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

[Andrew]

The only problem is that over in the UK there was no progression until recently with the likes of Thornbridge, Meantime, Brewdog etc now coming into the frame. So the session beers where pretty shabby at best. Now there is some competition the session beer brewers are having to lift there game and its getting rid of the "dead wood". I see exactly the same thing happening here now.

[Martin Bridges]

"shabby at best" is more than a little harsh. I definitely agree that there was some stagnation in the sector and the recent emergence of Thornbridge etc has given it some new impetus, but there were some excellent session beers around. Hard to refer to, for example, Timothy Taylor's Landlord as "shabby".

[Michael]

Speaking of Thornbridge, their Jai Pur and Kiplinger are both lovely beers!

 

Right now though I am drinking the sessionable 
Jolly Pumpkin Bam Noire. It is a little on the watery side, but it has a reasonable taste for a low ABV beer.

[Kelly Ryan]

Going to have to agree about the Thornbridge beers... I am very biased, however...

[Raffe]

It is more nuanced than that. There was lots of good session beer being brewed before the arrival of the ‘hipster’ breweries in the last decade (there is also a place for ‘boring brown bitter’ too, especially when well-kept).  As ever, half the problem is distribution, and with the large PubCos in the UK limiting what pubs could sell, the selection was often stagnant and not a true reflection of what was being brewed.  It’s the same here, too. Someone on the outside might see all the NZ draught and green bottled lager, and think our beer scene was shabby.  And we both know that that is not the case, and nor is it in the UK.

[Michael]

Jolly Pumpkin Bam Noire - This is a very sessionable beer, and it does have a pretty good taste for having such a low alcohol content. As expected, it is a bit thin.

It reminds me of JT's mild, apart from the fact I think his mild was much nicer. (Different styles, but JT's was better)

 

Stu - Thanks for the link! I am enjoying sessionable beers more lately. :)

[Stu McKinlay]

My pleasure... Jolly Pumpkin make some of the most exciting beers I've tried in the last couple of years.  Great stuff.

[Chris Banks]

Three Boys Oyster Stout - New batch still awesomely flavourfull and satisfying - if I was going to be fussy doesnt seem as viscous as last year but so good to have an old friend back in town!

Well done Three Boys good to see you back on the horse so so quick!

Anyone else tryed it? 6.2%abv it said on the tap label but feels like more......

 

[Greig McGill]

Just had a couple of sneaky pints last night at House on Hood in the City of the Future. Intriguing! Very different to years past. The briny notes are strong this year (yay!), but the sweetness might divide old fans. Personally I love the new batch - it has a delicious "rummy"/raw sugar note to it, and a beautiful warming alcohol "breath of life". I'll be drinking lots of this I think.

[JoKing]

Sounds like 3 Boys need a sales rep in New Plymouth too!

[Andrew]

Sound like we might need a road trip to The Tron.

[Michael]

Cigar City Vu Ja De - I went into this with high hopes. The beer has a nice dark colour, and good lacing.

 

It smelled a bit flowery, and a bit of a barn. Although I was expecting some sourness, the sourness slapped me in the face like it was a wet fish. This combined with the esthers, made it not very pleasant. :(