Sierra Nevada, Celebration Ale

Country - USA

Percentage - 6.8%

Brewing Company - Sierra Nevada Brewing Company

First created Winter 1981 - IPA. 

When poured a cloudy orange gold beer with an off white frothy head and huge malt aroma, producing good lacing as imbibed. Strong complex sweet rich dried fruit bitterness create a full bodied beer that has a "Rich malt sweetness creating this wintertime classic"  

Perhaps a little too sweet or bitter for my palate but in the end it is the malt that doesnt wash the best. Best suited for late in the night. 

Verdict - Excellent 

Burleigh Heads, FIGJAM IPA

Country - Australia

Percentage  - 7.0% 

Brewing Company - Burleigh Heads Brewing Co.

When poured a clear gold colour beer with a white frothy head and an awesome tone of passion fruit citrus and clove. 

On tasting a medium body with a sweet taste, no real complexity, easy drinking though which maybe haphazard given the ABV. 

A decent IPA. 

Verdict - Great

Budejovicky, Budvar

Country - Czech Republic

Percentage - 5.0%

Brewing Company - Budweiser Budvar Brewery

This one was recommended by a mate Norm, so we were a little sceptical as to weather this would be any good but "The original, world renowned Czech Lager, imported from the historic city of Ceske Budejovice in the Czech Republic" would surprise us all. 

When poured this is a clear gold colour beer with a white frothy head and plenty of hops detected on the nose. 

On tasting this is a well balanced beer with a light medium body providing plenty of bready and grassy notes as imbibed. This is a very enjoyable Lager with great quaffing ability. The hops are sharper and the malt more vibrant then the Peroni Nastro attesting to the outstanding quality of this product. Thank you Norm for this introduction - we are sure Budejovicky and us are going to become great mates!

Verdict - Exceptional

Murray's, Dark Knight

Country - Australia

Percentage - 4.5%

Brewing company - Murray's Craft Brewing Company

When poured this is a deep ruby, almost black beer with a creamy beige head that provides excellent lacing as it is consumed. A hint of caramel and toffee aroma is evident. This Porter Style brew is described by Andrew Cork" as the holy grail of dark encounters!" This beer has a creamy mouth feel that is full bodied, rich with a hint of bittersweet chocolate, and low carbonation providing a smooth and flavourful beer that has a well a blanced bitterness. Even Maca could appreciate that this beer was really something to behold.

Verdict - Excellent

Monkey's Fist Pale Ale

Country - Victoria, Australia

Percentage - 4.9%

Brewing Company - Sail & Anchor Brewing Company

The label of this beer is what innitialy drew our attention to this particular beer and the Sail & Anchor Brewing company. What can the monkey do with his fist? 

When poured a golden orange beer with a white head providing an inviting aroma of fruit and malt. 

On tasting the beer has a medium body associated with medium carbonation. Sweet malt and fruit flavours wash over the palate accompanied with some bitterness. This is an easy drinking pale ale that shits on the James Squire, monkey style. 

This is an easy medium to begin appreciating pale ales but the only draw back though there is only 16 beers to a case - An un-Australian move as the average bloke will need 24 if the beer is good. 

Verdict - Great  

Peroni, Leggera

Country - Italy

Percentage - 3.5%

Brewing Company - Birra Peroni

When poured this is a clear dark gold colour beer with a frothy off white head providing a good malt aroma. The presentation of this beer makes us suspicious that there has been further fermentation within the bottle and on inspection we found this to be 3 months out if date ( proving how appealing light beer is to our acquaintances).

On tasting there is a certain crispness that transforms into a mild malt sweetness. The beer has a medium body with little else going on. Like the majority of  low alcoholic, low carbohydrate beers this is as distinctive as the rest - ordinary at best and devoid of life. 

Verdict - Bad

Feral Golden Ace

Country - Australia

Percentage - 5.6%

Brewing Company - Feral Brewing Company

From the creators of the Feral Hop Hog IPA that is arguably the best IPA on the planet. When poured this is a cloudy light coloured beer with visible sediment and a white head providing a unique pleasant bouquet of tropical fruit and citrus with a touch of pepper. 

On tasting this is a fruity adventure associated with a Belgian ale qualities that are very pleasing on the palate. 

this is a one of a kind beer, that is sweet tasting with a "refreshing lemon hop character" and hints of orange and spice notes. 

