Guinness Draught

Guinness Draught
alc - 4.2% alc/vol
price - $4 can, $15 4pk

I thought I'd review Guinness seeing as it's St Patrick's Day.
And really what more can be said about Guinness other than it's a big pint of liquid food. Many times I remember when I was younger putting off buying food and instead buying a few cans of Guinness.

It's blacker than night with a off white head. Smells of dark coffee with slightly peaty dirty hints. On the palate it's much the same with coffee and roasted malt being the driving force. It seems a lot lighter than I remember, maybe that's just the canned version but it's still an enjoyable drink. Not sure if I'd be able to put away as many as I used to but I sure would try.

Just on a side note there are a few countries around the world that are allowed to brew Guinness under licence, Australia is one of them and so is Nigeria. When I worked in Scotland I was fortunate enough to come across the Nigerian version which was an absolute ball buster rating in at around 7.9% alcohol, if you ever get the chance to try one you would be doing yourself a favour.

Graham

Meantime Union

alc - 4.9% abv

origin - Greenwich, London

cost - $5 approx

Now I am a big fan of meantime and those crazy lads know how to brew a beer. I have to say the label is a shocker, it puts customers off buying it so much that I had to buy the last two bottles of this beer even though I think it's really really good.

The label says it is a unique fusion of lager and dark beer, on the nose I get lots of roasted coffee, malty notes that suggest dark beer. Good. But where is the lager part...on the palate it has very light choco-coffee notes, but absolutely no lager-esque qualities.

The more I taste this the more I really like it, it could be the cooler weather of late that is swaying me but it's really enjoyable. I haven't seen this balance of maltiness and drinkability in an Aussie dark beer, I guess now it's cooling down, winter may have to be a time to drink more so I can support more Australian brewers. 

And yet again....well done Meantime!!

Graham

I agree with Graham. Its a funny beer. The lack of bitterness and 'full on' blackness of this beer left me a bit confused at first, but by the time i finished the bottle it had really grown on me. It would be great for winter...... if Graham had not bought the last of it, i could have one!

The boys (and possibly girls) at Meantime keep giving. I just tried their 'London Pale Ale' which i will blog in a couple of days.

Dan

Grolsch

Grolsch is everywhere at the moment. I got a case for $38 from one of those generic, whatever, boring bottle shops we are so blessed to have on every street corner in Brisbane... 

The packaging has changed a bit and i thought to my self ' i wonder if those clever people at Fosters are brewing it under licence in Australia?' They have ruined so many other beers why stop now. Thankfully these are fully imported and cheep!

The first sip reminded me of a Peroni. Fresh and crisp, a really refreshing style beer which can quench a thirst (i could drink about 30 of these). But its got a bit more rounded flavour. It reminds me of what Stella used to taste like before Fosters screwed it up (did i just make another dig at Fosters??).

There is a bit of citrus and the hop flavour is very soft with a wonderful dry finish. This really is a good easy drinking beer.

Hitting the spot right now.

Cheers

Dan

Sapporo draught

Sapporo is a wonderful beer. In Brisbane you can get it in a can (650ml) or you can get it in a bottle (334ml). The bottle is the real deal, brewed in Japan and the can is a filthy impostor! The can  (like so many beers now) is not made in it's country of origin, it comes from Canada. Now i love Canada. I have spent a bit of time there and drank some really good beer, especially from Quebec but this beer is not Sapporo. The difference between the can and the bottle is MASSIVE!

I am not going to write about the can version i just wanted to warn you.

I am going to call the bottle version 'draught' because that's what it says on the bottle. This is a very clean, fresh crisp beer. There is, like most Japanese beers a nice rounded malt flavour but it is very well balanced and so damn crisp. The bitterness is perfect and the finish dry without being clawing. There are signs of fruit and hop but its all so subtle and well put together that's its hard to taste anything other than refreshment.

I dare you to drink just one of these. I also dare you to start drinking beer that comes from its country of origin because no matter how exact the ingredients are, the water (which is 90% of the beer) is never the same and the taste is always dramatically different. Beware of Stella, Becks, Asahi, Kirrin, Heinekin just to name a few!!

