Thursday, October 20th, 2011
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, there’s something very special in that water down in New Zealand!
This is the second brew from the 8 Wired Brewing Co. that I have had the pleasure of trying, the first being Hopwired IPA. I honestly have to continue my 8 Wired journey cause their beers never seem to disappoint! You can tell straight away that this company is passionate about beer just from reading the label. What took my fancy was this particular sentence from the back of the red label:
“Please don’t binge this beer. We have worked too hard for it to be wasted”
It cleverly goes on to say the following under the barcode about storage:
“Heat and sunshine may be your best friends but they are beer’s worst enemies!”
At around $14 a 500ml and currently in short supply you would be mad to binge this beer, not to mention missing out on the experience of actually tasting it. This tall poppy pours a fantastic two finger thick cream head that dissipates slowly to an even ring of micro bubbles. The 500ml of liquid fitted snugly in my Duvel tulip glass. It pours a rich deep ruby colour and reminded me a little of gravy at first glance. It’s heavily bodied but moderately carbonated, so it doesn’t leave your mouth wanting to explode. There are big, sweet, fruity hops on both the palette and nose followed by a real sharp bitterness that lingers on to your next sip. It’s actually somewhat tart with the fruitiness which makes it refreshing I think. This was an outright pleasurable beverage from start to finish.
Tall Poppy India Red Ale is another absolute gem of a brew from the 8 Wired Brewing Company. I would prefer their Hopwired IPA to this but would happily consume either and thoroughly enjoy doing so.
Rating (out of five):
Quick Facts: 7.0% alcohol – 500ml brown bottle – Pop top
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Tuesday, October 18th, 2011
It’s been over a year since I’ve had anything from the St Peter’s Brewery in Suffolk England, but thankfully my local Dan Murphy’s store has reconnected us which was a surprise.
If there’s one thing that draws me into buying a St Peter’s brew it’s the green oval shaped bottle that appears to be unique to this brewery. The label on the one I just opened says the following about the bottle;
“Our beautiful flask-shaped oval bottle is a faithful copy of the one produced c.1770 for Thomas Gerrard of Gibbstown, just across the Delaware River from Philadelphia. The original is now kept at St. Peter’s Hall and is a rare example of an oval Eighteenth Century beer bottle.”
This brew pours a lovely clear ruby colour as one would expect and is well carbonated. The head is an off-white and soapy in appearance, and leaves dots of lacing on your glass. There’s a big caramel & roasted malt aroma to this brew and it’s very pleasant on the nose. It is an easy drinking beer that has smooth malt tones up front, followed by a dry hoppy bitterness but both are fairly mild. As mentioned earlier it was a surprise to see this beer stocked at my local Dan Murphy’s and hopefully if you want to try it your local store will have it as well, no promises. A 500ml bottle costs $8 and equates to 1.7 standard drinks here in Australia.
To me this brew actually tasted slightly watery and somewhat bland. Other than the green oval bottle there’s not much that makes this brew out of the ordinary.
Rating (out of five):
Quick Facts: 4.3% alcohol – 500ml green bottle – Pop top
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Friday, July 15th, 2011
Moa Five Hop Winter Ale – A Very Rare Beer From Aotearoa and indeed it is along with the bottle size.
The brainchild of Josh Scott is the Moa Brewing Company which was founded in 2003 after years of brewing experimentation. It is situated on New Zealand’s South Island in the town of Blenheim, Marlborough. In case you were wondering the word Aotearoa shown above and on the bottle’s label is Maori for New Zealand. This brew is a blend of five Malts and Nelson Hops and has an alcohol content of 6.2% per 375ml bottle which will cost you $6.50. Now 375ml bottles aren’t very common in the beer world, especially this one. It has an abnormally wide neck adorned by an extra wide cap that my BottleMate wouldn’t fit around – a tragedy I know……well not really.
This beer pours with a mammoth, thick, cream coloured head which was absolutely beautiful and similar in stature to one of my all-time favourites Duvel. It left random bits of lacing and was toffee like in appearance. The beer was so murky you could not see light through it. Its aroma was crisp, made up of citrus notes along with a big hop hit. Again there was a big earthy hop hit on the palette which was well balanced with sweet caramel tones. It was well carbonated and had a decent bitterness to it. This ale was an absolute pleasure to drink.