Interestingly printed on the back of the label is "Treat like milk, refrigerate where possible" denoting this is a bottle conditioned beer. Overall this is a different interpretation of the traditional golden ale but not as accessible to the public as the Larks Foot Golden Ale. 

Verdict - Good  

4 Pines, Keller Door Oktoberfest Beer

Country - Manly, Australia

Percentage - 5.5%

Brewing Company - 4 Pines Brewing Company PTY LTD

Any reason to celebrate Oktoberfest is a good reason to us and what better way than with beer. 

When poured this is a dark orange beer with an unworldly clarity and little effervescence visible. A malt caramel aroma is provided by the white foamy head. On tasting this is a medium bodied smooth beer without much carbonation on the palate. The flavour is sweet with malt, complemented by hints of caramel and toffee, finishing with a bready richness that lingers. A well rounded seemingly English sweet beer that is easy to imbibe. Perhaps not as good as the German counterparts but as Tenacious D say this is not the best in the world - it's just a tribute. 

Verdict - Good

Caterpillar Pale Ale

Country - Italy

Percentage - 5.8%

Brewing Company - Beer Here

The bitch at the bottle had drunk a case of this the night before and said" This is the best pale ale ever!"When poured a cloudy dark gold coloured beer with a white head. An aromatic aroma of passion fruit and bitter New Zealand hops are prominent. The flavour is dictated strongly by the New Zealand hops with the addition of a spicy rye malt. The after taste lingers creating a complex and intense bitter yet sweet cascade, revealing multiple flavours. This is possibly the longest aftertaste you can expect from a beer and certainly the longest we have experienced. A very good pale ale that has a little bit more than most.. A beer to be savoured.  Overall quite complex and very enjoyable but at $120 a case is it three times better than the 28 Pale ale... maybe?

Verdict - Exceptional

St. Bernardus Abt 12

Country - Belgium

Percentage - 10%

Brewing Company - Brauwerij St. Bernardus NV

Water pumped from a depth of 150 meters is the basis for this extraordinary beer. Not only is the water highly pure but Scientist have discovered the water used originates from rainfall at the time of Jeanne d'Arc.
Bottle conditioned, when poured this is a mahogany coloured beer with an off white head, a classic Quadrupel appearance with a fantastic aroma of dark fruits, raisins, and plums. On the palate this is a highly carbonated beer as expected from most Belgium Ale's . The dark fruity flavours and  mild malt flavour with a candy sweetness are remarkable given the 10% ABV. Overall this is a World Class Example of a Belgium Abbey Ale. Definitely check it out, as it should be found in any good bottle shop all year around!

Verdict - Great

Schofferhofer Kristallweizen

Country - Germany

Percentage - 5.0%

Brewing Company - Binding-Brauerei AG

This is a top fermenting beer presented in a 500ml bottle (as you can expect any good wheat beer to be found in) When poured this is a crystal clear golden colour beer with a thick white head providing an appealing aroma of wheat and clove associated with a hint of banana. There is a sharp taste of hops that dissipates to a mild lingering malt flavour followed by a dry finish. This is a pleasant tasting beer but is lacking body and flavour. If this were an Australian Wheat Beer we would describe this as a great effort but this is a German Wheat Beer and whilst "Kristall" tends to be less flavoured than a "Hefe" there is no excuse for this beer to be so bland (especially in comparison to a Weihenstephaner Kristall Weissbier) Unfortunately this beer does not excel or excite in any way but remains a drinkable but not impressive beer.

Verdict - Great

Schofferhofer Hefeweizen

Country - Germany

Perecentage - 5.0%

Brewing Company - Binding Brauerei AG

As this beer is brewed in Frankfurt rather than Bavaria it is named a Hefeweizen rather than a Weissbier. "hefe" translates to "yeast" and  "weizen " means "wheat". All Hefeweizen's are generally top fermented, unfiltered, bottle conditioned wheat beers.
When poured this is a cloudy gold colour beer with a large foamy head that provides an odd aroma that was not as enticing as other Hefeweizens we have enjoyed in the pass. On tasting this is a mild hefeweizen with a strange undefinable quality. The bitterness is reminiscent of lemon zest but without the fruity character. We believe the standard of which all Wiessbier should aspire to is the sensational Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier but the Schofferhofer falls short of these ideals and can be considered a poor cousin in comparison.