Dan

Schneider Edel Weisie

Can i start by saying how satisfying it is that we get so many good beers in this country these days! You don't have to drink Pure Blonde... in fact, if you do, you should be ashamed of your self. I mean that, i am so sick of shit beer.

Edel Weiss used to be the only organic beer getting around, which made it special to a loyal following of hippie types. Now there are a few, but this one is still the bench mark for me.

There is nothing attractive about the pour. Dirty is a word which sums it up. Its cloudy and ugly. The smell is, however beautiful....... clove is the big sniff. Cloves and roses and all things pretty. The taste is thick, i can never have more than one of these. It is nice to find a beer which you don't have to drink many of. The finish is flabby and sweet but somehow holds itself together.

Great beer... organic.... big bottle... 7.4%.... all the things i love.

Dan

Paulaner Original Munchner Hell

alc - 4.9%

origin - Germany

price - $3.20 single/ $19 6pk

Thought I'd better review a German beer seeing as we have quite a few in the shop.

A classic golden orange colour, with not much of a head, but I'm probably not drinking this out of the right glass so I'll ignore that for now.

Clean fruit driven flavours are abundant on the nose, primarily a bit of peach and a distinct hay smell.

Very clean palate with more hay and a steely edge with slight hoppy bitterness on the finish.

A little bit simple for my liking, but still a very good lager that would do the trick on a hot sunny day.

Graham

Tripel Karmeliet

The first time i tasted this beer was about 8 years ago (back when you couldn't get it in this country). My brother carried a 750ml bottle with two glasses in a timber crate all the way but from Belgium, for me. A very good man!

Beautiful colour, genuinely golden and clear. The head is stunning, fine little beads moving like they would with a champagne and into a beautiful white foam.

There is a lot of alcohol in this brew 8.4% and you can really taste it. There is a strong, lingering warmth from the 8.4%. The flavours are caramel and apricot which are petty standard for this type of beer but there is also a little soft butter scotch and some hints of banana giving some sweetness.... beautifully balanced. The finish is not dry but it is rich and a tinny little bit astringent but mostly its very smooth (apart from the alcohol).

Karmelite is a very attractive beer which looks great in the glass with some wonderful, typically Belgian characters but boy does is have a strong warm finish which is perhaps better suited to winter.

Dan 

Coopers Extra Strong Vintage Ale

Vintage - 2008

alc/vol - 7.5%

price - $4.65 single/ $90 carton

I've been absolutely hanging out for this to be released so I could review it. Every year (almost) Coopers release the Extra Strong Vintage Ale, I have vintages going back to 2004 and I will review them all over the next few weeks to give you an idea what they look like with a few years age.

Based on the fantastic Chimay Grande Reserve (blue), the vintage ale has a secondary bottle fermentation, which means the beer gets stronger and more complex with age.

A fantastic golden brown colour with very little head when poured. A nice spicy fruit cake nose, with chocolate and mocha notes.

A fine bead when you first taste it, like the Eisenbahn beers the 7.5% alcohol doesn't seem apparent. I would really like to know what they have done differently to the last few vintages, this has a strange steeliness on the front palate, following through with more mocha and slight bitter finish. I can almost see a bit of asparagus green edge (which funnily enough I don't mind)

As always I'll be buying a carton to put in the cellar, but somehow I don't see this as being the best vintage I've tried of this beer. As I said before I'll pull a few bottles of old vintages out of the cellar and write a few reviews over the next couple of weeks.

Graham

Orval

Orval.... what can you say. This is the beer which i have called my favourite more than any other. I have a lot of 'favourite' beers but this is really it.

My upbringing in the world of beer drinking/appreciation has left me with one clear thought, something which never changes. That is... Monks make the best beer and Belgian Trappist monks are the best at it. This may not be true but it is the mantra which i have chosen to live by.

There are seven breweries in the world which are allowed to call themselves 'Trappist', they are.... Chimay, Rochefort, Westmalle, Westvleteren, Ashelse Kluis, Koningshoeven and Orval. I thought that Leffe, Duval, Kawk and a few others were also on that list, which goes to show you should never trust bottle shop gossip (unless you hear it at the Cru Cellar).

