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

[JoKing]

Shit yeah. I'm gonna make a RyePA like your one. That was fuckin wicked.

Not sure about Roggenbier again though - 50% in the mash is just way too hard to deal with. I was too cocky brewing that - I thought it would be easy.

At least it turned out tasty! It would suck Donkey if it tasted shit after all that!

[Mike Neilson]

Shit yeah Just tried that barley wine again im going to bottle it now its got a lot of Alc in it like 13%. Just going to let the bret do its thing in there if it even does?

[Stu McKinlay]

Brewjolais

Mac's put on a free tasting for SOBA last night. Ally Clem, the head brewer, was generous with the dispensing of free beer and stories of the brew day. He and Neil Miller caught the ferry over to Picton, drove out to the first day of the harvest to shovel hops into bag, and then drove back only to miss their ferry by a minute. They got another one in an hour and were soon back in Wellington. Brewed util 2am, so they knocking on a 24hr brew day.

Neil's detailing it, with humour I'm sure, and it should be in the next Beer and Brewer mag.

I'd tried it late last week and it was cold, ovrcarbonated and slightly astringent. Last night it was warmer and felt a lot less carbonated. It was a big bad malty hop fiend. Nice balance. Heaps of hop flavour and resins. Just a nice amount of aroma. Big malty mouthfeel to carry it all.

My mouth feels like a really tied on last night, and sandpapered my tongue for good measure on getting home, but my head is as clear as the Wairarapa sky. I only stayed for two hours so I'm sure there will be people nigh on unable to talk today!


For the technically inclined:
ADM Pils,Munich and Crystal. Processed Sauvin hops early and fresh Cascade (first year crop) in the hopback. American Ale 2 yeast.

[Mike Neilson]

What is the Style of it? NZPA?

[Stu McKinlay]

It's too aggressive for anything like that.
NZ IPA I guess, even though there is no such style. Think of something like Tuatara IPA on fresh hop steroids and with more malt.
I don't know. It can only be judged by the jug or rigger though. Get a jug/rigger and by the time you get to the end you will be getting all the flavours that we were getting last night.

[Mike Neilson]

Sounds good going to give it a hiding of Sat so I will wait and see what the ABV?

[jt]

5.5% from a hazy memory.

Many thanks to Ian for organising the night and to Ally for his ever generous hospitality.

I attempted to leave early, but missed the bus by a minute or two, so had to go back and reconfirm my thoughts on the beer with another couple ...

[Chris Banks]

Oh man I cant wait to try it !!! Will they fill riggers at the bar or do I have to wait for it to appear
at Regionals?

[Mike Neilson]

I got 1 from the bar today WARNING 'watch out for barmen slipping great white into it'!!!!

[Chris Banks]

How much did that cost?
Cheers for the warning!!!!!

[Nolen Smith]

A big thanks to Mac's and Ally for last night (and Ian for organising it) - awesome evening. I was there for three and a bit hours and lost track of how many I had (maybe 5), but can say for sure the more I had, the more I enjoyed it (and I don't just mean from the affects of the alcohol). The first one was a bit of a shock to my palate with all of the resins, but as I adjusted to it, the flavours really came through. But I do think the resins are still coating my mouth this morning.

BTW - good to meet several of you guys in person last night.

[Stu McKinlay]

Yeh, I met David, Denise and Nolen all for the first time... great to meet you guys. Plus a few people who may or may not be on Realbeer. And it's always great to catch up with the SOBA regulars, of course. Just wish I could have stayed a bit longer... sleep is a premium right now and I got word that number three was about to head to bed, so i jumped at the chance to get there myself.

"Good times, good beer and good people" - trademarking this phrase as you read this ;-)


Here here on the big thanks.