# Has James Squire Ruined The Golden Ale?



## caleb

I just bought a 6 pack of JS Golden Ale from 1st Choice, because it was on special as part of a win a holiday competition.

On taking my first sip, I noticed something was wrong... gone was that sharp crisp bite and the lovely amarillo hop flavor and aroma that we all know well. In it's place was, well... something more like Carlton Draught where the guy pouring the pride of ringwood into the tank slipped and let a bit too much in...

It tastes flat, bland, and has that characteristic "dirty" POR taste. Bugger all amarillo or any other US hop, in fact bugger all late hopping of any kind really.

Thinking my latest IPA batch (where I went crazy with hops after everyone said my Easter swap beer was too sweet) had spoiled my palette, I asked my wife. She too instantly said it had changed, and said it tastes "flat" and boring, and agreed that it was nothing like the old Golden Ale, which was actually one of her favorite beers.

Anyone else experienced this yet? Anyone else actually PREFER the new golden ale to the old? My opinion is that JS has dropped the ball BADLY with this one, and produced something bordering on megaswill....

:angry:


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## manticle

I've noticed on tap it seems to lack something but I just assumed that was because it was way colder than I usually like to drink my beers and that the flavour was subdued. If they have changed it, it would be a shame because it's a reasonable drop.


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## matt white

Mate of mine only today said that he succumbed (well ran out of home brewed beer) and actually bought beer, JSGA on special for $50 a case, and said it tasted metallic. He was very disappointed after having brewed AG successfully for the past 3 years.

Coincidence that they are on special, I think not!!


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## Bribie G

In February I joined a couple of AHB members at the JS pub in Sydney. The IPA, Pilsener etc were awesome, hop thief was nice. However the Golden was Ho Hum and the Amber even more so. Then we went back onto the IPA and it was great. I assume that the Golden and the Amber are actually brewed at Tooheys ? Compared to the other brews we had on the day the Golden was definitely megaswill.


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## Gout

I also thought the hop aroma and flav. had dropped off. I had not had it for a few years and when i got back to aus i tried one and thought maybe it was my memory but sounds like it has gone down hill.

Metallic flav, i always get this when i drink from the bottle - i assume its from the cap (as its fine in a glass but i could be wrong)


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## QldKev

Funny thing is I got a 6 pack from 1st choice tonight too. Where was the Amarillo? it is supposed to be a smack in the face of it not if a I think I taste it...

Golden Ale has not been brewed by Malt Shovel (James Squire) for a while. Have a look on the neck "142" that is not a Malt Shovel production line..... Should we just call it Tooheys Golden Ale.. It surely taste like it now.

Time to find a new beer when for when I need a 6 pack.

QldKev


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## benny_bjc

I have noticed that the Golden Ale has been terrible for a long time, over a year. - watery, no hop aroma and that awful taste of carlton and piss. 

As for the Amber ale I think it is slowly following down a similar path... its becoming more and more like a slightly darker megaswill with very little hop presence and becoming sweeter, more watery and pissy.

It seems the way good commercial brews go.... Sad but true.

I think what these breweries do is create a nice beer that appeal to both mainstream as well as those who like a good micro beer then slowly take short cuts to cut costs once they have a bit of a customer following.


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## Tony

beer007 said:


> I think what these breweries do is create a nice beer that appeal to both mainstream as well as those who like a good micro beer then slowly take short cuts to cut costs once they have a bit of a customer following.




Spot on!

Like packaging getting smaller slowly but the price going the other way.

I say just brew your own and leave it to the folks that dont know any better.

I stopped buying JS beers a year or 2 ago when they started to show this trend. There are plenty of great aussie micro beers out there that are packed with character i would rather spend my money on to take to a BBQ or the like.

Took a 6pack of Matilda Bay Fat Yack to a BBQ on sunday and it was enjoyed by all who tried it.

cheers


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## troopa

Oh the good old days when this was a spring / summer only brew and by January you were driving all over Melbourne to grab the last case/s and by February you would drive 200klms cause you heard there was still a couple of cartons left at some obscure little bottlo 

Now i walk past it at Dans and head for the Scotch 

Tom


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## Gout

funny you mention the amber ale, i got a slab as it was $44 2 weeks ago and i thought it lost some of the magic that i recall. I have given up on buying a nice beer now and if at all possible try and keep the home brew stock up as i am sure we all do


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## caleb

beer007 said:


> I have noticed that the Golden Ale has been terrible for a long time, over a year. - watery, no hop aroma and that awful taste of carlton and piss.
> 
> As for the Amber ale I think it is slowly following down a similar path... its becoming more and more like a slightly darker megaswill with very little hop presence and becoming sweeter, more watery and pissy.



Well I have bought it within the year, but not for a while because, you know... it's WINTER. I only picked it up today because it was cheaper than the rest in the range. And while it may have been going downhill slowly, I was shocked by the obvious sudden drop in quality - during the downhill slide it has suddenly fallen over a cliff...

I would not buy it again without assurances that it has returned to form.

Tell me the amber ale hasn't done the same thing... please! It's been a few months since I bought that too...


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## WarmBeer

Tony said:


> There are plenty of great aussie micro beers out there that are packed with character i would rather spend my money on to take to a BBQ or the like.
> 
> Took a 6pack of Matilda Bay Fat Yack to a BBQ on sunday and it was enjoyed by all who tried it.


Hope you weren't trying to infer that Matilda Bay are a micro brewery. They are owned by a decidedly non-micro brewer.


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## ///

Brewed at SAB now I believe, and everyone ran out of Amarillo so I would say substitutes were made ...


