Sydney Craft Beer Week: Yulli's and the Tassie Pepper Devil (Part I)

And so it begins. Another Sydney Craft Beer Week (SCBW) has started, with it beginning on 18th October until its completion on 26th October. It's eight days of stunningly beautiful and absolutely fantastic craft beer being served from selected venues across Sydney. If last year's event wasn't phenomenal enough, this year's SCBW has started in the most awesome of fashion!
 
Why? Well, I had the privilege of actually participating. Back in August, I was invited (via Nick, from Crafty Pint, through Dave Padden, head brewer at Riverside Brewing) to take part in Yulli's Australian Spice Bonanza. The idea was for a lucky few Sydney home brewers to choose a native Australian herb or spice and introduce it into a beer they brewed (some 100L). It was then to be matched with dumplings and form part of Yulli's SCBW event. Needless to say, I accepted the challenge.

I was soon in contact with James "Harvs" Harvey, head brewer at Yulli's in Surry Hills. We chatted a little and talked about ideas that I could use and my possible herb/spice that I would be willing to try. After much thought (and recovering from the dreaded flu) I decided to select Tasmanian Mountain Pepper. It was an unique ingredient in which I had never known anyone to use it in a beer before, so why the hell could I not use it?

Of course, it is illegal to ferment a beer at home and sell it on tap. So, for the first time I used the "no chill" method. Rather than chilling the wort, transferring it to a fermenter and pitching the yeast, I waited until the boil completed then transferred the wort into food grade plastic containers near 100C (boiling point). After expunging the oxygen from the containers, I closed the lids and let them cool down naturally. The wort was then transported to a brewery in which they fermented legally and followed appropriate procedures until such time as the beer was on tap.

So, last Sunday 19th October the home brewers were invited to Yulli's to try out the beers, to chat and just do everything "beery".  What a night it turned out to be! I had a good mate, Dougal, come along with me so he, too, could enjoy the my beer being on tap at a restaurant. The owners and staff at Yulli's were absolutely terrific and generous. And so, here is my journey at the beginning of SCBW and what took place on this wonderful evening.

Yulli's

Located in the heart of Surry Hills, Yulli's is perfectly located on Crown Street and is only a short 15 minute walk from Central Station. This part of town is full of vibrant people enjoying the many eats and treats available. For me and my mate, Dougal, our intention was to try out my beer for SCBW for the very first time, and Yulli's were kind enough to make that happen.

Yulli's has a very snug feeling to it, and with the addition of being quite hip lots of young folk happily wile away time with a great selection of food and drink, chatting endlessly with friends and loved ones.

Tassie Pepper Devil, 4.1%

As Dougal and I made ourselves known, up pops James "Harvs" Harvey, head brewer at Yulli's. We all have a quick chat and pop upstairs for the beer taste testing. Although the stairs were tricky to navigate, I easily navigated to the bar and found my beer on tap. The "Tassie Peper Devil" uses Tasmanian Mountain Pepper in a mild ale with an alcohol content of 4.1%.

Tassie Pepper Devil

So what does it look and taste like? Well, the orange-red hue, beautiful lacing and subtle mint/sage aroma provides the backbone to the all but subtle hint of pepper on the tongue. My only personal criticism of this beer is that there could a bit more Tasmanian Mountain Pepper. However, it can easily be overpowered so I was quite cautious in my approach when adding it to the boil during brewing. On a side note, here is what a writer for The Guardian, Australia had to say about my beer.

Yulli's menu

As both Dougal and I, along with Harvs, start settling in we noticed that the menu was "up in lights". Well, actually it was on a projector unit above the bar area. So, not only do I get to have my beer on tap but it is proudly displayed by the good people at Yulli's . By this stage I was pretty stoked.

Dougal and I enjoying the beers

Most importantly, though, was that it gave Dougal and myself the opportunity to try out the beers brewed by the lucky few home brewers taking part in this event. It was a privilege to have been able to taste their creations.

