Whats the best beer you've had & why?

[wespelarno]

Just went to the wig and pen again, for the first time in far to long. Autumns seasonal's are perfect. A wicked American pale ale, a proper English special bitter and something called beaver which is a not quite stout. I shall be reappraising my beer consumption after realising how good their stuff is.

 

[hach_bee]

Budwar is UGH! On tap is bearable but sadly I prefer the American...

 

[wespelarno]

Budwar is UGH! On tap is bearable but sadly I prefer the American...

I think you have it backwards. Budvar: Good. Budweiser: Bad. The key selling point of budvar over budweiser for me is that it has a flavour. Budweiser is good on a hot as hell day when you want something ice cold and refreshing to drink. For all other situations, Budvar wins out. Where did you drink it? You may have got an old batch if the place doesn't do a good turn around.

 

[MasterOfReality]

What the fuck is the go with the price of Warsteiner?

Last time I was in Wollongong I saw it in Figtree Cellars for $45 a case.

My local Dan M up here in Brisbane has it for $90 a case.

Even the beerstore.com.au has it $80 a case.

 

[NZSNOWDOG]

Not much of a beer drinker anymore,but would have to be monteiths,then macs ale.Purely for taste.

 

[stoff]

I guess it's an art, combining malt, hops, yeast and water to make a drink that tastes of nothing much at all

I went to a beer tasting hosted by one of the brewers from Hargreave's Hill who made that exact point. There has been alot of technical skill and endeavor over the years to get it to that point. If only they could use their powers for good instead of evil.

 

[Fatman]

What the fuck is the go with the price of Warsteiner?

Last time I was in Wollongong I saw it in Figtree Cellars for $45 a case.

My local Dan M up here in Brisbane has it for $90 a case.

Even the beerstore.com.au has it $80 a case.

Figtree is essentially Dans, sometimes old stock gets cleared out and the price gets lowered.
About ten years ago I remember getting kegs of it for about $20 and it was about $50 a case. Then again before Woolworths started importing Bitburger it was over $60 a case, the wholesale price was about fifteen bucks more than the regular retail price at Dan's now. While I do enjoy a good German lager I don't pay big bucks for it.

On the flipside I just spent a small fortune buying two cases of Crouch Vale Brewer's Gold. This stuff is brewed in my old county of Essex and won supreme champion beer of Britain two years running. It's also the logo on the keg in my avatar. Hopefully the trip won't have killed it, it was subject to change from pub to pub all over the county and the U.K. let alone a trip around the world.

Some new stuff as well;

Monteiths Single Source Lager. 5%abv.
All of the ingredients in this beer can be traced back to their origin, the Lats and Longs are stamped on the bottle along with the whole spiel. Personally I'm not all that impressed, it just tasted pretty much like a plethora of other anonymous lagers.

Mildura Brewery Choc Hops 5.2%abv.
Made with south pacific cacao nibs from Fiji and Vanuatu. Deep blackish brown with a thin creamy head, very distinct dark chocolate aroma, earthy and rich with roasty malt underneath. Quite warming at the back of the palate, slightly acidic dark chocolate with some fruit cake characteristics. Was a winner at AIBA but God knows why, it is quite good but is a little thin and the acidity detracts a little. Another one from Stefano de Pieri and another reason why cooks should stick to cooking. Very little of what the blurb on the box was identified on tasting, I tried a few bottles to see if I had a bad batch but they were the same.

Dan Murphy's should also be getting in the 4 Pines range soon too, I quite like their beer and their place down in Manly, something to check out.

 

[NCR600]

I went to a beer tasting hosted by one of the brewers from Hargreave's Hill who made that exact point. There has been alot of technical skill and endeavor over the years to get it to that point. If only they could use their powers for good instead of evil.

I really like the Hargreaves Hill ESB. Really top stuff, and probably the opposite of fizzy pisswater beers. The Nelson Sauvin Hop they've used is pretty full on though.

 

[Arete]

If I could keep a bag of Nelson Sauvin in my pocket just to sniff occasionally I would. If you're into beer it's probably worth the $4 they cost for an ounce at the home brew shop just to know how amazing the aroma of the raw product is.

Budwieser is piss. The only reason anyone here drinks it is because it's $5 a six pack. There's literally thousands of awesome American beers and unless you're on food stamps there's no excuse besides poor taste for drinking bud/coors/miller.


