Coucher Patriot

Style:American Black Ale
Alc %:5.5
Brewery:Croucher Brewing Co
Country:NZ
Tap/Bottle?:bottle, 500ml
Where/When:Home, Jan 2012
Cost:$14
Rating:7


Dark coke like with a slight tan head of just under 1cm.
The smell at first was resinous hops but after it setteld they soften a little and a touch of pineapple and a hint of molasses.

This could be a baby brother to the Stone 15th Anniversary Black IPA. And given that this is not an imperial it's fair to say a good job was done here.

Three Boys IPA

Style:IPA (English)
Alc %:5.2
Brewery:Three Boys Brewery
Country:NZ
Tap/Bottle?:500ml bottle
Where/When:NZ
Cost:approx NZ$10
Rating:6/10

Malty and very english in style to me- that means mild and not too(very) hoppy.

Nice not over rich maltyness.

The Hops barely come to the fore at any stage.

Best before 23/8/12 on bottleneck.

Beer Videos/ Beer Spiel

I haven't watched this (above) vid for a while, but apart from it being just a little bit American for my tastes, what I like about it is: rather than being anti-corporate it's instead being pro community. Simple. Smart. Relevant & Positive.

However, the below trailer for Beer Wars gives the impression that being pro community isn't quite enuf- as if it would be- and the big boys will do what they can to maintain and preserve their market share- of course they ain't gonna walk away, eva.

The impression I get from the trailer is if craft breweries can't get their brews on the shelves in the supermarkets etc then they will become extinct!

(As a side note, I was told by a reliable source that Brew Masters, the beer doco shown on Discovery Channel hosted by Sam Calagione was cancelled because the 2nd series was to profile (for lack of a better term) a range of US craft breweries to create an awareness of the breadth of American Craft Breweries. Anheuser-Busch got wind of this and threatened to pull advertising. If anyone can add details to this theory I would welcome them.)

I've been to Los Angeles and New York and in my experience NYC (esp Manhattan) was far superior for getting ones hands on some juicy beverages- LA being so spread out doesn't help at all. I went into a fairly average supermarket in LA and found the range of US craft beers fairly limited and once I found a decent bottle shop I found I couldn't buy singles of smaller (355ml size) bottles!

No idea what it's like in the middle states of the US but I imagine ordering via mailorder would be your main option.

Which brings me to AUS & NZ.

I can only vouch for Sydney, specifically the inner west; the good news is that the chain booze shops are stocking certain craft brews and a couple of indie liquor stores are doing a good job.

If all else fails, I order from Melbourne which it's pretty safe to say is ahead of the rest of the country. Slowbeer has 1 rotating tap for Growlers (Flagons in NZ) and an impressive list of worldwide brews.

Now to NZ. I can vouch for New Plymouth and Auckland.

In NP (and NZ) you have the option of both supermarkets and bottleshops which will help you get your hands on a decent array of NZ craft beers, tho it has to be said o/s (particuarly US) brews are hard to find.

So when I go home and I'm not passing thru Liquor Land in Newmarket I will order something over the net. I recommend Regional Wines.

So, what does this all mean? There is no doubting that craft brewing in Australia & New Zealand is healthy and advancing, both in quality and infiltration. I have no specific stats to verify this but the evidence is out there: quality breweries selling quality beers, liquor chain stores having varied brews, bars and stores like Slowbeer, Local Taphouse & Red Oak etc.

Also journals such as Beer and Brewer and the success of beers festivals (Good Beer Week & Beervana in NZ).

It's all good!

What brought all this on you ask? Today I went to a bar in Balmain, The Riverview Hotel, and they had four taps of McLaren Vale Beers, a Stone & Wood Pacific Pale Ale and also Little Creatures. All in this little albeit classy out of the way suburban pub. The food was above average too.

I had the MV IPA. It was fantastic. No Hop Monster but showing real class and lovely fruity flavours.

That simple.

Kiwi Craft Beer Spectapular

The Local Taphouse, Darlinghurst

Sat. May 21st

20 Kiwi Beers on tap!!!!

I got there about 3:30 after work and got a paddle straight away.

First sample: Twisted Hop Sauvin Pils:nice light summery Pils- i gave it 7/10.

2nd sample:Emerson Bird Dog (Pale Ale): malty lookin. Nose- light but intense sweet passionfruit- gorgeous. T- different, sweet with spice.

3rd sample: Cock and Bull Monks Habit (US Red Ale/APA):a little funky for my tastes.