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## tcraig20

Wow, glad to hear that its not just me. It tastes awful on tap these days (the only time I drink it), the first time I thought that they hadnt cleaned the lines properly. I think you;d call it astringent and generally awful. Amber ale is even worse.


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## HoppingMad

Had a mate whinge to me about JSGA being off the boil tastewise two weeks ago. 

I asked "Did you buy it on special?"

He said "Yes."

I said "What was the brewed on date?"

He didn't know and had to get back to me. He checked it and sure enough it was towards the end of its shelf life.

When you buy this stuff on special check the dates - it still tastes fantastic on tap at the James Squire Ale House in Melbourne, probably because it's fresh and there's a high turnover of the kegs.

Hopper.


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## A3k

Yeah, i was saying the same thing about golden ale lack of flavour lately to a mate just a few days ago.

He disagreed, so i started wondering if my taste buds cos i've been making more flavoursome beers lately.

Nice to know it's them and not me.


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## hairofthedog

agreed JS beers are worse by the day with the exeption of there seasonal beers which normally pretty good

if you want a nice micro i just finished a bridge rd brewers the HARVEST top drop :icon_drool2:


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## manticle

WarmBeer said:


> Hope you weren't trying to infer that Matilda Bay are a micro brewery. They are owned by a decidedly non-micro brewer.



Imply.

Otherwise I agree. Both Matilda bay and Malt shovel are as micro as Cadbury-Schweppes.

That's irrelevant to whether or not their beer is any good but it's a bit like village having an 'independent' cinema (and I know they do have something that pretends it is).

Nonetheless, I have enjoyed a few goldens, porters and indias from the squire and would rather buy that than many varieties available from other macro-breweries.


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## MarkBastard

All I know is I can actually get Amber and Golden on tap at quite a few regular pubs these days. That means when I drink at these pubs I no longer have to decide between Tooheys Old or Coopers PA. It sucks but to be honest there's better options in the $60/carton range these days than there used to be and I'm sort of okay with these two beers being less good but more available. Especially the Amber Ale because I never really drank the Golden ale anyway.

Fat Yak is good though, I hope it doesn't go downhill, though I fear it may have already.


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## manticle

Fat yak is some hops. Unremarkable. I'd go the Coopers PA with gusto (presuming the relevent establishment kept their lines clean).


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## Osangar

I have noticed a few of the micro breweries seem to start with fantastic beers, then over time fall back on the name and seem to go toward cutting costs or some other reason for beginning to taste more and more like commercial beer I guess thats because they do become more and more like big commercial breweries.

He in WA there is a brewer in freo that for ages had terrific beer now its kinda so so.

For a while I thought it was my home brewing as I like to use heaps of hops but a lot of my friends seem to say the same, they are changing.


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## matti

JSGA changed the hops a while ago but I cannot find the source. (it was were on AHB)
It was something about the Amarillo getting too expensive and I guess it went well with "main-streaming" the drop.

JS Amber Ale is still fuller then you average mega swill and has a nice sweet end of the palate but lack a little in hops for the hop heads.

Some Ambers on sale have no finish to the taste and end up really dry like the Reds and really out of character. 

I've must have been lucky with my last case of Amber ale... but then again....maybe i've been off that hoppy home brew too long  

matti
ps i am bone dry tonight


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## manticle

Why does anybody think JS is a microbrewed beer? Being part of a major company doesn't necessarily mean it's bad but it's owned by Lion Nathan. It's not a microbrewery.


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## Adamt

People think Crown Lager is special, too...


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## manticle

People on here should know better. I've had shampoo that tasted more premium than crown.

Came in the same shaped bottle too.


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## GMK

OK - i have Toured JS and talked with the brewery...

They have a limited capacity - therefore, JS started brewing Hahn Premium until the demand got too great and it moved off premises - to hahn big major brewery.

i have been told that JS Amber Ale has moved off premises as well.

Maybe- this has also happened with JS Golden Ale.


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## ///

Well, knowing both plants, irrespective of ownership both plants are small and on a Micro size. They are lucky to have some options, such as acess to keg floats and labs, but the brewers I have met from both are passionate brewers who work hard to make the best beer to suit their target markets.

JS Golden Ale, I believe, had to review the flavour hop as we all did. It was not only price, but also availability that buggared us all. Prides ran out last November as an example, so imagine what happened to a smaller grown variety!

But, like all brewers, when volume increases past what you can supply, some times you need to consider alternative options. We do that at 5ibc, and we are at a standard 40 keg run. A few smaller customers who come to us are struggling with supply due to thier size of plant or other logistical issues. As you can tell, i dont think much of bashing any brewer. Sure, bash a sales and marketing guy, not a brewer. Regardless of the ownership or size of plant, they are a passionate lot and you never know, one day you may be one of them.

Scotty


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## Screwtop

Caleb said:


> I just bought a 6 pack of JS Golden Ale from 1st Choice, because it was on special as part of a win a holiday competition.




Sorry but in the world of marketing, this is how it goes. If the only good thing about the product you have to sell is the give away, then that's is what you should buy :lol: 

Screwy

PS: Good thing we can all brew the original.


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## benny_bjc

manticle said:


> Fat yak is some hops. Unremarkable. I'd go the Coopers PA with gusto (presuming the relevent establishment kept their lines clean).



As for the Coopers Pale Ale on Tap I haven't found any places where it tastes that great. Same goes for the Sparkling.

On tap it dosen't have that lovely coopers taste and is often very weak, over fizzed and has the dirty POR taste lots of people describe. 
One time I order it on tap and it looked even lighter in colour than usual and tasted watered down and had very little cloudy appearance.

