We are in lockdown again - Melbourne, Australia has a habit of falling back into lockdowns pretty easily, this is the second one in 7 weeks. But they are generally short (this one is scheduled for 5 days) and they tend to work, so If I have to sit at home for a weekend drinking beer, building Lego and watching sport I think I can do it.
It's not unusual for us to have some fancy beer, crackers and fancy cheese on the weekend if we happen to be at home. Although there is always beer in the house the fancy cheese was a little lacky so we had to make do with was was around the house - it worked kinda of.
The beer I picked up last week for no other reason than I liked the can art - who doesn't like some futuristic looking Wolves. The brewery is not one I'd heard of - Golden Hills - but the label tells me that they are on the other side of Melbourne about 30km away - COVID has certainly made the world smaller that I could have completely missed this.
Anyway it's a big old Imperial Stout which works for me - it weighs in at 11% so I was expecting good things. And it almost delivered - it looked great in the glass, big tan coloured thick head which is a good side on a jet black body. The mouthfeel was very smooth, almost oily - but you certainly know it’s a big beer, it has a boozy edge, which is a touch on the 'all alcohol no substance side. It’s a pretty standard stout, touch of roastiness, a solid body but nothing astounding. It’s a good beer don't get me wrong but not quite what it should be.
The second beer was from a brewery I know well - Bad Shepherd -which are also from Melbourne, about 25km in the other direction -- very close to where I grew up. I picked up this beer because it claimed it was a Black NEIPA
Now I'm old enough to remember the Black IPA craze of 2012-2015 - and We are still in the middle of the NEIPA craze so like when you are old enough to see fashion be cool again I figure I've now lived through an entire Craft Beer generation and I'm that old guy who can claim that the kids don't know how hard we had it or some other rubbish.
Should also mention that this beer is overflowing with Star Wars references - as explained on the can - of course all the references are to the new Star Wars Trilogy - because kids am I right?
Anyway this beer has the potential to be all that is amazing about Black IPAs and NEIPA and just be astounding or it could be a complete mess, and I have to admit My opinion of it changed as I drank it. I started off thinking it was a mess. There was this big hop resin smell in the nose, nothing that suggests fruitiness which was a very bad sign for a NEIPA
It Has quite a unusual taste. It’s sort of half way between a two style, there is a hint of the roast black malt, but then a slightly milky quality to it, the fruitiness is sort of there as well it citrusy. So I moved from disappointed to confused - I wanted it to be more aggressive, like a black IPA, but then NEIPA are easy drinking and as I drunk it I realised it was easy drinking and I was enjoying it - It really was quite a little journey from an unusual beer.
As always this is part of beersaturday organised by @detlev where people from all around the world come together and tell beer soaked stories, so check it out and next time you having a beer - join.