Brew Review: Mangrove Jack's Craft Series New Zealand Pilsner
A fresh and unique brew that's hipper than a hipster with a beard and skinny jeans.
In the same vein that Kiwi’s tend to do things their own way, the Mangrove Jack’s Craft Series New Zealand Pilsner is unique, fresh and hipper than a hipster with a beard and skinny jeans.
Berry fruit notes, hints of pine, lime and citrus notes and spicy black pepper join forces to give us an edgy flavour anchored on the familiarity that comes from Motueka, Waimea and Pacific Gem hops.
To the credit of the Mangrove Jack’s Craft Series New Zealand Pilsner, it is unashamedly different and I suspect will create a loyal following from those who appreciate it’s uniqueness.
The Finished Product
Visually we achieved a very clean and clear finish and the colour has a rich depth to it. To me we seem to be somewhere around 11-13 on an SRM colour chart.
The brew pours well with a medium head. The fresh and clean aromas reflect the berry fruits, citrus notes, and hints of pine – which perfectly sets the scene for the flavour.
Berry notes lead the charge with lime and citrus notes making themselves known.
The malt characters are very agreeable. The finish is slightly dry and there is a really nice mid bitterness on the back of the flavour.
My favourite feature by far is the spicy black pepper, which leaves a mild ‘peppery’ sensation in the mouth after every sip – don’t knock it until you try it.
Mangrove Jack's Craft Series New Zealand Pilsner: What The Packet Says
Packet Description:
New Zealand leads the world in brewing pilsners, and this is no exception. Crisp and dry with a clean lingering bitterness which refreshes the palate.
ABV Approx: 4.7%
Bitterness: 3/5
IBU: 28-36
Colour: Golden
Yeast (Included): M54 Californian Lager Yeast
Hops (Included): Waimea 10g, Pacific Gem 20g and Motueka 20g.
Ideal Fermentation Temperature: 18-20 Degrees. Because we used a premium craft yeast we adhered to recommended temperature range for the yeast. The M54 Californian Lager Yeast is unique as it has the ability to ferment close to ale temperatures without creating off-flavours.
Makes: 23L
Mangrove Jack’s Craft Series New Zealand Pilsner Pouch Instructions.
Additional Ingredients Required
To make this brew you will require 1kg of Dextrose or 1.2kg of Liquid Malt Extract.
My Takeouts
Colour and ABV
The colour stated on the packet was ‘Golden’. I had envisaged a light golden colour and used the (Black Rock) Ultra Light Liquid Malt Extract for this purpose. The colour I got was closer to an amber on an SRM Colour Chart. If I had to estimate I would say 11-13 – but the depth of colour can create the illusion of darker. Had I used a standard light liquid malt extract this may have been slightly darker or had more depth again. Dextrose may have lightened it up a little.
The black rock range also come in 1.7kg tins, which is more than the required 1.2kg of liquid malt extract for the recipe. Using more LME in theory would have raised the ABV above the expected ~4.7%. My final gravity was 1.013 giving me an ABY of 4.86% (OG 1.050). Had my final gravity come down a little more to 1.010 I would have reached 5.25% ABV which is what I was targeting.
Packet Flavour Description
If you ask me what they chose to put on the packet was marketing fluff. It goes part way to describing the finished product but gives no insight into the unique flavour profile the Mangrove Jack’s Craft Series New Zealand Pilsner offers.
Definitely Bottle Mature Longer Than The Average Bear
(Spelling error intended in the header above, for all the Yogi fans out there.)
If you are familiar with my content, you know I mature my beer for a minimum of four weeks before I drink any. And that I prefer to let my brews, especially those I have dry-hopped mature for six-eight weeks before I really start to drink them.
Any earlier than six-eight weeks and I find the hop forward profile and more intense – which is fine if that’s what you want.
When I tried this brew at four weeks I felt as though the flavour characteristics – the citrus, berry notes, and spicy black pepper hadn’t made peace with each other yet. They were all there individually, but they were dancing to their own beat and hadn’t mellowed together yet. But by seven weeks this brew was a pleasure to drink.
Overall, for the Mangrove Jack’s Craft Series New Zealand Pilsner is unashamedly unique and the spicy black pepper is a standout feature for me.
The slightly dry finish and lingering bitterness make the
brew highly refreshing and if berry and lime notes are your thing you most
likely will be pleasantly pleased.
Solid 8/10 for me – But scores at this level are also to be
expected from the Mangrove Jack’s craft series range in general.
