Kid Chocolate 2009

About the beer: 

Is this Yeastie Boys most outrageous beer yet?  As most other craft brewers push the upper ends of beer flavour (and alcohol limits) the Yeastie Boys drop down to the lower end (to our favourite beer style) in an attempt squeeze as much flavour as they can from an ale of only 3.6% ABV.

English Mild Ales are refreshing, flavourful, light-flavored, malt-accented beers that are difficult to make but are readily suited to drinking in quantity by thirsty (and/or 'Yeastie') men and women.  Our version, with a uniquely New Zealand twist, is chestnut coloured with a little autumn fruit on both the nose and the palate (from the combination of new world Nelson hops and our old world Yorkshire yeast).  Perfect, we think, for drinking through the end of an Indian summer.

 

Style:
English-style Mild Ale
Stats:
ABV 3.6%
Bitterness = 14 IBU
Colour = 18 SRM
Malt:
Maris Otter Pale Malt, Caramunich Type I, Brown Malt, Dark Caramalt, Black Malt
Hops:
Pacific Gem, Rakau (organic, to please the brewing gods)
Yeast:
"West Yorkshire Ale"


Public Reaction:

 

"...in the brewing world you don’t get much cooler than the Yeastie Boys... Kid Chocolate at 3.6%abv is packed with earthy chocolate, bready malt, subtle berry fruit notes and a balanced finish which makes for a very tasty session-able drop." - Kieran Haslett-Moore, Kid Chocolate Packs A Punch at Capital Times.

 

"...Kid Chocolate - the brainchild of beer activists Stu McKinlay and Sam Possenniskie - has an even higher drinkability factor... mixing Nelson hops with a Yorkshire yeast to get a zesty chocolate nut flavour with just a hint of fruit." - Bruce Holloway, Your Weekend (nationwide Fairfax weekend supplement, 04/04/2009).

 

"...an incredibly smooth and balanced ale, which is also quite clean on the palate - another gem from Yeastie Boys" - Denise Garland, Falling For Autumn on Girls Drink Beer Too.

 

"good libations" - Simon Sweetman, stuff.co.nz music reviewer, blogger (and occasional beer enthusiast)