Another one from Brewdog and I think one of a few scotch ales to be reviewed in the coming weeks. I love scotch and I love scotch ales! I am assured that there is “infused” honey in this bad boy, and I instantly recognise that funky homebrew smell that our brews get when we add some bee gravy (might work on that one) to them. The thick body of this beer stood out on the first sip – it feels like it’s got the consistency of a McDonalds thickshake (admittedly after you’ve waited five minutes for it to warm up so you can actually get some through the straw). You can really taste the honey after the initial maltfest has worn away, and the honey’s got balls. I know nothing about the different kinds of honey (this one’s heather), but it does remind me of the darkish, sorta ‘heavy’ variety that I used to like on my Weetbix in high school. Wait a bit longer and your mouth feels like you’ve been drinking neat scotch all night.
So if you enjoy beer, chocolate milkshakes, Weetbix and scotch, this may be the beer for you.
7.2%
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Wow has it been that long since the last post? Going on 20 months!! Rest assured I’ve been drinking beer haha….
A few weeks ago my family went away on a holiday for my bday and bought me heeeeaaaaapppsss of rad imported beer – this is the first of many to be reviewed! And not the best one to start on for a night of beer reviewing haha (I’m pretty sauced already – Hardcore IPA weighs in at a hefty 9.2%!). My mate Tim has been singing the praises of Brewdogs for years now and I now know why. This is a solid beer. It has a nice chewiness to it and a great transition from the first thick mouthful to the straight-up hop after taste. The colour is great and it pours well. I didn’t find it overly hoppy as some other self-proclaimed “hardcore” IPAs might, actually I quite enjoyed the balance. I’m not sure how one would improve on it – I think it did what it came to do – but I feel like I need to reserve my 5 star rating for that special someone…
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Actually scratch that beer reviewing night of mine. I’m tanked.
Boooooooooooooooooooooo. I’ll do this one in point form:
– It’s got elderberries and pomengranate in it.
– I took one sip and threw the rest out.
– Look how giant those bubbles are!!
– Boooooo. Sucks to your product quality control.
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Got a bee on the front for no reason. Nice alcoholic, malty aroma (surprise, surprise) and kinda dark. A big malty hit up front followed by a slightly burned taste that hangs around for a while. Mmmm mmm…I think they got the balance right for a tripel and it doesn’t taste too alcohol-y. Do it.7.2%
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John – has a smell somewhere between mango and celery. I didn’t think celery had a smell, but there you go; this beer has taught me something. Despite this crazy aroma, there’s a BIG blunt (good) roasty taste to it. Â You know when the weather man tells you about an approaching cold front? The curvy line with the pointy teeth on it? It’s like that – a looming, inescapable carbon-based maltiness that is damn tasty! Not sure I like the burnt aftertaste, but this beer is definitely worth a go.
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Graham – Big. Bold. Taste. I really like a dark beer that has some hops in it – it’s such a rare find in Australia. I guess what makes this an American Black Ale is the addition of American hops, but I would have to consult the style guide to make sure. It’s not opaque or heavy like a stout. A lingering bitterness on the back palette. Delicious!
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Interesting one this one.  The bottle promises a Scotch Ale, appropriately aged in whiskey barrels. Sweet, with a deep caramel flavour, this beer is 6.7%. As I kept drinking it, I could swear that a scotch-ey taste came through, but it could be the 6.7% part too! Quite a dry finish.
It’s very light on carbonation, and hop bitterness. I enjoyed it very much, but don’t think you’d want more than one in a sitting. Think about drinking it a tad warmer than usual to let all the complex flavours develop.
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One more day to the election and both potential leaders were photographed in pubs. But what did they drink?
First the Prime Minister:
A schooner of Old! Fantastic. It tastes like wet cardboard, but still, it tastes like something. In this post feminist age it shouldn’t matter, but I can’t help being impressed that our lady PM would order a proper beer like Tooheys Old.
Now the Opposition Leader, at the  Manly Wharf Hotel :
It’s hard to see in the photo, but it looks like lemon lime and bitters, doesn’t it?
Here’s a direct quote of what he asked for – Â “If I could have a shandy of light with about 60 per cent lemonade, okay?”
Come on dude. Not only are you drinking a (light!) shandy, but you specify that it should 60% lemonade? Why not be more specific? Why not ask for 65%? How very precious. A shandy of light is a “why bother” drink. Just have a glass of water.
Bam. Weighing in a 7.1% comes Raging Bull by Bootleg Brewery. Strong, syrupy and sweet, you could probably only take one of these ones. Glad it is cold outside. I think this could probably use a bit more hops.
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Nice beer this one. Won’t blow your socks off, but a great autumn brew. Mildly hopped, well balanced . A deep orange colour, lightly carbonated.
The Bright brewery is from the town of Bright in Victoria – would love to go there one day.
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Ka-blammo!
This is the best label – it looks like it’s inspired by old school Phantom cartoons. There’s not a whole heap of hop aroma, but it makes up for it with a strong bitter hop taste. Although highly hopped, it’s well balanced with 7.0% alcohol and a strong malty flavour. A great beer. Visit Jamieson’s site here.
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