30 July 2015 - Best Beer HQ
North End Super Alpha review
ABV: 5%
The can: I’m going to be honest (because if there’s one place you can be brutally honest it’s on the internet): I don’t like the look of this can of North End Brewing Co.’s Super Alpha pale ale. Give me an afternoon on MS Paint, and I’m pretty sure even I could come up with a better design than this.
But we mustn’t judge a beer by its can. Let’s see if this beer cuts the mustard, so to speak.
North End Brewery: We’re a small brewery on the Kapiti Coast formed by a brewer, a waiter and a chef. We brew aromatic, food friendly beers that are as at home on the dinner table as they are at the beach, the bach or the bar. Join us as we change the world one can at a time.
Blurb on the can: Our crisp fruity Pacific pale ale combines an unusual blend of New Zealand hops, pilsner malt, wheat and a handful of coriander seeds to create the ultimate antidote to a mouthful of seawater.
Summer fermented and served in a can.
IBU: 20
Tastes like: The time I went backpacking through Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand.
This may sound strange, but I reckon this pacific pale ale made from NZ pilsner malt tastes just a little bit, um, oriental. It might be the aromas of lemongrass or the hint of coriander that I detect on the tip of my tongue, but something in this beer tastes just a little bit different to your usual crafty Pacific pale.
That’s not to say it’s bad; on the contrary, I love Thai or Vietnamese food, and I enjoyed my can of Super Alpha very much. Drunk straight from the can, it was crisp and refreshing – not exactly the most savour-able beer, but to quaff it would be a waste, too. It’d go very well with a meal.
Is it the best beer ever? Well, no, but it’s a good honest attempt at putting a spin on the Pacific pale ale. I’d happily drink one or two Super Alphas from North End Brewery, watching the sun go down at the end of the day or when out for dinner with friends.
What else should I drink? I recently reviewed the Oh Brother Pale Ale, which I liked a lot. Meanwhile, I will also be trying North End Brewing Co.’s Fieldway APA in the next couple of days.