Hawkes Bay Amber Ale

Friday, July 15th, 2011

Hawkes Bay Amber Ale, it has an awesome bottle but is far from an awesome brew.

Brewed & bottled in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand which is affectionately known as Wine Country.  It is one of New Zealand’s leading wine producing regions and also is one of the direst & warmest.  Hawkes Bay Independent Brewery is a privately owned company that sits on eight acres of apple Orchard and if you haven’t already guessed it they also make a range of ciders with some coming under the Kingston brand.  One of the company’s goals is to ‘brew all beers ecologically sound by brewing locally and using the finest New Zealand ingredients’.

What initially inspired me to purchase this brew was the uniquely shaped green bottle, which has a protruding circle halfway down the front with the brewery’s logo marked on it and can be seen pictured above.   When first poured there was a small off-white head that rapidly disappeared and left no lacing.   It has a deep amber colour and appeared slightly cloudy.  There was very subtle aroma to this brew, some honey notes were present and otherwise pleasant.  The taste was mild and disappointing and at 4% alcohol per 330ml bottle it could have been better.  There was no bitterness nor rich malt body as the brewers website states and to me was watery and plain boring on the palette and certainly wasn’t worth its asking price of $7 a bottle.

For $7 a bottle I expected a whole lot more from this brew and the distinctive bottle was definitely a mask for what was inside.  So if you’re a collector of unique bottles then I would give one a go but if you’re a seasoned beer drinker I would take a pass on this one.

Rating (out of five):


Quick Facts: 4.0% alcohol – 330ml brown bottle – Pop top

| Posted in Ale, Beer Reviews | 1 Comment »

Holgate Hopinator

Tuesday, July 5th, 2011

Meet the Hopinator, part beer part something else.

Hopinator is a DIPA which stands for Double India Pale Ale.  DIPAs are generally speaking a strong, extra hoppy style of pale beer and they are also known as Imperial IPAs.  This type of beer should normally contain high amounts of hops and malt as well as having an alcohol content somewhere around 7% per volume.  They also should have a high bitterness to them or IBU (International Bitterness Units) scale, somewhere in the vicinity of 60+ IBUs.  This brew has both and rates in at 7% alcohol and 68 IBUs per volume.

Hopinator pours dark amber in colour with little to no head and there was noticeable sediment in the bottom of my glass.  It has a rich malty aroma full of toffee & caramel as well as some grapefruit tones up front.  I found the alcohol came across too strong in this brew which was off putting.  The smooth malts could be easily tasted on the palette and there was a pronounced bitterness but not so much as I was expecting for a DIPA.  It also seemed under carbonated in my opinion.  What surprised me most was that is seemed to be missing its catch phrase, HOPS!  This brew was enjoyable but certainly not sessionable.

This is the second brew from the Holgate Brewhouse that I have reviewed, with the first being Temptress.  Unfortunately for me though it has also come second to Temptress as I found it to be missing what the label and name so proudly displays, hops.  Try it for yourself, maybe you will find what I didn’t in the Hopinator.

Rating (out of five):

Quick Facts: 7.0% alcohol – 330ml brown bottle – Pop top

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Blue Sky Pilsner

Monday, July 4th, 2011

A traditional Czech-style beer made with imported Czech yeast and it’s brewed in Cairns, North Queensland.

Blue Sky Pilsner is hand crafted by the Blue Sky Brewery which currently operates a 10 hectolitre system, comprising of sixteen tanks and sources its brewing ingredients from all over the world – in this case the Czech Republic.  They also have many eco-initiatives in place one of them being that they harvest and re-use brewing yeast up to 10 times – being a home brewer I’m not exactly sure how this is done but I would love to find out.  The brewery offers regular tours to the public during the day at $12 per adult, more details can be found here.

Like most Pilsners this one is crisp and truly refreshing.  It’s not real hoppy or bitter just smooth and there seems to be slight banana tones to it.  It pours a clear yellow colour with great carbonation and leaves rings of lacing down your glass.  Mine had a two finger bubbly white head.  Unfortunately though there was no discernable smell from this brew, which to some (ladies perhaps) may be appealing.   It checks in at 4.5% alcohol and 1.2 standard drinks per 330ml bottle.  A six-pack will cost you an easy $14.99 and it’s stocked at most alcohol stores.

Blue Sky Pilsner definitely makes for a refreshing brew and one that would be well appreciated on a hot day or after a hard day’s work.   It would also make for an excellent session beer as it’s highly drinkable and when you couple this with the fact it has no preservatives and the price per six-pack, it’s a win-win scenario.

Rating (out of five):

Quick Facts: 4.5% alcohol – 330ml brown bottle – Pop top

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Wasp Honey Pilsner

Monday, July 4th, 2011

Wasp is a funny name for a brew that is full of honey, so full that I can still smell it on the empty bottle.

Wasp is a Honey Pilsner that is brewed by the Invercargill Brewery in New Zealand.  It is comprised of two types of hops; Pacific Gem and Motueka and flavoured with (I would have to think) a rather substantial amount of Kamahi honey, which is light amber in colour and full of rich complex flavours.  The Invercargill Brewery has been in operation since 1999 and is the proud achievement of father and son team Gerry & Steve Nally.   Since then they have created many unique hand crafted brews and cider, most of which are available year round with some being limited speciality brews.  Wasp was created in December of 2008 as a new take on an old favourite of the brewery.

