pub crawl generator - blog - Beer of the Week

Redoak Organic Pale Ale

Sun, 11 Jul 2010 03:57:00 -0700

I read somewhere that many brewers and wine makers used to shy away from using the label "organic" for some reason noted inferior quality. I think that practice has changed along with the public perception. Again, I think, we, as drinkers tend to have the perception that anything made with certified organic ingredients is more "pure" and "less messed with". As one of the few deliberately labelled Organic beers available in this country, Redoak Organic Pale Ale approaches "Ale Perfection" [More]

Temple Saison

Sun, 04 Jul 2010 03:48:00 -0700

Continuing the theme of Australian made Belgian styles is Temple Saison. A Saison is traditonally a Wallonian (French speaking part of Belgium) farmhouse brewed ale. [More]

New Norcia Abbey Ale

Sun, 20 Jun 2010 02:57:00 -0700

I had the chance to visit Brussels for a weekend last year. We were visiting friends who were living there. There were the usual "What do you want to do when you visit?" emails exchanged before the trip. My response was pretty simple "drink beer and eat chocolate" - which our friends made happen, including a great afternoon working through the beer menu at the famous bar below the Theatre de Toone. [More]

Las Vegas - various

Sat, 05 Jun 2010 20:56:00 -0700

This weeks beer of the week comes to you from Las Vegas. We are here with an assorted group of family members following a family wedding in California. I am fortunate to have two members of the travelling team join me for this post, Corey and Sarah. We chose a venue, "Pour 24" a bar within the New York, New York complex. Open 24 hours with 24 US micro brews on tap. Unfortunately, we only had time to try three... [More]

Mac's Hop Rocker

Fri, 21 May 2010 04:38:00 -0700

Sorry about the extended absence. My day job caught up with me. I have resolved to implement a new time management regime and most of all, remember that writing this blog is actually fun. There are a few beers, mostly made by Matilda Bay that have that instant "everyone I know loves this" aura about them. You know the ones, Fat Yak in 2009 and Big Helga in 2010. I have found another one. [More]

3 Ravens English Ale

Sun, 04 Apr 2010 03:15:00 -0700

One of the happiest days of my life was spending a day at the Great British Beer Festival last year. Cracking open a 3 Ravens English Ale took me right back to that day. There is something truly magical about a simple hand crafted ale. No over hopping, no double hopping no nineteen varieties of malt. All these things have their places, but so does simplicity. If this beer was a restaurant dish, it would fall into the "high quality, simple ingredients done right" category. It has a well balanced and well flavoured taste, nothing predominates. Just that wonderful combination of flavour and texture that makes you feel like you in are in one of those quaint English country pubs, just as the sun sets. I scoured Gordon Ramsey's "Great British Pub Food" to come up with a suitable companion for this beer and found it - a Cornish Pastie.

Red Duck Bengal IPA

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 03:16:00 -0700

Interesting. I was expecting that huge whallop of flavour and that pleasingly bitter aftertaste you get with highly hopped IPA. With this beer, not so much. Don't get me wrong. The flavour is there. Its just that is a little more cautious, a little more restrained. The nice surprise is the 7% alcohol content. Most of the high alcohol content beers I have tried have generally been less than subtle with flavour. The bengal is a notable exception. It has a slight floral undertone which is offset again, by a slight nod toward bitter at the end of the swallow. This is a great beer after a hard day, when you just want something pleasant, drinkable with a high ABV... Despite the name, spicy food should go nowhere near this beer. If I was in the UK - a very nice match for a good quality scotch egg. I'm not, so without further reminiscing about the wonders of British pubs, I would drink this with another British pub dish that has been exported...shepard's pie or an ale braised pie. I also think I should get some points for not doing a St.Patrick's themed post.

Holgate Big Reg Lager

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 01:22:00 -0700

I think I have worked my way through most of the Holgate line up over the last couple of years, except for the elusive Big Reg...I was finally able to get my hands on some and was not disappointed. It is a really clean, but very full flavoured lager. Very little bitterness with a nice toasty malt flavour predominating. I am now half way through a six pack and can attest to the fact that it ranks high on the scale for repeat drinking. Pairs extremely well with a crusty roll filled with loads of left over roast lamb...

3 Ravens "55" American Pale Ale

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 00:49:00 -0700

My wife is from the U.S, so every time I go back there, I get to sample the fantastic range of beers that a brewed in practically every part of the country. Over the years I have developed a very special attachment to American Pale Ale. So when my local bottle shop started stocking Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, suffice to say it was a very happy day (apart from the price tag). So in the interests of keeping the "beer miles" to a minimum and hopefully inflicting less damage on my wallet, I sought a locally produced equivalent. I had a chance to sample 3 Ravens "55" American Pale Ale recently. [More]

Feral Barrel Aged Saison

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 00:08:00 -0700

You don't get much barrel aged beer in Melbourne, let alone a Saison. So it was great to get the opportunity to sample Feral's offering as part of Friday night drinks. [More]

Big Helga

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 00:58:00 -0700

The wonderful people at Matilda Bay have given us another great beer. This time they have turned their considerable expertise to the much maligned lager. The result - Big Helga. [More]

Bridge Road Brewers IPA

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 22:50:00 -0700

Back to what I like best, a nicely hopped IPA. 34C at five pm ... after a long (15 minute walk) to the pub, this beer was a delight to drink. One to take care of the thirst, then a second to savour. [More]

Coldstream Brewery Naked Ale

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 01:22:00 -0700

I opened up theage.com.au this morning and read about Tony Abbott's "offensive" speech about immigration and immediately wanted to flee the country. It's not a matter of ideology, it could have just as easily been an article about Mr.Rudds recent discovery of strine. The descent into populism is something our politicians do so badly and frequently. Thankfully our brewers don't. Coldstream brewery is a great example of a beer that doesn't fit into middle of the road (and popular) taste parameters. [More]

Monteiths Original Ale

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 01:32:00 -0700

Beer always tastes better on Friday. The working week (for most people) has just finished and the weekend remains a promise not yet fulfilled. While the first Friday beer is always memorable, it is usually not the last. Monteith's original Ale is a really good "Friday beer". Enough flavour to keep you interested, but restrained enough with the hops and the malt so that second and subsequent beers go down very nicely as well [More]

Red Duck Ale

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:16:00 -0700

Sometimes less is more. Red Duck Pale, from Victoria is all about the restraint. There is no double/triple hopping, fifteen different malts or anything that is remotely avant garde, "controversial" or otherwise brag worthy. This is a beer to drink, when you just, well...want a beer. The flavours are quite clean, with a slight nod toward bitter over fruit and that faint "lager" nose. This beer really reminded me of the strength of the association between smell and memory. After the first sniff, I was taken right back to fond memories of sitting around the pub drinking beer after beer instead of being in an Economics class.... Overall, an understated, yet very drinkable ale. Drink it with grilled kransky roll (with onions) and listen to "The Breeders - Last Splash" (in honour of all the missed classes of the early 90's...)