Whats the best beer you've had & why?

[Fatman]

Tried both of them a while ago, My Wife's bitter had a great bottle but severely lacking in flavour, I searched for it all over the place when it came out and was really disappointed.

Terrible is the polar opposite, it is deep and dark and very rich, typically Belgian style from Unibroue. I had the 2004 vintage and it was just superb. I don't have my notes in front of me but I still recall it being a wonderful beer.

Still the day is ready for new opportunities for new beers, a mate and I are having a few today before we have to go back to uni, hopefully we will be able to find some rarities.

 

[Fatman]

Oh boy, a few exceptional beers today. 9 new ones and a case of one of my favourites, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

The stand outs were;

Great Divide Belgica Blonde 7.2%abv. Quite a unique interpretation of a Belgian Blonde with typical American over handedness, the result is a beautifully aromatic golden blonde, smooth and full bodied blonde with generous hop characteristics.

Innis and Gunn Oak aged Rum Cask Ale 7.4%abv. Aged for 107 days in American oak casks that have previously held rum this powerful ale is like drinking a church pew. Intense oak with earthy vanilla with hints of cherry and plum but is buttery smooth and delicious. Perfect body and carbonation and amazingly complex but no hint of the powerful alcohol content.

Left Hand Blackjack Porter 5.8%abv. Quite simply a very well crafted Porter, coffee and coal tar aromas with a lingering delicious baked aftertaste with perfect weight.

Brew Dog 'Bashah' Black double IPA 8.6%abv. Combining two of my favourites, black beer and double IPA, does it get any better? Coffee and caramel aromas with intense hop aromatics also. Smooth and intensely rich, it assaults the nose while stroking the palate with a velvet glove, just beautiful.


The others ranged from ordinary to mediocre.

 

[Adamski]

Oh boy, a few exceptional beers today. 9 new ones and a case of one of my favourites, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

Stunning drop. Fantastic herbaceous notes, very similar to Fat Yak or an LC beer.

Stumbled upon the Acland St Cellars the other day and was astonished by the vast array of beers on the wall.

Have never found Leffe Brune in bottle form, neither Bellevue Kriek so I grabbed one of each and also a SNPA because I'd heard great things and read about people home brewing clones of it.

Will definitely be going back. I'll take note of those beers Fatman and see if they have them. I am pretty sure that the Acland St Cellars is a shopfront for beerstore.com.au

Hit up the LC Dining Hall with a few friends a couple of Sunday's ago and drowned myself in White Rabbit. Yum.

 

[nikmcc]

...I am pretty sure that the Acland St Cellars is a shopfront for beerstore.com.au....

Yeah it is. Great shop, I've been there a few times, just crap website...

Fatman, Am I right in guessing you work in bottle shop or pub in sydney that has a decent beer selection? If so where? It might be worth my while checking out some time... answer via PM if you dont want to advertise... Im always on a quest to find new beers!

 

[PINT of Stella. mate!]

Sadly I've yet to try it but I'm sending instructions to my folks to procure a couple of bottles ASAP- They live just a couple of miles away from the brewers - who also make some exceptional weaker brews

'World's strongest' beer with 32% strength launched


A controversial Scottish brewery has launched what it described as the world's strongest beer - with a 32% alcohol content.

Tactical Nuclear Penguin has been unveiled by BrewDog of Fraserburgh.

BrewDog was previously branded irresponsible for an 18.2% beer called Tokyo, which it then followed with a low alcohol beer called Nanny State.

Managing director James Watt said a limited supply of Tactical Nuclear Penguin would be sold for £30 each.


This is an extremely strong beer; it should be enjoyed in small servings and with an air of aristocratic nonchalance
Tactical Nuclear Penguin label warning

He said: "This beer is about pushing the boundaries, it is about taking innovation in beer to a whole new level."

Mr Watt added that a beer such as Tactical Nuclear Penguin should be drunk in "spirit sized measures".

A warning on the label states: "This is an extremely strong beer; it should be enjoyed in small servings and with an air of aristocratic nonchalance. In exactly the same manner that you would enjoy a fine whisky, a Frank Zappa album or a visit from a friendly yet anxious ghost."

However Jack Law, of Alcohol Focus Scotland, described it was a "cynical marketing ploy" and said: "We want to know why a brewer would produce a beer almost as strong as whisky."

The beer has been launched on the day alcohol was at the top of the political agenda with the unveiling of the Scottish government's Alcohol Bill including proposals for minimum pricing on drink.

