Another one from Red Hill brewery, didn’t know what to expect from this.
They say: Pale and crisp light bodied ale, fruity with a restrained hoppy dryness…
Certainly, it looks great in the glass – a lovely colour, but you sort of expect something pretty bright and sharp on the tongue… somehow it doesn’t happen. I think this is my favourite Red Hill brew, but it still falls short for me. Not bad, just not remarkable, I think overall Red Hill need to be a bit braver with their flavours. Middle of the road drinks might be OK for the big commercial brewers, but a smaller operation needs to make it’s name somehow.
The bare facts:
Red Hill Brewery
88 Shoreham Road, Red Hill South, Victoria 3071
www.redhillbrewery.com.au
I’m not really a stout drinker, (or a drinker of stout, for that matter!) but I wanted to complete the ‘Red Hill’ set, so in for a penny…
This is a pretty complete beer. There’s a creamy, fine, fragrant head that lasts more than the usual and underneath there’s a slightly cloudy, rich amber coloured ale. A balance of sweet and bitter – hops and malt, it’s all there. There’s even a hint of a citrus in the aftertaste that keeps you coming back for more.
Oh! look at that head!
Superb! I think I like this even better than their Pale Ale. There is still a hint of citrus, but it quickly transforms in the mouth to a satisfying blend of malt and hops with a fine bubble that doesn’t get in the way. The colour is a brilliant gold and clear as Russian amber – looks great in the glass, but the head did vanish rather quickly. Still, I’ll certainly forgive it that – and I’ll certainly buy this one again!
This is a special beer. It comes at a special price and I’ve never seen it in my local bottle shops. My ever-loving-buddy brought it back for me specially after a short sojourn to Hobart which included a visit to the picturesque Cascade Brewery. Aint I the lucky one?
Attractive, golden, clear and with fine bubbles – this is a nice drop. Cascade is not a ’boutique’ brewery, but this particular beer (along with two others) is only available in Tasmania, so I reckon that qualifies as a boutique brew. Nice looking bottle too, very traditional label – doesn’t pretend to be a work of literature, just says “You deserve a Cascade Draught”.
Another drop from the Malt Shovel Brewery, this time the ‘Original Amber Ale’.
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!
I had great expectations after their Pale Ale, not exactly disappointed, this is still a darn good beer, but I couldn’t help hoping.
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.