Grolsch Premium Lager

Thursday, July 29th, 2010

Grolsch, Holland’s very own premium lager since 1615.

Grolsch Premium Lager is currently brewed and bottled by the Grolsch Brewery (Grolsche Bierbrouwerij), located in the city of Enschede, Netherlands. This brewery is a state of the art facility which has the capacity to produce 4 million hectolitres of beer.  This equates to more than 12,000 330ml bottles!

Most people will know Grolsch for its unique swing top lid pictured above.  I know many people who have happily bought Grolsch just to get their hands on the unique bottle which can be used for many things, from a water bottle to a candle holder.  Unfortunately, the mainstream Grolsch bottles such as the one shown at the top, no longer come with the unique swing top but instead have the standard pop top.  It is my understanding that you can still get the swing top on the 450ml variation of this brew but locating that size may be a mission in itself.  There also was a 1.5L limited edition variation of this brew that had the swing top but unfortunately I haven’t seen that bottle for a while now.  This fully imported lager pours with a full white, bubbly head that disappears quickly to leave specs of lacing on the glass.  The colour is a light gold, that is clear with plenty of carbonated bubbles sticking to the inside of the glass.  It’s smell is noticeable and inoffensive.  There’s a sweet grainy aroma to it.  The taste appears slightly bitter up front followed by a surge of sweetness.  It’s a pleasant brew that has a good balance between malt and hops, though I’m not sure how long I could drink it for, so be careful if you’re planning to use it as a session beer.

Grolsch is a decent lager and one that is still brewed from its original origin, in this case Holland aka, The Netherlands.  I recommend giving it a try for yourself but just bear in mind that it’s not a session beer and if you see the swing top bottles, snap those babies up quickly cause they’re hard to come by.

Rating (out of five):

Quick Facts : 5.0% alcohol – 330ml green bottle – Pop top

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Grolsch 6-Pack for ten dollars!

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

BWS stores nationally are selling a 6-pack of the fully imported brew Grolsch for $10.  To take advantage of this offer you must have a Woolworths Everyday Rewards Card, which can be picked up for free at your local Woolworths store.

Grolsch is a premium lager that is brewed and bottled in Holland.  It has 5.0% alcohol per volume and comes in a green pop top bottle.  Read our full review of Grolsch here.

This offer is valid until the 8th August 2010 and you can take advantage of it as often as you like, just remember to have that Woolworths Everyday Rewards Card with you.

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Old Engine Oil Porter

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

Old Engine Oil is the perfect name for this craft brewed porter, cause that’s exactly what it looks like.

Thankfully though, the taste is not the same as old engine oil, not that I have any idea of what that tastes like and nor do I want to.  Old Engine Oil Porter is brewed and bottled by the Harviestoun Brewery in Alva, Scotland.   The Harviestoun Brewery has been producing fine beverages since 1984 and has gone from strength to strength.  It now has a range of bottled brews from Ales to Porters and luckily enough for us most of them have made it to our shores.  Old Engine Oil Porter was given the silver medal in its class in the 2007 Australian Beer Awards and has won many other awards the world over.

This Porter pours with a creamy tan head that quickly disappears leaving the top portion of your glass coated with an even amount of lacing.   It is extremely dark in appearance and lets through hardly any light at all, which again is similar to that of old engine oil.  There is a dark chocolate aroma to this brew along with some roasted malt and an underlying sweetness.   The taste is impressive but overwhelming.  It has strong coffee and chocolate elements that go hand in hand with the hoppy bitterness of this brew.  Each mouthful is filling and has a sweet, sugary ending to it.  I can understand why this Porter would be greatly appreciated in colder countries like Scotland and England and with that said, I am unsure whether the Australian market will come to enjoy its uniqueness.

Oil Engine Oil Porter has the sure makings of a great beer, for example, there’s an excellent malt to hop balance to it but for me personally, this wasn’t a sure favourite.  The taste is overpowering and I can honestly see a lot of drinkers being put off by it.  You can find this beer at selected 1st Choice stores, so get a bottle and try it for yourself, just remember though, this is a beer that should be savoured and not quaffed.

