# Matilda Bay Barking Flamingo



## Wisey (4/8/09)

Matilda Bay Barking Flamingo Raspberry Beer

How do we get ahold of these types of beers?

Anyone tried one? Is their a site you can order them through?


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## Timmsy (4/8/09)

Would love to know where you can by Fat Yak etc in Adelaide to??


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## chappo1970 (4/8/09)

I wouldn't waste my money it's dreadful IMO! I have seen it at 1st Choice IIRC or maybe it was The Wine Emporium? I see your from Gunny (ex Quirindi/Tammy?Armidale lad) so I am guessing there isn't a 1st Choice or Dan's within cooeee of ya. If your that keen to turn yourself off a fruit beer I can see if I can get my hands on some and post it to ya.


Cheers


Chappo


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## Snow (4/8/09)

Wisey said:


> Matilda Bay Barking Flamingo Raspberry Beer
> 
> How do we get ahold of these types of beers?
> 
> Anyone tried one? Is their a site you can order them through?



Vintage Cellars are stocking it in Brisbane - not sure if the NSW branches follow suit? Personally I wouldn't waste my money h34r: 

Cheers - Snow


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## O'Henry (4/8/09)

Timmsy said:


> Would love to know where you can by Fat Yak etc in Adelaide to??



I can get the Yak at Woolworths Liquor nearby. Maybe check a few of them out. That said, I asked for the Hop Thief there and they said the didn't have it (a while back) and the guy got all excited about having Fat Yak, so maybe it was a one off thing or something.


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## Pollux (4/8/09)

I grabbed one at Vintage Cellars in Leichhardt, was HORRID. Just a mishmash of random flavours......


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## clean brewer (4/8/09)

I had the Barking Flamingo Framboise the 2nd last time I was in Toowoomba on Tap, quite average  , I only had 1...... I had a big night on others though.. :icon_drunk: 

:icon_cheers: CB


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## Scruffy (4/8/09)

clean brewer said:


> , I only had 1...... I had a big night on others though.. :icon_drunk:
> 
> :icon_cheers: CB



Ahh, but which one did you throw up...


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## clean brewer (4/8/09)

Scruffy said:


> Ahh, but which one did you throw up...



Didnt throw up any, had a great night.. Quite a few Fat Yaks(really enjoyed them on tap), quite a few 2007 Coopers Vintage Ales(on tap) and a few Rogues.. :icon_drool2: 

We were just in Toowoomba again and unfortunately I couldnt get to the Spotted Cow for a session, bloody family...  

:icon_cheers: CB


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## lczaban (4/8/09)

I had a couple of these on tap at the Platform Bar in Brisvegas when they put a keg of it on. It sounded interesting, but it certainly was not what I expected. Probably the easiest way of describing it would be that it is similar to having a glass of pink (the rose version of Yellow sparkling wine), but with a finer carbonation and a dry, beer-like finish. I can see where some people would get off on this, but it isn't a favourite of mine. I would have another glass again, but more for the something different/novelty value. Try it just for the experience if you can get your hands on a bottle/glass.


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## joshuahardie (5/8/09)

LOL
I liked it, so going off the general consensus, I don't know if should be embarrassed to admit it. Hell of alot better than some of the fruit based beers I have tried. 
Floris Kriek, I am looking at you :icon_cheers:


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## saccarin63 (5/8/09)

joshuahardie said:


