#197 Independent Liquor – Kingfisher

Name: Kingfisher Lager
Brewery: United Breweries Groub (Bangalore, India)
Style: Pale Lager
ABV: 4.8%
Source: Satya restaurant

Last night I went out to eat the second best Indian in New Zealand, Satya (ohhh, but where is the best one? Not telling!), and washed my Masala Dosa and Bhel Puri down with a Kingfisher.

And you know what? It wasn’t that bad. Kingfisher is a boring macro lager and all that, but for some reason I don’t despise it. I think there are three reasons for this:

1) I only ever drink it with really spicy Indian food, so whatever cold thing is relieving me from the burning hellfires of beef vindaloo is always going to seem amazing.

2) I drank it every day for 9 weeks in India. I wasn’t too happy about that at the time – it tasted even worse over there than it does here and I got b l o o d y sick of it, but now I look back with nostalgia at those nights spent playing Gin Rummy and sipping on dusty bottles of Kingfisher Strong.

3) As a teenager we’d go to Little India often, and I remember the Kingfisher ads on the table had the tagline “Most Thrilling Chilled!” which amused me. A lot.

All that aside, it’s a decidedly average beer. A bit too sweet, light in the mouth, fizzy, with a taste of hay and a wee bit of bitterness at the end. It does the trick (if the ‘trick’ is relieving you from burning curry), but sadly it will never be thrilling, even chilled.

#196 ePICO – Dr. Rudi

Name: Dr Rudi
Brewery: Epico (Auckland, New Zealand)
Style: ?
ABV:5.?
Source: ePICO Brewery

Last week when I was at the excellent Mule Tasting at Epic HQ, Luke and Kelly kindly loaded me up with a few bottles of ePICO beer to take home.

ePICO beers are basically Epic’s home-brews. Small, experimental batches that they make at the HQ (essentially a large garage below Kelly’s flat), some of which will go on to be heroes like Hop Zombie, others which, well…

I’m very grateful to be able to try these beers anyway, and I do hope they’ll forgive me for saying a couple of rude things about this one.

The first is that this is hands down the worst-looking beer to appear on the blog so far. I’m sorry, but it is. It was brown and sludgy, like a river after a storm, with a silky muddy sediment that settled at the bottom of the glass. It’s hard knowing what it was supposed to look like because I’m not sure of the style, but still.

On the nose things were much more promising. It had loads of aroma – and actually a very familiar one, though I couldn’t quite place it. I wondered if they used the same hops in this in another Epic beer… the Larger perhaps? Anyway it was very fruity (tropical, passionfruit), with a little malty brown bread and a vague hint of something a bit harsh… like nail varnish. Overall though, a great smell.

In the mouth it was a bit of a donut. I don’t mean it tasted like sweet fried bread (how good would that be!?), but that it had a hole in the middle. The nose was great – the aftertaste was lengthy – but in the middle on the roof of my tongue, it somehow disappeared.

This was not, by any stretch, a bad beer, I think I’m just being extra harsh because I know it was made by two brilliant brewers. Possibly it was meant to be brown and sludgy because it was a brown bread wheat ale or something I’ve never heard of, or maybe they don’t worry about clearing the ePICO brews, but for now I’ll just feel comforted by the thought that even those guys don’t get everything right.

Speaking of those guys – I briefly mentioned before that Kelly Ryan is leaving Epic (like, on Friday) to move to the Tron and work as Head Brewer a new brew-pub. It’ll be a shame not having him around Auckland because a) he is the most knowledgable beer geek I know and b) a bloody nice guy, but on the flip side I can’t wait to see what he comes up with in his new role.

Also (and lets face it, we’re all thinking it), it will be nice to finally have a reason to stop in Hamilton.

#195 Mike’s – APA

Name: APA
Brewery: Mike’s Organic Brewery (Taranaki, New Zealand)
Style: American Pale Ale
ABV: 6.6%
Source: Galbraith’s Ales

WARNING: What you are about to read will make you very, very jealous.

On Sunday night I went with my friends to Galbraith’s (jealous yet?), to drink beers, eat chips, and play Pass the Pigs.

Pass the Pigs! Remember how fun that game was? No because you were six when you last played it? Well, I can tell you right now it is still an absolute scream, especially when you’re a high risk player like me and won’t stop until you get just one more Leaning Jowler.

Anyway, whatever it was fun.

Also really excellent was this Mikes APA that I had – truly bold, punchy and bursting with citrus/piney American hops. It had a nice caramelly malt underlay, but the finish was definitely hop-dominated and really bitter – perhaps a touch too bitter for me, but true to the style.

They also had Yeastie Boys Pot Kettle Black and Invercargill Boysenbeery on tap, which I actually mixed together to make a Blackbeery (clever eh?). The result was underwhelming, but the sticky mess that I made doing it was good for helping the pigs to balance on their jowls. (See photo for evidence.)

#194 – Mike’s – Premium Organic Ale

Name: Premium Organic Ale
Brewery: Mike’s Organic Brewery (Taranaki, New Zealand)
Style: Dark mild ale
ABV: 4.1%
Source: The Wine Cellar

I’m afraid that this is basically going to be a failure of a post.