Coopers Pale in the bottle is a totally different beer to what is served on tap!!!

I'm really over getting bad JS and average tasting coopers beer on tap - at least I can rely on Coopers in a bottle though!!!


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## bum

/// said:


> As you can tell, i dont think much of bashing any brewer. Sure, bash a sales and marketing guy, not a brewer. Regardless of the ownership or size of plant, they are a passionate lot and you never know, one day you may be one of them.



No one is making this a personal issue. Some are saying the beer is bad - not your mates.


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## benny_bjc

... I don't think the poor taste is only due to a change of hops or lack of hops...
I'm pretty sure the whole structure or manafacturing of the beer has gone down hill. It just tastes awful all round!!!


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## MCT

Well I think that the Pilsner has taken over as my favourite JS beer. 
To me, it seems like it's the only JS beer that has actually improved over the last 2 years. :chug: 

PS (Only had it on tap at a few pubs, not sure what it's like in the bottle.)


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## ///

bum said:


> No one is making this a personal issue. Some are saying the beer is bad - not your mates.



Well you could open the can of worms of 'what is bad beer' ... but lets not ey!  

Scotty


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## bum

We could also ruminate upon the effect of passion on the finished product but we shan't.


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## manticle

beer007 said:


> As for the Coopers Pale Ale on Tap I haven't found any places where it tastes that great. Same goes for the Sparkling.
> 
> On tap it dosen't have that lovely coopers taste and is often very weak, over fizzed and has the dirty POR taste lots of people describe.
> One time I order it on tap and it looked even lighter in colour than usual and tasted watered down and had very little cloudy appearance.
> 
> Coopers Pale in the bottle is a totally different beer to what is served on tap!!!
> 
> I'm really over getting bad JS and average tasting coopers beer on tap - at least I can rely on Coopers in a bottle though!!!



Fair call. I have better experiences of most beers I like in the bottle at home rather than on tap. A lot of that may be temperature and another part may be bottle conditioning. Funnily enough, I find something like Cralton Draught is one of the few beers to taste better on tap than in a bottle.

@ /// - size of the premises is irrelevant to whether or not they are a microbrewery. Having a small office doesn't make you an independent record label if you're owned by Sony.

Secondly brewery bashing and expressing dissatisfaction with a product that's changed from the one you used to enjoy are completely separate. No-one denied anyone's passion and no-one's been bashed. Should everyone and anyone who's ever made beer get constant pats on the head because they tried really, really hard?


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## MarkBastard

manticle said:


> Fat yak is some hops. Unremarkable. I'd go the Coopers PA with gusto (presuming the relevent establishment kept their lines clean).



Couldn't disagree more. Coopers PA is the definition of unremarkable in my opinion. Fat Yak is awesome.


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## bum

I think for what it is (and what its real competition is) CPA is a decent beer.

I also think the same for the Fay Yak.

How about that!


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## manticle

Mark^Bastard said:


> Couldn't disagree more. Coopers PA is the definition of unremarkable in my opinion. Fat Yak is awesome.



Coopers is not my definition of remarkable beer. Neither is Fat Yak. Coopers is, however, consistent, good value for money and independent, unlike anything MB produces. I know where I'd rather spend my money.

That said, we could both go to the same pub and choose to order two different pints.


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## Osangar

fat yak is a nice beer, but I was a big fan of the alpha pale ale and it seems that has been ended according to the chap at the local boozer in favour of the fat yak


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## caleb

I sent an email to James Squire via their website letting them know just what I thought of the new Golden Ale recipe.

I got back a stock reply:



> Hi Caleb
> 
> Thank you for advising us the experience you recently had. At Lion Nathan, we are commited to world class standards. The information you provide will assist us to achieve higher levels of quality in our products and services. We try to adress all our consumers concerns and feedback regarding our products. The information you can provide us below will allow us to provide our quality team with the details they will need to investigate further and contact you to address your concerns.
> 
> At the brewey we have procedures and protocols in place to ensure the integrity of our products. We routinely perform quality control and quality assurance checks and make every effort to ensure our product is in world class condition when it reaches you. However we do also know that certain occurances such as transit, storage and climate can contribute to the product not being in the condition you are used to when you buy it which is why we do investigate the matter.
> 
> Please note that all James squire and Craft beer continues to be brewed at the Malt Shovel Brewery.



Basically what it boils down to is that "we're a big company with lots of people, so we can't make mistakes, and if the beer IS no good, blame the freight company or the bottle shop - THEY did it!"

OK... mystery of the golden ale solved... Truck drivers and dock-hands from the freight company have been secretly drinking the shipments of golden ale, leaving about 1/4 in the bottom and topping the rest up with Carlton draught or whatever they could buy the cheapest, re-capping bottles with a bench capper and hoping no-one would notice.


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## floppinab

/// said:


> Brewed at SAB now I believe, and everyone ran out of Amarillo so I would say substitutes were made ...



Yeah I'd heard that too but and they were using a Tooheys yeast but...



Caleb said:


> Please note that all James squire and Craft beer continues to be brewed at the Malt Shovel Brewery.



Hmmmmmm, trying to pull the wool???


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## DJR

The pilsner was brewed at Lidcombe (Tooheys) for a while and suffered, then came back and it was awesome again, it's actually pretty good now. Brewed with Urquell D-Strain (ie WLP800) as far as i can remember and real Czech Saaz.

I had JSGA the other day on a Melb-Syd Qantas flight (from a can) and i didn't think it was that bad, but it might have been an older batch. It wasn't as hoppy as i remember but still wasn't that bad considering the alternatives...


