# Never Thought I'd Ever Say This...



## davewalk (31/1/08)

After hearing so much about Coopers Original Pale Ale both here and elsewhere, today I finally worked up the courage (no pun), bit the bullet and purchased a stubbie whilst I was buying some vino. Having terrible memories of passing through South Aust back in the 70's and finding only Southwarks & West End the only beers (beers?) available I'd sworn that SA "P1 double 5" would never touch my lips again. 
I waited til my boys came home from school and we sat down and prepared to do the big taste test. The boys always sample the homebrews and can be very unforgiving if I stuff up, so I knew that they'd be critical of the Pale Ale if it wasn't up to scratch. 
However, we were absolutely amazed at how good this drop is and I still can't believe that this is Croweater brewed. I'm now looking forward to trying the other Coopers I saw in the fridge.
Like I said in the heading- Never Thought I'd Ever Say This.
In light of the current argie bargie between the Vic & SA Premiers and in order to improve relations between the two states, I'd like to make a proposal to any Croweaters who are reading- how about you send me over a couple of slabs of OPA and I'll reciprocate by sending you back some VB. 
Sounds fair?


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## paul (31/1/08)

And they think we're the backwater?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????


Welcome to what the rest of Australia has known forever.

Get into the Sparking Ale (red label) and give the Southwark Stout a go too.


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## Hutch (31/1/08)

:huh: ... no offense dude, but what have you been drinking since you last passed through SA?
Coopers Pale is probably one of the best "Aussie" style Ale in the land.
Find a pub that serves it on tap - even better than the bottled version!!


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## davewalk (31/1/08)

Hutch said:


> :huh: ... no offense dude, but what have you been drinking since you last passed through SA?
> Coopers Pale is probably one of the best "Aussie" style Ale in the land.
> Find a pub that serves it on tap - even better than the bottled version!!




Gday Hutch,

Only been back to SA on two occassions since and that was to Mt Gambier with the family and I tend not to drink much on touring holidays.
Don't get to pubs too much either (marriage, 2 kids and a mortgage will do that) although I think I've seen it on tap around the traps but never bothered due to my fear of SA beer. But things have changed and I now feel like a kid who's discovered his first ..ummn..er.. you know.
So I've now been edu-ma-cated and have changed my ways. I may even come over when Melbourne (AFL) plays in Adelaide and look up some fellow brewers.
By the way, any agreeance on the swap?


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## Duff (31/1/08)

Hutch said:


> Find a pub that serves it on tap - even better than the bottled version!!



As long as the publican picks up and drops the keg each day :chug:


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## davewalk (31/1/08)

paul said:


> And they think we're the backwater?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
> Welcome to what the rest of Australia has known forever.
> 
> Get into the Sparking Ale (red label) and give the Southwark Stout a go too.




Hi Paul,

Unfortunately, over the last 20 odd years I've been restricted to drinking light beers and have been limited to what beers I can drink and have been mostly unable to try much other stuff. (If that makes sense)
Also, I'm from a generation where state borders dictated what you drank and parochialism ruled the beer world. Imported beers did not exist and Aussie breweries tended to stick to true and tried formulas, that is if it satisfies the market, don't change it. It is only in relative recent times that things have changed and the floodgates opened.
As for trying Southwark Stout, it may very well be a good drop but the scars of being an eighteen year old thirty years ago are too deep.
Like to do the swap?


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## paul (31/1/08)

No Dave, cant swap, theres already enough of that crap over here.

Sounds like your a Tasmanian. When we went there for a holiday its Boags up the top and Cascade down the bottom. I developed a taste for Strongarm Bitter there.


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## davewalk (31/1/08)

paul said:


> No Dave, cant swap, theres already enough of that crap over here.
> 
> Sounds like your a Tasmanian. When we went there for a holiday its Boags up the top and Cascade down the bottom. I developed a taste for Strongarm Bitter there.




