June Beer of the Month: Downton Chimera IPA

Not a lot of notes from June. I'm not sure what I was up to but, I guess, it didn't involve much drinking. Perhaps I was brewing a bit back then, who knows...

Although I tasted some interesing Saisons (possibly the world's most disputed style), it was a classic English IPA that stood out... Downton's Chimera IPA:
Tasted 01/06/2007. 500ml bottle, Rumble’s. Left to vent for a couple of hours, after some pretty volcanic strong English ales in the past. Just on the pale side of golden. Creamy white head tries hard, but doesn’t stand at chance at this alcohol level (though that might be a different story if it wasn’t cellar temp). Citrus and stonefruit blossom hops fill the nose at first, followed by a rich pale malt character that is slightly caramelly and certainly a little minerally. Warming alcohol becomes prominent. In the mouth it’s richly malty, with a strong sappy, almost steely, hop character. More mineral notes again, with a prominent fruity ester and alcohol character. Quite warming. Intensely bitter. Lingering. Did I say lingering? Barley sugars make an appearance at this stage too, hidden amongst the tongue-scraping bitterness.. A great beer to introuduce the concept of bitterness and a classic English IPA in my opinion. If DAB is the ex-girlfriend who remains your friend, this is the mate that nobody quite appreciates. Damn it’s bitter! (4.1/5.0).

Beer geek 'Stonch' (who kindly - and unknowingly -supplied the pic) backgrounds the Downton brewery, briefly, and agrees with the overall summation of the product. Very interesting, for you kiwis, is that the Downtown brewhouse is run by a brewer with a background at Hop Back and Fuller's. Colin Paige - head brewer of iconic New Zealand brewery Mac's - comes from the exact same pedigree.

May Beer of the Month: Murray's Imperial Stout

By May we had Ted sleeping through the night and I was beggining to recatch my hankering for the fermented one.

Jacqui Thomson, our good friend and the sister of wine writer Joelle, visited with a fist full of treats (Jacqui always comes with a bunch of interesting Australian craft beers and a good wine or two). Knappstein Reserve Lager stood out - the best use of Nelson Sauvin I've come across, thus far, and the single best Australian beer I'd tasted at that point.

Our other good friend Martin Bennett, of Twisted Hop fame, came to stay also. Martin was the driving force behind BrewNZ 2007 and - as a very generous man indeed - also tends to always bring a nice bag of surprises with him. Poplar Brown was the best of many goodies.

However, two tastings of an Imperial Stout were the highlights of my tasting month. The first was at a BJCP tasting at Brendon's, and the other was an excellent Imperial Stout tasting at Kieran's. The beer, which technically shoots wide of the Imperial Stout style (probably the hottest style amongst beer geeks at present), was on of the biggest surprises of my year. An Australian beer, brewed by a New Zealand brewer. Without further ado, I present Murray's Imperial Stout:
Tasted 31/05/2007. 750ml champagne-style bottle, steward’s choice from BrewNZ. Very lively, upon opening a light tan head comes foaming out of the bottle. Almost black, probably not quite as dark as a classic Imperial Stout. Nor is it as roasty or as hoppy... but wow!.... this is a really great beer. Cherry esters and woody notes play on the nose. Winy esters and rich malt characters are very well integrated in the mouth, where it’s less roasty than you’d expect. The finish is exceptionally smooth, with lingering fruit and malt sweetness. I ended up savouring it too much to take many notes. A string quartet, perhaps even a full orchestra, next to the screeching guitar solo of Pink’s Imperious Russian Stowt. I’ve got to get my hands on more from these guys. Keep it up guys. (4.2/5.0).

April Beer of the Month: O'Hanlon's Royal Oak

Way back in April I was sleep deprived, and spending more time thinking about beer than actually tasting it. What I did taste (the likes of Kilkenny, Export Dry and a couple of Sam Adam's fruit beers) was about as appealing as getting up for Ted's midnight feeds.

One beer stood proudly - head, shoulders and beef-bellied torso above the rest: O'Hanlon's Royal Oak, a splendidly complex ESB.

