Lindemans Faro Lambic

A new type of lambic to try - this one's a Faro, which I gather are generally sweetened and diluted versions of the proper sort.

I'm not sure what if anything was used to season this one but the caramel input's certainly come through to change the typical lambic development. The aroma is still sour with berry notes, but it also smells a bit more like a beer than normal.

Taste too is restrained, somewhat sweeter than the norm and somehow artificial because of it. The sourness takes a back seat in this and there's a sense you're drinking something a bit more like a cordial cocktail than anything else. It's sticky, and a bit artificial.

I suppose you could make a case for this as a sort of training wheels assisted pathway beer to the world of sours - but I'm not sure you're giving the right message.

It's probably more to do with the style than the creation of this beer but I didn't much enjoy it. Go the whole unadulterated thing or don't do it at all. 4.0

Green Flash Le Freak

Wow this is a massive beer.

9.2% of Belgian Tripel forcibly crashed into a US-hopped Imperial IPA. It does not lack presence.

Bright pink label an inspired choice and I actually think the beer itself may carry just a hint of strawberry itself too? Beautiful head is frothy and solid; creamy.

The aroma here was always going to be a battleground and you do get both styles in there. Maybe the hops just edge it, if you had to pick a winner? I find the alcohol pretty evident in terms of bitey front of mouth flavours, but it's not bulky or heavy as such - just sticky and full bodied. It all comes together pretty well without becoming too tacky. I like.

I'm not sure I'd want to drink this style too often, but for what it is, it's good. I'm maybe not a fan just yet but you have to acknowledge the showcase nonetheless. 8.0

La Sirène Saison

Great bottle and label.

I was quite surprised to see it was Australian actually - no disrespect to domestic producers, but this is a quite different approach to any other I have seen. Perhaps it's a good thing to help raise beer in the public consciousness to its rightful artsy state - but the beer will need to deliver too of course.

This is quite strongly carbonated and fizzes dramatically despite a sedate upbringing and weeks in the fridge. The nose is predominately lemon citrus and backing spice, not much funky yeast character as such.

Taste-wise it feels a bit faint on the whole, nice farmhouse bite first up, but a little watery, and lacking real funk that would push it closer to greatness. I feel like this is pretty smashable quaffing or session-wise as it finishes quite dry, but there's other beers that do that and they may give you a bit more delight along the way too.

Good try, not quite there yet. 5.5

Bear Republic Black Racer Black IPA

Bear Republic have been pretty solid so far, clearly a good brewery doing good things.

This is a variant of the popular Racer 5 but blackened up considerably. I found it a bit maltier than usual for this style, quite chocolatey but tasty overall. There's the barest hint of chili here if you stare at it in the right way.. maybe just miscategorised spice. Hop bite is present but as it warms, gets a little jagged.

I can't really put my finger on it but there's something about this that's just a bit less compelling than a lot of the other things Bear Republic do. It's a Black IPA certainly and quality beer, but just missing the mark somewhere with the overall feel and balance of flavours. Reasonable if there's nothing else going. 6.0

Nøgne Ø Imperial Brown Ale

You don't often see Imperial Brown ales, which is a bit of a shame in my book.

Then again, this one tips in at 7.5% which is not really that much higher than others you'd call a standard brown. In this case, it's more a style guide than a marker of potency.

It's certainly darker than normal - I have seen (admittedly disappointing) porters lighter than this. Nice tan bonce on it too. Taste and aroma are more or less what you'd expect I suppose .. or what you'd hope for. It's got a lasting coffee character throughout the mouthful, and delivers toasty roasty fun all over the place. There is a sense of porter in the taste as well to be honest, just in the way the mouthfeel, carb and alcohol are delivered but I think it's squarely in style.

In the space this occupies, it competes with a bunch of imperial stouts and the like as well but this holds its own as something unique and pleasant, if not revolutionary. Recommended. 7.5

Holgate Double Trouble

Just when you think you've tried all of Holgate's beers .. they pull you back in.

This one's a Dubbel by designation - admittedly a fair bit less complex than a lot of true Belgian efforts - but easy drinking, chewy and flavoursome. I get a lot of chocolate in this but melded with caramel / toffee and just a faint edge of rum. Add in a complex malty nose and a nice balanced, meshed character from a bit of time in the bottle and you've got a pleasant beer indeed.

I only noticed it was 8% deep into the bottle. Say what you like about it being an 'abbey ale', but I think it best to judge it on what it is than what it isn't. Great work again, grab a bottle and check it out even if you're not generally a Belgian beer freak.  8.0

Southwark Old Stout

Old stout, and looks it too.

In fact it kind of put me in mind of another regional stout I had on the road.. though this one has a bit more of a legacy reputation. In fact, looking at ratebeer it's pretty highly regarded indeed.

I found it far better than the aforementioned invalid, but nothing that special. It's a solid black pour supposedly based on an old English Russian Imperial recipe, but seemingly more often regarded as a Foreign Extra Stout and to my mind it fits the second category more naturally.

Aroma is of chocolate, bitter hops and slight alcohol. Mouthfeel is pretty highly carbonated for the style but then it's captaining a phalanx of blasting alcohol that comes at you after an initial dry cocoa introduction. It's complex but better than most and you'd think with a bit of label-work and redistribution via the Lion Nathan empire, could be selling a few bottles elsewhere. I'd like to see it racked over coffee for a while and see what that does..  6.0

Lobethal Bierhaus Red Truck Porter

Fresh (well, May 2012) bottle of the local SA porter. Well, the non-Coopers one.