No Paul, Victorian. 
But now your talking when you mention Taswegia.
Very fond memories of travelling around what is probably Gods own country, on a pub crawl with 3 mates back around 1982. Yep, Boags in the north Cascade in the south and Mercury Cider for breakfast each day. 
So impressed with that place that I made sure I had my honeymoon there in 88- missus had to carry me everywhere.
Crikey, I think I've even got a Cascade Light in the fridge right now.


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## beernography (31/1/08)

This thread is heartwarming and a relic of the "good" old days.. :beer: 

All I can say is I hated Coopers Pale, accidentally drank some in the pub a few weeks back and have since developed a ravenous thirst for the stuff and turned my back on VB/Carlton Draught...for now anyway


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## Screwtop (31/1/08)

IMHO SA has lead Australia out of the dark (or should I say I say pale flavourless) days and more recently WA has done the same as far as real ale is conerned. Coopers persisted some how and really should continue to be be supported by the real ale fraternity in OZ.

However beernography, wher have you been? Have you sampled beers from some of our other great micro's?

Get into Real Ausbeer :lol: 

Cheers,

Screwy


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## beernography (31/1/08)

Hey Screwtop,

The micros I can think of that I've had, are Mountain Goat, St Arnou & Scharers. Hated them all, St Arnou the best of a bad lot. Call me ignorant ;P

Every so often I buy a selection of stubbies and had a beer appreciation day but I find a lot of flavour offensive..especially sweet stuff. Always up for something new but only in small (disposable) quantities!


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## Screwtop (31/1/08)

beernography said:


> Hey Screwtop,
> 
> The micros I can think of that I've had, are Mountain Goat, St Arnou & Scharers. Hated them all, St Arnou the best of a bad lot. Call me ignorant ;P
> 
> Every so often I buy a selection of stubbies and had a beer appreciation day but I find a lot of flavour offensive..especially sweet stuff. Always up for something new but only in small (disposable) quantities!



Beerno,

Good to see you've visited the trough of knowledge :lol: Lot's more to excite your beerie taste buds. Think were up around 58 Aus micro's at present however only about 18 of these are represented on bottlo shelves.

Happy brewing and tasting to you and your boys,

Screwy


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## imellor (1/2/08)

Hi all,

As I am from SA I must say Coopers Pale Ale is the only beer I will drink at your average pub. There is 1 pub here called the Wheatsheaf that I was put onto by members of this forum and the only mainstream beer they have is Coopers Pale Ale and Stout. They have Little Creatures, Moo Brew and Goat on tap as well as some others of non megaswill. We also have micro's around the state we can sample from.

I have found from experience that some beers will appeal from the first drink and you will crave for the next. Other beers the first one is a shock to the taste buds, you are not used to the flavors or bitterness. It is not a bad beer, just not used to it. Try a second and your taste buds are no longer shocked by the taste and your opinion totally changes. 1st beer is a shock 2nd and you are hooked. If you need a 3rd try something different.

Davewalk
I have never seen a recipe for VB why do you keep it a secret. I am sure you can find a recipe for Coopers.

Cheers :icon_cheers: 
Ian


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## milpod (1/2/08)

Iann said:


> Davewalk
> I have never seen a recipe for VB why do you keep it a secret. I am sure you can find a recipe for Coopers.
> 
> Cheers :icon_cheers:
> Ian



I don't think it is so much a secret,as who would want to waste good ingredients trying to brew it :icon_vomit:


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## imellor (1/2/08)

milpod said:


> I don't think it is so much a secret,as who would want to waste good ingredients trying to brew it :icon_vomit:


 That was my point :icon_cheers:

Since I mentioned the VB recipe most of the icons have run away.


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## mickoz (1/2/08)

Hutch said:


> :huh: ... no offense dude, but what have you been drinking since you last passed through SA?
> Coopers Pale is probably one of the best "Aussie" style Ale in the land.
> Find a pub that serves it on tap - even better than the bottled version!!



I beg to differ. I drink Coopers Pale at the pub all the time and although it is mostly good, it is very variable. I find the bitterness levels are quite different from batch to batch in the pub. Bottled CPA is usually very similar from batch to batch.