I remember how tired I was in April (I'm almost that tired again now) and, frankly, I'm amazed that I had the capacity to actually string a senctence together. (note: real writers may suggest I've not quite achieved anything worthy of being called a sentence).

Anyway, here is my Royal Oak experience:
Tasted 26/04/2007. 500ml bottle from Rumble’s, Wellington. Pours an almost bright Doc Marten Cherry Red, with a very light tan airy head. Delightfully fruity nose: raisiny port notes mingle with a sweet whiff of lemonade. A hint of caramel, especially in the empty glass. Very soft in the mouth, and quite light, with just a touch of barley sweetness, more fruity esters and a toasty dry finish. Oaky notes linger on the palate, and I’m not pulling your leg here! Bitterness is very subdued, hop flavour almost non-existent besides a mild peppery spice. This one has really stood up to the travel and the shelf time. Excellent ESB, with all the complexity of a good single malt whisky. It really makes me want to have another look at their Port Stout.

I have since re-looked at the Port Stout but not yet actually got it to my lips. Sometime soon... perhaps?

March Beer of the Month: Duchesse de Bourgogne

March seems like a lifetime ago - and it was for Ted (see 8 month old Ted, in punk pose, below). It's been that long since I took time to write a Beer of the Month.

Verhaeghe Duchesse De Bourgogne, with it's classic Flemish "Golden Age" painting label that hints at something very special inside the small 25cl bottle, was the beer of that month. How I didn't head straight to the computer to tell the world, nobody knows. Not only was it the beer of the month, it is most likely my beer of the year (don't stop visiting just yet tohught, the SOBA Homebrew Championship may well come up with something to trump it).

Here's my thoughts, as posted on RateBeer:

Tasted 24/03/2007. 25cl bottle from Rumble’s, Wellington. 6.2%. Sour cherry aroma, a touch of brett mustiness and oak. Lacy light tan head sits firm atop this ruddy garnet coloured ale. Lots of fruity, cherry-like fruit sweetness and sugar up front with lovely sour and astringent balance - a touch of oaky astringency cuts through first, followed by a lingering, yet mild, 9-volt acidic fruit bite. Sourness tingles between mouthfeels. A little sweetness lingers the longest. Balanced and very drinkable. Excellent beer. Before, during or after dinner... but probably not for breakfast. Re-tasted at a Sour Ale study session on 03/05/2007. The standout beer of the evening. Outstanding beer with hints of fruitcake crusts and a sublimely complex balance of sweet, sour and tannic astringency. Upped a point each for every aspect (4.4/5.0).

As a nice confirmation of my own excitement, the Duchesse was comfortably the highest scoring beer at any session of this year's Wellington BJCP group tastings (if I remember rightly, all judges were in the high 40's out of 50).

The brewery's low-key website, here, looks informative but is hardly worth visiting unless you read Dutch.

I wrote a little more on De Bourgogne in my fortnightly piece on 'Not PC'. However, my limited writing ability and palate can't fully express how great this beer is. It is as well-crafted as any drink you could ever taste, and it's well under $10 a bottle.

If my recommendation is not enough:

• 1100 blog pages will probably recommend it almost as highly, and
• 861 beer geeks, some of whom may also be bloggers, pretty much agree

Else, try it for yourself (in stock at Regional Wines and Spirits right now).

What else did I like in March:

• Pink Elephant's Imperious Rushin' Stowt (3.9), and
• Robinson's Old Tom (3.7)

Slainte mhath

Stu

February Beer of the Month: Schlenkerla Rauchbier Maerzen

February was even quieter than January, though there were a couple of outstanding new beers amongst the few I tried. Three Boys Golden Ale was a marvellous showcase of the under-utlisied Sauvin hop. However the pick of the month, without doubt, was Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Maerzen. This was one of the most fascinating beers I've ever tasted. Big ups to Sam Bjornniskie for sending it over.

