Like WilliamsWarn beer kits, it also made in the famous New Zealand Speights Brewery.
The kit is pitched by Black Rock as a “malty, deep amber coloured beer with a balanced harmony of crystal malt and hops to create a notably clean taste with a malt accented flavour.”
Sanitize your gear thoroughly.
Add the kit and a beer enhancer. You will certainly need an enhancer else, your ale will be too thin and have a poor mouth feel.
The verdict: The Nut Brown Ale kit from Black Rock is a handy example of the beer. It’s not flash in the pan but for the home brewer that’s conscious that some beer kits can be ludicrously expensive, this particular kit gives good value for money.
The kit is pitched by Black Rock as a “malty, deep amber coloured beer with a balanced harmony of crystal malt and hops to create a notably clean taste with a malt accented flavour.”
So shall we see if what I brew gets anywhere near that carefully crafted piece of PR spin?
The preparation of this beer is very standard
Sanitize your gear thoroughly.
Add the kit and a beer enhancer. You will certainly need an enhancer else, your ale will be too thin and have a poor mouth feel.
After pre-hydrating it, I added the bog standard brewing yeast that comes with the kit. I understand that every yeast packet from the Black Rock contains the same yeast which they call ‘Premium Dry Brewing Yeast Sachet’.
I could have got a yeast that was more properly matched to make an ale (such as maybe the Nottingham) but I’m keen to see what the kit delivers.
And now I did something a little hypocritical.
While the Nut Brown Ale kit comes with green bullet and pacific gem hops, I added goldings hops to add a lil bit of delight. The key thing for this beer is that it should be fairly light on hops so as to not over bitter your beer.
Then I wrapped the fermenter in sheets and left it in the shed for 9 days where it bubbled away quite nicely.
Let’s talk about this kind of beer for a moment.
The Brown Ale style initially gained popularity in the down and dirty pubs of England, where beer guzzlers expressed a need for beer that was both flavorful and complex but at the same time mild enough to be a session beer.
Bottling day came and the beer was duly bottled.
And then I waited a whole two weeks before even trying my ale. For me that’s an eternity but this is what a patient beer brewer must do if he wants to make quality tasting beer.
So, how did the ale taste? Did it reach lofty heights of flavour as suggested by the PR spin?
I made a simple beer.
It tasted earthy and brown.
I can’t say that the goldings hops did anything amazing for the beer but they certainly helped leave a nice aftertaste on the tongue. One could certainly appreciate the malty flavour of the beer so the description of the product bears out somewhat.
Update: I have brewed several Nut Brown ales since this initial review and I can confirm that as I've become a better brewer, these ales have become even more drinkable.
Check out the Black Rock range prices on Amazon.
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