This is a dark amber pour rather than black when you look at it in the light, reasonable head hangs on though a little loose. Nose is of chocolate first, fair bit of hops, little bit of metallics there too.

The mouthfeel is a bit too fizzy here, always a shame with a porter, ends in buzzing metalic alcohol but up until then, has a pretty decent choc porter character. It's not bad overall, just a bit nondescript - I've had far better porters, but far worse too. 6.0

Mornington Russian Imperial Stout

Need something to wash the mouth out after that last crime against humanity - lucky we have the ever reliable Mornington to help out.

Nice pour, couple cm of solid fluffy head atop a pitch black body. Coffee notes extrude first up but once you get closer there's a fair bit of fruitiness there too.

It comes across very fresh first up on the palate, perhaps this is still a bit young. Alcohol and yeast are certainly apparent as the wave subsides there too, along with coffee and some relatively harsh hops. All in all could use at least a few months more to think about things, mesh and meld a little better to attain its full character.

It's sedate and the mouthfeel is good so I'm confident this will grow into a nice beer. I can only rate what's in front of me though and at this stage - just needs a bit more time. 5.5

SorAlaMA Oooh! Barleywine

As soon as I saw Barleywine on the menu my eyes lit up and I'd plotted my course to this beer from when I first entered the pub. The time was now to finally enjoy it.

Except, two things combined to ruin this supposedly epiphanous moment. The first was the beer itself. This is both the worst barleywine I've ever had, and probably not a barleywine. It's 8.1% abv so just squeaking into the appropriate scale, but that's not where I have the issue. It's quite a cloudy brown sort of colour rather than amber and puts out a scent that's far too sweet. It's an artificial, candy sort of smell with a green grape edge in there and nail polish alcohol to boot.

My first thought on tasting it was that I should have ordered a smaller glass. It has a character of tart fruit and sugar, mildly reminiscent of Japanese umeshu. The flat mouthfeel is smooth enough but this is oddly sour, dry, solvent-like and just downright unpleasant. It's not a hopped up US Barleywine, or a pleasantly malty / smooth and deep English variant. I'm not one to protect beer class definitions by any means but this is no barleywine. I just don't know what to call it instead.

The second thing to ruin the experience was the staff. Yes, I turned up on a weeknight and maybe I'm spoiled at the excellent Sail and Anchor but witness this exchange:

Staffer: "What are you drinking there?"
Me: "A pretty bad barleywine, unfortunately"
Staffer (confused): "Oh, have you been to Bali then?"

Cue momentary confusion and massive facepalm. It's written on your damn menu board for chrissakes, apart from anything else. It's like serving these freaks continuously ordering cider and James Boag's Premium Light has rotted either the brains or the enthusiasm of most here.

Oh and Russian Imperial Stouts aren't necessarily from Russia either you idiots.

2.0

Doctors Orders Prescription #12 Belgian Black IPA

A new brewer in Sydney!

I don't know a lot about these guys, but their black IPA turns up on the money looks-wise. Which reminds me - Wheatsheaf hotel - I know you're hand-washing / cleaning glasses and these goblet ones are probably slightly harder / more expensive to do. But rather than make people choose between a straight middy / pot / whatever you call it and this "Fancy" for 20c more and exactly the same ml, how about you either absorb the cost, or restrict certain beers to fancy only, and put each beer in the best glass to present it. The 20c doesn't worry me but if you're a serious beer bar, suitable glassware is one of the easier things to do to help present craft in the best possible light.

Rant over - the last Belgian Black IPA I had was delicious, so I was looking forward to this. It has a nice roasty hop nose melded with tea-like barley, but the Belgian yeast is a bit banana-dominant to me in the flavour palate and really rolls all over the gentle roastiness in the palate. You end up with a beer that's primarily choc-banana, with a bit of bitter grass roast in the back seat.

It's kind of a little clumsy and spiky in all elements, not as smooth as it could be - but certainly on the right track. 5.5

Yeastie Boys + Lobethal Bierhaus Bruce

I have to admit I looked at the 3.5% abv on the menu with some disdain before ordering this one.

It came with a recommendation though and I'm glad I picked it up - great nose from the outset really lifts the spirits with both hops and barley present and accounted for. Nice caramel character there too.

Flavour-wise it's malt driven for the most part with some sweet cotton candy sort of notes. Slightly overcarbed I felt, but then for its aim of a low alc beer that's maybe not a bad thing. There's enough hop bitterness to push it over the norm for a bitter and crank up the interest level to something pretty good.

This is up there with Rogers and a couple others in quite rare territory at present: a mild beer that you actually want to drink. Good stuff. 7.5

Lobethal Bohemian Philsner

Hurr hurr, Philsner.

More importantly though it's both the first beer at what I'm told is an Adelaide institution The Wheatsheaf, and the first tap beer from Lobethal Bierhaus, part of what is an increasingly endangered species of Adelaide breweries.

Additionally, it's pretty good for a Pilsner and slid down very nicely after the 4.5km walk to get to this place. Good looking beer, pretty nondescript nose but a good bite first up then clean finish. Pilsner.

