Archive for September, 2007

Belle-Vue Kriek

Thursday, September 27th, 2007

Without a doubt this would have to be one of the best tasting beers I have ever had the pleasure of drinking.

This beer is unlike any I have tried before and is actually classed as a fruit beer for reasons I will soon explain. It is created with the addition of two important and unique ingredients, ripened Morello cherries and elderberry juice. It is then left to mature in oak casks, where the ageing process can last for 2-3 years before the beer is ready for drinking. The result of all this is a truly beautiful tasting fruit beer with a distinct tartness.  Belle-Vue Kriek is a Lambic style beer which traditionally are only brewed in Belgium.  Lambic beers are fermented differently to conventional beers using a process called spontaneous fermentation.  This unique process gives the beer a distinctive flavour which in this case is very true.  

Not only is the taste of this beer unique but so is its appearance. It is a cherry colour when poured along with a creamy full head and a pleasant fruity smell.

Belle-Vue Kriek

Unfortunately there are a few downsides to this beautiful beer;

1. Its price tag and

2. Its availability.

This may be due to the fact that it is fully imported from Belgium.

So if you’re looking to purchase the beer in bottled form you will generally be paying over $8 for a 375ml bottle and in my experience the best place to buy it from is 1st Choice. However, if you’d rather experience this fantastic beer on tap then head to the Belgian Beer Café in Brisbane’s CBD. This is where I first tried this wonderful brew.

Overall this is a truly unique tasting beer and paying that little bit extra is well worth it. I highly recommend you try it out for yourself sometime.

Rating (out of five):

Quick Facts : 5.1% alcohol – 375ml green bottle – Cork top

| Posted in Beer Reviews, Lambic | 5 Comments »

Tooheys New

Monday, September 10th, 2007

Is it a new or old beer, what do you think?

Well believe it or not Tooheys New has been bottled since 1976, the only difference is that it was brewed under a different name – Tooheys Draught.

Tooheys beers were created back in 1869 when two brothers from Ireland bought a brewery here in Australia. Tooheys Old Black Ale was one of their first creations and is still around to this day. Since 1869 the Tooheys brand has grown immensely and the results of this growth can easily be seen in most pubs and advertisements at many sporting events. Tooheys New is the official beer of the prestigious Melbourne Cup and is a proud supporter of the Australian Wallabies. Tooheys New is on tap at most local pubs and clubs and is also generally sold bottled or canned at these venues, making it one of the easiest beers to get your hands on.

Tooheys New

This beer has a bitter taste to it, but don’t be turned off by this as it makes for a smooth, crisp drinking beer. It has a strong smell of hops and I believe you can nearly smell the bitterness lingering in the bottle. Light amber is the beer’s colour. A great advantage of this beer is that it is generally quite cheap to purchase, only the other day I saw a 6-pack going for $10 at Twin Towns RSL at Tweed Heads.

So if you’re after a cheap night or just want to give those taste buds a bitter twist, Tooheys New is the beer for you.

Rating (out of five):

Quick Facts : 4.6% alcohol – 375ml amber bottle – Twist top

| Posted in Beer Reviews, Lager | 3 Comments »