Without further ado, the sensory analysis:

Tasted 18/02/2007. 500ml bottle, from the brewery, sent from the UK (in a sock). Thanks to the TheGrandmaster. Pours a deep chestnut brown, reddish hued, with a disappearing off-white head. Strong ashy notes on the nose - Brendon calls it "a glass of smoky bacon bits" and Fritha calls it "billy tea" (campfire tea, not the dearly departed NZ comedian). Whatever you call it, and both of them are quite apt, I like it. Also has a rich background of Munich malt. In the mouth it is creamy, with med-low carbonation and a med-full weight. This allows a lovely, clean, toasty Munich richness to dominate. Lowly hopped, and the ash notes aren’t noted on the tongue. It’s pretty fresh but I can imagine it even fresher. World Class. Bamberg slips ahead of Portland in my beer holiday fantasy. I can’t believe I’ve already been there and missed all of the beer (but I do have a photo of the Rathaus in the middle of the river).

Sublime. See Schlenkerla's excellent little website for more info.

January Beer of the Month: Cantillon Gueuze

January was a super quiet month on the beer tasting front. Providing the beers for Matt and Sarah's Wedding kept me super busy. A hoppy American Pale Ale, a couple of German-styles (unfiltered Kolsch and Pilsner) and a Brown Porter kept the masses happy there. I was particularly happy with the Kolsch, which was very clean and delicate.

On the tasting front it was a mixed bag Cantillon's Organic Gueuze was the beer most worthy of a nod. It's a beer unlike any other besides the other beers in the Cantillon range...

Ratebeer notes:

Tasted 02/01/2006. Lot 2.06. 375ml corked and capped bottle from RW&S. Pours a pale rose gold, lightly hazy, with a creamy white head that disappates into a thin film. Musty dry aroma is mostly sour, quite citrus, with woody, floral and yeast hints that remind of champagne. A touch of seetness is perceived in the mouth, at first, but that’s quickly wiped out by a dry sourness, slightly tannic in the middle to finish, and then a big citric tang on the palate (reminiscent of licking 9v batteries). Slight fruity note in the lingering citric/tannic finish. Soft carbonation, which is needed to allow the prickly acidity through. Definitely reminds me of a very dry champagne, with a sour edge. Very enjoyable. (39/5o).

The Cantillon beers also have the best range of labels I've ever seen, with Rose de Gambrinus being a particular favourite.

December Beer of the Month: Salopian Entire Butt

A quiet tasting month in December had me sampling some rather average beers. The top picks were Salopian's Entire Butt Porter, the Elemental Porter from the sometimes troubled Renaissance Brewery and a very estery Ridgeway IPA.

"Entire Butt" is a reference to the Porters of old. These beers were originally a mix of three different beers and were called "Three Threads". They were served to the porters of London's docks, who loved the beer's balance of quality and economy. One smart man discovered that he could make a single beer that tasted similar, and the rest is history.

My notes on Salopian Entire Butt:

Tasted 28/12/2006. 500ml bottle-conditioned ale from the new Rumble’s shipment. Poured with the fruity yeast. Dark brown, almost black, with a brief off-white head. Complex nose of biscuit, milk, dark chocolate, espresso and fruitcake. Good in the mouth: softly carbonated and lovely malt-balance. Sturdy biscuit malt backbone with a toasty note and a nicely subtle burnt finish. Bitterness is very subdued. Undefined fruity yeast lingers with the black malt. Lovely porter, something I’d really like to try on cask - and with a bit of cheese.... though the 14 malts??? a little over the top guys. (3.7/5.0).

November Beer of the Month: Sam Adam's Octoberfest

November's beer of the month was actually tasted in October. Like finally getting this post itself written, it takes me a while to get my paper-based tasting notes in order sometimes. One of the many Sam Adam's beers that I carried home from BrewNZ, the Octoberfest was easily one of the better ones (I wish I'd got my hands on the Double Bok, which was absolutely superb).

Straight to the RateBeer notes:
Tasted 20/10/2006. 120z bottle from BrewNZ. Pours a luscious and lambent red-gold, quite bright, with an off-white head that’s tending toward light tan. Head disappears but leaves a fair amount of lacing behind. Clean rich malt aroma - freshly milled toasty pale malt - with underlying hints of fruitcake, wood smoke and lemony herbs. Off-dry in the mouth, toasty malts dominating, then the soft bite of slightly herbal hops coming through at the end. Pretty clean, though a subtle malt sweetness lingers on the palate. Medium-heavy with a medium carbonation. An absolute treat. I can only imagine what this may taste like fresh from a good tap. (4.3).