Rating (out of five):

Quick Facts : 6.0% alcohol – 330ml brown bottle – Pop top

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Sapporo Draft Beer

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

Sapporo, Japans answer to the well-known lager.

Before I continue I would like to make it clear that this review is based on the imported Sapporo Draft beer and not the brewed under license alternative that comes from Canada.  Sapporo is said to be ‘Japan’s oldest brand’ with its beginnings being traced back to 1876 when the Kaitakushi Brewery was founded and Sapporo was the first Bavarian-style brewing company in Japan  The company now has five breweries located in Japan along with the Sleeman brewery in Ontario, Canada.  Unfortunately, the majority of Australia’s Sapporo now comes from the Sleeman brewery in Canada and still all this while it is being dubbed as ‘Japan’s premium beer’.  This rice lager is made with the use of two-row barley that was specifically developed by the company itself.  Two-row barley has a lower protein content to that of traditional barley and therefore has a higher fermentable sugar content making it more suited to this brew.   Sapporo Draft pours a decent white fluffy head that is short lasting and it also leaves a small amount of lacing on the glass.  It’s appearance is a clear Straw yellow colour and it has plenty of carbonation with bubbles collecting around the head of the glass.  The aroma is dull and subdued but there is a slight sweet malt smell to it that can be discovered  with further inspection.  Sapporo Draft is easy to drink with a smooth, crisp and refreshing taste but there’s not a lot more to it, taste wise.  It would make for a good thirst quencher, possibly after a hard day of cleaning the home or the like.  Delicate citrus flavours are evident but unfortunately the high carbonation conceals a lot of the taste.

Sapporo may well be Japan’s oldest brand, but unfortunately, time has not made this brew an exceptional  lager.  While it may be appealing to some, others will be left expecting something more from these Japanese Brewers.

Rating (out of five):

Quick Facts : 5.0% alcohol – 334ml brown bottle – Pop top

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Kronenbourg 1664

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

Kronenbourg 1664 is touted as the premium beer of Brasseries Kronenbourg brewers since 1664, well let me tell you it’s not anymore, at least not here down under.

The Kronenbourg 1664 we buy here in Australia is brewed under license in Victoria by the Foster’s Group and it is this version that I am reviewing here.  Originally Kronenbourg 1664 came to Australia from the Kronenbourg Brewery in France and the name Kronenbourg comes from the French village of Cronenbourg.  The other part of this beers iconic name came from the year in which the brewery was founded, 1664.  It was originally founded in Strasbourg as the Hatt Brewery but was relocated & renamed in 1850 and is now owned by the Carlsberg Group.  Kronenbourg is the fifth oldest beer brand in the world that is still being used to this day.  You can get your hands on the real imported Kronenbourg 1664 in Australia but don’t count on 1st Choice or Dan Murphy’s stocking it as I unfortunately made this mistake.  Kronenbourg 1664 is premium lager with an alcohol content of 5% per 330ml volume.  It has a crisp, clean and refreshing taste that presents with an initial bitterness.  It would make for a good season beer.  Neither of the two bottles I consumed poured with any noticeable head but they did leave an even amount of lacing on my glass.  There’s a clear golden hue to this beer and it comes well carbonated, which it quite noticeable with its mouth-feel.  The aroma smells of sweet malts and is generally pleasant all round.  A commendable point about this brand is it’s cap covered labelling and green 1664 embossed bottling.  Both add to the pedigree of this beer making it stand out from the crowd.

Although Kronenbourg 1664 may not be the most amazing lager on the market it does come with high regard in certain circles and its name has every reason to.  If you haven’t tried Kronenbourg 1664 for yourself I suggest you do, and where possible, read the label first and see if it’s the fully imported version.

Rating (out of five):

Quick Facts : 5.0% alcohol – 330ml green bottle – Pop top

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