Good stuff! 7.0

Pretty Things Jack D'Or Saison

Fair bit of anticipation for this one after Pretty Thingseses' auspicious debut.

This is a change of pace as a 'Saison Americaine'. At 6.5% it's perhaps on the lighter side of things for (modern) Saison and pours an indistinct orange hue with a very low slightly disappointing head.

The aroma is of orange peel first and foremost and a cast of big spice in the background. Taste pretty much follows those lines, bit of green pear there too but the mouthfeel is quite oily and without any sourness / funk / carbonation to cut through it, it gets a bit heavy. Lasting spice is a nice touch, and it does have a quenching sort of finish to slake a thirst.

I want to like this more but, while there's not a lot wrong, it's just a bit sort of standard. 7.0

Epic Zythos

Another in the seeming storm of IPAs gathering over Auckland.

This one's different as it uses a new strain of hops named Zythos strangely enough. Apparently, that's a Greek version of an Egyptian word for beer. And you can put this Gregyptian 'beer' in with some other stuff, grains and what-not, to make beer. Makes sense, right?

This one presents pretty well, good looking and enticing, nice aroma of - to me at least - NZ and US hops. Perhaps it's a blend? There's a bit of a US twist on the taste too, but you'd have no trouble picking the origin I feel, it's grassy rather than bitter, bit of sort of bready grainy aftertaste too.

The hop combination and backbone here comes together nicely for mine and - again in contrast to ratebeer seemingly - I think this is therefore a better beer than some of their others. Very pleasant indeed. 7.5

McLaren Vale IPA

A rare IPA from South Australia, bright bottle looks good.

It's got good strong US / maybe Australian citrusy hops smell out of the bottle too. Once it's in the glass, malt is more apparent. It's a reasonable looking pour, decent head to boot. Nice work so far.

Taste-wise, this is a beer thattriestotalkabouteverythingallatonce and it's a bit confronting. Rather than having stages, it's like there's a burst of all different fruits, passionfruit and stonefruit in particular just jump in the door three stooges style and the balance kind of suffers as a result. I think it could stand to be a little maltier too, comes across as a little on the watery side which promotes a sweet fruit, almost berry vibe at times.

Not a bad beer - but not memorable or comforting either. 6.0

Grottenbier Bruin

So, a petite bottle of oud bruin which I believe is put together by that king-of-the-witbiers, he of Hoegaarden fame, Pierre Celis.

Oh also it's been aged in a grotto which certainly contributes a whole new layer of funky flanders magic. The aroma in particular is nicely sour and, while it's not as prominent on the taste, there are some plumlike traces that combine with the confident brown notes (?) to form a nice companion to have a chat with.

It's not the sort of beer that shouts about what it's doing - instead it's quite reserved, a soft conversationalist. If you take the time to listen though you'll find all sorts of interest. 8.0

Bear Republic Pete Brown Tribute Ale

Big bodied brown here, gives the impression of more than its stated 6.5%.

Its dark heavy brown-amber body pumps out a slightly too-sweet nose that made me fear a bit for the balance of the beer, but first impression is not too bad. Nutty, chocolatey sort of rich brown character, and flavoursome.

At this sort of low % I like a US Brown to be sessionable - ie either hoppy (to an extent) or dry enough so that you can send it back with efficiency. This beer's a bit too sweet for that and gets cloying quite quickly. Not bad beer, but not quite to my taste either. 7.0

Haandbrygerriet Bavarian Weizen

Unfortunate dark photo. These beers cost money y'know so it's the power that has to go.

This beer is Haand's effort at producing a Bavarian Weissbier with a wheat yeast, yielding in their words less banana, and more tartness than usual. Sounds like a nice approach to me with the potential to combine the strengths, and assuage the weaknesses of a couple of promising styles.

This bottle while in code was not the freshest, but the pour performed nicely with an opaque body and lemon / citrus / coriander head. It may be the age but I found a really pleasant malty quality to this beer, slightly unexpected from a weizen. The wheat yeast does its job too to keep it crisp and clean but still characterful.

Carbonation got in the way a little bit here, too strong front of mouth before the comparatively heavy body arrives, but again could be a symptom of the less than fresh bottle. Regardless, this is not your typical sort of Weizen perhaps but I find I kind of like it. 7.5

Haandbryggeriet Odin's Tipple Dark Norse Ale

Sometimes a variety of factors (low light, elapsed time, my own shocking lack of care) combine to mean a beer's mugshot ends up some distance from what it actually looks like in, you know, reality.

In this case though what you see is genuinely what you get - it's a massive 11% imperial stout that glugs like an oil spill with an almost studious evasion of any carbonation whatsoever.  

My notes for the nose on this one include the phrase 'complex Christmas chocolate' along with shortbread and other assorted biscuitry. On the palate though it's a mixture of complex and straightforward that takes a bit of time to understand. The label certainly confirms it's a beer they've tried to keep very simple recipe-wise (think stacks of choc malt), but the sheer bulk of it coupled with their use of wild yeast gives it a thoughtful sort of quality too. I got a fair bit of alc coming through on this, not all of it pleasant.

Our local bottle-o informs us that each time they get a batch of this, one particular customer turns up and purchases almost all of it right away, so it's certainly got some fans. For me, an interesting experiment but not one I'll be searching out again in the near future. 7.0

Mikkeller Spontanredcurrant

What do we have here - a strong 7.7% lambic from the gypsy himself.

