Beer Radar<\/p>\n
By John Kr\u00fcger<\/p>\n
Big Bumper Booze Guide 2011 (First published in Wine Business Magazine in 2011)<\/p>\n
It\u2019s time to head out to a decent bottle shop and fill the fridge with glorious cold beverages. Here\u2019s a brief explanation why we\u2019d buy any of the following beers & ciders. Buy yourself a rollercoaster of flavours instead of a 30 pack of fizzy dish water.<\/p>\n
Beer<\/strong><\/p>\n Feral\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Hop Hog \u2013 Punchy hoppy goodness from Western Australia. Resiny aromatic hops meet bitter marmalade, caramel and burned white toast. It\u2019s a chewy mouthful of bitterness and it\u2019s so enjoyable.<\/p>\n Hitachino Nest\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Japanese Classic Ale \u2013 Been waiting for a Japanese made India Pale Ale that\u2019s been matured in cedar sake casks? Wait no more and embrace the cedar. Pencil shavings and wooden sauna with sappy pine needles. It\u2019s an amazing left field beer and it\u2019s surprisingly good.<\/p>\n Espresso Stout \u2013 Forget the idea of coffee at the end of a meal, enjoy an espresso and a stout at the same time. High alcohol and a good whack of dark roasted coffee beans. Based on the Russian Imperial stouts, there\u2019s coffee and sweetness in a big delicious stout. It\u2019s seamless. Candidate #1 for Breakfast Beer of the Year.<\/p>\n Cascade<\/strong><\/p>\n Pure \u2013 It\u2019s a beer surrounded by weird carbon neutral and low-carb marketing. Ignore all of that. The fact is it fared quite well in blind tastings and is a clean easy drinking summer quaffer with a hint of fresh hops.<\/p>\n Epic<\/strong><\/p>\n Armageddon IPA \u2013 Not as scary as their Hop Zombie, it\u2019s still a formidable beer. There\u2019s a very liberal amount of hops, loads of bitterness, aroma and flavour but also a sweet honey character that provides balance. What a beer!<\/p>\n Coopers<\/strong><\/p>\n Sapporo \u2013 Now made by Coopers in Regency Park, South Australia. Very easy to drink session beer with good malt character. Knock off a few washing down some seafood. We\u2019ll be smashing these down. A good father-in-law beer.<\/p>\n Pale Ale \u2013 The fresher they are, the better. A fresh pale is a slightly malty sweet, hoppy and a vibrant beer with yeast complexity. Every fridge should have a few ready to go.<\/p>\n Matilda Bay<\/strong><\/p>\n Alpha Pale Ale \u2013 Not too aggressive, but still very tasty. A session style of hoppy beer rather than a tongue buster. There\u2019s plenty of hop aroma and flavour that\u2019ll make you finish a six-pack before you know it.<\/p>\n Endeavour<\/strong><\/p>\n 2011 Reserve Pale Ale \u2013 Munich malt flavours with a background of fresh hops. Good pre-dinner beer. Malty and fresh.<\/p>\n Brooklyn Brewery<\/strong><\/p>\n Brooklyn Lager \u2013 An American take on a Vienna lager. It\u2019s malty, hoppy and very tasty. It\u2019s nothing like a watery Aussie lager. Once punters realise a lager can also be packed full of flavour, this will be huge.<\/p>\n St. Ambroise<\/strong><\/p>\n Framboise \u2013 A raspberry ale that\u2019s reeking of fresh berries. Looks weird but tastes great. Not everyone loves fruit in beer, but this would be perfect with the Christmas turkey. Candidate #2 for Breakfast Beer of the Year.<\/p>\n Cider<\/strong><\/p>\n Old Mout<\/strong><\/p>\n Feijoa & Cider \u2013 A wonderful zingy pineapple tasting cider and a fantastic summer drink. Definitely one of our favourites. Everyone loved this.<\/p>\n Bulmers\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Original Cider \u2013 Red apple skin colour and chewy skin tannins. Fairly dry but still has some body. Good size 500ml bottles to share or fill a pint glass with some ice.<\/p>\n Strongbow<\/strong><\/p>\n Clear \u2013 Lower sugar and body makes for a good session cider. As far as you get from a farmhouse style but very easy to knock off four or more.<\/p>\n Matilda Bay<\/strong><\/p>\n Dirty Granny \u2013 A good middle of the road cider that\u2019s thankfully missing the unnatural cider flavour some popular ciders have. Tastes like fresh dessert apples. Knock them down like bowling pins from the dinky 330ml bottles.<\/p>\n Lobo<\/strong><\/p>\n Cloudy Cider \u2013 Hints of funky ferments can turn away the drinker used to clean one-dimensional ciders, but this has some beautiful complexity. A cider for those with a need for something different and old-world.<\/p>\n Royale \u2013 The fancy version of the Lobo cider is more challenging with stewed fruit, natural ferment and farmhouse qualities. The bigger, sweeter and richer flavours will pay off for those who appreciate the funk. Funk lovers only.<\/p>\n Perry<\/strong><\/p>\n Bulmers<\/strong><\/p>\n Pear Cider \u2013 Very flavoursome, a dense body and a building sweetness. One for the sugar fans but a very enjoyable pear flavour.<\/p>\n Lobo<\/strong><\/p>\n Pear Cider – The least funky of the Lobo range. Still chock full of fruit in Lobo\u2019s old-school style. It\u2019d be an excellent cocktail base too. Sweet at the start but ends medium-sweet and bready. Perfectly cloudy. 500ml punt bottles.<\/p>\n Little Creatures<\/strong><\/p>\n Pipsqueak Pear \u2013 A hint of tartness makes this pear cider refreshing and bright. Not too sweet in typical Pipsqueak fashion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Beer Radar By John Kr\u00fcger Big Bumper Booze Guide 2011 (First published in Wine Business Magazine in 2011) It\u2019s time to head out to a decent bottle shop and fill the fridge with glorious cold beverages. Here\u2019s a brief explanation why we\u2019d buy any of the following beers & ciders. 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