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## hazard

beer007 said:


> I have noticed that the Golden Ale has been terrible for a long time, over a year. - watery, no hop aroma and that awful taste of carlton and piss.
> 
> As for the Amber ale I think it is slowly following down a similar path... its becoming more and more like a slightly darker megaswill with very little hop presence and becoming sweeter, more watery and pissy.
> 
> It seems the way good commercial brews go.... Sad but true.
> 
> I think what these breweries do is create a nice beer that appeal to both mainstream as well as those who like a good micro beer then slowly take short cuts to cut costs once they have a bit of a customer following.


I used to really enjoy Amber Ale and always had some in the fridge before I started home brewing.
I was out with some mates last week, and bought a 6 pack, and wondered where the magic had gone. Is it worse? Or are my expectations higher because of the "Higher"  standard of beer I make for myself.


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## crundle

Is James Squire Golden Ale based on Dr Smurto's Golden Ale? :lol: 

I haven't touched a JSGA since making my first DSGA - I don't think my palette could handle it!

Crundle


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## beerbrewer76543

@Caleb

That reply seemed like a bog standard "customer has issues with beer quality" reply as opposed to a "customer has cottoned on to us making big changes to our recipe and will no longer be purchasing it as a result" reply

Damn lazy PR people


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## neonmeate

DJR said:


> The pilsner was brewed at Lidcombe (Tooheys) for a while and suffered, then came back and it was awesome again, it's actually pretty good now. Brewed with Urquell D-Strain (ie WLP800) as far as i can remember and real Czech Saaz.



yeah i was shocked the other day when i had one - i gave up on JSP for years, but this was genuinely saazy and czech tasting! when it first came out it did used to be really really good, like back in 1999 or whenever it was. then it turned into tooheys pilz.

everyone knows James Squire are fully capable of making great beers, the frustrating thing is they often seem to actively choose not to. with the local micro scene coming of age now there's no reason to think that more than 5% ABV or 25IBUs is going to scare anyone anymore.


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## c0z

my replacement for JSGA


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## eamonnfoley

If the powers that be (Lion Nathan) want to cheapen the JS products, they will lose customers and may as well not bother with craft beer. I happen to have some Golden Ales in the fridge, and while they arent "bad', I remember them being much better. The hops taste a bit harsher. I would guess a greater chunk of the hop schedule is not US amarillo.


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## Renegade

For me, now that the Golden Ale has gone to the dogs, I'm finding that the Wicked Elf Pale Ale is a superb substitute as a beer in a similar style (but BETTER IMO!). Although I think they use Cascade instead of Amarillo. 

This is about the third time I have praised the WEPA on this site, I should start asking the brewery for a liquid commission. 

Anyway for anyone loathing the death of GA as we know it, it's quite easy to whip something up at home, even as an extract. As long as youve got Amarillo hops of course.


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## benny_bjc

What I find is frustrating... more then the fact that its gone downhill and taste so bad.... is that it is commonly available on tap. We already have enough megaswill on tap and the few alternatives we have are not only going down but are more expensive! 

I can live with out Golden Ale, but I need good beer!

I think we should all write emails and inundate the brewery with our feedback. 
After all it takes many to make changes!


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## Cortez The Killer

Of the JS range I've had over the last year or so the Pilsner is the only one I reckon is passable 

The IPA, Hop Thief, AA, and GA have all been pretty ordinary

Cheers


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## BitterBulldog

yep, i bought a 6er of JSGA last night & was disappointed. 

i wasn't sure if it was the product that had gone downhill or if it was because i've been drinking too much lately & need to move to something harder!

luckily it's the product & i can delay being a hard liquor alcoholic.


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## AndrewQLD

I've deleted about 25 OFF TOPIC posts, can we please keep to the subject.
ta

Andrew


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## manticle

Bottle still claims amarillo on the side and allowed to warm to room temp, it still tastes to me like an inferior version of smurto's GA (amarillo and all). Last one I had had a slight metallic twang towards the very bottom of the glass but I wouldn't put it anywhere near the region of 3/4 Carlton.

Maybe there are some different batches out there? As I said earlier - the on tap ones I've had have been much blander than expected. Good for an after work pint when you feel like a cold beer but not a beer geek's gloaty drop.


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## Katherine

The last time I tried it was at James Squire in Melbourne, it was better then I have had it in Perth for a long time. But not the original Summer Release back in 2002 (im guessing).... Gee I loved that beer! 

Doing NB All amarillo on Sunday with Pistol Patch, the first time I tried that Malty Cultural brewed it and gee it was good!


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## Renegade

Phew, back on topic. If that's OK for us to talk about this subject again. 

I often wonder if the JS range on-tap is brewed under the same conditions as the bottled range. For example the Hop Thief (a very uneventful bottled beer) has a dinstinctly better taste at teh JS Brewpub down in Cockle Bay. Not sure if its impy the 'draught' delivery or whether they reserve the good stuff for their own bar. Doesn't make sense to me, but who knows what the big corporation's motives are ?


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## Katherine

Renegade said:


> Phew, back on topic. If that's OK for us to talk about this subject again.
> 
> I often wonder if the JS range on-tap is brewed under the same conditions as the bottled range. For example the Hop Thief (a very uneventful bottled beer) has a dinstinctly better taste at teh JS Brewpub down in Cockle Bay. Not sure if its impy the 'draught' delivery or whether they reserve the good stuff for their own bar. Doesn't make sense to me, but who knows what the big corporation's motives are ?




