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OFFICIAL BEER THREAD
http://forum.theobelisk.net/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=63		 Page 4 of 73
Author:  spiritualleader [ Fri Dec 24, 2010 4:13 am ]
Post subject:  Re: OFFICIAL BEER THREAD
Desertblues,

It was hard to find good beer in NZ initially, but over the course of my stay I found a bunch of really good brews. We can get that Epic here, but I don't recognize the other two. I'm curious, which brewery makes the bottom one?
I really liked Three Brothers and The Twisted Hop (Christchurch).

I haven't been to Australia, but my perception is the Aussies need to step up their brewing game. I could be wrong, so feel free to slag.


Dutch Gus,

I've always been a fan of the Chimay Blue and White, not so much the Red, but that's getting kinda picky. The Blue is best when it has sat and warmed up a bit. More flavor develops.


Now Drinking:
Bell's Two-Hearted Ale...a customer came in and we talked beer for a long time. The owner gave him a rare bottle to take home and he reciprocated by sending me a sixer of the Two-Hearted. Sweet. We can't get it out here.
Author:  NCR600 [ Fri Dec 24, 2010 4:33 am ]
Post subject:  Re: OFFICIAL BEER THREAD
spiritualleader wrote:
Desertblues,



I haven't been to Australia, but my perception is the Aussies need to step up their brewing game. I could be wrong, so feel free to slag.



For the most part, you're pretty much correct. Australia does some god-awful commercial beers, some pretty good commercial beers and some solidly good microbrews, but nothing particularly great, or particularly interesting for the most part. The best Australian beer I've had in the last 2 years was a Harvest Ale from the Bellingen Brewery, who have no online presence, no marketing, and no interest in selling it anywhere other than on tap at a stall at Bellingen Markets, one pub in Bellingen, and 2 restaurants in Coffs Harbour and Nambucca Heads. When I had a pint at the market, I saw some bogan chick tip hers out saying that it tasted like shit. That pretty much sums up the Australian beer market.

Australian beer drinkers have been brought up on fizzy pisswater served as cold as possible to remove any last vestige of flavour.

That being said, there's been some good semi mainstream breweries doing good beers Cooper's, James Squire, Gage Roads (drinking their Sleeping Giant IPA now) and a bunch of microwbreweries that are capable of producing excellent beers. The problem is, the marketing people won't let their brewers stray too far from the banal for fear it won't sell.

I have 3 microbreweries within 15 miles from where I sit now, and theyall do pretty much the same thing. A lager, a pilsner and a pale ale. One does a good, but not great IPA, but it's brewed for another company and doesn't get sold under their own name.

Australia is a very conservative place for the most part, and people are very afraid to do or try anything different.
Author:  Shaytan [ Fri Dec 24, 2010 8:36 am ]
Post subject:  Re: OFFICIAL BEER THREAD
Chimay Red is their 'Dubbel/Brune', I believe. With one exception those 'Abbey' Doubles are all too sweet to me (the only exception not being from any abbey, but in that style). Not too fond of the syrupiness of the Quadruples (in Chimay's case, the Blue) either, so I generally stick to the triples, which I've always found a bit on the sweet side as well, but esp. since I discovered American Pale Ales and IPA's.

I bought Harviestoun 'Bitter and Twisted' and Wychwood 'Wychcraft' Blonde, whilst waiting on the train last Monday. Nice hops, but 4.2 and 4.5% alc respectively is a bit weak, and American Pale Ales are definitely more powerful in the hops too.

Image

How do I crop pictures in posts, this picture is 4 times as wide as my screen?
Author:  spiritualleader [ Fri Dec 24, 2010 11:17 am ]
Post subject:  Re: OFFICIAL BEER THREAD
Shaytan,

you think anything with flavor (and not hop-heavy) is too sweet. Chimay Blue is all kinds of awesome whether your palate can deal with it or not. Ha!
Have you ever had Pliny The Elder from Russian River? I'm sure you can't get it there, but maybe someone brought you a gift or something. You'll like it. And if you don't you really have problems.

