Beer aficionados

**spacemonkey** · 18th December 2010, 23:09

Originally Posted by warewolf

Try a Founders Redhead. Sassy Red has a very strong nose but very little taste, Redhead is the opposite with little nose but great taste. Sassy Red smells like Redhead tastes!

Yeah the Founders range is pretty good.

Though I'm more fond of their Fair maiden, Tall blond and long black beers.
They have also brought out quite a few special brews this year as it's their 10th anniversary this year.

**ellipsis** · 18th December 2010, 23:27

...where in the chch area is it obtainable...

**warewolf** · 18th December 2010, 23:38

Tonight had the at times dubious pleasure of some local craft brews.

First up was Bays Brewery's "Harley's Premium Ale". This is famous because it is the cheapest 2L rigger refill at $8.70. I wouldn't bother with it, to be honest. Bays as a whole is the poor cousin of the craft brewery scene hereabouts, primarily because the bar is set so high. Their Exclamator Dopplebock is the pick of the bunch but has a high alcohol content - couple of those and I'm anyone's. The Bengal Bitter IPA is great with a curry, unsurprisingly, and it's a better choice than many of the imported exotica offered at curry houses.

Next up was Sprig & Fern's Pilsner, their mid-strength lager at 5%. Long been a favourite, it's got good flavour without seeming too boutique-y or yeasty (Founder's Tall Blonde can come across like that at times). The 4% Fern Lager is a great intro to craft brews: it's a step above the mass-produced swill and shouldn't offend an inexperienced palate but rather wake it up. The top-level lager is Tasman at 6.5%. Despite the more vigorous taste, the hot alcohol flavours predominate so it doesn't seem as balanced as Pilsner, plus the extra alcohol content goes straight to the head. The drinking sensation is like the Monty Python fish dance:

Finally, I enjoyed a quiet Sprig & Fern I.P.A. or two. This a very hearty yet tasty and refreshing IPA. It's one of my staples. What was originally a limited release (IIRC for Marchfest in April this year) it's been so popular it's now part of their permanent line-up. It has displaced half-Best Bitter half-Pale Ale as my brew of choice for all occasions, including as a thirst quencher.

**warewolf** · 18th December 2010, 23:40

Originally Posted by CAMSec

...where in the chch area is it obtainable...

Stockists of Founders organic Beer in - Christchurch.

**warewolf** · 19th December 2010, 00:13

Originally Posted by spacemonkey

Though I'm more fond of their Fair maiden, Tall blond and long black beers.

I tend to cycle through them. Fair Maiden is complex and gets a bit aromatic with extended drinking, and at the end of a long hard week all I want is a good clean simple lager so Tall Blonde gets the nod. But if I don't drink it for a while, it ends up at the top of the list. btw They've put in some hand-pull pumps, and I reckon Fair Maiden hand-pulled is the best.

Generation Ale has some interesting nutty flavours but can be subtle; I tend to flip-flop between it and Redhead. Apart from the Friday arvo Blonde, I just pick one at random from the range! That is, if they don't have any specials. Their Show Hopper is dynamite (they're up to version III now) but very limited release, just for the arts(?) festival in autumn. Heavily hopped, it's sharper than a pageful of Oscar Wilde witticisms folded up to a point, dipped in lemon juice and jabbed in your eye.

**Usarka** · 19th December 2010, 14:39

I've just sampled an brew I've cooked up from scratch using malt extract and hops. English bitter stylez - and it is f**kn delicious!

**bungbung** · 20th December 2010, 07:32

I spent a few of the rainy hours yesterday brewing a hoppy Pilsener (full mash), lots of Nelson Sauvin, Cascade and Motueka hops. It's a recipe I have been refining for a while, a bit like a hoprocker on steroids.

**Mudfart** · 20th December 2010, 12:37

ive tried a lot of the beers available in Oz, NZ UK and Ireland over the years, and I'm yet to say, "that tastes good".
All beer tastes yuck, it only tastes ok when a defining moment suits, for example on a hot day after mowing a lawn, or after a ride.
Although I'd be just as happy with an equally cold soft drink.
After the first 3 bottles, then I dont care what I'm drinking, except Steinlager, my tastebuds NEVER get stupefied enough to put up with THAT.
Guiness, funnily enough tasted better when it travels, not drunken AT the brewery in Dublin.

**Usarka** · 27th December 2010, 09:42

Originally Posted by bungbung

I spent a few of the rainy hours yesterday brewing a hoppy Pilsener (full mash), lots of Nelson Sauvin, Cascade and Motueka hops. It's a recipe I have been refining for a while, a bit like a hoprocker on steroids.

Hoproider! Nice. What yeast would you be using with that?

**bungbung** · 27th December 2010, 10:24

I tried a prior batch using wyeast czech pils yeast, but I underpitched and it took 4 days to get going. I had to tip it out.
This batch was saflager

**vifferman** · 27th December 2010, 15:40

Anyone tried beers from the Kaimai Brewing Company? I was surprised to see them in our local New World, and pleasantly pleased with the drinking experience.

**vifferman** · 27th December 2010, 15:41

Anyone tried beers from the Kaimai Brewing Company? I was surprised to see them in our local New World, and pleasantly surprised with the drinking experience.

There's not a big range (only two? I think), but they're not bad. At all at all.