> LOL
> I liked it, so going off the general consensus, I don't know if should be embarrassed to admit it. Hell of alot better than some of the fruit based beers I have tried.
> Floris Kriek, I am looking at you :icon_cheers:


 ya had a barking flamingo on sat arvo, look not to bad, there is better fruit beers out there but overall okay. these guys r out there making different beers from there brewerys .something that cleanbrewer,gravity guru,pollux, snow, and chappo would dream about doing. it seems there is alot of this knocking beers lately, but until you guys r out there doing it you will never understand whats involved running a brewery and trying to release a beer on the market and hopeing youve done the right thing. i just think there should be a little more thought put into the beers judging, than the beers shit dont waste your time. maybe a more better way to explain it would be , the beers disapointing , i dont know were there going with this one,or didnt really like it ,not for me. lets all try and support the micros as best as we can, we all love beer and everything that goes with it, from the smell of the freshly milled grain to the esters of an ale yeast. even the woody aromas of the fuggle hop. 
iam sure the guys that i mentioned above would all love to oneday to be running there own brewery, and i hope they do,the more little brewerys out there the better it will be. everyone has the right to express there opinion. by no way iam i knocking that, all iam trying to say is maybe go a little easier on the micros. cheers :icon_chickcheers:


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## Pollux (5/8/09)

Right, so people ask for our opinion of a commercial beer, we drank it and then offered our opinion......

But because it wasn't positive it was a bad thing, or would it have been better if it was sugar coated???


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## saccarin63 (5/8/09)

Pollux said:


> Right, so people ask for our opinion of a commercial beer, we drank it and then offered our opinion......
> 
> But because it wasn't positive it was a bad thing, or would it have been better if it was sugar coated???


so whats your definition of a commercial beer and a micro beer. this beer is a limited release brewed in the garage just like your beers are. mate if you had of read my post i wasnt personaly attacking you guys iwas just asking to go a bit easier on the micros.take it how you want to mate, i dont really give a shit. is that sugar coated enough.


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## Pollux (5/8/09)

Last time I checked, Matilda Bay Brewery was a commercial brewery......I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure they sell beer to the public for a profit, that says "commercial brewery" to me.....

Yes, this may be a limited release, and according to yourself we should all be on our knees with the brewer's balls on our chin for that reason.....If it's a beer that the general consensus of this forum (a forum of beer brewers and DRINKERS) don't seem to to enjoy, then perhaps the good people at Matilda Bay could do with the criticism and learn from it......I said similar things about this years Hop Thief from James Squires, compared to previous years it was rubbish, as was the Cascade First Harvest. 


If you want me to be balanced and all that crap, I thoroughly enjoyed the Matilda Bay Alpha Pale Ale I bought the other week, was beautiful, I'd even consider buying a case if not for the fact that there seems to be something in most of their beers that causes me to break out in acne in a shocking fashion.


Enough rant, I'm on the Gold Coast getting drunk on Duke Pale Ale and Bitburger.


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## saccarin63 (5/8/09)

Pollux said:


> Last time I checked, Matilda Bay Brewery was a commercial brewery......I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure they sell beer to the public for a profit, that says "commercial brewery" to me.....
> 
> Yes, this may be a limited release, and according to yourself we should all be on our knees with the brewer's balls on our chin for that reason.....If it's a beer that the general consensus of this forum (a forum of beer brewers and DRINKERS) don't seem to to enjoy, then perhaps the good people at Matilda Bay could do with the criticism and learn from it......I said similar things about this years Hop Thief from James Squires, compared to previous years it was rubbish, as was the Cascade First Harvest.
> 
> ...


ya enough rant.bitburger says it all. .


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## marlow_coates (15/8/09)

OK, So I am sipping a pint of this, and like someone above has described, it is like drinking a cheap rose sparkling wine. 

Highly carbonated, and quite fizzy on the tongue, and a medium hit of sweetness, and a bit of tartness too.

A bit too much of a wine tasting beer, than a fruit flavoured beer, IMHO.

Also, seems a bit lacking in body. Probably due to all the heavy winter beers I have been having lately. Nothing under 7% for a couple of weeks now  , mostly beers that finished around 1020, and feel like your eating a meal.

I can see what they are going for though, and think their is a market for it, my girlfriend and grandparents all seem to be enjoying it anyway.

Don't think I will get again I am sorry to say.

