Beer aficionados

[jim.cox]

Any one down there try them?

Yup

Any good?

They are ok, nothing exciting....

[Mully Clown]

WIGRAM BREWING COMPANY LTD
Any one down there try them? Any good?

They're fucking great. Did a tour of their brewery with about 15 mates from work. Was essentially a piss-up in a brewery, $20 a head and we were there for around 5 hours... highly recommended.

I'd drink there beer more often if it was in my local supermarket. The Spruce Beer is worth drinking purely for the history behind it. It wasn't my favourite, I forget what that was but it's not listed on their site at the moment.

[jim.cox]

I've made a new discovery

Wigram's Vienna Lager is pretty darned good

I normally avoid lagers and pilsners beacuse of their lack of taste - but not this one.

[vifferman]

Interesting link, 12 Most common beer myths exploded, off the Hallertau site. They're wrong about the Guiness though.

They're also wrong about some of the other 'myths' (which they seem to have sourced from some American source). F'rinstance, American beer IS often weaker than beer exported there from Yurp or elsewhere, as there's some weird tax/excise thing for beers over 2.9%, so many Californian beers are weak and watery.
Also, with some of the Yrpeen beers (such as the Koeningshoeven brewery which produces La Trappe beers), the darker ones do have a higher alcohol content.

[Hitcher]

The Brewjolais season has come to an end for another year. Sigh.

This is the best beer that Mac's has ever brewed. Srsly.

[Skyryder]

Well some of you have intrigued me enough to try a tipple of the Wigram Ale.

They make a Spruce Beer based on Captain Cooks original recipe as first made in Dusky Sound in 1773. Flavoured with spruce (rimu) and tea tree (manuka) That's on the lable. It would be a mistake to drink this beer straight from the fridge. The delicate flavour of the tea tree and rimu flavourings would be destroyed. Give it about half and hour for 'fridge chill' to lift. This beer is truly original and as such I have found it difficult to place it in a catorgory. It is not a lager or a dark beer but comes closer due to the distinctive flavour as bitter.

I tend to believe that this beer is more suited to the BBQ and while I hesitate to suggest that it would go with fish as does a Pilsoner it would without doubt be suited to Japanese food or lightly spiced food where its delicate flavour would come to the fore.


Skyryder

[Gubb]

Someone mentioned that there's a Feijoa beer in existence.

I love Feijoa's, and I love Beer, but together, i'm not so sure. It can't be any worse than Radler.

Anyone know anything further?

[warewolf]

They're also wrong about some of the other 'myths'

You are right, I think we've already mentioned many of them in the discussion in this thread so wasn't going to labour the (each) point, but I will . Re-reading, it all seems to be rather disengenuous. For instance, the one about light beers having < 50% of the calories of regular beer, yet they say it won't help. Maybe it won't if you drink twice as many, but it is not a myth that light beer has many fewer calories.

And the one about glass colour: green is lower volume and more expensive, and is considered a nicer/premium colour. As such, it is reserved for the better beers. No guarantee, of course, but usually the case. They are right about the light-strike, which is why Steinlager didn't go into a green (posh) bottle until they improved its light-strike resistance. And probably why so many Coronas and Stellas have suffered light-strike.

Beer colour, and quality, do tend to have a bearing on the alcohol content. As the other flavours get stronger (typical in a darker or well-crafted brew), the alcohol flavour has to be increased to keep it balanced.

So many of their myths are exceptions to the rough rule-of-thumb. But hey, they are American, they have a distorted/insular view of the world.

[jim.cox]

But hey, they are American, they have a distorted/insular view of the world.

American Beer - like making love in a canoe. Fucking close to water

[Indiana_Jones]

Fuck I love beer

-Indy

[bungbung]

If you like lots and lots of hops, look out for Epic Armageddon or Hallertau Maximus Humulus Lupulus

[slofox]

It would be a mistake to drink this beer straight from the fridge. The delicate flavour of the tea tree and rimu flavourings would be destroyed. Give it about half and hour for 'fridge chill' to lift.

Actually Skyryder, I reckon you are better NOT to store this beer in the fridge at all. Much more betterer to chill it lightly just before you drink it.
Any long term fridge storage at 4C will cause the aromatic compounds responsible for much of the flavour to become locked down in solution. So store at room temp and then chill before drinking. Same goes for many English Ales. The EA's that I sell, I do not store in the fridge at all for this very reason.
It's interesting to put this to the test. I did it with Fullers ESB. Chilled one just before drinking - just long enough to drop the temp to around 10 - 11C. Was luvverly. Stored the other in the fridge for two days. Poured it straight out of the fridge (4C). Tasteless! Allowed it to warm up, but still didn't taste the same. The aromatics are very slow to come back out - I believe they lag behind the temperature increase. That sort of beer that has been in the fridge, I would allow to sit at room temp for about two - three days before consuming...
Totally different story with NZ commercial beer. The colder the better because it tastes like shit...
Just my thoughts...

[slofox]

If you like lots and lots of hops, look out for Epic Armageddon or Hallertau Maximus Humulus Lupulus

I will have Epic Armageddon in store by tomorrow for all the Hamiltronians around...be warned - it ain't cheap...($10 per 500ml)...

[Skyryder]

Actually Skyryder, I reckon you are better NOT to store this beer in the fridge at all. Much more betterer to chill it lightly just before you drink it.
Any long term fridge storage at 4C will cause the aromatic compounds responsible for much of the flavour to become locked down in solution. So store at room temp and then chill before drinking. Same goes for many English Ales. The EA's that I sell, I do not store in the fridge at all for this very reason.
It's interesting to put this to the test. I did it with Fullers ESB. Chilled one just before drinking - just long enough to drop the temp to around 10 - 11C. Was luvverly. Stored the other in the fridge for two days. Poured it straight out of the fridge (4C). Tasteless! Allowed it to warm up, but still didn't taste the same. The aromatics are very slow to come back out - I believe they lag behind the temperature increase. That sort of beer that has been in the fridge, I would allow to sit at room temp for about two - three days before consuming...
Totally different story with NZ commercial beer. The colder the better because it tastes like shit...
Just my thoughts...

My I am impressed. I took your advice. Stored one in the fridge for a few days and left the other in a cupboard in the wash house. Then tried the two together at aprox the same temperture. What a difference.


Skyryder

[boostin]

Renaissance Brewing Company
Discovery
American Pale Ale
'bout $8/500ml

Has a good taste with strong hop flavors. As far as APA's go in not sure if this is good or not but I certainly enjoyed it and will get it again!