Again New Zealand has really impressed me especially considering these brews are all coming out of well-known wine making regions. Moa Five Hop Winter Ale is a must try but as the label states it’s A Very Rare Beer so much so that the Moa website doesn’t even show it for sale in Brisbane – I can vouch for the fact that is in indeed sold here but you may have to look high and low to find it, so go get hunting!
Rating (out of five):
Quick Facts: 6.2% alcohol – 375ml green bottle – Pop top
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Friday, July 15th, 2011
Hawkes Bay Amber Ale, it has an awesome bottle but is far from an awesome brew.
Brewed & bottled in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand which is affectionately known as Wine Country. It is one of New Zealand’s leading wine producing regions and also is one of the direst & warmest. Hawkes Bay Independent Brewery is a privately owned company that sits on eight acres of apple Orchard and if you haven’t already guessed it they also make a range of ciders with some coming under the Kingston brand. One of the company’s goals is to ‘brew all beers ecologically sound by brewing locally and using the finest New Zealand ingredients’.
What initially inspired me to purchase this brew was the uniquely shaped green bottle, which has a protruding circle halfway down the front with the brewery’s logo marked on it and can be seen pictured above. When first poured there was a small off-white head that rapidly disappeared and left no lacing. It has a deep amber colour and appeared slightly cloudy. There was very subtle aroma to this brew, some honey notes were present and otherwise pleasant. The taste was mild and disappointing and at 4% alcohol per 330ml bottle it could have been better. There was no bitterness nor rich malt body as the brewers website states and to me was watery and plain boring on the palette and certainly wasn’t worth its asking price of $7 a bottle.
For $7 a bottle I expected a whole lot more from this brew and the distinctive bottle was definitely a mask for what was inside. So if you’re a collector of unique bottles then I would give one a go but if you’re a seasoned beer drinker I would take a pass on this one.
Rating (out of five):
Quick Facts: 4.0% alcohol – 330ml brown bottle – Pop top
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Sunday, September 19th, 2010
The Barossa Valley is said to live, eat and breathe wine but here’s something a little different from the well-known piece of Australiana.
Pepperjack is a unique hand crafted ale that comes from the one and only Barossa Valley and is brewed and bottled by the Saltram Wine Estate in South Australia. The Saltram Wine Estate was established in 1859 by William and Edward Salter, where they planted 10 acres of shiraz in the Barossa Valley and set up a wine making shed and cellar on the nearby land. The Saltram Wine Estate now has vineyards occupying up to 45 acres of the Barossa Valley which grow their own fruit while also drawing on fruit grown from other vineyards in the region. This ale is sold at most well-known alcohol stores around Australia and retails for around $18 for a six-pack or alternatively $60 for a carton.
Now here is what makes this brew so unique, it uses the Barossa Valley’s own shiraz. It’s actually a concentrated version of the same grape juice used in the Pepperjack Shiraz wine range. Pepperjack pours a beautiful cloudy, teak colour with very little lacing and a non-existent head. Visibly this beer has a decent amount of carbonation. It has a sweet, floral aroma that is dominated by the fruity, grape shiraz. This beer has really grown on me from when I first tried it. I remember trying it for the first time over a year ago with family and I didn’t think much of it then and nor did my brother. Now for whatever reason, maybe armed with a greater knowledge of beer (and possibly slightly matured taste buds) I really enjoy this brew and would happily drink it without any hesitation. There is a definite fruity hops note to it which is nicely balanced by roasted malt flavours. Now considering this beer is brewed by well-established winemakers, it is an exceptional product and Saltram Wine Estate should be commended.
So if you’d like to experience the Barossa Valley but can’t afford to check it our first hand, or maybe you are just not a fan of wine, then why don’t you check out this Barossa shiraz infused brew. I promise you won’t regret it, nor forget it.
Rating (out of five):
Quick Facts : 4.7% alcohol – 345ml brown bottle – Pop top
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Thursday, August 5th, 2010
Voted ‘World’s Best Ale’ in 2007 at the World Beer Awards and I can understand why!
