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

[Nick T]

Twisted Hop for end of school holidays treat 'for the kids'. Had their chocolate oatmeal stout on hand pump, very smooth, restrained bitterness. Then their current speciality, Russian Imperial Stout, on handpump too. Called something like 'Knockyourbollocksoff" or similar, can't quite remember. Was quite different. Haven't had a RIS before, was expecting something very strong and bitter, but this really was a bit different. Very inciting hop aroma, seemed to me to be US cascades, but I'm not experienced enough to really tell. Taste was again the cascade hop flavour (in my probably flawed opinion), with an unexpectedly sweet coffee/chocolate malt under it all. Didn't seem bitter at all, almost syrupy sweet. Anyone else tried and can tell me what I was really tasting?

[Stu McKinlay]

Hallertau Maximus
Epic Armageddon
Hallertau/SOBA Coconut Porter
Epic Apocalypse

All really good beers but the Hallerau Coconut Porter was the standout for me. Amazing how itstood up after two big IPAs. Great job Steve Plowman and Mr Cherry!

Will have to go back for more Apocalypse as I couldn't taste much of it after the brutal palate bashing of the three previous beers.

[Barry]

Epic Apocalypse?

um, Luke, *ahem* WANT!

[Stu McKinlay]

Black IPA bro

[nzbrewer]

Epic Apocalypse - Steve has said he will put some on at Hallertau. I like my chance at House. But Brew on Quay I'd say its pretty slim, since they never put on the Mayhem, Armageddon, Thornbridge Stout, Barrel Aged IPA (all of which I had allocations of kegs for them)

Looks like Vulcan Lane in Auckland City is about to change. I dropped of a couple of kegs to O'Carrolls (yes the Irish bar), yes Epic Pale Ale is going on tap. New operator, just come off contract with Lion, and they are going to trial craft beer, with Epic Pale Ale being the first.

Will tweet as soon as it goes on tap. With enough support it looks like this bar will get four rotating taps of craft beer, and potentially bottles.

Fingers crossed

[Barry]

Awesome, that's way closer for me than Brew. Perfect. Thanks Luke.

[quote]
Brew on Quay I'd say its pretty slim, since they never put on the Mayhem, Armageddon, Thornbridge Stout, Barrel Aged IPA (all of which I had allocations of kegs for them)
[/quote]

man, Brew can eat a dick. What a bunch of muppets.

[Doublehoppy]

Yeah that's fantastic news for those of us who work in the CBD.

[Stu McKinlay]

But Brew on Quay I'd say its pretty slim

They're not exactly trying hard to differentiate themsleves from the average bar are they?
And with their location I would think they really need to do that.

[Martin Bridges]

Vulcan Lane? Across the road from my old office, round the corner from my new one - I'll definitely give them my support. If you let me know Luke I'll try and co-ordinate a SOBA gathering to show them what they can get if they go craft.

I feel very frustrated about Brew On Quay. It's a gorgeous building and has much potential. When we had the West Coast IPA Challenge there last year the place was packed and I thought they might realise what they could achieve if they put in that sort of effort on a regular basis. But it seems to have gone downhill from there. I worry about their ability to survive in that location without more people through the doors.

[Barry]

Yeah I agree completely Martin. It makes my blood boil to hear that they had kegs of Epic awesomeness allocated and just never got it together. Beers that I damn near totally missed out on but would have had multiple lunchtime pints of had they been there on tap (Thornbridge Stout, Oak Aged Armageddon).

Just having Epic Pale Ale on tap is brilliant - even if it is hidden around the corner they must turn over a lot of it as it's the only tap in the CBD. With that about to change they better sort their shit out.

[Stu McKinlay]

News today: Brew on Quay have just started an account with BeerNZ and have an order about to be shipped so don't give up all hope just yet. Perhaps there is a light at the end of the tunnel... and perhaps it isn't just the Macro-train bearing down on them.

[Martin Bridges]

That is interesting, but not much good if they just use it to supply the 2 guest taps (and one is permanently awesome-quality Epic Pale Ale). However, in a glass half-full sense I'll assume that it's all good and look forward to a downtown pubcrawl having at least 2 stops in future!