Do I need help?

[Stu McKinlay]

Hi I'm Stu.... Sometimes I feel alone, here's a little story that might help explain:

 

Last night I tasted the most fantastic new New Zealand beer - Invercargill Brewery's Sa!son. Up until now, the new New Zealand beer this year that had really got me excited was Epic Oaked Armageddon... a great beer, that caught me by surprise a bit, but the Sa!son was another step above them in both the "wow!" and drinkability factor. I mentioned the Saison to a few people and had one response from someone that had me thinking about my choices of great beers.

 

Earlier this year I'd recommended NZNBC's Deliverance Dortmunder to a few places (one of my "wow" beers of last year). Superbly drinkable and an amazing showcase of the importance of water in a beer's balance. The beer seems to have been met with a pretty ho hum attitude by most.

 

At Marchfest I fell in love with Moa Resurrection - I don't remember anyone else waxing lyrical about it anywhere.

 

I've stated for quite sometime that Townshend's Cathcart's NTA is the best beer in the country (personal opinion, I'm not proclaiming it "Champion Beer of NZ'). To me it has absolutely everything that a beer should have, in the same way that Galbraith's Bob Hudson's and Bellringers do. A good malt backbone with malt flavours rather than just sweetness, low alcohol for sessionability, superb and quite unique hop flavour, perfect water character, just the right amount of bitterness to have you begging for more, and (maybe most importantly) a fantastic fermentation profile that ties everything together in a way that means nothing sticks out (most importantly the "hole" that I sometimes find in beers that are just a little too clean).

 

A few weeks back I tried Rogue American Amber alongside 8 Wired Red Dwarf... the latter was nice (though a little too fresh, I'm looking forward to another try) but the former was stunning. As many people know I'm a staunch advocate that fresh is most certainly not best and I think the age on the Rogue really made it shine through (even if it may well have been picked as a fault by some). The hops (Cascade and EKG) were stunning but didn't have any of the big "new world" character that people expect these days - the hop flavour could proably best be described as ice tea. Again, nobody thought it was much chop.

 

Does anyone else feel out on their own sometimes? If so, what are the some of the beers you love that nobody else seems that fussed about? Or the beers you could take or leave that everyone else loves.

 

* Disclaimer 1: Take these thoughts as you will, they are purely personal. Most people here know that I have a strong personal and professional relationship with Steve Nally at Invercargill. I also know Martin Townshend fairly well, everyone knows Luke ;-), Soren, Keith Galbraith and David Nicholls a little bit, but I've never met Ben Middlemiss or anyone from Rogue.

 

** Disclaimer 2: I tried so many amazing homebrews in the last three years, most of which were big-to-huge, that it really does take a lot for a big beer to impress me. Big hops, loads of alcohol, smoke, spice or coconut is not enough to wow me any more... it has to be the complete picture and I seem to get this a lot more in beers under 6% (not that I don't love big beers!).

[Stu McKinlay]

Jeeze mate, you've possibly just cracked it. I'll have to contemplate that a little more over a beer later on.
Shakespeare Stout is on tap at Hashigo, I wonder if 4yo Frankie will fancy popping down there after his judo class tonight!!?

But... Oaked Armageddon and Sa!son are not really winding down beers.

[JoKing]

But they are good beers though. Exciting beers are good beers too.

[Matthew]

I've noticed this a bit recently. I got thinking about it after having the Epic/Thornbridge stout a while back. Reviews were good and it appeared to be a winner - that was until I tasted it... First beer this year I haven't been able to finish. Can't explain it other than I just didn't like it. Swapped it for a Murphy's which I thoroughly enjoyed. I've got friends who rave over the Renaissance beers, apart from the Elemental porter I struggle. I loved HM 2010 with a passion where as it got 'nice' reviews from others I got to try it. I'm finding beer is paralleling sports for me at the moment. Everyone has their sport and within that a club and individual players we support and are passionate about. There's always a difference of opinion when we start comparing players and clubs. There's no real right or wrong answer other than the fact we're all very different and different things make us tick. It would be pretty damn boring if we all bought the same draught beer to drink. What would we talk about??

[Stu McKinlay]

philosophy, analogies, sport, music, friends, enemies.... wow!!
I'm loving realbeer today!

[Reviled]

"Swapped it for a Murphy's"

Wow, I was reading this thinking "Really?? Thats a crazy man!!" but i guess it just shows that all of our palates differ greatly, and diversity is what makes craft beer so new and exciting all the time?

[Matthew]

Yeah, a year a go I "didn't do stouts", now I can't get enough of them.

Oh an I loved the Dortmunder! and NTA is 'ok'... :P

[Greig McGill]

Stu, mate, in the words of David Bowie, "YOU'RE NOT ALONE!" (You're wonderful... damn, now that's stuck in my head)

I'm with you on all those beers (except the new Sa!son, and Rogue Amber, neither of which I've tried, and Moa Resurection which I just didn't get). I remember talking with you about Deliverance - it's one of my favourite beers of the last 12 months. I practically talked poor Ben's ear off with praise. I think I nearly made him blush. Martin knows how much I love NTA - last time I saw him, I proceeded to get quite smashed on it, and manhugs may or may not have ensued.

I think there's a tendency, found mainly among new converts to craft beer, and many homebrewers who are always playing the "Bigger! Better! Faster! More!" game. I've had many long discussions with Mr. Bridges over this one earlier this year when I nearly chucked in homebrewing. I think it was a sense of isolation much as you're describing. I just wasn't interested in trying the new flash malt, or bunging in shedloads more hops. I just wanted to make good, clean, balanced beer that I'd never get sick of drinking, and I wasn't that interested in reading and participating in the brewing discussions on here or elsewhere. I felt out on the fringe and isolated. Awwwww. :) Anyway, that has led me to a similar place to you, I think. I really get a kick out of trying "wow" beers, and I usually rate them based on "wow" factor - first impression. The beers I love, and find myself going back to time and time again, are the good solid drinkers like NTA, Bobs, Bookbinder, Deliverance, Fuggles, Pitch Black, and their ilk. They are star beers. Their quality shines through, and their consistency makes them great.

Craft beer does not begin and end with "HolyCrapThat'sALotOfHops" American-style beers, though the world is a much better place for having them in it. :)

[Bambule]

I recall being isolated in the early nineties at school when I declared I liked David Bowie. In hindsight given his eighties ouput it was not wise, he'd seemed to wander into "commercial lager and NZ draught" territory. The seventies will always be gold though. Right from Hunky Dory (Pale ale), Ziggy Stardust (APA); and the berlin trilogy of heroes, low and lodger (saison, dopplebock and gueze).

[Greig McGill]

It's all gold Bambule, just in different ways. I have a bit of a rep among my friends for drunkenly defending Bowie's honour at parties, leading to broken windows. It's all lies of course...

[Stu McKinlay]

I've never really got Bowie - I thought I liked him when I was a kid, and my older siblings were listening, but ever since then I've found his stuff a bit naff. Maybe I'll come around sometime.

[Bambule]

It was a similar message I got at school except with more abuse and allegations over sexual preference. But I do agree he is very naff, but nobody could do naff quite as well. He has much to answer for, both good (LCD soundsystem) and bad (Gary Glitter!).

[Andrew]

Hey! I saw Gary Glitter at the Wellington town hall - yes - thats right - in the very room where we beervana - and he rocked!! Mind you I was only 12