Tag Archives: Diary pages

Posts with scanned diary pages

Twisted Hop ‘Sauvin’ Pilsner

December 29, 2008 Phil Leave a comment

Brother and stable-mate of the previous IPA, and further magic out of the usually-all-bad city of Christchurch. It’s a very different sort of a pilsner, and as such might not be liked by people who are regulars to a pint of the (perfectly good) Tuatara Pilsner or whatnot. But I loved it to bits. It’s got a hugely grapey opening, which (I am reliably informed) is a signature of the Nelson Sauvin hops — them that showed up as the golden-kiwifruitiness of the (utterly adorable) Three Boys Golden Ale. It’s long and complex, and totally refreshing at the same time. With that white-winey-ness, it strikes me as being like a gruntified Emerson’s Pilsner.

Verbatim: Twisted Hop Sauvin Pilsner. 29/12/08 $8 @ work 5%. The brother of the IPA above. And further magic. Hugely grapey opening, which Olly says is a Sauvin trait. It’s long and complex, but still totally refreshing. Like a gruntified Emerson’s Pils, brewed with foot firm on the gas.

Afterthoughts, November 2010: This really would come close, if the data were ever examined, to being the all-time, all-round, all-staff Malthouse favourite. We positively zip through this stuff when we’ve managed to wrangle a keg or two; and probably half the sales are directly to the staff. It’s just so delicious, so different, and so refreshing.

Actual Diary entries

Twisted Hop IPA

December 23, 2008 Phil Leave a comment

A reward-to-self for knocking my Christmas shopping off in one go (and with a whole day to spare). It’s awesome. A big apricotty, hop-filled nose to start off, and a similarly big, nicely bitter and full-on taste, faultlessly done. It also very much suits being on the hand-pulls, being flatter and that little bit warmer. It delivers in areas where things like Pink Elephant Golden Tusk and Epic Pale Ale prove to be only all talk, much to my recent annoyance. This makes for seriously-good medicine and reassurance, after those.

Verbatim: Twisted Hop IPA. 23/12/08 $8 @ Malty 6.4%. Shopping done. And this is on handpull. Awesome. Apricotty hop-filled nose, and big, nicely bitter feel. What Golden Tusk should’ve been. Goes very nicely flat + slightly warmer. Big full-on taste, but faultlessly done. Nice and rounded, unlike an Epic or summat.

Afterthoughts, November 2010: I should admit that two days later, on Christmas Day, I also had an astonishing hangover brought on by overindulgence in this stuff. I don’t mean to blame it, or anything / anyone other than myself, I’m just saying that it was that delicious; you kept going when you knew you shouldn’t.

Twisted Hop IPA part 1 — Diary entry 67.1, Twisted Hop IPA

Twisted Hop IPA part 2 — Diary entry #67.2, Twisted Hop IPA

Actual Diary entries

Three Boys Golden Ale

November 25, 2008 Phil Leave a comment

Pure summer gorgeousness. A very pale straw, and slightly hazy here since the small amount of sediment was a wee bit agitated-in. As Scott (the Bar Manager) puts it “it’s fruity, it’s flirty, it’s fantastic”. Absurdly refreshing, and apparently a “single malt” beer (which is fairly cute), it’s got an appropriate little golden-kiwifruit hint to it, and is the early frontrunner for Beer Of The Summer.

Verbatim: Three Boys Golden Ale. 23/11/08 $11 @ Malthaus 4.7% Very pale straw, a wee bit hazy. It’s gorgeous. As Scotty says, it’s fruity, it’s flirty, it’s fantastic. Very light, simple flavour. Absurdly refreshing. “Single malt” apparently. Amelia says it should have breasts — the only thing that’d make it better. “It looks like a beautiful Swedish girl.” A bit of golden kiwifruityness.

Afterthoughts, November 2010: And there’s Amelia’s Diary debut, in fine form. She’s also in the very idiosyncratic school of beer-describing, obviously. We both worked during the day at one pub down the far end of town (her starting early mornings, me on for lunch), so she was a frequent accomplice for a pre-work cup of tea or a not-working afternoon beer (or, occasionally, a pre-work beer, let’s be honest). Our flat-hunting would later on spur a few more excellent beer discoveries, and then (a year and a half after that), it was her that bought me Diary II and so helped provoke the online existence of this thing.

I should really buy her a(nother) beer.

And yeah, this was totally Beer Of The Summer, if you ask me. Which you kinda did.

