Drinks

Some Beers.

Dainton – Hopf’n Juicy Blood Orange Hoppy Weiss. Hazy Hefeweizen, 5.5% 375ml can: Has that banana-smell that Hefeweizens have, but I don’t care for too much. Its not bad but there isn’t a lot else going on. It is very hazy, the hop bitterness is hazy style. Wish it had a bit more carbonation. The blood orange isn’t that noticeable, there is some bitterness that could be pith/rind? Its a Hefeweizen with hazy style hopping.
2.5 stars. It fine.

★★★

Rocky Ridge – Woodin’ It Be Nice Oaked Pale Ale. 5.0% 375ml can. This smells great, big fruity “juicy” hops (Mosaic, Strata, Vic Secret and Ella), and also vanilla supposedly from the oak. The oak/wood character is interesting in a clean crisp pale ale (its their core range Pale Ale) rather than as usual in a darker beer (or wine). There’s a dryness, a musty note, an astringency of sorts that combines with the hop bitterness? Nice. Different. 3 stars.

★★★

Rocky Ridge – 9 New Zealand, Hazy IPA (All NZ Hops). 6.66% 375ml can. First smell; Resinous and sweet, but also pretty juicy, and a bit of white wine? Its an IPA but they have rounded it out to be more “hazy” than the initial aroma suggests. The malts are there in the sweet notes, but not doing much. Its actually a bit uneventful in the end, unfortunately. Motueka, Nelson Sauvin and Nectaron hops. Its just a bit flat all round, Maybe 3 months on the shelf didn’t treat it right. Carbonation is fine, if a bit “sharp” initially. Its pretty easy drinking, and you get some interesting white wine notes. It just doesn’t pop or showcase the N.Z. hops as much as I would want. 2 stars?

★★
Drinks

2x Winter Beers

Finally seeing some winter beers appear on the shelves…Both Rocky Ridge, fantastic brewery in this state.

Rock A Block – Chocolate Stout, 5.5% 375ml can. A nice stout, smells fantastic. Taste is nice dark grains with a nice cocoa element and actual chocolate in some form giving it its chocolate thing. Not really any sweetness and a rather dry finish. Uses Eukanot hops that are extremely well balanced. Pretty straight up and ticks enough boxes for a stout.

Maple Coffee – Milk Stout, 5.5% 375ml can. The smell is real dark which would be the brown malt and a big dark roasty coffee smell. A lot more bitterness from the malts and coffee than the hops it seems, there is a slight sweet milkyness from the lactose and hint of the maple syrup in that. The hops, Eukanot again, are there and balanced well enough, any lightless on the hops lets the grains and coffee do more work. Could be a bit more forward with the maple and lactose, and the smell and taste hint at something far bigger, but nothing is overbearing and it ends up with a surprisingly dry and clean finish. A very drinkable stout.

Considering that oats are used in both of these beers, I’m surprised there isn’t more body and mouth-feel. Both aimed it seems for a dryer cleaner finish and a more easy drinking “sessionable” winter beer instead, though the grain bill and adjuncts hint towards otherwise. See below.

Rock a Block Chocolate Stout
Maple Coffee Milk Stout
Drinks

2X Rock Ridge music themed beers

These are from a few weeks ago…John Denver and Hall & Oates. The John Denver was NOT my style at all and at 10% was far too much. Big West Coast IPA’s I cannot deal with anymore. The Haulin Oats Pale Ale with oats at 5% was far nicer.

Drinks

Some Beers…

1) Klosterbrauerei Weissenohe – Weißenoher Eucharius Pils, 4.9% 500ml bottle.
A decent German pils, bit light on the malts, some nice pils style bitterness and good carbonation. A little old (BB 21/04/21) and probably not kept well, but its good.

2) Bayreuther Bierbrauerei – Original Landbier Zwick’l, Kellerbier / Zwickelbier, 5.3%, 500ml bottle.
Not much carbonation, it feels/tastes like a British session bitter. Kind of bready malts kind of biscuity in the aroma and taste, slightly medicinal but nice bitterness. I’m sure this isn’t at best quality but its not bad.

3) Rocky Ridge Brewing – Socks and Sandals ESB, 6%, 375ml can.
This is a hop bomb, its definitely a lot of UK hops giving that earthy “soil” thing. Its good? Its a big IPA I guess. Smells like mangoes and soil. Makes me think it used a Kveik yeast really.

4) Slow Lane Brewing – Thirsty Miner, Grisette Pale Belgian Ale, 3.8% 375ml can
This is OK, it does have hops, which I thought the point of a grisette was to not have hops. It also uses some amount of wheat, which I guess added to its light and drinkable character. No idea where the Belgian comes into it, maybe the yeast? Very drinkable at least.

5) Alesmith – 398 San Diego Style Pale Ale, 6%, 354ml can.
Another pale ale. This is a lot more malty, lots of toasty and bready malts, nice mild bitterness. This is more toward a British pale ale. Nice.

6) Molly Rose Brewing – Resolved, Saison, 5.8%, 355ml can.
This was lemony. probably the hops. A modern Saison, light beer with a citrus note. Not bad but wasn’t as great as previous beers I have had from them.

7) Boat Rocker – Dank & Bitter, IPA, 6.1% 375ml can.
This could be a lot more dank, its definitely bitter. A nice IPA.