Taste-Off: Brash Hammer vs Elegant Zombie

For all the hop-heads out there in craft beer land, FreshChoice in association with Epic Brewery brings you the greatest taste-off since barley and hops were fermented:  a taste comparison between the hugely popular ‘Epic Hop Zombie’ and the newly-created ‘Epic Stone Hammer’.  Arguably two of the most hop-audacious beers in the craft kingdom.

Epic Brewery started their first brew 10 years ago with their simply-named Pale Ale and added an epidemic of amount of hops for the time, which resulted in them winning the supreme champion beer award 2006 and creating a beer with what is now of cult status. This beer has a huge amount of citrusy, grapefruity hops but is equally balanced with rich toffee malts; resulting in a beer that caters to all palates.

(They’ve celebrated their decade of brewing by brewing a celebration ale called Epic Celebration Ale 10.1%. She’s a big Barley Wine beer that tastes like port and liquid fruitcake. Buy some before she goes then bring her out for your next significant celebration, hmmmmm!)

Anywho, back to the taste-off…

Hammer time:  First up was the ‘Stone Hammer’ - 7% and from first pisst of the bottle I was hopsmacked.  Hit with pungent hop aromas of tangelos and orange peel wafting from the glass.  The first sip then immediate tongue-curl from a bitterness that almost stripped the tastebuds from the tonsils, then a hop banging wallop of tamarillo, apricots and melons.  A brash hit of hops and an aroma that lasts to the final drop, epic.  

A quick Heineken to cleanse the palate then straight into the Epic Hop Zombie.  This monster carries more ABV at 8.5%, so I was expecting to be mauled to death from bitter hops but instead was enlightened with a rich body, smooth mouth-feel and refined bitterness.  Flavours of marmalade, green grapes and kiwifruit, all with a creaminess that belied the high alcohol.  Definitely sweeter than the Hammer with smacks of that Epic Pale Ale malt coming through resulting in an unabashed elegance.

So there it is:  the Brash Hammer or the Elegant Zombie?  My pick is…  the one that happens to be in front of me!  

Hop down to FreshChoice this Friday arvo where I’ll be giving out free tasters of Epic proportions so you can decide your own taste-off!

Denis kept craving hops so got a skipping rope Cooper

 

Easter Elixirs

Exciting times for brewers and brew imbibers alike!  Along with the done-and-dusted St Patricks Day and Marchfest; the Nelson hop harvest currently under way, and the soon-to-be-accomplished “Great Kiwi Beer Festival” in Christchurch, there is a bit of malt madness in March.  And squeezed in the middle is Easter where one of the most bizarre days of the year occurs:  a day where everything is shut with nothing to do, and everything on the shelves get one day older.  It’s called Good Friday, go figure?

If that’s not enough to wet your whistle and you’re still a bit hoarse then why not try Horsebox, Nelson’s latest brewery.  Boasting two brewers who beerly cut their teeth on homebrew but instead took the horse by the bit, delving straight into brewing three quality beers, all sessionable but carry lot of clout:

‘Ronin’ is perhaps one of the better tasting Pilsners below 5% out there.  Here you have everything you would expect from a flavoursome Pils.  It’s got that inimitable character with a crisp, clean taste, tingly effervescence and a bite-of-a-lime finish.

‘Black Stallion Milk Stout’ has a robust body with easy caramel and liquorice tones nourished with scorched roasted malts.  Leaving it to warm will bring out its milky smoothness from the lactose sugars.  A lot of stout for 5%.

‘Storm Hopper APA’ has a thunderous dark berry hop aroma and tastes just like it smells.  Dark berries with melon and tangelos and a bitterness from start to lingering finish.  Bigger than its 5.7% might suggest, which is good as you might be able to sneak in another bottle without getting into too much trouble?  This brew is most excellent with Sealord’s new “Salmon Cakes with Cheese Sauce” selected from the deep-freeze at FreshChoice.

Keep browsing the FreshChoice fridge for the soon-to-be-released Horsebox ‘Vigilante’, a New Zealand IPA that promises bold bitterness, woo hoo!

See me @FreshChoice this Thursday from 3–6 pm for some exciting Easter elixir taste-teasers in the shape of stout stouts.

Gallop down to FreshChoice but no horsing around ’cause it ain’t open Friday!

Denis stout lout Cooper

Three German Lagers and An Ale Walk Into a Bar….

Back from my holiday which is great as I only need two six month holidays every year.  I enjoyed my escape from civilisation but the whole time away I ailed for a decent ale.  Note to self, never underestimate the comforts of home (reads: how good the beer is in Nelson)

After my brief sojourn it was great to come back to see what new crafts have been brewing in the craft brewing industry.  Grabbing my immediate addiction is a newly created craft brewer from Wellington called Tiamana.

Tiamana (Maori for German) is a one-woman company who specialises in brewing classic German-style beers.  She brews four main styles, all of which are totally quaffable whilst burning a few a wieners on these hot summer nights.

First off for a thirst quenching appetiser is ‘Pilski’, a Berliner Pilsner, 5.6%.  An enjoyable easy drinking pils with a herbal, slightly minty refreshing zing.  A more malt-forward example for a pilsner, results in a sweeter note than most but still a wunderkind brewski.

A lager but not as we know it is ‘Kreuzberg’.  It’s a traditional schwarzbier or German dark lager.  This 5.3%er is brewed with dark malts, giving it the aroma and appearance of a stout but retains the light body and clean crispness of a lager albeit mixed with coffee and cola.  Very refreshing and adds a new flavour dimension for all the lager louts out there.

‘Witzig’ Lemongrass Witbier, 5.1%, is a wheat beer with the characteristic big foamy white head and cloudy liquid appearance.  The taste is true to form - that of coriander and lemongrass with a very high effervescence, combines to a prickly but very refreshing back of the mouth experience.  You could food pair as a sauerkraut dressing but probably better with fried rice.

And for after dinner is ‘Old Fritze’, a 7.5% Doppelbock that is a perfect couch sinker.  It’s rich, complex, and as smooth as the top of my head yet still amazingly, a lager!  It oozes sweet malt flavours and is like drinking liquid brandy snaps.

Prost!  (German for cheers)

Denis beerest of knowledge Cooper