3.3 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
Pre-ratebeerian days this was one of my favourite "mainstream" beers that I drank often, would be good if they re-introduced it.
3.4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
Another one from memory, but worthy of it. Was an impressive melding of malt and hops from one of the mainstream breweries - something they haven’t recaptured to the same degree of late. A shame it is no longer being brewed.
3.4 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 13/20
Tasted from 2006 notes. Rich amber colour, Aromas of mutued stonefruits and a touch citrus. Odd given the hop description, expecting different. Decent palate, nice flowery hop character, juicy with a touch of warm hop character to finish. Decent
3 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20
Hoppy nose. Pours very red with a medium fluffy head. Flavour is hoppy and dry but unfortunately slightly thin and watery. All told it’s not bad, but not amazing.
3.3 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
A pleasant enough beer to drink, spoilt only by the high price (even here in the south island of New Zealand where it is brewed). The head did not last at all long but the flavour was enough to see me go back for seconds.
3.3 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
Bottle (and a pretty cool one for a change!): Very slightly hazy amber with a large off-white head. Hoppy aromas of citrus, pine, caramelised orange, over a broad spicy herbal base. Dominant orange hop flavours, much like the aromas. Sharp, but short hit of bitterness that is replaced by a dull, carboardy crystal malt tone.Very drying and possibly a little over carbonated.
3.7 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
Treacle / dark orange appearance. Sweet pineapple aromas. Good bitter sweet balance. Consistant frothy head and bubbles with a medium body. I personally didn’t think it was bitter enough for an IPA, but a great bevvy anyways.
3.1 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
Quite possibly the best beer currently available from this brewer, which isn’t to say much. Pours a bright browning copper with minimal islands of froth and little legs. Surprisingly good, big herbal and flowery New Zealand hop nose with licks of butter, cocoa and cola soda. Similar hop presence in the mouth with pronounced Munich and crystal-style malts that give it a biscuity sweetness with just a touch of ginger for depth. Malt is swallowed up as it moves backwards by some firm, fresh earthy hops that show just a little too softly bitter a swallow. Light crystal malt sweetness lingers. The body is exceptionally light and the artificial carbonation is a little annoying, yet this is quite a decent quaffer. Not at all bad!!! (33cL, 07/11/06, Morley Liquor Merchants)
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