Cargo Old English Ale

I've been meaning to check out some beers from this fairly new South Island brewery. They have a bill of refreshingly classic beers (rather than monsoons of hazies [or is it "hazys"?] and other variations on IPAs like most new breweries), and a rather fancy schmancy looking label. The beer bottles and cans themselves don't actually have any information about the beer (sad face) and the cargo website is fairly stinjy (I tried to spell it stingy, but that looks like how you describe an immunisation) on information too. (Luckily there's no shortage of random twits like me like to blog about beer on the internet).

Anyway, to the beer. I chose the Old English Ale as the first beer to try from Cargo 'cause I felt like something delicious, warming ('twas a bloody cold morning) and not ridiculously hoppy (for a change). Man, it delivered. Poured slightly murky, the colour almost of mud, perfect for an English Ale. Jokes aside, it looked yum with a good head and a fairly strong carbonation. I drank it straight from the fridge (so it wasn't warm and flat like a true English Ale, but cold and bubbly like a true Kiwi English Ale). A big caramel maltiness, definitely giving that nice warming feeling, and almost a thick texture, and a suprisingly good use of NZ hops to make it nicer than any other "Old English" style ale I've had before (I'm not a huge fan of British hops). A good (perfect?) amount of bitterness and a slight NZ hop aroma (the more British-ish NZ hop varieties). So I think they managed to take all the best qualities of a old-school British style draught ale, and manage to swap out some of the less desirable qualities for some NZ-esque improvements. I really enjoyed it; it hit the spot and then some.

cargobrewery.co.nz

ABV: 5.7%

Brewery: Cargo Brewery

Region: Waitiri Creek (Just by Queenstown)

Style: English Ale (Stronger Best Bitter officially)

Wife check: "Oooh that's different, not sure I've ever had a beer like that before. It's a bit bubbly." (Note I'd just finished a night shift so she was tasting it after her breakfast at 9am)