# Mac's Beers



## Busboy (25/4/06)

Was just browsing through the Vintage Cellars brochure I got today, and I noticed they are selling a couple of beers I hadn't heard of before. Mac's Blonde and Mac's Coppertop. I looked up Mac's website and apparently they're a microbrewery whose beer is marketed by (who else?) Lion Nathan. 

I was just wondering if anyone has tried these beers and if they're worth buying.

No affiliation..........etc.


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## Shunty (25/4/06)

Copperhop is very good. Not a big fan of the blonde

As for macs being a micro... :huh:


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## Doc (25/4/06)

Mac's Brewery is in Stoke, Nelson, NZ which is in the middle of the V at the top of the South Island.
I grew up a few miles from the brewery and remember when it started. It was started by an ex All Black and the locals know it as Machasins which has subsequently been shortened to Mac's.
A few years back he ran into some health problems so did a deal with Lion Nathan where they would handle the distribution of the beer and his team would continue to brew it and have full control over the range etc.
With Lion Nathan doing the distribution the beers got really popular and exceeded the capacity of the Stoke plant. In partnership with Mac's they decided to start brewing the more popular lines (Mac's Gold) elsewhere (ala what LN do with the James Squire range).
With the Craft Brewing seqment taking off in NZ and Dominon Breweries having Monteiths as their craft range, LN decided to market the hell out of the Mac's name as their craft range. They even recently renamed the Shed 22 micro on the Wellington waterfront Mac's recently.
The pick of the beers for me is the Copperhop. I used to love Black Mac until one of LN's brewers refined the receipe and killed it. Still good but not great anymore.
Had the Wicked Blonde when I was over in Feb and it is pretty good. Not a session beer as there are a few too many botanicals in it, but still good.

Interestingly the Malt Shovel Brewkits are produced in NZ. In NZ they are marketed under Mac's name, with slightly different names for each kit (yet exactly the same contents).

Website is here

Beers,
Doc


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## Sparky (25/4/06)

Yes Copperhop is a goodie

Mac's Sassy Red, (developed @ Shed 22) is also worth trying if it's available B)


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## sinkas (25/4/06)

Hiall,
I bouhgt a cartoon of the copperhop back in Jan, a great brew, I would say a little better, and longer lasting in terms of hop aroma than the MS HopThief, 

Worth a try, and pretty cheap too.


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## BigAl (25/4/06)

I agree with most, the coppertop was a certainly a good one, nicely balanced pale ale with good late hops, cascade presumebly.
I tried all the beers on tap at the shed 22, there was also a fairly decent hefeweizen i recall, it was nice and cloudy with intense banana, clove flavours, defenetly brewed with a the right yeast.
Anyone tried it?

This is the place:


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## Doc (25/4/06)

BigAl said:


> I tried all the beers on tap at the shed 22, there was also a fairly decent hefeweizen i recall, it was nice and cloudy with intense banana, clove flavours, defenetly brewed with a the right yeast.
> Anyone tried it?



Yep. Had it direct from the bright tank.
I spent a day brewing with they guys at Shed 22 in mid 2005.

Beers,
Doc


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## Shunty (25/4/06)

Sparky said:


> Mac's Sassy Red, (developed @ Shed 22) is also worth trying if it's available B)
> [post="122437"][/post]​



All gone  that was one fine beer. apparently it may become a permanent part of the range at some stage


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## Offline (26/4/06)

My wife just returned from NZ on Sunday, where she bought for me the six beers pictured below.

The Mac's Copperhop and Mac's Black were definitely the pick of the bunch, very drinkable. I wish I had a case of the copperhop.


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## Busboy (26/4/06)

Offline, your wish can be easily granted. Vintage Cellars has Mac's Copperhop in stock (as I stated at the beginning of this thread). Apparently it's $40 a case. Too easy!


No affiliation...........


