# Stone and wood pacific



## jkhlt1210 (6/9/14)

G'day guys as a lover of my galaxy hops I finally found a six pack of this Pacific ale at the bottle shop. I was a little disappointed with it. The taste was good but way over carbonated for an ale in my opinion. I'm no expert by the way but I'm a fan of low to very mid carbonation. But I guess the taste was there so I shouldn't complain!


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## calobes (6/9/14)

I'm honestly not the biggest fan of Pacific Ale. I find it a bit bland, possibly prefer a little more bitterness and flavour. I keep trying it every so often but always find myself a bit dissapointed. 

I've only had it from the bottle.


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## hwall95 (6/9/14)

I've had it from bottle and it was enjoyable however from tap when it's fresh it is far better. So much more flavour and so much cleaner in my opinion. 

Fro memory I can't say it was over carbed any times I've had it but could easily depend on bottle/temperature and location.


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## yum beer (7/9/14)

I have always found it a bit pissweak.
Then again its coming from the pissweak capital, what to expect from drop-outs, bums and cashed up hipsters.


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## philmud (7/9/14)

It's my favourite soft drink!


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## Maheel (7/9/14)

hwall95 said:


> I've had it from bottle and it was enjoyable however from tap when it's fresh it is far better. So much more flavour and so much cleaner in my opinion.
> 
> Fro memory I can't say it was over carbed any times I've had it but could easily depend on bottle/temperature and location.


i have found the oppsite and rather have a bottle of it than risk out of the keg...

often i feel it's over carbed off the kegs and lacking in flavour = maybe old kegs and not looking after the beer / beer lines in "slow" venues

i often grab a sixer if heading somewhere, it's a resonable thrist quencher for $20


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## Not For Horses (7/9/14)

I kinda get why beer lovers hate on S&W but I really resent it at the same time.
This is a fantastic beer. Exceptionally well made, balance of flavour and great hop character.
I always say to swill drinkers that Pacific Ale is a gateway drug. This is a beer for people yet to experience the world that is beer. Aimlessly skulling their way through misery swill they saunter along the yellow lager road blissfully unaware of the joy that they're missing.
Then BANG! Galaxy hits them across their sweat beaded brow.
What's this? It looks like beer, but it has something in it. Could it be flavour? I don't know Barry, I've never had that before.
And so begins the journey of another convert.

I still order this beer from time to time because sometimes I'm in that mood. It's not really a beer for seasoned IPA drinkers but nor does it attest to be.
Just be thankful that people are switching to this from CUB/Lion.


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## philmud (7/9/14)

I agree and I call it a soft drink for that very reason. It's frigging delicious & I reckon half the people hating on it are the same people for whom bitter beers are just a pissing contest. Who cares how hot you like your curry?


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## manticle (7/9/14)

Actually I don't like it because I find it lacking in malt character depth and I don't like the passionfruit of the galaxy hops.
I'd not call it a bad beer - just not to my tastes.


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## Nizmoose (9/9/14)

I'm 21, a new brewer, still not up to the really bitter stuff, basically the definition of the guy a lot of seasoned brewers and drinkers hate! I do hate mega swill though and am a craft beer lover and a big fan of flavour. I absolutely love this beer and have only had it a few times on tap in summer, it's light, easy to drink and when you put it up against any big name Lager I think it kills it, definitely a good gateway to better beer


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## syl (9/9/14)

Still has its place for sure, has to be fresh though.

I just brewed 50L of this for grand final day last night, it will go down a treat there and means I can run a 35 IBU+ beer on another tap!


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## heyhey (9/9/14)

I think it's an absolutely brilliantly developed beer (not necessarily a favourite of mine, except it is a little) and if it had backing of marketing and production resources like Mountain Goat, Little Creatures or Matilda Bay, it would surely be a pub favourite due to its not quite being a traditional pub ale and not quite the modern flavourous (is that a word?) crafty that many home brewers and beer connoisseurs are used to. It certainly has the potential to be FatYak popular.


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## MrChoat (9/9/14)

heyhey said:


> I think it's an absolutely brilliantly developed beer (not necessarily a favourite of mine, except it is a little) and if it had backing of marketing and production resources like Mountain Goat, Little Creatures or Matilda Bay, it would surely be a pub favourite due to its not quite being a traditional pub ale and not quite the modern flavourous (is that a word?) crafty that many home brewers and beer connoisseurs are used to. It certainly has the potential to be FatYak popular.


