# Victoria Pale Lager



## danbeer (3/11/11)

So it seems summer is upon us again, and at least one new brewery is launching a 'session' beer, with a "sessionable flavour" 

The blurb in the add from Dan's says it's bittered by POR and has Saaz for aroma...
http://danmurphys.com.au/product/DM_707924...oria-pale-lager


So has anyone tried it?


The thought of POR for bittering, and that characteristic wet-cardboard taste that seemingly all CUB products have has me hesitant to spend the $3 entry fee to find out...


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## Nick JD (3/11/11)

I think it will sell well.


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## danbeer (3/11/11)

Nick JD said:


> I think it will sell well.



With the enormous advertising $$ that it seems to be behind it, I'm sure it will.


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## Nick JD (3/11/11)

SOunds like VB with some Saaz added late. Probably a tiny amount.

But people don't buy megaswill because of its taste - they buy it to get drunk, and to conform to the crowd.


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## Kingbrownbrewing (3/11/11)

If you add Saaz to a pint of urine, it will still taste like urine, with a nice clean hop finish.....


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## Liam_snorkel (3/11/11)

so we wont be seeing it on tap at archive then? B)


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## mje1980 (3/11/11)

danbeer said:


> So it seems summer is upon us again, and at least one new brewery is launching a 'session' beer, with a "sessionable flavour"
> 
> The blurb in the add from Dan's says it's bittered by POR and has Saaz for aroma...
> http://danmurphys.com.au/product/DM_707924...oria-pale-lager
> ...



What's wrong with POR?? I just bought a kilo of Super Pride, for bittering. So far no issues. Happy user.


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (3/11/11)

King Brown Brewing said:


> If you add Saaz to a pint of urine, it will still taste like urine, with a nice clean hop finish.....



Noble-wee.


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## Bribie G (3/11/11)

It's all malt, not 30% sugar. Plus real hops not just a squirt on the way to the packing line. I'll definitely try a couple.


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## DU99 (3/11/11)

if its CUB..off course it takes like P*SS


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## Bribie G (3/11/11)

CUB make some nice beers. I particularly like Cascade Pale (green bottle, 5% ABV) and their take on Guinness 6% FES is quite quaffable. The point is that they don't make beers badly. They do make a lot of bad beers - but they brew them very well because they sell well (VB etc) and they can brew them bang on "to style". You try making a Pure Blonde Mid using BIAB or 3V and see how far you get - not that you'd want to.  

If the market dictated good beers brewed well then that's what they would crank out morning noon and night. I'll see if I can grab a six of this stuff over the weekend and report.


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## DU99 (3/11/11)

i did see a special in our paper's for it..


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## Rowy (3/11/11)

12 bucks for a sixer here in Brisbane. It's the whole VB thing that will prevent me of trying one until a report is recieved.


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## boingk (3/11/11)

Saw them this avo at the local, was about to do a search but saw this in the 'recently posted' list instead.

Be interesting to see how they go, I remember their 'VB Original Ale' from a few years back was quite nice and if this is anything like that then its sure to be well received.

Cheers - boingk


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## tones0606 (3/11/11)

$39.00 a slab at Dans.
I'll grab a slab in a couple of hrs and report back
mmm Saaz :icon_drool2:


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## Bribie G (3/11/11)

I live six doors from a LL. 
4.4% ABV
Crisp, clean, not much upfront but a pleasant lingering bitterness that is not the iso twang. No mousecage or metallic twang either. 

You know, this reminds me 100% of mainstream Kiwi beers such as Export Gold or Summit Lager. Clean clean clean, if I wasn't a home brewer I'd drink this over VB or Tooheys any day. Pleasant lawnmower but nothing to write home about - probably in the same category as Coopers 62. 

If it sells well it might persuade them to switch to all malt for more of their brews - they get their malt for less than a dollar a kilo anyway (I know this) - apparently the UK brewers find this is the cheapest option nowadays rather than frig around with adjuncts.


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## cam89brewer (3/11/11)

tones0606 said:


> $39.00 a slab at Dans.
> I'll grab a slab in a couple of hrs and report back
> mmm Saaz :icon_drool2:


or even for a try 1st choice have 6pk's for $ 12 each.... 1st choice is the place to go :beerbang:


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## MarkBastard (3/11/11)

Bribie G said:


> I live six doors from a LL.
> 4.4% ABV
> Crisp, clean, not much upfront but a pleasant lingering bitterness that is not the iso twang. No mousecage or metallic twang either.
> 
> ...



