Friday 7 December 2007

Beer O'Clock: White Cliffs Mountain Lager

White_CliffsA friend for whom I'd done a wee favour dropped me off four bottle of White Cliffs organic Mountain Lager earlier in the week.  By crikey, the favour must have been appreciated because this is a cracking drop.

It comes out of the same Taranaki brewery who've produced the international award winning Mike's Mild Ale for twenty years (reviewed here by Stu).  First brewed in 2004, the Mountain Lager uses Nelson hops and organic malts from Germany, "traditional lager yeast" and "pure New Zealand water" from  "the North West."  Not sure where that is, but that's what White Cliffs' website boasts.

Mountain_LagerIt looks and tastes like a local version of everyone's German favourite, Schofferhofer Hefeweizen, with the slightly citrus biscuity notes so evident in the German beer, and an even fluffier head and the sort of subtle roasty flavours for which Mike's Mild has become so popular, but perhaps just a shade drier and a touch thinner in taste.  It's not quite there, but  it's still a delicious afternoon drink , and an ideal session beer.

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