Bitter & Twisted is the second brew that we have tried from the Harviestoun Brewery in Scotland, with Old Engine Oil Porter being the first – the full review of it can be found here. It seems the more beers we try from this brewery the better they get. This craft brewed ale is fully imported from Scotland and can easily be found at your local 1st Choice store. It currently retails for $3.49 a bottle but that is further discounted by 20% if you buy 6 or more due to 1st Choice’s ongoing international beer sale and just to be more specific, I picked up a carton (12 bottles) today for $33.48, which is an absolute bargain for this fantastic beer. Now there’s two important things you should know about this brew; 1. It comes in a 500ml bottle and 2. It has 4.2% alcohol per volume. Don’t be put off by the low alcohol content, as this beer makes up for it with its many amazing flavours, plus the larger 500ml bottle.
This brew is an absolute delight to drink and has been exceptionally crafted as it has a beautifully balanced taste. There’s a delightful earthy taste from the hops which goes hand in hand with a relaxed maltiness. It honestly leaves you wanting more and more. It does have a citrus twist to it, which tastes to me like grapefruit rather than lemon. It Pours a cloudy orange colour with a half inch white head that lasts quite well. Slight lacing is left on the glass from this brew. There’s a sweet floral aroma that is very pleasant along with a fruity smell with evident citrus notes. Overall, very impressive considering this beer has only 4.2% alcohol per volume and it’s a credit to the brewers to fit all that flavour in.
I hold this unique ale in high regard and I honestly think it tops Harviestoun’s other brew Old Engine Oil Porter. It’s extremely drinkable and will leave you wanting more and more. Please go and check this bitter & twisted concoction out for yourself.
Rating (out of five):
Quick Facts : 4.2% alcohol – 500ml brown bottle – Pop top
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Saturday, July 3rd, 2010
A unique Belgian ale with an even more unique drinking glass.
Kwak was created by Pauwel Kawk back in the days of Napoleon. Pauwel was a brewer that lived in Dendermonde Belgium and owner of the ‘De Hoorne’ inn. The inn was regularly frequented by mail coaches and used as a base of refreshment for them. At the time, coachmen were not allowed to physically leave their coach or horses, probably due to theft. With this mind the ingenious Mr Kwak created the distinctive beer glass you see pictured above. It enabled the coachmen to carry their Kwak by hanging the glass on the coach while quenching their thirst. This glass is without a doubt the most unique drinking vessel I have ever used. At first glance it reminded me of something I used back in my high school science class but this time round I was actually enjoying using it. The glass is 25cm in height and has a round bulbous bottom to it. It sits snugly inside a timber holder and can only be removed by lifting it upwards and to the left making it a rather sturdy drinking device. The genuine Kwak glass also has a noticeable glugging noise to it when it’s in use. I was lucky enough to have a loan of the glass from a fellow beer lover, but if you’d like to purchase one for yourself you may have to do some intense searching around – Ebay might be a good starting point.
Now enough about the glass, let’s get to the beer itself. The smell has a malty sweetness to it along with fruity undertones and overall is pleasant. Kwak ale has a cloudy, honey-like appearance with a good amount of carbonation. It pours a fantastic off-white head that quickly disperses but it doesn’t seem to leave any lacing on the glass. There’s definite Belgian stylings when it comes to the taste and I noticed some apple flavours in the brew. Unfortunately there’s one significant downside (or upside in some peoples opinion) to this Belgian ale and that is it doesn’t do particularly well to hide the considerable 8.4% alcohol content and therefore I recommend it to be consumed slowly and in small quantities. The first bottle I had really knocked me around, in a good way mind you.
Kwak ale makes for an interesting taste experience but unfortunately its inability to hide the alcohol content may be a big turn off for some. I highly recommend giving this brew a go for yourself and if possible get yourself the unique Kwak glass and I promise it will make for a great talking point at your next drinking event.
Rating (out of five):
Quick Facts : 8.4% alcohol – 330ml amber bottle – Pop top
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Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010
Rogers’ is Little Creatures Brewing answer to the ‘mid-strength’ market and it’s a bloody good one at that.
This mid-strength ale comes from the Little Creatures Brewery which is located in Fremantle, Western Australia. The Little Creatures Brewery was commissioned in 2008 and is open to the public all year round with the exception of Christmas Day, when the staff are drinking at home, which sounds fair enough to me. Rogers’ is stocked at most big national bottle shops such as Dan Murphy’s and 1st Choice and a six-pack will set you back about $17. You may think this is a bit steep for a mid-strength but it’s certainly worth the extra few dollars over its competitors. It has an alcohol content of 3.8% per volume, which when compared to other mid-strengths is toward the top end of the scale, with the exception being something like Hammer ‘n’ Tongs at 4.0%.