Verdict - Good

Badger Fursty Ferret

Country - United Kingdom

Percentage - 4.4%

Brewing Company - Hall & Woodhouse Ltd

This beer provides a delightful tale about ferret's and their love for country style beer before illustrating further information regarding ingredients and style of this Tawny Amber Ale. A dissapointing factor taken into account is the clear bottle - not the best way to store beer!
When poured this is a light golden brown colour beer with a white frothy head associated with a mild complex aroma of malt and spicy hop with a hint of orange. On tasting this beer is complex whilst well balanced with a gentle nutty and slightly fruity taste. This is a soft, simple English beer deserving of  appreciation with a very satisfying English country touch. Fursty Ferret is so gentle and tasty we think you'll be hard pressed to find anyone that doesn't like it! (apart from Maca's wife)

Verdict - Exceptional 

Zyweic Original

Country - Poland

Percentage - 5.6%

Brewing Company - Zyweic Brewery

This is a Lager brewed soley from 3 ingredients - Barley malt, hops, and pure mountain water. "Since the begining, Zyweic has been brewed in only one place - the Archdukes Brewery in Zyweic."
When  poured this is a brilliant clear gold colour beer with a decent white head that dissapates to a cap. The head provides a agood aroma of barley with afaint hint of hops. On tasting, the beer has a medium body with a modest bitterness and good carbonation on the palate. There is a certain drinkability to this beer as it is manufactured providing sweet  bready malt flavours and is simply a good quaffing beer.

Verdict - Great

Velkopopoyicky Kozel Premium

Country - Czech Republic

Percentage - 6.6%

Brewing Company - Pivovar Velke' Popopovice a.s.

When poured this is clear gold colour beer with a  decent two finger white head that dissipates to a cap providing a lovely bouquet of hops. The Czech Pilsener provides good carbonation on the palate with a medium body and is smoother than the Zyweic Lager providing improvement in the malt and light hop flavour. This beer is simply enjoyable and lends itself to a great seasonable beer for the hot summers day. The traditional Pilsener profile makes this beer an excellent example of a Czech Pilsener establishing why the Czech republic have  a good reputation for their beer .

Verdict - Great

La-Chouffe Blonde Bier

Country - Belgium

Percntage - 8.0%

Brewing Company - Brasserie d'Archouffe

Presented in a Champagne style bottle, Maca has been attracted to this beer for some time as the label on the bottle depicting a dwarf bending over for some absurd reason reminds him of  a joke "One little mushroom for my Basket"
Each time we have opened this beer there is a large burst of carbonation past the cap that covers one self in a spray of beer, so be wary upon opening! When poured this is a cloudy straw coloured beer with an excellent frothy white head providing a wonderful bouquet of orange, mandarin, coriander, and clove with a hint of grape fruit. This is a strong, flavourful beer with a light carbonation on the palate. Although containing barley malt the coriander and spice dominate the complex flavour and the alcohol is well masked, with a slight bitterness at the end. This is a superb performing beer that should be enjoyed with a mild cheese platter at your next dinner function.

Verdict - Excellent

Sierra Nevada Kellerweis Hefeweizen

Country - Calafornia, USA

Percentage - 4.8%

Brewing Company - Sierra Nevada Brewing Company

This is a bottle fermented beer that provides pouring instructions on the neck of the bottle. When poured this is a cloudy gold colour beer with a creamy white head that provides a great aroma with a hint of banana and spice. On tasting, "Kellerweis is  deeply complex with flavour reminiscent of banana and spicy clove." The beer lacks the appropriate mouth feel for the style as it is slightly watery but quickly compensates with excellent balance in flavour between banana and Belgium yeast. The beer is able to carry the sweet banana flavours associated with a Hefeweizen yet it has a more watery mouth feel with a crispness that would not be expected in a traditional Hefe. This is an impressive, enjoyable beer with some Belgium beer qualities making this an excellent Hefeweizen for the hot, dry Australian Summer!

Verdict - Excellent

DAB Dortmunder Original

Country - Germany

Percentage - 5.0%

Brewing Company - Dortmunder Actien Brauerei

"The beer of world fame"
When poured this is a clear gold colour beer with some effervescence rising through the beer. A large frothy white head provides good lacing and a head to the end associated with a bready and biscuit malt aroma. On tasting, the beer has a smooth medium body. This is a sweet tasting beer with little bitterness. Unlike most green bottle exports DAB is driven predominately by the malt giving it a warm, well rounded mouth feel, whilst remaining clean and refreshing." A lager beer that is easily sessionable!

