# Mt Tamborine (Brisbane region) Brewery review



## jpanic (27/12/13)

G'day

I went here yesterday and had a paddle of tasters. This is in the Tambourine Mountain area.

They have about 8 beers on tap styled as things like "Rainforest Lager" etc, apparently trying to reflect the regional qualities. But frankly the immediate impression you get is that they decided just to fill out a roster of beers to tick the boxes of a range of style, but they have not developed the recipes with care or skill, or they are skimping on the necessary speciality grains to get a proper example of various styles out, or using dubious substitutes.

The mountain bock and the stout (forget the name) were good quality and enjoyable, probably because they just brewed to style. The others were poor quality and forgettable. I recall the Rainforest Lager was particularly hard to enjoy and the Belgian Blonde was a poor specimen of the style. Others lacked both body and flavour and almost tasted like megaswill. If I went again I would stick to the dark beers. 

The food wasn't bad, a little pricey. The service was poor on the day but it was boxing day so probably not a fair indication of the usual quality. 

All in all, although I've been negative on the beer, the place is nice, breezy, open and well-appointed and quite pleasant. You should find a beer you like on tap and have a good day on it. It's a general thumbs-up as a nice place to stop off if you're in the area although, regrettably, not worth going out of your way to visit.


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## goomboogo (27/12/13)

They've spent a fortune on the place. As you found out, big money doesn't guarantee quality beer. I was there a couple months ago and the cheese was quite good but the beer was poorly made. I'm reasonably sensitive to diacetyl, but to my taste, three different beers were diacetyl laden to the point where I couldn't finish them. The staff were of the opinion the beers tasted the way they were supposed to taste.


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## QldKev (27/12/13)

Sounds like they have not lifted their game from last time I was up there.

http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/43504-mount-tamborine-breweries/


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## Bribie G (27/12/13)

Never been there but apparently the beers were top notch when Ian Watson was there, (he went on to Murrays) and looks like they didn't get a high calibre replacement brewer.


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## DU99 (27/12/13)

this the same hotel


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## QldKev (27/12/13)

DU99 said:


> this the same hotel


Yep, that's it. Looks like they are trying to get out.


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## Snowdog (12/1/14)

jpanic said:


> G'day
> 
> I went here yesterday and had a paddle of tasters. This is in the Tambourine Mountain area.
> 
> ...


The Witches Chase Cheese is the only reason to go there. Back when they got going their MT Bitter was exceptional! 



Bribie G said:


> Never been there but apparently the beers were top notch when Ian Watson was there, (he went on to Murrays) and looks like they didn't get a high calibre replacement brewer.


Which was the time it started to go down the drain. Hadn't gone up there in well over a year and forgot about the place until we took dad up there for dinner when he was staying at his sons in Southport. They had changed the restaurant from the upscale dining place to more of a pub-grub place. The stout beef pie was good but I struggled to finish the stout I had. It tasted awful after about a third of the glass. I left the last quarter of it on the table.


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## Womball (12/1/14)

Hi, Used to be a great beer spot for a day trip from Brissy but since Ian left their beers have been patchy at best. Such a shame, i sponsored a number of corporate day trips up there on the Thirsty Critters bus but I haven't been back for a couple of years now.

Spend the money, get a great head brewer and a beer lineup and the place would rock.


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## browndog (12/1/14)

Bribie G said:


> Never been there but apparently the beers were top notch when Ian Watson was there, (he went on to Murrays) and looks like they didn't get a high calibre replacement brewer.


They ended up roping one of their barmen into running the brewery. :blink:


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## Liam_snorkel (12/1/14)

Went mid-late last year, the schwarzbier was decent, most of the others I tried tasted the same but were just a different colour, and their Belgian something-or-other was a disgusting hot alcohol mess. Their wheat beer had no discernible yeast character. 
A good brewer with deep pockets should buy the venue & gear and rebrand it!


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## Back Yard Brewer (12/1/14)

Was on holidays on the Gold Coast first week in December and my opinion is of the current consensus -_- . Great location in the mountains but honestly I don't think I would go outa my way next time. Looks like they've spent some hard earned up there in setting things up.Beer was........ well........ a little underwhelming. Barman was good conversation though. As I said it is a nice picturesque drive to go there. Reminds me of Barossa Valley Brewing here in the Barossa...

