Recent Tasting Notes

Maisels Weisse Original (11/20)

Fairly middle-of-the-road in style but quite competent. Glowing darkish orange in colour with a thin persistent head. Very attractive. Nose is medium strength but mild fruity and banana confectionary notes come through clearly. Milder again to taste - very much in the dry / sharp mould with plenty of fizz and a slightly liquered fruity note tucked away at the finish. Perhaps a touch dilutive but no doubt would work well as a summer drink. Not the greatest example of the genre.

Henry of Harcourt Cider (12/20)

Fizzy champagne head disappears at a rapid pace leaving a murky, cloudy lemon coloured juice. Bouquet is hard to define; mustry apple juice underpinned with a firming edge of acorns, dirt and pepper. Champagne like dryness as well. Lean, dry palate is not generous with flavour; high fizz adds to the dry structure, some supporting acid and a progressively bitter finish. Hard to see the 8.5%, and all-in-all quite balanced. Needs more fruity notes to get me excited.

Knappstein Reserve Lager (15/20)

Finally have got around to trying this beer and I have to say it’s deserved of the hype. Visually lacks excitement; just your standard light amber premium lager-like hue. Bouquet is choco-block full of passion fruit abd grassy herbal notes. As others have rightly observed very wine / sav blanc like (minus the sweaty notes sometimes found in Kiwi savvys). Overt fruit notes drop off in the mouth but are more than adequartely replaced with floral fruits / hops and a firming, bitter finish. Very different and really does push the fruit / floral aromas very well.