Beer #149 - W/C 1 January 2018
BREWERY // Ian Hebblethwaite's first batch of beer earned him a severe caning. To be fair, the Pineapple Brew he brewed and sold to his mates at boarding school in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa was probably pretty bloody awful. Fortunately the beers he crafts with head brewer Mark (who moonlights as Weezledog) are rather more nuanced affairs. Ian and Mark may both be immigrants but they are proud 'Westies" and Black Sands is proudly West Auckland too, down to the Lion Rock illustration on the label. The brewery is still relatively small with a 600L capacity meaning they are constantly brewing fresh beer to keep up with demand for the Auckland region.
BEER // A beautiful balance of malt and hops. First come the sweet toffee notes from the smooth malt base of pale ale, crystal malts and roasted barley. The fruit bitterness is provided by the spicy, citrus New Zealand hops as well as American Amarillo which provides floral and distinctly orange aroma and flavour. We reckon this is a easy drinking beer is perfect to sink a few of while still discovering new nuances. Well matched to a sunny afternoon.
BREWERY // Black Sands
BEER // Pacific Red Ale
ORIGIN // Kelston. West Auckland
ABV // 5%
IBU // 30
TEMPERATURE // Cool. 7-11 C
FOOD MATCH // Blue cheese burger. Salt & vinegar crisps. Cajun Gumbo. Fish & chips.
GLASS // IPA Glass