Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009
Well basically this is Victoria Bitter’s first attempt at penetrating the low carbohydrate market and frankly it’s a poor one at that. I understand that VB have a hard reputation to lift but this new lager simply doesn’t cut it and here’s why.
Hearing the news of a new low-carb lager I honestly thought that VB may have been onto a winner but unfortunately that’s not the case, excuse the pun. VB Raw turned out to be the mysterious free beer which I filled a survey out for a month ago and had posted on the BeerAdvice News section here. A six pack showed up at my front door neatly wrapped in what looked like a recycled cardboard box with each bottle delicately encased in green gift wrap along with a VB Raw pamphlet. Now in terms of marketing and packaging I would give this beer 5/5 but regrettably that’s not what I review. As mentioned earlier, this beer is marketed towards the low-carb section and the younger generation of beer consumers. Its carbohydrate rating comes in at 1.9 grams per 100ml which when compared to a similar low-carb lager such as Bavaria Blonde’s 0.9 grams per 100ml, it doesn’t fare that well. The worst part for me with this beer was the taste, or lack thereof. I find myself thinking long and hard on how to describe the taste but my thoughts lead me to consider it as bland – it almost tastes as though it was watered down. There is no lingering taste whatsoever and it leaves your tastebuds saying ‘is that it?’ It has only a small amount of carbonation and pours with a nearly non-existent head. The smell is slightly sweet and the colour is a light shade of yellow.
I would like to thank www.inthemix.com.au for supplying me with a six pack of this beer for free, because if I were to have paid for it I would have been severely disappointed.
Rating (out of five):
Quick Facts : 4.5% alcohol – 355ml green bottle – Twist top
| Posted in Beer Reviews, Lager | 2 Comments »
Monday, September 14th, 2009
I came across this Australian made brew purely by accident one night on the town after visiting the Sky Room in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley. As I approached the bar I soon realised that the majority of my well known and regular ‘night out’ brews were nonexistent. Quickly assessing my surroundings I noticed the blue label of Duke in the hands of many at this bar and with that knowledge I made my purchase – Duke Lager European-Style Premium Lager.
Much to my surprise this lager is not only brewed in Australia but brewed at one of my favourite holiday destinations, Burleigh Heads. Naturally brewed and bottled by the Burleigh Brewing Company, in you guessed it, Burleigh Heads makes this an attractive beer in my books. It contains no preservatives or additives and is not heat pasteurised which in case you were wondering is the process of heating beer to a certain temperature which in turn kills all yeast and bacteria good or bad that may be residing in it. Most mainstream beers are pasteurised to provide a more stable product with a longer shelf life but in turn result in the brew having its natural flavour altered. When poured, this beer has a light golden appearance with a decent amount of carbonation. I didn’t notice much head in my glass but the taste was certainly noticeable; sweet, crisp and refreshing the way a good lager should be and this brew certainly does have some European characteristics to it. A sweet floral smell is exuded from the golden liquid. Remember, that like all other lagers, this one is no exception and should be served cold; the bottle recommends a chilly 6 degrees.
Though this may have been an accidental find for me I now know that I will reach for it with confidence. Overall Duke European-Style Premium Lager makes for one easy drinking brew that is not only crisp and refreshing but full tasting in a good way. Well done Burleigh Brewing Company! I for one look forward to trying more of your tasty creations.
Rating (out of five):
Quick Facts : 4.8% alcohol – 330ml amber bottle – Pop top
| Posted in Beer Reviews, Lager | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009
Lion Nathan has launched a new addition to their Tooheys Extra Dry range, 5 Seeds.
Have a guess what type of beer this actually is? Cider!
5 Seeds has been produced by the same people that made the popular Tooheys Extra Dry brew which is reassuring to know. It’s a medium cider reported to have slightly tangy apple characteristics coming through in both the flavour and aroma. Real apple juice sourced from Braeburn apples is used in this cider to produce a very light coloured beverage that in appearance can be compared to white wine. The aptly chosen name 5 Seeds, refers to when a perfect apple is cut in half across the core and in theory should reveal five seed chambers each with one seed in it. I can’t say I’ve ever had a perfect apple but obviously the creators of this beer have.
Unfortunately I have yet to see this cider make an appearance at my local bottle store but I am optimistic it will be on the shelves shortly awaiting my review. This is new territory for Lion Nathan so if you have already tried it, please post your comments below as we are all keen to know.
| Posted in Beer News | 39 Comments »