Whats the best beer you've had & why?

Thats awesome fatman!
I'd never think to put fresh hops into a glass. But I guess thats cause I've only ever delt with those compressed hop pellets... Does it add much hoppy goodness to the glass?

Also, is your bro a brewer? Or does he just farm hops?

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nikmcc said:
Thats awesome fatman!
I'd never think to put fresh hops into a glass. But I guess thats cause I've only ever delt with those compressed hop pellets... Does it add much hoppy goodness to the glass?

Also, is your bro a brewer? Or does he just farm hops?

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Home brews with hoppy goodness grown in the back yard. As for flavour, oh my lord there is nothing like fresh green hops for that extra sappy kick.
It takes a few seasons for the hops to take but now they really yield a decent amount. At first they are a bit slow.
They do get attacked by insects and the weather but my lord are they good, it only took 2 flowers from the Hersbrucker to kick the shite out of the flavour, the Mt Hood is a bit timid.
 
Fatman said:
Home brews with hoppy goodness grown in the back yard. As for flavour, oh my lord there is nothing like fresh green hops for that extra sappy kick.
It takes a few seasons for the hops to take but now they really yield a decent amount. At first they are a bit slow.
They do get attacked by insects and the weather but my lord are they good, it only took 2 flowers from the Hersbrucker to kick the shite out of the flavour, the Mt Hood is a bit timid.
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Thats seriously cool!

It must make home brewing so satisfying knowing you've grown the hops

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Just took on two beers this arvo: Brew Dog Punk IPA- look I know alot of people here like it, but UGH. Seriously, I had two sips and ditched it. IPA's are definitely not my flavour, but I guess you've got to try everything once!

Monteith's Golden Lager: wow! Awesome (especially after the above disappointment) Described on label as:
'Golden malty lager with mellow hops characteristics and a cashew nut smoothness'
Smooth is absolutely the word, and malty for sure! I've been drinking Squire Golden's of late, but the Mont's tops it by far for me :)
 
hach_bee said:
Just took on two beers this arvo: Brew Dog Punk IPA- look I know alot of people here like it, but UGH. Seriously, I had two sips and ditched it. IPA's are definitely not my flavour, but I guess you've got to try everything once!

Monteith's Golden Lager: wow! Awesome (especially after the above disappointment) Described on label as:
'Golden malty lager with mellow hops characteristics and a cashew nut smoothness'
Smooth is absolutely the word, and malty for sure! I've been drinking Squire Golden's of late, but the Mont's tops it by far for me :)
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You need to build up to IPA's. If you love Squire's golden ale (which has been dumbed down from what it once was) and and Montheith's offering, moving straight to an American style IPA like Punk will rip your tonsils out.

Try some American Pale Ale styles like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale or one of the local offerings from Four Pines or Murray's and get used to the bitterness first before hitting up the US IPA styles (even though Brewdog are Scottish, Punk IPA is still a US IPA, English IPA's are much less bitter)

Anyways, here's my tonsil ripping selection of US beers for this weekend, sorry if some of it doesn't make much sense, it's cut and pasted from another forum:


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I don't go much on the Lambic beers. This one was very sweet with a sour aftertaste. I didn't mind it, but Mrs. NCR thought it was the most disgusting thing she'd ever tasted. Gave me an excuse to use the Gueze glasses from some long defunct Belgian brewery my brother gave me.

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Mad Brewers Hoppy Hefe.

This is supposed to be a cross between a Hefeweizen and an American Wheat Wine. What it tatses like is an American Pale Ale with bulk dry hop additions. It's ridiculously hoppy, to the point that the bitterness does not match the aroma hops. It's like drinking a normal beer while eating a packet of Motueka pellets instead of peanuts. Despite that, I actually like it, and it's good to see a mainstream brewer doing some very strange beers.

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Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye.

I like this alot. Very similar to the Green Flash Hop Head Red ale, but with an extra dimension from the rye. I can see a clone of this in my homebrewing future. The very first All Grain brew I did had a malt bill very close to this and the Hop Head. Very keen to do something similar with a New Zealand hop bill.

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Here's a picture of the Green Flash Hop Head Red with a burrito. Same notes apply from a few pages ago!

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Lagunitas Lucky 13 Anniversary Ale.