Every brewer taking part should be congratulated on their efforts. Harvs should also be congratulated on taking a leap of faith with us and giving us the the opportunity. Overall, Yulli's has done a magnificent job for SCBW and for the home brewers that took part. For that, we very much thank you. It was certainly an awesome way to get SCBW up, up and away.

Until next time.....
dann

The Great Australasian Beer SpecTAPular, 2014

The Great Australasian Beer SpecTAPular (GABS) was once again specTAPularly hosted at the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton, Melbourne. It was an absolutely stunning event featuring a plethora of craft beers from Australia and around the world. Considering that this was the largest craft beer event in the southern hemisphere, expectations were high. What impressed me was regardless if you were a casual beer drinker or a craft beer aficionado, the opportunity to sample well over 150+ brews allowed everyone to walk away handsomely rewarded.

Shane Warne at GABS

Proceedings kicked off at midday on Friday, 23rd May with the craft beer community having the pleasure of witnessing former Australian cricketer Shane Warne 'ringing the bell' to officially open the event. The final day on Sunday, 25th May marked the end of an unbelievable beer-fest, which including 'silly hat day'.

From the very first sip to the very last drop, GABS had paved the way for all beer-lovers to unite as one and enjoy the wonderful textures, flavours and aromas that swept the Royal Exhibition Building. For three glorious days the beer-loving and brewing community shared one voice, one dream: to exhibit and share Australia's passion for craft beer. 

Royal Exhibition Building

Certainly that dream was heard by the hundreds of people lining up on the opening day, queuing to get in and sample some goodies. My mate (Laurie - aka Humper), Mark (aka - Elk, my good mate from Melbourne) and I waited patiently in line, along with the other 'Season Pass' holders. A one-off ticket purchase of $115 granted you access to all three days, which was significantly cheaper than going to any one session on any particular day. 

As we waited patiently, the anxiety slowly crept in. The line become shorter and shorter, until it was time for our tickets to be scanned and get slapped with a plastic wristband that had a bar code, which required you to wear 24x7. That sucked, but having breezed through that section we were greeted by some awesome volunteers that promptly handed us a GABS magazine and a GABS glass. 

GABS glass

So, what to do now? Magazine in hand, glass in hand. Get me to the beer! But which one? Forget about Billy Shakespeare's "To be, or not to be", the real question is: which beer do I start with? Some 150+ options were at our disposal, some specially brewed for the GABS. I guess the only choice was to start from the very beginning, and that meant from the end of the hall where stall #1 was. 

Stall #1, GABS

OK, so we are at stall #1. That was the "easy" bit. The more difficult task was to choose what beer you wanted, and whether you had a 'sample flight' or used your GABS glass. Seeing as we were there to sample all the beers, a sample flight of 5 beers at 100ml each was the right choice to make.

Nice choice, I reckon. Humper, Elk and I relished the opportunity to wander aimlessly through the beer lists and traverse the "dangerous" beer-styles that were on offer. You could be forgiven for being somewhat overwhelmed with the choices on offer, but we stuck to our guns and made sure we'd stick to whatever regime we had. 

One of many sample flights at GABS

My personal goal with regards to the 'regime' I had was to sample as many flights as I could, without breaking the bank. It was clever of the organisers to issue tokens in exchange for cash, which were available via a booth at marked locations. Once you received your tokens you could then 'purchase' beer (and food) within the event itself using those tokens. 

You see, each flight cost $10, which equated to 5 tokens. Seeing as there were about 111 beers combined at the stalls, this amounted to major open-wallet surgery. If you took the option of trying all 111 beers available at the stalls, you'd be up for just over $250. Now, I'm no financial stock market whiz-kid but $250 is enough to cover the debt of some third world countries! Needless to say that only the bravest of brave people, along with their deep wallets, dared to invest in this type of strategy.

GABS tickets

Like William Wallace in Braveheart, I gallantly fought through, (pregnant pause) beer by beer. Honestly, tt was tough. It was a slog, but boy was it heaps of bloody fun! There were some genuinely great beers, but some of them weren't up to my so-called "standards". I mean, detecting what is "good" versus what is "great" is very subjective. You just have to read this article from my 2012/2013 USA trip to understand some of the complexities.