Who knows has the beer in Melbourne was slightly better, fresher, a tiny bit hoppier. I have not tried the hop thief in a bottle but I loved it on tap. James Squire is opening in Perth soon so looking forward to seeing what the golden ale is like on tap there. its a shame I dont understand why they would DUMB a beer down.


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## dig

neonmeate said:


> everyone knows James Squire are fully capable of making great beers, the frustrating thing is they often seem to actively choose not to.



That's a very good assessment. Imagine the frustration of the brewers that work there? Indeed, every brewer from the early days with any 'get up and go' promptly got up and left.


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## BitterBulldog

thanks for contacting us regarding your complaint. We will pass on your complaint to our Customer Service centre who will follow up to you to gain further detail & replace your faulty beer. Please retain any bottles & be ready to provide info from the bottle on the production date of the batch involved. You will find this printed in white ink near the shoulder of the bottle as a Best Before Date. It is possible that the lack of flavour may be due to the beer being very old, that is close to or past its recommended shelf Life (too long in store or lack of stock rotation) or exposed to non desirable storage conditions. As beer ages it does loose both hop aroma & bitterness & appears thinner in flavour. If that is the case we'd be keen to know the store you purchased from so we can follow up. 
*I do note that pre- Christmas a shortage of the Amarillo hops which are imported from the US (not currently grown in Australia) meant we needed to reduce our use of these hops & substitute about 20% of a locally grown variety. The usual characteristic Golden aroma was slightly lower at this time but we felt still typical of the beer, so I dont believe this would have been the cause of your low flavour comment. Anyway you'll be pleased to hear that new seasons Amarillo hops were secured in January & Golden Ale is now back to its usual hop loading & characteristic fruity aroma & taste.*
I do hope this recent experience wont put you off trying another Golden Ale in the near future. Thanks again for taking the time to communicate to us & should you not hear from Customer Service within the next few days please get back to us.
Cheers Tony Jones
Chief Brewer - MSB


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## WitWonder

I used to buy JSGA at the pub before the footy as it was pretty much the only decent beer on tap (amongst about a dozen mega-swill type beers) and quite enjoyed it. I believe it was last year when I started noticing it tasting very similar to the standard mainstreem lagers and got quite turned off by it. Glad to see it's not just my homebrew educated taste buds that have noticed the change.


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## gava

I've never had JS Golden Ale before this year so I dont know what its suppose to taste like but I love the drop.. 

Saying that, If DrSmurto's Golden Ale is a clone of what its suppose to taste like previously... then it has lost of lot of flavour... Now I just drink DR S Golden Ale..


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## Cube

Yesterday I picked up two stubbies of the IPA from BWS as a spur of the moment as I went to check the PO Box. I was looking forward to this and tonight drank them and was not impressed at all. My wifey took a sip and said:

"that's the worst you have brewed yet - sorry"

Hmmmmm..... it tasted shit house. No hops aroma or taste just a over powering ' out of date cascade kit and kilo taste'.

Checking bottle, expired june 08. BWS - **** you. Unfortunately for the brew company, be it their head brewer or BWS, they have been labelled shit house in my house.

Only good thing I got out of it was two crown seal bottles.


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## PostModern

There was talk quite some time ago about Lion Nathan bottle codes. Can't recall (or google) the code for the MSB, and it's been a while since I bought any. What I recall tho is that bottle code 142 is some large brewery in the LN group in SA and any JS beers from there are lacking in more than just a "certain something".


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## eamonnfoley

BitterBulldog said:


> thanks for contacting us regarding your complaint. We will pass on your complaint to our Customer Service centre who will follow up to you to gain further detail & replace your faulty beer. Please retain any bottles & be ready to provide info from the bottle on the production date of the batch involved. You will find this printed in white ink near the shoulder of the bottle as a Best Before Date. It is possible that the lack of flavour may be due to the beer being very old, that is close to or past its recommended shelf Life (too long in store or lack of stock rotation) or exposed to non desirable storage conditions. As beer ages it does loose both hop aroma & bitterness & appears thinner in flavour. If that is the case we'd be keen to know the store you purchased from so we can follow up.
> *I do note that pre- Christmas a shortage of the Amarillo hops which are imported from the US (not currently grown in Australia) meant we needed to reduce our use of these hops & substitute about 20% of a locally grown variety. The usual characteristic Golden aroma was slightly lower at this time but we felt still typical of the beer, so I dont believe this would have been the cause of your low flavour comment. Anyway you'll be pleased to hear that new seasons Amarillo hops were secured in January & Golden Ale is now back to its usual hop loading & characteristic fruity aroma & taste.*
> I do hope this recent experience wont put you off trying another Golden Ale in the near future. Thanks again for taking the time to communicate to us & should you not hear from Customer Service within the next few days please get back to us.
> Cheers Tony Jones
> Chief Brewer - MSB



At least they offer you a decent explanation. I actually thought the hops were subbed out when I tried one the other night.


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## Steve

Had a schooner today off tap. Definately blander than it used to be. Just doesnt have the same punch that it used to.
Cheers
Steve


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## mwd

gava said:


> I've never had JS Golden Ale before this year so I dont know what its suppose to taste like but I love the drop..
> 
> Saying that, If DrSmurto's Golden Ale is a clone of what its suppose to taste like previously... then it has lost of lot of flavour... Now I just drink DR S Golden Ale..



Drinking the K&Bits version bloody marvelous IMO much better than the real stuff. So good I will be doing it as one of my regular house brews.

