Posts Tagged ‘beer’

Mountain Goat Saga – An update!

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

I’ve been and tasted a sixpack with the brewer. The six were consistent, though I thought I could smell one that was distinctively better, I got Dave to switch them around while I wasn’t looking, so that I could re-sniff and try to identify the glass which held what I thought was the superior beer. I narrowed it down to two, sniffed again, and again, then selected…………………………………………… and was incorrect.

While I’ve had a shit experience with Steam Ale, I can be certain that there is not any fault in the product itself, and the quality control is 100% Goat. For the rancid stubbies, I point the finger at poor handling somewhere along the lines. As for the style of the beer, who knows. The Hightail is still lovely, and if the IPA they release in glass is anywhere near as glorious as it was on tap last Friday night, I’m sure the Goats will retain my business.

Even if I reckon the Steam Ale is a sellout, that’s a style thing – not a fault, the IPA and Hightail are still A-Ok with me. You have my sincere apologies Dave & Cam. Keep up the good work!

Mountain Goat saga continues….

Wednesday, January 6th, 2010

I received a response to the email which I previously posted from Mountain Goat. I’ll publish it once I’ve informed them that I’m publishing what they say.  It was positive, so much so it’s given me reason and optimism enough to again try Steam Ale, this time in the presence of my mother who is a beer taster of renown, who usually comes out with detailed descriptions such as; “ooh I like that” or the alternative; “I don’t like it.”

As an update, I did try a pot of Steam Ale at the Royston and thought it was pretty darn good. Anyhow, here’s the results from the six-pack I’ll taste over the next day or two.

6/01/2010.

Stubby #1. Me: Pours well, offers bland dry biscuit flavours. Otherwise faultless. Mum: “There’s not much flavour.” Post sniff, swirl, spit.. The rest is sinkward bound.

Stubby #2. Me: As per stubby #1. Mum: “This tastes the same, is it?” Same deal; sniff, swirl, spit, sink. If I wanted something bland, expensive and useless I’d buy Corona.

Stubby #3. Before I said anything, in chimed mum: “This one’s different.” Me: Pours slightly cloudier than first two. Smells of pear and barley husk. Malty, rich creamy palate, accentuated by nice florals.  This is crisp and dry, with delightful summer fruits and florals. Sniff, swirl, spit, polish the rest off with glee.

Still no solution. When you get a good one, it’s like someone put Knappstein reserve on a diet and made it sessionable. Lovely.

7/10 Update

Stubby #4 Sabe al Corona, Senor! Ole! Siguienti por favor….

Stubby #5 As above.

One lurks for a Friday night knock off beer. But will it live upto expectations?

Mountain Goat – An open letter.

Thursday, December 17th, 2009
Hello. I write to bitch about Steam ale. Four out of six stubbies of this stuff are absolutely woeful. They’re that bad I swear they were made in Abbotsford.
One in six is okay. Drinkable.
The other one in every six is fucking glorious.
Where’s the quality control? Or the pride in what you put your label on..?
I write this not just as a punter, but as someone that’s been a retailer and advocate of your beer since 2003.
Your beer was one of those that originally said to me, hey, there’s more to beer than what’s made in Abbotsford! It taught me a lesson, infact, I cut my boutique beer selling teeth on it. Something I’ve done really well.
What’s more I drank it! I spent 40+ hours a week selling your stuff, then drinking it when I’m off the clock in my own time for over six years. It’d be impossible to count howmany of your beers I’d have consumed, or directly sold, but in short, it’d be a royal shitload. I even have the sticker on my car, I drink, I goat. If your shit continues, it’ll be removed.
Your beer was spot on. A local we could be genuinely proud of, that is, up until recently. The more venues you seem have, the worse the quality of your beer.
Dropping the pale ale was a cardinal sin. To replace it with something that’s fundamentally flawed, like Steam ale just makes things worse.
Get your shit together, please. I miss the riotous good times I had with your beer. I miss having customers come in with a smile thanking me for converting them from the dark side to a decent, credible brew, I miss slamming down Hightail pints at the Corner, thinking “How fucking good is this? a beer brewed here in my hometown that I’m not ashamed of..”
You’re teetering on the edge of just another mass produced shitty inverted commas boutique beer close inverted commas just like Matilda Bay, and I’m contemplating removing the sticker and your beer from my drink, and more importantly recommend list.

The text below is what I typed into a contact form on the Mountain Goat Brewery website. I’ll keep you updated with the response, if indeed I get any.

Hello. I write to bitch about Steam ale. Four out of six stubbies of this stuff are absolutely woeful. They’re that bad I swear they were made in Abbotsford.

One in six is okay. Drinkable.

The other one in every six is fucking glorious.

Where’s the quality control? Or the pride in what you put your label on..?