Verdict - Great

Leffe Blonde

Country - Belgium

Percentage - 6.6%

Brewing Company - Abbaye de Leffe SA

When poured this is a clear dark gold amber colour with millions of tiny bubbles of carbonation drifting gently up through the beer associated with a superb extremely frothy white head providing a giant bouquet of fruity banana and peach. This is a smooth full bodied beer that is very sweet on the palate with little bitterness. Complex fruity colourful flavours roll throughout the mouth but remains too sweet with the Belgium yeast dominating all aspects of the brew. The alcohol in this beer attempts to remain hidden amongst the sweet fruity flavour but can still be detected despite the mild lingering aftertaste. This is a decent Blond style beer but falls short of the achievement obtained by the La Trappe Blond and La-Chouffe Blond Bier.

Verdict - Great

King Goblin Special Reserve

Country - United Kingdom

Percentage - 6.6%

Brewing company - Whychwood Brewing Company Ltd

When poured this is a dark ruby colour beer with a beige head providing an aroma of malt, toffee, and dark bread notes. Good lacing is achieved as the beer is imbibed. On tasting, the beer is smooth on the palate with roasted barley and bitter caramel evident associated with a complex malt profile that masks the alcoholic content well. "Only ever brewed under a full lunar moon with crystal malts and sovereign hops for a rich, smooth sublimely satisfying taste of pure beer indulgence." This is a well produced Strong Ale, nice to try, but we don't think we would revisit this one.

Verdict - Good

4 Pines Hefeweizen

Country - Manly, Australia

Percentage - 5.2%

Brewing Company - 4 Pines Brewing Company

This beer earnt Bronz at the Australian Beer Awards 2010.
When poured this beer has a cloudy straw coloured appearance with a sweet wheat hopiness and a hint of banana on the nose. The beer is smooth and light on the palate with a hint of banana and clove, made for the Australian climate.

Verdict - Good

Achel Trappist Blond

Country - Belgium

Percentage - 8.0%

Brewing Company - Brauwerij der St. Benedictusabdij de Achelse

"Authentic Trappist product" When poured this is a cloudy gold colour beer with a large frothy white head and excellent lacing providing a weak aroma of a little spice and fruit. On tasting, the alcohol is not well masked. it is a sweet beer with a light body and good yeast Belgium flavours finishing on a slight sweet bread note. This is a good Tripel but is a shadow of others in the same style.

Verdict - OK

Murray's Bobs Farmhouse Ale

Country - Australia

Percentage - 9.0%

Brewing Company - Murray's Craft Brewing Company

Saison is French for season and refers to group of refreshing summer ales traditionally brewed in Autumn or Winter. Originally the title was given to low alcohol Pale Ale's brewed seasonally in farmhouses in Wallonia, Belgium for their farm workers during harvest season but have since grown in appreciation for their higher ABV and spices used including orange zest, coriander and ginger.
Only sold as a Schmidt at Murray's Brewery Restaurant and Bar (Manly) this is described as "An unfiltered farmhouse style brew, exhibiting strong earthy yeast character and subtle oak complexity from a combination of French and American barrels"
When poured this is a cloudy gold colour beer with a white head and some carbonation drifting up the side of the glass providing an aroma of wheat, fruit and yeast.On tasting, the beer has a a smooth and creamy mouth feel with some carbonation on  the palate. The beer lacks the "subtle oak complexity " mentioned above but provides rich spicy flavours mixed with a light tartness. Maca believes this beer is a cross between a Saison and a Belgium Wit Bier proving to be a wonderful mix and perhaps the perfect start to a wedding.

Verdict - Great

Stone & Wood Lager

Country - Australia

Percentage - 4.7%

Brewing Company - Stone & Wood Brewing Company Pty Ltd

We had high expectations of this beer as we recollect the sensational performance of the Stone & Wood pacific Ale.
When poured this is light hazy golden colour beer similar in appearance of the Pacific Ale. There is a moderate effervescence and a small white head that produces a faint aroma of hops. On tasting, this  is a bitter beer with a wet finish, a bland beer with a little more flavour than some of the other Australian Macro Lagers. Certainly drinkable but an expensive drop. As mentioned Stone & Wood make a variety of extra ordinary beer but this Lager does not offer anything to the imagination. Better off drinking a Tooheys!