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## jagerbrau (26/4/06)

tried, hmmm. the dude selling them was trying to tell me that the blonde was just like coopers pale ale and i asked him about that why not the pale. oh well. rather brew it my brew it myself


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## Jazman (26/4/06)

copperhop is a great beer lots of hop the reserve is ok i had it a few days a ago the gold make a good swiller on a hot day and i love the distiction ale from speights


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## Doc (26/4/06)

Speights Old Dark (SOD) used to be my staple beer in NZ (pre home brew days). Used to live off the stuff.
Alas now I find it a bit sweet, but when I find it fresh on tap love to have a pint for old times sake.

Doc


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## Weizguy (26/4/06)

Busboy said:


> Offline, your wish can be easily granted. Vintage Cellars has Mac's Copperhop in stock (as I stated at the beginning of this thread). Apparently it's $40 a case. Too easy!
> 
> 
> No affiliation...........
> [post="122685"][/post]​



Alas, Busboy...

no Vintage Cellars in Newcastle. So, not so easy.
Thanks for the tip though.


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## Gough (26/4/06)

Weizguy said:


> Busboy said:
> 
> 
> > Offline, your wish can be easily granted. Vintage Cellars has Mac's Copperhop in stock (as I stated at the beginning of this thread). Apparently it's $40 a case. Too easy!
> ...



G'day Seth and Offline,

I think there is a brand new (as in last week) Vintage Cellars open on Brunker Road Adamstown. Used to be a 'mixed business' and looks like it may have once been a servo. Haven't been in yet but have driven past a couple of times. They are a chain store, so they may well have the beer you're after if other Vintage Cellar shops do.

Shawn.


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## Busboy (26/4/06)

The vintage Cellars website doesn't mention Adamstown. Maybe too soon. Otherwise the nearest shop would be Terrigal.


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## mikem108 (26/2/07)

Macs Hop Rocker Lager, what a beer, Nelson Sauvin and cascade, a bit of crystal- very easy to drink. WHen I saw the name of it on the shelf at VC I knew I had to get a 6 pack.
http://www.macs.co.nz/Hop-Rocker.aspx

:chug:


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## barneyhanway (26/2/07)

worth noting that macs have re-branded, which has affected their beer lineup.
copperhop and wicked blonde, 2 of their best, are gone.
wicked blonde merged with nelson reserve to create hop rocker pilsner, not bad but I preferred wicked blonde.
copperhop is a big loss.

sassy red stays though, a thoroughly nice drop, red and hoppy bitter ale with generous late additions of NZ D saaz


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## bconnery (26/2/07)

barneyhanway said:


> worth noting that macs have re-branded, which has affected their beer lineup.
> copperhop and wicked blonde, 2 of their best, are gone.
> wicked blonde merged with nelson reserve to create hop rocker pilsner, not bad but I preferred wicked blonde.
> copperhop is a big loss.
> ...



NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

I thought copperhop was one of the best commercial beers I have tasted in a while. Sassy red is good but Black and copperhop were the best I had tried so far, my opinion of course...


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## neonmeate (26/2/07)

i've been through a 6 pack of the hop rocker lately and was a bit disappointed. expected a lot more hop aroma at least. clean and well made but pretty much just yellow beer with a bit of aftershave.
apparently their hop harvest pilsener was really good, wonder if that will turn up?


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## brendanos (26/2/07)

I tried the hop-rocker a few days ago, as my local has started selling a few of the macs range. I thought it was a very refreshing beer, though not quite bitter/hoppy enough for my taste. Went really well with Pizza. I bought a carton of the sassy red too, and after drinking my clone of it, was dissapointed in it's lack of hops.

Would like to try the copperhop again, it was on file but not on the shelf. I think they also had the gold, and were out of stock of the white. Are either of these worth checking out?


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## Jazman (26/2/07)

ripped off by lion nathan i loved the copperhop maybee now i might not be in a rush to go back to nz


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## beers (26/2/07)

I've tried the Hop Rocker & Sassy Red. Both good beers & worthy of a six pack investment for trialling purposes IMO  

But do I agree that they could be better when compared to the Copperhop


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