If it really is all malt and hop pellets, it's a step in the right direction for sure.


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## winkle (3/11/11)

Now if they just make it 5% abv and put it in a brown bottle, we can forget the last 25 years ever happened <_<


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## cam89brewer (3/11/11)

Mark^Bastard said:


> If it really is all malt and hop pellets, it's a step in the right direction for sure.



Yeh but you wouldn't believe how many people that would actually prefer the original VB it is crazy....


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## Hoyt (3/11/11)

Tried one this arvo and must say that yeah i didnt mind it ........ even the wife liked it .......


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## Bribie G (3/11/11)

Since the first stubby I've been drinking my own megaswilly Barrett Burston thing, but just cracked a second Vic and it's going down nicely.


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## 2much2spend (3/11/11)

2 for $5 it OK reminds me of Heineken.
im happy with my local craft brewery's 
thanks!


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## yardy (3/11/11)

couldn't be any worse that this 





man... why did i buy it.


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## Silo Ted (3/11/11)

*V*ictoria *P*ale *L*ager

*V*isible *P*anty *L*ine


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## yardy (3/11/11)

Silo Ted said:


> *V*ictoria *P*ale *L*ager
> 
> *V*isible *P*anty *L*ine



that's your wallet isn't it


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## Muggus (3/11/11)

cambrew said:


> Yeh but you wouldn't believe how many people that would actually prefer the original VB it is crazy....


Yeah it's crazy, but then again the people who prefer the orginal VB usually prefer VB over anything, and taste no longer has anything to do with the equation.


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## mrTbeer (3/11/11)

Saw this (vb new) at the shop tonight. Although cheap I passed it up for alpha pale ale.
Will give it a try in time, would have to be better than vb if it's all grain plus saaz.
At least it's not lo taste lo carb lo alcohol and blonde.

(Th alpha pale ale tastes way better than fat yak pale ale and both by Matilda bay)


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## 2much2spend (4/11/11)

mrTbeer said:


> Saw this (vb new) at the shop tonight. Although cheap I passed it up for alpha pale ale.
> Will give it a try in time, would have to be better than vb if it's all grain plus saaz.
> At least it's not lo taste lo carb lo alcohol and blonde.
> 
> (Th alpha pale ale tastes way better than fat yak pale ale and both by Matilda bay)




They all still fosters!


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## Wimmig (4/11/11)

I'll try one. Only because it is a type of beer.


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## Bribie G (4/11/11)

mrTbeer said:


> Saw this (vb new) at the shop tonight. Although cheap I passed it up for alpha pale ale.
> Will give it a try in time, would have to be better than vb if it's all grain plus saaz.
> At least it's not lo taste lo carb lo alcohol and blonde.
> 
> (Th *alpha pale ale tastes way better than fat yak pale ale and both by Matilda bay*)


This is exactly echoed in the "Aussie beer lover's guide" where they use Alpha / yak as a perfect example of the uphill battle. The Alpha is the showcase but only sells a tiny fraction compared to yak. If the beer drinking public preferred the Alpha then it would be the other way around. Strikes me that the Pale Lager is maybe a "Skinny yak" effort - i.e. take a full flavoured pilsner, dumb it down but not as far as Carlton Draught so it's still attractive to mainstream drinkers but not too radical for their tamed taste buds. 
I wonder what Lion's answer will be.


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## MarkBastard (4/11/11)

Bribie G said:


> This is exactly echoed in the "Aussie beer lover's guide" where they use Alpha / yak as a perfect example of the uphill battle. The Alpha is the showcase but only sells a tiny fraction compared to yak. If the beer drinking public preferred the Alpha then it would be the other way around. Strikes me that the Pale Lager is maybe a "Skinny yak" effort - i.e. take a full flavoured pilsner, dumb it down but not as far as Carlton Draught so it's still attractive to mainstream drinkers but not too radical for their tamed taste buds.
> I wonder what Lion's answer will be.



But Fat Yak is everywhere and Alpha isn't. It's hard to say really isn't it? How do they work this stuff out?

