Beer #73 - W/C 18 July 2016
BREWERY // In 2005 Tammy Viitakangas returned to NZ after a beer filled OE with a desire to start her own brewery. She set up in beautiful Kawerau and 11 years later Mata Beer is still going strong with the help of mum- Gloria, dad- Jouni and uncle Esko. Tammy's Maori & Finnish heritage occasionally surfaces in Mata's beers such as Taniwha which was is made with hangi-cooked kumara and the gloriousSahti inspired by the traditional Finnish drink made with juniper berries and rye malts.
TASTING NOTES // Flower Power was brewed in a small batch and bottled EXCLUSIVELY for Beer Jerk members! Yep- you are one of the few people in the world to own a bottle of this beer. Inspiration comes from many places and the brilliant Earl Grey infused Gunnamatta from Yeastie Boys is a good a place as any. It is one of Tammy's favourite beers and she'd been thinking about brewing about brewing with tea for a while when Brothers Beer invited Mata to create a special beer for the Session Beer Challenge. Flower Power shares a base with Mata's Kapai Session IPA with herbal tea added in place of dry hopping. While it is brewed with hops, the tea is the real hero. Different speciality teas were trialled before landing on the perfect blend of flowers and tea. The result is a crisp and light beer with obvious tea notes and a lot of aromatic flowers. We look forward to seeing the food matches Beer Jerks create to pair with this beer. Tammy wouldn't tell us which secret blend of tea was selected but feel free to badger her the next time you see her at a festival...
BREWERY // Aotearoa Mata
BEER // Flower Power
STYLE // Tea Infused Pale Ale
ORIGIN // Kawerau
ABV // 3.8%
TEMPERATURE // Cool- 10-14C
FOOD MATCH // Scones with cream & lemon curd. Chargrilled chicken with blanched broccoli & almond slivers. Passionfruit sponge cake Mini Babybel.
GLASS // IPA Glass, Tulip, Floral Teacup