I write this not just as a punter, but as someone that’s been a retailer and advocate of your beer since 2003.

Your beer was one of those that originally said to me, hey, there’s more to beer than what’s made in Abbotsford! It taught me a lesson, infact, I cut my boutique beer selling teeth on it. Something I’ve done really well.

What’s more I drank it! I spent 40+ hours a week selling your stuff, then drinking it when I’m off the clock in my own time for over six years. It’d be impossible to count howmany of your beers I’d have consumed, or directly sold, but in short, it’d be a royal shitload. I even have the sticker on my car, I drink, I goat. If your shit continues, it’ll be removed.

Your beer was spot on. A local we could be genuinely proud of, that is, up until recently. The more venues you seem have, the worse the quality of your beer.

Dropping the pale ale was a cardinal sin. To replace it with something that’s fundamentally flawed, like Steam ale just makes things worse.

Get your shit together, please. I miss the riotous good times I had with your beer. I miss having customers come in with a smile thanking me for converting them from the dark side to a decent, credible brew, I miss slamming down Hightail pints at the Corner, thinking “How fucking good is this? a beer brewed here in my hometown that I’m not ashamed of..”

You’re teetering on the edge of just another mass produced shitty inverted commas boutique beer close inverted commas just like Matilda Bay, and I’m contemplating removing the sticker and your beer from my drink, and more importantly recommend list.

Grand Ridge Brewery Gippsland Gold Pale Ale

Wednesday, December 16th, 2009
Gippsland Gold

Gippsland Gold

I have spent an awful lot of time shitcanning Grand Ridge Brewery. A brewery that is unquestionably the most egotistical and unrealistic in existance. They have committed more crimes against flavour than a city of Mr Baldys ever could against children.

However, I must admit – This current “Gippsland Gold” Pale Ale is delicious. Pale ale it is not. It’s quite obviously red in color and red in flavour profile, so again like most Grand Ridge beers it lies on the label. BUT….. the beer is freakin’ delicious.

It pours superbly, maintains it’s fine head, the nose is stupendously good! Enticing fruits lurk below husky malt, the carbonation is cleansing and consistent. The palate is full bodied, rich & creamy malt driven style which finishes with a delightful dry hoppy and fruity flourish. It’s a wonderful, wonderful beer.  3, 6.5, 8.5. 18/20 4.9% Alc./Vol.

The person that actually dared to suggest I try one was the inimitable Tony Evans of Mayerling Cellars. Talk beer with him until the cows come home, but please, do not buy any serious wine from that place. They have a terrible, terrible problem with the heat in that shop. I was in there today, a 39 degree day today and everything on the shop floor is roasted.


2008 Crown Ambassador Reserve Lager

Sunday, November 8th, 2009
2008 Crown Ambassador Reserve Lager

2008 Crown Ambassador Reserve Lager

There’s quite a fuss made about this stuff. The packaging and presentation really is superb. They (Fosters) sure as shit make you pay for it though. This stuff retails for around $70 per bottle when it’s released. This is the first release, but they’ve done another one since. I’ve not yet tried it. The marketing hype prattles on about the cellarability of this beer, and the fact it’s strong, and made from fresh hop flowers. The fact is, the Belgians have been making this style of beer for centuries – what’s more, they’re still doing it! I’m amused by Fosters calling it a “Lager.”

Pours a deep, near opaque amber colour with ample, fine, off white head, which dissipates quicker than it should. Fine white lacing remains, however. I find the carbonation just borders on acceptable. Manuka honey, multi-grain toast, and raisins on the nose. It’s rich, generous and inviting. The palate is big, rich and warming. Delivering intense flavours of raisin toast, golden syrup and nutri-grain. There’s an appealing hint of vegemite running through the palate. Not normally something I’d call appealing, but it provides contrast against the onslaught of sweet honey, dried fruits and grain. The finish is a disappointment, soft and soapy, the flavours fading into insignificance without so much as a wave goodbye. An exceedingly good attempt at the Belgian dubbel/tripel style. Wax covered crown seal. Alc/Vol not on bottle, I suspect around 9%. Bottle 4354 Tasted. 2, 6, 6. 14/20.

Works for me because it’s flavours are golden, on the verge of brown, I find it more drinkable than a Westmalle for example. However, at $80, I could have a dozen Belgians that are infinitely superior beers; Ambassador Reserve isn’t any better than Chimay Blue, Chimay Red, Westmalle, Delerium, Hoegaarden Grand Cru, Hoegaarden Forbidden Fruit, Orval.

I still insist Cooper’s Vintage is a superior beer to all of those above. Here’s a review I did a while ago of the 1999 Coopers Vintage. I had one a month or so ago, the stuff is still in very fine form.

http://schitzengiggles.net/wp/2008/10/booze-zaks/