This is my current favourite beer and its from Belgium. Imported, really imported and not made here under licence, this premium lager delivers the goods on all levels, structure, flavour and length of finish. Lighter fresh and sweetish, the malty tang just comes across the palate finely and imparts the classic Stella Artois taste. Refreshing, invigorating and replenishing after a long week and to help celebrate a new financial year.
Drink Now. About $16 for a six pack. Alc 5%. Excellent.
James Boag Premium Lager
Tasmanian light amber in colour, the pure sharp crisp natural flavours really come to the fore. A bit of everything comes through in this, be it a dry savouriness, an element of fruitiness, a tangy bitter finish, not distracting though. Balanced, if this was a wine, all parts in check, given it is a top notch beer. Highly drinkable – something for everyone as I said.
Alc: 5%. RRP: $14 for a six pack. Rating: Very Good.
Melbourne Bitter
They tell me the bitterness comes from Pride of Ringwood Hops, which I believe. But the bitterness is not just the starring attraction here, as there is an overall fullness to the body of palate that gives this beer a weightiness. Yes the finish is bitter, not overly so, the flavours are long and have a good dry character as well.
Alc: 4.6%. RRP: About $14 for a six pack. Rating: Good.
Tooheys New White Stag
This has a deep amber hue to it. Beer like, real beer like, none of that low carb stuff you say then. Well sorry it is low carb and it is also full strength and I like the solid robustness to it. Great headyness, solid fulsome flavours, great hops characters – this presses all the buttons for me. Low carb means they brew out the sugar for longer but in this case, the overall flavours remain wholly intact and there is a good balance between dry and fullness.
Alc: 4.4%. RRP: $15 for a six pack. Rating: Excellent
Guinness Extra Stout
This legendary Irish stout is brewed here under licence in Australia and yes whilst I know there is nothing better than the real Irish stuff on tap drunk in a bar in Dublin, if you want to have a glass or two at home, here in the land of Oz, you have to do it this way. Deep dark blackish brown, it is strong and heady from the first pour, the deep broodingness of it just resonates up your nose with vigour. Soy, deep rice wine like, the maltiness really comes through, sweetish on one hand yet savoury and crisp on the other, with a linealness on the palate leading to a gloriously delicious smooth finish. Gee I like my Guinness.
Alc: 6.0%. Food Match: Pie. RRP: About $19 for a six pack. Rating: Excellent
Peroni Leggera
An Italian import. Leggera means light. Might be light, a glorious light ever so light yellow in colour, in carbs and in calories perhaps but certainly not in flavour and this is a mid strength rather than a light beer. A crisp dry lager with a good semblance to Nastro Azzurro. The flavour lingers long with a nice bite to it and a refreshing lightly bitter aftertaste. A stylish beer that has captured and will continue to capture Australian beer drinkers attention.
Alc: 3.5%. Price: About $13.99 for a six pack. Rating: Very Good.
James Squire Pilsener I enjoyed the fruity freshness of this golden brazenly sun coloured Pilsener. It is a cracking cool fermented beer made from Pale and Munich malts, Saaz hops. With a beautiful thick creamy head, it has a smooth long thirst quenching quality as it goes down the throat. The fruity characters add sweetness to the flavours yet are balanced with a light bitterness and a spiciness as well. Goes well with a range of cuisine.
Alc: 5%. Price: About $22 for a six pack. Rating: Excellent.
Carlton Cold
It’s not trendy to review mass produced beer. Esoteric and boutique and imported maybe so but not a cold filtered mass produced beer from Fosters. Well there are no rules here folks so here it is – my views on Cold. Anyway this beer demands respect, as it stormed the market many years ago trumping cold filtered beer onto the Aussie market. Earlier this year, they lowered the alcohol content down to 4.0% I understand. Anyway it has a glorious amberness to it, a nice head with quite spirited hop aromas. It is clean and crisp on the flavour palate with an inherent bitterness, light but noticeable. It is medium bodied with a lightness to it as opposed to any robustness, and it lingers but not for long.
Alc: 4%. Price: About $13 for a six pack. Rating: Good.
Barons Lager
The crispness of flavour is what really took me in with this locally made premium lager. I like it’s refreshing clean invigorating replenishing qualities. Its aromas are deep earthy and vibrant making it quite complex. Pours a lovely deep white head on top of a light amber yellowness. The balance of the flavours on the clean long crisp palate are fulsome and robust in flavour on one hand yet are backed with a structure that keeps it right and relatively light on the other. Indeed there is a light bitterness and tang right at the end, as I said before which makes it quite a complex beer. Tasted first thing on a late Friday evening, for me, it was ever so good!
Drink Now. Alc: about 4.9%. Price: About $16 for a six pack. Rating: Excellent.
Hollandia Premium Lager Beer
A real imported European beer from Holland made in the Pilsener style. Not made under any licence agreement here or elsewhere other than its country of origin making it purely a Dutch beer. It pours a beautifully big lush head in your glass and then you become transfixed by its light golden yellow colour. The hops are light and clean and the malt has a certain richness and bready toastiness to it. It is clean crisp and flavoursome on the palate, lightly sweet with a lightly carbonated finish. Very refreshing on a warm day.
Alc: 5%. Price: About $ 12 for a six pack. Rating: Very Good.
Boag’s Classic Blonde
Marketed as a low carb full bodied lager, the overall fullness of the flavour of the beer is not detracted in any way by its low carbohydrate nature – sure there is lightness to the overall palate and mouth feel but not in the flavour profile. A glorious creamy head and a lovely honey amberness put it firmly in beer land territory. The fruitiness in the aromas really attracts, is lively and this carries thorough to a robust yet balanced and again full flavoured palate. The body is medium in nature, the malts fruity and sweetish, the texture slick and the flavours as I said are full and long. Oh and it rates high on the drinkability stakes as well.
Alc: 4.5%. Price: About $16/ 6 pack. Rating: Excellent.
Byron Bay Premium Ale
A good frothy head comes from this all natural brew premium ale from Byron Bay. Ultra clear in body, there is purity in its colour of light translucent amber. Made from malts, yeast and hops, the label promotes a naturalness through its no added sugar, no preservatives nor chemicals and indeed the pure clean refreshing nature of it grasps you all the way through. Firmly in the full flavour category, the texture is slick stylish, smooth and with a lightly minerally lively carbonation right through to the end of the palate. It’s not bitter by any stretch but it does deliver a tang at the end, that doesn’t fade, but lingers for ages. Utterly and thirst quenching and refreshing on a hot day!