I have only tried five of the seven and of that five Orval is my favourite.

Orval is always a challenge. It is very strong, very astringent,  very sour and full of Gin like herbal grassiness. Drinking Orval is like finding the best orange just so you can taste the zest in the rind.

Orval is harder to drink than the likes of Chimmay Premier (red). Chimay is full of stewy apricot, perfectly sweet caramel and just the right amount of alcohol... but for me Orval is more interesting.

If i was to go to a desert island and only be allowed to take one beer (i hope that never happens) but if it did, i would take an Orval and drink it very slowly.

Trappist breweries are not for profit and they all sustain themselves financially, in part by selling beer. The beers are all top fermented ales mostly bottle conditioned.

I realise that there is a lot of ranting going on and not a lot of information about the actual flavours of the beer. The only real way to find out (as with all beers) of to try one, in a chalice or a wine glass.

Dan

Distillerie Bertrand - Fleur de Biere

Now I know this isn't technically a beer but it's distilled from beer so I'm going to review it anyway.

According to the website it's distilled in a copper pot still at warm temperatures to preserve the aromatic qualities of the beer.

Crisp clear colour, a sweet fruity nose, with a touch of aniseed. Lots of anise and alcohol heat on the palate, I'm sure you're meant to drink this absolutely freezing so as to kill off any taste of the actual product. Quite a nice long lasting finish, amazingly light sweetness shines through with a little caramel maltiness on the finish.

This is the second distilled beer I have tried and easily the tastiest, the other being produced by the Chouffe Brewery in Belgium. This one is quite pleasant whlist the other had a horrible faux tequila taste that made me very ill. (it could have been the fact that I drank the whole bottle in one night but I'm sticking with the fact it wasn't very nice tasting)

Bertrand Fleur de Biere

France

alc - 40%

price - approx $80

Grand Ridge Brewery - Hatlifter Stout

I'm not much of a stout drinker, so I thought I'd review something I'm not comfortable with, plus I see we're reviewing a lot of pilsners and lagers.

A really thick stout, the way I like to see it, a few of the Australian stouts I have tried in the past have been a bit watery and not of the thick gluggy guinness mould.

Toasty caramel, burnt chocolate notes on the nose, quite attractive, almost fruit cake. In the mouth it's the same, very thick and rich, with an almost whisky maltiness. Somehow reminds me of a good single malt.

I have to admit I tried this about 6 months ago when I was given it as a gift and I didn't like it, so this bottle was banished to the back of the fridge where it has stayed until now. And I have to admit I like it more second time round. (even if i don't like the name or the label) Why sully the good name of beer by giving every one of your beers an equally ridiculous name, who knows, but I know that when winter comes round again I'll be searching this one out.

Hatlifter Stout

Grand Ridge Brewery, Gippsland, VIC

alc - 4.9%

price - ??

Little Creatures Pilsner

Did anyone know that little creatures made a pilsner? Well..... i knew they made one but with all the attention given to the Pale Ale this little beauty has been forgotten.

This is a good beer . Its a crisp lager, very clean and as the web site states, elegant.

It's not a big chunky style like the squire ( i cant help but compare everything to the squire). They are using Saaz hops which you can really taste. As i am more a fan of the Squire style i find this one a touch light in flavour, but think that's the way its supposed to taste and this is not a criticism. Its just clean.

The little Creatures pilsner is a fresh, crisp mouthful of refreshing beer and i recommend you get into a few. 

So often i hear people say 'its a good beer but you could only have one or two' this is not one of those beers...... i am going to have another couple.

Dan 

Grand Ridge Gippsland Gold, Pale ale

This is a bit of a serious beer. Compared to the other pale ales i have been drinking of late (mostly American and this is more English) the Gippsland Gold is not going to score very high. 

I have a memory of Grand Ridge beers being Quality Australian 'boutique beers'   but i just cant get into this one. I will try some of the others because i know i was into a few of them.

Anyway... to the beer at hand. 

