# Ranga @ Jolly Miller



## jayse (11/5/10)

I had a few beers at a joint earlier and after a quick choof wrote a little story about it here it is....




I had been advised there was a beer at the jolly miller called a red ale something something one night by a punter at brewboys, on questioning he didn't know what it was or from who except it was a victorian red ale of some sort and he and his mates llked it and they were selling it cheap.

Fair enough so I go down thinking the jolly miller was the one next to the back of the ent centre but no that was called the joiners, then I think maybe its the one around the corner, oh wait a minute I have seen that geelong brewery sign out the front of there and haven't heard anything at all good about them really and they are not that well known or talked about amoung the community. anyway might aswell go in and try it since I have made the effort to get this far. 

Turns out it is actually quite well brewed and a nice enough irish red ale, way to cold and way too carbonated and if it had not been so freezing cold I wonder if they could pour it, as is it was that cold they filled the glass perfectly full just the way I love it without any trouble at all.

The carbonation with the malt character had a almost belgian like mouthfeel with the reasonble malt character and tiny bubble spritz. More then hints of crystal malts and reasonbly clean with some nice hop character, all in all worth a try.

Nice hop character, nice bitterness and 20 min type addition character, bit fruity in flavour was the hop character and there was some reasonble fruity esters, after a couple this fruit come out a little like there was some rasberry in the beer with the combo of hop fruit, yeast esters and crystal malt like toffee sweetness.

The foam was quite exceptional and super stable and over all a reasnbly well brewed beer, I had 4 pints just to be sure.

Had a brief chat with the barman but took all he said with a grain of salt as to be honest he seemed to be just bluffing his way through what he knew about it, apparntly they actually own the pub, searching the net on southern bay who brew the beer now and they have a range and this pub had no other of their beers so somethings a bit suspect there.

The pub itself is quite a sight and reminded me of what pubs actually used to look like when I was only a child, no renovations since the 70's even the pokie room looked unrenovated and just a old school ladys lounge that they had fitted with pokie machines, I kinda liked that and it brought back many memories of how pubs once were. Has a big beer garden out back and the prices on the menu looked good, checking adelaide pub reviews and it has had a few good reviews for the food and as a good spot for pre ent centre gig drinks, although the front bar is only small and I can imagine would be packed to the rafters before a gig such as metallica coming up.

the southern bay website has info that their brewlength is 140hl, that is quite huge and I wonder if that is actully a fermentor load using two 70hl brews back to back, who knows? not me, as I said not much info around about this and I know nothing.

Anyway if anyone knows anything about these guys I'd like to hear it, the ranga supprised me and while it won't impress modern beer geeks spoilt for choice I thought it was quite well brewed.

Another interesting thing is ranga doesn't even seem to be mentioned on the southern bay web site, they just have a few beers under the name bearings. I know they contract brew but the beer 'ranga' doesn't seem to have a actuall home on the net. 

I am sure they have a good brewer at the helm so someone must know him and them so any info out there brewers?

I did see a big black merc with southern bay in the window once and wondered how any microbrewer has money for such a car but on the little info I have gathered in the last hour or so it seems this is a major co-operation corp? not a microbrewery as we all know it, certianly the claimed brewlength and the extensive bottling equipment this place does look a cut above most.

So anyway if your driving past on your way home and not in a perticular hurry to get home to the wife/partner or children then drop in for a 5 buck pint of this and let us know what you think.


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## THE DRUNK ARAB (11/5/10)

Cosmic Psychos played there in March.

It also has or did have a playground out the back to keep kids or munted adults entertained.

Will pop in and try Ranga one night. Good review jayse.

C&B
TDA


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## Screwtop (11/5/10)

Another good reason to do SA again next year :super: 

Sorry bulp, maybe I should make that VIC :lol:


Thanks Jayse

Screwy


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## MCT (11/5/10)

THE DRUNK ARAB said:


> Cosmic Psychos played there in March.




:super:


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## jayse (11/5/10)

THE DRUNK ARAB said:


> Cosmic Psychos played there in March.
> 
> It also has or did have a playground out the back to keep kids or munted adults entertained.
> 
> ...



Tell them that I sent you....

And they will go who? what hey!

I think there maybe a chance to cross paths tomorow over a flying dog.


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## Hatchy (11/5/10)

I was meant to go to that Psychos gig but I was bottling & forgot about it. My mate who was meant to remind me said that the Ranga is a ginger beer. What a tool.


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## Frank (11/5/10)

Rate Beer, refer to The Ranga from Flying Horse. Is this the same that you tried? Did you have hints of Ginger?
COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
A light, Belgian styled beer brewed with a difference. Fresh ginger, lemon and honey are added into the mix to provide a pleasant background bouquet. A very refreshing session beer which is not too sweet, not too dry and not too overpowering. It is beer with ginger, not ginger with beer! Make it a Ranga!
Beer Advocate review.
Hatchy, your mate might have been right.


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## Wolfy (11/5/10)

jayse said:


> Anyway if anyone knows anything about these guys I'd like to hear it, the ranga supprised me and while it won't impress modern beer geeks spoilt for choice I thought it was quite well brewed.


They were one of the Micros at the recent showcase at Fed Square (in Melb), Ranga was promoted as a new beer with some orangutan promotion or something that seemed weird and pointless to me.
I believe they'll also be at the Beer Expo later this month - see the banners at the top of this website. 

*Edit*: The Ranga from Southern Bay at the Showcase was not a ginger beer, don't have my notes on had but from memory it was adequate but I was not too fussed with it.


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## jayse (11/5/10)

That must be a different ranga the ginga one.

I have had identical twin rangas, not at the same time though unfortunately.


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## Hatchy (11/5/10)

Boston said:


> Hatchy, your mate might have been right.




I won't be telling him that.

This is a bloke who was suggesting on Saturday that 15g of hops is the maximum you should put in a beer although he's happily drunk my version of Neill's centenarillo with 80g. He also told me that you have to have a cool room to brew AG. Can any of the AG brewers explain that to me?


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## Fents (12/5/10)

all my mates keep going on about this ranga beer too. if anyone in vic wants it i know its def at the brunswick sporting club as thats where they all tried it.

def Brewed under license according to them.

funny how flying horse also have ranga too tho - http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/18416...T=2&start=0


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## Wolfy (12/5/10)

Hatchy said:


> He also told me that you have to have a cool room to brew AG. Can any of the AG brewers explain that to me?


I'd expect he means that if you put in the extra cost and effort to brew AG it would be sensible to also have temperature control of your fermentation.
However, that care and control is just as beneficial to all brewers no matter how they produce their wort.


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## fraser_john (12/5/10)

I have only ever had their Bearings Ale, shocker, a more watery and less flavoursome version of carlton draught.

Anyway, since I had it, I believe they have a new head brewer, so maybe things have improved?


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## super_simian (16/1/11)

Also at Bar Etiquette in Brunswick.


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## super_simian (24/3/11)

Yeah, tried it at Bar Etiquette during happy hour. Smells great, very English, but has a real bandaid flavour in the finish. Unfortunate, because if it weren't for that I'd put in my current lineup of local brews - which so far is limited to WRDA and Hightail!


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