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):

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):

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 1^st 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):

It is brewed by the Posthoorn Brewery which is located in the Dutch city of Breada, Holland.  Post Horn is the English translation of the word Posthoorn and hence is the name of this brew.   Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of information as to the history of this lager but I will give you what information I do know.  Royal Dutch Post Horn comes in a six-pack of green 330ml bottles, each having an alcohol content of 4.7% per volume.  The standard green bottles have ordinary labelling, with white, green, gold and red blended together to try and catch your eye.   You can expect to pay $16 for a six-pack as I did at my local independent bottle store.  It is imported into Australia by ALM Imports in NSW and I have yet to see this beer being sold at 1^st Choice or Dan Murphy’s, so be sure to find your local independent bottle store if you’d like to try it.

This imported lager pours a fluffy white head that leaves small amounts of lacing on the glass.  It has a clear golden yellow hue with plenty of carbonation, some may think it has too much.  There’s a sweet malty aroma but is quite faint.  The mouth feel is creamy while also being a tad watery.  As for the taste  ̶̶̶  it is clean, crisp and dry and on a summer’s day I can see it being rather refreshing.  I found the taste diminished substantially after I had consumed three bottles for some reason and this made me call it quits for the night.

Overall, Royal Dutch Post Horn is not an outstanding  lager by any means, but it is certainly not the worst.  Personally I think this beer is better suited to the hotter, summer months so if you want to give it a try do so then.

Rating (out of five):

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):

This seasonal brew was released nationally last month, and is said to be ‘the perfect companion on a winter’s night’.  Well here I am on such ‘a winter’s night’, its 15°C outside and this brew is going down exceptionally well.  Malt Runner has similar stylings to a German Bock, which traditionally is a strong dark lager with light hop bitterness and an alcohol content somewhere between 6.3% to 7.2% by volume.  This brew however, has a lighter alcohol content of 5.2%, making it a dark lager rather than a German Bock.   The important ingredient used in this brew is cherry juice, which has been added to balance the malt flavours.

Malt Runner pours a lovely thick creamy head with tightly packed bubbles.  Although this isn’t evident in the above picture, I assure you it does.  The beer itself has a smokey chocolate taste along with a caramel-like malt finish, which makes it quite warming on a cold night.  I personally can also taste the cherry juice within and it reminds me of one of my all-time favourites, Belle-Vue Kriek.  The aroma is sweet, fruity and pleasant and its appearance is copper-like in colour.

James Squire ambassador chef Matt Kemp has created the perfect accompaniment to this limited brew, Bitter Chocolate and Roasted Macadamia Brownies.   Once I saw the recipe posted here I couldn’t resist but make them myself.  These brownies are indeed the perfect pairing for this brew but they are also sinfully good regardless of what they are served with.  They are so good in fact that I woke up this morning to the sound of my girlfriend eating one next to me in bed!

Malt Runner can be found at any of these locations.  I picked my 6-pack up from my local 1^st Choice for $15 where the whole James Squire range is currently on special.

Other limited release brews by James Squire that we have reviewed are Mad Brewers Orchard Ale and Sundown Lager, feel free to check them out also.  Sundown Lager was so popular that it was permanently made part of the James Squire range.

To conclude, this beer was a unique taste experience for me and I would happily try it again.  I would highly recommend you try it for yourself before stocks run out.  After all, it is limited to 9,000 cartons nationally.

Rating (out of five):

It’s a premium lager that has been produced to compete directly with Tooheys Extra Dry.  First of all let’s get one thing straight, if I had to pick between Dry Dock and Extra Dry, Extra Dry would win hands down and I don’t hold Extra Dry with high regard so go figure.  At first glance I mistook Dry Dock for Carlton Dry.  The next thing I noticed was the price, $15 a six-pack which sounded reasonable for a new beer on the market, so I bought a pack.  I love to try new brews but unfortunately this one was a mistake.

It pours a pale yellow colour with a short little head and moderate carbonation.  There’s a faint sweet aroma but nothing that really stands out.  The taste is bland and watery which leaves me thinking “is that all?”  It’s not overly pleasant and to be honest I don’t believe it’s worth $15 a six-pack.  The strange thing is this is actually the second lager introduced by Woolworths, with the first being Platinum Blonde which I didn’t mind drinking.  You would think they’d improve things the second time round.

I love to recommend beers to others but you won’t see me recommending this one.  If you must try it for yourself wait till it’s on special, preferably $10 a six-pack or better yet wait for a party to happen and steal one off your mate if they’ve bought some.

Rating (out of five):

There’s no specific criteria to get this special , you just have to walk into your local Dan Murphy’s to take advantage of it.

But be quick as this special is set to end at close of business this Sunday 2nd May 2010.

Also Dan Murphy’s will be open this Labour Day Monday (Queensland) from 9am – 6pm.

Our full review of Corona can be found here.

Simply head to your local BWS store, pickup as many 6-packs of Carlsberg as you like and show your Everyday Rewards card at the register.  The RRP of a Carlsberg 6-pack is generally around the $17 dollar mark, so this makes for a saving of $7  per 6-pack.

This offer ends Sunday 9th May 2010, so make the most of it while you can.  You can redeem this offer as often as you like before the end date.

For our full review of Carlsberg click here.

Cheers!

Coopers have joined the current ‘low carb’ craze which appears to be saturating the market of late.   I was hesitant at first of trying this new brew probably due to the fact some of the recent low carb beers can be tasteless and watery but since drinking Coopers Clear I haven’t looked back.  The family owned Coopers Company have been creating quality beer products since 1862 and this brew is said to be the beginning of their next generation of products.

Coopers Clear is a full strength low carbohydrate, dry beer aka lager.  It has a light golden colour, with a quickly disappearing creamy white head that leaves a ring around the inside of your glass.  There is a decent amount of carbonation in it, which adds to the taste.  The taste is dry, crisp and especially refreshing – it seems like the perfect summer beer on a hot hot day.  The aroma is mild with some sweet fruity undertones.

Currently there appears to be alot of dislike appearing around the place regarding this brew but I beg to differ and think it’s a refreshing summer beer that hits the spot nicely, so much so that I bought a carton of it last week for $37 from First Choice, which seemed to be a decent price.  Like anything you should try this brew for yourself and at $15 a six-pack it won’t break the bank, then you can make your own mind up and leave your thoughts for others to read, cheers!

Rating (out of five):