Honey honey honey!   They were the first words I uttered after having a mouthful of this brew.  It starts off hitting you with a big sweet, floral honey aroma that is accompanied by a crisp and refreshing taste.  The mouth feel of this brew is almost creamy and viscous like honey is when eaten from a spoon.    Again the honey is very much present in the taste along with some mild citrus tones from the hops and in general is quite sweet on the tongue.   It pours a cloudy golden hue with low carbonation and a quick dissipating white head that left no real lacing on my glass.  Short of travelling to New Zealand, you will most likely have to buy this beer from an independent bottle shop or directly from the Brewery’s website.

While Wasp packed a big honey flavour and aroma I didn’t think it had much else on board.  It would make for a refreshing summer time brew and a must try for any honey lover.

Rating (out of five):

Quick Facts: 5.2% alcohol – 330ml brown bottle – Pop top

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Croucher Pale Ale

Monday, June 27th, 2011

“Our New Zealand Pale Ale is a welcome assault on the senses” – this is true but it assaulted some of my senses more so than others.

Croucher Pale Ale comes from that little part of the world known as New Zealand and to be more accurate the town of Ngongotaha, Rotorua.  It is brewed and bottled by the Croucher Brewing Company which began its brewing journey in 2004 and was the dream of Paul Croucher who has since made this dream quite the reality.   The company has three mainstream craft beers, this Pale Ale, a Bohemian Pilsner and The Hef a German Hefeweizen styled beer.  Along with these they also have a plethora of seasonal brews including the popular Patriot, which is an American Black Ale and one I would like to try some day if I can get my hands on it.

This Pale Ale poured with a dense head of fluffy off-white bubbles that was nearly three fingers thick and receded gradually to leave specks of lacing on my glass.  It came out a lovely reddish amber and had a big fruity aroma which had noticeable tropical notes to it, most likely passionfruit.  It was extremely fragrant and pleasant on the nose but, unfortunately I didn’t think that this big aroma was transferred to the taste buds very well.  It was clean, crisp and refreshing with a lingering clean bitterness but only had slight hints of those tropical tones that were so evident on the nose.

All in all this was a pleasant brew that was exceptionally easy to drink and would make for an excellent session beer.  It also would make a great brew for a newcomer to the style of a Pale Ale.   I honestly do think though that it just needed that extra little kick on the palate side of things, other than that nice work Croucher Brewing Company.

Rating (out of five):

Quick Facts: 5.0% alcohol – 500ml brown bottle – Pop top

| Posted in Beer Reviews, Pale Ale | 1 Comment »

Feral Brewing Hop Hog

Tuesday, June 21st, 2011

Don’t let the red lettering of Feral on this bottle put you off, cause this brew is anything but!

Hop Hog is an American-style IPA (India Pale Ale) and although it sounds contradicting it’s actually not.  It is brewed & bottled by the Feral Brewing Company in the scenic Swan Valley countryside of Western Australia.  The company was opened in 2002 and has since won multiple awards for their unique hand crafted brews.  They currently offer more than a dozen beers, ranging from Belgian-styled Ales to smoked Porters.  Some are only available on tap and are also seasonal offerings.

At first glance this beer pours an appealing fluffy white head with moderate carbonation and leaves a patchwork of lace down your glass.   It comes out a clear honey like colour with a lovely sweet, citrusy aroma.  The taste is clean & crisp, with an earthy hops flavour that is extremely well balanced with some light citrus tones.  It has a brisk bitterness that makes it nothing less than refreshing.  Hop Hog weighs in at 1.5 standard drinks and 5.8% alcohol per 330ml bottle.  I paid $9 for my bottle and relished every bit of it.

This brew was an absolute pleasure from start to finish and one that I honestly will recommend to others.  I now need to find the cheapest place to buy a case….no rhyme intended.

Rating (out of five):

Quick Facts: 5.8% alcohol – 330ml brown bottle – Pop top

| Posted in Beer Reviews, India Pale Ale | 1 Comment »

Foursquare 1st Choice Promotion

Saturday, June 18th, 2011

1st Choice stores nationally currently have a promotion going with Foursquare that allows the buyer to receive 50% off any 4 or 6 pack of beer!

What’s the catch?  You need to have the Foursqaure app on your mobile device and you need to ‘check-in’ at the relevant store to unlock the special and show the cashier you have done this.

Here’s a screenshot of my check-in last night with the details on it:

Now for the fine print: You can only recieve 50% off one six or four pack per day - which means one check-in per day.

This awesome offer ends on 30th June 2011, so get to your local 1st Choice and getting checking-in now!

| Posted in Beer Specials | No Comments »

Unser Aventinus

Tuesday, June 7th, 2011

Ze Germans have done it again!  It’s not every day I come across a brew that scores 5 out of 5 but this one definitely does.

