Southern Hemisphere Harvest Fresh Hop Ale 2012

Style:American IPA
Alc %:6.7
Brewery:Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Country:US
Tap/Bottle?:bottle, 710ml
Where/When:
Cost:$10
Rating:7

Nice fluffy white head.
Pine on the nose.
Nice fresh mouth full of juicy hops and malt- bit of orange and grapefruit, moreish, fairly light and finishing with a bitterness that is solid but not overpowering.
Very drinkable IPA that was hard for me to walk past and I will be hoping it's still in stock next time I go to the bottle-o!

Phoenix Beers in Perth are importing this and more.

Tower 10 IPA

Style:American IPA
Alc %:6.5
Brewery:Karl Strauss Brewing Co.
Country:US
Tap/Bottle?:bottle, 355ml
Where/When:Home, July 2012
Cost:$17 a 6 pack
Rating:7

Pours an orange copper colour with a clean white head of 1cm that disappears to very little.
Sweet nose- pineapple and a hint of honey.
Starts off with a light fruity and sweet maltyness that becomes more intense - then the bitterness kicks in and lingers. Malt definitely plays a big role in this one, it's not a West Coast Hop Bomb but a sweet and easy drinking IPA IMHO.

Brooklyn Lager

Style:American Amber
Alc %:5.2
Brewery:Brooklyn Brewery
Country:US
Tap/Bottle?:bottle 330ml
Where/When:Home July 2012
Cost:approx $20 for a 6 pack
Rating:7/10

Pours a nice orange gold colour with a nice head that dissapears and laces the glass.
Sweet fruity nose.
Clean and fresh up front, with biscuit notes and lemon and finishes with a full and unique malt backbone. It's sweet, bitter and a little spicy- mild bitterness.
Sometimes I've had this and found the malt hit quite full on for a brew that is very common place in New York and I imagine it's slowly making it's way into mainstream America.
I don't love this beer but I do like it and am pleased that it's become a lot more available in Sydney in the last 6 months.
Again it has to be said how bold it was back in the 1980's for this brewery to put out such a full flavoured flagship beer.
I've decided to give it 7/10.

Vale IPA

Style:American IPA
Alc %:5.5
Brewery:McLaren Vale Beer Company
Country:Australia
Tap/Bottle?:bottle, 330ml
Where/When:Home, July 2012
Cost:approx $14 for 4
Rating:7

As the label says, a lovely scent of passionfruit on the nose.
Orange, light copper body with a white head that decreases.
I get a nice passionfruit and mango taste followed by a spicey hit and finishing with a fairly mild bitterness and a reappearance of the passionfruit.
I do like this fruity drop and also appreciate that it's widely available (in bottle stores rather than bars) - I wish my local pub would have it on tap but in many ways that says more about how poor the selection is at my local than how much I like this beer- and I do like it- i'd just prefer it to be my fall back choice rather than the best of a bad bunch at any given pub in Sydney.
If I had this next to a Feral Hop Hog it would lose out but next to a James Squire IPA it would come out on top.
It could be suggested this has more in common with a decent fruity APA rather than a overtly hoppy IPA.

Sly Fox Route 113 IPA

Went to a restaurant (Bloodwood in Newtown) last nite and had this beer:

Avg Rating: 3.43

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Your Rating: 4

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• Route 113 IPA
• Brewery: Sly Fox Brewing Company
• Style: American IPA
• ABV: 7.2%
• First Had: Jun 3rd 2012

I had a can and it set me back $16!! Still, never had it before and although I did like it and would gladly have it again, I couldn't help think this was an American take of a English style IPA.

Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA

Style:US IPA
Alc %:7.2
Brewery:Sierra Nevada Brewing Co
Country:USA
Tap/Bottle?:bottle,
Where/When:Home, March 2012
Cost:approx. $10
Rating:7/10

A nice just off white fluffy head of half an inch that dissapates. A nice copper orange body.

A rich sweet citrus (dried apricot) nose with a hint of caremel malts. Not bad.

The maltyness is really quite prevalent upon tasting- it's creamy, and juicy and spicy (pepper) also. The hops give off both the spicey hotness then followed with a citrus (grapefruit and orange rind) hit lastly followed by the melding of the malts and hops together that linger notably. This last sensation from this brew is not sitting with me well-  I don't know if the malt is roasted or not but it's just a little raw for me.

I've put off this review 'cos I was having trouble putting my finger on just what was putting me off this beer which has other characteristics that I really like but it's the raw malt finish that turns me off from loving this ale.
All the same I'm giving it 7/10. It's easy to drink but for me finishes in a way that spoils what comes before the last note.

Feral Hop Hog

Style:American IPA
Alc %:5.8
Brewery:Feral Brewing Co
Country:Australia
Tap/Bottle?:bottle
Where/When:Home, March 2012
Cost:$10
Rating:7/10

Pours a lovely orange colour with soft bubbly white foam (approx 1cm)
Real nice fruity nose too:pineapple/fruit salad.
Soft on first sip, then a bit of passionfruit. The malt and orange flavours come thru and the hops pretty balanced, certainly not over the top.
This coats the mouth nicely- carbonation is mild- the bitterness hangs around for a bit but doesn't outstay it's welcome.
This is the first time I've had this from the bottle- from memory the tap version, which I totally loved! is more cloying and boisterous in it's flavours and hoppiness, so in many ways this is kinda dissapointing yet a fine drop all the same.
7/10

Coucher Patriot

Style:American Black Ale
Alc %:5.5
Brewery:Croucher Brewing Co
Country:NZ
Tap/Bottle?:bottle, 500ml
Where/When:Home, Jan 2012
Cost:$14
Rating:7


Dark coke like with a slight tan head of just under 1cm.
The smell at first was resinous hops but after it setteld they soften a little and a touch of pineapple and a hint of molasses.

