BREWERY // Mates Brett Vincent & Ian O'Malley have been brewing for years and took things to the next level in early 2019 when they scaled up their brew kit and opened a taproom in Pukehina. The friends met in the Tauranga homebrew shop where Ian used to work hit it off straight away. The name comes from a shared love of the smell of sawdust and smoking chainsaws. Oh and because Brett runs a forestry business. While the majority of their customers are in their local region, their beers are also gaining fans around the country. Lumberjack won the SOBA Bay of Plenty Brewery Of The Year for 2019. While Ian is an IPA lover, Brett has more of an affinity with dark beers which made their hoppy American Porter a natural choice for Lumberjack's range.
BEER // A kickback is extremely dangerous for a chainsaw operator and the reason behind many a missing digit or limb. There's no need to approach this week's beer with caution though - it's an excellent porter with fruity hop characteristics usually associated with modern pale ales. The porter style of beer originated in London in the early 18th century and took its name from the street and river porters who quickly became big fans. The well hopped beer made with brown malts was the was the first style to be brewed in large quantities and the porter breweries of London pioneered many technological advances such as the use of the thermometer around 1760 and hydrometer in 1770. The 'American' take on this traditional style was to elevate the alcohol content along with some heavy hopping. Kickback is a rich, robust porter made with a hefty dose of American hops to result in a delicious beer that pairs beautifully with food.
BREWERY // Lumberjack
BEER // Kickback
STYLE // American Porter
ORIGIN // Pukehina
ABV // 6.6%
TEMPERATURE // Cool- 8-12C
FOOD MATCH // Welsh Rarebit, Oysters, Bean Chilli, Chocolate Brownies
VESSEL // From the can. While gardening