Victoria Bitter

March 6th, 2007

VB! that’s not a boutique beer!

No, you’re right, it’s not, but would you believe, I have never drunk VB until tonight. Well, maybe once or twice, but never in a critical way, and that’s what this blog is all about. Also, I was given a six pack as a thank you, so I thought I’d take the opportunity to compare.

I couldn’t believe how poor it was. It’s unnaturally clear with a bubbly, uneven head that disappears almost as soon as you pour it into the glass. It tastes and smells like cordial, perfect, I guess, if you just want to neck a heap of grog and get legless, but if you want to enjoy your beer, buy something else!

Posted in - avoid this, bitter | No Comments »

Red Hill Wheat Beer

March 6th, 2007

Red Hill Wheat BeerThey say: “Fine Handcrafted Ale”, that sounds a bit too cute…

Cloudy in appearance, aromatic and is highly carbonated, lightly hopped with our own tettnanger fresh hop flowers

I say: drinkable. They go on a bit about their special homegrown hops, but they failed to thrill. Nothing wrong, just not quite enough of anything.

As a ‘wheat beer’, you expect to taste the grain coming through, and it is there, just not in abundance. The hops are there too, but it’s a light touch – failing to impart the fragrance you’d expect when they make such a feature of it.

Red Hill is such a beautiful location, this beer just doesn’t live up to it.

The bare facts:

Red Hill Brewery
88 Shoreham Road, Red Hill South, Victoria 3071
www.redhillbrewery.com.au

Posted in ++ pretty good, Wheat beer | No Comments »

Little Creatures Pale Ale

March 1st, 2007

Little Creatures Pale AleThey say: not much actually, just the name and address of the brewery and the usual statutory stuff. They do say one thing of interest that is worthy of mention; tucked away very small on the neck label “To best enjoy this beer, drink it from a glass”. Great advice!

I say: There is a lot to like about this beer. It pours into the glass with a lovely golden colour, just cloudy enough to remind you that this isn’t your average consumer drop and a creamy head that hangs around.

The flavours run the gamut from a sweet, welcome beginning through to a clean, citrus peel after taste. Smells good too, though perhaps a little too flowery for a ‘blokes’ drink. That’s a very minor criticism though. This is a beer worth buying.

The bare facts:

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

Posted in +++ very good, pale ale | 1 Comment »

3 Ravens Blond

February 28th, 2007

3ravens-blond1They say: “Real Live Ale”, whatever that means…

Three Ravens Blond is a German style ale. Soft and generously bodied, it is a beer that showcases fruity notes and a smooth lingering maltiness. The addition of Saaz hops from Bohemia adds a balancing medium bitterness and spicy aroma

Traditional bottle conditioning naturally carbonates this beer and helps add to its complexity.

I say: not bad! I don’t know about complexity and maltiness – to me it was a pretty clean, fresh summer beer. Not a lot of hops, but they’re right about the medium bitterness – just enough to leave your mouth fresh and ready for more. To me, some of these drier beers can have a bit of a chemical smell, but nothing bad here.

The bare facts:

The Three Ravens Brewing Company
1 Theobold Street, Thornbury, Victoria 3071
www.3ravens.com.au

Posted in ++ pretty good, blonde | No Comments »

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