SLOWBEER'S NEWS, REVIEWS & ARRIVALS!

The last couple of weeks have been fairly subdued on the slowbeer front but as always its the calm before the storm as we now have plenty happening! This week we have received a huge shipment of exciting european beers, many of which we have never had before & many of which are highly coveted by global beer geeks (myself included). As if that wasn’t enough, to add to the excitement our growlers have arrived, as has our very first keg. If all goes to plan we will be filling growlers next week but rest assured you’ll be the first to know!

FEATURE BEER & TASTING
MOUNTAIN GOAT “RARE BREED” SUREFOOT STOUT 660ml $10.00
Great to see another release under this label, which clearly signals an intent to keep with it & produce a different one every few months. As you probably guessed this is a stout, however tending towards a sweeter style given the use of both pilsner & crystal malts in conjunction with heavily roasted dark malts. Traditional goldings hops provide balance & support the rich character of the beer. A modest abv of 4.9% (for a stout of this richness), molasses, dark choc & coffee notes mean this is perfect for the winter months!
GOLD MEDAL WINNING SWEET STOUT AT AIBA 2010!

TO CELEBRATE THE RELEASE OF THIS GREAT BEER WE WILL BE HAVING A TASTING OF THE MOUNTAIN GOAT RANGE AS WELL AS NAPOLEON & CO CIDERS - SWING BY BETWEEN 5-7 THIS FRIDAY 25TH FOR A TASTE & CHAT

FEATURE BREWERY
DE MOLEN BROUWERIJ (NED)
Consistently voted best Dutch brewery & having frequently collaborated with other cult brewers such as mikkeller & de struise, considered among the best in the world. Much like their counterparts, they opt to experiment & produce some quite unique brews. SEE BELOW FOR ARRIVALS & INFO

NEW ARRIVALS & FRESH STOCKS
FROM SCOTLAND
Brewdog Tactical Nuclear Penguin 330ml $150.00 – Its back! 32% abv of Double Barrel Aged uber imperial stout goodness
Brewdog Divine Rebel 330ml $14.00 – Collaboration with Mikkeller, a Barleywine aged in Speyside Whisky Casks
Heather Ales Fraoch 20th Anniversary Ale 750ml $29.00 – Strong Ale brewed with heather honey & aged in ex-sherry casks that housed Speyside whisky

FROM NETHERLANDS
De Molen Rasputin 750ml $29.00 – Belgian style Imperial Stout
De Molen Hel & Verdomenis 330ml $13.00 – American style Imperial Stout
De Molen Hemel & Aarde 180ml $12.00 – Imperial Stout brewed with peated malt from famed Bruichladdich distillery
De Molen Tsarina Esra 180ml $12.00 – Imperial Porter
De Molen Bloed, Zweet & Tranaen 330ml $9.00 – Smoke beer made using both peated whisky & bamberg rauchbier malts
De Molen Bommen & Granaten 330ml $14.00 – Barleywine
De Molen Vuur & Vlam 330ml $7.50 – American IPA
De Molen Amarillo 330ml $9.00 – American Imperial IPA
De Molen Heen & Weer 750ml $23.00 – Belgian style tripel
De Molen Donder & Bliksem 330ml $7.00 – Belgian style dubbel
De Molen Molenbier 330ml $10.00 – English style strong ale
t’IJ Struis 330ml $7.50