NCR,

thanks for the rundown. It sounds like Australia is ripe for a brewing revolution and exactly one of the last places you'd expect one.
Author:  mortlock [ Fri Dec 24, 2010 2:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: OFFICIAL BEER THREAD
im visiting family here in PA..went to a 'beer' store because you cant buy beer anywhere else [dont get me started on that retardedness]..and i find a case of national bohemian for $12.00. never had it but im sure it will be one of my new favorite pisswater beers.
Author:  Shaytan [ Fri Dec 24, 2010 5:26 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: OFFICIAL BEER THREAD
Maybe you're right Paul. In recent years I've learned to appreciate some sweeter stuff, but in the end it always turns me off..., because it is too sweet.

The complex tastes of the Emelisse Imperial Doppelbock were very interesting, and maybe the beer would be undrinkable if it hadn't had some sweetness, but mènnn, there was some sweetness there. Same with their 'Black' they put in various whisky casks to ripen, really too sweet.

BTW, I think American IPA's have some sweetness too, because last year when I drank 'em quite a lot, and I had some lagers at a concert some time, they surprised me with their bitterness. Be it Schweineken or Grolsch.
Author:  nachos4life [ Sat Dec 25, 2010 9:56 am ]
Post subject:  Re: OFFICIAL BEER THREAD
Alderis Porteris from Latvia was guzzled last night:
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and then a few of these bad boys.. yum!
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Author:  mortlock [ Sat Dec 25, 2010 8:26 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: OFFICIAL BEER THREAD
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Author:  mortlock [ Sat Dec 25, 2010 10:26 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: OFFICIAL BEER THREAD
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Author:  NCR600 [ Sun Dec 26, 2010 8:06 am ]
Post subject:  Re: OFFICIAL BEER THREAD
spiritualleader wrote:

NCR,

thanks for the rundown. It sounds like Australia is ripe for a brewing revolution and exactly one of the last places you'd expect one.


No probs, and of course I spoke too soon. My brother sent me up some bottles from The Hargreaves Hill brewery in the Yarra Valley, North of Melbourne for Xmas.

Their stout was a pretty solid effort, not great, nothing outstanding about it, but really quite good.

Their ESB, on the other hand was fan fucking tastic and quite unusual. Very big passionfruit aroma and taste on the front, with a nice bitter finish. I assumed they'd used Simcoe hops, but after checking their website, NZ Nelson Sauvin hops turned out to be the culprits. To my knowledge, I've never had a beer made with these, apparently they're regaded as quite extreme due to the very full on passionfruit note. They're called "Sauvin" because the flavour they impart is similar to the passionfruit in a cold climate Sauvignon Blanc wine, which is also a NZ specialty (and a favourite of mine).

I've got a bottle left. Will post pics tomorrow.
Author:  spiritualleader [ Sun Dec 26, 2010 11:26 am ]
Post subject:  Re: OFFICIAL BEER THREAD
I'll keep that in mind. My girlfriend fell in love with Sauvignon Blancs while in NZ, yet hates hops. I've definitely seen some beers brewed with the Nelson Sauvin, so maybe I'll continue my campaign to change her mind with one of those brews.

Maybe you should start homebrewing, if you haven't already, and open up a great Australian brewery. Someone's gotta do it eventually.
Author:  JJB [ Sun Dec 26, 2010 1:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: OFFICIAL BEER THREAD
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Author:  HeavyEar [ Sun Dec 26, 2010 6:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: OFFICIAL BEER THREAD
whoa, that's sayin' alot! Gonna look around for some this one.

Soundgardenia wrote:
This is my christmas gift to myself, best beer i've ever had:

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So glad it made it's way to my fridge today!
Author:  HeavyEar [ Sun Dec 26, 2010 6:36 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: OFFICIAL BEER THREAD
Is JJB thee JJB !, D.D.'s Lady?
Author:  Buzzovenmit [ Sun Dec 26, 2010 7:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: OFFICIAL BEER THREAD
My usual

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Author:  HeavyEar [ Sun Dec 26, 2010 7:26 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: OFFICIAL BEER THREAD
Buzzy^

I'm on my 3rd one this very moment this afternoon! leaning into a quasi-spinner in fact. Screw Monday! A lovely, if not slight sticky (yuck) brew. I can;t believe they put it on sale for $6.49\4pack. A case has 6 of 'em init. Now I got a case
Author:  Soundgardenia [ Sun Dec 26, 2010 7:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: OFFICIAL BEER THREAD
Super Bock was for sale at World Market, really wasn't looking for it when i was there but those two packs that were left on the shelve found me! Unfortunately they're all gone now...
Author:  Buzzovenmit [ Sun Dec 26, 2010 8:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: OFFICIAL BEER THREAD
HeavyEar wrote:
Buzzy^