The bottles will be cleaned and refilled with a Hefewiezen


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## manticle (15/8/09)

mickey eyes said:


> ya had a barking flamingo on sat arvo, look not to bad, there is better fruit beers out there but overall okay. these guys r out there making different beers from there brewerys .something that cleanbrewer,gravity guru,pollux, snow, and chappo would dream about doing. it seems there is alot of this knocking beers lately, but until you guys r out there doing it you will never understand whats involved running a brewery and trying to release a beer on the market and hopeing youve done the right thing. i just think there should be a little more thought put into the beers judging, than the beers shit dont waste your time. maybe a more better way to explain it would be , the beers disapointing , i dont know were there going with this one,or didnt really like it ,not for me. lets all try and support the micros as best as we can, we all love beer and everything that goes with it, from the smell of the freshly milled grain to the esters of an ale yeast. even the woody aromas of the fuggle hop.
> iam sure the guys that i mentioned above would all love to oneday to be running there own brewery, and i hope they do,the more little brewerys out there the better it will be. everyone has the right to express there opinion. by no way iam i knocking that, all iam trying to say is maybe go a little easier on the micros. cheers :icon_chickcheers:




Matilda Bay is not a micro chief. It's owned by Fosters which makes it about as micro as Microsoft.

Aside from that I'm not quite sure what you're getting at - people offered their opinion and most would be happy to elaborate what they didn't like about it.

Some people like some beers. Some people don't. Should they shroud their negative opinions in empty comforting fluff or disguise every criticism with euphemisms?

I haven't tried this one but I've not been a fan of most Matilda Bay beers. It's a beer forum and at some point I might express that (in fact I did once already). I think we can all live with that.

I don't know if you're going out with the head brewer or something but grow a thicker skin. If someone doesn't like a beer you fancy, it's not the end of the world.

Additionally why is it bad for homebrewers to knock a commercial product but ok for you to knock homebrewers?


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## pbrosnan (15/8/09)

I haven't had it but it sounds like it's along the lines of a gueuze or kriek in which case it's not going to be the type of beer that would go down well with the ale/lager crowd. I include myself in that crowd. That doesn't make it a bad beer though, it would need to be compared to beers of a similar style. So people are entitled to bag it because they don't like it but it but by doing so may be demonstrating a narrower beer range than others.

Oh and the part of Matilda Bay that produces these beers is definitely an indulgence, you'll miss it when it's gone. And I wouldn't bother with Fat Yak when there's Alpha.


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## manticle (15/8/09)

pbrosnan said:


> I haven't had it but it sounds like it's along the lines of a gueuze or kriek in which case it's not going to be the type of beer that would go down well with the ale/lager crowd. I include myself in that crowd. That doesn't make it a bad beer though, it would need to be compared to beers of a similar style. So people are entitled to bag it because they don't like it but it but by doing so may be demonstrating a narrower beer range than others.



Or comparing it to said beer range and judging it accordingly...................?

I'm fairly certain more than a few of those who posted comments have tried a wide range of beers including fruit beers.


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## marlow_coates (16/8/09)

In comparison to Belle Vue Kriek, the Barking Flamingo lacked body and complexity.

When I drank the Kriek, I got the definate taste of the fruits, and it filled the role of fruit beer perfectly. A tasty complex drop, that is not really my cup of tea, but I can appreciate the art of brewing it.

The Barking Flamingo, IMHO, did not measure up to the Kriek. 

I can't remeber the name of the other fruit beer I have tried, but can picture the label for some reason. But it also scored higher in my mind then the Barking Flamingo.

Of course I have only had 2 of each of these beers, and one BF, so not a seasoned fruit beer drinker by any means.

