Beer #186 - W/C 17 September 2018
BREWERY // Juicehead are Emma Brown, Ciaran Duffy, Sam Graham & Calum Wallace. The British & Irish quartet are stalwarts of the Wellington hospitality scene having all worked the bar at the iconic Malthouse at one time or another. After years of spending all of their working and leisure hours talking about (and drinking) awesome beer, it was only natural that they'd progress to making the stuff. While everyone does a bit of everything, they all have their unique attributes- Sam has a background in biotechnology and heads up the brewing side, Calum is a graphic designer, Emma is an artist & Ciaran is an all round creative bloke who spins a great yarn. They are contract brewers and regularly bash out experimental tiny batches at The Occasional Brewer which they sell to their mates at the finest freehouses around the city. For bigger brews, they work with other brewers such as Kieran at North End and Karl at Te Aro. The bottle art is a painting made by Emma using watercolour paint and oil paint.
BEER // Waaaay back in the early 2010s we were awash in Black IPAs (aka Cascadian Dark Ales after the region of the USA where they were possibly first made). With big hoppiness, medium body and a touch of caramel & roasted malt they have the best of both worlds. It is easy to see why Sam from Juicehead calls the style a 'brewers beer'. But it is a fine balance and it is very easy to veer too far toward a light, hoppy IPA or a sweet, roasty porter. Many an evening has been spent with beer fans arguing whether they are drinking a hoppy stout or a Cascadian IPA. Cascade Chaos employs lashings of US & NZ Cascade hops which give the Chaos solid piney, tropical, fresh bitterness. The malt gives it body and brings all sorts of flavours to the party - coffee, chocolate, liquorice and more. Neither side overpowers the other and we reckon it is one of those rare things in craft beer - an ale packed with flavour that you could drink several of without getting bored and while still discovering new nuances.
BREWERY // Juicehead
BEER // Cascade Chaos
STYLE // Black IPA
ORIGIN // Wellington
ABV // 6.2%
TEMPERATURE // Cool. 6 - 8C
FOOD MATCH // Cheeseburger. Pepper Steak. Mushroom Tacos w. Chipotle. Dark Chocolate.
GLASS // IPA Glass
