Moa St Josephs
Monday, October 31st, 2011
St Josephs is Moa Brewing Company’s take on a traditional style Belgian Tripel. It certainly has the alcohol strength of a Tripel but does it have that traditional Belgian Goodness?
This is the second brew I have reviewed from the New Zealand based brewers, the first being their Five Hop Winter Ale which scored 5/5. Since then the entire Moa range has undergone a facelift in labelling with the above labelling system now featuring across their range. A four pack of St Josephs will set you back $25 which I believe is a decent price considering each 375 ml bottle contains 2.8 standard drinks and 9.5% alcohol. It is recommended that you serve this beer at 8°C in a goblet and gently roll it prior to pouring to distribute the sediment signature as it is bottle conditioned. If sediment turns you off as it does some, please note there was only little specks of it in this beer.
St Josephs pours a golden haze with a fluffy white head that has excellent retention and leaves plenty of lacing down your glass. This brew is heavily spiced, which is noticeable firstly on the nose. There are also citrus and clove notes in the aroma. There are some very complex flavours to this brew with a notable kick of spices on the palate and the mouth-feel is well carbonated. Unfortunately I found the alcohol in the beer to be noticeably strong so much so that I was feeling the effects of it after only a few mouthfuls. This is certainly not a session beer nor a beer to be quaffed.
Personally, I found this beer to be overpowering in the alcohol department and unlike its traditional counterparts wasn’t as well hidden. If you’re looking at testing out what Moa have to offer I would be giving their Five Hop Winter Ale a go first, even if summer is just around the corner.
Rating (out of five):
Quick Facts: 9.5% alcohol – 375ml dark green bottle – Pop top
Category : Beer Reviews, Tripel