I couldn’t get a picture (it was too dark in the Wine Cellar, also I didn’t have a camera) and because I was watching a gig right up the front I couldn’t take any notes because then I would have looked like I was a wanky wannabe music reviewer instead of a wanky wannabe beer reviewer which is way worse.

Anyway, I remember saying “Mmmmm this is really nice!” and then telling a stranger that he had to buy one, so obviously I enjoyed it. I remember it was dark and tasted of roasty malt and chocolate, went down velvety smooth, and had a really nice fullish mouthfeel considering it was only 4.1%.

That’s all I remember though, so now for some filler…

Did you Auckland beer geeks know that there’s pretty much always Mike’s or Croucher beer on tap at the Wine Cellar? They also have Harrington’s and Coopers, as well as some insanely cheap (with good reason) ones like Bushmans and Bear Beer. I go there for the music first and foremost rather than the beer, but the fact that I don’t have to drink Heineken while I watch the bands play is a giant plus.

One more piece of filler – last night I discovered the best Indian restaurant in New Zealand. I can’t tell you where it is because I’ve been sworn to secrecy, but if you buy me a beer I just might. Think about it.

#193 Epic – Armageddon

Temporary borrowed photo until my sister emails me mine. (Hurry up Olivia!)

Name: Armageddon
Brewery:  Epic (Auckland, New Zealand)
Style: IPA
ABV: 6.6%
Source: O’Carrolls Freehouse

I know what you’re probably thinking.

“Uh… Duhhhh Alice, you’ve already done the Armageddon.” Amirite?

Well guess what? I actually haven’t! But because it’s such an obvious beer to blog about and I’ve done all the other Epic’s so far, you’d be forgiven for assuming I had. Hell, I actually thought for some time that I’d already done the Armageddon, which is partly why it’s taken so long.

I’ve had the Armageddon so many zillions of times now that I actually find it very hard to say what it tastes like – it simply tastes like Armageddon to me, like Coke just tastes like Coke.

But because that wouldn’t be a particularly great description for the blog, I spent some time at O’Carrolls on Friday night sniffing and sipping this with a screwed-up face (to the despair of my company) trying to go back in time to my first taste.

The first thing to say is that its obviously very hoppy. I think this was one of the first big hop beers ever produced in New Zealand (along with the Hallertau MHL) and is probably responsible for turning more than a few New Zealanders into the big hop heads that they are today.

The hops are American and give a typical citrus, pine aroma, as well as sweeter fruits like mango and peach, and a little hint of cat pee (which honestly is not a bad thing in this context).

In the mouth the hops are big, flavorful and fruity, with an underlay of bready or biscuity malt. As well as those fruits mentioned, I get a kind of lemon/limey flavour that I find distinctive to the Amrageddon, although I may not be picking that quite right. It feels smooth and medium-bodied in the mouth, and has a bitter finish with a lengthy hop aftertaste.

The Armageddon (on tap especially) is an excellent drop, and a good secret weapon for converting people to craft beer. In fact – it was this on tap at O’Carrolls that made my Mum declare: “I’ve crossed the divide. I’ll never drink Steinlager again.”

#192 Shmaltz Brewing – He’Brew Messiah Gold

Name: Messiah Gold
Brewery: Shmaltz Brewing Co. (San Fransico, USA)
Style:  American Brown Ale
ABV: 5.6%
Source: The Beer Store

When I first heard about the He’Brew line of beers from Shmaltz I knew that I needed to have one – but in all honesty I didn’t expect much.

I thought they wouldn’t be that great because they didn’t need to be. I mean – they’re one of the only certifier kosher beers around, their labels are funny and celebrate all that is Jewish, and the name contains A BRILLIANT PUN. Surely there’d be enough Jews and pun-lovers out there who would seek this beer out purely for its novelty value?

Well maybe they would (I know I did), but this Messiah Bold was a decent beer, regardless.

It poured dark brown with a tan head and smelled really malty – toasty and toffeeish, with some raisins, espresso and dark chocolate too.

In the mouth it was sweet and malty with a little roasty bitterness and spice at the finish. The mouthfeel was fairly full and smooth, with lively carbonation.

Overall, it didn’t knock my socks off but I’d definitely go back there again (and not just for the pun). L’chaim!

#191 Sixpoint – Resin

Name: Resin
Brewery: Sixpoint (Brooklyn, NY, USA)
Style: IPA
ABV: 9.1%
Source: The Mule

Last Wednesday after work, I visited the Epic Beer HQ in Sylvia Park to catch the tail end of a tasting session that had started at midday.

Lets just say it’s a good thing I hadn’t been there since the beginning, because the ‘tail end’ lasted 5 hours and included countless incredible (and incredibly strong beers) like this one.