Pours a guava sort of colour out of the bottle and produces a very tart impression of berries and sour green apple aroma. That's pretty much what's delivered on the palate for you also - big crisp sourness along with astringent unripe berries, and a wheat backing note. Sort of reminds me of an alter ego to Feral's Watermelon Warhead but a bit more pronounced and intense of course at nearly three times the alcohol content. Crisp finish, tart throughout, consistently makes you pucker through the glass.

It's like an abusive master this, smashes your lips in with the acidic astringency but once it's done you find yourself heading back for more. Morally questionable perhaps but satisfying all the same. 8.0

Red Duck (&Kissmeyer) Tasting Paddle

So, more by accident than design, we'd ended up with a veritable platter of beers from Red Duck. Enter the man-size tasting paddle!

I think I'd mistaken these guys for a sensible brewery in the past given their relatively restrained labelling. From this selection though you know you're in business with a serious brewer. Four beers first up that are all both ambitious and - it turns out - bloody excellent to boot.

--

First up, Gnaume, which a golden lambic. Yes, a golden.. lambic. So sweet and sour notes interact here - saison-esque, maybe witbier sort of notes are initially evident but soon washed over by a wave of good lambic funk. Taste-wise it's actually pretty grain-like, the sour notes are pretty restrained on the whole, producing a remarkably drinkable beer with not too many off notes at a 6.2% abv.

Spicy more than sour overall, much less extreme than expected but it all comes together pretty well, tastes like a meshed effort between styles and pretty much in line with the description. Dry finish belies the lambic character but makes it pretty drinkable. Very interesting but unsure how to rate. My only real issue is it smells more like a sour beer than it is.. funky yes, sour no. Not necessarily a bad thing but not quite compelling either. 7.5

--

Jesus.. to be honest I'd been kind of dreading this one. 11.3% alcohol 'bread beer' made with no hops, but lots of raisins and sultanas. I don't know but that sounds like something pretty damn intimidating.

Ra here is flat as a tack, deliberate of course but I must stress it is completely without fizz. It also has a massive sediment presence, and a big nose that's initially pretty hard to handle, nail polish alcohol notes, bad Year 12 drinking memories, reminds me of agave tequila in particular. So - let's not mix any words - this is a fucked beer with regards the look and nose. It makes me pray for the Swan Lager drinker that, after countless cartons of slop decides one day that 'you know what.. I'm going to try this craft beer thing' - that he doesn't choose this. My god it's .. intimidating.. colour and aroma.

Then you summon up the courage to drink it and - what? - oh this is lambic? And not half-way sour like the previous one. This gives your jowls that sort of locked-up quality they get with sucking a lemon.. delicious. Not sure if this was how the Egyptians had their beer but wow this is good shit.

It's probably not for the unadventurous, but this is a full on sour effort that ticks all the boxes. Ignore the label's claims of sultanas and raisins, there's no real sweetness or character there, maybe just a faint edge of sugar. It's just their 'sour dough yeast' efforts and expert process doing the job here. I love the taste of this, absolute brilliance, so impressed particularly given the appearance and aroma being so frightening. Great. Love it, highly recommended. 9.0

--

No, this doesn't smell like a pony - unless it's perhaps been smothered in mead first. For this is a braggot - a mix of mead and beer - and has a pretty beguiling nose really of amber notes, caramel and honey. No real alcohol aroma despite the 13.7% elephant (horse?) in the room.

This is evidently flat as a tack again, no aeration whatsoever, they've used buckwheat honey for the mead here hence less grain presence probably than normal. It's a clean entry, grainy floury notes, then it takes on that meady character before rounding out a spicy, slightly sour, then heavy honey finish.

Not as sort of enjoyable as Ra above if you're into sours, but then if you're a mead and/or braggot freak you'll be full into this. My only real issue is less ale character comes through than expected, which is fine, but I'm not convinced this is a beer at all to be honest, more a modified version of that honeyed alcohol. So nice drinking, but not the the quality of the previous.  7.5

--

Can we drink a beer with, you know, air in it next? Coz these really.. don't.

--

Well.. no. No we can't. For this is a dark lambic - sounds exciting, doesn't it. Looks are a bit less flattering sadly, brown, slight red tinge but overall... maybe not the best looking beer. Just as well then that the nose is so intriguing, a genuine mix of porter, shoe leather and funky sourness.

Tasting - bang! Wow, I was expecting a porter-like opening with the sour taking over from there but it's a pretty immediate explosion of acidity and the most citrus bitter of the three, followed by a chocolately sort of note that goes on and lingers with you as you recover. It sounds strange, but it's actually a really nice combination. Yum.

It's worth stressing that this is another lipsmacker and is balls out sour, so it coats your tongue with unrelenting bitterness - but as you're feverishly smacking away trying to disperse it there's just a hint of choc to calm you and eventually soothe you back. Wow. Excellent stuff, well thought out, well executed, love it to bits, top work, beer that's just really compelling and brings you back, not just inventive for the sake of it but damn tasty also. 9.0

--
"It's a sour, chuck it out into nature and consume it."

Apt.

--

Finally we had this little number in the fridge, another collaboration between Red Duck and Kissmeyer and a big Imperial IPA at 9.8% and using 25 different hops.