Complexities aside, the atmosphere at the GABS was just phenomenal. Hordes of people were wafting through the hall trying to get to a stall and order another flight, or beer. I loved the idea of live music, with a trio of musicians dressed in what looked like something of a 1930's theme jingling away with old and new songs, sometimes even being too funny for their own good. 

My top 7 beers

It truly was a great occasion, and to top it off I was going through quite a lot of beers and making sure that I kept notes of what I liked and what I didn't like. Thankfully, the great people of the GABS managed to create an application, which, of course, allowed you to download onto your smart phone device (Android or iPhone) and rank them as you see fit. It also enabled you to vote for your favourite beer at the GABS.

It was a difficult choice to pinpoint which beer was my favourite. There were some rarefied beautifies, I tell ya. I couldn't help but notice, though, that there was a theme: sour beers and barrel-aged beers. This was something I was surprised to find out (via tasting the sample flights). Surprisingly, I didn't find myself liking too many of these 'themed' beers, but regardless of what I thought it still allowed me to experience something unique.

Winner at GABS

For me, though, there was no doubt about which beer was best at the GABS. It stood out like dog's balls. I loved quite a few, but this was a clear and decisive winner. A Belgian Chocolate Ale from La Sirene Brewing, Victoria. They specialise in Belgian and French style ales. Well, what can I say? They certainly know their (beer) stuff! By the second mouthful of this delicious beer, I was hooked. I knew it was going to win, and I am glad I wasn't alone in thinking that.

You know who else was a winner? Humper, Elk and I. We did pretty damn well considering the amount of choices we had. Like I mentioned earlier, I wanted to do my best in trying to taste all the beers. I came pretty close to completing all the beers available in the stalls (minus the "late scratchings" with certain beers, as they simply rant out - such was their popularity). Unfortunately, I missed out on completing them all but I did finish with a total of 85 samples. That equates to 17 paddles. Not bad, huh? 

Craft beer nut? 'Tis the Saison.....

So, how do I sum up my experience at the 2014 GABS? One word: awesome. The quality of craft beer was fantastic, the venue was brilliant, the crowd were polite, knowledgeable and playful, the volunteers were terrific and we even had Sharne Warne to open proceedings. 

Has craft beer made an impact? Absolutely! All you had to do was walk out to the car park at the GABS and look at the cars that were parked there. Can you tell this person is a craft beer nut? I can assure you that my mates and I were without a doubt handsomely rewarded from the great event that was the GABS. 

Bring on 2015!

Until next time.....

dannbrew@gmail.com

Sydney Craft Beer Week: Southern Style BBQ at Riverside Brewing Company

Riverside Brewing Company

Seriously, does life genuinely get any better than this? A spectacular Sydney Craft Beer Week event on Wednesday, 23rd October saw the craft beer geeks out in force. This time in the heart of Western Sydney at Riverside Brewing Company. Riverside teamed up with Smokey O's BBQ for some "Southern Style BBQ". Smokey O's delivers an "authentic American style barbecue" that is "low, slow and smokey cooked traditionally over charcoal and wood."

Smokey O's cooker

Deliciously good craft beer and slow cook American style barbeque? No man, or woman, alive wouldn't want to be part of this phenomenal extravaganza. As my mate and I entered Riverside we were greeted by David Padden and his employee, Matt Wilson. Both Paddo and Matt are great guys doing a fantastic job, so it was nice to immediately get a taster of a Sixty Nine Summer Ale.

On a balmy Sydney day drinking a 69 is unbeatable, if you also include the magnificent aroma of slow cooked meat wafting through the brewery.  The tables and chairs were out, the cutlery out, the menus out. Not an inch was spared at the brewery to accommodate more than forty craft beer lovers, with the added bonus of some fantastic food provided by Smokey O's man himself, Tim Odom.

