#213 Garage Project/Nøgne ø – Cøllab: Summer/Sommer

Name: Cøllab: Summer/Sommer
Brewery: Garage Project (Wgtn) and Nøgne ø (Norway)
Style: Golden Rye Ale
ABV: 7.6%
Source: Kate Jordan

Now this is an exciting one. A collaboration between a Wellington micro-brewery whose beer I can barely ever get my hands on, and an exotic Norwegian brewery whose name I can barely pronounce.

Garage Project sent this bottle up to Pursuit of Hoppiness editor and fellow lady beer blogger Kate Jordan, and she was kind enough to share her present with me.

Looking back at my notes I see the first thing I wrote was “Pineapple Martin’s pants”, which refers to the fact that fellow beer person Martin had told Kate that Kohatu hops, which this was brewed with, reminded him of a pineapple that had been down his pants for some time.

Yes. Well. While I couldn’t possibly comment on that particular comparison, we did agree that this had a pineappley taste, and perhaps something a little pantsy if you thought hard about it. (But don’t think about it, because that sounds a bit gross and this beer is actually really nice.)

It was definitely summery/sommery – with a bright, fruity and floral perfume and sweetness from the pohutukawa honey. It was somehow soft and gentle in the mouth, but finished with a crisp and lasting bitterness. We definiteley wished we had more than one bottle.

There was no more (and probably won’t be any more unless you’re one of the lucky sods that lives in Wellington and can visit Hashigo Zake), so the next best thing was a Pride of Warminster (we were at Galbraith’s). While I couldn’t have that as my beer of the day, I want to give it an honerable mention because it is really good and sadly – now all gone.

And although not a beer per se, or even at all, I can’t finish the post without mentioning the Townshend cider that’s pouring at Galbraith’s right now. There is a lot of cider for sale on the shelves these days – clear, pale, sweet and fizzy – and I honestly think all of it is shit. But you know what’s not shit? Townsend’s cider! It’s hazy and tart and dry and it actually tastes like real apples. Go and try it!