Beer #189 - W/C 08 October 2018
BREWERY // After 27 years of working in the high pressure corporate world, Minnesotan John Morawski found himself in New Zealand and decided it was time for a beer. Looking for a new career in a new country, he decided to follow his passion for craft beer. As he has a Master's Degree in Food Chemistry, starting a brewery seemed like a natural option. Laughing Bones was born in 2013 and they are committed to producing a wide range of styles using the best ingredients they can get their hands on. The Laughing Bones taproom is opening next week in Silverdale so keep an eye on their Facebook page for details.
BEER // Archaeological evidence shows that the Picts of modern day Scotland were making fermented beverages on the Isle of Rhum as early as 6500 BC. By the time the Romans invaded in AD 43, they were brewing ales with barley grains and heather. In the early 1600s it became illegal to import beers from England and the domestic beer scene flourished. Of course, there aren't many hop gardens in Scotland so the styles that developed featured lots of malt with minimal (if any) hopping. This week's beer is a Strong Scotch Ale, or 'Wee Heavy', a style is somewhat similar to an English Barleywine. And Up Yer Kilt is an excellent example of everything it should be. It is a rich, sweet and warming malt-forward beer with a solid whack of alcohol. It contains 6 different types of malts and John utilised a "kettle caramelisation" technique which results in a complex brew with lots of sweet toffee with fig and fruitcake flavours.
I grabbed John for a quick video interview about Up Yer Kilt. I didn't notice it was out of focus until after he'd gone 😬
BREWERY // Laughing Bones
BEER // Strong Scotch Ale
ORIGIN // Silverdale, Auckland
ABV // 6.7%
TEMPERATURE // Cellar- 12-14C
FOOD MATCH // Roast Pheasant. Shortbread. Beef Stew. Aged Sheep Cheese.
GLASS // Thistle, Tulip, Wine Glass
Laughing Bones from Beer Jerk on Vimeo.