David Padden, Riverside

To my surprise, Paddo got everyone's attention and spoke proudly of the event at hand. His brewery's been a success, the craft beer lovers and people wanting to try different kinds of beer have also made his brewery a success. His open, honest and heartfelt speech was a tearjerker, just like the movie Titanic. No, I wasn't crying but those damn onions were being cut at quite an inappropriate time.

Tim Odom, Smokey O's

Paddo then passed the baton onto Tim Odom, from Smokey O's whose speech made Paddo's one look like this. Tim sadly advised that he was unable to cook the meat over charcoal and wood due to the week long total fire bans here in New South Wales. He also mentioned that Shields Orchards in Bilpin, where he gets all the apple wood from, is still under threat from the bush fires. Still, with all this pressure he managed to cook us up a perfect storm.

A muffin to die for? Yes!

As we sat down at our tables we were served "Buttermilk Cornbread muffins with homemade Country Valley cream butter served with '33' Golden Ale." I don't remember the last time I felt so unashamedly in love with a muffin, but there is always a first. This heavenly muffin really could prove useful in world affairs. It'd turn Vladimir Putin into a democratic voter and Kim Jong-un an  anti-weaponry advocator.

While my body and soul was being cleansed by the muffin and butter, I also made a good home for the 33. A great beer that certainly blends with the softness of the muffin. Both shared a unique quality that when mixed at the right times made you believe that there wasn't a care in the world.

Ribs and 'slaw. Hell yeah!

Although I cried like Homer Simpson over spilt milk, wanting more muffin with butter...and more Golden Ale, up next was the "Sweet and Spicy Baby Back Ribs with Creamy Apple Coleslaw served with '77' India Pale Ale." The sight of ribs and 'slaw like this made me drool. The meat literally fell off the bone without you having to lift a finger.

The stunning kaleidoscope that was the coleslaw is something to be proud of. The ribs, simply out of this world.  The 77 has to be one of the best IPA's going around in the craft beer scene here in Australia. Combine both of these magnificent creations and you have actually died and gone to heaven. Thankfully, back on planet Earth there was more to come.

Brisket, beans & potato salad

You want more? You got it. Our next mouthwatering experience was the "Cape Grim grass fed Angus brisket with baked beans, potato salad and 'pork n greens' served with '44' American Amber Ale." Oh. My. Goodness. There are no superlatives to describe the awesomeness of this meal. None. It was at this moment in time that I felt like I was actually the King of England, eating at the head of the table being served the best food the kingdom could provide.

The combination of the food and my 44 was just unbelievable. To eat like this at an event such as this? Astonishingly brilliant. It's like watching a sports person at the top of their form, winning with ease - and you're the only one in the stadium to witness it. Such a fantastic experience that you just want the world to know how good it was.

Pumpkin pie and 88

Not only should the world know, but NASA scientists should send the next voyager into space with some of Smokey O's and Riverside's treats. You want intergalactic peace for several millenniums? Doing that would solve it. Our final piece of the food and drink puzzle was a scrumptious "Pumpkin Pie with whipped creamed served with '88' Robust Porter."

How beautiful was it? Well, if Jessica Alba asked me out on a date while I was at Riverside Brewing eating the pumpkin pie and drinking the 88, I would politely tell her to wait until I finished my pumpkin pie and 88. Actually, I lie. I'd probably take her to an empty room and cover her sexy, naked body with pumpkin pie and slowly lick it off, make love to her and then delight myself afterwards with the 88. Still, it's the thought that counts....right?

Yours truly at Riverside

The night ended fantastically when Paddo managed to "let his hair down" and join us for a few beers and chat the night away. To top things off I allowed myself to have just one more beer before I left.  What an event. What a fantastic showcase of both beers and food. Both Paddo and Tim should be excited that the combination of food and drink can be exotic, even to the uninitiated.

