Why this style?
After brewing this beer we are left with the same question!
“What even is this style?” I hear you ask. Well, seeing as this beer is not something that brewers in their right mind would usually try, it’s a bit hard to categorise. It is a sessionable pale but made with a grain bill consisting of 100% Oats.
“That’s really boring” you say…
Yes, when I say it out loud I hear how actually, that doesn’t sound very exciting at all. But stay with me. Oats are usually only used in relatively low quantities for the purpose of adding body and mouthfeel to beers. Most of our beers have no more than about 20% of the grain being oats, in various forms. Brewing with high quantities of oats becomes pretty difficult and can cause process issues, so brewing with 100% oats is frankly, a bit of a stupid thing to do…or so they thought!
It started out as a bit of a joke when I suggested it to the powers that be. I was laughed out of the ivory towers. However, I managed to convince them, using science and difficult words, that we could make a really interesting, forward thinking (he said it!) beer.
What’s the idea behind the beer?
We initially set out to make a beer that was thick, silky and luxurious. After running trials, we found that without the barley you would usually have in a beer, it becomes very neutral in character. A blank canvas if you will. This meant we were able to showcase some of our favourite hops. A big fat whirlpool of Motueka, Talus and Nelson Sauvin and a Motueka, Talus and Citra dry hop. Beautiful.
How does it Taste?
The aroma when you first crack the can is wild. Ripe mango, pineapples, citrus, tangerine and sherbet. It really packs a (fruit) punch. When you pour it into the glass it looks THICK. A beautiful pale, straw yellow that you almost have to scoop out with a spoon. The haze…well I don’t even know if it can be described as a haze. Perhaps murk is a better word. Totally opaque, there is definitely no light getting through this beer.
On the palate you get sticky tropical notes with a hint of coconut, carried by a smooth silky body. All this is balanced with a refreshing pine flavour that makes this beer exceptionally drinkable.
Even if you have absolutely no interest in me waffling on about oats, you should definitely try this because it is flipping delicious. And do you know what mates…? It tastes like beer.
Perceived bitterness - 5