Meanwhile, BrewDog's plans for a new headquarters to produce millions of bottles of beer a year have been approved by Aberdeenshire Council.

The decision was taken at a full council meeting despite having been recommended for refusal by officers because the site at Potterton, near Aberdeen, is in the green belt.

courtesy of the BBC - full article here

 

[Fatman]

Now THAT is a beer. I'll contact the Brew Dog importers and see if I can get my hands on some.

As the polar opposite I tried Maxx Blonde 4.6% abv today, it's a Coles brand, brewed in NZ by an unspecified brewery and to tell you the truth I wouldn't want to put my name to it either. Sodawater with some colour and flavour with just a dash of lighter fluid.

To make my day just that much better my local is now selling 2 litre flagons of Westons Old Rosie Scrumpy cider 7.2%, at 25 bucks it's a bit rich but damn I love this stuff. We just started selling Magners Pear as well so I'm set for a while.

 

[metalhead39]

my favourite beer would have to be "La Trappe Tripel", super heavy and mighty tasty (8% alc vol), ironic that its from holland and my favourite every day sit down and enjoy beer is tooheys extra dry

 

[Adamski]

To make my day just that much better my local is now selling 2 litre flagons of Westons Old Rosie Scrumpy cider 7.2%, at 25 bucks it's a bit rich but damn I love this stuff. We just started selling Magners Pear as well so I'm set for a while.

Is it real Scrumpy? Because that stuff is insane.

 

[Fatman]

Is it real Scrumpy? Because that stuff is insane.

It's nice still and mild scrumpy, not as robust and mind bending as some but easy drinking.


Another day of sampling ahead, my little bro had another child last night so we are celebrating with a few ales.

First cab off the ranks;

Malt Shovel Brewery Mad Brewer's Orchard Ale 5%abv. A Saison with a twist, it is coppery and clear with grainy apple aroma with a lingering dry apricot stone aftertaste. Initially a little sharp on the palate which as NCR said would make it match a range of foods, the carbonation is spot on. I found it quite easy drinking, the flavour fades rapidly but I found it all a little cloying after a time. They come in 640ml longnecks and a case of 9 bottles.

Holgate Brewhouse Big Reg Vienna Red Lager 5%abv. Deep coppery red with a generous bubbly head. Rich malty aromatics with underlying hop character (the aroma is actually like when you walk into the taphouse). Smooth and dry, a lovely beer which matches exceptionally well with soft white cheese.

Harrington's Breweries The Rogue Hop Organic Pilsener 5%abv. Organic pilsener brewed with their own rogue hop. Beautifully lively clear golden with a crumbling head. Not the typical Saaz aromatics but lighter and sweeter and a little more floral. Sharp and prickly on the palate with a dry lingering finish. Impressive bitterness without going overboard, it has mosrt of the characteristics of a Pilsener except for the body, it seems a little over carbonated.

Harrington's Breweries Razorback Bitter 5%abv. Deep clear amber with a generous creamy head. Light green hop aromatics, a little light on flavour and bitterness, malt sweetness comes through in the finish. Pretty boring really, it may be alright for some but I was expecting something a bit more full on like its namesake.

The Little Brewing Co. Mad Abbot Dubbel 6.9%abv. A limited release (thankfully) Double, clear and deep rusty brown with a bursting beady head. Rich and fruity bubblegum and jube aromas with plenty of backing malt. The aroma promises a lot but it is a little thin and gassy, the lack of body doesn't a beer which should be rich and generous. To be honest I've tried better home brew Belgians than this, usually these guys overdo flavour and they chose a really bad time to stop, let's see how the triple goes.

The Little Brewing Co. Mad Abbot Tripel 9.5%abv. A limited release triple. Clear lively golden with distinct tropical and stonefruit aromatics with sweet maltiness, similar to a good wheat beer. Full bodied and bursting with flavour but a little over gassed, the alcohol content is present and warming along with a hop bite. It doesn't feel too powerful but will begin to tear shreds of those who aren't careful. In terms of style it is very similar to its Belgian cousins, a much better brew than the Double.

Harrington's Breweries Clydesdale Stout 5%abv. Typically black with a creamy head and toasted malt and dark chocolate aromatics. Smooth and easy drinking with lovely toasty aftertaste. The body is a little thin and gassy and the aftertaste a little dry. In the end even Tooheys Old is more appealing, more like a dark lager than a stout.

