Moa Original Lager

Moa's take on a Lager is called the Original. Lagers have for many years been the standard of what people drink as a beer so to name your beer "Original" is a big boast. Of course what they are actually probably referring to is that this is their "classic" Lager recipe.

With so many strong flavours in beer these days it is hard for a humble Lager to compete. Nonetheless a refreshing beer that goes down easily is always welcome. The Moa Original Lager is certainly that. It's flavours are subtle but you can just taste the hops. The beer is crisp on your pallete, although the flavour could linger a little longer. An above average Lager. I won't be going out of my way to drink it but I wouldn't pass it over if being offered one either.

Kereru Karengose

I've talked a little bit about Kereru before. Based in Upper Hutt they have jumped from home brewers to commercial brewers. They like to try out some more natural and organic ingredients with their beer. One of their more different experiments is the Karengose, a blend of the Gose style German wheat beer and Karengo seaweed from Kaikoura.

The beer itself is cloudy as you would expect from a wheat beer. It is mildly sweet but that sweetness is balanced with a mild saltiness. The flavours are nice but they could probably afford to be a bit stronger. I think that would elevate this nice beer to something more special.