First i get a very strong sweet smell which is not what i was expecting. The head is off white and the colour of the beer is hazy dull orange, doesn't look great. The taste is full (very full) of sweet honey malt and the carbonation is far too bubbly for my liking. Its is unbalanced. What i think should be some sour acid is replaced by a soapy metallic sort of taste which is not enough to balance the sweet fruit. Its just to big and the fruit is all over the place. Certainly does not taste like a 'pale ale'.

Admittedly i did have this beer while eating pizza which is not doing it any favours however i think its safe to say i will not be having another one. I will however track down the rest of the Grand Ridge beers and try them again as i am sure there are a couple to my taste.

Dan

Emersons Pilsner

One of the boys at work (Harry) did something of a pislner challenge. He tried the Emerons, the Squire and and Meantime in one session.... what a great idea (wish i had thought to do it myself).

Harry's order was Meantime at number one then Emersons, then Squire although i got the impression that rating one of these great beers over the other was a tormenting task.

It did get me thinking (once again) about just how good a well made Pilsner is...

I would not be able to rate these beers against one another. I honestly think they are as good as each other.

I first tried an Emersons Pilsner when Knight fine wines where rather nervously bringing it into the country about 4 years ago. Nervous because it retails for about $7.90 a bottle which back then, seemed like a lot to pay for a beer (even in 500ml) which didn't come from Belgium..... how far we have come in 4 years.

This is as good as i remember. There is so much complexity in this beer. Light cloudy yellow in colour with a good size, creamy head which holds itself the whole time the beer is in a glass. Its got some lovely bitter, herbaceous and tropical fruit (im really not sure how it can do all that at once). There are hints of orange zest and that great full hops flavour that i have been getting lately. The finnish is so clean because all the fruit is concentrated in the middle pallet.

Really enjoyed this beer.

Dan

Eugene city brewery, Track Town Pale Ale

Tasted three new beers in the bar with Graham yesterday. I managed to get an 'action' shot of the master taster (with the master moustache). Notice the pen in hand for making tasting notes... we do take this very seriously.

The new beers where all American. The one i am writing about is this one pictured the ' Track Town' Triple Jump, pale ale from Eugene City Brewery in Oregon.

My first experience with American Pale ale comes from drinking Little Creatures pale ale. Now an iconic Australian beer, Little Creatures uses American hops which gives it a taste i can now recognise as American Pale. Unlike India Pale Ales, which are malty and less bitter, these American ones are clean and really hop driven.

So the Triple Jump is a beautiful colour, yellow straw and has a ripper creamy head with a fine beed. The nose is astringent and herbaceous, you can really smell the hops (if your not sure what hops smell like, stick your nose into a Little Creatures). From the nose i thought this would be more sour to taste but there is an ever so slight sweetness and then a dry, bitter finish. Bitter to the point of being a bit green, but it is all pretty well balanced and enjoyable to drink. There was no Alc. reading on the bottle?

American pale is really interesting and for me, an agreeable style of beer. The only problem with this one is that it is not coming to Australia...... yet.

Dan

Meantime India Pale Ale

Greenwich, England

7.5% alc/vol

$19 (750ml)

Dan has already given you a heads up the Meantime beers, a great selection of brews. India Pale Ale (IPA) is a style of beer created over 200 years ago, which it was said 'benefited from the long journey from Britain to India'

I'm not sure if this ale tastes better for the journey from England to Australia but it is a damn fine drop, plus it's in a 750ml bottle with a metal cap over the cork that states 'remove cork, hold glass open end up, pour, taste, swallow' never has a better piece of advice arisen from a beer bottle.

First thing you notice is the dark brooding colour, and dense firm head when you pour the beer. A mean hoppy, grassy nose, with a sweet edge, I love this style of beer, it gives off so much aroma, I could almost just sit and smell it. But then that wouldn't be much fun at all. On the palate it feels quite full and rich, quite viscous, again it has an extreme edge of hops and a bitter bite. More of a food drink, and perhaps big enough to share (maybe)

If you want to learn a bit more about IPA, Meantime have created a off-shoot website funnily enough called indiapaleale.com, a must if you want to learn about the origins of this absolutely fantastic beer.

Eistenbahn Strong Golden Ale

First let me say that i could not agree more whole heartily with Grahams comments below regarding the Eistenbahn brews. These beers are great.

