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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Coffee infused beers are here and ready to wake up the market!

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

Like most people I really enjoy a good coffee in the morning to get me going and ready for what the day holds ahead.  Until recently it had never even crossed my mind to mix coffee with beer, but as per usual the clever brewers at Matilda Bay and Burleigh Brewing are one step ahead.

Matilda Bay have gotten the head start in this coffee infused race with the recent release of Longshot, a coffee-infused dark ale pictured above.  I recently had the pleasure of trying this brew after buying a 4-pack from Dan Murphy’s.   It was an impressive dark ale to say the least, so expect a full review of it shortly.  The other contender for this niche market is the soon to be released Black Giraffe by Burleigh Brewing Co.  Black Giraffe is a black coffee lager that is due for release this July.   Burleigh Brewing have been expertly assisted in creating this brew by the team at Zarraffa’s Coffee and I for one can’t wait to try it.

With all these new infusions being released of late who knows what the future has in store for beer,  but going off what the market is showcasing now it looks like stimulating times ahead especially for the coffee lovers out there.

| Posted in Beer News | 3 Comments »

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

| Posted in Beer Reviews, Lager | No Comments »

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

| Posted in Ale, Beer Reviews | 1 Comment »

Kopparberg Pear Cider is headed down under!

Saturday, June 19th, 2010

Kopparberg Pear Cider is due to hit our shores this July, so you can expect to see it shortly at your local bottle-shop.

Kopparberg Pear Cider comes all the way from Sweden where its origins can be traced back to 1882.  This cider is vat brewed and is fermented according to an old recipe using water sourced from the town of Kopparberg along with the finest quality pears available.  The result is a pear cider which has 4.5% alcohol, is light in colour and has a refreshing fruity taste.  Kopparberg is available in multiple sizes overseas, ranging from 330ml to 500ml bottles along with 330ml to 500ml cans.  You can expect to pay about $5 for a 500ml bottle when it is released here, but until then you’ll just have to imagine what this unique pear cider will taste like.

| Posted in Beer News, Cider | 8 Comments »

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