A nice US IPA. Very clear comared to the previous offerings. Does not seem as bitter as the claimed 76 IBU's The hop bill tastes very similar to the Green Flash red ale and Hop Rod Rye, Dumb and annoying hipsterish Suicide Grrl label.

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Great Divide Old Ruffian Barley Wine

This is not like the last barley wine I had, which was an English one. It's more like a Double (or Tripple) IPA. I wouldn't be surprised if the hop bill matched exactly the bills for the Hop Head Red and Hop Rod Rye. It hides the 10.2abv well though. Getting a bit bored of the same Cascade, Columbus, Nugget, Simcoe, Target etc. hop bills now Thank crom for New Zealand Hops!

In other news, a new brew pub have been looking for submssions from homebrewers to go alongside their existing taps. I think I'm going to submit my Motueka/Pacifica IPA to them and see how it goes. At the worst I'll get some subjective feedback about my homebrew, and at best, I'll have one of my brews made on a commercial scale and served in a trendy bar!
 
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Could not believe when I saw this in DM's, the Barossa's own Ale... tastes suspiciously like the Monteith's I mentioned above, crossed with a bit of Bud. Absolute rip off at $19 for a six pack, glad I only bought a single...
 
Best beers Ive tried

The best Beers Ive tried are and why do I like them " Their taste of course" and effect is also varying especially with schofferhoffer (Try a few)

*Paulaner Munchen
http://www.paulaner.com/high/


*Schofferhofer (Orange Label)
http://www.beverageaustralia.com.au/schofferhofer.htm

*Asahi from Japan
http://www.webcellars.com.au/asahi-super-dry-bottle-330ml-case-of-24-p131.html

and Grolsch, Peroni, Stella Artois are also a good drop.

Just check that they are real Imports not made under license by Fosters (read the bottle there is a big difference)
 
Hop head Tree brewing from Kelowna BC Tasty tasty IPA

The only thing that has come close for me domestically is home brew closely followed by little creatures pale ale.

Fat man where did your bro get the hops from? Not seen them at my local nursery.
 
Genius Josh said:
Hop head Tree brewing from Kelowna BC Tasty tasty IPA

The only thing that has come close for me domestically is home brew closely followed by little creatures pale ale.

Fat man where did your bro get the hops from? Not seen them at my local nursery.
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Mail ordered the hop rhizomes a few years ago and got some cuttings from other brewers.
Some work really well, others died off quickly. It was a little hit and miss but once established they grew pretty nicely and got a good yield.
 
I had a 4 Pines Kolsh last night - such a good thing. Even for $9 a pop at a restaurant i got through a few. Quite malty and with the bitter fruit sensation like in a good Pale Ale with less of the stinging hop bitterness. A really good beer.
 
Hoppy Hefe is on draught at the Transport Hotel in Fed Square for $6/$11, takes it to another level. Also went to Section 8 on Good Friday, the container bar off Lonsdale St; it's got a great selection of craft beer in the fridge that I've never seen before, and it sells Coopers longnecks.
 
A day off and an excuse to try a few new brews. I have been remiss in updating this thread with tastings.

Little Creatures Brewing Co. Single Batch 'The Quiet American' 7.4%abv. Single batch Belgian style abbey beer with American Cascade and chinook hops. Honey amber with a pillowy but rapidly fading head, sweet candy aroma like many Belgians but doesn't seem to have the aggressive piney aroma of APA. Full bodied and rich sweet flavours, backed up with some sappy hops and rich malt and not too aggressive with the residual bitterness. Quite enjoyable but a little confusing.

R.J King Wingwalker Brewery. Wingwalker American Belgian Style Wheat 4.6%abv. Opaque greeny white yellow with a large bubbled crumbly head. Unusual confectionery head, rich bubblegummy pawpaw malt with no real discernable hops. Sweet and unusual aromas. Dry and cleansing, full bodied and a little gassy and some background fennel. Smooth and light but lacks the citrussy bite that real Belgians have.

R.J King Wingwalker Brewery. Wingwalker Pale Ale 4.6%abv. Clear straw with an energetic bead and medium bubbled head which crumbles. Classic American Pale aromatics but has this odd bubblegum as with the Wheat. Flavour is a little unusual and a little scattered, not your typical APA. Lacks the punchiness of a real APA, very light on and medium bodied. Seems to be missing a great deal of all the typical American brashness that has become synonimous of the style. Just a little boring.