New Zealand's Vienna/Marzen/Octoberfest offerings seem so lightweight, poorly made and stale in comparison (can you believe a beer from America would seem fresher than one brewed in the South Island).

The Sam Adam's brand, from Boston Beer Co, is an interesting business model. Part of me loves the idea. Another part hates what they're doing. It's worked well and they make a few mighty fine beers, so I guess I can sleep easy... for tonight.

The only other beer of significant note, in a quietish November, was Epic Mayhem (4.0). I still suspect it was a blend of Cock and Bull Monk's Habit and Epic Pale Ale but I'm not sure I'll ever find out. I've not asked the brewer because I doubt he'd admit it.

October Beer of the Month: Twisted Hop Golding Bitter

October's beer of the month - Twisted Hop Golding Bitter - was initially tasted in September, from a bottle entered at BrewNZ. It was far from showstopping, on that first taste, but it ended up being my beer of choice on the annual Cellar-Vate crew's brewery trip (this year we hit Christchurch). That trip ended up revolving around The Twisted Hop, a brewpub which ended up being my beer highlight of 2006. Fantastic location, beautiful beer, great staff and a most generous owner in Martin Bennett.

Here's my RateBeer thoughts on Golding Bitter:

October 27/28. At the Twisted Hop. Beer engine, with and without sparkler, pint after pint. Light vibrant gold, with a creamy and persistent white head, and a lovely natural haze. Citrus and illegal-like resiny notes dominate the pungently hoppy nose. Might be a little intimidating for the uninitiated, if anything. Full creamy mouthfeel delivers a nice juicy sweet malt flavour, more of that pungent resinous hop flavour, with a subtle, fruity, lingering bitterness. Super fresh. So easy to drink that I had one too many. A touch cool from the handpump but it was good enough to never let warm up. My pick of all the beers tasted in Christchuch. Re-rated and upped from an original 2.8 out of the bottle, where and unpleasant hot astingency and lack of freshness didn’t let the beer show it’s special lively self. Forget that original comment and get down to the brewpub. (4.1/5.0)

There's more gushing about The Twisted Hop at Not PC.

Little else of note in October, where two weeks in Australia saw me tasting some of the least inspiring beers in the last few years. The only other beers of real notes were also from The Twisted Hop - the Rasbierry Lambic being an exquisitely balanced fruit lambic and the Plum Duff being a dark brown ale with nice tannic plum skin notes (neither rated at RateBeer).

September Beer of the Month: Limburg Oude Reserve

It’s been a long time coming but September’s beer of the month now coincides with that brewery’s closure. Limburg brewery has just recently closed and, although the main line-up will still be available (brewed by Steam Brewing in Auckland), special beers along the lines of Oude Reserve will not be seen again.

Here’s my thoughts:

Tasted 15/09/2006. Leftover rigger from BrewNZ. These thoughts are from myself, tyrrell and bmackenzie... Pours a burnished copper, bright, with no head at all and just a tingle of carbonation (we’re drinking this a little warm, perhaps, at about 15c). Sweet malt - almost syrup-like - on the nose, with barley sugar, marmalade, a slight meatiness and a definite sherry-like oxidation character. Tyrrell is reminded of barley being toasted for haggis at Miro Street. Tempting and quite lovely. More malt sweetness in the mouth; toffee and liquorice in the middle; a warming alcohol and spice finish, bordering on hot; and a late lingering bitterness. More meatiness and sweet toasty malts linger on the palate. Softly carbonated and a full weight. I tried this first at BrewNZ 2005 and thought it was good but needed a bit more age to mellow. This taste proves it - a truly fantastic NZ ale! Well done to the Limburg team. We opened a Chimay Bleu after this, which seemed almost bland on comparison. (4.5/5.0)

More on this beer at my “Beer O’Clock” post on Not PC: promoting capitalist acts between consenting adults.