Regarding this VPL, it really does seem to buck the trend of megaswill getting megaswillier and even megaswill owned craft breweries getting megaswillier as time goes on! I think it's a good thing. I know it's all marketing but it's good to see them leverage a defined megaswill brand and take it the OTHER way. Rather than making the newest low carb or mid strength version of VB.


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## Muggus (4/11/11)

Mark^Bastard said:


> Regarding this VPL, it really does seem to buck the trend of megaswill getting megaswillier and even megaswill owned craft breweries getting megaswillier as time goes on! I think it's a good thing. I know it's all marketing but it's good to see them leverage a defined megaswill brand and take it the OTHER way. Rather than making the newest low carb or mid strength version of VB.


I have to agree with you there - despite being yet to try this beer.
Good on them for pushing the envelope in the direction of "real beer", where hop and malt character reward the drinker with flavour, as opposed to following every other trend and creating a VB Low Carb or VB with a twist of lemon. 
I did notice, and try, an "All Malt lager" from Cascade at the recent Aussie Beer Festival in Sydney. Wasn't blown away or anything, but it was nice to know they're going down that path.


ps. loving the VPL...hope it does well just because of that :lol:


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## [email protected] (4/11/11)

It was a warm day today, after chewing on the brown ale last night felt like something a lot lighter.

Thought i better see what this is like. 

Pours with a small head that actually hangs around for a few minutes, dies away to a ring around the edge of the glass.

Smells clean, very faint hop aroma on pouring.

Very clean and crisp, some definite sazz hop flavour there, smooth bitterness that lingers slightly.
No foul after-tastes. 
Pretty thin for my palate these days and too much carbonation to go with it, but yeah this would make and easy drinking beer when you hot and bothered.

Quite surprising overall, i think they should phase out regular VB and make them drink this! h34r:


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## DU99 (5/11/11)

my preference is cooper's lager.. :chug:


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## cam89brewer (5/11/11)

Mark^Bastard said:


> But Fat Yak is everywhere and Alpha isn't. It's hard to say really isn't it? How do they work this stuff out?
> 
> Regarding this VPL, it really does seem to buck the trend of megaswill getting megaswillier and even megaswill owned craft breweries getting megaswillier as time goes on! I think it's a good thing. I know it's all marketing but it's good to see them leverage a defined megaswill brand and take it the OTHER way. Rather than making the newest low carb or mid strength version of VB.



Fat yak in my opinion is the regular version and alpha pale ale is the Premium version which is also a reserve which always come's with a higher price and is always more exclusive but i'm sure any true craft beer drinker would agree that the alpha is the ultimate pale ale....


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## pk.sax (5/11/11)

I can tell this would be a major hit up north here.

Fark, I wasn't expecting this to be that good. I proclaim that this beer shall be drank with non-brewing mates and drunken-ness shall ensue.

(I've never managed to get pissed on mega-swill, the taste kills the mood)


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## cam89brewer (5/11/11)

It is a good beer but doesn't anyone else feel that is just not quite right? being so lightly malted it is nearly empty in flavour maltwise (new word).


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## pk.sax (5/11/11)

This is what cheap beer ought to be like, inoffensive, refreshing and nothin basically wrong. Anyway, thats wat I think. Can't beat 12 bucks for a 6 pack.


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## Bribie G (5/11/11)

I got some proper brewery-bound malt from a SEQ maltings as part of a club buy and first up I did a smash with it to evaluate the maltiness. Very low malt flavour, that's what they obviously grow for the trade. It turned out very Carltonesque (another new word?)

We are attuned to the likes of BB or JW Ale etc - not to mention Maris Otter, Golden Promise.......... so as home brewers our palates have been a bit spoiled I suppose. Malts aint Malts.


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## pk.sax (5/11/11)

Good un B. I have a sack of brewery bound pale malt too, although, these guys actually churn out pretty good pilsners from them. It shall be tried when I run out of pils malt.

I never found anything wrong with the crispness of carlton draught, preferred it to VB. Just the rest of the ugly taste in them. This VPL is totally clean from that perspective.