Good stuff Dr S. Mine is a good bit more bitter than the commercial brand. Might be the Sparkling Ale Can. :icon_cheers:


----------



## HoppingMad

> It is possible that the lack of flavour may be due to the beer being very old, that is close to or past its recommended shelf Life (too long in store or lack of stock rotation) or exposed to non desirable storage conditions. As beer ages it does loose both hop aroma & bitterness & appears thinner in flavour. If that is the case we'd be keen to know the store you purchased from so we can follow up.



Yep. Like I said earlier dudes. Check the brewed on dates. Bear in mind if you buy on special you're more than likely buying at end of shelf(and flavour) life so it's buyer beware.



> I do note that pre- Christmas a shortage of the Amarillo hops which are imported from the US (not currently grown in Australia) meant we needed to reduce our use of these hops & substitute about 20% of a locally grown variety. The usual characteristic Golden aroma was slightly lower at this time but we felt still typical of the beer, so I dont believe this would have been the cause of your low flavour comment.



So these guys are admitting that at the time specified they're substituting the bulk of their Amarillo with something else. Something local and they admit that Amarillo isn't grown domestically. So most likely that would be Pride of Ringwood, Super Alpha or Tassie Cascade. And judging by the taste of the stuff I had in the case I bought and consumed in January it's probably the first two. 

Interesting stuff. <_< 

Hopper.


----------



## felten

Unfortunately it can't be grown locally, it's privately grown by the people that trademarked it.. something like that anyway

it's a pity since it has an awesome aroma/flavour and it's really the backbone of the jsga


----------



## brocky_555

i've just had a few js golden ales and i think there is somthing missing in the middle of the tastes. But no aroma and no mid taste and no lingrering amarillo taste as far as i'm aware they (tooyeys) have ruined it to turnit into a more acceptable ale /lager


i agree with the restg of you good people


----------



## bum

I'm not sure sure the rest of those good people will be quite as agreeable, however.


----------



## JaffaMan

I bought 6 of their GA, and 6 of their IPA last night from 1st choice and I must say its nothing like what I remeber back in my commercial binge days, dirty aftertaste and very little carbonation (that was the GA). As for the IPA, I swear I used to drink a completly different drink from that same label. 

Mabey 1st choice cant store or transport beer properly, I'm spewing I threw the bottles out cos didnt even think till now to check the dates on them.


----------



## manticle

BitterBulldog said:


> thanks for contacting us regarding your complaint. We will pass on your complaint to our Customer Service centre who will follow up to you to gain further detail & replace your faulty beer. Please retain any bottles & be ready to provide info from the bottle on the production date of the batch involved. You will find this printed in white ink near the shoulder of the bottle as a Best Before Date. It is possible that the lack of flavour may be due to the beer being very old, that is close to or past its recommended shelf Life (too long in store or lack of stock rotation) or exposed to non desirable storage conditions. As beer ages it does loose both hop aroma & bitterness & appears thinner in flavour. If that is the case we'd be keen to know the store you purchased from so we can follow up.
> *I do note that pre- Christmas a shortage of the Amarillo hops which are imported from the US (not currently grown in Australia) meant we needed to reduce our use of these hops & substitute about 20% of a locally grown variety. The usual characteristic Golden aroma was slightly lower at this time but we felt still typical of the beer, so I dont believe this would have been the cause of your low flavour comment. Anyway you'll be pleased to hear that new seasons Amarillo hops were secured in January & Golden Ale is now back to its usual hop loading & characteristic fruity aroma & taste.*
> I do hope this recent experience wont put you off trying another Golden Ale in the near future. Thanks again for taking the time to communicate to us & should you not hear from Customer Service within the next few days please get back to us.
> Cheers Tony Jones
> Chief Brewer - MSB



To their credit - that's a response that shows they actually read the complaint, identified the problem and suggest that it will be shortlived. Better than the stock response quoted earlier from Mr Ireallydontgiveatossaboutyoufussybeerdrinkersbeerisjustmeanttotastelikebeer-Jones


----------



## bum

I bet he got teased at school.


----------



## ~MikE

felten said:


> Unfortunately it can't be grown locally, it's privately grown by the people that trademarked it.. something like that anyway
> 
> it's a pity since it has an awesome aroma/flavour and it's really the backbone of the jsga



unless they've genetically modified it, there's nothing stopping anyone else from owning the organism. What they do own is the trademark. of course if they own all the amarillo plants in existence, there's no way of obtaining one that wouldn't be considered theft


----------



## gone brewing

I was on holidays last week and took the opportunity to try the JSGA having heard so much about it on this website. I was quite underwhelmed by it. I would think that Dr Smurto's recipe would have heaps more flavour than it, yet people report the recipe matches the original quite well.

The use by date on my six pack was December this year and if the use by dates are one year after production then it somewhat fits with their explanation.

I also got a six pack of the JS amber ale which I have tried plenty of times before and it wasn't half the beer I remembered it to be. I used to try to make beer that good but if my beer nowdays tasted like that I would be disappointed.


----------



## BitterBulldog

Had someone from Lion Nathan contact me - It went like this 

"Hi, i'm Jodie from Toohe..i mean, Lion Nathan...'

enough said  

She said they had not changed the recipe.

They are sending me some replacements - will be interesting if it is any different? can't see how it is going to be any different.
& i am sending them one of my samples for them to ANALYZE.


----------



## caleb

BitterBulldog said:


> Had someone from Lion Nathan contact me - It went like this
> 
> "Hi, i'm Jodie from Toohe..i mean, Lion Nathan...'
> 
> enough said
> 
> She said they had not changed the recipe.
> 
> They are sending me some replacements - will be interesting if it is any different? can't see how it is going to be any different.
> & i am sending them one of my samples for them to ANALYZE.