With the addition of a special collaboration beer brewed by Riverside and Cavalier Brewing (which was a Belgian Pale Ale) this better than brilliant Sydney Craft Beer Week event was a joy to be a part of. Both Riverside Brewing and Smokey O's impressed the crowd and delivered something that was nothing short of spectacular. Does life get any better than this? No. Riverside and Smokey O's simply rock this world.

 dannbrew@gmail.com

Sydney Craft Beer Week, 2013

http://sydneycraftbeerweek.com/

Sydney Craft Beer Week (SCBW) for 2013 has began, and in earnest Sydney's craft beer community is out in force trying our best Aussie brews at specialist venues around Sydney. For me, SCBW has started at home with a specially selected batch of 12 craft beers brewed right here in Australia.

Thanks to the selectively stocked Oak Barrel in Sydney my very own craft beer week started in grand form. My guilt-free selection would have made former NSW Labor minister Eddie Obeid proud, and would have had ICAC talking.The plethora of choices was just too much to fathom for such a meek-minded simpleton like myself. Still, I managed to gather enough courage and propel myself into the Aussie craft beer section. Boy, what a selection I chose.

12 Australian Craft Beers

From Hawthorn Brewing, to Dalgety, to Riverside, to Mountain Goat, to Moon Dog, to Prickly Moses. Was I in heaven? Possibly. Even when I saw all 12 beers in front of me I wondered how on Earth would I approach such a task? Drink all 12?

Yep. Drink all 12. I had various theories on how to approach this mammoth task. One thing that stood out was to go from "light to dark". It was my feeble attempt to have some type of structure around what I was trying to do. Indeed, that was probably the most sensible approach I could have taken. Secondly, having now determined what order the beers were to be had I needed to decide how to approach some type of 'rating' system.

Says it all, huh?

Anyone that knows my blog (as I see no one put their hand up) should know about this.  Rating craft beer is such a bloody subjective thing that it's not funny. What I would consider a fabulous beer would be some other persons train-wreck of a beer. Should I take notes perhaps and just simply write down what I taste?

A terrific idea, with only one drawback. I realised that I'd most likely be pissed as a fart by beer 5 and couldn't even write my name in the snow (assuming it'd snow here in Sydney in an almost total fire ban during Spring, approaching Summer).

So, with those little details in mind I figured out that my approach would be similar to that of my recent US trip: what beer wooed me? What beer would make me talk like a sixteen year-old girl and, like, just went, like, you know, like - wow, you know? With the mind of a teen I went and just went, like, you know, from light to dark, man. Having said that, each and every beer was fantastic in their own right. No beer was "bad" per say. I just had to be wooed. So, from the ground up here is my list and, eventual, favourite.

Enjoy.

dannbrew@gmail.com

12. 2 Brothers

2 Brothers. 4.5%

A rice lager. Now, when I think of rice lager I think of US beers such as Coors and Bud Light. This is not one of those beers. It has character, it has flavour, it has style, it has an immense taste that blows away any competition in its path.

It's one of those qwerky things in life, or is it psychosomatic? I read this as "rice lager", so here is me thinking: did I just taste rice in this? I am pretty sure if I hadn't read the label then I would not have said I taste rice. I would have more likely have said that this was a great lager, and a fantastic addition to any Summer drinking session.



                                                                                                                            11. Prickly Moses

Prickly Moses Wheat 4.8%

It's one of those weird things in life. In a training course recently I got to talk to a fellow work colleague I don't normally associate with. I know him, he knows me. We both know what we do. In the training course I mention that I am a craft beer connoisseur and brew my own beer. He advises he likes craft beer and if I had tried "Prickly Moses". No, was the obvious answer.

It was with delight I tried this wheat beer. Sadly, it was slightly over carbonated and wasn't up to my "expectations" (as tough as they are). Your local Dan Murhpy outlet will provide you some German wheat beers that are much better.

10. Ekim Brewing

Ekim Brewing IPA 6.4%

Ekim Brewing was already known to me. They had taken part of Paddy's Brewery "Hop Festival" about 18 months ago. I recall having a terrific beer from Ekim, and it could have been this one I'm talking about now. What I found, however, was this beer was just a tad too sweet in the aftertaste department. Was it hoppy? Yes. Unfortunately,  that touch of sweetness I got from the beer wasn't something I was expecting from an IPA.

