Emersons APA

Formerly brewed at Emersons Brewing Company
Style: American Pale Ale
Dunedin, New Zealand

Serve in Lager glass, Shaker

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UPDATED: SEP 20, 2005 I was pretty excited to find this at the rapidly-improving Cloudwine in Sth Melbourne. It’s probably worth mentioning the label, which is a slight departure on their standard with some starts & stripes action and a bald eagle. It was actually a bit shocking to see imagery like that on a beer bottle but now I think it’s not a bad label. Anyway... It’s a clear copper, with a nice thin head, but it appears to be filtered! Candyish malt aroma, wholemeal bread, with spicy, grass, woody, perfumey, Nivea hand cream hops. It doesn’t seem dry-hopped, and the hops are quite a bit more restrained than I was expecting. Big English malt flavour is very good with a slight milkiness but it stars to become a bit much after a while. Very thick, solid body - much more than usual for the style - and low carbonation. Hop flavour develops quite late and is pretty herbal (thyme?) It has a smell and taste that I can only describe as "purple" - not very useful I know, perhaps something to do with lavender or purple donut filling? Bitterness is good, but not huge, and is slightly rusty, though not in an isohop way. Some alcohol apparent. If anything it’s a bit too thick/sweet/malty and not hoppy enough. The hop character certainly isn’t as fresh as what you get in LC, Speculator etc. Makes me think it’s pasteurised and filtered for export to Denmark...? Mildly disappointing, though it’s all relative with a brewer like Emerson’s...
RR: I thought that drinking a bottle fairly cold might bring out the hops but it didn’t. Tasted decidedly cooked. I’m tempted to knock a few points off but I’ll save it for another time.
RR: Yep I’m taking off a few points now. The more I think about it, the less I like it. I think I got caught up in the excitement of finally getting my hands on this stuff. It’s just too thick and sweet and not fresh, hoppy and light as I prefer in an APA. In a lot of ways it’s the antithesis of LC, which if not the best example of the style, certainly is the standard-bearer for me. APAs should be more drinkable than this. The lack of bottle-conditioning really bugs me too.

Bottle from who knows where, had at home. Alround rating: Best before sept 08, so almost a year out of date i didnt have much hopes for this chap. Massive hoppyness, lychee and tangerine, lemon ad floral character is very good indeed, the body carries it perfectly though it is fairly heavily carbonted. There seems to be quite a bit of yeast in here but its still very clean and very drinkable. Very good indeed.

My 2300th rating! Pours a brilliant red-orange with a dense off-white cap leaving thick lace. Lovely tangerine floral hop aroma. Rich sweet malt with generous fruity, spicy hops in excellent balance. Nothing is spared here. This APA is among the best I’ve tasted, truly excellent.

Thick bubbly head strong carbonation in a misty orange pour fruity floral aroma ver plesant mainly stonefruits flavour great bitter taste yet smooth palate good hops fruity balance stonefruit touches of citric peel good fermentation finish smooth fruity delicious.

Pours a slightly cloudy amber/ orange with an off white head. Hoppy with a robust malt nose and subtle citrus aromas coming through, as well as a caramel sweetness. Flavour is incredibly complex. Strong, bitter hops and the smooth malt flavours dominate, but the fruity flavours of citrus, pear, pineapple come through to sweeten the palate nicely, with a hint of caramel also present. Just like a good APA however, the hop bitterness lingers long after the vessel has been consumed. Pity this is no longer going to be one of Emersons seasonal releases.

Very hoppy, dominated by big cascade aromas of tropical fruit and grass. Smells delicious with hints of malt. Flavour is the existing intensified aromas with a good bitterness that starts early and finishes big and lingering. Excellent example of an APA, probably one of the best I’ve had in Australia

Sweet passionfruit aroma with strong, grassy hops. Hops manifests itself into many different fruity flavours such as grape and pear. Immense hoppy flavours with a gorgeous bitterness. Some lemon and various summer fruits. Apricot, and some bubblegum. An extremely nice APA, pity they will soon cease to brew it!

UPDATED: JAN 12, 2009 Poured amber with sustantial white coloured head, definately looks the part! Aromas of citrus and hop spice domintate with some slightly sweet caramel malt. Palate shows more citrus fruit with the malt adding spiced caramel and a slight biscuity character. Finishes with feintly sweet malt that gives the fruit a marmalade like taste/feel as well as medium hop presence and medium carbonation. Awesome! Shame they wont be making it anymore!

citrus, tropical fruit and candy aroma. Fluffy white head, some lacing, orange/gold colour. Marmalade and honey-dew melon taste. Suprisingly sweet, although has a lingering bitterness.

Bottled (From Ölkonsortiet, Aalborg). Amber colour, small beige head. Aroma is fruityh and flowery hops along with some sweetish malty notes. Flavour is fruits, hops, grass and some mild notes of wood and spices. Wellbalanced and drinkable.

(Bottled, BB 09/2008). Orange amber color, huge cloudy off-white head, some lace. Flowery, clover aroma. Quite hoppy, some fruits, bitter - almost harsh flavor. Similar to some Swedish Ölands brews (with more alcohol of course). Fruity and hoppy, solid APA.