't live up to the label, was more like an APA I reckon. Maybe I got a bad bottle? Dunno.

[Reviled]

Havnt tried it yet but will update when I do.. I wouldnt mind if it was more of an APA :o) yum lol

[Reviled]

OMFG, went home for lunch and my 'rigger' of Pale Ryder arrived from wellington... Man, im so stoked, my mate sent me up one of those 2 Litre Emersons Flagons, these things are awesome!! Mean score..

[Stu McKinlay]

So what did you think of the beer? I see it has been on for ages at Regionals... most of the specials only last a few days... I think it is under rated by average joe.

[Reviled]

Didnt get a chance to drink it last night, had Mikes RIS and didnt really feel like 2 litres of Emersons afterwards (funny that :oP)

Mikes RIS was sooooo good, thick and sweet but like eating chocolate coffee flavoured raisins, the thickness dissolves in the mouth in the same way that chocolate does.. Couldnt pick up on the alcohol which made it fairly easy to drink..

[Reviled]

Lots of driving half way around auckland last night to save 50c a kilo on malt ;o) lol

Greeted at Barrys place with a very unique, but damn tasty NZ cascade and styrian pale ale, interesting combination, but it really grew on me! Also a bit of the 'sweaty resins' that are reminiscent of US cascade, maybe its the styrians? Maybe its the extra time in the keg which most of us probably dont - allthough we should - give our beers.. It left me thinking were just maybe being a teensy bit harsh to our NZ hops?? I dunno...

When I got home a nice warmish pint of Hallertau's Statesman with 3 freshly picked hop flowers in the glass :o) Mmmm, smelt like fresh lawn clippings and citrus, so fresh and awesome!!

[Reviled]

On the way home stopped at a hospice shop and found the mean score (apart from the brand - budweiser) a 1.25 litre glass stein for $5 :o) Ive been looking for a proper big stein for ages!

Drinking the full 640ml Hophead IPA in it made the amount of beer look pathetically small :oP Agree 100% with DG that its more of an APA, actually, it IS an APA, massive US hop aroma with hints of strawberrys, smooth soft bitterness with a more malt balanced finish. It was nice tho, I quite enjoyed it :o)

[denimglen]

Lucky you, IPA or APA there was noooooo hop aroma or favour in mine :-( bottle must have been too old.

Is budweiser printed on the stein? I've heard of the guys in the US soaking the corona bottles in starsan which takes that nasty, baked on, 2pot ink shit they use. May also work on the print on that if you wanna get rid of it?

[jt]

It's Friday !

Looking forward to a Blande Mk IV first up. It was a little sharp in the first week, had a bit more bitterness than III, but it seems to have mellowed, nice with some fish - complementary but moderate lemon & lime flavours from the Hallertau.

I'm struggling with the extract only cascade ale. I want to finish the keg and get the Willamette brown coloured ale in the fridge, but it's just too damned caramelly / syrupy to enjoy too much of.

So it'll probably be the Styrian Goldings flavoured pale coloured ale second up. I've struggled to get a styrian flavour I like using S-05 but I think I've got close to what I want this time, but that could be all the dry hop floaties pouring from the keg
It's a little cloudy and I'm blaming 2.5% wheat, bad brewing practices and shabby techniques
With any luck it'll clear out soon, only been kegged a few days

cheers, jt

[BeerNZ]

Red Rooster still on plus Yeastie Boys Kid Chocolate will be at Pomeroys in about 1/2 an hour.

[Stu McKinlay]

Invercargill Smokin' Bishop
There's an imported foreign stout in the cellar too, so I might go and grab that once the brewing begins.

Stu brews, a southerly comes through. It's like rain and one day cricket in Hawkes Bay.

[Sam Possenniskie (TGM)]

Yeastie Boys Kid Chocolate at my work drinks. A fairly wide range of responses...