Still, drinking one of these beers was a pleasure and compared to other beers that I even tried in the good ol' US of A, this beer was pretty good. On this occasion, this beer had some hefty competition and it came in 10th place. Nothing to be shy about, rather a blessing that we have Ekim as an option here in Oz for IPA's.

                                                                                                                            9. Stone & Wood

Stone & Wood 6.6%

This lager kicks ass. Actually, it also kicked my balls into oblivion. This is certainly not a Summer beer per say, but what a mother f****r of a beer this is. I was gobsmacked at how good this beer was. This fairly hefty beer had what I thought was roasted malt in it? It was very much darker than normal lagers, and with a bit of a kick at 6.6% abv.

If I had judged this in March or April, rather than late October then my guess is this would most likely had been a much higher rating. As it stands, a fantastic beer that I had such pleasure in drinking. With such solid viscosity and some 'roasted' malt (or maybe chocolate?) that gives it a very unique taste was sublime. Simply brilliant.

8. 4 Pines

4 Pines Oktoberfest 5.5%

The moment I see the word "Oktoberfest" is the moment I wet my pants. I think of German beers, naked German women with big breasts caressing my naked body....eer, I'll just scrap that. When I think of Oktoberfest beers I think of greatness. I get images of politicians tapping the first keg. I visualise thousands of people drinking the most gorgeous of beers. This is what I thought of this beer when I looked at it.

When I drank it, however, was something else. To be truthful, I've never been a fan of 4 Pines. Sorry to those who are. Their range of beers is good, but there are better beers out there. However, this breaks the cast. This is good. Real good. I get that similar taste to that of the Stone & Wood beer with that roasty taste (chocolate? roasted malt?). Regardless, this is a quaffer of a beer, and I love quaffers.

                                                                                                                            7. Wayward Brewing

Wayward India Red Ale 5%

At this point, after five beers I was indeed a touch 'wayward'. However, I was pretty much on fire at this point and raring to go. What I found about this beer was that it was a touch too over carbonated perhaps? Strikingly similar to a beer I had the night before (...and the brewer shall remain nameless, unless he gets a Facebook account and reads this - then I am completely F***ED). 

Nothing wrong with over carbonation as such but it does take away from the overall beer. Apart from that, an India Red Ale? Wow. I gather an IPA mixed with an IRA? Great! In fact, it's a fantastic combination. I am truly loving this beer to death.

6. Mountain Goat

Mountain Goat 4.7%

Gee whiz. What can I say about this thirst quencher? My goodness. I'm in awe of this beer. The Mountain Goat Summer Ale is such a light and refreshing beer that I'd be prepared to drop my pants in readiness for someone to kiss my white, naked butt to get another. It's that good.

It's so funny that the only reason why I got it was because it was in a can. You see, if you know me then you know I love Surly Brewing. They have their beer in cans. I'm a huge fan, and when perusing through the Oak Barrel stockist my eyes caught this strange creature. I had to buy it. I'm so lucky I did. I could drink this again...and again...and again...and again. You get the picture. A supremely superb Summer beer.

                                                                                                                            5. Hawthorn Brewing

Hawthorn IPA 5.8%

That deep, dark seeded feeling that you've had this beer before crept up on me when I actually opened this beer. I couldn't help but think that somewhere on my Facebook photos that I had this beer? Even if I did, the fact remained that right now was the time to judge this beer. It was a winner.

A lovely fruity aroma that had hops right throughout the boil process, and indeed some dry hopping. It was very nice, and at one point was my number 1 rated beer. Of course, more beers were still to come. Anyway, what an excellent IPA that's been hand-crafted by an Aussie brewer. Can it get any better than this?

4. Riverside Brewing

Riverside IPA 7.7%

OK, this isn't really a cash for comments issue but I will admit to knowing the head brewer, David Padden. I am a huge fan of his beers. Having said that, I'm quite open and honest of my assessment of all beers, be it his or any other.