4th sample:Moa Five Hop (ESB/Strong Ale):more honey like than hoppy

5th sample:Croucher Patriot (American Black Ale): nice nose, bit like a red ale.

310ml of Yeastie Boys Rex Attitude (Peat-smoked Strong Golden Ale): wow!! Never had anything like it before- if you don't like the smell then you will struggle to get past it- i thought it was like a smoked ham hock- very unique sipper.

575ml 8 Wired Hopwired (New World Kiwi IPA):Had this before and I love it, great grapefruit flavour and aroma- classy, fruity and morish.

310ml Epic Hop Zombie (2IPA):fantastic sweet fruit nose, well rounded sipper that wasn't as bitter on the hop front as i thought it might be.

Finished off with another 8 Wired Hopwired!!

Some high alcohol brews- very enjoyable.

Doppelbock Winter Ale

Style:Doppelbock
Alc %:6
Brewery:Monteith's Brewery
Country:New Zealand
Tap/Bottle?:bottle
Where/When:April 2011
Cost:freebie/gift
Rating:6.5

Pours Dark, light tan head.
A little cocoa in the nose...and clove.
some nicely roasted malts and a little chocalate.
It's quite nice and moreish as it warms to room temperture.

Tuatara India Pale Ale

Style:English IPA
Alc %:5.0
Brewery:Tuatara Breweries
Country:NZ
Tap/Bottle?:bottle, 330ml
Where/When:NZ Dec 2010
Cost:(NZ$) 3.35
Rating:6.5/10

Nice white head. Orange copper colour.
Nose:Mild nose- a little hard to pick-
Nice malty sweetness, slight bit of caramel.
There's something I can't quite taste.....
Not a bad drop but nothing amazing all the same.

Renaissance Funkelryesen

Style:Spiced Rye Ale
Alc %:5
Brewery:Renaissance Brewery
Country:NZ
Tap/Bottle?:tap
Where/When:Darlo Taphouse, 7/11/10
Cost:$13 tasting paddle
Rating:5.5/10

A lightly spiced ale indeed- can't pick the nose
The spice is pleasant and well balanced- different, in the vain of a mulled wine 5.5/10

Epic Lager

Style:Lager
Alc %:5
Brewery:Epic Brewery
Country:NZ
Tap/Bottle?:Bottle
Where/When:Sydney
Cost:$11.95
Rating:6

I didn't take notes.
So, from memory it was quite a nice lager which I rarely drink at all. Clean and not overpowering.
A pleasant sunday afternoon drop which I will review at length next time i have it.
Kinda pricey.

Emersons 1812 IPA

Style:English India Pale Ale
Alc %:4.7.
Brewery:Emersons Brewery
Country:New Zealand
Tap?:Bottle, 500ml
Where/When:Home, 2008
Cost:$6-9
Rating:8.5

Pours with an inch thick off white head and a slightly red golden colour body.
The nose is a bit hoppy with a hint of citrus. On tasting you get a malt first then the citrus fruit flavour.
I think this is a good example of an IPA - not too hoppy- the malt and hops make it sweet & bitter without either being overpowering.
A slight pine taste in the hops.

I have to have this again as it my current favourite style although this is more English than American from memory.

Emersons WeissBier

Style:Hefeweizen
Alc %:5
Brewery:Emersons Brewery
Country:New Zealand
Tap?:Bottle, 500ml
Where/When:Home, 2008
Cost:$6-9
Rating:9

This took ages to pour - it had been in the fridge lying down for a few weeks & I rolled the the bottle before pouring.

This is my favourite brewery - so I am biased.
It pours with a big head. The colour is a cloudy caramel gold - not transparent with millions of bubbles making their way north. The smell has a hint of clove. Their is a definite taste of banana but it's a little muted by the yeast. The sweetness is candy or bubblegum-ish.
It's a little champagne like in the mouth- but more syrupy.
Clean, light and effervescent.
I can't say I've had more tha one in a sitting - as one 500ml bottle makes me tiddly!
Wonderful drop!!

Tuatara Bavarian Hefe

Style:Hefeweizen
Alc %:5.0
Brewery:Tuatara Brewery
Country:New Zealand
Tap?: Bottle
Where/When:Mums place, 2008?
Cost:??
Rating:6

Pours with a little head. a Pale yellow colour, it kinda had a green tinge to it. The label suggests banana, vanilla and a hint of cloves - the banana I can taste - and a sweet finish that could pass as vanilla.
Overall, not a bad drop at all.