Many are confused about when winter starts. Included, it seems, is DB Breweries, which is releasing its Doppelbock Winter Ale a month early this year.
Depending on your school of thought, winter starts on June 1 (the meteorological date) or June 21 (astronomical date).
DB prefers the former this year, after opting for early July in 2007.
Six-packs ($13) of this rich, malty, relatively strong (6%) brew will be on shelves from June 3, although available on tap at Monteith's concept bars from next week.
The brew was first made in 2003 and released again last year when it sold out in less than three months.
So, more has been made this time.
Monteith's brew is a blend of six different malts to warm up the cold nights. It has a long-lasting head and malt dominates the aroma and flavour, with only a touch of hop bitterness.
I reintroduced myself to the doppelbock the other night with a couple of bottles left over from last year (right on their best by date) and opened them in front of the fire after the hills outside received their first dusting of snow.
(A bock is strong dark German beer: doppelbock is stronger and darker. It was introduced in Bavaria in the 1600s to provided sustenance during a traditional fasting period, earning the nickname liquid bread.)
Malty time
This is the time of the year to move away from 1degC to 4degC lagers to malty warmers like the Winter Ale and, at the same time, to tune the temperature of the beer fridge.
The malt flavours in beer are suppressed when it is too cold, so malty ones are best consumed at 8degC and 10degC.
In the absence of a beer fridge, keep them in the garage: the domestic refrigerator (which should be set at no higher than 4degC) is OK for summer lagers, but too cold for winter drinking.
My cold-weather favourites are Pilsner Urquell (a whopping $17.45 a six-pack at New World, although on special for $16 last week), and Mac's Sassy Red ($13.89, although a more reasonable $11 on special at the supermarket a fortnight ago).
The Czech Urquell is a rich beer for its relatively low 4.4% and, like the Sassy Red (5%) has a lovely balance of malt and hop flavours.
My kinda beer
Neighbour Derek prefers malt to hop regardless of the time of year, and his eyes lit up when I poured a Tui No 5 - a 5% version of the usual 4% Tui.
It has a lovely amber colour and only a hint of hop. "My kinda beer," he said.
You can't find it in this part of the world, though, because distribution is limited to the lower half of the North Island, but DB is probably testing the marketplace before deciding whether to release it nation-wide.
Tui has also just released Mangatainoka Dark (4%) on tap and in 750ml bottles ($33 a dozen crate). It has a charred malt flavour and a hint of hop bitterness but, again, is not available down here, yet.