Mick


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## davewalk (1/2/08)

mickoz said:


> I beg to differ. I drink Coopers Pale at the pub all the time and although it is mostly good, it is very variable. I find the bitterness levels are quite different from batch to batch in the pub. Bottled CPA is usually very similar from batch to batch.
> 
> Mick




Mick,

Any beer can vary from pub to pub mostly depending on how well, or how often, they clean their lines. Also, how much stale beer from drip trays, buckets etc goes back in.
Good pubs will throw out pour offs and regularly clean their lines.
Even how they wash their glasses can make a diff between two pubs with the same beer.


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## chovain (1/2/08)

davewalk said:


> Good pubs will throw out pour offs



Wouldn't it be illegal not to?  Anyway, most pubs wouldn't have the equipment to refill the kegs.


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## PJO (1/2/08)

davewalk said:


> Also, how much stale beer from drip trays, buckets etc goes back in.



What? Are you suggesting that pubs have some elaborate means to get the waste beer back into the keg? :blink: 
So it can be served back up to the punters? :icon_vomit: 
Maybe I've led a sheltered life but they certainly don't do that here!


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## capretta (1/2/08)

beernography said:


> Hey Screwtop,
> 
> The micros I can think of that I've had, are Mountain Goat, St Arnou & Scharers. Hated them all, St Arnou the best of a bad lot. Call me ignorant ;P
> 
> Every so often I buy a selection of stubbies and had a beer appreciation day but I find a lot of flavour offensive..especially sweet stuff. Always up for something new but only in small (disposable) quantities!



hey beery, i know that mountain goat had some sanitation issues etc early on and their bottled beers occasionally fell well short of the product they were attempting, so maybe give it a re run? if its no good you can charge back to the ahb website... h34r: 

also you sound like you may like the milder style of beers, so for aussie brews have you ever tried any of the matilda bay beers? brewed in wa, rooftop red lager, bohemian pilsener, and redback wheat are all easy drinking good quality beers.. :beer:


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## Cortez The Killer (1/2/08)

I'm partial to the odd Southwark Stout

Coopers Stout is the bomb 

Cheers


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## Fatgodzilla (1/2/08)

Cortez The Killer said:


> I'm partial to the odd Southwark Stout
> 
> Coopers Stout is the bomb
> 
> Cheers




Humour us old blokes "Coopers Stout is the bomb" - isn't actually the Queen's English. Does that means you think it's good or bad ?


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## petesbrew (1/2/08)

Fatgodzilla said:


> Humour us old blokes "Coopers Stout is the bomb" - isn't actually the Queen's English. Does that means you think it's good or bad ?


He means good. In fact very good. 
In fact it's the shit...meaning good shit, not bad shit.


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## capretta (1/2/08)

yup i agree, :wub: coopers best extra stout is a creamy smooth beer. if it wasnt for my mrs that would be a common commercial brew in my fridge ( in long necks of course to save the bottles..)

i have gone off PA a little over the past year. i feel it has got a little lighter and maybe tastes like they are using a bit more adjuncts? i dont know but to me it seems a little lighter on the malt body than what i remembered, before it was in every second pub, but my tastes could have evolved a bit..

also their sparkling ale is very nice too.. you dont have to sacrifice much these days to support the aussie brewing industry..


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## Cortez The Killer (1/2/08)

petesbrew said:


> He means good. In fact very good.
> In fact it's the shit...meaning good shit, not bad shit.



ibid

Cheers


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## Hutch (1/2/08)

mickoz said:


> I beg to differ. I drink Coopers Pale at the pub all the time and although it is mostly good, it is very variable. I find the bitterness levels are quite different from batch to batch in the pub. Bottled CPA is usually very similar from batch to batch.
> 
> Mick


This is true mickoz, though I wouldn't say the consistency in the bottled version is necessarily the best thing about Coopers Pale.
The bottled version IMHO tends to be a bit dryer, lacking in flavour, and can suffer from autolysis if it's been on the shelf for too long. The keg version, although somewhat variable from pub to pub, has more of the characteristic banana and bready flavour, typical of CPA that is relatively fresh.

Each to their own I guess :icon_cheers:


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