It's a swingtop bottle with wax, nice presentation and as homebrewers, happy to receive it into the flock. Big solid body evident here, little head.. a serious beer from the outset. Appears heavy and sullen.

I get mostly pineapple and malted mute on the nose, pretty quiet for what's in it. But then bannnnng, wow right off the bat this is heavy and full mouthed, oily, but distinctly IIPA. I was a bit sceptical about the method of the 25 hop additions, but the hop bill comes through as beautifully rounded and delivers a pleasant lasting bitterness. Delicious and another success to be proud of. 8.5

--

What a set! What a surprise, hahaha. What a top night. Great work to the brewer and accomplice. All in all a very impressive effort from the Duck showing commitment to beer, a real passion for the art, and the skills to pull it off. Much respect and hoping to visit soon.

Epic First Batch NZIPA

No idea what the numbers on the front mean here, 04.39.53 sounds more like an IP address than a date.

This one is a bit darker than the previous drop though it maintains the comparatively light clarity. Clearly not a bottle conditioning mob, these Epics. There's something a bit spicier in this despite the big NZ nose, possible rye notes I think from both the nose and the flavours (could well be wrong!).

This IPA stays a bit flatter and more mellow than Hop Zombie in what I feel is a nice way. It's drier for sure and in our hop-centric IPA fugue, the initial reaction may be to condemn the lack of sticky lusciousness here but I actually think it aids the drinkability of the beer substantially. I'd pick this to drink over the other even though it's less impressive hops wise, simply because the balance is better. And this from a certified hop-head when it comes to other efforts.

I'd drink more of this, but not search it out directly. Nice beer. 7.5

Brew Dog Dogma

In picking this up I had a mental image of it turning up kind of like the bottle - orangey amber sort of colour and sweet due to the heather honey used. Boy was I wrong.

Yep, 10 types of malt and wow it's black. Nice head too, and even from a distance there's a rich, malty smell that greets you comfortingly. You just know it's going to be a round embrace of a beer from day one.

And indeed it is a really convivial sort of drop but really surprising, quite different to any idea I had. The sort of beer you drink and smile as you place the glass down for another look. You just sort of have to say 'wow' and have a think about it for a bit. Lugubrious and sticky this carries a lasting burnt treacle character through the journey with delicious roasty flavours and honey smothered toast throughout. The burnt nature helps cover off on the sweetness, making it really quite approachable to boot.

Wow. This is a beer that's at once quite different to anything I have had previously, and quite delicious to boot. A really tasty mouthful, the sort of beer that's just overflowing with flavour and leaves you smacking your lips because of it.

In short, a real pleasure and still another example of Brew Dog brilliance. Much respect. 8.5

Epic Hop Zombie

Alright, another beer with a reputation and a frenzied swarm snapping it up as soon as it arrives on our fair shores.

This time, the bottle label glows in the dark in keeping with the theme of those dead prowlers of the night - nice touch.

But yes, this is a big fresh hop NZ DIPA and proclaims it from the first whiff. The 8.5% qualifies it for its class but in person it's really not that heavy on the palate or in the glass. It's a subjective note and appearance only of course but I actually found it a little too clear in fact, and would prefer it to be a bit sort of better bodied. It also comes across quite sweet on the palate for mine, fruity, with that aromatic dense green sort of character these NZ-only hop wagons can produce.

I've become a bit ambivalent about NZ-centric efforts like this of late and find often, the experience of just their hops can be a little cloying as you progress through the glass. There are some ripper hops from our neighbours of course but in terms of balance, I'm not sure they're suited to 'big hop' beers.

To me if I was after a lush and balanced IPA I'd go with Hop Manna or similar over this in a heartbeat just due to the overall package and lack of lopsidedness. If I was after a double or imperial IPA, I'd go with something with at least some US hoppage as to my palate at least, they deliver a far crisper performance despite - or perhaps because of - the clean bitterness and therefore feel a lot more drinkable to me.

So, I'm a bit disappointed here unfortunately and can't really see where the hype is coming from. Sad - I wanted this to be awesome but it's just not. 7.0

Furstenburg Premium Lager

Fizzy yellow beer is for wussies, the crew from Stone proclaim.

This sadly is probably an example of what they're on about - though it's not in truth that fizzy overall. Instead it sits moping in the glass, a yellow testament to the emasculation of beer. The nose reminds me of being a student who didn't know, and couldn't afford, any better, and it tastes just like that too. There's a beer in there somewhere amongst that weird sweet effect you get with premium lagers. An interesting revisit then to days past then, but I can't say I'm too nostalgic.

At least this one's truly from Germany, and it doesn't have that metallic crack these too often do. Slightly maltier than usual for these too which is nice, though it does also carry through a saccharine sweetness that's a bit offputting.

Not too bad a choice if you really must have a 'premium lager'? 2.0

Brooklyn Brown Ale

Pleasing sort of mahogany brown hue both bottle and glass. Clear but nice. Not the muddy sort. Unapologetically brown. I like.

Thin white meniscus of head only, but lovely aroma of big malts means it actually smells like a big alc beer just due to the depth of thick tendrils of smell. It's almost barleywine-ish in complexity and I'm surprised it's just at the 5.6% abv.

Yumm.. yep this doesn't disappoint, it's nice and full, great lasting ground coffee characteristics intertwined with caramel notes, what a delicious experience of a beer. Roasty and flavoursome, lasting, massive taste and staying power in spades.

