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]

Sam, everyone knows that I'm the honest Yeastie Boy.

[Sam Possenniskie (TGM)]

I'm not sure about "everyone", but I certainly do

[Soren]

taste in beer is so diverse, that's the beauty of it and one of the main driving factors in craftbeer. personally I prefer the big flavour impact beers. but I'm still young, I've only been into craftbeer for a few years maybe in a few years I will prefer the subtleties over the wow factor, or rather the wow factor may be more influenced by subtleties than in your face flavour... I suppose that's what you're getting at in your second disclaimer Stu?
i've just been back in denmark for a week and after trying a good selection of mikkeller, hornbeer, amager bryghus and other hip beers from the brewing scene back there the one that impressed me the most was actually a tuborg christmas brew my dad had saved for me (it's basically just tuborg with a bit of dark malt and a pinch of liqourice) and that was definitely a subtle beer. so maybe I am starting to grow up...:) that being said, the best beer I had there was de struise's 2007 pannepot and that's definitely not a subtle beer!
now i'm about to head down the west coast of the u.s. for 2 weeks, I'm not expecting many subtleties there but I may be suprised.

[Stu McKinlay]

I really didn't like the Pannepot Grand Reserva... so sugary sweet that I couldn't get a lot more out of it. Perhaps I had it 5 years too young! Henrik Papsoe (tha Danish ratebeer legend) summed it up pretty well as a Belgian Old Ale. But for me it was like an old ale without the age.

taste in beer is so diverse, that's the beauty of it and one of the main driving factors in craftbeer
The other thing that I've been thinking about in the last few days is something that I've noticed myself but not thought a lot about until Andrew Dixon from the Mussel Inn mentioned it in his seminar at Marchfest: your own palate can change hugely from day to day. One day the hops dominate and the balance is all out, the next day they're perfectly integrated. Another day a beer is dominated by its bready malt and spicy yesty character, while the next day the zesty background hops perfectly balance the trinity.

[Reviled]

"your own palate can change hugely from day to day"

Ive often wondered this myself too!! And I reckon its so true

[Chris Banks]

"your own palate can change hugely from day to day"
SO true! good to hear other people mention that!

[Michael Walker]

I have the 750ml Struise Pannepot and the 2005 (330ml) Oak Aged Gran Reserva at home, and find the big fella still pretty busy to drink even though I've had a number of these bottles for 3 - 4 years; the 330ml Oak aged - a different story and one which would be interesting to replicate here!

[Stu McKinlay]

the oak aged Gran Reserva was the one i nearly spat out.

[Michael Walker]

You'll have to get a copy of Tournee Generale (By Canvas TV, of Belgium) - Ray Cokes and Jean Blaute do a 10 x part series tour thru Belgium, stopping at all the right places. De Struise brouwers is one of them. Cheers,

[Matthew]

That's a great series. Only problem is half of it is in Flemish and I couldn't always understand...

Pretty sure some of the episodes are still on YouTube.

[Michael Walker]

I have the entire series on DVD - picked it up from a Belgian contact. Coverage on youtube is limited. Am happy to make a copy for anyone. Cheers.

[Michael Walker]

Well, for me; I have not found too many mates who are fond of Rodenbach or Rodenbacn Gran Cru. I love it's character and the fact it surprises your taste buds; not in the same well all these new hoppy beers do, but in a more complex / balanced way. Also - Brut beers - anyother. Give me a Malheur Brut or a Deus anyday. That's my thought. Cheers, MIKE.