BREWER: Cassels, Canterbury, New Zealand

STYLE: Pale Ale

ABV: 5.3%

VESSEL: 330ml tin 

TWITTER: @Cassels_Brewery

INSTAGRAM: casselsbrewingco

DATE OF POST: 14th March 2022

 

JYMI SAY’S…

A decent beer this but it took me a while to get into it…

See, with Cassels packaging nothing is given away. As far as I know all of their cans are very very similar. So as cool as the packaging is it didn’t really inspire or excite me into this brew. Also the name we have here is just poor, it’s not even a name, just a description. Not that it really matters but again did nothing to inspire or excite. But I did know that I was getting a NZ Pale Ale and that is never a bad thing…

But this did not taste at all like any NZ pales I have had in the past! Which totally threw me if I’m honest and with only 330ml of this brew available I quickly needed to get my head in the game.

Now with a NZ you expect super smooth mouthfeel and an understated hoppy taste, not prominent but lovely. But this offering from Cassels was nothing like that at all. NZP is hop forward! And while the texture of this brew is pleasant it is nowhere near the super soft feel you would expect.

However, once I got my head around NZPA it became clear I was dealing with a tasty drop that would go down a storm in the sun I’m sure.

Jymi’s Rating: 72%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

What’s a New Zealand pale ale? you may wonder. Well, it’s a pale ale brewed with NZ hops. Makes sense really.  Anyway, that’s what we are testing this week. And it’s brewed by Cassels.

There’s something I really like about NZPA. It could be the old school bitter finish. Or it could be the hint of floral notes punctuating the light tropical flavours. Or it could be the lovely crispness. Or it could even be its ridiculously short finish which works very well indeed.

Whatever it is that makes it so, NZPA is an incredible beer. Forget comparing it to IPAs or APAs. It’s just very different. And in a good way.

I’d happily chug one of these down on any occasion.  Can’t wait to get me hands on another to be honest!

Sammy’s Rating: 84%

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 78%

MOB review next weekend: CONJUROR by DOLPHIN BREWERY

 

Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze since 2017

Twitter: @museonbooze

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