So it’s been a while…
I used to write a lot, now I mainly tweet. I believe time and a lackadaisical attitude to social media will do that to a person, but it’s been too long and I feel the need to do so once again.
I’m a passionate beer drinker, in fact I believe friends and colleagues alike would say i’m Mr. Enthusiasm, but my growing fascination with beer has developed into first geekery, and then a job. I’m pretty pleased with how it all worked out to be honest, and it’s opened my eyes to an ocean of possibility regarding beer and beer styles. I still recognise my knowledge of beer is low, but i’m hoping through doing this and beavering away studying for Certified Cicerone, it’ll work wonders!
My geekery of beer has certainly stepped up a gear recently, where I am now purchasing specialised glassware, purposefully designed to impart more aroma and experience to the pallet as possible – I grin every time I use it. It also has the added benefit of looking slightly rude. Hur hur hur.
I guess this will be my first proper attempt at getting down and dirty with discussing a beer – and I’ve brought something rather special to the opening party – the updated version of Stone Brewing Co‘s Japanese Green Tea IPA.
This is a collaboration brew, not only with Baird Brewery’s Bryan Baird, but with Toshi Ishii, a former brewer at Stone, and now founder of Guam’s Ishii Brewing Co. Lovely to have the story written there on the back for you to see, I love that about the beer industry, the collaborative, and in some cases, weirdly incestual nature of where people work and work with.
Sooo, first impressions: Looks a little hazy. That’ll be all the sexy flavour in there.
Smells of musty hay, belgian yeast-like but with higher notes to it, obviously green tea, avocado? Avocado maki sushi rolls! Awesome. Really light aroma considering its 10.1% abv.
Tastes bright and herbaceous as the guff on the back states, but they’re absolutely right, more botanical/tropical bright hop vibes. It tastes like a visit to a Botanical garden – inhaling the warm air as you rove through the vibrant plants and rainbow-hued insects.
I know this sounds poncey. Sorry.
Long aftertaste where the bitterness really kicks in and you get green grass and pine – but not too dry which makes a change for this “style”.
It barely tastes 5% let alone 10. This is instantly quaffable, so i’m incredibly glad I bought two bottles, the second being saved for my next ADVENTURE IN BEER (read: getting sozzled) with a good friend.
Final word: Nom.
DISCLAIMER: I work for BrewDog and sell BrewDog, Mikkeller and Stone Brewing Co beers into the “North” of England.