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## Wimmig (5/11/11)

Mark^Bastard said:


> But Fat Yak is everywhere and Alpha isn't. It's hard to say really isn't it? How do they work this stuff out?
> 
> Regarding this VPL, it really does seem to buck the trend of megaswill getting megaswillier and even megaswill owned craft breweries getting megaswillier as time goes on! I think it's a good thing. I know it's all marketing but it's good to see them leverage a defined megaswill brand and take it the OTHER way. Rather than making the newest low carb or mid strength version of VB.



FYI,

Not all venues can stock / order alpha pale ale. You often need to get the order capability "unlocked" from the craft beer team. They don't want it in all venues. As with the rest of the brewers reserve range, they want to keep some exclusivity for them.

Anybody can order fat yak by the pallet.


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## nuggetron (7/11/11)

working in woolies liquor i got a free sample last night
not that great
not a huge beer drinker, and i like my few beers and thats about it, but in saying that vb gold isnt too bad, but pale lager just not my thing


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## mrTbeer (7/11/11)

After a slight derail with thoughts on alpha v fat yak...
I tried the vpl on weekend on a camping trip. It's good beer and it's only crime is being inoffensive. It's very session able but I just had a few despite having an esky full.People assume the bottle shape is vb and turn their nose up but when they see a green bottle and lack of a label they ask questions. The power of marketing is strong.
Still good to see a shift away from lo carb beers and adjuncts.


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## jimmyjack (7/11/11)

Word on the street is that this new beer is basically VB Raw jazzed up a little. Amazing what a name and bottle change can do. It didnt entice me then and it wont entice me now


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## danbeer (7/11/11)

Well, I bit the bullet and tried one this afternoon...

When it was cold, it wasn't bad. Sort of like a weak pilsner on training wheels.

When it warmed up a little more however, the POR came to the fore making it the slightest bit unpleasant. (Not at all a fan of the taste of POR)

Wouldn't go out of my way to buy it again, but if it was all there was to drink I wouldn't knock it back...


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## the_new_darren (7/11/11)

Is another of those claims where Crown lager tastes better that Fosters export?

Surely its the same thing (ie VB)

tnd


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## nzefactor (7/11/11)

Saw this at the local woolies bottle-o for $12 a sixer on the weekend and grabbed a pack.

Agree with the sentiment from previous posts. I thought it was pretty 'pure blonde'-ish in regards to the flavour.
Wasn't surprised when I found out it's a low carb beer.


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## Wimmig (7/11/11)

After trying a few from the samples it was alright. Good and cold it was pilsnerISH enough to go down at say a BBQ. I wouldn't be looking for anything more from it though.


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## BjornJ (7/11/11)

I tried this at mate's place yesterday, watching him and another friend brew a barley wine.
It was 35 degrees and we were sitting under a tin roof in the sun.
Next to a boiling 50 litre pot.

the VP went down nicely.  


Wouldn't mind drinking it again,
Bjorn


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## Charst (9/11/11)

Just finished one and Thought it not a bad drop for CUB. Nice Aroma, no real malt flavour but not thin and watery. 
Id probably buy this over nearly everything else they make, except the stout.


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## DUANNE (9/11/11)

theres still way to many good beers to try before i waste time drinking crap like this.


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## boingk (23/11/11)

Tried it over the weekend while I was working in the shed... they went down a treat and 6-pack disappeared pretty quickly between myself and my brother. I'd say its a pretty decent summer-type lager and pretty sessionable. As other posters have mentioned its reasonably mild so don't expect a massive hop hit, but what is there is enjoyable so long as you don't mind PoR in combo with some Saaz.

I've found my summer quaffer non-HB beer, thats for sure.

Cheers - boingk


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## esssee (24/11/11)

When Heineken find out they have stolen their recipe, they're gunna be pissed.

Went to the Cold Chisel Day on the Green on the weekend. All they had was Boags Draught and Heineken. Stuck to Heineken all night. Not spectacular, but not shit. (Concert was amazing, by the way.)

Just tasted a Victoria Pale Lager. It's the same thing. If it wasn't for the fact that CUB don't brew Heineken in Australia, I'd say they just put new bottles on the Heineken line.


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (24/11/11)

Which seems to confirm that BUL beers do contain some POR in them.

Goomba


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## MarkBastard (24/11/11)

Lord Raja Goomba I said:


> Which seems to confirm that BUL beers do contain some POR in them.
> 
> Goomba



Do breweries actually still use POR? I thought they'd moved on to Super Pride?


