Monteith's Original Ale

While New Zealand has been renowned for its natural beauty, rugby team, and of course hobbits, I hadn't heard a single word about their beer until I randomly found Monteith's Original Ale waiting for me at Home Plus. To be fair, I hadn't attempted to poke my nose into the world of Kiwi beer, but I most certainly will be after tasting this lovely.

Style: Pale Ale
ABV: 4.00%
Serving type: Bottle
Appearance: Deep amber
Aroma: Malty with hints of caramel and toast.
Taste: Most of what the nose picks up can be tasted right off the bat. Caramels and burnt sugars hit first, but the delightfully subtle hint of blackberry is what made this one memorable for me.
Mouthfeel: Thin, light, and crisp with a good amount of carbination.
Overall: Blame it on the intake of Cass, the warming weather, or just good old fashioned wisin up, but I thoroughly enjoyed this 4% pale ale. Their website suggests that this would pair great with West Coast wild foods such as whitebait, as well as havarti or hard yellow cheeses, and who am I to argue? While I also enjoy wine quite a bit, this could be a good option should you choose to be a truly sophisticated socialite and bring beer to a cheese and wine party. If you don't care to ruffle the feathers of an ignoble society, then perhaps use this as a session ale on a hot summer day. It's light like a typical lager in both mouthfeel and abv, but carries with it a much better flavor profile.