BYB


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## Bribie G (12/1/14)

Did you look in on Sqyre ?


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## Back Yard Brewer (12/1/14)

Bribie G said:


> Did you look in on Sqyre ?


Would have loved to but just didn't have the time to do the rounds and last time is still a little fuzzy :blink:
Did manage to cross paths in Noosaville with Screwy..... and made my first visit to Craftbrewer..... and Burleigh Brewing..
(consolation prizes, I know)

BYB


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## tricache (13/1/14)

Good to see the standard is still low up there...I still get a distinct "feet" smell from their "Moderation Ale" and way too much smoke from "Black Cockatoo" there black lager/stout, still trying to figure out what style it's supposed to be


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## Bribie G (13/1/14)

Happy days ahead, and Ian's back.  :beerbang:


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (13/1/14)

Boy, BribieG, you were quick. I looked on there half an hour ago, and nothing.

I'd heard that Ian was coming back to BNE, but this is excellent news. I plan on doing a tour of duty, when back in BNE to visit friends and family (including the required trip to craftbrewer).


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## winkle (13/1/14)

Bribie G said:


> Happy days ahead, and Ian's back.  :beerbang:


Well, Ian should know that plant backwards . Good luck to FBC.


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## tricache (13/1/14)

YES!!!! Now I'm excited! :beerbang:


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## Liam_snorkel (13/1/14)

F.yeah. I wonder if that was his plan all along..


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## Snowdog (13/1/14)

Bribie G said:


> Happy days ahead, and Ian's back.  :beerbang:


Excellent!


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## kevo (13/1/14)

GoldCLUB visit in the forseeable...


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## Back Yard Brewer (13/1/14)

Well it looks like I will now have to revisit at some stage .... :angry:

BYB


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## winkle (14/1/14)

Back Yard Brewer said:


> Well it looks like I will now have to revisit at some stage .... :angry:
> 
> BYB


Yep, piss poor planning on your part.


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## neal32 (16/2/14)

Went here yesterday. I had the burger, which was big and good, didn't have to have dinner I was that full from it. The beer......Had the Belgian Blonde and the IPA. The Belgian Blonde was OK, certainly no where near a Leffe Blonde in terms of anything. The IPA was the worst IPA I had ever drunk. No aroma, flavour but there was the harshest bitterness you could imagine, like an early hopped galaxy harshness x 1000. But for killing a day, it's very nice up that way, just don't expect anything from the beer.


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## Liam_snorkel (16/2/14)

Must have been leftovers from the previous mob?


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## Snowdog (16/2/14)

I was going to wait until maybe June before going up there.
That should be well enough time for them to cycle out the MT and cycle in the Fortitude.


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## tricache (17/2/14)

neal32 said:


> Went here yesterday. I had the burger, which was big and good, didn't have to have dinner I was that full from it. The beer......Had the Belgian Blonde and the IPA. The Belgian Blonde was OK, certainly no where near a Leffe Blonde in terms of anything. The IPA was the worst IPA I had ever drunk. No aroma, flavour but there was the harshest bitterness you could imagine, like an early hopped galaxy harshness x 1000. But for killing a day, it's very nice up that way, just don't expect anything from the beer.


They do an IPA?? That's new...sure it wasn't just their Rainforest Lager?


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## kevo (18/2/14)

One of the best IPAs I think I've ever had was at MT..... Many years ago though.


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## neal32 (18/2/14)

tricache said:


> They do an IPA?? That's new...sure it wasn't just their Rainforest Lager?


Yeah it was definitely an IPA, called something like Tippy IPA? Anyway it was shithouse.


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## goomboogo (18/2/14)

neal32 said:


> Yeah it was definitely an IPA, called something like Tippy IPA? Anyway it was shithouse.


Yippie IPA.


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## kevo (18/2/14)

It was once an excellent beer.

Hoping Watsons return will help it get back to producing great beers as they once did.


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## Snowdog (18/2/14)

kevo said:


> It was once an excellent beer.
> 
> Hoping Watsons return will help it get back to producing great beers as they once did.


It was once a great beer, as was MT Bitter back in 2008-09.


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## lukiferj (18/2/14)

Looking forward to seeing what they do over the next few months. So much potential.


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