April 2011 Brewer’s Reserve Release
Bird Dog Pale Ale
The Flying Nun series continues… for the final beer in the series we honour the band, The Verlaines, and Roger Shepherd’s Flying Nun label with our March release – “Bird Dog”.
One music critic rated the Bird Dog album as “a sophisticated and glorious album…” of Graham “Downes distinct genius…” Heady stuff indeed! We’d like to think we have achieved something similar in a brewing sense with our Bird Dog Pale Ale. Well we might leave the genius bit out – you never stop learning as a brewer.
Bird Dog uses only one hop variety, NZ Cascade, from the boil right through to its massive dry hopping. Single hopped beers really give an appreciation for the characters of that particular hop and The Brew Crew here at Emerson’s reckon Bird Dog showcases NZ Cascade beautifully. A copper coloured pale ale with huge amounts of NZ Cascade that has created a floral, spicy aromatic pale ale that smells as delicious as it tastes. The hop flavour is high with a firm bitterness that leaves a crisp finish. If you aren’t a ‘Hophead’ already this is the Emerson beer that might covert you!
To finish off the Flying Nun series we will brew a small batch of a slighty maltier version of Bird Dog before heading into our Autumnal Red and Brown themed ales….. look out for warming malts and complex hops.
Given recent world and local events we will raise a pint of Bird Dog with you and offer a wee toast to St Arnou, patron saint of beer, that the remainder of 2011 is a healthy and happy one for us all.
The Brew Crew
Original gravity: 1055
Alcohol : 5.5 % vol
Malts : NZ Ale malt, Caramalts
Hops : NZ Cascade
Yeast: Dunedin Ale!
Available at the brewery shop and selected outlets.