Magic Hat Brewing Company. #9 5.1%abv. Pale ale with natural flavouring. Clear golden amber with an uneven foamy head. Sweet passionfruit and mango, tropical aromas. Smooth and light, a little unusual but very well weighted. Not sure if I could drink more than one, the flavour is a little cloying. Very feint bitterness balances out the sweet initial flavours, the aromatics certainly promise more than what the flavours deliver. Sort of grew on me but not enough to go back for more.

Dundee Brewing Co. Dundee (US)IPA. 6.3%abv. Mid clear amber with a generous small bubbled foamy head. New world hop aromas, Cascade, Centennial? Piney and fresh. Smooth with a medium body and flavour that is initially timid but develops slowly to a reasonable bitterness and a balancing malt with a desert mouth finish. A sessionable IPA? Not really given the abv. A little disappointing, could have been good but really does lack a real IPA kick and the body is too light, training wheels for US IPA like Fat Yak is to real Pale Ale. Another Woolworths import.

Browar Namyslów. Malina 4%abv. Lager flavoured with raspberry and a host of juices and artificial flavouring. Light brownish pink with a thin translucent white head. Strong fruity aroma, very sweet raspberry and just like opening a bag of raspberry jellies. Tastes like a beer that has had a shot of raspberry cordial in it, it has the artificial sweetener aftertaste. It's not all bad but it really isn't proper beer, more like an RTD substitute to avoid the tax. Comes in a big pink 500ml can. Actually it is pretty bad.

Wychwood Brewery Co. King Goblin 6.6%abv. A boosted version of the venerable Hobgoblin. Clear reddish amber with a honey cake head. Brewed only under a full moon, a special reserve made with crystal malt and sovereign hops. Rich sweet aromas of brown sugar and candied fruit. A little thin but very rich and complex flavours, bready undertones and some fresh pastries. Quite a delicious drop.

Coronado Brewing Company. Orange Avenue Wit 5.2%. A spiced wheat beer, Cloudy yellowish orange with a rapidly dissipating soft white head. Sherbety coriander and orangey citrus aromatics with some malty sweetness underneath. Quite dry and leaves you with a little desert mouth, the spices seem a little overdone and there is some residual bitterness, not a common feature of a wheat. Zesty and refreshing but isn't a patch on Hoegaarden and has too much residual yeast.

Most of these were from the Uncle but I have a few more new ones to try this evening including a Kiwi Pale Ale and a NZ Sparkling Ale we'll see how we go.
 
The local bottle shop had cases of Little Creatures Pale Ale on sale the other day, so I bought one. After I drank some (or a few) I realised I was holding my glass like it was a cup of tea on a cold winter night, as if I had to protect the thing that delivered warmth straight into my soul :tickled_pink:
I'm not alcoholic but that was a beautiful moment :very_drunk: ;)
 
And a couple more.

Mc Cashin Family Brewery. Stoke Bomber KPA 5.5%abv. KPA? Kiwi Pale Ale, made with Wai-Iti hops only grown in New Zealand. Deep clear orangey amber with an off white creamy head and fine bead. Subtle apricot and peach with some fresh blood orange there too. Smooth and a little oily with a beautifully balanced citrussy hop bite over chewy malt. Certainly not as aggressive as many a pale ale but good solid beer with plenty to keep your interest. I quite like this one.

Monteiths Brewing Company Ltd. Sparkling Ale. 5%abv. Clear golden with a frothy white head and a fine lazy bead. Delicate grainy malt aromas, a very different animal from Coopers Sparkling, Soft and smooth and goes well with cheese and salty meat products (At the moment it's French Amadeus Brie and some very finely sliced Coppa). Not all that great by itself, pretty bland really, a little fruity and crisp but thin and just plain boring.

Still going.

Ballast Point Brewing Company. Big Eye IPA. 6.8%abv. Clear honey amber with a soft large bubbled head with large fish eyes. Sappy and spicy pine and citrus, typical new world IPA aromatics. Smooth and bitey but there's something I can't put my finger on, it's really good. Full bodied, bitter and peppery but with an intriguing aroma with just a little sherbety sweetness. It's the only one of late that has left me wanting more, I'll be grabbing a six pack tomorrow.
 
