Kaimai Pale Ale (Southern Cross Hopped)

Brewed by Kaimai Brewing
Style: American Pale Ale
Mt Maunganui, New Zealand

Serve in Lager glass, Shaker, Tulip

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20100610 500ml bottle from State Line. Coppery amber with large, lingering beige head. Aroma is hugely floral, lavender, Ivory soap, with mild citrus/orange and light crackery malts. Reminds of some bottled English pales like Twisted Thistle, especially in that the yeast/hop combo comes across as slightly Orval-like. Some mild pretzel, sourdough maltiness. I really enjoyed this beer, but if I recall it cost about a zillion dollars because they had to use 20,000 gallons of fuel getting it to MD from New Zealand . Nonetheless, very tasty.

I like this beer and am a bit surprised by the low score. It not an APA and don’t understand that classification - it is a big rich malty pale ale with clean bitterness and vibrant S/C hop notes.

500ml bottle. Deep copper colour with a good cushion of beige foam. Popcorn and caramel malt aromas are pleasant as is the nutty biscuit flavour. Dry on the palate with good mouthfeel.

Amber/brown wispy head, good lacing. Wet cut grass (Silage), clovey spice, caramel, cookie dough. Biter/sweet peppery up front, spacey bitter finish. Enjoyable.

Bottle shared by argo0. Pours clear copper with an average, fizzy cream colored head, medium retention with good lacing. Aroma is heavy malt (grainy, meal, cereal), heavy hops (floral, pine, citrus), and average esters (apple/pear) with notes of peach and dust. Flavor is heavy malt (grainy, meal, cereal), heavy hops (floral, pine, citrus), and average esters (apple/pear) with notes of peach, dust, and lime. Medium body, warmth, and carbonation, low creaminess with a dry and biting finish.

Lightly sweet nose, some light honey and citrus. Taste is lightly sweet, lightly bitter, some light citrus, light vinous white wine notes, some honey.

Bottle. Bright golden, medium white head, tons of carbonation. Citrus aroma. Taste is bitter but not overly so, some summer fruit. OK.

50cl bottle. Medium beige head atop muddy amber body. Aroma is moderately sweet, grape, . Taste is moderately sweet, grape, some grapefruit, light cereal. Medium body, some resin, light stickiness.

Hazy orange pour with a huge foaming white head. Aroma is citrus and fruit, lemon and pear. Malt is pretty grainy in the palate and the hops are bitter and citrusy, but not in any big way. Ok beer.

500ml bottle. Pours a murky chestnut-brown, with a moderate off-white head, which offers decent retention and reasonable lace. There is not a lot going on so far as aroma is concerned: a light floral fragrance, some sourdough and a peculiar aroma of vintage cheddar, which seems to develop in the glass, and is not altogether very pleasant. It does taste a little better than it smells, but not a whole lot. Grapefruit and pepper hops flavours introduce a body of slightly shrill lemon and very weak caramel, which fades out into a lingering grapefruit finish. This is certainly not the best beer out there, although there is nothing terribly offensive about it, except perhaps for its slightly unpleasant aroma. The thing is, there’s not a whole lot to like about it either - it’s simply very missable.