Hello Graeme! Love the new brand. ;)

We met at the C&B - I was the short-staying friend of Barry Whiteley and Allan Hawkes. I hear you're back in Aoteoroa, and it seems you're looking to brew up a storm based on the website. Can't wait to try the new products, and hope to catch up for a pint at some stage.

Cheers,

Greig.

Thanks Graeme. It was Peter who called me after I contacted Fermentis. He was pretty upset at first but we ended up ok, he understood my predicament. I have talked again a couple of times since and things looked good for a while. I sent him an email a few weeks back but have not heard back yet.
Cheers
Stu

ps. how's the beer going (or gone)?

Kid Choc will be out at Upper Moutere... if you get a chance to get out there.

ps. When's the beer going to be in Welly?

Hi Graeme - Hope you had fun in Chch. Did Craig give you some Yeastie Boys? And did you get to try Kid Choc on tap? I've not tried it on tap yet, so looking forward to seeing how long it takes to warm up - handpump was nice but bottle at about 10c was even better. What's next for you?

Just been blending myself actually - 1/3 Chimay and 2/3 Achouffe, a nice mix. ESB/Amber sounds good. Croucher Pale was somewhere along those lines when it first came out. Haven't had it for 6 months or so, so you've reminded me to take a look.

Thanks for the honesty. I suspected that about Golden Boy. Bottles oxidised very quickly I reckon, last one I tasted was. We were drinking it on tap just over a month ago and it was the best it had tasted, absolutely sublimely balanced. I should have filled you a rigger from Invercargill... next time!

Ha ha! I had the same with Gabriel. Great to see it on tap here in Wellington. Snuck in for a quick one on the way home. The aroma really caught me off guard... bready malt, a little vanilla, bordering on buttery. I was thinking diacetyl (I usually taste it and am less likely to pick it on the nose) but then I tasted it and found it so clean and slender. If the Thursday night crowd have left me some, which they may not have, I'll try to get in for some more tomorrow... look forward to it.

Kid Choc should definitely be assessed by the session, rather than the sip! Nice to hear you are spending some time out with Martin... he's keen and the few beers I've tried of his so far really have been pretty solid.

Interestingly I had my last bottle of Golden Boy the other day - it was outstanding. Must look into Craig's storage procedures ;-)

Hope you enjoy KC.... make sure you let me know when you're next up this way.

No doubt about it. I'll make sure I'm booked in early. Pot Kettle Black should be on tap around then too, hopefully.

Hmmm... interesting. Needs more conversation on the Kid Choc. It is in a bag, which needs some explanation in itself, but Martin was mentioning the same thing. I've had it in a bag at my own place, and have one for a family party next week, and haven't experienced the same issues... I wonder how long his lines are...

Next week? You had said 16/17 June... No plans for PKB to be out until June.

Martin calls if "piss in a bladder" rather than "beer in a bag". I guess you have better manners, must have been those years in small town Australia ;-) I really look forward to meeting Martin, we've conversed via phone and email, and I've heard the legend, but I've never met the man...

OK, Friday, lets see what we can do (I've got something on Thursday - actually, you're welcome to come brew with me on Friday morning if you like...). Look forward to a beer in the evening anyway. Perhaps Geoff can fit me in as celebrity brewer like he did with you at the Emerson's tasting last year... ;-) or maybe I need a few more years under my belt, and some full time commercial experience for it. Either way, I'll bring you guys some botted Kid Chocolate.

ps. congrats on the brewery... that'll cut down on petrol costs. Would love to come down and brew with you sometime when you're all up and running.