Other top drops in September:
Emerson’s Anniversary 1812 (4.4)
Twisted Hop Golding Bitter (4.1)
Dupont La Biere de Beloeil (3.9)
Deschutes Black Butte Porter (3.6)

July Beer of the Month: Traquair House Ale

It’s been some time between the last Beer of the Month and this one, so much so that I’ve actually got a few to catch up on. There’s always the fortnightly Beer O’Clock posts on Not PC, for those of you who are missing a recommendation.

July’s beer was the smooth 7.2% House Ale from Traquair of Scotland. Not bad for a bunch of old Jacobites. Enough with the guff, here’s the low-down:

Tasted 10/06/2006. 330ml bottle from Rumble’s, Wellington.
Dark brown with ruby highlights. Tan foam rises, then diminshes to a soapy film with light lacing. Carbonation minimal. Mild port-like nose of poached plums - both sweet flesh and some sharper skin notes - with old fashioned oranges. Nicely balanced in the mouth: fruity esters, lightly tannic wood notes, toasty specialty grains, late season bitter oranges, and a sweet caramel base. The flavours come and go, mingling perfectly, getting better as I get through it - until it’s gone.... Woody notes linger, with a slight peppery note late on. Full and soft. Here’s tae us. (4.2)

Other highly recommended beers from a dark and delicious month of July:

• Emerson’s Bourbon Porter (4.3)


• Scotch Silly (4.3)


• Limburg Porter (3.5)

August Beer of the Month: Herold Cerny Lezak

August revealed something quite new and unusual: a dark Czech lager. Famous for their soft water, which helps produce the outstanding malt profiles in their pale lagers (most famously Pilsners), the Czech Republic sneaks out Pivovar’s Herold Cerny Lezak - a lovely dark Schwarzbier. Herold proved to be yet another winning beer out of leftfield from the marvellously stocked shelves at Rumble’s. Here’s the detail:

Tasted 25/08/2006. 500ml bottle from Rumble’s, Wellington.
Deep dark chestnut, near black, with a very light tan tinge to the head. Head droops but lingers and laces. Roasty malts on the nose hint at coffee, wood, rum and mollasses. Good underlying base of malt sweetness in the mouth with a woody, roasty backbone and a slight hop spice. Hops are slightly fruity on the palate and alcohol is warming in the finish. Silky smooth: softly carbonated and a lovely fullish weight. Fantastic schwarzbier. (4.3)

Other highly recommended beers from a very varied selection in August:

• Eastwood and Sanders Fireball (4.0)


• RCH Ale Mary (3.8)


• Emerson’s Weissbier Dunkel (3.8)

Slainte mhath
Stu

June Beer of the Month: Dent Ramsbottom Strong Ale

Just like the month of May, June came and went before I knew what was going on.  Looking back over my notes there are some nice beers in there but nothing much with the “wow” factor.  That’s good, in a way, because the beer that I remember enjoying the most was a nice sessional Best Bitter.  Tasted on the Devil’s day…

My notes, also posted at Ratebeer, for Dent Brewery’s Ramsbottom Strong Ale:
Tasted 06/06/2006.  500ml, bottled-conditioned, discounted at Rumble’s Wellington.
Golden-hued garnet, bright, with a light tan airy head, a venting of carbonation and light lace. Definite crushed pale and crystal grains on the nose, with a touch of roasted malt.  Some light stone fruit and vinous esters like I’ve had off the Thames Valley yeast. Mild and gorgeous. At first it’s a bit too carbonated to get the true flavour but once it’s aired it’s lovely - dry, toasty, mild chocolate malt notes and nice subtle crystal malt sweetness underneath.  Good spicy bitter finish, which lingers on with the dry roasted malt.  A bit of a hoppy mild for me.  Lovely balance and a good showpiece for the benefits of bottle-conditioning.

Re-reading it makes me want to pop in and see if they have any more bottles.