Harrington's Breweries Ngahere Gold 7.2%abv. Clear lively straw with light floral hop and sweet malt characteristics. Lightly carbonated and full bodied and feels far more sessionable than the high alcohol would allow. Quite interesting but nothing in comparison to the Belgians it is trying to imitate.

Rogue Brewery Chatoe Rogue First Growth Wet Hop Ale 6.4%abv. Sorry children I'm not going to tell you, if you can get some find it immediately. Personally grown hops from Independence, Oregon delivered directly to the brew kettles. An American First Harvest from much smaller hop fields and to be honest a better calibre brewery. 40 IBU's

Aside from all this a case of McCashins Brewery Mac's Hop Rocker 4.8%abv. Like the Sauvignon Blanc of beers (without the cat piss), a light golden pilsener with Nelson Sauvin hop characteristics. A beautifully light and bitter pilsener with beautiful floral aromatics, this beer is immensely drinkable. I can't tell you how much of this I have drunk over the past few weeks but at $45 a case it just calls to me and goes down like a $2 whore. Smashing stuff.

I'll keep inserting them as we go.

 

[Regan of Gong]

Well, on Monday I'm having an interview with a marketing company for a position as a Mercury Cider campus rep at Wollongong. So tonight, I picked up a 4 pack of Mercury Artisian Cider for $13 or so at the local bottle-o. It's a Cascade breweries product, which I'm a big fan of, and what a lovely slim bottle it had, while still packing in 345mL at 5.5%.

It's fairly light in body, with a initial sweetness that's kind of like toffee or even bubblegum. The middle's a little boring, but still light and refreshing, concluding with a dry, sweet finish. I'm not a massive cider drinker, but I figured I should know my product for this interview, and I certainly don't regret buying this at all. On a hot day, I think it would be choice, unlike my chosen spot in front in front of the TV on a Friday night.

 

[wespelarno]

Hey Fatman, where did you get your hands on sierra nevada? I was drinking that on tap in the US, and it has to be the perfect all purpose beer. Especially in the sonoran desert during summer...

 

[Fatman]

Hey Fatman, where did you get your hands on sierra nevada? I was drinking that on tap in the US, and it has to be the perfect all purpose beer. Especially in the sonoran desert during summer...

Platinum Liquor at Concorde has a few cases, they were $120 a pop though, I went halves with a mate but they didn't last long.

 

[Regan of Gong]

The local chain of bottle shops put on a beer tasting night last night, and it was very good. At first I was a little disappointed when I walked in to see a massive "Superdry 3.5" banner and a few cases of Budweiser, but upon closer investigation, there was some lovely beers to be had. I can't write much, because I had so many and took no notes (and I'm hardly a connoisseur like Fatman), but here's what I remember:

The entire Mac's range, brewed in NZ, including:
Spring Tide Lower-Carb Lager- Quite easily the best low-carb beer I've ever had
Mac's Gold All Malt Lager- Very sessionable, refreshing, but not too exciting
Hop Rocker Pilsener- Bloody excellent, crisp, but with a lingering bitterness. Made with crystal and lager malts and Nelson Sauvin and NZ Cascade hops. EDIT: Just saw Fatman's review up above. Seriously, listen to the man and buy it.
Sassy Red Best Bitter- It's been a while since I've had a Red Ale, and this didn't disappoint. Loved the initial sweetness then the long finish.
Black Mac- Can't really remember

Malt Shovel Brewery Abbey Ale- brewed in the style of a Belgian wit bier, I found it pretty similar to Hoegaarden. Definitely not a session beer at a hefty 7% though.

Zywiec Lager- Polish, better than average Euroswill, reminded me of some Furstenberg I bought once.
Zywiec Porter- Sensational! Best porter I've ever tried. Charred, but not burnt, and without even a hint of that cigarette aftertaste. Thanks has to go to the lovely Polish guy who was pouring very generous portions, even more so considering it weighed in around 9.5%
Zipfer Lager- Heh...can't remember

Knappstein Premium Lager- If you like white wine, but want beer, drink this. Dear goodness it is excellent. Light and fruity, a little bit like LC Bright Ale, but somehow better.

Also got to try Magners Irish Cider, both apple and pear varieties. I never knew it was supposed to be drunk with ice. I'm now a fan of pear cider I think.

Finally of note, the new Matilda Bay beer- Big Helga. It's a "Dry, Munich-style lager", and it does exactly that. Pretty inoffensive, you could drink a lot very quickly.