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## mje1980 (24/11/11)

I just grabbed a kilo of super pride. So far so good, though i only use for bittering. I might be tempted to do a smash MOSP ale haha


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## brettprevans (24/11/11)

all you shite brewers who dont know how to use POR to make great beers,. shame shame shame. 

not that id buy that 'seasonal' crap but i brew with POR. Smurto and I make a killr POR ale (I just play around with his original recipe). 

also you guys seem to forget they need to make money and thus cash in on an exsisting market


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## kymba (24/11/11)

found that it tasted similar malt wise to the james squire 150 lashes pale ale. i.e., shit. can't taste hops in either of them

however, i would reach for this VB pale before the 150


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## manticle (14/12/11)

Trying it now.

Smells like saaz hops.

Mine's been allowed to warm up a bit. Definitely less revolting than VB a bit warmer. Clean beer but very lacking in any kind of body or maltiness. Surprisingly, for an all malt beer, it has less body and flavour than some adjunct laden beers. I just drank a Melbourne before that (with my $1.00 pot noodle - yes I have days like this) and the melbourne had a bigger flavour punch.

Feels strange to review something like this but that's how the cookie crumbles sometimes. Clean, fairly tasteless beer flavoured mineral water with a saaz smell.

Not sure if it will be a hit with anyone - if I were a vb drinker I'd prefer 375 mL of VB to 330 mL of this, if I were vb drinker's lady, I'd probably either drink cruisers or strongbow over it and if I were a premium/imported BUL kind of guy, I'd drink asahi or peroni. Not sure which of the market's it's going for but I don't think it quite gets there.

As none of those, I'll stick to Pilsner urquell and trumer (and the ocassional Melbourne) for the summery cold beer at a barbecue majigga.


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## beerdrinkingbob (14/12/11)

A think I got a hint of Saaz too.

This beer is average at best and will not be welcome in my fridge, I would drink VB of the this one :icon_vomit:


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## stux (14/12/11)

I bought a six pack a month or two back now, when I first heard of it. Went down fantastically on a 35+ degree day at an indian restaurant over a few vindaloos 

bought a case of it a couple of weeks ago, for pre-xmas at the in-laws.

Still goes down pretty easily, but nowhere on the case or the bottle does it mention saaz hops anymore. Am I mistaken in remembering "saaz" on the packaging? or have they already started dumbing it down?


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## Wimmig (14/12/11)

Stux said:


> I bought a six pack a month or two back now, when I first heard of it. Went down fantastically on a 35+ degree day at an indian restaurant over a few vindaloos
> 
> bought a case of it a couple of weeks ago, for pre-xmas at the in-laws.
> 
> Still goes down pretty easily, but nowhere on the case or the bottle does it mention saaz hops anymore. Am I mistaken in remembering "saaz" on the packaging? or have they already started dumbing it down?



The official launch information was;

"Victoria Pale Lager is a flavoursome beer brewed to bring together great refreshment with quality lager characters. Refreshingly crisp and clean on the plate, Victoria Pale Lager is infused with Pride of Ringwood hops for bittering and Saaz hops for aroma. Using 100% Pale Malt in the brewing process, Victoria Pale is a medium-bodied beer with a smooth palate making this great lager ideal for summer's afternoon."

Though...things change. One must ask themselves...is it dumbing it down that VPL drinkers don't need to know about the malts or hops in the fire water they buy...


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## stux (14/12/11)

Wimmig said:


> The official launch information was;
> 
> "Victoria Pale Lager is a flavoursome beer brewed to bring together great refreshment with quality lager characters. Refreshingly crisp and clean on the plate, Victoria Pale Lager is infused with Pride of Ringwood hops for bittering and Saaz hops for aroma. Using 100% Pale Malt in the brewing process, Victoria Pale is a medium-bodied beer with a smooth palate making this great lager ideal for summer's afternoon."
> 
> Though...things change. One must ask themselves...is it dumbing it down that VPL drinkers don't need to know about the malts or hops in the fire water they buy...



I don't remember the exact wording on the case *now*, but I think it left open the door for miscellaneous hops and malt extracts

"pale malt and fresh hop characters" something like that


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## roverfj1200 (13/5/12)

Drank one of these at the local club today... And had that James boags flavour.. Pretty piss poor. Never drink again..

That is all.


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