Mata - Manuka Golden Ale

I've never had anything that's been flavoured with Manuka honey before and I generally don't associate with people who do because most of those people think that it cures cancer because it isn't English honey or that it can make you see in the dark because Victoria Beckham said so. One person, however, who doesn't think either of those things is resident Kiwi, Betsy. As well as finding me a delicious APA she also bought me somewhat of a novelty that bore specific meaning with her as it is the same type of beer that her own cousin brews.

First impressions! It pours like melted gold that's been put through a soda stream, it's got high carbonation and a thin head, I can smell light hops and light honeyed notes mixed in with a cereal aroma, so that's the senses of sight and smell on board. Does the taste live up to that standard? Oh my, yes... Yes it does. You can always tell when a honey flavoured beer is done well because it'll taste 60-70% like the cereal "honey loops." This hits the nail on the head, delivering an easily drinkable, mostly sweet, beer with cereal smoothness and an enticing aroma.

It may not be as complex as some beers but I appreciate a beer that does what it sets out to do, it's even better when they do it as well as Mata have. It is clear, to me at least, that the head brewer wanted to make a delicious, smooth, beer that people could drink at any occasion, but he wanted it to stand out from the crowd. Bam! Little bit of Manuka for sweetness. No messing around, just a bit of sweetness and it's all plain sailing. And it is! Plain sailing that is... However, that's what you'd need to do to get yourself one of these, that is unless you're lucky enough to live in the land where they butchered millions of Orcs and swear blind that they're not Australian.

All that matters right now, though, is that N'Zealand are 2-0 up on the Aussies in my rankings. 2 delicious beers from a country that I wasn't even sure made beer... Which is an idiotic thought in retrospect.

Food suggestion: Burger! A proper burger from a posh pub or even GBK if you're desperate. Yeah, that'll do it, a fat burger, dripping in sweet sauce and relish in a soft bun. That's a combination you can take to the bank! Though don't do that, you can't really do much with a flavour combination at a bank.

Drink this if you like: Honeydew by Fuller's is IDENTICAL to this. They could be twins... Separated at birth.