Other notables beers (marks out of 5, in brackets) from a great quality month in May:

• Eastwood & Sanders Elland Back (4.0)


• Adnams Broadside Strong Original (3.9)


• Burton Bridge Empire Ale (3.8)


• St Peters Spiced Ale (Cinnamon and Apple) (3.70)

All notes, as always, at yalnikim on Ratebeer.    

May Beer of the Month: Hofbrau Munchen Maibock

We did have a month of May this year, and a high quality beer month it was.  Though it’s taken a while to post the post, the actual beer of the month has been my regular thing at The Malthouse and, as such, is still biscuity fresh in my beer memory.

My notes (also posted at ratebeer): Tasted 19/05/2006, 355ml bottle from RW&S, Wellington.  
Vibrant copper (Fritha reckons amber), bright, lightly carbonated, with a disappearing off-white head.  Mild nose, very pleasant, shows off caramel malts, spicy continental hops and a hint of lager yeast.  Sweet and sappy malts blend well with grassy spicy hops and end in a slightly astringent finish (probably the only downfall as it just leans away from perfectly balanced).  I’ve seen these Hofbrau beers on the shelf for a couple of months now and the Maibock is a very pleasant surprise (thanks for the lovely surprise Fritha).
24/05/2006. On tap in a lovely earthernware stein at the Malthouse, Wellington.  Superb biscuity notes from the toasted malt. Upped aroma and overall impression 1 point each. 3.9/5.

Other notables beers (marks out of 5, in brackets) from a great quality month in May:

• Green King Strong Suffolk (4.0)


• Hog’s Back A over T (4.1)


• Rochefort Trappistes 8 (4.0)


• Gales Jubilee Ale (3.8)

All notes, as always, at yalnikim on ratebeer.    

Also wrote a few Beer O’Clock words at the Not PC blog.

April Beer of the Month: Goose Island Honker's Ale

April sees me back in the brewery and trying quite a few of my own beers. That and family-life keep me quiet on the beer hunting scene. Life is good but the beer selection is up and down. The beer of the month, Goose Island Honker’s Ale, is a solidly world class ale - an American interpretation of the classic English strong pale ale.

My notes (also posted at ratebeer):

Tasted 16/04/2006. 330ml bottle from Rumble’s, Wellington. Pale copper, bright, lightly carbonated, with a foamy light-tan head that laces a little but doesn’t linger for long. Barley sugars and nutty grain on the nose, a hint of citrus and an appealing, faint and slightly musty, yeast note. Dry toffee-like malt up front, in the mouth, with a mild lolly sweetness. This is followed by citrus hop flavour and a strong, pepper and grass, bitterness. The malt profile holds all the way through the bitter finish. Slightly hard water but not quite as much as some English pales, like Taylor’s Landlord. Soft-medium carbonation in the mouth, medium weight. Great beer, well crafted. A classic strong pale ale, which I’m surprised hasn’t scored more strongly on Ratebeer. Perhaps a little too subtle for the US market. 4.3/5.

Other notables beers (marks out of 5, in brackets) from an up and down beer month in March:

• Goose Island IPA (3.9)
• Mort Subite Gueuze Lambic (3.7)
• Renaissance Stonecutter Scotch Ale (3.2)

All notes, as always, at yalnikim on ratebeer.

March Beer of the Month: Harviestoun Schiehallion

Another quiet hunting month in March, with the main priorities being the birth of Frankie and the move to Wigtoft Villa. I worked through the last of the February shipment from Rumble’s and picked up a few extra treats from both there and Regional Wines and Spirits.

This month I’ve gone for something new. There has been so much written, already, about the top two ratings – Rochefort Trappistes 10 and Anchor Steam Beer – that I’ve opted for some words on number three: Harviestoun Schiehallion.

My notes (also posted at ratebeer):
Tasted 05/03/2006. 500ml bottle from Rumble’s, Wellington. Pours a very pale straw-gold, almost green-hued, that hints of wheat malt. Thin white head diminishes quickly but leaves a thick lacing. Lines of tiny effervescent tiny bubbles trail up the side of the glass. First sniff reveals a minerally lager yeast. The nose then opens up into a lovely hop dominated bouquet of passionfruit and lychees, with a faint, underlying, grainy sweetness. Mildly sweet lager malt hits the mouth first and lingers all the way through. It’s followed closely by more of the hop hits - more tropical fruit, with a citrus edge, and a cedary bitterness through the middle to the clean finish. Some slight yeasty notes near the end are the only negative but these are very faint. Medium weight and carbonation lead to a slightly creamy mouthfeel. Superb balance. This lager is right up there with Emerson’s Pilsner. I’d certainly love to try it on cask. 4.1/5.