Thankfully Graham has done all the history so will get on with the tasting. 

I feel a bit foolish because the label of this one tuned me off. Almost to the point that i thought it was another one of those gimmicky, get you in with the funny label type things. Its just a bit odd with the 'wild west' font. 

Anyway, i soon forgot all about the label when i tasted the beer.

First thing i noticed was a nose which is similar to the best parts of a lot of Spanish lagers. Nice and dry with astringent fruit. Then the taste... very, very good! It is a real golden ale. Creamy with a pure, fine bead which heads up just the right amount.

I got a big surprise when i read on the bottle that the alc content is 8.5%. I cannot believe how well they hide the warm rich alcohol taste which so often ruins a good beer (deliriem tremmins is a point in case).

There is plenty of spice and hop flavour, and the right balance of fruit and acid. The finish is still somehow crispish and fresh which is quite an achievement when you have 8.5%.

The yeast is imported from Belgium which is no surprise when considering the taste.

Never had a chance to get this one in the Riedel beer glass, it should go in a chalice like the Duvel or Chimay glasses.

Another great beer. I guess i will have to review a bad beer eventually..... perhaps i will go and poor myself a Pure Blonde...

Dan 

Eisenbahn Wiesenbock

8% alc/vol

Brazil

$6 per bottle

I have only tried 6 beers from the range and I believe there are about 10 more to try, as well as a beer likor (fortified beer)

Eisenbahn is a small brewery in Brazil that follows the Reinheirsgebot (a german law of brewing created in 1516 stating the only ingredients that could be used in the production of beer were water, barley and hops) 

The name (which means railroad in German) refers to an old railway station that is close to the building now used by the brewery as a bar.

Anyway, that's enough history. The beer is a cracker, you'd never know it was 8% alcohol. It has caramel, malt, and chocolate on the nose, and a very rich round fruit cake palate. I don't suspect you'd be able to have too many of these in one night but what a fantastic beer. I urge you all to seek these beers out and give them a go.

On another note, the importer for Eisenbahn is the same company that brings in Meantime. Definitely switched on, I look forward to seeing what they get their hands on next.

Peroni Nastro Azzurro

abv - 5.1% alc/vol

Italy

6pk - $19

There is nothing quite like a beer after you've been mowing the lawn and I think this is a perfect daytime brew, not too complicated - just right to throw down on a hot sunny day. 

A light golden colour with a clean nose - just like a good lager should have(a good lager should not smell like the first home brew you made when you were a 16 year old master brewer!)

This has a slight grassy palate too, almost a sweet edge to it, which I think means you can enjoy this on it's own or pair it with a bit of antipasto (and grilled seafood - as my trusty beer helper is telling me ti write) as I did.

I think another thing I need to mention is the lack of change to the label over the last 8 years or so. All too often I see Aussie beers changing their label to look like other beers or to get their market's attention, Peroni however, hasn't changed! A classic label I think you would recognise, even if you'd been in a coma for the past 5 years.

Also a little bit of insider knowledge - As of next February Peroni will be imported in kegs, so keep an eye out if you're favourite watering hole puts this on tap.

Organic Ale

Made by Barossa Valley Brewing, this is a tricky one... First of all i don't like the idea of using the words organic in the title of the beer. 'Organic' is very fashionable (it is also a great way to make anything from the earth, however i think it should be a little more subtle). Anyway, cynicism aside...

This is a rich, light amber beer. Beautiful texture and a fine, creamy head. Its full of fruit, apricot and hints of pineapple but they are soft and you still get the sense that this is a strong, tough beer. The sweet fruit hits the pallet straight of the bat and sends a rush of flavour. Its bitter with a hint of sour acid (this is a good thing).

The amber richness is very pilsner like, in fact its not unlike the James Squaire Pilsner but with out the finish.

 This is where it comes apart a bit. The full flavour in the middle of my mouth does not have the length that i think a beer with this sort of intense flavour should have, it just doesn't have quite enough length for me. This is a small criticism, overall a really good beer. You could probably only manage a couple (good that they come in a 4 pack) of these in one session but its another great Australian beer... I'm so proud!

Dan