Verdict - Good

Brok Export

Country - Poland

Percentage - 6.2%

Brewing Company - Royal Unibrew

When poured this is a clear gold colour beer with a frothy white head that dissipates exceedingly rapidly. No lacing was evident over the coarse of the beer (we are concerned that this result maybe due to the cleanliness of the glass). This is a clean crisp beer that is light with some carbonation on the palate. An easy drinking beer which we would generally rate as OK but as we believe the glassware is partly to blame for the poor presentation we have evaluate this beer marginally better.

Verdict - Good

Prime Beer

Country - Australia

Percentage - 4.9%

Brewing Company - Fusion Brewing

When poured this is a dark brown coloured beer with a beige head that has a little sweet aroma.  On tasting this is a malt driven, grainy beer with a bitter finish. The beer has a flat mouthfeel  and a thiness that may go well with meat or a BBQ but does not perform as well as the Bluebottle or Firefly. Am American Amber red Ale, which we suggest that you walk past and look for another.

Verdict - OK

Rocks The Governor Golden Ale

Country - Australia

Percentage - 4.5%

Brewing Company - Rocks Brewing Company

One of the highlights of the Bitter & Twisted 2011 was stumbling across the Rocks Brewing Company stall. The Rocks Brewing Company is owned and operated by fifth and sixth convict descendants. Rocks beer is currently only available on tap in selected pubs around Sydney.
Named after several early governors who prompted the advancement of beer brewing in the early colony of Sydney, "The Governor"is made with Australian ale and wheat malt and brewed with a new Australian hop variety called Topaz. When poured is a light golden straw colour beer with a white head providing a light malt and citrus aroma. This is a light tasting beer with hints of citrus and  subtle bitterness, perfect to combat the heat at the Maitland Goal.

Verdict - Excellent

Rocks The Hangman Pale Ale

Country - Australia

Percentage - 4.9%

Brewing Company - Rocks Brewing Company

The rocks brewing Company produces an assortment of beer aptly named after characters that ventured the Rocks of Old Sydney Town.
Hanging's were frequent in the early days of Sydney Town. Alexander Green, a convict in his own right was appointed to the position of Public Executioner in 1828and hung over 490 people in a 27 year period. In early May 1855 Alexander was committed to a Lunatic Asylum for the remainder of his life.
This beer is based on an American Pale Ale. When poured this is a deep gold colour beer with a white head providing an aroma of stone fruit and citrus. This is a simple flavoured beer with malt and hops followed by  a pleasant bitterness making it a rather sessionable
beer as it isn't as complex as other pale Ales.

Verdict - Great

Illawarra Draught Ale

Country - Australia

Percentage - 4.8%

Brewing Company - Illawarra Brewing Company

When poured this beer has a cloudy gold consistency with a white head providing little aroma.  This is a pleasantly hoped whaet malt ale but described by another patron as "You wont get anything out of it other than a VB or Toohey's New. We agree with this statement, whilst this is a little better than a Victora Bitter or Toohe'ys New this seems to us a macro lager for the masses!

Verdict - Good

Illawarra Rust Amber Ale

Country - Australia

Percentage - 4.6%

Berwing Company - Illawarra Brewing Company

The Five Islands Illawarra Brewing Company was established in 2001 and is aptly named after the five islands off the coast of Wollongong. Only 50 meters from the beach the company is the first brewery in the history of Illawara, importing a 12 hecto-liter capacity brew house. The brewery produces a variety of beers including a Kolsch, Draught Ale, Wit, Porter, and a Seasonal Draught.
When poured this is a dark gold colour beer with a beige head. On tasting there is a medium malt presence and plenty of hops to counter the malt backbone. Good carbonation allows the flavours to travel around the mouth. This is an enjoyable beer that acquired a Silver Medal at the Australian International Beer Awards.

Verdict - Great

Murray's Shawn's fault India Black Ale

Country - Australia

Percentage - 7.5%

Brewing Company - Murray's Craft Brewing Company

An example of a seasonal ale. Maca had the privilege of meeting Shawn Sherlock from Muuray's Brewing Company  (the face  featured on the front of the bottle) at the Bitter & Twisted 2011.
When poured this is a dark brown beer with a large frothy beige head providing an alluring aroma of hops similar to a pale ale. Excellent lacing is present as the beer is imbibed. On tasting, the beer has a medium body accompanied by  a creamy mouth feel with a roasted malt backbone. The "full flavoured IPA brewed using dark malts" has a lasting bitterness with a hint of dark chocolate. This beer offers something different "And if you don't (like it) then it's Shawn's fault!"