Actual Diary entries

Three Boys IPA

November 15, 2008 Phil Leave a comment

Verbatim: Three Boys IPA. 15/11/08 $8.50 @ Malthouse, 5.2% Had it lots, but it warrants an entry. Gorgeousness personified. Slightly less traditional than a Tuatara IPA, but proudly so. Wonderfully balanced (cf Epic…), slight grapefruity hint, not hoppy for the sake of it. Full damn marks.

Afterthoughts, November 2010: I’d probably run my little camera out of battery — the 15th does have both the Tuatara ‘Ardennes’ and the Pink Elephant ‘Golden Tusk’ noted down already. It does take a beating, that thing; probably 90% of its work is done under appallingly low light conditions. It’d be pretty tiring.

And here’s the first mention, I think, of the anti-Epic strain that definitely runs as an undercurrent through my early days at the Malthouse. For the record, though we’ll get into more detail later, I think their beers have vastly improved — but there was a whole bunch of Emperor’s New Clothesy carry-on around when I first encountered them.

Actual Diary entries

Pink Elephant ‘Golden Tusk’

November 15, 2008 Phil Leave a comment

I should’ve been all over this. It’s from a pokey little operation in Blenheim where his bit seems to be making overstrong brews. This one clocks in at 7.1% and is the lowest-booze of the three we have in stock. It’s pitched as a ‘special bitter’, and starts with a nice big nose full of apricots and other orange-coloured stonefruity things. On your first sip, it’s got a pleasantly bitter punch and then… pretty much nothing. Alarmingly thin for a seven-percenter, one wonders how they managed that. You can keep going back for the aroma and the punch-upon-sipping, but your brain just keeps asking why that’s all there is.

Verbatim: Pink Elephant Golden Tusk Special. 15/11/08 $8 @ Malthouse 7.1% 330ml. A special bitter, with punch. Very big nose full of apricots and orangey stonefruits. Taste is pleasantly bitter, but very short. Surprisingly thin for a 7%-er.

Afterthoughts, November 2010: Weirdly, this entry and #63 seem backwards, in the book. There’s all sorts of funny little time-loops going on with the uploading of this Diary thing. It’s beginning to do my head in.

Actual Diary entries

Duchy Originals Ale

November 14, 2008 Phil Leave a comment

I’ve already said how utterly indifferent I am to the organic fad, so when Prince Charles’ outfit present me with a ‘classic ruby ale’ to try, I’m flooded with conflicting emotions: apathy, curiousness, anti-Monarchism (but I always have that), a desire to not give money to Prince Charles but still to have his beer, and — above all, thirst. My conflict was solved when a customer bought one for me, out of the blue. Nice.

Which is a good word for the beer: nice. It won’t change your life, but it’s solid. Not overly ‘ruby’ for a ‘ruby’ ale, you’d have to say, but it’s a good little quaffer.

Verbatim: Duchy Originals Organic Ale. 14/11/08 $12.5 @ Malthouse. 5.0% 500ml. Shouted by a customer, so my republican cred is intact. An organic ruby ale. Classic English. Don’t give a toss about organic-ness, of course, but this is very pleasant. Quite accessible, I think. Some reviews say its hardcore. Maybe my taste is skewed.

Actual Diary entries

Tuatara ‘Ardennes’

November 8, 2008 Phil Leave a comment

Verbatim: Tuatara ‘Ardennes’. A belgian-style strong golden ale from local favourites Tuatara. Just recently back on tap at work, and thereby eligible for staff drinks. Huzzah. One of our regulars (a formidable Beer Nerd) rates it as the #2 All-Around Best Value Beer Buy on the Planet, which isn’t a bad nod. It’s a lovely bright gold, slightly heftier than usual (at 6.5%, so not as full-on as the Belgian-Belgians often get), and with a nice smooth, slightly warming, peachy kind of yumminess to it.

Afterthoughts, November 2010: #1 on the Best Buy list mentioned above was Schneider Aventinus, if memory serves. But it often doesn’t, so don’t quote me on that.

It also occurs to me that I’m posting this, and writing these Afterthoughts, almost exactly two years since I took that photo. Two more years of backlog before I catch up with the steadily-marching-on ‘present’. Sheesh.

And then — mysteriously, a few weeks later — an actual Diary entry for this same beer pops up. But I didn’t take a photo at the time, so I’ve put the entry here, in the spirit of consolidation.