We went here last weekend:

http://www.bellsbeer.com/eccentric-cafe/


Bells Hopslam: Abv 10.0%, IPA/APA, original gravity 1.087 - $6 USD imperial pint of draft at Bells Brewery cellar door

A 90 minute brew with six hop additions then dry hopped with Simcoe hops. Lots of hops - well der, it's called hopslam. Very floral aroma, very hoppy start, after which you'd expect a strong bitter note, especially if you believed the label. It never comes. It sort of peters out with a slight citrusy flavour. No malt tastes really. Tastes like the kind of light, hoppy ale you could sink a few of in a summer beer garden if it wasn't 10%. It's dangerous, I paid the price for drinking three in a sitting by almost falling ass over tit up the stairs to the bathroom.

Bells Oberon: Abv 5.8%, modern witbier, origonal gravity 1.057 - $4 USD an imperial pint of draft at Bells Brewery Cellar door.

A wheat beer fermented with a "spicy ale yeast". Served with a wedge of orange. Yeasty, fruity aroma, yeasty start tailing off to a fruity orangey flavour in the tail. tried one without the orange wedge and it's a characteristic of the beer, not just because of the orange. Light bodied, easy drinking but doesn't taste much like your standard witbier. really nice in the sunny spring days we're getting in the midwest at the moment.

 

[wespelarno]

Budwieser is piss. The only reason anyone here drinks it is because it's $5 a six pack. There's literally thousands of awesome American beers and unless you're on food stamps there's no excuse besides poor taste for drinking bud/coors/miller.

Wait till you see the price of a king slab. It is telling about the quality of the beer that they can sell so cheep and still make a profit.

 

[hach_bee]

I think you have it backwards. Budvar: Good. Budweiser: Bad. The key selling point of budvar over budweiser for me is that it has a flavour. Budweiser is good on a hot as hell day when you want something ice cold and refreshing to drink. For all other situations, Budvar wins out. Where did you drink it? You may have got an old batch if the place doesn't do a good turn around.

Place called Cookie in Melbourne, which by the way- the most AMAZING bar! Staff are super friendly and the beer BIBLE they have (see the pic), just wow mind you Im not a fan of bitter tastes and prefer a smoother drink. Forgive me for being female!

Cookies' Beer list... not drinks list, JUST BEER!

 

[Arete]

Bells Oarsman, ABV 4%, original gravity 1.040, American pale wheat ale.
Light straw colur, weak white head. Smells bready and slightly fruity. Tastes slightly sour, mildly fruity with wheat notes. No finish to speak of. If you're a big flavoured IPA fan, this will be watery and tasteless. If you're after a light flavoured sessional beer that's more interesting than the average megaswill cold filtered larger this might fit the bill.

Dark Horse Brewery Double Crooked Tree IPA, ABV 13.6%, IPA
A murky dark ominous gold colour, with a thin white head. Strong citrus and pine aroma from a large dry hop addition late in the ferment. Strong hop flavours on the front of the taste, with a caramel and malty finish, subtle bitter notes. Slightly thick and creamy body to it. A very nice, if not a little too potent take on imperial IPA.

 

[Adamski]

8 Wired Hopwired IPA. Delish. Big passionfruit and fantastic balance of bitterness and flavour/aroma rather than being one or the other.

 

[NCR600]

If I could keep a bag of Nelson Sauvin in my pocket just to sniff occasionally I would. If you're into beer it's probably worth the $4 they cost for an ounce at the home brew shop just to know how amazing the aroma of the raw product is.

Budwieser is piss. The only reason anyone here drinks it is because it's $5 a six pack. There's literally thousands of awesome American beers and unless you're on food stamps there's no excuse besides poor taste for drinking bud/coors/miller.


We went here last weekend:

http://www.bellsbeer.com/eccentric-cafe/


Bells Hopslam: Abv 10.0%, IPA/APA, original gravity 1.087 - $6 USD imperial pint of draft at Bells Brewery cellar door

A 90 minute brew with six hop additions then dry hopped with Simcoe hops. Lots of hops - well der, it's called hopslam. Very floral aroma, very hoppy start, after which you'd expect a strong bitter note, especially if you believed the label. It never comes. It sort of peters out with a slight citrusy flavour. No malt tastes really. Tastes like the kind of light, hoppy ale you could sink a few of in a summer beer garden if it wasn't 10%. It's dangerous, I paid the price for drinking three in a sitting by almost falling ass over tit up the stairs to the bathroom.

Bells Oberon: Abv 5.8%, modern witbier, origonal gravity 1.057 - $4 USD an imperial pint of draft at Bells Brewery Cellar door.

