Gunnamatta
Yeastie Boys

Tea leaf in an India Pale Ale is a classic pairing due to the simple fact that a well-made/classic English IPA should have a tea leaf aftertaste anyway. So it’s no surprise that Yeastie Boys (those Kiwi proprietors of experimental brews) have decided to drop a ton of Earl Grey into the wort and brought together IPA with its historical commodity partner tea - IPA was developed during the height of the tea growing era in India (Assam to be precise).

Poured from a 330ml bottle into a nonic pint.

A: Appearance is a lovely cloudy deep orange body with wispy half centimetre off-white head that sticks around. Given the 6.5% ABV I’m surprised that it even has a head to start with. 8/10.

S: Big lemon myrtle/bergamot nose on this brew - I hope it isn’t a huge Kiwi tease like Tuatara’s APA was - this is aroma is fantastic, right on the money for what I was expecting. There is a sweet caramel base and linger tea notes in the background. Rarely do I find a beer that I want to smell more than drink but this is one of those brews, amazing! 10/10.

T: Bam! The flavour hits you hard and is almost exactly what you’re expecting: Lemon, bergamot, black tea leaf and a buttery caramel base throughout. It’s the hops that you’re not expecting with real big dirty/earthy tones that balance the sweetness out. Then the finish is a mix of herbal bitterness and a dry black tea tannin. Promise made and delivered, thank you Yeastie Boys. Only negative I can is that tea notes may be off-putting if you don’t like tea. I happen to love a good cuppa though! 9/10.

M: Medium body that is backed up by almost no carbonation whatsoever, which makes it cloy a bit too much. 4/10.

D: Wow, overall a brilliant merging of Earl Grey with IPA, only thing that got me thinking was how it would taste if more American style hops were used (with their pine/citric characters), would it have been better? Who knows. Like I said above Yeastie Boys advertised an Earl Grey IPA and they totally nailed it. If you love tea and beer and have oft wondered what the meeting of these two would produce then get a bottle of this and wrap your gob around it. 9/10.

Food match: I kept thinking about lemon cakes whilst drinking this... I’ve never recommended lemon cakes with anything before, I guess there’s a first time for everything.

L: Light blood orange colour, good head and lacing
S: Citrus, spices, candy, perfume
T: Sourness, candy, sugar, strong ctirus zestiness
F: Balanced carbonation, alcohol feel, well-bodied

O: 3.75

 

 

 

 

Can. Clear amber with orange. Frothy head.
Perfume of said tea. Light hops with caramel present.
Tastes as it smells. Some earthy flavours, initial sweetness is dispelled by a bitter finish.
Moderate feel. Decent carbonation.
Like alcoholic iced tea.

 

 

From a 330ml can. Brewed by West Berkshire Brewery.
L: Pumpkin colour, hazy with a big-bubbled white head.
S: Bergamot.
T: The earl grey tea adds a distinctive & interesting element to this NZPA. Nicely bitter finish.
F: Medium body with moderate carbonation. Dry finish.
O: Interesting, attractive, tasty IPA with fruity NZ hops and astringent earl grey tea leaves. I'm not a fan of earl grey tea as tea but the bergamot seems to work well in this brew adding a fresh, bitter edge. Clean and enjoyable.

 

 

 

 

A 330ml bottle with a BB of Dec 2017. Acquired a while back from Trembling Madness in York. The label describes it as an earl grey IPA with notes of citrus and stonefruit.

A: Poured into an IPA glass. Bottle conditioned. A hazy orange-amber hue with fine floating sediment and moderate carbonation. Produces a large head of creamy white foam that lasts for a few minutes before settling as a patchy surface layer.

S: Aroma of fruity hops with hints of mild citrus, hay, subtle leafiness, light bergamot, tea, caramel malt, ale yeast and earthiness. Possesses a vaguely astringent overtone. Pretty good, though the hops are quite subdued.

T: Tastes of caramel malt with notes of barley sugar, ale yeast, leafy hops, grass/hay, subtle citrus, tea, a hint of bergamot and earthiness in the background. Quite dry, followed by a restrained bitterness upon swallowing.

M: Mouthfeel is smooth, tingly and dry, with light carbonation and good body. Would benefit from enhanced texture. Aftertaste of caramel malt, earthy yeast, subtle hops, tea and a mild bitterness.

O: A decent IPA with an interesting twist - pretty good. Nice looks, while the aroma and flavour are well balanced but perhaps lacking in hoppiness. The tea is quite mild but makes its presence felt. Decent body; could be livelier. An easy-drinking brew - worth sampling if you come across it.

 

 

 

 

Pours a pale Amber with medium head and limits lace. Nose is somewhat floral, really seems an English IPA and not American style. Not a big nose, and caramel malt coming through. Not much on the citrus or fruit front at all. Taste is sort of in between a bitter and IPA. Again floral, somewhat bitter but not greatly so, and a slight off flavor. Overall, just so-so.