Yeastie Boys Rex Attitude

Yeastie Boys is a great Wellington brewery. They have a small range of beers but a loyal following (and a very active Twitter account.) One of their beers that a lot of people seem to like is the Rex Attitude, a peat smoked golden ale. I wasn't really sure what that meant but thought I would give it a try. It has a Tyrannosaurus Rex on the label, so that is a pretty cool start.

There is apparently a whole market for beer made from peat smoked malt. Peat is thick mud from bogs often found in Scotland. It gives a smokey taste to whiskey. It also helps keep mummified bodies intact for hundreds of years. Whiskey is basically an extra alcoholic version of beer so I can see how people wanted to try some whiskey flavours in their beer.

I have to say though, I am not converted to the peat smoked beer market. The Rex Attitude has a nice golden colour to it, although slightly cloudier than usual. You can certainly smell the smokiness in the aroma. However, when you drink it you are assaulted from all fronts with flavours. It tastes like beer, but it also tastes like whiskey. You can taste the smoke, but it also tastes a bit like dirt (I guess that's the peat.) It's interesting, but if I want whiskey I will drink whiskey. Mixing it with beer just doesn't really do it for me. Sorry Yeastie Boys I will have to stick with the Digital IPA (which I love.)