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The kids were pretty excited about catching the old DSA train from Grove Station to Founders on Friday night. The only other time they'd been on a train was at Pleasant Point near Timaru where an old AB699 steam engine runs up and down a stretch of line for tourists so they were all hyped and ready to hit the track. I was pretty keen to get aboard too but for a whole different reason. You see the old DSA wasn't the Last Train to Clarksville or the Marrakesh Express or the Peace Train. This baby was the Beer Train and I knew what was All Down the Line. It had been a long day at work too so I was ready to soothe my frazzled nerves with a few ambers. The only problem was the train, in typical New Zealand Railways fashion, was late. It didn't take the kids long to start getting impatient and I gotta admit I was starting to get a mean hankerin' for a beer. A couple of blokes gave up and started walking to Founders. The beer was calling them and they couldn't wait.
I thought about walking too but this wasn't just about
the beer. It was about the experience. So we waited and waited.
Anyway the train finally arrived so it was all aboard and off to Dead Good Beer Events' third Beer Fete. And it was worth the wait. I'd put up with a late train and whining kids any day knowing that the light at the end of the tunnel was a Duncan Weizen or a Captain Cooker or an Emerson's Bookbinder. Ummmm, Bookbinder. English ales aren't my No 1 style. I'm more of a pale ale, pilsener and wheat beer kinda guy but Richard Emerson's Bookbinder is a classic. Brewed with a combination of four malts and Nelson-grown Fuggles and Saaz hops, this reddish-brown beer is incredibly fruity with a hint of honey aromas and a long, clean, bitter finish. It got big raps from the children's mother who is not usually a beer-drinking woman. At best she might have one glass of cold lager after a run on a scorching hot day but she downed the Bookbinder like it was going out of fashion. She reckoned it was the best beer she'd tasted. The Emerson's London Porter was also pretty good although in my worthless opinion not quite as smart as the Townshend No 9. It is quite a mellow porter with a dark browny-black colour and toasty, roasted malt flavours. It's a little lighter-bodied than the No 9 and doesn't quite have the same sustained finish. It was also good to sample the last of the Duncan Weizen. This dark cloudy wheat beer is the maiden brew of Callum Duncan and has been a big hit among the Founders drinkers. A nice blend of cloves, bananas and chocolate-toffee flavours. Also enjoyed another chance to try the Twisted Hop's Goldings Bitter. A light, fragrant beer with a delicate fruity aroma and flavour, creamy mouthfeel and clean, bitter finish. There were plenty of other fine brews on offer, but I was in family-guy mode and had to head home early with the kids and their mother. I wasn't happy at the time but the payback was a clear head when I got out of bed at 7am the next day to get organised for No 3 son's cricket.
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