becoming a policy analyst in the public service, throwing away his tie to work as a bartender in the bar I own a small share of, beginning home brewing, being a finalist in the Wellington In A Pint contest with a beer named after the first Green Mayor in New Zealand, now working as the beer guy at a leading brewing supplies store then setting up his own brewing company, I’d have exactly one pint.
The person buying me said pint would be Andrew Childs who started Behemoth Brewing Company in May this year and who will release his new Hopportunity Cost IPA at Malthouse on 2 October 2013. In addition to his day job promoting beer and brewing products at Mangrove Jacks, Andrew – to quote his Facebook page – is the “hop herder and malt manipulator” at his fledgling Behemoth Brewing Company. 1,000 litres of his new IPA was made at the Twisted Hop in Wigram on their brand new brewing kit. [1]
Being a master of technology, I recorded my phone interview with Andrew on my Sony Clear Voice mini-cassette machine. [2] After deciphering the crackly recording, it is virtually certain that the brewer described Hopportunity Cost IPA (7.2%) as a “dry, extremely hoppy, 7.2% IPA”. It uses Citra, Simcoe and Motueka hops because Andrew says “I like blending American and New Zealand hops – you get some really interesting flavour combinations. I don’t think enough people do it yet.” In addition to his normal, heavy handed hopping, [3] there are whole cones of Motueka used in a hop back and two separate dry hopping stages.
I have tried one of Andrew’s homebrews which was a prototype (of sorts) for this beer. It was based on a clone of my favourite beer of all time, Russian River’s Pliny the Elder, and Andrew’s bottle had a handwritten note stating it had been further made “Bitter as F**k for Neil”. [4]
When queried about the unusual name, Andrew explained that the inspiration came from high school. He got the highest score in Rongotai College’s history for economics. [5] Andrew says he still remembers the concept of an “opportunity cost – it is the next best alternative choice.” In this beer, he argues, basically “anything that is not hops is the Hopportunity Cost.” When even he – a trained lawyer, remember – cannot keep up this back story with a straight face, [6] he finally admits “I really just wanted a logo with hops and a dollar sign in it.”
The beer will be distributed around New Zealand – including the South Island – and Auckland will be getting a sneak peek at the O’Carroll’s relaunch (I’m hearing good things about what they are doing…) but Andrew is adamant the nationwide launch will take place at Malthouse. [7]
The brewer himself will be in attendance and may buy some drinks (insert usual legal disclaimer about “might” here) and, because the beer is “dangerously drinkable”, Andrew feels he may feel the “urge to give a speech at some stage.” Fortunately, the staff are well trained in emergency procedures in the unlikely event this takes place.
Malthouse will also be pouring some appropriate American IPAs and several slightly uppity American IPAs to mark the occasion. Obtaining the list of beers was the principal reason for my first conversation with Colin the Handsome yet Softly Spoken Scottish Proprietor after his (delayed) return to the country after a long Northern Hemisphere holiday. Colin admitted that he had only been skimming the blog during his travels which means I may have gotten away with it all…
Moving on before he checks the archives, there are five particularly fine American ales going on tap for the Behemoth function, all of them are IPAs and for once this is not my fault. I’m happy to take credit for it though. I like taking credit for things. First up is a world famous beer making its Malthouse debut.
Ballast Point Sculpin IPA (7%) is a 70 IBU American ale which scores a rare 100 over at RateBeer. It pours an inviting golden amber colour with a white head, there are notes of grapefruit, mango, pine and lime throughout, it has a bit of body but remains smooth, crisp and delightfully bitter on the finish.
I’ve had a couple of the Ballast Point beers before – both here and in America – and I’ve always been impressed. I’m looking to forward sampling a beer some believe can compete with Pliny the Elder on tap.
Next is a beer which I really like and which always sells out really quickly. There may be some form of causal relationship between those two statements. I’ve described Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA (7.2%) as “wholly hoptastic” and “one of my finds of 2011.” It is like a turbo charged version of the most excellent Sierra Nevada Pale Ale which manages to retain balance and drinkability.
The trick is a “shiny stainless steel piece of hardware” which the brewers developed over many years. I can’t even begin to understand the science but this sleek device gives Torpedo both its moniker and its character. In the glass, Torpedo is big, bold and bitter – right in your face and straight up your nose. [8]
Lagunitas is a commercial commune of self-described hippies making beers of distinct character in Petaluma, California, USA. As well as being one of the most influential breweries on the West Coast, it is potentially America’s most irreverent brewery. If you want proof, here is their official description of Lagunitas IPA (6.2%): “made with 43 different hops and 65 various malts, this redolent ale will likely float your boat,”
Less prosaically but more accurately, it is described as a bright golden amber beer, throwing a citrus and floral nose, medium to full bodied, touches of biscuity and caramel malt flavours, a lick of honey sweetness and long, late bitterness. It is surprising approachable. Their real hopbomb in their range is the wonderfully anarchic Lagunitas Hop Stoopid.
From the brewery which makes “off-centred beers for off-centred people” come two hoppy pale ales of great renown. Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA (6%) is continuously hopped with over 60 hop additions during the sixty minute boil – a hint, perhaps, about the name. Terrifyingly, they describe this 6%, 60 IBU hop-rocket as a “session” IPA.
Which it actually is when compared to the Dogfish Head 90 Minute Imperial Pale Ale (9%).
The brewers here use both the continuous hopping process and a device they call “Me so Hoppy” (basically an inert gas fired closed loop dry hopping system – but not to be confused with the Torpedo) to create this 90 IBU beast of a beer. There is plenty of citrus and floral notes but also caramel and cake from the huge malt backbone, a hint of hot alcohol under the floral and bitter notes, finished with a stupendously bitter ending. Enjoy carefully.
Next time, we drink to (Dr) Mark Richardson from the Crowd Goes Wild because the world needs to “mark his words” [9] of wisdom now more than ever.
[1] New kit partly due to the need for expansion, mainly because of stupid earthquakes.
[2] Two sure signs you are behind the times in technology – your recording machine is only just listed in the Archives section of the producer’s website and the serving nerds (sorry, Techxperts) at Dick Smith laugh openly at your request for “tapes, only smaller”.
[3] In this context, heavy handed is the ultimate compliment.
[4] This is almost certainly not an official brewing term outside Behemoth Brewing and potentially Epic.
[5] Believed to be 52% – says the Tawa College alumnus.
[6] Nobody ever passed economics at Rongotai College.
[7] Despite some posters displayed on his own page suggesting otherwise…
[8] I’m so proud of this descriptor I’m using it again.
[9] See what I did there?
Cheers
Beer Writer
Beer and Brewer Magazine
Links
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Ballast Point – http://www.ballastpoint.com/?fs=1
Sierra Nevada – http://www.sierranevada.com/
Lagunitas – http://lagunitas.com/
Dogfish Head – http://www.dogfish.com/
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Malthouse Taps on Twitter – www.twitter.com/#!/MalthouseTaps
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