Unser Aventinus comes from the beautiful town of Kelheim in Bavaria, Germany (somewhere I would love to visit one day).  There it is brewed and bottled by the Weisses Brauhaus, which is owned by G Schneider & Sohn and is said to be Bavaria’s oldest wheat beer brewery.   George Schneider started brewing beers back in 1872 in Munich, Germany which was the birthplace of the Weisses Brauhaus.  They now regularly brew nine different styles of wheat beer, including this one.

This is a wheat Doppelbock.  What is that you ask?  Well a Bock style beer is basically a strong German Lager and a Doppelbock as the name might suggest is a double Bock making it significantly stronger and considered by many as a meal on its own.  This beer is certainly a meal and one bottle was enough to tie me over for the night.  It poured a cloudy amber hue that had decent carbonation with a ferocious two finger, thick, off white head that sadly for me faded quickly and left no lacing.  The aroma was enticing; full of sweet fruity tones especially that of bananas, which I really enjoyed.  Unser Aventinus is so full of flavour that I found it to be reminiscent to that of a Belgian Ale, which is no doubt another reason I enjoyed it so much.  The alcohol content of 8.2% is seamlessly balanced in this brew and is not off putting in anyway.  Now the taste, ohhh the taste!  It’s packed full of different flavours but again bananas take the main stage and make it quite sweet on the taste buds.  There is also roasted malt tones that help make it exceptionally smooth and it comes with nil bitterness.  A 500ml bottle of this wonderful brew will cost you $8 and it’s well worth the money.

This is an amazing, complex beer that manages to balance everything in perfect symmetry.  The only problem I have now is that there’s none left.

Rating (out of five):

Quick Facts: 8.2% alcohol – 500ml brown bottle – Pop top

| Posted in Beer Reviews, Doppelbock | 2 Comments »

Julesnadder

Sunday, June 5th, 2011

If you are looking to expand your brew horizons and have been thinking about trying a Porter styled beer, then this is the beer for you.

Julesnadder is a not so traditional Norwegian Christmas Beer and not so traditional in the fact it’s quite light in alcohol for a Porter, 4.5% alcohol per 500ml bottle to be exact and there’s a very good reason for this.  Norwegian legislation stipulates that any beer above 4.75% alcohol must be sold through the Vinmonopolet which is basically a chain of government owned beverage retailers.  Now Nøgne Ø being the crafty craft brewers they are decided to purposefully create this beer at 4.5% so that it could be sold outside of the Vinmonopolet so that it could be enjoyed by the masses.  They have also taken into consideration the fact that most people in Norway do not shop at these government owned chain stores.   Nøgne Ø means naked island and the brewery based in Grimstad, Norway has been creating high quality brews since 2002 with their motto being “The Uncompromising Brewery”.  They currently export over 70% of their total product with the intent of becoming bigger and better!

Julesnadder pours a picture perfect two finger thick tan head that lasts well and leaves consistent rings of lacing down your glass.  It comes out as a cloudy mahogany colour with just the right amount of carbonation.  The aroma is similar to the taste, slightly sweet with caramel tones and full of roasted malty goodness.  Its taste, apart from being full of roasted malts, is smooth & light and would make for a great beginners porter.    A few mouthfuls will leave a dry bitterness on your taste buds and you wanting more.  This brew is best served at around 8 degrees and is said to go well with rich, greasy Norwegian dishes.

This is an exceptionally light tasting and easy to drink Porter and I have no doubt it would make for a great intro into that beer style.  If you prefer a strong, fuller tasting Porter then I would personally take a pass on this brew as you may be disappointed, but bear in mind it was made that way intentionally.

Rating (out of five):

Quick Facts: 4.5% alcohol – 500ml brown bottle – Pop top

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Zeitgeist Dark Lager

Tuesday, May 31st, 2011

Zeitgeist was created with the intention of non-conformance, but being a Schwarzbier (dark lager) does it conform to its own beer style?

Believe it or not this brew is actually made by record breaking Scottish BrewDog team, though it makes no mention of this anywhere on the bottles label.  BrewDog started creating extraordinary and unique beers around the same time I created this website in April 2007.  They currently hold the record of the world’s strongest beer The End Of History which packs a punch at 55% per 330ml bottle and to stir the pot even further it comes delivered in the stuffed body of a squirrel or stoat as seen below.

Zeitgeist is Schwarzbier which actually falls under the style of a dark lager.  Schwarzbier generally speaking is light in body, not overly bitter, very refreshing and make a great brew for winter drinking.  This brew pours a solid dark brown with red highlights and has no head or lacing.  It has very little carbonation and almost looks & tastes as if it were flat.  It wafts a pleasant aroma of roasted malts and sweet toffee.  The taste is light but full of roasted chocolate flavours and a refreshing bitterness that doesn’t linger.

This brew does confirm to a Schwarzbier style but only in certain aspects, so I guess the marketing ploy of it being a non-conformer still stands but I think the real question now is will it conform to being appreciated by your tastebuds?  Mine enjoyed it but only somewhat.

Rating (out of five):


Quick Facts: 4.9% alcohol – 330ml amber bottle – Pop top

| Posted in Beer Reviews, Dark Lager | No Comments »

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