In addtioan, tried some dirty 5 seeds, Amstel, Cruiser Hummingbird and Baltika. None were overly remarkable. There was one beer I can't remember, if anyone could help me it'd be appreciated. Green bottle, think it was a pilsener. The name started with v i think, it's brewed by a winery. Very good stuff also.

 

[Adamski]

After graduating yesterday me and the folks went to LC Dining Hall and got stuck in.

Little Creatures Single Batch IPA. Hoppy and delicious, 100% Cascade hops is interesting. Couldn't stop drinking it.

Saw that they had Rogue Dead Guy Ale in stock and had heard great things, ordered one....and WOW. The one thing I though when drinking it was that it had been strained through sultanas. Lovely drop.

 

[Fatman]

Admittedly this tasting was a week ago but I'm a little slack in getting my notes together, they are a little short as i was enjoying myself too much.

Rakovnik Brewery Bakalar 5%abv. Clear golden lager with a soft head and herbaceous and zesty aroma, nothing really special from this new Baron's import.

Rogue Juniper Pale Ale 5%abv. Clear dark golden with a soft generous head, sweet floral aromas. Sweet and smooth with lingering dry bitterness. 34 IBU's.

Rogue Chatoe Rogue First Growth Wet Hop Ale 6.5%abv. Okay, I had another bottle and I'll put up the notes. Clear amber with a thin head. Delicious floral hop aromatics from sweet and herbaceous green hops with underlying maltiness. The syrupy maltiness is balanced out by a generous 40 IBU bitterness, a lovely drop and well worth tracking down.

Rogue Brutal Bitter 6.5%abv. Hazy dark yellow with a frothy head. Crystal and Willamette hops give an intense initial hit on the palate which fades rapidly. A little thin but a decent 59 IBU's.

Left Hand Imperial Stout 10.4%abv. Deep ebony with a soft brown head. Gently carbonated for perfect weight lets you enjoy the delicious dark chocolate toasted malt. Smooth and velvety but very rich.

Wigram Brewing Spruce Ale 5%abv. Light clear brown with a thin bubbly head. Made with spruce and tea tree it has a distinct sappy aroma and is mildly peppery. A little thin and quite unusual.

Rogue Yellow Snow IPA 6.2%abv. Cloudy dark yellow with a soft head. Unusual coal tar and zesty hop aromatics from Amarillo and Willamette hops, initially powerful on the palate, medium bodied and a powerful 70 IBU's.

Flying Dog Wild Dog Barrel Aged Gonzo Imperial Porter 9.5%. Jet black with a stack of fine bead head. Oak and chocolate aromas with fruity undertones. Incredibly smooth and rich, a little punchy but a wonderful beer to sip and savour.

 

[PINT of Stella. mate!]

So, whilst the missus is shouting at the footy on the telly, I thought I might don my moccys, hit the local bottle-o and crack open a few new brews.

First up it’s another slice of delicate madness from those crazy Canadians at Unibroue. I’m a massive fan of their punchy extra-strong Belgian style ales such as fin du monde and Maudite and was intrigued by Ephemere which is a ‘seasonal ale brewed with apples’ apparently.

So a bit like a cider then you’d think? Well, not really, it’s got that weird fruity, slightly acidic taste that you often get with fruit beers but the addition of lots of coriander leaves me with the impression of Tom Yum soup which is never a bad thing. It’s a healthy 5.5% ABV and is really refreshing. It’d make a great summer beer but seeing as it’s winter I doubt I’ll be having too much of it over the next few months. Apparently they also make Ephemere with a number of different fruits – Cranberry, Cassis and Blackcurrent, Peach and Raspberry. I’d like to see one with Mango, or Banana or perhaps both, like a smoothy. That’d be cool. Actually, beer flavoured smoothies would be awesome. Think it could be the next big thing!

Next up I’ve got a can of Nikšićko – a 5.0% Serbian lager. It’s very similar to Czech brews such as Budvar or Pilsener Urquell and slips down the throat as easy as a greased ferret down MC Hammer’s trousers. I quite like this one although I feel that if I have one too many it’ll probably make me go out and punch a Croat!

Speaking of which, I’ve got another Serbian beer up my sleeve. Jelen is also a 5.0% lager. It’s a little bit smoother than Nikšićko but has a lovely sweet lagery aftertaste – not too sweet but not too bland. Just right really, Seems like the Serbs are pretty good at brewing up lagers, might have to keep my eyes open for a few more.