FROM BELGIUM
Chouffe Houblon Dobbelen IPA Tripel 750ml $17.00
Bush Prestige 750ml $41.00
Rodenbach Vintage 2007 750ml $29.00
Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van De Keizer Blue 750ml $18.00
Gouden Carolus Hopsinjoor 330ml $7.50
Boon Gueze Marriage Parfait 375ml $11.00
Boon Oude Kriek 375ml $13.00
Liefmans Goudenband 375ml $9.50
Cantillon Lou Pepe Gueze 750ml $26
Cantillon Lou Pepe Framboise 750ml $28.00
Cantillon Lou Pepe Kriek 750ml $28.00
Cantillon Iris 750ml $19.50
Cantillon Grand Cru Bruocsella 750ml $24.00
Cantillon Vigneronne 750ml $24.00
Cantillon St Lamvinus 750ml $28.00
Westmalle Dubbel 330ml $6.00
Rochefort 6 330ml $7.50
Rochefort 8 330ml $8.50
Rochefort 10 330ml $10.00
De Proef Slaapmutske Christmas 330ml $7.50
Witkap Stimulo 330ml $6.50
Witkap Dubbel 330ml $7.00
Malheur Bier Brut 750ml $38.00
Malheur 6 250ml $5.50
Malheur 10 330ml $7.00
Malheur 12 330ml $8.50
Kapittel Pater 6 330ml $6.00
Kapittel Prior 8 330ml $6.00
Kapittel Tripel Abt 330ml $7.50
Petrus Aged Pale 330ml $8.00
Petrus Oud Bruin 330ml $5.50
Ichtegems Oude Bruin Grand Cru 330ml $7.00
Oud Beersel Oude Geuze 375ml $13.00
Oud Beersel Oude Kriek 375ml $15.00

FROM GERMANY
Hacker Pschorr Animator 500ml $9.00
Hacker Pschorr Hefeweisse 500ml $7.00
Hacker Pschorr Kellerbier 500ml $8.00

FROM CZECH REP
Pardubicky Porter 19 500ml $7.00

NEW GLASSWARE
Westmalle Chalice 330ml $13.00
Rochefort Chalice 330ml $13.00
Gulden Draak Tulip 330ml $13.00
Duvel Tulip 330ml $13.00
Delirium Tremens Tulip 330ml $13.00
Tripel Karmelite Tulip 330ml $13.00
Schneider Aventinus Weissbierglas 500ml $13.00

MIKKELLER WINTER WARMER SHOWCASE
After the success of our recent Barrel Aged tasting, I figured we’d better get cracking & decide on a theme for our next in August. With some careful consideration (of the weather) & in keeping with what we originally promised we have decided to offer the following:

Beer Geek Brunch Weasel – Imperial Oatmeal Stout brewed with kopi luwak, the world’s most obscure & expensive coffee (RRP $32.00)
Beer Geek Brunch Weasel Highland Edition – As above + aged in Highland Whisky casks (RRP $40.00)
Beer Geek Brunch Weasel Islay Edition – As above + aged in Islay Whisky casks (RRP $40.00)
Black – Huge, thick & rich Imperial stout fermented with champagne yeast to get to a heady 18%abv (RRP $23.00)
Black Whisky Edition – As above + aged in French Whiskey casks (RRP $42.00)
Black Peated Edition – As above + aged in Peated Whiskey casks (RRP $42.00)

When: BOTH Wednesday 4th August 7pm & Sunday 8th August 7pm
Cost: $30.00 to try ALL beers ($210 value!)
+ Attendees receive 10% DISCOUNT on any purchase that night
IF YOU WISH TO ATTEND PLEASE LET US KNOW WHICH SESSION, SO THAT WE CAN CONFIRM NUMBERS

SLOWBEER'S NEWS, REVIEWS & ARRIVALS!

Its true that the fun never stops in the search for new & exciting craft beer. Its been quite some time since our last shipment of Kiwi craft goodies & certainly well overdue. Luckily this week marks the arrival of a fresh new shipment with some familiar offerings as well as ones we’ve never had before. Rest assured, all of them are great. Additionally, we have some brilliant brews from the eccentric genius Teo Musso of Baladin, one of which the likes you have never seen.

FEATURE BEERS
BALADIN XYAUYU 2006 GOLD 500ml $63.00
I promised a unique beer & this is arguably one of the most unique there is. Stylistically this brew is an English barley wine, though not for long. 13.% abv, pilsner & caramunich malts are used as well as the traditional Hallertau Hernsbrucker, Spalt Select and East Kent Golding hop varieties. However its maturation process is really where this comes into its own. While most brewers choose to carefully age their brews in selected oak barrels, hoping to pick up some oak nuances or other flavors (wine, bourbon, brandy or whisky), Teo opts to take a very different approach. Certainly the aim is to achieve a greater level of complexity but in utilizing a method that is foreign to brewers.