Perhaps not a session brown as such - although it's certainly not obtrusive. But what a great introduction to the unknown beauty of browns for the uninitiated. Could easily be upped a bit on the alcohol front for a different experience again (is there an imperial version? If not, there should be). 8.0

Hitachino Espresso Stout

Back to Hitachino, with a bit more optimism here based on their last performance.

Hmm, big nose here, not bad but intimidating. I had thought this to be, well, not quite a gimmick but a beer very strongly based on the 'stout with coffee in it' trope and little else. Instead it's 7.5%, based on a russian imperial stout by the sounds, and definitely not your typical coffee stout. It's a solid RIS body for a start, pure inky black, with a loitering tan head. The nose settles into a coffee sort of mode with depth and complexity once it's had some time.

Tastewise too this is lovely stuff, a fine performance, and the depth of taste belies the abv in a way in that it could be symptomatic of a beer 1-2% higher. This is full on flavour, mostly coffee but with the notes you'd like from an imperial stout also, a beer that really indicates brewers here who know well what they're doing.

Really impressive stuff again. Maybe slightly sour first up, maybe slightly dry aftertaste as well but gee I'm picking faults in what is a very good beer. Recommended. 8.5

Stone & Wood Stone Beer 2012

Behold! A beer arriving atop a veritable palanquin of reputation in industry.

Yea verily, this is well respected and sells out nearly immediately each year, but I still managed to be surprised by the  appearance first up - it's actually really dark even for the 7.2%, and near impervious to light.

Big malt and nuts are apparent on the nose. Drinking wise it's like a big malty version of a session ale, kind of similar to the Hitachino XH but without any of the strange notes imparted by the barrel aging and the like that goes through. This is more conventional in a way despite its method of making and clearly accomplished nature, a good strong malt driven big ale played to the music sheet. The finish is reasonably quick and it's balanced to boot although the sweetness does drag it down over time.

Nice beer, maybe not up to expectations, but then maybe the expectations and hype have in fact done it in in a sense. Pleasant and would happily drink again - but not sure it's revolutionary. 7.5

Mornington Porter

This one pretty much rounds out the set from Mornington (I think?) who have performed really well across all disciplines. On results so far, if there was a decathlon of Aussie brewers, they would be right up there contesting for the podium.

Big nose here is better than expected, chocolate and oaty grainy smell, porridge. Nice.

It's interesting then that the taste immediately calls to mind ashen flavours, nearly to the point of tobacco style notes. That ashen note is a bit different to most but actually works well to make this both balanced, and compelling. Once you have a pull of this you end with a sort of sour  taste almost, but it makes you want more.

The smoky full development gives this a great complexity above and beyond the chocolate backdrop. There's all sorts going on here, not sure I get the liquorice as such but it's luscious and a pleasure to drink at an on-target 6.0% abv.

Much respect, very good work indeed. 8.0

Hitachino XH Extra High

Extra Strong 8% the most prominent thing on the label.. yet it's actually 8.5%.. you wouldn't get away with that in Aus. Even on ratebeer it's at 8.0% but .. haha.. read the Japanese bit. Unless they're measuring alcohol on a non-abv scale, this is more likely to put you over than it initially appears. Whoops.

The label suggests this one is brewed using more malts and hops than usual (yep), and matured for six months - well, this bottle's been there a bit longer so maybe even more so. It's maybe not in its prime this one to be honest and that, plus a mixed sort of experience with beers that market themselves only as high alcohol in the past, makes me a bit apprehensive here. Still, it's a tight fluffy head, and a pleasing strong ale dark colour.

After pouring, there's a bit of sourness here on the nose along with alcohol notes and malt, and the sourness makes me wonder about its age once again until I notice that this one has also been matured in both sake and shochu casks. This really does give it a pronounced funky character that I really dig alongside the nutty strong ale vibes. It's deep and complex and while I don't get a lot of the belgian yeast quality, it's all come across nicely as a package. Spicy caramel finish rounds out what is a complex and compelling beer, quite contrary to expectations.

Very, very interesting stuff.. can't wait to try more, and will visit next time in Japan. 8.0

3 Fonteinen Oude Gueze

Back on the gueze wagon.

The nose on this one actually has a bit of depth in it - sure it's sour town, but also something grainy like wheat husks in there too, I get the sense of discarded grind-off from a mill or something.

Looking at the label, there are a couple of clues. First, it's a mix of 1, 2 and 3 year old lambics here and maybe that explains the enhanced complexity. It's also actually 40% wheat, which probably explains the graininess. Finally, it's matured a year minimum after mixing and refermented in the bottle which explains the big champagney head.

Taste-wise this is a big sour alright, sour green apple peel, but also almost malty sorts of flavours, probably the most 'beer-like' gueze in my admittedly shallow experience to date. Yum.

Hard to rate this - it's far more drinkable than some other razor-edge lambics in that it's the sort of thing you could put away all night. But it's also less sharply sour than the others too. More beer like certainly; less sour.. hmm, makes it a bit hard to rate. To my personal taste I'd prefer something with a bit more bite.

7.0

He'Brew Hop Manna IPA

A bottle with presence, and the by-now almost common promise of hops - but just 6.8% and 65IBU.

