Archive for the ‘Beer Reviews’ Category

Kwak

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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Bighead

Friday, June 25th, 2010

Bighead is Australia’s first true no-carb beer but, unfortunately it also has no-taste in my opinion.

This no-carb alternative is brewed & bottled by the Burleigh Brewing Company in Burleigh Heads, Queensland.  We certainly are a fan of their unique creations and have already reviewed their Duke European-Style Premium Lager and their limited release My Wife’s Bitter.  So why did we not like this novel brew?  You’ll just have to read on to find out.

Is this truly a no-carb beer?  Well according to the nutritional information section on the bottles label, it has zero grams of carbs per 330ml serving.  The company has also gone as far as to have this brew independently tested and it complies with the Australian & New Zealand Food Standards to have no carbohydrates.  It’s a known fact that mainstream low-carb beers generally lack any real flavour and unfortunately this brew conforms to the notion.  It pours a light shade of gold with no noticeable head nor does it leave any lacing on the glass.  There’s no noticeable aroma to this beer either.   It’s alcohol volume is 4.2% which is lower to other low-carb offerings, such as Bondi Blonde’s 4.5% and Platinum Blonde’s 4.6%.  The taste is uninspiring and almost seems flat but, I can see some carbonation happening inside the glass so this isn’t the case.  The taste is watery and doesn’t make you want to drink more, regardless of the fact it has no-carbs.  Negatives aside I’d like to say a few positive things about this brew.  Obviously the best part is that it has no-carbs, which is great for the waist line.  The labelling and branding of Bighead is fantastic and it caught my eye when browsing at my local bottle shop.  Another positive to this lager is that it’s 100% natural and has no additives or preservatives.

Ultimately the best thing to do with this brew is to try it for yourself and make your own mind up as to whether or not Australia’s first no-carb alternative is for you.

Rating (out of five):

Quick Facts : 4.2% alcohol – 330ml amber bottle – Pop top

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Rogers

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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Orval

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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St Peter’s Suffolk Gold

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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