Another recent addition to hit the shelves of liquor retailers here in Queensland is Steinlager Pure, or so I thought. Lion Nathan who owns the brand say on their website that this beer was launched in 2007, so I’m confused as to why only in recent months it appears to be making a debut in Queensland. Nonetheless, I am not complaining as I am all in favour of new brews.

In essence what first attracted me to this beer was the way it was marketed as being completely pure. It contains absolutely no additives, no preservatives and best of all it’s ingredients are all sourced from within New Zealand where it is brewed. Steinlager Pure uses a unique variety of hops called Pacific Jade which are commissioned by Steinlager to deliver a smooth and refreshing flavour to this brew.

This lager has a sweet, indulging aroma with a rich golden appearance. On the palette it is refreshing with a clean, crisp taste. There is a dominating malt flavour, with a hint of creaminess. A six-pack of this lager was enough to tie me over, I enjoyed it but wouldn’t make a night of drinking it.

If you’re interested in giving this brew a try, head over to the interactive Steinlager Pure website here and use the unique ‘Steinlager Pure Finder’ to find your local stockist.

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BWS currently have Sapporo listed as their ‘beer of the month’ and are selling it for $10 a 6pack!  All you have to do is print out the voucher located here and take it down to your local BWS along with $10.  I purchased my 6-pack last night.  Please note that although this beer is marketed as Japan’s Oldest Brand it is actually brewed & bottled in Canada.  This offer expires on the 4th of June so be quick and enjoy.

It’s about I did a new beer review and what better way to start off my 2009 reviews than with a local brew, such as the Redoak Organic Pale Ale.

Redoak specialise in premium boutique beers and are claimed to be ‘Australia’s most awarded brewery’. They are based in Sydney where they have their Boutique Beer Café located at 201 Clarence Street. There are over 20 individual brews to try at this café and let me tell you the next time I’m down that way, I’ll be making a stopover.

This beer is brewed using certified organic ingredients from the malt to the hops, so if you’re one to sit on the organic bandwagon, then you can feel confident drinking this unique brew.

Redoak Organic Pale Ale pours a consistent full head which looks near picture perfect in my opinion. It also has a significant amount of effervescence to it. The colour of this beer is a light gold shade with a cloudy haze due to the ingredients suspended in the beer. The dominating is sweet and fruity, with a light citrus secondary aroma. Last, but not least the taste - wow! The packaging on my 6-pack says ‘unique’ and that’s exactly what it is. One of my initial thoughts was that this beer tastes like Belle Vue Kriek, but that was soon altered by the bitter hops aftertaste. This beer is without a doubt very fruity not only in it’s aroma but in it’s taste. I found it relatively refreshing and kept me going back for more, I am on my third bottle now as I type.

For a premium boutique beer I believe this to be rather reasonably priced. I picked up a 6-pack from my local Dan Murphy’s for $15.90. Generally, I am quite pleased with most fruity brews and this is no exception, my only concern is, would I want more than a 6-pack? I’ll leave this with you to ponder over, but first you’ll have to give this unique pale ale a try.

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This is the first James Squire brew to be reviewed on BeerAdvice and it certainly won’t be the last. This limited release lager is aimed at the craft beer segment and has been developed to be enjoyed during these hot summer months. In case you were wondering, what exactly a craft beer is, here is a general definition: a craft beer is one that is made by a small, independent brewer that uses only traditional brewing methods and high quality brewing ingredients.

James Squire began his brewing career as a convict sent to Australia on the First Fleet. Although he started from some very rocky beginnings, he ended his life as a brewing legend. His legacy and name are now carried on by the Malt Shovel Brewery in Camperdown, more then one hundred and fifty years later and this is their latest limited release brew.

This beer is certainly smooth and fresh, which reinforces its target climate. It has a rich malt taste and mild bitterness, while not being overly carbonated. There is a pleasant sweet aroma probably attributed to the malt used and it pours a pale shade of gold. I believe this beer is perfectly suited to our hot summer and is worth the extra cash at the checkout. You’ll currently be able to get yourself a six-pack of this limited brew at Dan Murphy’s for $17.99 and in my opinion, its money well spent!

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Well it’s certainly been a while since my last review and I apologise for that, but in the meantime, a new blonde beer has appeared on the shelves of many Australian liquor retailers. This attractive new beverage is Bavaria Blonde.

Brewed in Holland by the family owned Bavaria Brewery and imported to Australia courtesy of the Australian Beer Connoisseurs, this new low carb brew makes for a welcome addition to the Australian blonde beer scene.

For nearly 300 years the Bavaria Brewery has been producing premium quality beers and this new brew is no exception. Brewed using pure certified 100% mineral spring water that comes directly from the deep underground springs that run beneath the brewery. I’m not sure wether it’s the natural spring water or the traditional brewing methods used by Bavaria but this beer certainly does not leave you with a nasty hangover, like some other blondes have been known to do. Bavaria Blonde premium lager comes with only a third of the carbohydrates found in a standard beer which in reality equates to an average of 0.9 grams per 100ml and it has 28 calories per 100ml. Let me tell you this beer is a very smooth and flavoursome brew. It has a full taste typical to that of a premium import but comes with a refreshing finish. There is a sweet aroma from this blonde and it dresses in a light shade of gold.