Verdict - Good

Murray's Angry Man Brown Ale

Country - Australia

Percentage - 6.5%

Brewing Company - Murray's Craft Brewing Company

When poured this is a dark brown beer with a disappointing poor head. Perhaps its the glass but there appears to be no head at all! There is a mild aroma of muted hops. On tasting, there is complex smooth taste with malty flavours that mask the alcohol content well. There is little carbonation on the palate accompanied by a bitter aftertaste. Overall, another fine beer from Murray's Craft Brewing Company that deserves another tasting as it performs well despite the poor head retention.

Verdict - Great

Beez Neez

Country - Australia

Percentage - 4.6%

Brewing Company - Matilda Brewing Company

First created as a Christmas surprise for staff from the Board of Directors, this hand crafted American Pale Wheat Ale with "A blend of premium pale malted barley , malted wheat and pure light amber honey" proved so popular that it was soon offered to the public.
When poured this is a gold amber beer with a white head providing a restrained malt and sweet honey aroma . On tasting the beer is clean, crisp, and dry on the palate with a light malt body. There is a strange taste of honey upfront initially that becomes increasingly absent as you continue drinking. This an easy drinking beer that is matched well with a desert of Pavlova.

Verdict - Great

Hunter Funky Monkey

Country - Australia

Percentage - ??

Brewing Company - Hunter Beer Company

When poured this is a cloudy straw colour beer that is almost mango in colour with a tight white head providing an alluring, tantalising rock melon aroma. Maca at the time of consumption was satisfyingly inebriated resulting in the following comments "The flavour is sought of, as you could explain, a piece of fruit that is yellow in courour, that is not orange. Its a ... mango!" That's right Maca, the beer had a strong taste of very sweet mango that overpowers the palate. Others described the same beer as "Sweet as buggery!" and "Fucking Horrible!" This is certainly a difficult beer to appreciate given the level of in-toxifcation but could be certainly described as "Chick drink"as it is far too sweet for the palate.

Verdict - Palatable

Little Creatures Rogers Beer

Country - Australia

Percentage - 3.8%

Brewing Company - Little Creatures Pty Ltd

This is a mid strentgh beer mad using whole hop flowers which allows all the resin and oils to be infused into the beer. When poured this is an extremely easy pour providing an off white frothy head that dissipates too quickly. The beer has a red amber hue and provides a wonderful bouquet laced with passion fruit. On tasting, this is a light bodied beer that is a little watery but with the fruity taste hinting at passion  fruit there is enough flavour to make it quite enjoyable. The taste is a little disappointing given the aroma but at 1.0 standard drinks this sis an excellent beer for the disciplined designated driver. As the best tasting mid strength beer to date there is a new kid in town. Fuck Off XXXX Gold!

Verdict - Excellent 

Little Creatures Day of the Long Shadow

Country - Australia

Perecentage - 8.9%

Brewing Company - Little Creatures Pty Ltd

When poured this is an amber red ale with a beige head. There is a touch of spice and brown sugar in the aroma but the cinnamon dominates the nose. Wow! This is a well balanced sweet tasting beer that is rich in flavour and complexity with candied dark fruit qualities. The alcohol is very restrained in the taste allowing one to become inebriated far too quickly. This smooth tasting beer is perhaps not as quiet as Th Quiet American and the dark fruit qualities make it less accessible to the average punter but overall this is an exquisite beer to behold

Verdict - Excellent

Hobgoblin Legendary Ruby Beer

Country - England

Percentage - 5.2%

Brewing Company - Wychwood Brewery 

When poured this is a brown amber beer with an off-white head that dissipates leaving a cap. There is an aroma of malt associated with hints of spice and balsamic vinegar. On tasting, the beer has a medium body coupled with medium carbonation on the palate. There is a malt flavour but the supposed chocolate is absent whilst the fruity characters are well hidden.  Perhaps if we were goblins forced to live in caves and drink stale water this beer might be appealing but this ain't the case. Overall, an un-impressive bland beer with some bitterness at the end, Stay away from this Hobgoblin!

Verdict - OK

The Original Stoke Bomber Bohemian Ale

Country - New Zealand

Percentage - 5.3%

Brewing Company - McCashin Family Brewery

This Golden Ale when poured is a gold colour beer with a white head that dissipates to a cap. The beer has an incredible nose with some soft spice, a little malt and citrus. On tasting, the beer has a medium body  and a sweet taste where spice, pepper, and citrus notes dominate the palate lending the style to a "classic bohemian" lager, but these characteristics are also superfluous with many ales, in particular the nose. As a cross between an ale and a lager this beer certainly performs like a well made ale that is pleasing to imbibe. A bottle of commitment.

