1812
The Emerson Brewing Company

18121812
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From:
The Emerson Brewing Company
 
New Zealand
Style:
English Pale Ale
ABV:
5%
Score:
86
Avg:
3.78 | pDev: 12.7%
Reviews:
29
Ratings:
42
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 16, 2020
Added:
Jun 21, 2002
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  2
One of New Zealand’s first new generation pale ales and now something of a classic, Emerson’s 1812 is all about balance. Pouring a bright amber hue beneath a deep cream coloured head, the aroma hints at caramel and dark toffee balanced with a light citrusy fruitiness. Medium bodied, the palate first offers a marmalade-like combination of ripe citrus and caramelised malts before resiny hops come to the fore and lead into a lingering dry finish.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by warnerry:
Photo of warnerry
Reviewed by warnerry from Michigan

3.56/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Best by March 2012

A - Pours clear copper with ona and a half fingers of off-white head. Head has good retention and leaves some nice lacing. Great looking beer. If there were some more carbonation rising (there is almost none), I would give this a 5.

S - Citrus and floral aromas, along with a substantial bread and caramel malts. Not bad, but a let down after the appearance.

T - Pretty balanced with hops and malt. Hops are a bit more assertive up front, but quickly fade, leaving mostly malt from the midway point through the finish. I weird metal taste detracts from the finish a bit.

M - Medium, somewhat creamy mouthfeel, but some more carbonation would improve it.

O - A pretty good beer, but not particularly memorable.
Nov 18, 2011
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.97 by emptyglassagain from Massachusetts

Feb 16, 2020
 
Rated: 3.5 by pin from Australia

Jul 12, 2019
 
Rated: 3.85 by AirBob from Massachusetts

Feb 18, 2018
 
Rated: 3.94 by kylehay2004 from Illinois

Feb 22, 2016
 
Rated: 4.8 by IanGrant2014 from New Zealand (Aotearoa)

Oct 02, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by JakeBarnett from Minnesota

Jun 17, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by tazzman from Florida

Apr 20, 2014
Photo of wordemupg
Reviewed by wordemupg from Canada (AB)

4.18/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
500ml bottle poured into pint glass 12/3/14 from notes
My bottle says "Hoppy Pale Ale"

A clear copper with bubbles of all sizes feeding a finger of foam that lasts a few sips leaving some random lace

S Melon, tangerine, grass, hay, hard toffee, a hint of pine, faint leafy notes, smells like a pilsener crossed with an IPA

T thankfully it mimics the smell, a faint metallic flavour that seem to work for it, only major difference I notice

M enters silky and quickly creams up, slick on the palate, a mild bitter bite, tropical grass on the finish

O interesting take on a pale but it works wonders for me, the 500ml bottles pretty much gone at this point

I can only recall having their pilsener and I remember liking that one to so perhaps its time to go seek out some more Emersons.
Mar 21, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by SouthCrescent from Pennsylvania

Mar 05, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by chinchill from South Carolina

Jan 01, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by KalanM from Canada (BC)

Jul 10, 2013
Photo of soju6
Reviewed by soju6 from Missouri

3.72/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4
On tap at Brew on Quay, Auckland, NZ.

A: Served a copper color with a decent head that faded to bits of lacing.

S: Aroma of citrus, some fruit with a hint of malt sweetness and spice.

T: Taste of citrus with a mild malt sweetness and bit of spice. Nice bitterness and a clean finish.

F: Medium body, crisp and flavorful. nice balance.

O: Enjoyable beer worth checking out
Jun 01, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by lisagirl from New Zealand (Aotearoa)

May 12, 2013
Photo of laituegonflable
Reviewed by laituegonflable from Australia

3.38/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Pours a rich bronze colour, clear with a light bead. Head is a bit thin, with off-white colour but nice trails of lace left behind. Quite decent.

Smells malty and toasty and English, with bready grain, toffee and some sourdough as well. Hops come through a bit minty and herbal; needs a bit more fruit or floral or citric character maybe, because the whole thing is sweet/savoury and smells like something that isn't really beer, more like a solid baked good and the hops here accentuate rather than contrast with that character. Decent, but I'd like more refeshment on the aroma

Taste is also a bit sweet, with lots of English-style malts - bready grain, hot cross buns and some slightly medicinal hops Slight spice on the back, bit minty and toasty with malt continuing to the finish as well. Mostly malty, but the hop notes sort of add a slight sourness to the grain which is dominant. Not bad, but nothing special. For a 'hoppy pale ale' I would like more dominant, out-there hops rather than something gentle and mild that accentuates the malt notes.

