Beer Review: B.man Pilsner

YOU may remember last week's review was of a classic Czech-style pilsner made in Auckland by Galbraith's.

Well, this week's beer is something completely different but in some respects almost the same. But, not quite. Following me so far?

No matter. It would be hard to find two pilsners that tasted completely different, but I have in Invercargill Brewery's B.man pilsner, a dark, malty New Zealand twist on a classic-style beer.

Marketed as a "strong New Zealand pilsner ... styled to complement authentic Indian cuisine" the B.man is much stronger on the hops than the Galbraith's and the all-malt brew is quite woody and full of fruity flavour.

According to brewer Steve Nally, the beer was named after the brewery's first customer, the Bombay Palace, which wanted a beer designed to drink with spicy food. It was named after the restaurant manager's father - Biman.

I drank it with a rich and spicy Hungarian-style sausage found at my local butcher and some tasty cheese. I loved it. Being a fan of strongly hopped IPAs, I found it really hit the spot. It's certainly not a traditional pilsner, but it's very drinkable at 5.2 per cent.

It also picked up the 2008 BrewNZ Gold Medal and Best in Class awards.

It can be a bit hard to find up north, but if you do spot it, grab it, it's well worth a try.