This could be a baby brother to the Stone 15th Anniversary Black IPA. And given that this is not an imperial it's fair to say a good job was done here.

Mad Brewers Noir Stout

Style:Russian Imperial Stout
Alc %:7.4
Brewery:Malt Shovel Brewery
Country:Australia
Tap/Bottle?: bottle
Where/When:Home, 2011
Cost:$10+
Rating: 7/10

Pours dark coke colour with a creamy looking lightly tan head.

Little bit of hops, cocoa and a little bit of funkyness.

Now the liquorice added to this which piqued my interest to purchase this in the first place isn't that dominate in my opinion. So what do I taste: after letting this warm up a bit i get,

nicely rounded roasted malts and barley that make for a sweet drop. The 7% alcohol is reasonably well hidden which makes it easily drinkable.

I'm giving this a 7/10, a little short on fullness of body but overall a worthy decent stout.
Tho, in retrospect not really an Imperial.

Mountain Goat Rare Breed Surefoot Stout

Style:American Stout
Alc %:4.9
Brewery:Mountain Goat
Country:Australia
Tap/Bottle?:bottle
Where/When:Home, May 2011
Cost:$10 approx
Rating:7/10

Typical light tan head. Coffee on the nose.

Sweet yet dry, moreish. Cocoa and coffee.

Coopers Strong Ale

Style:English Strong Ale
Alc %:7.5
Brewery:Coopers Brewery
Country:Australia
Tap/Bottle?:bottle
Where/When:Home, May 2011
Cost:$5 for a 375ml bottle
Rating:7

Slightly off white head that dissapears.
Sweet caramel toffee on the nose
Sweet toffee like alcohol warm ness
It is a little sherry like which makes it a bit of a sipper.

Franziskaner Weisse Kristalklar

Style:Kristalweizen
Alc %:5
Brewery: Spaten Brauerei

Country:Germany
Tap/Bottle?:500ml bottle
Where/When:Home, Dec 2010
Cost:$5
Rating:7/10

Pale gold, clear with a decent frothy white head. Lots of bubbles heading south.

Nose: bit of spice(clove i think) and a hint of banana.

The clove/spice is secondary...., it's sweet and juicy upfront.... bugger me I can't quite pick it...

the wheat mixed with candy/bubblegum.

It is kinda creamy but with a little bite at the end. Fairly high carbonation.

Very drinkable, well balanced.

I really enjoy a wheat beer when I haven't had one for a while- a nice change.

7/10

Liberty Pale Ale

Style:American Pale Ale
Alc %:6
Brewery:Anchor Brewery
Country:US
Tap/Bottle?:bottle
Where/When:Home Oct 2010
Cost:$US8 or 9 6 pack
Rating:7+

citrus on nose- lemon rind?
biting hops, juicy fruits- pineapple....
Very nice easy drinking despite the bite.
good session beer.
I brought this back in my luggage from LA.

Erdinger Octoberfest Weissbier

Style:Hefeweisen
Brewery: Erdinger
ABV: 5.6%
Darlo Taphouse
Sat 16th Oct 2010.


Banana and a little clove - classic standard/ benchmark.
I enjoyed this quite a bit, it's been a while since I've had a wheat beer and this hit the spot.

Bear Republic Racer 5

Bear Republic Racer 5
Quite pale in colour for a IPA....and that's my notes...
musta got busy!
Will rate it a 7/10 all the same.
Cost: US$ 4.29

Green Flash imperial IPA

Green Flash Imperial IPA
Not too over the top for a IIPA initially -pleasant fleshy malts with a pleasant bitter finish. Nice fruit- mix of mandarin/'orange juice with a slight to mild roasted malt finish.
7/10
Cost US$5.29

Rogue Dead Guy Ale

Rogue Dead Guy Ale (Maibock/ Helles Bock), 6.5% ABV
Nice, fresh & malty - seems quite sessionable. Well rounded and balanced.
7+/10
Cost: US$ 5.99

Stone Arrogant Bastard

1st beer (on my trip to LA October 2010) was a Stone Arrogant Bastard on draught- at The Grove in LA.
It was quite nice - the end bitter note was very persistant and strong. Worthwhile good drop.
Didn't take notes at the time-was kinda surprised to find it at this place- Morels French Steakhouse & Bistro
7/10

Samuel Smith's India Ale

Style:English India Pale Ale
Alc %:5
Brewery:Samuel Smith Old Brewery
Country:UK
Tap/Bottle?:bottle, 500ml
Where/When:Home, Sept 2010
Cost:approx $10+
Rating:7/10

Nice light copper colour, fluffy white head that disappears to edge of the glass bubbles.
Subtle hints of malt and citrus zest/peel. Yeast present too. A little tea as well.
The tea makes it way to the palate- quite mild/medium flavour wise- it's all about the malt and hops-tho, i must say i get a bit of pineapple.

Pleasant, easy to drink calming ale, not at all confronting or big and powerful like it's American counterpart. A nice quaffing ale.
I like this, it's intriguing in it's mildness and quite session able. Nice bottle too!
7/10

Sheaf Stout

Style:Milk/Sweet Stout
Alc %:5.7
Brewery:Fosters/Carlton & United Breweries
Country:Australia
Tap/Bottle?:bottle
Where/When:Home, Sept 2010
Cost:$15 a 6 pack (375ml bottles)
Rating:7/10

Pours dark with a nice fluffy tan head that disappears.
Nose has a scent of cinnamon and spice... faintly roasted.
Sweet and juicy; roasted malts with slight coffee notes- pleasant mouth feel too.
Flavoursome, smooth and well balanced.

A really solid stout that isn't that heavy.