If you would like to try this new low carb beer then head down to your local 1st Choice where it currently retails for $37.90 a carton, which in my opinion is a steal for this top quality brew. Let’s face it, everyone loves a blonde from time to time!

BeerAdvice rating (out of five):

A new addition to the shelves of many alcohol retailers is Platinum Blonde. It hit most liquor stores at the start of this month and hit my taste buds around the same time. Currently retailing for $39.90 a carton at Dan Murphy’s it is not a bad buy.

Platinum Blonde is a premium low carb, full strength lager. It dishes up 4.6grams of carbohydrates per 330ml bottle. How does this compare to another ‘low carb’ beer? Bondi Blonde has <6.6grams per 330ml serving, so in this case it does quite well.

This is the first product to come out of Six Star Breweries – which is the brand name that Woolworths has given to the operation. It is brewed in Australia by Victoria’s Independent Distillers using local and imported ingredients and was created by Woolworths with one goal in mind – to capture as much as 10 percent of the 420 million dollar ‘low carb’ beer market.

The beer itself has a sweet floral aroma accompanied by a dark golden appearance. Its taste is smooth but forgetful, as it quickly leaves your tastebuds. There is also a slight burnt taste to this lager. Overall for the price and the ‘low carb’ goodness this beer does alright in my book. It should be interesting to see what Six Star Breweries aka Woolworths will bring to our palates next.

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This is without a doubt the most refreshing beer I have ever tried. Miller Chill is inspired by the Mexican recipe for Chelada in which a light beer is poured over ice accompanied by a squeeze of lime and a dash of salt.

Miller Chill has had so much demand since its launch in the United States through domestic sales that it was decided by the Miller Brewing Co. in November of last year that it would be exported to 7500 stores within Australia. This light lager has a unique flavour which is quite mild and smooth to the tastebuds. A hint of lime can be tasted after the initial tongue tingling of its high carbonation. The aroma is sweet but unfortunately has no lime smell to it and its appearance when poured is a light shade of gold. Remember, like any beer it should be served cold to get the most enjoyment.

On June 7 the XXXX Gold Retreat was debuted at Sandown Raceway in Melbourne following the V8 Supercar Championship Series. It comprises of a huge B double truck that converts into a full functioning two level bar along with a stage for performances and if this isn’t enough to entice you it also includes a massive screen which keeps you updated with all the on track action.

The XXXX Gold Retreat will be coming to all of the Australian rounds of the V8 Supercars Championship series, with the next location being Winton Raceway in Victoria.

Unfortunately I missed my opportunity to check out this awesome feat of engineering here in Queensland but if you want to see it for yourself and enjoy an icy cold XXXX Gold in a guaranteed prime track location then head over to the V8 Supercars calendar and check out when the XXXX Gold Retreat is coming to race track near you.

Brewed and bottled in Australia by J. Boag & Son, Tasman Bitter is actually the intellectual property of Coles your local grocery store and it shows. It’s almost as if J. Boag & Son don’t want anyone to know they have a hand in its creation.

No where on the bottles labeling does it mention J. Boag & Son and furthermore the J. Boag & Son website fails to mention the brew at all. The bottle also lacks any brief descriptive details of the beer and its heritage. All you will get from its insignificant labeling is that this bitter is ‘traditionally brewed using fine Tasmanian ingredients’.  Labeling and advertising aside this beer is a cheap purchase. You can currently pick up a carton at 1st Choice for $29.99. A 375ml bottle of Tasman Bitter has a standard drink value of 1.4 which is average for that of an Australian bitter. As for the taste there is an initial tongue tingling bitterness that fades quickly in your mouth. The beer is crisp if served cold and has a sweet floral hops smell. The brews appearance is clear, light and golden with plenty of bubbles and a small amount of head when poured correctly.

Overall this beer is pretty average and for $29.99 a carton I’d rather get myself a carton of Oettinger Pils any day. I’m glad I only bought the one tester this time round.

BeerAdvice rating (out of five):

At first I was hesitant to purchase this beer as my local bottle store had it placed next to Estrella Damm which was a very disappointing brew, however it’s price tag of $7.90 a 4-pack changed my mind.

Memminger Lager is brewed and bottled in Germany with natural mountain water which comes from the great mountain range know to most people as the Alps. The Memminger Brauerei’s fountain uses brew water that is fed from the water strata of the German Alps as seen below. The ‘Memminger’ brand was born is 1998 and in 2005 ranked 8^th on the export list of Bavarian breweries. In its region of the world it is considered to be the most important private and traditional brewery.

This beer has a cloudy yellow appearance indicating a noticeable amount of sediment floating about. Its aroma has a sickly sweet smell of malt. As for the taste this beer goes down nicely. There is a slight creamy note with some malt undertones with little to no bitterness and it has quite a lot of carbonation.

This certainly is a special German import which for the price really cannot be shunned. Overall it’s an exceptionally drinkable beer that truly has no overpowering flavours and as I found out earlier, a 4-pack goes down nicely.

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