Mac's is a 30 year old Brewery operating out of New Zealand. They produce a range of 6 lagers, two of which I tried whilst on a recent trip to Tasmania.
Now, I'm not really a stout man (apart from the occasional Guinness), but Black Mac (a dark beer) blew me out of the water. It's 4.6% and pours with a dense body under a dark cream head which does not stick around for very long. To be honest, it isn't missed because as soon as you taste it you are hit with a smooth caramel flavour that finishes with a lingering toffee bitterness, all caressed with a hint of smokiness. The low carbonation helps it to slide down and the chocolate malt aroma adds to the experience. There isn't a hint of coffee to be found, which to me seems unusual in a dark beer, but I'm quite happy with that. The bottle touts the Fuggles hops that are used to produce this astounding beer, but to be honest, they take a back seat to the toasted malts. This is a seriously smooth drink, and I daresay could be drunk quite easily in quantity.
4/5 Coasters
Next up was the Hop Rocker, a well-hopped Pilsner that sits at around 4.8%. I'm definitely a fan of hops, particularly in my lighter beers as I often find them devoid of flavour otherwise. The Hop rocker pours a healthy stark white head that sits over a clear pale straw body. In contrast to the dark beer, this head hangs around for the full pint.
Hopped with Nelson Sauvin and NZ Cascade hops, the drinker is presented with a wonderfully floral bouquet which imparts a wonderful freshness to the beer. The light body slips ever so smoothly down your throat but you experience the full hop flavour, that is balanced well to finish quickly without any lingering bitterness, making it a terribly refreshing drink. I was hoping for a bit of variety in my opinion of these beers, but unfortunately it turns out to be another beer that I would happily enjoy again, and again, and again. Even the good Doctor agreed that this was a first rate beer.
4/5 Coasters
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