I like the label design / presentation from these guys - it's strong, and distinct. Pleasingly, the beer itself delivers on that front too in terms of appearance and presentation - great nose, likely the product of a strong dry hopping regime consisting of centennial, cascade and citra as prominently displayed on label space A1.

From the first sip this is genuinely tasty stuff - not the overwhelming IPA that's become almost the norm in America, but a more balanced suite of flavours including a number of peppery spicy notes in the middle. When you're at this midstage it's almost leaning one almost toward hoppy APA territory, but then a lovely late wash of hops push it pleasingly into IPA territory.

Yum.. this is a truly well balanced brew, really compelling stuff all around. It's not berserk by any means but well judged clearly to style.. shows a great understanding of beer and brewing ability. There's a plethora of hop additions here and a really nicely tipped malt platform that leaves me thinking 'nah this doesn't actually need to be bigger' while still providing a solid body that doesn't overwhelm the starring hops.

For what it's trying to do - ie not just "MOAR OF EVERYTHING" - this is a purposeful, deliberate beer that is just a massive success, and there's not a lot I'd improve. Very impressive indeed. 9.0

Moon Dog Macguava

Smells like a sour out of the bottle, nice fruity notes, just what the doctor ordered.

Side note - I took the opportunity to weigh my shared pour on a handy nearby scale, 328g each in identical glasses - now that's pouring. Fluffy head too, good stuff. Fair bit of sediment here - doesn't worry me, but may put off some.

Taste wise this is good stuff - more or less as intended, witbier + guava, but this time it's an inspired combination and actually combines beautifully to take the sometimes challengingly sweet edge off the wit combo and mask it with some lovely exuberant juicy notes.

Top work! Far better than Melon Gibson, anti-semitist or not. I'm glad - don't want to slate these guys again cos their philosophy and their beers kick ass. 7.5

SorA'LaMA' gulp! Apple beer

"Gulp" is right, after my last experience (review upcoming) with this mob's frankly unlikeable barleywine.

I seem to have misplaced the image here which would normally invalidate the review .. but then, I feel it's kind of like a public service to review this one anyway. You'll see why. Pretty bloody elaborate packaging around the label above in any case, winelike plastic wrap over the bottletop for a beer with the mighty 4.2% abv.

This is supposed to be an apple beer of some description, with a nose of biscuit and lemon for the most part. Little bit of sweet apple around the edges if you search, and visually it's there certainly. Massive chunks - less chunks, more meteorites really - swirling around in this.

It pours with a pretty good head actually considering the above, though the chunks don't blend in even with agitation.

In practice .. 'lagerish' is the word that comes to mind. The mouthfeel's not bad but the contents thereof are bitey metallic offerings, the burnt and charred remnants of ales sadly lost. Bit of apple in there but covered in a blanket of things unwell.

To be honest I don't really see what the point of this was as a commercial release above and beyond the brewhouse 'experiment'. Worse than a cider and worse than a beer.

Hmm. 3.0

Anchor Steam Beer

Made in San Fran since 1896, this beer is a bit of a classic.

It also "is virtually handmade" according to the bottle. Not sure if a computer makes it by hand, or if they're treading a line here with mechanisation, or if it's a copout. The label also informs me that no-one knows what a steam beer is.. kind of arrogant. And then it says Anchor is "one of the smallest and most traditional breweries in the world". Seriously? I think plenty of breweries would argue with both of those points.. not a fan of the hyperbole.

Regardless, slightly darker pour than expected maybe, flat, pilslike nose but with something more there too.. a bit more body in line with (defining?) the California Common style. First impression actually involves a bit of nutty character both on aroma and taste. Aroma not great overall, but flavour profile actually rather good for a session beer. It has taste, and a light watery body that makes you want to scull it. All good says I, and I put it away forthwith.

So - writing a lot of fucking cheques there Anchor. Good thing for you that the beer cashes at least some of them. 7.5

McAuslan St Ambroise Apricot Wheat Ale

Darkish pour for a 5% beer, and no real head to speak of. Both easily enough explained by the way this is, well, an apricot wheat ale of all things.

For me at least buying a beer like this is an interesting experience, as expectations are set kind of low for the most part, but matched against a thin ray of hope it may be a flavour sensation. In this case, you first encounter a nose reminiscent an alcoholic apricot marmalade, thick, heavy, syrupy and sweet. Taste is definitely apricot, with a welcome spicy citrus finish. Sort of like a liquid apricot danish in places.

I'm not sure if this is brewed with fruit - or more correctly, how the fruit is used to achieve this effect, but it's reasonably heavy to me particularly for the 5%.

Overall, not my favourite beer but hey - I didn't really expect it to be. This does exactly what it says it would, and there's no point getting upset about that. Nice work, interesting idea well executed. 7.0

Epic Epicurean Coffee & Fig 2011

A special bottle this and had been incubating for some time in the fridge as a result. Finally cracked it open with good company one recent evening and immediately felt thankful for the decision.

The coffee on this is really quite extraordinary - it comes through stronger and more appetizing on the nose than any other beer I have tried, sharp espresso notes rather than the more general ground coffee elsewhere. It's got an enticing presence all round, and for good reason.

Alongside the massive smooth coffee presence this beer has also been racked over roasted figs, and coconut and both provide excellently balanced counterpoints to the main action. This was a beer brewed from a concept born from collaboration with a food critic by reports and it's both a highly successful dalliance and an example of beer as art.

