Epic Beer

2008 was an Epic year for @epicbeer

1. Epic Armageddon IPA & the West Coast IPA Challenge(alot of dry hopping)

2. World Beer Cup, San Diego (Luke was a judge)

3. California Trip - 10 days, 12 Breweries, 317 beers

4. BrewNZ - Epic Pale Ale wins - Best in Class & Gold (more awards)

5. Launched Epic Lager (gateway?)

6. Launched the new 500ml bottle (lower price for a taste of the good stuff)

7. Epic arrives in the South Island (why does it cost so much to get it there?)

8. Voted Best Beer at the Great Christchurch Beer Festival (these people have good taste)

9. Twitter passed the 500 followers mark (get it as it happens)

10. Facebook passed the 500 friends mark (become a friend today)

I hope you have a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. Thanks to everyone that supported Epic Beer in 2008, and contributed to spreading the word about good beer. 2009 is sure to be even more EPIC ;-)

Keep drinking the good stuff

Cheers
Luke Nicholas

Here is a consolidation of the judges notes from the recent 2008 BrewNZ Beer Awards. The beer was judged by four expert beer judges who wrote notes about each beer as feedback for the brewers. This is valuable to the brewer so they know where their beer maybe lacking or showing a fault. Or why it is so AWESOME.

EPIC PALE ALE - (winner Gold & Best in Class for New World & American Style Ales)

Colour & Appearance: bright golden orange, crystal clear, good head

Aroma: spicey hops with fruity esters, fresh citrus, grapefruit, lychee, low biscuit malt, nicely peachy, hoppy,

Bitterness: pleasant hop profile, low end for style

Style: delicate malt w/ assertive hop flavours, dry interpretation, good balance, elegant and loud,

Flavour: very hoppy, fresh hop character, cushioning malt continues on palate, very clean ferment, peaches, apricots, lovely dry, good floral citrus hop

Balance: hop flavours overpower malt character, good hop flavour

Other comments: Absolutely fabulous!!, nice beer overall

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EPIC LAGER - (entered as an International Golden Lagers)

This beer didn't move forward to medal round for the reason of "Inappropriate flavour" (which looks like being "too hoppy")

Colour & Appearance: golden w/ nice head, good

Aroma: lovely hops but out of style, hop, grassy notes, hops dominate, too hoppy

Style: too much hops for style, too much hop for style, hops too big

Flavour: nice citrusy hoppy flavour but out of style, lacking malt dominance

Other Comments: love the beer but out of style too much hop, too much hops, out of style

Epic Lager 5.0%
The advent of Epic Pale Ale has been a revelation for those who crave for flavour that the vast majority of mass-produced beers fail to deliver. It was created by Luke Nicholas who, after being introduced to craft beers in California, became brewer for Steam Brewing in Auckland. His first beer under the Epic brand name was designed to pack in as much flavour as possible into each bottle. Epic Pale Ale has the equivalent of 15 hops per bottle - a mind-boggling, 3000% more than regular beers. However, for some people this is just too much hop!

Now, Luke has made an 'entry-level' brew for the Epic brand - Epic Lager. With ‘only’ the equivalent of six hops per bottle, the recipe for Epic Lager includes a blend of Bavarian and Moravian Pilsner malts, and two aromatic, but low bitterness American ‘Noble’ hop varieties to tone down the powerful flavour. Luke reckons: "If you are (an Epic) pale ale drinker it probably won't have the hop hit you are used to, but you will now have a beer to share with your friends that are scared of hops and flavour." Our beer expert Geoff Griggs says: “Despite the reduction in hops, Epic lager is still an aromatic and flavoursome brew and it certainly gets a big thumbs-up from me.” (330 ml)

This can be found on the front page of the Regional Wines & Spirits website

After some long delays this week in getting the newly bottled Epic Lager out of the brewery and on the trucks, it should be turning up at the following locations in time for Easter (fingers crossed)

ON TAP:
Hallertau
The Malthouse

IN BOTTLE (yes it is a green bottle)
New World Victoria Park - (they already sold out once last weekend)
Liquorland Mt Eden
Liquorland Albany
Don Johnson's Wines & Spirits
New World Devonport
AZ Liquor (next to NOSH, GI)
Herne Bay Cellars
Alberton Fine Foods
New World Te Rapa
New World Hillcrest
New World Warkworth
Kowhai Liquor Centre
Blend Winestore (previously Wine on Jervois)
La Barrique (Mt Eden & Remuera)
New World Eastridge

More stores will follow next week. Sorry but I don't think the deliveries will happen in time for Wellington stores. Epic Lager only arrived into Wellington overnight and probably won't make it for delivers today, but you never know.

Need a map to find an Epic Beer?