Tag Archives: new zealand

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Garage Project, New Zealand, Sour Ale

Garage Project Beyond The Pale – Off-Piste

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Brewery: Garage Project
Country: New Zealand
ABV: 4.2%
Style: Sour Ale
Other Notes: 30 years at the Fringe

Brewer Description: (from can) A Garage tradition celebrating New Zealand’s own fantastic fringe festival with a very special avant-garde offering. This year our favourite festival turns 30 and to celebrate we’re going off-piste. It’s a very fringe affair – kettle-soured, spiked with beetroot juice and infused with blood orange and mint; a unique combination creating a startling crystal pink beer with a refreshing citrus palate and delicate lifted aroma. The perfect way to celebrate 30 years of fabulous fringe fun.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.91
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 330ml can, with a best before date of 21st November 2020. Poured into a Holy Mountain tulip glass.
Appearance: A nice clear orange pinkish colour with a two finger white head that had pretty good retention while leaving only some sparse lacing.
Aroma: Citrusy, blood orange, lime, sherbet like.
Taste: Sour, tart, blood orange, citrus sherbet, lime, candy.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Light and refreshing citrus sherbet notes. The beetroot and mint did not come through as strongly as I hoped though. But it still did make for some good easy drinking.

4 - Good (buy), 8 Wired Brewing Co., Barleywine - American, Beer Reviews, New Zealand

8 Wired Lord Of The Atlas

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Brewery: 8 Wired Brewing Co.
Country: New Zealand
ABV: 12%
Style: American Barleywine
Other Notes: 2016 vintage. Oak aged barley wine ale

Brewer Description: (from bottle) American style barley wine, brewed with New Zealand malt, Australian hops, English yeast and aged on French oak. A true globetrotter, a mighty Lord of the Atlas.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.31
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 500ml bottle, 2016 vintage, with a best before date of 14th December 2019, however I believe it’s still good. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: A dark orange brown colour with a thin half finger beige head that had decent retention but left only sparse spotty lacing.
Aroma: Hoppy, herbal, sweet dried fruit, caramel malt, raisin, coconut and oak.
Taste: Sweet, herbal, medicinal, pine hoppy, dried stone fruit, dried coconut, oak, caramel malt, with a bittersweet finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: An enjoyable sipping barleywine with nice aroma and flavours.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Garage Project, New Zealand, Wild Ale

Garage Project Oh What A Lovely Day Let’s Go Out And Pick Some… Hop Bine

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Brewery: Garage Project
Country: New Zealand
ABV: 6.8%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Foraged flowers, spontaneous ferment no.5

Brewer Description: (from bottle) The latest release in our ongoing series of foraged flower ferments. For this brew, freshly harvested whole bines were plunged into a light golden base wort creating a spontaneous fermentation using only the wild yeast present on the hops. The beer was then allowed to age and develop for a year in oak barrels before being infused with another dose of fresh hops from the next harvest. The result of this brewery outing is a complex yet clean citrus like sour, bursting with a delightful fresh hop aroma.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.09
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 750ml bottle, bottled on 23rd May 2019. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A clear golden straw colour with a two finger white head that had decent retention, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Sour, tart, light funk, lychee, apricot, and white grapes.
Taste: Sour, tart, white grape, apricot, citrus notes, leafy, and a touch of vinegar.
Mouthfeel: A touch acidic, light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Although maybe slightly on the acidic side, the nose and taste were enjoyable.

2 - Maybe (likely wouldn't buy, might drink), 8 Wired Brewing Co., Beer Reviews, New Zealand, Sour Ale

8 Wired Lamponi

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Brewery: 8 Wired Brewing Co.
Country: New Zealand
ABV: 5%
Style: Sour Ale
Other Notes: Raspberry sour with oregano, basil and thyme

Brewer Description: (from can) Who doesn’t like a fresh raspberry sour!? This one is brewed with freeze dried oregano, basil and thyme. Fruity, complex, effervescent and very refreshing!

My rating: 2
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.36
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.2

Intro: A 330ml can, with a best before date of 8th November 2021. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy pinkish orange colour with a two finger white head that dissipated quickly and left no lacing.
Aroma: Tart, mixed berries, lemon zest, oregano and thyme.
Taste: Tart and sweet, oregano, mixed berries, with hints of citrus zest and thyme.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: The oregano flavour was too strong and I felt that it overpowered everything else including the raspberry. Not sure it really needed the oregano and thyme. I would’ve preferred just raspberry and basil.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Garage Project, IPA - New England / Hazy Triple, New Zealand

Garage Project Super Fresh Vol.2

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Brewery: Garage Project
Country: New Zealand
ABV: 10%
Style: New England / Hazy Triple IPA
Other Notes: Malts – US Ale and Wheat Malt. Hops – Mosaic Cryo, Mosaic, El Dorado and Galaxy. Yeast – Wyeast 1318 London III

Brewer Description: (from can) It’s time to get super fresh. More hazy goodness, more malt mouthfeel, and more hops bursting with juicy tropical fruit, citrus and pine. All this packed into a guaranteed brewery fresh 440ml can. It’s so fresh it’s super fresh. Get your booties on the dance floor.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.41
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 440ml can, with a best before date of 19th August 2020. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A hazy murky dark orange colour with a two finger white head that had excellent retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Fruity, tropical mango, citrus pith and rind, orange, sweet mandarin, and a touch of pine.
Taste: Very citrus fruit forward, lightly bitter, orange zest and pith, sweet mandarin, with hints of mango.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: I’m usually not a big fan of Triple IPAs, but this was very enjoyable with a good balance between bitter and sweet on top of nice fruitiness and well hidden ABV.