homebrewandbeer.com

Oliver wrote:Before: A Kingfisher and a Tiger with a couple of curries on a break from work.

Now: Back at work and drinking one of a four-pack of Epic Pale Ale I picked up for $NZ14.99 at a bottleshop on K Road in Auckland.

Oliver

Sounds like my kind of work Oliver.

Pints of: Hargreaves Hill ESB, Holgate Temptress, Bridge Road Galaxy (insipid), 2 Birds Red Ale, Mornington Porter, Cavalier Brown.

Tomorrow's early start is looking dubious.

What I hope is the last of a fairly disappointing Jubelale "clone" I found online. I was obliged to make a few minor substitutions but nothing that would have turned a great beer into a dud.

Good riddance.

I have a Pilsner and a delicious Rum Porter that tastes of rum and coffee on tap.

Tonight, I have a fine selection from my shelves to drink the night away! Japanese Lager, Hefeweizen, Weizenbock, Old Ale, Oak Pale Ale, Belgian Blond, and a Barleywine

After a spectacularly shite day at work here in Wellington (due to IT issues, not my trainees, lest any of them should be reading this), my day suddenly improved immensely when I took my first sip of Epic Hop Zombie double IPA (bought from a supermarket, if you can believe it).

It is much, much lighter in colour than I was expecing, but a brilliant beer. The taste belies its alcohol content of 8.5%. Aroma is of citrus and tropical fruit. Taste is similar, but with a great big whack of hop bitterness on the finish. Enough to dry out your throat!The head was pathetic, although that may have more to do with the glass than the beer.



There is a distinct lack of drinkable beer in the hotel fridge, so a trip out tonight is on the cards.

Cheers,

Oliver

I've been keen to try some of the Epic beers for a while, but have never seen them here in Mildura. Don't think I should have to head to NZ to just try a beer, although I have been thinking of heading over to do a bike trip with some mates.

I'm drinking a nice clear glass of rain water. I need to give the old brain cells and liver a chance to recover for a few weeks

Guru wrote:I've been keen to try some of the Epic beers for a while, but have never seen them here in Mildura. Don't think I should have to head to NZ to just try a beer, although I have been thinking of heading over to do a bike trip with some mates.

Mildura, hey? Geoff's wife's from Red Cliffs. Good part of the world.

I am pretty sure Uncle Dan has Epic beers. They are at quite a few bottleshops in Melbourne, I've noticed. If you want me to keep an eye out and let you know where you can get them PM me.

The first of tonight's NZ beers is Renaissance Brewing's Voyager IPA ($NZ7.99/$A5.35 per 500ml), apparently in the English style but brewed with NZ and Fuggles.

It describes itself as having "an emphatic hop bite". It sure has. It's also a pretty nice beer, malty and tasty.



Oliver

EDIT: Worked out how to download pic from BB.

EDIT 1: As it warms up, this beer is just getting better and better.

Well Uncle Dan's have just opened (about a month ago) here in Mildura. I have only been there twice so far, so I guess I should have a better look. I didn't notice any Epic on my last visit though and I reckon I would have spotted that.

That Renaissance IPA sounds quite good too, I love a good IPA.

I've never seen Epic at Uncle Dan's. Doesn't mean it hasn't ever happened of course. Definitely not a staple beer of theirs. Don't hold your breath.

rotten wrote:I'm drinking a nice clear glass of rain water. I need to give the old brain cells and liver a chance to recover for a few weeks

With Hawks V Bombers on Friday night I'd say: Beer 1, Brain and Liver 0.

I'm led to believe the label on Epic Hop Zombie glows in the dark. The sort of gimmick you'd expect from Barefoot Radler and beers of that ilk. Glad to hear it's a nice drop.

Matso's Smoky Bishop.

Someone dropped their durry in my can of Coke.

Just picked these up, hadn't seen them in a pack like this before. Also thought the bottles would be good for re-use as well.

emnpaul wrote:

rotten wrote:I'm drinking a nice clear glass of rain water. I need to give the old brain cells and liver a chance to recover for a few weeks

With Hawks V Bombers on Friday night I'd say: Beer 1, Brain and Liver 0.

I'm led to believe the label on Epic Hop Zombie glows in the dark. The sort of gimmick you'd expect from Barefoot Radler and beers of that ilk. Glad to hear it's a nice drop.

I had my latest kolsch using sonnett goldings during the game where we flogged the bombers as I predicted while brewing a high alpaha hop brew. Now I'm dry again until next friday against the Cats.
It hurts already.
Carn Hawks

Am drinking one of the remnant of my stock of ageing all-extract IIPA. Not bad, but the hops have faded in the couple of years since it went into the bottle. Still, 500ml at 10.6%, helps dull the pain from another Tigers loss. Three games in a row now, by less than a kick.

Little Creature single batch - The Quiet American
Very nice, hints of banana, bitter yet slightly sweet. At 7.2% am thinking that this 1 pint bottle should be enough for tonight.

Karl Strauss Tower 10 IPA, best before March 2013. Reduced to $2 a bottle at Dan's. Quite nice - bitter, fruity, malty.

I've had it both there and here. I can say that a few weeks ago it was drinking much the same as I recall it being over there. I found it rough and extracty though. You'd be mad to drink it over there but still better than the average "US" beer here.

I'm currently drinking an American Red I made. Not too shabby.

Yeasty Boys Rex Attitude ($NZ5.99/330ml, 7.0%). Made with 100% heavy peated distilling malt.

First sip was terrible (well, almost), but it's growing on me. It sure is smokey! But it also has a richness and beautiful warmth on the finish.

Nice.

Cheers,

Oliver

Three Boys Oyster Stout ($NZ7.99 (a mere $A6.20)/500ML, 6.5%). Made with NZ Bluff oysters. A rich, malty and flavoursome beer. In fact, an awesome stout. All about the maltiness (and the oysters?) and not so much about the hops, which is unusual here in NZ.