Mouthfeel is not bad, smooth but with a kind of sheen to it. Slight fizz; not a bad pale ale feel at all.

Very English, and I'd just like a bit more contrast between the malt and the hops - or for the hops to stand out on their own a bit more, it's all a rich blend and it comes off ultimately a bit stodgy.
Jun 20, 2012
Photo of doktorhops
Reviewed by doktorhops from Australia

2.82/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Emerson's 1812 should be drunk whilst listening to Tchaikovsky's 1812 overture and reading Charles Dickens. No really, it should. But I didn't, perhaps my fatal flaw, going blind into a bottle of 1812 with a flagrant disregard of the possible consequences. Pity me fair reader, pity me.

Poured from a 500ml bottle into a nonic pint.

A: Looks like a typical IPA with its deep copper body and off-white laced head. Looks can however be deceiving.

S: Hoppy Pale Ale?! What hops?! Magic hops that have no aroma? Well it seems Emerson's has discovered said hops. Apart from invisible hops this IPA has a classic malt grain base aroma, not impressed at all.

T: Metallic, grainy base leads to the invisible hops. It's an outright crime in my opinion to claim in bold lettering on a beer label that it is a "Hoppy Pale Ale" without the drinker being assaulted with brutish and loud, fruity/herbaceous/earthy hops in the first mouthful. Bad Emerson's! If you can't deliver on the hops don't advertise it, simple. Disappointed.

M: Wishy-washy almost watery body and fairly flat carbonation.

D: IPA this is not. More like a mild Kentish bitter without the hop finish. I'm disappointed with the lack of hops when the label is so unashamed about declaring the hops (it even has a picture of a hop flower on the bottle, come on!). Past that it is a hum-drum average ale. Meh.

Food match: Pie.
Jun 06, 2012
Photo of danieelol
Reviewed by danieelol from Australia

3.06/5  rDev -19%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Pours a golden red with nice head and lacing.

Smell is loads of caramel malt, bit of sourness and some strange spicy hops; most likely English. What's that sourness? Some nuttiness.

Taste is more sour nondescript herbs. More nuttiness. Just weird.

Mouthfeel is OK, bitter, noticeable carb, medium body.

Overall not a bad beer, can certainly get through the bottle. Kind of odd though.
May 03, 2012
Photo of bylerteck
Reviewed by bylerteck from Canada (ON)

2.93/5  rDev -22.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Bottle from Beer Deluxe.

A - Pours bright with a dark golden colour. Two fingers of fluffy khaki head. Decent carbonation. Spotty lacing and a film of retention.

S - Toast, caramel, earthiness, and a gentle citrus. Very tame.

T - Quite malty with toffee and breadiness. A very light citrus but the hop kick is there in the end. More of a raisin and caramel complexity when it warms, smoothing it out. Quite earthy and it has some orange rind too.

M - Light carbonation, medium body and a dryness in the finish.

O/D - Not something I would reach for again. The "hoppy pale ale" on label certainly doesn't describe this properly. An alright English IPA but certainly nothing I would rain praise upon. Just meh.
Mar 31, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by flexabull from California

Mar 10, 2012
Photo of heygeebee
Reviewed by heygeebee from Australia

3.49/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Pours a copper amber with one inch head. Great lacing.

Aromas of not much. Sorry, have to say it.

Taste is an oddity - I now realise I have served too cold after asking the bottle shop to recommend an East Coast IPA - I get an English IPA. Hops dominate an earthy palate, with some malt to support. No other dominant recognisable flavours.

Nice and carbonated so all here.

Strange beer, really doesn't taste like an EIPA, but where does it fit?

LATER

Second half of bottle - I have waited til it warmed - much more understandable now... English IPA characters now prevail. Caramel, toffe, and malts drive a well made beer. Scores adjusted. Funnily enuf - carbonation drops as temp increases.

Normal service resumes at some point :-)
Mar 04, 2012
1812 from The Emerson Brewing Company
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 42 ratings