Renaissance Perfection Pale Ale

Brewed by Renaissance Brewing
Style: English Pale Ale
Blenheim, New Zealand

A good pale ale which could be great. There’s an "off" character to the aroma which I can’t quite place, which is a shame, as it’s otherwise a nice mix of citrus, pine, and sweet malt. The flavour is similar to the aroma, though without any detectable off-notes. Just a hit of green apples which I’m not sure should be there. There’s a very nice hint of mangos there too. Unusual, but very welcome. A slightly thin mouthfeel and a shorter-than-I’d-like finish also lose a mark or two. I’m sure there is a fantastic beer here trying to get out. I’ll be retrying it regularly.

Nice cloudy pale orange colour with thin white head. Sweet grassy honey aroma. Mild grass hop flavour hint of citrus. Mild bitterness and good dry finish.

Nose is a blend between ripe fruit (creamy mango nectar) and citrus hop, fruity body with a lovely bitter finish. Possibly needs a bit more malt balance but one of the most interesting New Zealand beers i’ve ever tried. Chill haze at low temperatures and low carbonation is true to type.

Nice mid gold colour but surprisingly cloudy for a fined beer. Big full dry hoppy nose. Fantastic flavours from the first taste. A touch under carb’ed for me. A bit more fizz & clearer & this is a hit.

Thin low density head with good lacing. Slightly murky gold amber in colour. subdued nose of mild nose of mild hops with a fruity edge. You need to think about it (so to speak) but quite classical. Palate weight is light but again classically structured. Flint, bitter hops, grapefruit, resin from the hops. A fraction spicy on the finish. Light and easy drinking.

Nov 2006 (3.2)
On tap at the Malthouse in Wellington. Medium rusty orange with a very thin head. Fruity nose with a nice display of apricots. Elegant palate, more apricots, dry hoppy notes, some mineral and iron on the finish. Perhaps the intensity is just a touch mild but very well built.

Retasted 07/06/2008. I always liked the darker offerings and Renaissance are hitting their straps with the pale beers now too. Full malt character, big hop flavour, massive bitterness. Perhaps a shade too carbonated to let the flavours show through. It has all the positives of below without the fermentation issues. Good work. Tasted 17/11/2006. Half at The Malthouse, Wellington. Pours an almost bright deep gold, thending amber, with a white head that thins out. Sweet caramel malts and tropical fruit notes, at first, but these get overwhelmed by a green apple aroma, reminiscent of sour apple chews, that dominates through the glass. Big weighty mouthfeel carries little in the way of interesting malt characters and a very strong nettle-like bitterness. Finishes very short, with a little more green apple on th palate. The fourth time I’ve tried this and the green apples have definitely dominated the last three samples. I like what they are trying to do with this pale ale but something’s not quite working.

(21 Dec 05) On tap at Black Creek. Bright gold under a white head. I wouldn’t be surprised if this beer has been influenced by Roger Pink of the Pink Elephant Brewery as its aroma features Golden Tusk’s signature peach notes but has a caramalised character of its own. The body is fruity with orange and citrus flavours and a distinct grapefruit-peel bitterness that grows into the long dry finish.

Draught at the brewpub. Clear amber. Grassy mangoish hop aroma. Dryish and crisp with medium body. Really hoppy with strikingly bitterfinish.