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  

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

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

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

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

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

Landlord Strong Pale Ale

Country - United Kingdom

Percentage - 4.1%

Brewing company - Timothy Taylor & Co. Ltd

"Lnadlord is a classic pale ale, brewed in the traditional way from the famous Knowle Spring water. This full flavoured brew has won many awards at the Great British Beer festivals. Timothy Taylor started brewing in 1858 and his business continues as a family company at the original brewery."
When poured this is a dark amber colour beer with a head that dissipates but laves good lacing as consumed  providing  a mild aroma of caramel malt. It is a smooth beer with a medium mouth feel that is slightly dry with a lingering bitterness. This could be considered a clumsy beer that is still quite drinkable.

Verdict - Good

Coldstream Naked Ale

Country - Australia

Percentage - 4.8%

Brewing Company - Coldstream Brewery

The beer reminds Maca swimming in the rivers in winter as a young boy - freezing ones testicles off.
When poured this is a dark copper colour beer with a a small white head providing very little aroma.
This is a medium bodied English pale Ale with a bitter finnish lacking in complexity. Sure there is malt but" delicately balanced" - we dont think so! This is not as crisp as we would have expected but has rather a English style heaviness about it. Overall a dissapointing beer that as Maca says only has one thing going for it and that is the colour of the label - red & White ( Sydney Swans or St George depending on the code you fololw).

Verdict - OK

Spitfire Kentish Ale

Country - Britain, United Kingdom

Percentage - 4.5%

Brewing Company - Shepherd Neame Ltd

Brewed by Britain's oldest brewer (1698) this beer was "First brewed in 1990 to celebrate the Battle of Britain which was fought in the skies above Kent fifty years earlier. This beer is named after the legendary Spitfire Aeroplane designed by R.J. Mitchell"
When poured this is a clear dark bronze beer with an off white head providing a mild aroma of toffee. On tasting, this is a medium body beer with roasted toffee and caramel notes followed by some spicy flavours and bitterness . Overall a pleasant tasting English Pale Ale that we will endeavour to appreciate on Remembrance Day each year.

Verdict - Great

Matilda Bay Alpha pale Ale

Country - Australia

Percentage - 5.2%

Brewing Company - Matilda Bay Brewing Company

When poured this is a dark amber colour beer with a beige head providing a wonderful bouquet with floral and citrus hops. In tasting, the beer has a moderate body with some grapefruit up front. "Masterfully balanced through the palate to deliver a whack of hop bitterness at the end." This is a tasty well structured beer that is possibly the best Matilda Bay to date. Ultimately we believe this to be an excellent example of an American Pale Ale, full of piny, fruity flavours that are hop driven. This is definitely worth drinking again & again!

Verdict - Excellent

4 Pines Pale Ale

Country - Manly, Australia

Percentage - 5.1%

Brewing Company - 4 Pines Brewing Company

Based in Manly this micro brewery was established in 2008 and abide by the German Purity Laws. Their company logo is based on the Norfolk Pine tree and its history. In 1941 four of the pines were removed from the Manly foreshore to install  machine gun emplacements to protect Australian shores during World War II. A plaque at the site of one of the stumps reads "This and three other trees were removed for defence purposes in December 1941 when these shores were threatened with evasion. Their absence is a reminder of the many greater sacrifices made to preserve this fair land for the people of Australia."
When poured this  has a colourful deep ruby appearance with an aroma of grape fruit and a hint of pine. On tasting, this a clean tasting beer with a good bitterness and hop flavour. On the palate the beer has a medium body with amalt background and a bitter finish. This is clearly an enjoyable beer with a great history.

Verdict - Excellent

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

Country - Calafornia, USA

Percentage - 5.6%

Brewing Company - Sierra Nevada Brewing Company

Sierra Nevada brewing Company was established in 1980 by home brewers Ken Berrisman and Paul Kaloosi. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale was their first marketed beer and best selling beer to date.
When poured this is an amber orange beer with frothy white head. There is a pronounced strong aroma of lemon and grassy notes but the citrus is ever present. On tasting, the beer has a a medium body accompanied with a creamy smooth mouth feel. This is a complex tasting beer with a hint of grape fruit at the end of the palate. Whilst this is a decent drop of beer the lemon bite is a little overpowering and remains a distraction throughout the swill.