Next up is a bottle of Young’s Double Chocolate Stout. Unfortunately for me the other half instantly spotted the ‘c’ word on the bottle and being the rampant chocaholic that she is, snatched it away for herself and forced me into a bout of wrestling that eventually resulted in an empty can of Serbian lager being lobbed at my head. Still, I’ve got the bottle back and there’s still about half left so here we go.

It’s rich. Very rich. You can taste the chocolate all the way through and there’s also a lovely roasted aftertaste that makes me think of old Xmas food –chestnuts and all that malarkey, you know. Actually this stuff makes for a cracking winter brew. I can see it sitting nicely alongside large glasses of red wine, whisky and brandy pudding. Oh and it’s 5.2% too.

Finally I’m onto a bottle of O’Hanlon’s Port Stout. The other half’s smashed on white wine and still shouting at St Kilda, they’ve pretty much won so I don’t really see what all the fuss is about but that’s women for ya. Anyway yeah, back to the beer. It’s as the label suggests a port enriched stout. Now I’m fond of the odd port now and again although I’ve also had a couple of bad experiences on it too but I guess when it’s 4am and there’s nothing left in the house apart from the port, it’s probably time for bed anyway. Why I had to drink it out of a pint glass on both occasions is beyond me but hey, shit happens! Anyway it’s bitter, really bitter. Probably more bitter than Tiger Woods wife at the moment. The port gives the stout a kick up the arse and an aftertaste somewhat similar to a battery acid flavoured grapefruit that’s somehow been mixed with a pile of woodchips. It’s not exactly unpleasant but it’s a bit more of a struggle to drink than the Young’s. As far as alcohol content goes it’s a touch lighter than the others at 4.8%. Not too strong and not too light.

Anyways, that’s it for now. Got a whole heap of the mad Serbian lager left in the fridge and a lie-in tomorrow morning. She’s also finished with the footy and has decided to start bugging me with insane female rantings and random gossip. Looks like I’ll need all the fortification I can get….

 

[scblack]

I’d like to see one with Mango......

On the way to see the Waratahs thrash the Lions a few weeks ago, I had a couple of mango flavoured weiss beers at the Bavarian Bier Cafe at Fox Studios - lovely beer. The mango truly added to the wheat flavour. I do like a sweet beer to be honest and this was well up the likable list.

 

[pistonbroke]

The best beer I have had was the free one at the end of the Otway Odyssey. It was the best because of the effort involved in getting it.

 

[Fatman]

It's that time of year again folks, Cascade First Harvest Brewers Special No.9 2010 5.5%abv has been released. I'm yet to taste this years as I just got it home but a full report will follow, along with a back to back tasting with last years.

Okay, it's beautiful as ever, Text, Glenleith and Oakley hops in this years offering are a little fresher than last years and the bitterness is back up a notch but not too much. Great head retention and lacing around the glass and that rich sweet malt aroma tempered with the spicy green hops is as alluring as ever. The alcohol content is in line with previous years as is the little 330ml bottle, mouthfeel is a smooth with a light prickle. Just don't serve it too cold.

A case will set you back about $80 and a 6pack about $23. I'm glad I bought a case and a bit, it won't last long. Get some while you can.

Also keep an eye out for the new James Squire 'Malt Runner' which should be available very soon at a bottlo near you, from the reports I'm getting it promises to be very nice indeed.

 

[Regan of Gong]

The local bottle-o's super special this week was Salitos Tequila Beer (5.9%) for a ridiculous $25 a case. That being said, I wouldn't buy it for the RRP of 50 something. It's supposed to look Mexican, but my research suggests that it's actually brewed somewhere in Germany and just likes to talk about being South American and throw the words "Cerveza" and "Imported" on the box somewhere, which is fluorescent green. It's very hard to find concrete information on it actually. It advertises itself as a beer with a shot of tequila and a dash of lime. In reality, it's more like a radler- the label says it's 59% beer with 41% tequila and lemon flavoured soft drink, so it's a little unclear whether it's actual tequila, agave nectar or just artificial flavours. Ho-hum.

Anyway, it's absolute rocket fuel, comes in 330mL bottles and is really nothing special in the taste department- sweet and inoffensive but looks manly enough. I bought it for a couple of BYO parties that I've got coming up and it'll go just fine. You'd never drink it to sit down and appreciate it, but it's refreshing and drinkable in large quantities. The coolest part is that the bottom of each bottle is a twist top bottle opener; finish a beer, pop it on top of your next one and twist- my mum's going to use it to show her Design and Technology class.