I'm on my 3rd one this very moment this afternoon! leaning into a quasi-spinner in fact. Screw Monday! A lovely, if not slight sticky (yuck) brew. I can;t believe they put it on sale for $6.49\4pack. A case has 6 of 'em init. Now I got a case


I think it's a little less for the 4 pack where I generally get my beer. They have some of the best selection here for variety and just sheer number (100's of Beers)

http://www.yelp.com/biz/euro-market-astoria#hrid:w8woBLoN2RcgcMK0r8sDYA/src:search/query:euromarket

Old Ras is the perfect brew for me, it just hits the spot in the right way.
Author:  spiritualleader [ Sun Dec 26, 2010 11:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: OFFICIAL BEER THREAD
HeavyEar wrote:
Is JJB thee JJB !, D.D.'s Lady?


Yep.

Coolest lady you could possibly hang with.
In fact, I'm drinking a Maui Coconut Porter in her honor.
I'll be drinking a Ten Fidy in DD's honor in a minute.
Author:  Shaytan [ Mon Dec 27, 2010 11:17 am ]
Post subject:  Re: OFFICIAL BEER THREAD
NCR600 wrote:
spiritualleader wrote:

NCR,

thanks for the rundown. It sounds like Australia is ripe for a brewing revolution and exactly one of the last places you'd expect one.


No probs, and of course I spoke too soon. My brother sent me up some bottles from The Hargreaves Hill brewery in the Yarra Valley, North of Melbourne for Xmas.

Their stout was a pretty solid effort, not great, nothing outstanding about it, but really quite good.

Their ESB, on the other hand was fan fucking tastic and quite unusual. Very big passionfruit aroma and taste on the front, with a nice bitter finish. I assumed they'd used Simcoe hops, but after checking their website, NZ Nelson Sauvin hops turned out to be the culprits. To my knowledge, I've never had a beer made with these, apparently they're regaded as quite extreme due to the very full on passionfruit note. They're called "Sauvin" because the flavour they impart is similar to the passionfruit in a cold climate Sauvignon Blanc wine, which is also a NZ specialty (and a favourite of mine).

I've got a bottle left. Will post pics tomorrow.




Good call on both, NCR, the Sauvin hops and the NZ Sauvignon Blanc. I'll see if I can find them anywhere here. What you said about the 'passionfruit' hops reminds me of the presentation of Flying Dog's 'Raging Bitch' last year in Amsterdam: I would have put money on it that it had grapefruit, but glad I didn't.
Author:  NCR600 [ Tue Dec 28, 2010 6:53 am ]
Post subject:  Re: OFFICIAL BEER THREAD
Image

I'm heading to Melbourne at the end of Feb, and I'll definately be returning with a case or 2 of this stuff. Loving the Sauvin Hops!
Doesn't really pour with a good head, and is a bit "thin" in the finish, but is the best local beer I've had in a long while.
Author:  DYING OF THE LIGHT [ Tue Dec 28, 2010 7:15 am ]
Post subject:  Re: OFFICIAL BEER THREAD
Only Mac's black is real!
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Author:  Phantos [ Tue Dec 28, 2010 3:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: OFFICIAL BEER THREAD
I'm gonna work on this line-up this afternoon while I wait for my slow cooker stew to be ready for consumption...
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The Bell's and Ayinger are already gone a few days ago but there are plenty more Shiners Pils and (unpictured) Prescott Brewing Ambers!
Author:  h.p. taskmaster [ Tue Dec 28, 2010 3:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: OFFICIAL BEER THREAD
Quote:
but there are plenty more Shiners Pils and (unpictured) Prescott Brewing Ambers!


How is the Shiner Pils? I've only ever had Shiner Bock.
Author:  Phantos [ Tue Dec 28, 2010 4:52 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: OFFICIAL BEER THREAD
h.p. taskmaster wrote:
How is the Shiner Pils? I've only ever had Shiner Bock.

The Shiner 101 is rad.
It's totally a great pils.
My opinion of the rest of Shiner's beer is not so high but the 101 is tits.

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/143/55726
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