Rogers’ is made using whole hop flowers rather than pellets, which lets the beer make use of all the resins and oils contained within them. The hops used in this brew come all the way from the Cascade Mountains in Oregon, United States and have been specifically selected for their bitter & aromatic qualities. This brew pours a quick disappearing head that is tidy when first poured. It leaves no lacing on your glass whatsoever. There is a pleasant floral hops smell. Its appearance is dark copper in colour and has good carbonation. The taste is well balanced with slight caramel flavours and it ends with a subtle bitter finish.
Rogers’ is probably the best mid strength beer I’ve tasted to date. If I had the option to pick this over other mid-strength beers on the market like XXXX Gold, VB Gold, Peroni Leggera, Carlton Mid and Tasman Gold, it would be my first choice hands down.
Rating (out of five):
Quick Facts : 3.8% alcohol – 330ml amber bottle – Pop top
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Thursday, June 17th, 2010
Orval is an authentic Trappist ale that is brewed in the province of Luxembourg in South East Belgium.
Orval is a unique beer which comes from the Orval Monastery located near Florenville, Belgium. The monastery was founded in the 1100’s and is run by the Trappist Cistercian monks. There are many things that make this beer unique, one is the bottle. It has a shape similar to a bowling pin and was designed by architect Henry Vaes along with the distinctive chalice pictured above. Another interesting and unique fact about Orval is that it comes from a Trappist brewery which only produces the one beer, which is unlike many of the other Trappist breweries such as Koningshoeven (La Trappe) and Scourmont Abbey (Chimay). Orval is a bottle-conditioned beer similar to Young’s Special London Ale, which means it is an unpasteurised living beer that is allowed to mature in the bottle giving it a fuller taste.
Orval has an absolutely beautiful sweet wafting floral aroma, that is extremely noticeable when the bottle is first opened. It has a cloudy caramel colour to it and is well carbonated. There is also a lot of sediment floating around in this brew. It pours a closely knit head that quickly disappears and leaves minimal lacing on your drinking glass. The taste is super dry, citrusy & sour, similar to that of grapefruit. It is enormously refreshing and leaves your mouth wanting more. This brew goes extremely well when served with blue veined cheeses. It is also well suited to the colder months. Orval is not an easy beer to get your hands on but selected 1st Choice stores and online retailers do sell it. A 330ml bottle will set you back $9.
This truly is a beautiful beer in more ways than one. It’s not the easiest to find nor the cheapest, but if you manage to attain a bottle, I promise you won’t regret it.
Rating (out of five):
Quick Facts : 6.2% alcohol – 330ml brown bottle – Pop top
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Friday, June 11th, 2010
St Peter’s Suffolk Gold is a full bodied bitter ale that is brewed at the St Peter’s Brewery in Suffolk, England.
The St Peter’s Brewery was opened in 1996 after the brand acquired a derelict agricultural site. It produces 15,000 barrels per annum which equates to 83,000 pints per week! The brewery also serves as a visitor attraction and offers brewery tours for £4.50(pounds) per adult. St Peter’s brewery produces a range of beers including Ales, Fruit Beers, Gluten-Free Beers, Porters and Stouts.
Suffolk Gold has no noticeable head when poured, nor does it leave any lacing on the glass. It’s appearance is a murky deep orange colour. There is a pleasant floral aroma to this beer which is most likely attributed to the Suffolk-grown First Gold hops used during brewing. At first the taste is fruity and sweet but it is quickly followed by a lingering bitter aftertaste which is actually quite refreshing. This is definitely a bitter beer with a strong hops taste, so bear that in mind if you are planning on trying it.
This beer was kindly purchased for me by my brother on his trip to Melbourne earlier in the year along with Gulden Draak from Acland Cellars in St Kilda. They have an online store known as The Beer Store if you’re interested in trying this brew for yourself. I enjoyed drinking this bitter ale and was surprised to find it as refreshing as I did. With that said though I’m not particularly a huge fan of bitter beers, at least not at this point in my life, after all tastebuds do change over time.
Rating (out of five):
Quick Facts : 4.9% alcohol – 500ml green bottle – Pop top
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