Granted, I always go to his brewery on Saturday and try the beers on tap. With the IPA, I'd never tried it in a bottle. So, it was with great relief that I not only tried it in a bottle but actually enjoyed it. Off keg, it's a brilliant IPA and in the bottle it's just as nice. It just beat Hawthorn's IPA simply because I got less of that "sweetness" and more of a "hoppiness". It was more drinkable than the Hawthorn IPA, and that gave it a higher number in my judging.

                                                                                                                            3. Riverside Brewing

Riverside Robust Porter 6%

Without a doubt this is the best Robust Porter in Australia, bar none. I had the pleasure of having this beer soon after I came back from the USA, with 253 different craft beers under my belt. This beer held its own quite easily. It's phenomenal on tap, but is oh so fantastic also in the bottle.

I continue to drool at this beer. It defines greatness, elegance and poise in such a way that it will make you proud to drink it. There are quite a lot of good Porter's out there, and they shall remain nameless for now. What I can say is that this stands high in the craft beer world, and Paddo should be proud.


2. Dalgety

Dalgety Smoked Porter 6.5%

Can I swear? Sweet Zombie (Fucking) Jesus. I've had a few smoked beers before, but this certainly takes the cake. I was so looking forward to trying a Dalgety beer that it's not funny. About 18 months ago a mate of mine introduced me to Dalgety and how great they were. We were only a few hundred yards from their brewery, only for a blocked road to make us turn back. I was cheesed off!

That disappointment meant that I just had to try this beer, which is why I picked it up in the first place. Thank God I did. Smokey, chocolatey, and just enough body, texture, flavour and awesomeness that I just cannot describe how brilliant this beer was. It wasn't too smokey, rather just like reading a Goldilocks rhyme; it was just right. It was just mind-blowing.

                                                                                                                             1.  Moon Dog

Black Lung III 8.7%

We have a winner. I am speechless. Black Lung III is a beer for the ages. A smokey, woody barrel-aged Stout that is all that you want in a beer. Some Crystal malt, Peated malt, Chocolate malt and some English malt gives this beer a magnificent depth of flavour and texture. The smokiness is there, that woody characteristic is certainly there, so too the chocolate and slight sweetness.

Was I surprised that this beer won on the night? Yes, and no. I was not surprised that my taste for darker style beers has increased over time. What I was surprised was that it actually "wooed" me significantly. That's what essentially done it for me. It wooed me enough to give this the number 1 spot in this 12 craft beer extravaganza.

So, the winner out of all this? Australian craft beer. A magnificent array of craft beer that can only get better and stronger as time goes on. It is an honour and privilege that I had the opportunity to try such a vast range of beers, which we all could only dream about several years ago.

Long live craft beer in Australia.

dannbrew@gmail.com

PS: Excuse any spelling or grammatical errors. Several beers were consumed during the course of this blog!

British Lions versus Australia: Craft Beer Wars

British Lions SpecTAPular

(Due to major personal issues and dramas, this blog update has been severely delayed. Just pinch yourself and dream you're reading this straight after the event. Done it? Great! Now relax, grab a beverage of your choice and enjoy!)

Saturday, 15th June 2013

The anticipation was palpable. Brittan versus Australia. Our very own craft beer wars. The venue? The Local Taphouse in Darlinghurst, Sydney. What a monumental occasion. Forgot about The Ashes. This showdown was all about craft beer. On a cool Saturday afternoon the event slowly heated up to devilish temperatures. Brew masters from opposite ends of the globe waged battle in what can only be described as the British Lions versus Australia SpecTAPular.

Wilkinson's Curse 4.8%

In acknowledging the arrival of the British Lions tour of Australia, the event showcased 20 craft beers from that of the UK and Australia. What an event this turned out to be. A gold coin donation at the door was all that was needed to ensure complete and utter bliss for the rest of the day. 
What better way to start off the craft beer day than to have an Australian beer. 

Illawarra Brewing put on an "Aussie Pilsner" called Wilkinson's Curse. It was "...brewed to remember the pain of the last 10 years, and look back fondly on all Jonny's injuries since then." A simple dig at the well-known Jonny Wilkinson, but this beer certainly didn't carry any injuries. It was tasty, light, refreshing and can certainly be classed as a world beater.

