SLOWBEER'S NEWS, REVIEWS & ARRIVALS - XMAS EDITION!

Keeping it short & sweet this week, as we are heading into the home stretch of the silly season, though amazingly enough there are still a heap of new & exciting brews walking through the door! Also & very quickly, we would like to thank all those who attended last weeks Xmas tasting sessions, we appreciate your support & hope it continues into next year, as we come up with some more weird & wonderful lineups to present.

XMAS TRADING
Tomorrow (Thurs) 12-8pm
Xmas Eve (Fri) 10am-7pm

FEATURE BEERS
Epic & Dogfish Head Portamarillo 500ml $TBA
Truly an Epic collaboration & the first taste we have seen of anything like this locally. Brewed with the legendary Sam Caligone while he was out for NZ’s Beervana Fest & NZ Beer Awards, this brew stays true to the DFH mantra of using peculiar ingredients. Starting with a porter base, the guys made use of native (to NZ) tamarillos that have been grilled over Pohutakawa wood. The result is a smoky, roasty, fruity sort of brew. Props to two of craft beers craziest brewers!

Hargreaves Hill Phoenix 750ml $35.00
This is actually the second batch of stock we have received, with the first lot disappearing very quickly. A US style imperial red ale brewed with plenty of specialty malts & copious amounts of simcoe hops, both in the boil & for dry hopping. Produced to celebrate the 1st year anniversary of the brewery’s relocation following the Black Saturday Bush Fires.

Bridge Rd Saison Printemps 750ml $TBA
Following on from the somewhat recent de coing version of their very popular saison, this brew uses elderflower & blueberry in the brew. The result is a delightful looking beer with floral & lemon sherbet aromas, while the palate follows through with a nice finish of sweet-sour berries.

Arctic Fox Chocolate Stout 500ml $6.50
This one arrived today with little fanfare, in actual fact I didn’t even know it was about until the guys mentioned it to me earlier this week, which is typical of the Fox guys. No need to drum up hype, just let the beer speak for itself. Though from what I hear, it has gotten a bit of a run at the showcase & at recent farmers markets. A solid 5.9% abv, this one has plenty of chocolate & coffee notes from the roasted malt, while the use of chocoalte in the brew provides a more overt milk chocolate character & a soft, smooth palate.

NEW ARRIVALS & FRESH STOCKS
FROM AUS & NZ
Burleigh (QLD) Black Giraffe 650ml $10.00
Burleigh (QLD) My Wife’s Bitter 650ml $9.00
Harringtons (NZ) Strong Man 330ml $5.50
Harringtons (NZ) Doppelbock 330ml $6.00

FROM UK
Durham St Cuthbert 500ml
Durham Bede’s Chalice 500ml
Durham Benedictus 500ml
Durham Temptation 500ml
Meantime Raspberry 330ml $8.00
Meantime Coffee 330ml $8.00

FROM USA
Rogue Santas Private Reserve 355ml & 650ml $TBA
Rogue St Rogue Dry Hopped Red Ale 650ml $15.00
Rogue Yellow Snow IPA 650ml $15.00
Rogue Mogul Madness 650ml $15.00
Southern Tier 2XIPA 355ml $8.00
Southern Tier Gemini 650ml $17.00
Southern Tier Unearthly 650ml $17.00
Southern Tier Oak Aged Unearthly 650ml $20.00
Southern Tier Crème Brulee 650ml $17.00
Southern Tier Mokah 650ml $17.00
*Items with TBA will be arriving in store tomorrow (thurs 23/12)

FILLING ON GROWLERS
BREWDOG (SCO) Hardcore Imperial IPA
This one has been hotly anticipated the past few weeks & is being at tapped at seemingly a perfect time. This being a reincarnation of the previous hardcore, having won best Imperial IPA at the Beer World Cup earlier this year. Certainly no mean feat given the stiff competition in that particular category. As you’d expect this brew is brimming with high alpha US hop varieties, namely centennial, columbus & simcoe, both in the boil & to dry hop. Some lighter malts are employed to provide the slightest touch of counter balance, however this one is all about the hops! Big citrus & pine is the order of the day with a robust, bordering on aggressive hop bitterness. You’ve been warned!
Filling now & continuing until the keg is dry! $35 for the fill.