BREWER: Purple Moose Brewery, Gwynedd, Wales
STYLE: Premium Bitter
ABV: 4.3%
VESSEL: 500ml brown bottle
TWITTER: @PurpleMooseBrew
INSTAGRAM: purplemoosebrewery
DATE OF POST: 26th March 2023
JYMI SAY’S…
I think that I can be forgiven for at first thinking this brew was from New Zealand. See, the name, Whakahari, seems a bit New Zealandish to me? Maybe because it reminds me of the name of the stunning NZ hop that is Wakatu? Or maybe it’s because I’m a bit off on ass.
It then became obvious that this must be a beer from Canada. Purple Moose Brewery and abstract moose head logo made this pretty obvious. But no! Turns out I am an ass. As on further exploration of the bottle info it finally became apparent that this beer is brewed in Porthmadog, North Wales.
None of this has any bearing on my thoughts towards packaging nor the brew itself, just thought I’d mention it, ya know.
Anyway, let’s start off with the packaging shall we. I really like the moose head logo and purple is my favourite colour. So you would think I would like if not love the appearance of this bottle. But I do not, from the front anyway. However once the vessel is turned 180degs with one hand (like the beer testing pro that I am) the info and lay out of said info, is nothing short of exceptional and there in abundance. And the main point I took away from it was that Whakahari is brewed using the water from the hills of Snowdonia. Now this HAS to be a good thing doesn’t it?? I also possibly learned that Whakahari is Welsh for Cheers, though I need to research before comment so will come back to that.
This is a good solid brew I have to say, in fact it’s better than solid. Soft and bright in the sip (thank you Snowdonian water) with lovely hints of toffee and orange. There’s a good and balanced flavour here with a strong body. You honestly would not go far wrong with one a these in a pub at the base of Mount Snowdon after a vigorous climb.
Which I am doing in a month to be fair! In memory of my Mum (who we lost a year ago) and to raise money for the hospice that cared for her in her final weeks.
You can sponsor me below if you like
I promise you I had not planned this! I really hadn’t, was just the Snowdonia water thing that triggered me into action!
And turns out Whakahari is not Welsh for Cheers but Maori for make merry! What the hell is going on!!!!?
At least I’m not an ass… well.
Jymi’s Rating: 80%
SAMMY SAY’S…
There are many things that I like about Whakahari. For starters, the beers itself is good. There’s a good dose of citrus upfront. Then there’s a rounded bitter finish which increases as you go down the glass. Not the most full-bodied brew I’ve ever chugged but it has a decent presence in the mouth.
To begin with, I wasn’t sure why a Welsh brew was called Whakahari. And it took me a while, but I like the concept. It’s quite obvious, really, it’s brewed with NZ hops. This theme carries all the way through the beer, including the design.
When I studied the bottle, I came to the conclusion that I actually liked the packaging. I imagined the label as can art and it began to tick many boxes for me. As an aside, the QR code with the moose highlighted needs a special mention.
All round Whakahari is a good concept that’s well delivered.
Sammy’s Rating: 82%
MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 81%
MOB review next weekend: VELOCITY by SALTAIRE
Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017
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