Beer Moon Dog / Yeastie Boys 7Ps

AKA Peter Piper's Pickled Pepper Purple Peated Pale Ale AKA the beer the Moon Doggers were destined to make from the moment they discovered they shared more than a passing resemblance to the Yeastie Boys. Knocked up during Good Beer Week in May, when the Kiwis were in town, it's not your typical pale ale. For a start, it's nine per cent. Then there's the hint of purpleness from the addition of blackberries (leading to a colour grading on the label that says "15 Purpley SRM"; on the other side is a list of sexytime tunes that remind them of the trans-Tasman brew day...). Then there's the chipotle peppers and the smokiness from the use of peated malt, which is the first thing that catches your attention once you get past the silliness and onto the beer. Elsewhere, there's a wee bit of berry and raisin flavour, some earthy hops and a surprising amount of smooth drinkability given what's gone before. Considerably easier, in fact, to drink than it is to order.