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Local BWS is getting more and more beer in- Sierra Nevada and Macs, plus the Wingwalker and Magic Hat ales mentioned above- which I thought were very reasonable for the money, though I'd be less inclined to go back to the Wheat Ale. The Magic Hat #9 calls itself a "Not Quite Pale Ale", which I thought was a very accurate description; unlike the Fatman I could happily drink a few.

Tried Vale IPA (5.5%) for the first time last night as well- biting into a passionfruit would be the most accurate description I could give. No real bitterness that you'd expect from an IPA, so perhaps a good one to ease yourself into the style if you're not too keen on them. $15/4 pack seems a bit steep, when I thought it was just a poor man's Punk IPA- that being said, the packaging is beautiful and I'd definitely drink it again.
 
#1
[video=vimeo;19630326]http://vimeo.com/19630326[/video]

I love this beer on so many levels. Tight foam, slightly herby/hoppy aroma.
It's crisp, has very slight citrus taste, but definitely not enough for you to say
why has someone put cordial in my beer, unlike Sol or Miller Chill.
On a hot day nothing compares, for me at least. It's the combination of crisp, slight citrus that
hasn't overpowered the bitterness and amazing aroma.
the only problem is that it's hard to find, and when you do it's pretty expensive.

If I can't get my Brewdog fix I drink Coopers Sparkling Ale.
 
A few more,

Coopers Brewery. Thomas Coopers Selection 'Celebration Ale'. 5.2%abv. Brewed for the Coopers 150th Anniversary. Pours mid brownish amber with a slight bloom and an off white honey cake head that fades rapidly. Honey, sweet malt and hebaceous and lightly sappy hops. Smooth and full bodied, quite well balanced, like a hoppy Sparkling Ale with the signature Coopers yeast characteristics and the carbonation turned down a bit

Bear Republic Brewing Co. Inc. Ricardos Rocket Red Ale. 6.8%abv. A Scottish style red ale with a load of hops added. Deep clear Ruby Red with a fine bead and a dense frothy head. Big sappy hop aromas typical new world aromatics backed up with some heady malts and intensity. Beautifully hoppy and bitter, difficult to really differentiate it from so many others like this these days. Smooth and a little creamy, fantastic on the burp as well. Slow sipping at room temperature is rewarded with loads of complex oily hops and an oaty, grainy character with a spicy bitter finish.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Ruthless Rye IPA. 6.6%abv. Made with Rye this beer pours deep clear amber with a frothy uneven head. Quite lively with a peppery citrus and pine aroma. Smooth and full flavoured oily hops with a typical US IPA flavour profile with aggressive bitterness. Interesting complexity derived from Rye and whole cone hops, very nice indeed.
 
Spent a while in colorado earlier this year and absolutely loved the beers they had on offer. Dale's Pale Ale (oskar blues brewery), Avalanche Ale (breckenridge brewery), Fat Tire (new belgium) and blue moon were among the brews I would be regularly drinking. I wish I could recall the names of some of the lesser known beers I had on occasion over there - might have to do some research and find them.
 
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. 2012 Hoptimum Imperial IPA 10.4%abv . Very clear light coppery honey amber with a fine bead and a big frothy small bubbled head with big fish eyes and not a trace of sediment. Deep resinous hops but nowhere near the aromatics I was expecting, sweet herbaceous garden clippings with some raspberry and custard apple. Loads of flavour and quite warming alcohol, I'm sampling at room temperature to get the most out of it (13 degrees at the moment) but it's not the animal I thought it would be. It's quite drinkable, full bodied and a little oily and not really challenging at all, well done. Made with whole cone hops it claims to be the 'Ultimate whole cone hop experience', I'm not so sure about that but it is a nice slow sipping beer. There's a lingering hoppy flavour that's like you have a few fresh hops sitting in your mouth. I left it for a while and then came back to it, there was definately more intensity and the bitterness is definately up there in the eighties or nineties. $32 for a four pack at my local. I picked up some 2012 Bigfoot as well so that's up next............ after the $35 case of Hop Rocker.

edit. after doing some research I found out this one is supposed to be 100 IBU's and it rates very highly in many reviews. Personally I find it better to know as little as possible about the beer prior to tasting so it doesn't cloud your judgement. Research is for after you shoot down something everyone else loves.
 
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