I generally check ratebeer after completing each review, just to get a sense of where things sit in the wider community and the broader public sentiment. In this case this beer has been marked pretty harshly and I can only conclude it's the lack of really 'imperial' flavours going on. Whatever the reason it's a travesty - do yourself a favour and go grab a bottle while it's still around. Then thank me. 9.5

Lobethal Bierhaus India Pale Al

Believe it or not it's Top Gear in the background.. missed the Stig by about 1 frame.

I'd been keen to try these guys if only because they seem to be one of about 2 (McLaren the other) breweries actually still operating in SA (if you don't count wineries) .. even Beard n Brau has now relocated to QLD by the sounds.

So.. traditional 'bierhaus' name, beer called 'India Pale Al' of all things, label that looks more like a Christmas spiced seasonal than a refreshing ale, described as "hoppy british ale". Very clear pour but a bit sort of dull, small head. The malts are more pronounced than the hops on the nose in fact but ol' lupulus comes back in the taste. It's not apparent front of mouth early in the tasting but does appear from the midpoint as an indistinct burst of bitterness, somewhat muffled by the predominant barley flavours. Bottled Dec 2011 so while not fresh, not dead either.

If you quaff this, there's an instant where you feel some fruits but it is gone in a flash. I'm well aware these English variants aren't the hop wagon that American style efforts often are, but it's nevertheless a little indistinct and underdone for mine. That's not to say it's bad beer - it's just really not hit the spot for a beer marketed as IPA - UK or otherwise. And I'm still unsure why it's called Al. Hi Al! 5.5

Woolshed Brewery W Amazon Ale

Champagne glass pour.. bit limited with hotel rooms unfortunately.

Why the hotel? I had come to Adelaide, where while there's a Coopers flag outside every bar (no seriously - every bar), and a couple of Coopers Pale Ales in every hotel minifridge (a definite improvement on the norm), it seems wider craft is floundering. I hunted down a bottle-o to check out some locals and after the server has leisurely taken his 10 minutes to run up my 4 bottles, cracked into this hitherto unforeseen rare bird of an ale.

It's a very clear pour here with a reasonable fizzy head. The nose gives up pils metallicisms first off but then delivers something a bit sweeter, I had thought honey or something perhaps, combined with probably Australian Pale Ale yeast.

The body is pretty sweet overall, but also delivers some nice nutty characters at odds with anything I was expecting and these become more apparent as it warms. It's a bit of a spin first up but not bad once you're used to what you're getting, though there is still just that tiny itchy hint of metal on the finish holding it back.

Label says it's their inaugural brew made using solar energy, rainwater, and 100% recyclable techniques (good thing here, I hate seeing places using unique brewing techniques every time that aren't reuseable). Quite enjoyable on the whole - keep doing what you're doing, chaps. Perhaps there is a future for Adelaide after all ? 6.0

The Monk Bounty Coconut Stout

Aha, another twisted stout from this Fremantle crew.

And.. to be honest it looks a lot like the last one (better head though). So to avoid boredom have a go at the awesome paella they were putting on instead:

Nice work. To the beer though - this one generates a bit of lace and feels better carbonated from the beginning. The nose is enormous coconut, and for once the naming does the job beautifully when it comes to describing this beer: it really is a lot like drinking a liquid bounty bar. There's coconut milk, juice and flesh elements there and it's all pretty good stuff.

Not sure how portery this is on the whole - it really is a coconut festival - but it's good stuff, for one glass at least. I feel like there must be coconut fiends out there who would just camp on this stuff, putting it on their cereal and bathing with it .. for me, it's just good fun. Nice! 7.0

The Monk Sweet Potato Porter

Nothing if not an idiot, I was pretty keen to try my first sweet potato porter.

Hmm.. individual small bubbles in the head soon turn flat, not a great looking start, slight grey character to the brown edged body. Turns up far too cold off the taps to generate any flavour, mouthfeel pretty fizzy as well, bit artificial. Not the right sort of glass, and bloody big for a middie too.. so not great presentation overall.

The spices (allspice, nutmeg etc) don't turn up until the beer has warmed considerably and when they arrive, give a little sort of pepsi-like kick to things which isn't entirely astray. Apart from that .. it's just a bit hard going really, vague porter notes drowned out by vegetable tastes - obviously that's the point, but it just hasn't melded particularly well in this instance. A shame, because I like the idea.

Overall - I wanted this to be great, I really did. Good invention, middling execution, kind of disappointing presentation. 4.0

Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA

Dogfish Head seem to be a brewer renowned for 'hit-or-miss' sorts of efforts around the traps.

They're also probably a little confusing to the layman with their different 'n minute' versions of the IPA series for example - certainly were to me at least to begin with. Still, in this case at least they've produced a real beauty. Just to look at this beer is a celebration of brewing .. if you're on board with lacing (whether scientifically, or just like me because it looks purrty) you'll love this as it clings all over the place.

Fruity, juicy notes in the taste here make it a really refreshing, massively drinkable beer. It's not full on powerful imperial stuff, nor is it overly bitter, but just hits a nice middle ground at a very respectable 9.0% abv.

Not too much more to say here - it's a genuinely pleasurable drink this all the way. Now we just need to figure out how to "single constant 90 minute hop addition" and do it in our homebrewing.. 8.0