CT Column 29/09/2010 :Prodigal son returns

BACK in May I wrote about attending a tasting at The Malthouse hosted by Kelly Ryan, the New Zealand brewer at Thornbridge - one of England’s most exciting breweries. Thornbridge Brewery produces an exciting and varied range of beers including three, which are now available here.
Jaipur is a pale golden India Pale Ale that offers up an aroma of light mandarin-like hop with a hint of spicy vanilla. The beer has a rich, moderately sweet malt backbone that supports a range of spicy citrus hop flavour and a dry finish. Jaipur is the breweries’ flagship, quite remarkable considering it weighs in at 5.9 percent in a country where 4 percent is the norm. Halcyon is a stronger take on the India Pale Ale style that uses green un-kilned hops much like Mac’s Brewjolais did. Green hopped beers usually come from the new world and accordingly they usually use American or New Zealand hops. Naturally the Thornbridge team used English hops. Target hops from Mr Capper’s Herefordshire farm were overnight couriered up to the Thornbridge brewery in Derbyshire where they were used to hop the beer in the conditioning tank. The target hops give Halcyon a distinctive pineapple aroma that gives way to a slightly piney, tangy tropical fruit-laced palate and a long, smooth and expertly balanced finish.
The last of the three beers to make it down under is St Petersburg, Thornbridge’s take on the Imperial Stout style. At 7.7 percent, St Petersburg is relatively modest in alcohol for the Imperial Stout style that more often covers the 10 to 12 percent range. But as Ryan points out, the brewery sells most of this beer on tap in a country where people drink beer by the pint and 7.7 percent is about as high as they feel they can make it. St Petersburg offers up a hint of bubblegum fruitiness, a leathery note and some nice chocolate caramel aroma before giving way to a rich chocolate toffee palate. All three beers are available from The Malthouse and from Regional Wines and Spirits.
Last week Ryan announced that he is going to return to New Zealand to live and hopefully to brew, having been away since 2002. This is no doubt great news for his family but it’s also fantastic news for New Zealand beer drinkers as his skills may soon be producing something special to fill our glasses.

CT Column 22/09/2010 : Pint Sized Platinum

In 1979 progressive rock musician Mike Oldfield released the Platinum album with a track called Punkadiddle. The song was an anti-anti-establishment statement lashing out at the punk bands that Oldfield felt were robbing record company investment from the more serious releases from artists like him.
Taking some influence from this, the Yeastie Boys have released a seasonal beer called Punkadiddle that is designed to be everything that the big alcoholic, highly hopped beers currently in vogue are not.
Yeastie Boy Stu McKinlay says he brewed the beer because he got bored with all the super-strength, über-hop beers that have hit the taps this winter. Of course, a cynic might point out that the Yeastie Boys were partially responsible for this trend with the tap release before Punkadiddle coming in the form of the massively hoppy Yakima and Motueka Monster beers. It’s very much in the post-modern avant-garde nature of the Yeastie Boys to set up a scene and then rip it down. Some might even say it’s rather punk!
Regardless of the context Punkadiddle is a really tasty session beer. At a modest 3.7% alcohol volume, Punkadiddle is brewed in the English bitter style. The beer is highly drinkable, has a subtle flavour and is really well balanced. The English Maris Otter malt has given the beer a nutty cereal malt character with some caramel and biscuit notes, English East Kent Golding Hops have leant a wonderful tangy citrus hop flavour and the yeast culture that originated at London’s Fuller’s Griffin Brewery has given the beer a rounded marmalade note.
This is a style that definitely needs to be enjoyed at about 13C with some of the carbonation released; drinking it cold and fizzy straight from the keg will mask everything that is going on in this beer. Punkadiddle is available on the fill-your-own at Regional Wines and Spirits and you might just catch it on the hand pump at Hashigo Zake, Bar Edward and Pollux.
Cheers.

