Nov
25
2011
6.5% abv, 330ml stubbie glass bottle, USA
I thought I was done blogging for tonight… until I got a whiff of this baby and just about had a beergasm.
Oct
26
2011
As Matt had been a-travelling down New Plymouth way, he had most thoughtfully dropped by Mike’s Brewery on the way back and collected some brews to share with us all.
In case you’ve not heard of them, Mike’s Brewery produce high-quality beer from Organic ingredients, in the small settlement of Urenui (that’s in the Taranaki, New Zealand). All of the beers they produce carry the Bio-Gro “Certified Organic” mark. Certified Organic is an assurance that the ingredients have not been in contact with any synthetic chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers, and that the farming is sustainably managed for the long-term. Organic growing tends to be more labour intensive for these reasons, which often drives costs up compared with traditional farming – however it does mean that you’re not ingesting synthetic chemicals along with your beer, and that conditions are maintained for future generations. Both of these are good things, I think.
So what arrived at our table this Wednesday night were two infused porters for our delectation – one with Whisky and one with Coffee – and both certified organic! Read on to see what we all thought.
Jun
04
2011
I’ve been drinking beer for a long time. Like most teenagers around these parts, in my formative years the usual “brew” (I use the term loosely) was DB Export Gold (Although in my 20′s my preferred drink was Vodka and tonic).
I started going to the NZ Beer Festival from the very first one back in 2006. It was awesome, drinking in the sun with live music, nothing better! I tried a lot of beers but I kind of got lost in it, I’d written off beer as being something to savour on the whole, and thought of it more as something to get drunk on.
Format: 330ml glass bottle Cost: $5.99 Purchased from: Artisan Wine Suppliers (in the Elliot Stables, Auckland CBD) Type: Stout Origin: New Zealand Strength: 4.5% abv. Selected by: Dan Tasted With: Kapiti Kikorangi Blue Cheese
Now it was time for our showcase beer – Pitch Black Real Stout from Invercargill Brewery. Kevin from Artisan had talked this one up, and enthusiasm was high as a result. Let me tell you we were not disappointed.
Crack the plain black lid open (no screw tops here, thank you very much) and instantly you are hit with the unmistakeable scent of … dark roasted espresso coffee. Beautifully rich dark colour and a hint of foamy head.