2.8 AROMA 2/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 10/20Very smooth and subtle; almost like a golden ale rather than a lager. But the lager element shows up in lack of nose as well as the lightness of colour; and all in all it’s a bit sweet for my tastebuds. A nice thirst quencher, though.
3 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20
Draft. An amber beer with a thin beige head. The aroma has notes of malt, caramel, and straw. The flavor is sweet with notes of malt, caramel, and straw, leading to a bitter finish.
3.1 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20
Rigger from Franks in Fendalton, Christchurch. Golden straw coloured beer with a coarse white head that sank into a film on top of the beer, but otherwise clear and with plentiful carbonation. A good noseful of grape, vine and green berryfruit. Tingly mouthfeel with surprisingly good hop contribution, probably Nelson Sauvin as there’s a definite character there: ripe gooseberry, round and full green grape with some herbal notes. Not strenuously bitter, a little restrained which gives the malt the final say in the finish. Unfortunately this means the finish is fairly short.
In all honesty this wasn’t a bad beer, or an unpleasant beer and it was certainly drinkable. Lager cops a bad press from a number of reviewers simply because they’re done so often, but making good lager is not easy at all. I rather like this. Given the time and the place (summer and finishing a long shift at worse), this beer is certainly welcome. It also passes the ’Would I have another?’ test.
I would ask though, why does it have such a high abv?
2.2 AROMA 4/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 5/10 PALATE 2/5 OVERALL 8/20
Sweet honey aroma. Bright straw colour with white head. Typical of mass produced beer.
3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
On tap @ Sprig & Fern, Nelson. The aroma is quite hoppy, citric. Clear, golden coloured with a white head. The taste very clean and crisp, quite hoppy, citric, has some veggie tones. Great lager.
3.3 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
Draught at Tasman Brewery, Richmond. Pours clear golden with a small white head. Aroma and flavour of caramel malt, fruit and honey. Medium bodied with good carbonation. Smooth hoppy finish.
3.6 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 13/20
Pours golden, white head. Fruity aroma, apples, hops. Malty background. Flavour is very smooth with fuity apples, hop bitterness and a nice vanilla. A nice malt base and dry finish. A very well made lager.
3.2 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 2/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
(On tap) Clear, golden with a white head. Fresh, flowery hoppiness (NZ Saaz + Nelson Sauvin) adds a lovely fresh aroma. Medium body with lightly sweet, pale malt accents, some flowers and a sweetish, alcoholic finish where also some hops are showing. 300108
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