beer, beer, beer

Very nice. Right up there with the best I’ve tasted. I’m delighted to see a pattern developing - I’ve already learned that the rich, cloudy ales are the ones I like the best, so this journey is already yielding results!

This is not as rich and balanced as the Little Creatures Pale Ale, but is a very refreshing drink - loaded with bitter citrus flavours, not at all cloying and sweet

They say: Rather a lot! I don’t wear glasses except for the really small stuff, but the fine print all over this label had me reaching for the specs. I can’t imagine many making the effort, but here’s some excerpts:

James Squire India Pale Ale is made with Munich and pale malt, so it brews to a rich, golden colour with a robust malty character. Its earthy, floral aromas and faint haze are a result of dry hopping with English Fuggles hops added generously to the maturation tanks.

I could go on… and on… and on - there’s plenty of reading material! Don’t let that put you off though, this is a very nice beer.

The bare facts:

Malt Shovel Brewery,
99 Pyrmont Bridge Road,
Camperdown, NSW 2050
www.maltshovel.com.au

I had great expectations after their Pale Ale, not exactly disappointed, this is still a darn good beer, but I couldn’t help hoping.

So, what do we have here? It’s clean and fresh - plenty of the same citrus flavours as the Pale Ale, just not much else. Might suit some people, but I found it ended up being a little too simple.

*slurp* - actually, it is pretty good!

The bare facts:

Little Creatures Brewing Pty. Ltd.
Mews Road, Fremantle, WA
www.littlecreatures.com.au/paleale

This came highly recommended by a friend who apparently knew the manager of the brewery. For me, it promised a lot, but didn’t quite deliver. Not that this is a bad beer - it’s all there: the smells, flavours and colours; just not in quantities enough to break clear of the humdrum. It comes across with a whimper, not a bang - just a bit too clean.

I wish I could tell you exactly what they said on the bottle, but it’s already in the recycling bin, it’s dark and I’m not going out to get it, so this is from their website. From memory, it’s much the same…

The Hightail Ale is a traditional English style “real ale”. It’s deep amber in colour with a rich malt body and floral hop aroma…

…We handcraft our ales with the utmost care and avoid all preservatives, additives and pasteurisation.

There was also a line on the bottle about ’seeing the yeast’ in the bottle, as though this was proof of something. I did see the yeast sediment and it made me wonder how so much yeast could lead to so little oomph.

If you ever have to wean a friend off the commercial beers, this might be a good start. It’s all there, but not in enough quantities to frighten them.

The bare facts:
Mountain Goat Beer Pty Ltd
Corner North & Clark Streets
Richmond Victoria 3121
http://www.goatbeer.com.au/