Verdict - Great

Gage Roads London Best

Country - Australia

Prcentage - 4.4%

Brewing Company - Gage Roads Brewing Company

This beer already lacks the commitment of the Stoke Bomber but according to the bottle is "Gold Medal Winning" When poured this is a clear amber orange (bronze) beer with a white head that dissipates to a cap. A superb sweet toffee aroma rushes to greet you. The beer is smooth on the palate and a little watery. The malt shines through but just! According to Gage Roads Brewery this is London's best but we think the Europeans will quickly disagree. Sorry but the "die hard British beer connoisseur" will NOT be packing their bags to come Down Under and try it and if thy do visit Australia they should avoid it like The Plague of England. A disappointing beer that is NOT London's Best!

Verdict - OK

Mad Brewers Ginger Chops Ale

Country - Australia

Prcentage - 4.2%

Brewing Company - Malt Shovel Brewery Pty Ltd

When poured this is a clear gold colour beer with a white head that dissipates quickly with an aroma of - WAIT FOR IT! - Ginger. The taste, yes, Ginger! This is a well rounded Ginger Beer that at the end of the day performs a little better than a Saxby's Ginger Beer. What a waste as Mad Brewers failed to invent anything here. This is a miserable Single batch beer that should be still on the shelves come winter next year because we sure as fuck ain't buying it! Overall a mediocre Ginger Beer. It seems the Mad Brewers have gone quite mad if they believe the public will appreciate this one!

Verdict - Terrible

Endeavour 2011 Amber Ale Reserve

Country - Australia

Percentage - 5.2%

Brewing Company - Endeavour Brewery

Accidentally mistaken for the Endeavour Pale Ale as the packaging is so similar this beer was well received. When poured this is an amber brown colour beer with a beige head, supplying excellent lacing. A roasted malt aroma rises to meet you. On tasting, the chocolate barley dominates the crystal malt characters. The beer is smooth tasting with  body. There are hints of spice but any fruity flavours that are found are quickly washed away with the roasted chocolate barley. Maca's opinion is that the chocolate and roasted flavours push the beer towards a stout. Overall we believe this is a outstanding Amber ale "to deliver earthy, resinous and spicy fruit characters."

Verdict - Great

Organic Ale

Country - Barossa valley, Australia

Percentage - 5.0%

Brewing Company - Barossa Valley Brewing

Initially the label and presentation of this beer appealed to us and we immediately knew we would be in with a treat with this one. When poured this is a dark straw coloured beer with a good head accompanied with a wonderful aroma of malt and hops with a lovely floral bouquet. The beer has a malty backbone that is crisp and full bodied with a hop finish. The beer certainly has that little bit of something special that has the versatility to be enjoyed by itself or as a fine companion to a meal. Winner of 2 Bronze medals 2009 Sydney and Perth Beer Awards, this is an enjoyable Pale Ale that delivers what you have expected, a very fine beer.

Verdict - Excellent 

Williams Organic Pale Ale

Country - Australia

Percentage - 4.5%

Brewing Company - William Bull Brewery

When poured this is a very clear, light golden colour beer that resembles a clear Sparkling White Wine (not what you would expect from a Pale Ale). The beer has a medium head that dissipates quickly. This is a crisp, smooth, light tasting Pale Al that possesses some of the characteristics of  a lager. The clarity of this beer can only mean it has been filtered within a inch of its life and in fact Maca's father absolutely loves this beer. A corn/cabbage like smell is evident and is due to a chemical compound called dimethylsulfide (DMS). DMS forms in the malting and the boiling process whilst brewing any beer but at competition level DMS is undesirable in almost all beer.

Verdict - Good

Matilda Bay Big Helga

Country - Australia

Percentage - 4.7%

Brewing Company - Matilda Bay Brewing Company

When poured this is a cloudy gold coloured beer with a decent white head providing excellent lacing as the beer is consumed. The beer has a wonderful unique aroma similar to a stone fruit. On tasting there is a hint of citrus associated with a medium body that is smooth and dry on the palate. This is not a complex tasting beer by any stretch of the imagination. We personally expected more body and a better product as the beer seems incomplete, but is still preferable to alot of the macro lagers.