Marlow


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## lczaban (16/8/09)

mickey eyes said:


> ya had a barking flamingo on sat arvo, look not to bad, there is better fruit beers out there but overall okay. these guys r out there making different beers from there brewerys .something that cleanbrewer,gravity guru,pollux, snow, and chappo would dream about doing. it seems there is alot of this knocking beers lately, but until you guys r out there doing it you will never understand whats involved running a brewery and trying to release a beer on the market and hopeing youve done the right thing. i just think there should be a little more thought put into the beers judging, than the beers shit dont waste your time. maybe a more better way to explain it would be , the beers disapointing , i dont know were there going with this one,or didnt really like it ,not for me. lets all try and support the micros as best as we can, we all love beer and everything that goes with it, from the smell of the freshly milled grain to the esters of an ale yeast. even the woody aromas of the fuggle hop.
> iam sure the guys that i mentioned above would all love to oneday to be running there own brewery, and i hope they do,the more little brewerys out there the better it will be. everyone has the right to express there opinion. by no way iam i knocking that, all iam trying to say is maybe go a little easier on the micros. cheers :icon_chickcheers:



It's interesting Mickey that you have decided to try and defend the BF against the criticism levelled against it. I thought my comments were an accurate description of the beer without getting too long-winded about the different flavours and characteristics of the beers. All I did was to try and give my impressions in a way that most people could understand. While I didn't mind it, the beer didn't do anything for me. Enough said. I think Marlow Coates put it fairly well when comparing BF to Kriek, so I'd probably go out and try a few more fruit beers to understand what the style is about and how BF fits into the marketplace.

While I am not an experienced brewer, I do have a few runs on the board. From that perspective I have tried some different fruit beers (commercial and home-brewed) and I am confident in my ablity to rate the strengths and weaknesses of those fruit beers that I try. I haven't brewed any fruit beers myself, but you would think that a professional brewery like MB would be able to make a better fist of brewing this type of beer than what they have. FYI Matilda Bay is run by Fosters, and I wouldn't classify them as a micro as such. They fit into what I'd describe as a "boutique" brewery - they have a big company behind them to finance and resource brewing projects that true micros cannot, but they are not brewing mega-swill beers aimed at the mainstream beer drinker. It is a way that big breweries cash in on a lucrative, high-margin niche in the beer market that helps boost their bottom line. While there are some damn tasty drops coming out of these types of outfits (MB Fat Yak & Alpha Pale Ale, LCPA, JSGA, JS Pilsner et al) there are also some blunders they come up with from time-to-time that aren't necessarily worthy of praise. I would put BF in this category. I am happy to promote the work of passionate micros and boutique breweries, but I won't defend the indefensible. As I mentioned, BF is a beer that most people should try for the experience but it is not a beer I would recommend per se or to my list of favourite beers. I think that we should be recognising excellence in commercial brewing when it is warranted, but likewise we should also call those responsible to account when their products fall short of the mark. Otherwise we will just be settling of second best when we go to the bottlo or our favourite drinking spot.

After all of that, if someone thinks that BF is a good tipple then that is their opinion and completely valid. Beer drinking is a personal experience and if someone has a different opinion then there is nothing wrong with that! Bottoms up! :chug:


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## Thylacoleo (31/8/09)

Timmsy said:


> Would love to know where you can by Fat Yak etc in Adelaide to??



I've been frequenting Vintage Cellars at the Central Markets lately. It has Fat Yak, as well as some Barking Flamingo (not sure if they still have it, might've sold out). It also has a decent number of local and national microbrewery beers, plus imported beers. It's range isn't huge, but it's worth a look. I found a few beers there I'd been looking for for ages (Unibroue beers, namely, plus Duvel and some trappiste beers). There's also an online only store which has a few specialty beers. Find it at: http://www.adelaidebiershop.com.au/home.php

I know those stores aren't going to sell every beer you're looking for, but hopefully it helps  

Cheers,
James.


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## Macca17 (10/12/09)

Just tried one of these, and I know it is just my opinion, but whoever made this Barking Flamingo
should be shot, they are horrible :icon_vomit: and after having tried Bush Shack Breweries Strawberry 
Blonde and Matso's Mango Beer, I don't think fruit in beer does it for me


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