Beer #132 - W/C 4 September 2017
Outlier Cartel. Wunderkammer from Beer Jerk on Vimeo.
BREWERY // Outlier Cartel began life in 2010 when Carlos and his flatmates decided to throw a flat warming party. They invited everybody in the building but only two people turned up, fortunately one of them was Mark. They quickly bonded over a love of good beer and in December 2015, Outlier Cartel officially launched. Mark and Carlos are immigrants to New Zealand which may inform their slightly different approach to brewing. Brewer, Carlos brings 12 years of winemaking experience which imbued in him a sense of the importance of place and terroir. The idea of making 'beer from here' was important to them from the outset and they source ingredients locally whenever possible. Alvin is the newest Outlier and is leading their vision to be a thousand year business.
BEER // Technically, the beer before you is a gruit- an unhopped ale made with herbs and spices which is what everybody drank before the the cultivation of hops became the norm in Europe. Some believe Martin Luther's Reformation of 1517 played a part in brewers embracing hops. The Outlier Cartel team started out with a plan to make a beer that tastes like an almond croissant. They brought together friends and family in the brewery to help them experiment with different blends of spices and other additions before landing on the perfect mix to compliment the strong Cream Ale. The result is big, flavour-filled and extremely unique with lots of marzipan, honey and caramel sweetness. Beyond the almond, cinnamon and vanilla flavours at the fore, there are lots of layers to explore as it warms up. The Cartel have strong Austrian connections and Wunderkammer is reminiscent of an Austrian Christmas. A perfect beer for the cellar, it will continue to develop over the next decade.
To find out more, check out our great interview with Alvin & Carlos below!
BREWERY // Outlier Cartel
BEER // Wunderkammer
STYLE // Imperial Cream Ale
ORIGIN // Auckland
ABV // 9%
TEMPERATURE // Cool - around 9C. About half hour out of the fridge
FOOD MATCH // Beetroot, Cumin & Fennel Soup. Nut Loaf. Roast Plum, Goat's Curd & Honey Bruschetta. Choccocino Cake.
GLASS // Tulip. Goblet