Friday 22 August 2008

Beer O'Clock: Bring on the Yeastie Boys!

Your regular Friday afternoon Beer O'Clock post comes to you this week from regular beer correspondent Stu, who this week is blowing his own trumpet:

YB 20080821 copy PC New kids on the brewing block, Yeastie Boys, will launch their hoppy Pot Kettle Black porter at the Beervana festival on 5 September.

Rather than a hip-hop tribute band made up of gynaecologists, as the name may suggest, Yeastie Boys is the brewing brainchild of local brewer Stu McKinlay (ie., yours truly) and New Zealand's most notorious beer-hunter Sam "The Grandmaster" Possenniskie.

In the name of research these two beer lovers have spent the last three years immersed within the secretive inner sanctum of the brewing world, tasting more than 2,000 different beers, in 70-plus different styles, from over 50 countries. Yeastie Boys are now set to unleash this research with a series of seasonal beers unlike anything else the New Zealand beer drinking public have tasted.

The first of these Pot Kettle Black, is the result of an ongoing friendly debate I’ve been having with Wellington beer writer and fellow Beer O'Clock contributor Neil Miller over whether hops or malt is the most important element in beer.

I’m all about malt, while Neil is a certifiable hop head. Pot Kettle Black, the first release from Yeastie Boys, is an American-style porter that combines the delicious elements of dark malty beers with the huge hopping rates usually reserved for modern craft pale ales. This beer will certainly save us plenty of time arguing at the bar.’

In true Kiwi style, Yeastie Boys' recipes originate from a 40 litre pilot brewery in a Wellington backyard shed. 'Operating on such a small scale there was little chance of the beer making it any further than ourselves and those in the know, until we partnered with multiple award-winning brewer Steve Nally of Invercargill Brewery to produce our first batch of commercial beer,’ explains Yeastie Boys co-director Sam Possenniskie.

’Part of the Yeastie Boys concept is to utilise the excess capacity of New Zealand's best little breweries and to promote the diversity in New Zealand’s craft beer scene. Steve, being one of the best experimental brewers in the country, is the perfect partner and mentor for us to produce our first beer with.’

Yeastie Boys' Pot Kettle Black is only available on tap for a limited time. It will be available at the upcoming BrewNZ "Beervana" festival, and at selected outlets specialising in craft beer from early September.

Stay tuned for more …

  • Pot Kettle Black by Yeastie Boys
    Tech info: ABV = 5.2%, OG = 1061, IBU = 47
    Malt: NZ Pale Malt, Melanoiden Malt, Crystal 55L, Pale Chocolate, Black Patent Malt.
    Hops: Nelson Sauvin, New Zealand Styrian, New Zealand Cascade.

Slainte mhath, Stu
SOBA and Yeastie Boys

3 comments:

Greig McGill said...

As a dedicated beer lover, and not at all someone who knows and loves the brewer to bits (ahem), you all should definitely taste this beer. It's seriously incredible.

Go the Boyz!

G.

Stu as "Stu" said...

Thanks mum, um, I mean Dad ;-)

Anonymous said...

A few of us are planning to park up at the Yeastie Boys stall at Beervana and drink the lot...Can't wait big fella!
JT