WTF... wait a minute... *I* started this thread with the original complaint. How come BitterBullDog is getting a replacement pack and I'm not!?!

I did get a similar but even more descriptive email from Mr Jones about changes to the product and that it was now back to 100% Amarillo. (so we _weren't_ imagining things)

Anyway, as compensation I've asked for them to make the next summer special a real cracker! (not some mild lager). Let's see if they deliver...


----------



## Bribie G

hazard said:


> I used to really enjoy Amber Ale and always had some in the fridge before I started home brewing.
> I was out with some mates last week, and bought a 6 pack, and wondered where the magic had gone. Is it worse? Or are my expectations higher because of the "Higher"  standard of beer I make for myself.



Off topic, I often find that commercial beers taste different depending on what home brew I am quaffing. Currently drinking my way through a mountain of stouts and dark ales that I brewed for mini comps and when I was at the doc's the other day, next door there's a bottle shop which sells guinness 750 tallies. The 6% ABV job which is almost impossible to get on the Island so I grabbed a couple. It usually tastes brilliant, not quite in the same class as Sheaf Stout (can't get it in QLD) or Coopers Stout (rare as hen's around here) but I always buy a couple when I come across them.

They tasted pretty ordinary and when I opened one of my stouts I reckon it wiped the floor with the Guinness. I'll bet you anything that when I have run out of stout and buy a Guinness 6% in a month or two my palate will have readjusted again.


----------



## T.D.

Just got the "goodbrews" newsletter from James Squire. This is what it said about the golden ale:

"The phenomenal growth of Golden Ale, which is selling at over 40% above last years volume, has brought its own problems compounded by a shortage of Amarillo hops (sourced ex the U.S.). This forced us to introduce a back up locally grown aroma variety as a small percentage of the total hop load in order to eek out supplies until the new season Amarillo hops arrived in early January. 
For the benefit of the enthusiastic home brewers who have been avidly speculating about this I can confirm that it was definitely not Pride of Ringwood that we used as a substitute. 
We are glad to report that with our hop stores now bursting with the newly acquired and very characteristic US hop, the distinctive Golden Ale aroma is now back to its brilliant, stone-fruity best."

Interesting stuff. My guess is the substitute hop would be Galaxy. Could explain why some of you blokes have been detecting some changes in the flavour recently.


----------



## Katherine

T.D. said:


> Just got the "goodbrews" newsletter from James Squire. This is what it said about the golden ale:
> 
> "The phenomenal growth of Golden Ale, which is selling at over 40% above last years volume, has brought its own problems compounded by a shortage of Amarillo hops (sourced ex the U.S.). This forced us to introduce a back up locally grown aroma variety as a small percentage of the total hop load in order to eek out supplies until the new season Amarillo hops arrived in early January.
> For the benefit of the enthusiastic home brewers who have been avidly speculating about this I can confirm that it was definitely not Pride of Ringwood that we used as a substitute.
> We are glad to report that with our hop stores now bursting with the newly acquired and very characteristic US hop, the distinctive Golden Ale aroma is now back to its brilliant, stone-fruity best."
> 
> Interesting stuff. My guess is the substitute hop would be Galaxy. Could explain why some of you blokes have been detecting some changes in the flavour recently.



Recently it changed ages ago, but my partner had one on the weekend and said it was much better then it has being. Might have to try one on tap soon.


----------



## T.D.

They may have been tinkering with the hops ever since the famous hop shortage began a couple of years ago.


----------



## discoloop

Yup, kind of has be excited to get a freshie down my gullet...

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...35227&st=60


----------



## technocat

If it ever happens, whoever comes up with a locally grown hop pretty much like Amarillo will have it made. Big quantities of this hop used in late hopping with APA style will ensure a heavy demand. It is not unusual to use up to 100 grams of Amarillo per 20 litres of APA when homebrewing to get the big hop flavour.


----------



## T.D.

I really don't think Galaxy is far off Amarillo for flavour. Not the same, but I would say its a fair substitute. Can't see them getting much closer anyway...

Hopefully as the hop farmers begin to swap over to Galaxy from other varieties we will get a more steady supply. Its just what the Australian hop industry needs I reckon.


----------



## mckenry

Katie said:


> Recently it changed ages ago,



This is hurting my head and its only 3.20


----------



## Katherine

mckenry said:


> This is hurting my head and its only 3.20



Im terrible. I think I meant to put a comma in there somewhere


----------



## T.D.

Panda walks into a bar and eats shoots and leaves...

Yep, in order to stop my head exploding I subconsciously added a comma after recently. Actually, I added a question mark.


----------



## discoloop

Recently? It changed ages ago!


----------



## T.D.

That's the one! :lol:


----------



## peas_and_corn

Recently: it changed, aged ago}


----------



## mckenry

discoloop said:


> Recently? It changed ages ago!



Ahh use the punctuation mckenry


----------



## caleb

'Twas not galaxy but summer saaz...

Trust me on this but don't make me quote sources or I may have to kill you afterwards...


----------



## PistolPatch

Caleb, for that death threat, you are banned for a week .

I had the pleasure last week of listening to the head brewer of Little Creatures, Alex Tronsconso, talk on hops. What a nice bloke!

He talked a lot on how we place a bit too much emphasis on figures and science when we are talking hops and gave many examples of how this is true. It was a great talk. I'm exaggerating a little here (too much actually) but he reckons you can get almost any hop to do what you want - you just have to get to know it. He loves his APAs and has played with LCPA continually.