Its one of my favourites at the moment, but has to be on tap. I usually meander down to west end on a weekend where locknload and archive both have it kegged up and ready to go.

Little Creatures actually has 20% share in Stone and Wood. That's how they're getting out and around the traps. Little creatures in turn are owned by Lion and Lion by Kirin. They have the backing to get out as much as they need to.

I've been to Byron recently and their stubbies are in most bottle shops and the handful of restaurants I wandered into. Garden ale is awesome but nearly impossible to find away from Byron.

Now the funny thing is, I went to Byron Bay Brewery, a couple of Kay's away from stone and wood. There i met the guy who used to be s&w's master brewerbrewer, who came up with the pacific ale recipe. He left the company about 18 months ago, as he wasn't too impressed with the way s&w were upping production and heading into the commercial world. 

Both breweries make fantastic beers. While I was at Byron bay brewing I sampled a red midstrength ale, a dark Belgian with chili and choc notes and a pale ale. All awesome, but different from his previous work at sw. 

Just don't be fooled if you see a case Byron bay brewing co at your local. Its brewed under licence at cub and doesn't hold a candle to the real thing. I won't make that mistake again.


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## Liam_snorkel (9/9/14)

MrChoat said:


> *Little Creatures actually has 20% share in Stone and Wood. *That's how they're getting out and around the traps. Little creatures in turn are owned by Lion and Lion by Kirin. They have the backing to get out as much as they need to.


not any more., they bought that share back when LC were bought out.

have a listen to this podcast to find out how S&W has been so successful:
http://www.brewsnews.com.au/2012/10/rbn-has-beer-with-brad/


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (9/9/14)

Yeah, MrChoat - S&W buying back the yard was old news when Kirin-Lion megalithitic swill producers bought out LC. Probably should have done some extra research before posting that comment, though given it was plastered all over brews news, beer and brewer and most beer-related media (and some mainstream related media), I'm not sure how it could have been missed.

One

Two

Three

Four

And so on.


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## Vini2ton (9/9/14)

I've read here many people talking about S&W pacific ale. I couldn't be more underwhelmed. If this is supposed to be some sort of benchmark I've obviously missed something. I don't like wheats at the best of times but fair dinkum this over-priced hipster swill gets on my noni. It is a wheat isn't it?


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## SnakeDoctor (9/9/14)

Needs to be on tap and fresh


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## Liam_snorkel (9/9/14)

I think there is some wheat in the grist but it uses a neutral ale yeast


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## Nizmoose (9/9/14)

Vini2ton said:


> I've read here many people talking about S&W pacific ale. I couldn't be more underwhelmed. If this is supposed to be some sort of benchmark I've obviously missed something. I don't like wheats at the best of times but fair dinkum this over-priced hipster swill gets on my noni. It is a wheat isn't it?


From my knowledge it's in the 50% wheat range?


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## pvan340 (9/9/14)

I love it on tap. Bottled, the jasper ale is their best I reckon.


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## Diggs (9/9/14)

I'm off to Coffs this weekend and the aim is to drop in for a pint, I've found it like Fat Yak - could be great, could be ordinary. Hoping is best from the source.


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## Hargie (14/9/14)

Gday Folks, iI've just seen this and need to clarify a couple of things....

My Name is Scott Hargrave and i am indeed Head Brewer at Byron Bay Brewing Co and have been so for just on a year...

I was a Senior Brewer at S& W for 4 years , not Master brewer (they dont have one, but Brad Rogers my old boss is Head Brewer and would be that person) and am still proud to say i was S&W's 1st full time employee, starting in Sept 2009...

I did not, repeat did not develop the original Pacific Ale recipe and have never claimed to have done so, that was Brads stroke of genius....what i did do was brew oceans of Pac Ale( i was making this beer back when it was still called draught ale) and work my arse off to build the beers up to a level and ensure as best i could the consistancy and quality of all the S&W beers while still trying to keep up with demand, keep it all running, staying on track etc etc....

As for being un impressed with upping production etc, well, not really, but having worked insanely long hours (60 usually, up to 75 at times) for 4 years, which was growing into 24hr production and a move to a new site 45 mins up the road meant i was not putting my family first which is always the most important thing a bloke must do...in a way i was probably the first casualty of Pac Ale's success, success that i am incredibly proud to have played my part in.....I wish nothing but the best for S & W and all the good people who work there...