CT Column 15/09/2010 :Tiger Balm and oysters

LIKE any cultural movement or scene the craft beer industry has gone through a number of phases over the years.
Much like music historians can trace the lineage of modern rock back through punk, garage rock and 60s Brit pop to delta blues, blue grass and traditional British folk music, people like me can look back across the considerably shorter history of New Zealand craft beer and identify the ancestry.
The first wave of craft brewing started in 1981 when Terry McCashin set up MacCashin’s Brewery in Stoke. Through the 1980s other pioneers followed with Gisborne’s Sunshine Brewery and Taranaki’s White Cliff Brewery being among the few from that period that are still around.
The second wave of craft breweries took off from the mid 90s to the early 2000s and the list of names includes some of the biggest in the industry. Emerson’s, Tuatara, Invercargill Brewing Co and Founders all date from this period.
In fact Tuatara, Invercargill and Founders all celebrate their 10th birthday this year: a considerable achievement for any small business. Since then we have had Americans bring big beers to Blenheim (Renaissance), Brits bring real ale to Christchurch (The Twisted Hop), contract brewers bring art house concept brewing to everyone (Yeastie Boys) and a “mad” academic who decided oysters could be brewed (Three Boys Oyster Stout).
Founders have been brewing since 1999 although the Duncan family who own the brewery have been brewing in New Zealand since 1854. To mark the 10 year milestone they have brewed their first barrel aged beer.
Anniversary Stout is a 6%abv sweet stout that’s been partially aged in whiskey seasoned pinot barrels. The resulting beer has a big rich soft mocha backbone, Juicy Fruit (chewing gum) fruitiness and a hint of spice that reminded me of Tiger Balm.
The beer has a level of balance seldom seen in barrel aged beers and is perfect for an anniversary toast. It’s available from Regional Wines and Spirits.
Fans of Three Boys, Harrington’s and The Twisted Hop will be relieved to hear that the Christchurch brewers sustained minimal damage in the big earthquake.
Luck or divine intervention? Either way I think we can all drink to that.
Cheers.

CT Column 8/09/2010 : The Best?

EVERY year I spend a lot of time after BrewNZ explaining how beer judging works.
People often struggle to understand the results and what they mean. With mainstream brewer DB being crowned champion this year there is more misunderstanding than ever. When beers are entered into competition they are entered in one of 95 different style categories.
The beers are then served blind to a panel of judges and are evaluated for their technical merit and for how accurately they adhere to style. The beers are evaluated once as to whether they are medal worthy, and then those that are medal beers are judged again by a second panel and awarded gold, silver or bronze.
The trophy is then awarded to the highest ranked beer in each category that is commercially available in New Zealand. This system means that beers are always evaluated for what they are rather than according to the subjective tastes of the judges.
There are styles to cover every type of beer imaginable from low alcohol, Gluten Free and New Zealand Draught right through to super strength barleywines, highly hopped double IPA’s and beers spiced with Manuka.
In short the most mundane of beers can achieve gold medal status when brewed well and entered in the correct style category just as the most flavoursome boundary pushing beers can.
This year, for the third time, BrewNZ awarded the Champion Brewer Trophy to the brewery with the highest scoring top three beers. For the last two years craft brewers have taken the trophy with Tuatara being followed by Emerson’s last year.
This year DB performed very well taking gold medals in the New Zealand Lager and Low Carbohydrate Categories and a Silver in the New Zealand Draught Category, the picture is of a mainstream brewer doing what it does well but is hardly an advert for imaginative or character full brewing.
Luckily there were plenty of other results to get excited about. Hot on DB’s heels was Christchurch’s Three Boys Brewery. Three Boys managed a stunning comeback from last year when they defied many expectations and earned no medals to this year where they took Gold and Best in Class Trophies for both Oyster Stout and their festive brew Pineapple Lump Porter, Silver for Golden Ale and bronze for Wheat.
Emerson’s kept up their enviable record with nine medals including the wheat beer trophy for Dunkelweiss.
Blenheim’s 8 Wired took a Trophy and Gold Medal for The Big Smoke Porter, Yeastie Boys took a Silver for Yakima Monster and a Bronze for Her Majesty, and Christchurch’s Twisted Hop took out the newly created Cask Ale trophy.
Go to www.brewnz.co.nz to see the full results.
Cheers!