Other notables beers (marks out of 5, in brackets) from a high-qality beer month in March:

• Rochefort Trappistes 10 (4.3)


• Anchor Steam Beer (4.2)


• Liefman’s Goudenband (3.8)

All notes, as always, at yalnikim on ratebeer.

February Beer of the Month: Pale Rider

A quieter tasting month in February had me sipping on the odd beer as we prepared for a house move and a baby. Late in the month a new shipment arrived at Rumble's. Most of these will hit the March notes but this month's winner was one of most eagerly anticipated of the bunch. Kelham Island's Pale Rider took out CAMRA's best beer in 2004 and I can see why.

My notes (also posted at ratebeer):
Tasted 24/02/2006. 500ml bottle from Rumble’s, Wellington (it says here bottle-conditioned but I’m not so sure that this one is).
Pours bright - a gorgeous, rich, pure gold. Little visible carbonation and an airy just off-white head that collapses quickly and laces mildly. Big, perfumey, english pale malt aroma: sweet grains with a small hint of oranges and sea air. Some spiciness in there too and then some lovely banana esters as it warms. In the mouth there are more sweet grains up front, suggestions of barley sugars; dry and bitter fruit through the middle, without the "american hop flavour" I expected (mAybe the journey to NZ dulled them?); then a long finish that is woody, spicy, and ever so slightly astringent. Medium weight, low carbonation balanced by a pinch of prickly hopping. I began this ale with trepidation, after my last two Kelham Island efforts, and it didn’t knock my socks off immediately. However, I ended it knowing that I’d just enjoyed a subtly world class ale. 4/5.

Other notables beers (marks out of 5, in brackets) from an average beer month in February:

• Unibroue Trois Pistoles (3.5)
• St Peters Suffolk Gold (3.4)
• Three Boys Wheat (3.3)

All notes, as always, at yalnikim on ratebeer.

January Beer of the Month: Monk's Habit

A nice quiet spell of New Years Day was well spent, sitting on the back deck, drinking Steam Brewing's test run of bottled "Monk's Habit" (more commonly seen, on tap, at the Cock and Bull pubs). It has become a regular feature of January and Febuary evenings...

My notes (also posted at www.ratebeer.com):
Tasted 01/01/2005. 330ml bottle from Steam Brewing, via mail. 7%.
Red-brown, a little murky, slightly woody appearnace, with hints of green (at a certain angle, in a certain light). Light-tan, very lacey, disappearing head. Big caramel hit on the nose, as I pour, that is overtaken by grassy, resinous, woody, sea water, aniseed and a touch of chlorine. Complex, at the least. Toffee comes in later. Flavour is a dry astringent toffee, that suggests kettle caramelisation, with a very bitter middle that is balanced by some subtle caramel sweetness and a peppery spiciness. Finish is toffee and pine. Medium weight, soft carbonation, saliva inducing bitterness. Full on. More of an American IPA, I think, than trappist. A touch more sweetness, on the nose and in the mouth, would benefit this one but it’s a very well-made beer. 3.7/5.
Re-rate 26/01/2005 - Tried again, warmer, delicious, more malt balance in both the aroma and the flavour, lost that chlorine-like sharpness that I was getting when colder. Way too drinkable for 7%. Upped from 3.7 to 4.1/5.

Other notables beers (marks out of 5, in brackets) from a very high-quality beer month in January:

• Epic Pale Ale (4)
• Erdinger Pikantus (3.9)
• Pink Elephant Mammoth (3.9)
• Limburg Czechmate Pilsner (3.8)
• Hoegaarden Julius (3.8)

All notes at yalnikim on ratbeer.