It’s always hard picking one to ‘do’ as my beer of the day when faced with a plethora of exotic brews that I might never see again, but the Resin won out for three reasons:

1) It came in a can.
Sure, it reminded me of a horrible energy drink at first, but the more I looked at it the more I liked. Cans are lighter, easier to chuck in your handbag (they also don’t make that shameful ‘clinking’ sound), and apparently more recyclable than bottles. I’ve actually noticed a few craft breweries putting their beer in cans recently (BrewDog with their Punk IPA for example) and, while I don’t see them ousting bottles any time soon, I reckon it could be a big thing in future.

2) It tasted delicious.
I expected an American Double IPA called ‘Resin’ to be way too bitter for me, but in fact it was actually really well balanced. The hops gave off loads of grapefruit and pine, but the syrupy malt backbone kept it all in check. Perfecto!

3) We had the best photos of this one:

Thanks to Luke, Kelly and Dave (aka The Beer Mule) for inviting me along. Best after-work beers ever!

#190 Mt Froth – Amber Wheat Ale

Name: Amber Wheat Ale
Brewery: Mt Froth Brewing Company (Wanaka, New Zealand)
Style: Amber Wheat Ale
ABV: 5.5%
Source: David Ball

So once again I have been a VBB (very bad blogger) and am five days behind on my posting, which means I will probably just be farting out posts that aren’t nearly as informative or pun-filled as I would like them to be.

Anyway, this is a homebrew that my friend David in Wanaka sent me. David is awesome at making beer and, as I mentioned in the past, went through the same food science degree at Dunedin that Kelly Ryan at Epic did. (BTW, did you guys know Kelly is leaving Epic and heading for Hamilton? Big big news. Read all about it here.)

Sadly David is moving to Perth for some reason (I hope he gets a job at Feral or Little Creatures!) so this will be the last batch of beers he sends me for a while.

This is the second hoppy wheat ale I’ve had in week, which makes me think I could be riding the crest of a new fad in beer styles. (Though its unlikely because I’m always really behind with these things.)

This tasted and looked marginally more like a wheat beer than the Haywired, but if I’d tasted it blind I doubt I would have guessed. It had a juicy hop aroma with some citrus, marmalade, and a faint whiff of doughy yeast.

In the mouth it had a great malty sweetness, really nicely balanced with a bitter finish, and a smooth fullish mouthfeel.

There was one problem for me though, and that was a rubbery, almost band-aid like taste that dominated the flavour. It’s something I’ve noticed in quite a few beers before – some home-brewed, some not, and although some people might like it I’m not so sure.

I asked Kelly Ryan about what this taste could be, and he reeled off about seven different possibilities which I can’t remember (this was at the end of a very long tasting session). Something about yeast or water or containers or beer.

Anyway, it still had a lot going for it and I suspect the band-aid taste could fade with more cellaring. Thanks heaps to Dave and all the best in Perth. Don’t forget to drink lots of fresh Hop Hog for me!

#189 BrewDog – Trashy Blonde

Name: Trashy Blonde
Brewery: Brewdog (Aberdeen, Scotland)
Style: Blond Ale
ABV:4.1%
Source: The Beer Store

On Monday I came home from work to find the best thing ever waiting for me.

Was it a kitten? A surprise tax refund? My boyfriend with a candlelit dinner of Mac ‘n Cheese? No (although all of those things WOULD have been awesome) – it was a box of fancy beers from The Beer Store.

Dad saw me hit rock bottom a few posts back with that can of Gordon Finest Gold, and came to my rescue by ordering me 12 awesome beers online. They came with a card that said “The West is to share”, which I guess means Westvleteren only he forgot how to spell it.

Anyway, the Trashy Blonde was obviously a bit of a joke about me being trashy  blonde, but it turned out to be really nice as well as a bit funny.

It reminded me a little of a New Zealand Pale Ale – lots of tootie-fruity hops on the nose (you know the ones – passionfruit n citrus n flowers n that), a light malty sweetness in the mouth and a dry, bitter finish. It was fun and went down easy – which suits the name I s’pose…

What I really liked about this one is that it packed lots of punch while still only being 4.1%, meaning I could drink lots of it without actually getting all trashy. Always a bonus.

#188 Bootleg Brewery – Raging Bull

Name: Raging Bull
Brewery: Bootleg Brewery (Margaret River, Australia)
Style: Porter
ABV: 7.1%
Source: McCoppins Liquor Store (Melbourne)

Arg, my brain is all sludgy and empty-feeling at the moment (more-so than usual) because I’ve exhausted it with too much Parks and Recreation writing today already. So, I will attempt to be brief…

This was better than I was expecting. In all honesty my experience with Australian beers has thus far been underwhelming, although I’m aware that there are quite a few great once out there that I haven’t yet tried. (Suggestions?)

It was dark and sweet, with flavours of roast malt, licorice, espresso, bitter chocolate and dark fruits. It had a similar mouthfeel to coke – quite bubbly and light, with a little stickyness, and the finish was bitter in a roasty rather than hoppy kinda way.

It was definitely on the sweet side and the alcohol was pretty obvious, but I liked it. If I have it again I’d like to drink it after dinner with some strong blue cheese (instead of in bed at 11:30 at night), but we can’t always get these things right the first time, can we?