After fermentation & filtration Teo transfers the brew into a steel vat & employs the help of a oxygen hat, which transforms his barley wine in to something more akin to a port or sherry. Over the course of 2 & 1/2 years the brew slowly oxidizes, losing carbonation but picking up a very pronounced raisin & fruit spice character. It is important not to approach this as a beer, being that it has oxidized over a prolonged period of time there is no carbonation. The palate has a great degree of sweetness & is exceptionally thick & rich, with layers of dark fruit & sugars (honey, caramel, toffee & maple syrup). Given its lack of carbonation & oxidised state, once opened this brew can be enjoyed over a prolonged period of time.

This is undoubtedly an amazing creation from one of my favorite & certainly the quirkiest brewers around!

RENAISSANCE MPA IMPERIAL IPA 500ml $13.00
So many initials in a name but what does it all mean? As you would have guessed this is an imperial IPA but with a kiwi twist. MPA stands for Marlborough Pale Ale & the use of copious amounts of local Rakau hops provides a point of difference from the wash of IPAs on the scene. As you would expect from an Imperial IPA this brew has a plenty of rich malt presence bringing honey & caramel. However the hops are with this brew really shines. Tropical fruit punch in a beer, something we have come to expect from the great variety of Kiwi hops kicking about. Lychee, passionfruit & pinapple as well as some citrus & stonefruit, this brew has it all on both the nose & translating to the palate. Despite the big profile it manages to maintain great balance from the grassy, herbaceous bitterness on the finish. Marlborough Sauv Blanc has nothing on this!

YEASTIE BOYS POT KETTLE BLACK 330ml $5.50
This brew has enjoyed somewhat of a cult following among kiwi & aussie beer nerds for the past few years & rightly so. The recipe is tweaked every year, however the basic premise is the same & you can probably guess it from the name. This years has been billed as a Black IPA (or a Nelsonsian Black Ale – a reference to those crazy american brewers!), though I would perhaps be more inclined to call it a hoppy porter but merely semantics. Masses of rich dark roasted malt brings dark bitter chocolate & coffee with caramel, toffee & nuts hiding underneath. The bitterness on the finish adds a nice balance, however the roast comes to the fore once more to drive a long bitter-sweet finish.

STEAM EXCHANGE TRUFFELS 330ml
This is a really cool beer & great to see it back on the shelves after selling out very quickly last time. Style wise this is perhaps a cross between a belgian dark ale & english porter. Lots of caramel malt but also quite a bit of chocolate. The addition of bourbon to this brew compliments the malty character & adds a nice degree of vanilla sweetness. The guys have pushed this as a dessert beer but I’d be more than happy with this as a nightcap.

NEW ARRIVALS & FRESH STOCKS
FROM NEW ZEALAND
Yeastie Boys Pot Kettle Black 330ml $5.50
8 Wired Rewired Brown Ale 500ml $10.50
Twisted Hop Sauvin Pils 500ml $10.00
Wanaka Brewski 330ml $5.00
Renaissance MPA Imperial IPA 500ml $13.00
Perfection Pale Ale 500ml $10.00
Discovery APA 500ml $10.00
Elemental Porter 500ml $10.00
Stonecutter Scotch Ale 500ml $10.50
Three Boys Oyster Stout 500ml $10.00
Porter 500ml $9.50
India Pale Ale 500ml $9.50
Golden Ale 500ml $9.50
Wheat 500ml $9.50

FROM ITALY & AUSTRIA
Baladin Xyauyu 2006 Gold 500ml $63.00
Noel 750ml $30.00
Super 750ml $27.00
Nora 750ml $28.00
Elixir 750ml $37.00
Eggenberg Samichalus 330ml $11.50
Urbock 23 Degrees 330ml $7.00