Verdict - Great

Wingwalker American Pale Ale

Country - Rochester, New York, USA

Percentage - 4.6%

Brewing Company - RJ King Wingwalker Brewing Company

The label of this bottle appealed to Maca. When poured this is a clear amber orange beer with a white head that dissipates, although there is excellent lacing evident as the beer is consumed. There are some faint floral citrus hops on the nose. This is a medium bodied beer with mellow citrus flavours. The hops dominates the malt with typical ale sweetness making this an enjoyable and easy drinking. As far as Pale Ale's go this is a vast improvement on the Southern Tier Brewing Company (New York) and dare I say it an improvement on the James Squire One Fifty Lashes. Advertised as "New York's Finest" this is one the Yankees can be proud of. At $49.95 a case you could do a lot worse!

Verdict - Great

Cascade Pale Ale

Country - Tasmania, Australia

Percentage - 5.0%

Brewing Company - Cascade Brewery Company

When poured this is clear gold colour beer with a small white head. No true aroma is associated with the beer but perhaps a hint of apple cider and some chemical appeal. On tasting this is a light bodied, lagerish beer with a semi-dry finish followed by a hint of citrus. A very poor tasting pale ale that pales in comparison to many others -  even the impoverished ones! This is a disappointing bland Pale Ale that at the end of the day only performs as another macro-lager - Carlton Draught certainly comes to mind. This cannot call itself Pale Ale unless it has Shit in the title!

Verdict - Bad

James Squire One Fifty Lashes Pale Ale

Country - Australia

Perecentage - 4.2%

Brewing Company  - Malt Shovel Brewery Pty Ltd

Described as having "Refreshing character and a fruity nose with hints of passion fruit, grape fruit  and citrus" When poured this is a hazy gold colour beer with a white head that dissipates. The hints of passion fruit, grape fruit, and citrus are difficult to appreciate in the aroma but do make themselves present on tasting in particular the passion fruit.
Unfortunately for James Squire there are many better Pale Ales on the market and whilst many pub establishments have promoted this as a good tap beer it just does not have the balls to compete against other quality Pale Ales including Ekim, Wicked Elf, 28 Pale Ale, & the Endeavour. Perhaps James Squire not only lost his freedom but also his balls on the way to Australia! Poor Bloke!
All this said, One Fifty Lashes remains one of  James Squire better and most recognised beers that does out perform alot of Australian Macro Lagers.

Verdict - Good

Kosciuszko Pale Ale

Country - Jindabyne, Australia

Percentage - 4.5%

Brewing Company - Kosciuszko Brewing Company

Be aware that is is difficult to find this beer brewed and bottled at Kosciuszko Brewery, Jindabyne as the beer is generally found brewed and bottled under licence in Australia, as this review is based on.
When poured this is a hazy gold colour beer with an off-white head. The aroma is quite fruity with rock melon and a hint of green apple. There is excellent lacing  and head retention to the last drop. This is a crisp tasting beer with some maltiness and a "fruity hop finish". The beer is smooth and easy drinking with a decent balance of bitterness and flavour however there is something lacking in this beer in comparison to other Pale Ale's but it also seems to find its feet. An easy drinking Pale Ale for those trying this particular style.

Verdict - Great

Southern Tier Pale Ale

Country - New York, USA

Percentage - 5.0%

Brewing Company - Southern Tier Brewing Company

When poured this is a cloudy gold coloured beer without the expected ruby colour. The aroma hints at some floral notes but has a poor nose in comparison to even the Hawthorn Pale Ale and has a skunky aroma. The beer is very light on the palate with some fruity notes in the background of the malt and caramel. This is a watery beer lacking fullness of body and a poor imitation a pale ale completing Southern Tier Brewing Company's failure to produce any beer of significance. God bless American beers are in America and not in Australia if this is the standard!

Verdict - Bad