Actual Diary entries

3 Ravens 55

October 7, 2008 Phil 1 Comment

3 Ravens 55 American Pale Ale. “55” because of five hops and five grains, apparently — and first made for the occasion of their fifth birthday as a brewery. It’s made from barley, corn, wheat, oats and rye — which makes me want to say that it feels more “American” at the expense of being less “American Pale Ale”. The grains do make for a really nice mix and a good full body, but they’re driving very much more than the lively American hops you’d usually expect. Possibly another case of peculiar branding of a beer that’s doing what it is doing very nicely, whatever it’s called.

Verbatim: 3 Ravens ’55 American Pale Ale. 7/10/08 $3.5 @ Markets 5.5%. 5 hops + 5 grains (Barley, Corn, Wheat, Oats + Rye), so more American, but less APA: not hugely hoppy in the nose again. The grains make a nice mix, but drive more than the floral hops. Maybe our NZ hops are distorting our PAs. (Bottle cond.)

Afterthoughts, November 2010: This borderline-numerology stuff does crop a bit in brewing circles, actually. It seems a common trope to jig the number of ingredients, or the ABV, or IBU, or something to match some relevant number. I suppose that just shows you that obsessiveness and nerdery are common traits among craft brewers. And that’s got to be a good thing.

Meanwhile, that’s a terribly-focussed photo. The two strong beers previous must’ve blunted either my ability or my perfectionism, or both.

Actual Diary entries

Malt Shovel / New Norcia Abbey Ale

October 7, 2008 Phil 1 Comment

Malt Shovel Abbey Ale — Malt Shovel / New Norcia Abbey Ale

Another recommendation from the guy in the markets, and he’s two for two. Which also backs up my earlier praise for the James Squires people. Fairly heavy at 7%, it’s a very appealing golden amber, and smells utterly gorgeous — all flowery, fruity and citrusy. The taste is fresh, with a slight metallic zing (not in a bad way, like you get in a Becks or whatnot), and has apricotty and grassy flavours kicking around in there. Toby compares it (favourably) to wandering around a sunny field, chewing on wheat. And I’m fairly sure I’ve been to the monastery where it’s matured, in New Norcia, WA — Karen and I drove past it on our way up to her family’s farm for her birthday party, methinks. (A quick look at Google Maps left me feeling able to upgrade from the “I think” in the paper diary to an “I’m fairly sure”.)

Verbatim: Malt Shovel Abbey Ale. 7/10/08 $4 @ Markets 7%. Another recommendation. And M.S. = James Squire’s. Smells gorgeous; flowery, fruity, citrusy. Nice golden amber. Tastes fresh, with non-bad metal, apricotty, grassy. Like chewing wheat. And I think I’ve been to the monastery in New Norcia, WA.

Actual Diary entries

Jamieson ‘Beast’ IPA

October 7, 2008 Phil Leave a comment

These guys are a popular “little” Victorian brewery, but I was distinctly underwhelmed when I tried their stuff during my years in Melbourne. This bottle in particular, though, was recommended by the guy in the South Melbourne Markets. Actually, he didn’t so much recommend as insist. And took care to apologise on their behalf for the utterly hideous label. Godawful packaging, great beer, he promised. And damn, was he right. Pouring a nice, slightly cloudy amber, it doesn’t have a hugely hoppy nose but that’s because they’re all hiding in the taste. Which is good and big, with stonefruity bits all over the place. And it weighs in at 7% booze, so it earns its name, as well as excuses its own ugly bottle.

Verbatim: Jamieson ‘Beast’ IPA. 7/10/08 $3.5 @ Markets 7%. Recommended by the Swords guy. Hideous label, great beer, he said. Nice slightly cloudy amber. Not a hugely hoppy nose, but it’s all in the mouth. With stonefruity bits all over the show, too. Big + grunty. So excuses/earns the label/name.

Afterthoughts, October 2010: Yeah, yeah; books, covers, trite moral lessons. All learned, don’t worry about that.

Beer Diary

Tag Archives: Diary pages

Twisted Hop ‘Sauvin’ Pilsner

Twisted Hop IPA

Three Boys Golden Ale

Three Boys IPA

Pink Elephant ‘Golden Tusk’

Duchy Originals Ale

Tuatara ‘Ardennes’

3 Ravens 55

Malt Shovel / New Norcia Abbey Ale

Jamieson ‘Beast’ IPA

Tastings and ramblings and whatnot