Monthly Archives: March 2009

Beer review — Brew Dog Punk and Young’s Kew Gold

4 March 2009Beer reviewChris Shanahan

Brew Dog Punk IPA $7.50
The sub-title is ‘post modern classic pale ale’ — not that the brewer’s pretentious. In the glass is a mid-lemon-coloured ale with an appealingly malty, hoppy aroma. The palate’s where the punk comes out – it’s aggressively flavoured with a spiky, very bitter, going on acrid finish. Not my cup of tea, so to speak.

Young’s Kew Gold Bottle Conditioned Ale 500ml $7.60
This delicious, pale-golden ale salutes the species-conservation work being done at England’s Kew Gardens. It’s a distinctive, more-ish style because of its light colour and harmonious brisk, tart, bitter hops finish. It’s an unobtrusive, easy-drinking but complex beer. The label says that Young’s donate a portion of sales to Kew Gardens.

Lion to bring Mac’s beer to Australia

4 March 2009BeerChris Shanahan

Fine Wine partners, the wine distribution arm of brewer Lion Nathan is about to launch Mac’s beer in Australia. The Canberra kick off (at Parlour Wine Room) will be done and dusted by the time you read this. But if you miss the party, there’ll be no shortage of beer afterwards.

I’ve drunk various Mac’s brews in New Zealand over the years and always found them to be first rate. They’re beers you can enjoy to the last drop.

Although Lion Nathan bought the brand years ago from founder Terry McCashin the beers, from what I’ve tasted, haven’t been dumbed down.

It seems a bit like the situation in Australia where Lion has a stake in Little Creatures Brewery, Fremantle, and owns the Malt Shovel/James Squire Brewery in Sydney outright. Both make very fine ‘craft’ beers but in comparatively large volumes – meaning that they’re easily accessible for most drinkers.

I’m looking forward to tasting and reviewing the Mac’s Aussie range (they’re not available as I write) as soon as they arrive. Like the other Lion beers they should be widely available and priced realistically.

Wine review — Tar & Roses and McKellar Ridge

1 March 2009Wine reviewChris Shanahan

Tar & Roses Heathcote Tempranillo 2007 $24
Tar & Rose Priorat D.O. (Spain) Miro 2006 $49
Don Lewis (former Mitchelton winemaker) and Narelle King (a protégé of Don’s) make the Tar & Roses wines here and in Spain. Tempranillo (a Spanish variety) seems well suited to Victoria’s Heathcote region and shows real class in this example from the 2007 vintage. It’s dense and vibrant with juicy, ripe fruit flavours and persistent real-red tannins – distinctive and powerful but not heavy. The Spanish red (predominantly grenache and carinenena with a little shiraz, cabernet and merlot) is beautifully fragrant with a deliciously harmonious, fine palate that belies its 15 per cent alcohol – one bottle won’t be enough.

Tar & Roses Central Victoria Pinot Grigio 2008 $18
Pinot grigio (aka pinot gris), a mutant of pinot noir, can be sweet, dry (or somewhere in between), watery, grey, golden or pink. The majority are bland. But occasionally a winemaker captures the pear-like varietal flavour with the rich texture and backbone you’d expect from pinot – something Don Lewis and Narelle King achieve in this modestly priced drop. It’s just lovely to drink now and makes an interesting change from riesling, sauvignon blanc, semillon or chardonnay. It’s sourced from the Strathbogie Ranges, Nagambie Lakes and Sunbury, Victoria.

McKellar Ridge Canberra District Shiraz Viognier 2007 and Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc 2007 $24
In a district of small makers, McKellar Ridge is a small, small winemaker, handcrafting batches of wines from the Point of View Vineyard, Murrumbateman. It’s not that easy making tiny batches as there’s no big pot to tip the mistakes into. But if winemaker Brian Johnston makes mistakes, it’s a well-hidden secret as the quality’s been consistently good and the prices modest. Brian’s latest shiraz viognier’s in the taut, fine Canberra style with an assertive vein of spicy oak biting through the very good fruit. There’s nice fruit in the cabernet, too, but it’s offset by the grippy tannins of the variety. They’re attractive, elegant wines and should be even better in 6–12 months.