CT Column 25/08/2010 :From Mild to massive

WHEN Michael Jackson the famous beer writer (not the moon walking one) toured New Zealand in the 1990s, one of the beers that captured his imagination was Mikes Mild Ale from the Organic White Cliffs Brewery in Urenui on the Taranaki Coast.
White Cliffs was founded in 1989 by Mike Johnson, since then it has passed through several owners and now is in the safe hands of the Trigg Family who emigrated from Zimbabwe.
The flagship product, Mikes Mild, has been rechristened Mikes Ale. Whatever the name the beer is a malt accented 4%abv session beer with a biscuit, lightly cocoa flavoured malt profile and a dry smooth finish that can be found around town in bars like Liquidate, Hashigo Zake or Plum Cafe (poured from Mikes own ingenious bar mounted mini keg dispensers).
The Triggs have expanded the White Cliff range which now includes a Helles lager, a Pilsner, a whisky barrel aged Porter and now perhaps one of the least “mild” beers in the country, a strong Imperial India Pale Ale.
Imperial India Pale Ale is the ultimate “hop head” style packing in as much fruity new world hop character as possible.
Mikes India Pale Ale is a 9%abv golden hued ale that packs in a considerable amount of resinous fruity hop flavour and aroma over a lightly biscuit and nutty malt body with a long fruity but not overly bitter finish.
Striking aromas of lychee, pineapple, citrus, passionfruit and melon give way to a tangy fruity cocktail of tropical flavours on the palate and a smooth finish.
Mike’s India Pale Ale is available on tap at Hashigo Zake, and in 750ml bottles from the Malthouse and Regional Wines and Spirits.
Cheers

CT Column 18/08/2010 : A drop of Majesty

LAST year Wellington’s Yeastie Boys Brewing Co released their first bottled beer.
Named His Majesty, it was the first of two annually released bottled beers presented in 750ml champagne bottles. Last year His Majesty took the form of a strong hoppy India Pale Ale. This month sees the launch of the second part to the annual release, named Her Majesty, it forms a malty ying to His Majesty’s Hoppy yang.
Each year His and Her Majesty will be different, although His Majesty will always be a hoppy style while Her Majesty will delve into richer, softer more malt accented territory. This brand of “concept brewing” is exactly what we have come to expect from the Yeastie Boys who often take influence from the world of music for their names and branding.
Her Majesty is in fact the name of an album by one of Yeastie Boy Brewer, Stu McKinlay’s favourite bands The Decemberists.
Her Majesty 2010 is a style bending beer that combines the soft earthy toasted malt character of a brown porter with a Belgian yeast and the strength of a Belgian Dubbel. By my reckoning that makes it a Belgian Imperial Brown Porter or in other words unique.
Pouring a very dark brown with a creamy tan head, Her Majesty 2010 offers up aromas of earthy chocolate, orchard fruit and a subtle underpinning of spicy incense. In the mouth there is a prominent malty sweetness with a cocoa tinge, red apple fruit and a hint of Christmas spice.
Her Majesty is gloriously rich and soft making for a refreshing alternative to the massively hopped beers that are currently all the rage. In fact Stu jokes it is so “lightly hopped that I’ve advised some hopheads to seek medical advice before trying it!”
As a lover of rich malt accented beers I’ll drink to that.
Cheers

CT Column 11/08/2010 : Let’s get festive

AT the end of this month Wellington will play host to Beervana: the biggest event in the New Zealand beer calendar.
On August 27 and 28 the Town Hall will be a bustling hub of activity as the country’s finest brewers, publicans and retailers combine to showcase everything that is fantastic about beer. Over 160 different beers will be on offer which you can either buy by the “tasting sized” sample or by the full glass.
Highlights will include special beers from overseas that may never be seen again in New Zealand, beers that seldom find their way to Wellington from breweries in far flung parts of the country and festive brews that have been brewed specially for the event.
This year the festive brew theme is “Lets go Native”. Brewers have been encouraged to use native or identifiably “Kiwi” ingredients that are not usually found in beer. Roll on the feijoa, Kiwi fruit and kumara ales!
The festival isn’t just about tasting, it will feature workshops on everything from beer matching with chocolate or cheese through to seminars about beer for women. This year Beervana will play host to Sam Calagione, one of the “stars” of the American craft brewing scene.
Sam is famous for having built up his Dogfish Head Brewing Company from an initial batch size of 50litres to the point where it now brews over 12 million litres a year. Sam is a proponent of beer and food matching and brewing with unusual techniques and ingredients. He will be running a seminar covering some of his history and looking at where craft beer is going in the future.
As a somewhat lesser attraction I will be manning the Regional Wines stand serving up my own beer, R.S.B. along side some rare beers from the cellar and some special imports. See you there.
Cheers