Verdict - Great

Samual Adams Summer Ale

Country - Boston, USA

Percentage - 5.5%

Brewing Company - The Boston Beer Company

When poured this is a cloudy straw coloured beer with an excellent white head that endures, but we are afraid that is all this wheat ale has in favour of it. A chemical aroma similar to that of "Windex" (window cleaning product) is evident and surprisingly the beer also tastes like Windex. The grains of paradise, "a mysterious brewing spice used by renaissance brewers centuries ago" today is one of the key ingredients to any good window cleaning product! Going to extremes, one has to block there nose to comfortably imbibe the beer making the wheat malt and lemon zest difficult to appreciate. We are sorry but Samuel Adams Summer Ale is a crap beer and should not be sold as a beer as there is no paradise to be found! We fear this also could not be sold as a cleaning product either which is unfortunate for the brewer. God willing we will never have this again!

Verdict - Terrible

Gage Roads Atomic Pale Ale

Country - Australia

Prcentage - 4.7%

Brewing company - Gage Roads Brewing Company Ltd

When poured this is a clear dark amber beer with a medium white head that dissipates quickly. Some lacing is evident as the beer is consumed and a classic pale ale aroma with good hop character and flavour apparent. The beer has a medium body with moderate carbonation and provides a decent light caramel malt flavour with a dry crisp finish. Not the best Pal Ale we have purchased but certainly not the best.

Verdict - Good

Bali Hai

Country - West java, Indonesia

Percentage - 5.0%

Brewing Company - Bali Hai Brewery

When poured this is a clear light golden colour beer with a white head providing a pilsener hop aroma. Good effervescence is found with decent lacing as the beer is imbibed. The beer claims to have a "Satin a smooth character" but with the moderate carbonation on the palate it is not exactly smooth. despite this the beer is light on taste with a dry finish enticing one to have another. The beer is pleasant tasting and refreshing however seems a poor cousin in comparison to the Indian Kingfisher beer. The label declares "Experience Perfection" Unfortunately not so for the Bali Hai!

Verdict - Good

Vale Ale

Country - Australia

Percentage - 4.5%

Brewing Company - McLaren Vale Beer Company

The Vale Ale is produced by McLaren Vale (reputed for its wine) and marketed as a premium Pale Ale. The appearance certainly re-enforces this. When poured this is a hazy gold colour beer with a small head. A Fruity aroma is present of Amarillo and Cascade hops associated with a mild citrus note. The beer is very carbonated on the palate with a low-medium body. This is a clean beer with floral characteristics making it easy to enjoy. Having seen this beer in many stores it is one that we will purchase in the future to share with friends.

Verdict - Great

Hunter Pale Ale

Country - Australia

Percentage - 5.2%

Brewing Company - Hunter Beer Co.

This is a bottle conditioned beer that when poured is a cloudy orange colour beer with a white head providing a sweet floral bouquet accompanied by citric hop notes. Some sediment is evident in the beer with little carbonation to be seen. On tasting, the beer has a medium body with a smooth, almost creamy mouth feel. The beer is a little dry on the palate with a bitter finish. Overall we consider this to be a lazy Pale Ale (especially considering price) that is pleasant drinking but leaves the consumer disappointed. The beer is a little one dimensional and is but a shadow of the Wicked Elf and Ekim After Battle Pale Ale.

Verdict - Good

Zierholz Porter

Country - Australia

Percentage  - 5.8%

Brewing company - The Zierholz Premium Brewery

First tasted at Zierholz@UC after an uneventful day of fishing (for dirty carp on the shores of Lake Ginninderra) and only after evading the over sceptical Security Guards , patrolling the campus with an over exaggerated sense of purpose...No more booz-fueld and spaghetti-legged "Friendly" concerts here. Instead the venue now boasts pretty co-eds pretending to study, a more refined coffee bar , as well as a wood fired pizza oven, restaurant and lounge area's, plus an ample semi-secluded beer garden!!!
When poured this is a very dark, light-Trappist Porter beer with a creamy mocha coloured head that persists to the very last mouthful. This beer has a slightly smoky aroma, with hints of chocolate and faint traces of nuts. A delightful smooth yet full bodied and deep roasted beer that rolls of the side pallet and has a pleasant lingering fresh caramel taste, with a chocolate and oats impression on the back pallet.
A beer (and venue) that is definitely worth the extra effort to find and very much unexpected for a university campus.

Verdict - Exceptional 

Review by Guest Writers: Danny & Curds