(L) Feral & (R) Harviestoun

After Wilkinson's Curse, out of the scrum feed I went and upstairs to find a mate of mine and his friends. Along the way I managed to wiggle my way through to the bar and order a premium Scottish lager. Harviestoun Brewery has come up with a wonderfully brewed lager, Schiehallion. It's described as "...a stunning lager with elegant head and luscious lacing. It has aromas and flavours of fresh-cut grass, brown sugar, lychee and green mango with a crisp palate and a lingering, fresh, grapefruity finish."

After much searching through the crowd, like driving slowly through thick fog, I finally managed to see my mate Dougal, then promptly plonked my butt down to taste this beast of a lager. To my surprise, Dougal was kind enough to already have a beer waiting for me. Feral Brewing's Smoked Porter. Oh what a delight that beer was.

The Smoked Porter had a "very gentle bitterness" that combined "the classic chocolate malt and coffee characteristics true to the Porter style. A subtle smoked hickory flavor comes from the use of German malts smoked over Birchwood chips." I can assure you that the subtlety of the smoke malt blended superbly well with the chocolate and roasted notes of the Porter. Just behind was my lager I bought earlier, and drinking that behind the Porter managed to get me a bigger smile that anticipated. How big a smile? Anyone that knows the song Black Hole Sun will understand how big it was.

5 flight

Next up, the tasting platter. Well, not the platter itself (which is made of wood), rather the beer tastings which served a perfect go-between from the pint glasses and not having anything at all. Having had such a magnificent start, could I possibly have more fantastic craft beer on my hands?

I could, without question. What a phenomenal introduction to the following beers, from left to right:  Moor Nor'Hop Blonde Ale (England) 4.1%, Brains SA Smooth Bitter (Wales) 4%, St Austell Proper Job IPA (England) 5.5%, Kooinda Hop Infusion (Australia) 7.5%, Summer Wine Warthog (England) 6.5%.

My favourite from the flight was both the Proper Job IPA (center) and the Summer Wine Warthog Porter (far right). The IPA was described as "an authentic IPA brewed with Cornish spring water and malt made from a blend of malts including Cornish grown Maris Otter barley." It was great example of an IPA, and for me a good showing on how to use Maris Otter as a base malt for such a fantastic tasting beer. The Porter was described as "a smooth, subtle porter with fruity notes and malty tones dry-hopped with world varieties." What a cracker this turned out to be. It was worthy of being best beer on the night.

Foreign Extra Stout

However, I wasn't done just yet so judging what would be 'best beer' would take a little longer. What continually fascinated me was the abundance of glorious craft beer at my fingertips. Both Australian and UK beers showcasing their talents in what turned out to be a remarkable evening. Of course, like the Pope helping out at communion on Sunday's I had to drink another pint. Up next, Mountain Goat's Foreign Extra Stout at a very consumable 6.7%.

Imperial Stout

Had I just tasted the best beer of the evening? Indeed I had. Big roasty notes, lots of chocolate tones, great mouthfeel and a sublime all round balance. It was simply superb. What was equally superb was my next craft beer; Marble Brewery's Decadence Imperial Stout at 8.7%.  OH. MY. GOODNESS. It's not often I cry over a craft beer, but this Imperial Stout made me cry with happiness like nothing else. It's like being a kid going to Disneyland.....again!

Can you guess this beer?

But like going to Disneyland, good things must come to and end. Although the evening was still young, the wallet got a huge pounding. For some odd reason I had one last beer, and to my shock I have no idea what the hell it was.

Can you tell from this what the hell I was drinking? To be truthful I don't even know what it tasted like, so giving a report on it would be wrong. What I can say is that the British Lions SpecTAPular was unbelievable. A great array of UK and Australian craft beers that kept the crowd wanting more. I departed The Local Taphouse with nothing but praise for the event and for the staff pouring all that great beer. It was indeed specTAPular.



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