A wheat beer fermented with a "spicy ale yeast". Served with a wedge of orange. Yeasty, fruity aroma, yeasty start tailing off to a fruity orangey flavour in the tail. tried one without the orange wedge and it's a characteristic of the beer, not just because of the orange. Light bodied, easy drinking but doesn't taste much like your standard witbier. really nice in the sunny spring days we're getting in the midwest at the moment.

Getting a bit jealous now. Picked up a 6 pack of Stone Ruination IPA and another of Dogfishhead 90minute IPA when I was in Melbourne and it cost me $65!

Might have to start all grain homebrewing again. My thirst is exceeding my ability to pay for it!

 

[wespelarno]

mind you Im not a fan of bitter tastes and prefer a smoother drink. Forgive me for being female!

Plenty of people don't like bitter (males and females), but there are plenty of really good beers out there. Bud is America's VB-it'll do in a pinch.

On that note, try Vale Pale Ale. $16.00 for a four pack, but amazing. No individualy taste stands out from it, but everything was perfectly balanced, both refreshing and malty. Definately buying a case

Coopers Extra Strong Vintage ale. Also work checking out. Has a wicked concentration @7.5%, but the alcohol carries the flavour and gives it a substantial taste.

 

[hach_bee]

Plenty of people don't like bitter (males and females), but there are plenty of really good beers out there. Bud is America's VB-it'll do in a pinch.

On that note, try Vale Pale Ale. $16.00 for a four pack, but amazing. No individualy taste stands out from it, but everything was perfectly balanced, both refreshing and malty. Definately buying a case

Coopers Extra Strong Vintage ale. Also work checking out. Has a wicked concentration @7.5%, but the alcohol carries the flavour and gives it a substantial taste.

Cheers! I'll give it a shot, now that Centrelink came to the party today

 

[fairy1]

OeTTINGER Pils, Why?- $40 a carton for 500mL cans, can't beat that.

Beer is beer*, who cares, drink to get drunk!

*Except VB, Miller Chill and Carlton Cold- I'm not sure what they are but it's not beer!

 

[Arete]

Getting a bit jealous now. Picked up a 6 pack of Stone Ruination IPA and another of Dogfishhead 90minute IPA when I was in Melbourne and it cost me $65!

Might have to start all grain homebrewing again. My thirst is exceeding my ability to pay for it!

Don't be jealous. You need the cheap potent beer to endure almost everything else about the midwest.

 

[shitbmxrider]

Saw Amstel for $12 a sixpack the other nite.

Bought some for the first time since circa 2004, when it came in brown bottles, and was cheaper than VB. And tasted better.

It then disappeared, only to be re-launched in out here, but now in clear bottles, and near on $50 a slab. Didn't even bother.


And, unless its a lean week anytime soon, I don't think I will again, even at $12 a sixpack.

 

[Fatman]

Cold Autumn evenings need some large tasty beers.

8 Wired Big Smoke Smoked Porter 6.2%abv
Deep shiny ebony with a light brown soft crumbly head. Deep smoky sweet dark chocolate roasty aromatics. A little prickly and gassy but rich and pervasive smoke. Made with real Bamberger rauchmalz, this is a very good beer indeed and pairs very well with a King Island Roaring Forties Blue.

Tuatara Brewing Co. Limited Edition APA. 5.8%abv
Hazy burnt orange with a honey cake head. Plenty of sappy pine and clovey spice and driving malt. Huge hops, big flavour and aroma but not too heavy and could be sessioned if the hops didn't tear out your back teeth already. Beautiful and fresh green hop aroma, not enough superlatives for this lovely drop. Gorgeous lingering hops, you don't want it to go away. Very morish and amazing on the burp.

Mountain Goat Rare Breed Double Hightail Amber. 7.2%abv
Deep bronzey amber with a creamy soft brown head. Beautiful sappy fragrant hop aromatics, sweet and fruity with a big malt backbone. Smooth and full bodied and very rich. Warming alcohol becomes present in the slightly spicy finish. Australian Ale Malt, British crystal malt and a little black malt and Tasmanian Galaxy Hops.

Yeastie Boys Pot Kettle Black, Black IPA 6%abv
Shiny black with a soft light brown head. Initially smells just like cordite, it reminded me of the last time I went shooting. There's complex spicy hops mixed in with some roasty malt, fresh shoe leather and caramel. Huge flavour, takes no prisoners right off the bat, plenty of bitter hops and rich dark malt. Doesn't have the weight of a stout or imperial ipa so the term hoppy porter seems fitting but a little inadequate. Palate settles after a while and it becomes smooth and rich and very morish.

And when I'm done it's back to the old favourite Coopers Best Extra Stout, doesn't have to cost a fortune to be a great drop.