Category Archives: Beer review

Stone and Wood Jasper Ale 500ml $6 Byron Bay’s Stone and Wood Brewery recently released its third beer, a beautiful red-coloured ale, inspired by “German alt, American amber ale and English brown ale styles”, says the press release. It’s a full-bodied, smooth, malty style cut with a delicious herbal, hoppy flavour and lingering bitterness.

Little Creatures Pale Ale 330ml 6pack $18.99 While hops play a dominant role in Little Creatures, it’s not in the eye-popping, palate wrenching, malt-versus-hops arm wrestle we see in some hops-focused brews. A fresh, orange-zest-like aroma, derived from fresh hops flowers, sets the tone for a distinctively rich, aromatic, refreshing brew that’s easy to love, hop-head or not.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012 First published 9 May 2012 in The Canberra Times

Grand Ridge Yarra Valley Gold 330ml $3.35 Yarra in name, but brewed in Gippsland, Victoria, Yarra Gold is a deep amber ale offering sweet, golden-syrup-like, malty aroma, cut with resiny hops. The palate reflects the aroma with its generously, smoothly malty fullness, balanced by a delicious, clean, lingering, bitter hoppiness.

Lord Nelson Three Sheets Pale Ale 330ml $3.50 Three Sheets is brewed at the historic Lord Nelson hotel in Sydney’s Rocks area. The colour’s a mid gold and the aroma combines sweet maltiness with fresh, citrusy hops character. On the brisk palate, the sweet malt and citrus hops harmonise beautifully, inviting another sip as the lingering hops bitterness cleans off the finish.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012 First published 2 May 2012 in The Canberra Times

Brewboys Maiden Ale 330ml $4.42 South Australia’s Brewboys makes its beers and offers them for tasting at its cellar door, Regency Road, Croydon Park Adelaide. Their deep-amber Maiden Ale appeals for its luxurious head, lovely, citrus-like hops aroma, smooth, malty palate and tart, citrusy, moderately bitter finish. A resiny hops flavour dominates after a few glasses.

Wigram Brewing Co Bristol Best Bitter 500ml $8.08 No, not from England, but Christchurch, New Zealand – though brewed in the English ‘best bitter’ style, a branch of the pale ale family. This one’s deep amber in colour with a big, malt-sweet, opulent palate. And just when it seems a little too malt sweet, layers of countervailing hops bitterness flood the palate.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012 First published 25 April 2012 in The Canberra Times

Vale India Pale Ale (IPA) 330ml 4-pack $14.99 The McLaren Vale Beer Company operates the Vale Inn Taphouse and Kitchen in McLaren Vale and a brewery at nearby Willunga. Their IPA tones down the style a little, but still delivers a big hit of resiny hops aromas and flavours, support by a full, round, rich maltiness. Available at Dan Murphy, BWS and Woolworths Liquor.

Bootleg Brewery Settler’s Pale Ale 330ml $4.15 “An oasis of beer in a desert of wine” trumpets the website of Bootleg Brewery, located in the heart of Margaret River. We’ve washed away our cabernet overload there in the past, but found this bottle at Plonk, Fyshwick. It’s a pale colour with a pungent hops aroma, full, fruity palate and lingering, bitter hops finish.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012 First published 11 April 2012 in The Canberra Times

Murray’s Punch and Judy’s Ale 330ml $5.00 Punch and Judy’s ale, sub-titled “Ain’t no one pulling our strings”, puts heaps of flavour into mid-strength (3.9 per cent) beer. Lose the alcohol and lose the flavour, brewers say. But Murray’s uses dark malts and assertive bitter hops to close the gap – producing an intense, dry, lingeringly bitter brew of real interest.

Fullers Golden Pride Superior Strength Ale 500ml $8.40 Fuller’s luxurious ale carries its 8.5 per cent alcohol with grace and style. High alcohol tends to dominate beer flavour, but here it’s absorbed by the plush maltiness (pale-ale and crystal malts) and balanced by richly flavoured, bitter northdown, challenger and harvest hop varieties. It’s a sumptuous ale to savour with food.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012 First published 4 April 2012 in The Canberra Times

Sunner Kolsch 500ml $4.98 Kolsch – a protected name and a brewing specialty of Cologne, Germany – combines warm, top fermentation (like ale) with cold conditioning, like lager. Sunner is an excellent example of the style – pale lemon coloured with a dense, persistent head and ultra-fresh dry palate, cut by fine, delicious bitter hops.

Wychwood Brewery Goliath 500ml $6.24 Goliath, a deep amber English ale, bills itself as the “the beer to slay a mighty thirst”. But if that’s the aim, shouldn’t it be called David? Whatever we call it, it’s simply delicious – a silk-smooth, mild beer, balancing fruitiness, toffee-like malt flavour and clean, dry, refreshing bitterness.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012 First published 28 March 2012 in The Canberra Times

Schneider Weiss Mein Grunes 500ml $7.85 This is a strong (6.2 per cent alcohol), bottle-conditioned summer wheat beer from the Schneider brewery, Bavaria. The abundant head and intense, spicey-clovey aroma are classic wheat beer. Alcohol boosts the body and lends a gentle sweetness to the refreshingly tart palate with its appealing clove-like flavour.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012 First published 21 March 2012 in The Canberra Times

Hacker Pschorr-Munchen Gold 500ml $8.00 This is a full-bodied, light coloured (helles) style from Munich Germany. Luxurious comes to mind as we admire the dense white head and rich malty, hoppy aroma. The opulent palate fulfils the promise of the aroma, and finishes with a refreshing, clean hoppy bitterness.

Murrays Nirvana Pale Ale 330ml $4.50 The label describes Nirvana as a hybrid of the American and English pale ale styles. But to my taste the penetrating hops aroma, full, malty body and assertive, lingering hops flavour and bitterness point it more towards the American mould. Beautiful, fresh hops are the keynote – a great match for hot chilli.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012 First published 29 February 2012 in The Canberra Times