These days i spend my time slowly but surely tweaking and improving the beers at Byron Bay Brewing Co and also bringing a stronger craft beer focus to this place.It will take time. I'm working hard on bringing this place into the fold to fully embrace and be embraced by the wider craft beer community and the local craft beer scene in particular.I must tip my hat to all the great folks and venues and breweries in the Brisbane craft beer scene who,while a lot of them knew of my past, have been very welcoming and supportive of what im trying to do in my new challenge ...I'm still fighting the good fight Let me be clear that The Byron Bay Brewing Co is not a front for mega beer and i am not a CUB stormtrooper in disguise as someone said to me a while back....jeez, if S & W was becoming too big for me why the hell would i work for the real big guys??...Byron Bay Brewing Co is Independently owned and operated. Yes, the Pale Lager and only the Pale lager brand is licensed and produced elsewhere.I also produce Pale Lager onsite for our own draught stock at the bar. All the beers on tap at Byron BayBrewery & Buddah Bar is brewed onsite by myself. Same goes for all our beers when on tap at Archive, Embassy Hotel , Scratch Bar, BOSC, Bittersuite,Bine Beer Bar and others to follow.....

Hope this has cleared a few things up, apologies if it comes across as a thread hijack, thats not the intention....
And im always happy to talk beer with AHBer's when you visit us....

long live great beer, wherever you may find it....

Cheers
Scott


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## SnakeDoctor (14/9/14)

Thanks Scott - got a clone recipe for the Pacific Ale for us?


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## Moad (14/9/14)

I really hope there was no NDA. While I'm not a big fan I'd love to have it on tap for mates!


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## Forever Wort (15/9/14)

For me, Pacific Ale is a sensational beer. Insanely quaffable.

Furthermore it is a perfect bridge to craft for megaswillers as it doesn't hit hard with any of the ingredients.


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## menoetes (15/9/14)

I love this beer, it's such a good summer session beer - especially if you can get it as fresh as possible. It's also the one I've worked hardest on cloning (with some success in the form of a passable kit + bits clone and a pretty good extract one too). I love galaxy hops for that passionfruit hit and the light lager-ish body of the Pacific Ale really lets them shine through.

Awesome to hear from you Scott, it's cool to get the perspective of someone that was in the thick of it. Do you have any hints for as to the grains that might go into a homebrewed clone?


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## Blind Dog (15/9/14)

Forever Wort said:


> For me, Pacific Ale is a sensational beer. Insanely quaffable.
> 
> Furthermore it is a perfect bridge to craft for megaswillers as it doesn't hit hard with any of the ingredients.


You are more than entitled to your opinion, but in my own experience mega swill mates go straight back to the mega swill after trying Pac Ale. A decent apa, kolsch or American wheat however has them coming back for more. For me its just too thin and lacks any malt backbone or any real complexity. If you like it, fair enough. I just don't get the hype


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## danestead (15/9/14)

I find it full of hops with a nice clean malt backbone. Great to quaff on a summers day. Id have to disagree though, I dont think it would be a bridge for mega swill drinkers. I think it has far too many hops for those kind of people.


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## MrChoat (17/9/14)

Hargie said:


> Gday Folks, iI've just seen this and need to clarify a couple of things....
> 
> My Name is Scott Hargrave and i am indeed Head Brewer at Byron Bay Brewing Co and have been so for just on a year...
> 
> ...


Hi Scott.

Looks like I'm the jerk you had to clarify.

My apologies. I got a couple of things wrong. At the time I was with a group of mates, and I'd sampled about 2 of each of your offerings on tap at the Buddha bar, and for some reason we were following a funk band around for a couple of days. Beats me.. I start mixing things up a bit during a good bender. 

Anyway I just wanted to stop by and thank you for doing an amazing job. I had one of the best nights I've had in recent memory down in that part of the world you call home, and your hard work and dedication to the love of beer doesn't go unappreciated, even if it might get drunkenly misquoted occasionally.

I loved the red mid strength you were making, and the chili choc porter.

Keep up the good work.

Many thanks, Some drunken buffoon.


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## Hargie (18/9/14)

...hahaha....no worries mate, thanks for the comments....it really does make it worthwhile when people enjoy what you do.....

....so , the lowest strength beer and the highest strength beer were the fave's ?......youre not a middle of the road kinda guy are you...hahahah

....mate thats gold...come in and say g'day next time you're in Byron....

cheers
Scott


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