One thing I was pleased to hear him say was that a brilliant APA can be made from all Australian grown hops and grains. He loves Galaxy and so do I!

I am looking forward to doing a lot with Galaxy and I think am looking forward to doing some side by sides with amarillo.

This talk taught me that we need to rely less on figures and more on tastebuds which I know is hard to do for home brewers who only get to brew every month or so and let alone the same recipe.

It was a great talk though and I have new respect for the small breweries who have to try and produce the same beer using ingredients that are not the same from month to month.

Alex just keeps trying to make it better and is not scared to try new things. So, next time you have an LCPA and think it is particularly good, maybe send him a message with the batch number?

It's a lot smoother now than it used to be.

Caleb, this thread was about LCPA wasn't it?

LOL,
Pat


----------



## HoppingMad

Caleb said:


> 'Twas not galaxy but summer saaz...
> 
> Trust me on this but don't make me quote sources or I may have to kill you afterwards...



Yep doesn't taste like any galaxy in there to me. Think Caleb might be closer to the truth here.

Hopper.


----------



## petesbrew

Had one on the weekend. Wasn't what I remembered, but maybe my tastes have changed.


----------



## Katherine

I had one of these last night and was pleasantly surprised heaps better then it has being. yum


----------



## silvana

The amber ale went south along time ago. I remember my first taste at the Excelsior in Sydney many years ago before I knew good beer, it was one of many gateway beers.
Sad story about the Golden ale, Ive been overseas for a year so I guess the next time I feel like one I may just grab a single, or not.


----------



## gava

went into a local pub lastnight and YES they had golden ale on tap... (for bendigo thats an effort) so I get one poured and have a smell.. hmmm where's the hops?? thought ok i guess it should taste ok.. had one mouth full....... HELLO FLAVOUR?!?!! where are you? i was very disapointed... I asked for a bottle of Golden Ale to see if it was just crap off the tap but they didn't have any... I remember the bottles I drank about amonth ago tasted way better than this... 

Then I drank a Carlton Draught... OH THE HORROR!!! and my steak was burnt.. all in all crapville.. 

I'll stick to my beer i think..


----------



## Brewbloke

I bought a 6 pack last week, starting drinking a stubby and thought I had picked up some cursed CUB brew by mistake. All the hop aroma/flavour wasn't present at all, seemingly replaced with VB metallic flavour. I wonder if it was a bad batch or two.


----------



## Bizier

I grabbed a couple of the GS IPAs the other day to have with a Vietmanese dinner. I was astonished how bad they tasted, and how blaringly obvious the change was to some I had a couole of months ago.

The amber and the golden ale have not featured on my shopping list for a while now. Luckily the list of other available beers is continually climbing, so we don't need to rely on those that have been bought out by the megas and has their valves tightened.


----------



## mauriceatron

I hate to add a "Me Too!!" post but the reality is that the past two times I've had anything from this brewery has been a poor taste. To me, it really seems they are going the megaswill route of less of anything real beer and more about the corporate bottom line perhaps. I could be wrong or maybe they've found a few hundred pallets in the back of a warehouse somewhere and have unleashed it on the general public. Don't know.

It's a shame because it was always a not so expensive good beer you could buy. It wasn't "great" but good. Better than all megaswill and pathetic "premium" lagers.

Perhaps we can start a thread of "Find the JS replacement!" 


That could be fun (maybe a bit expensive though)....

Cheers
Simon


----------



## Katherine

Bizier said:


> I grabbed a couple of the GS IPAs the other day to have with a Vietmanese dinner. I was astonished how bad they tasted, and how blaringly obvious the change was to some I had a couole of months ago.
> 
> The amber and the golden ale have not featured on my shopping list for a while now. Luckily the list of other available beers is continually climbing, so we don't need to rely on those that have been bought out by the megas and has their valves tightened.




I find the ipa's really sweet now...


----------



## T.D.

I bought a six pack of golden ale yesterday to have while watching the cricket (which I am now using to drown my sorrows).

I must admit, after seeing plenty of discussions about how James Squire have ruined the Amber Ale and Pilsner (which I think are both still great beers even if they are different to their original versions), I thought this was the same type thing. But OMG!! I can hardly drink this golden ale! Seriously I am not really sure I want to finish them off. To me the most disappointing thing is not the hops (although I wonder where they have gone) but more the distict megaswill character the beer now has. Its like drinking VB with a little squirt of hop flavour. I know GA has always had some sugar in it but something's different now. Not sure if they have boosted the sugar level up a bit, or whether the lacking hop flavour is exposing the megaswill nastiness more, or whether they have changed to the Tooheys house yeast, but it certainly seems a lot more "mainstream Aussie lager" than "Australian craft beer". Extremely disappointing. I haven't had Golden Ale for quite a while, which may have made the differences more obvious, but geez they are far from in anybody's imagination!

Hopefully the newsletter's mention of going back to the old Golden Ale again means this will be cleared up. And hopefully the six pack I got wasn't one out of their new batch! :unsure:


----------



## Online Brewing Supplies

T.D. said:


> I bought a six pack of golden ale yesterday to have while watching the cricket (which I am now using to drown my sorrows).
> 
> I must admit, after seeing plenty of discussions about how James Squire have ruined the Amber Ale and Pilsner (which I think are both still great beers even if they are different to their original versions), I thought this was the same type thing. But OMG!! I can hardly drink this golden ale! Seriously I am not really sure I want to finish them off. To me the most disappointing thing is not the hops (although I wonder where they have gone) but more the distict megaswill character the beer now has. Its like drinking VB with a little squirt of hop flavour. I know GA has always had some sugar in it but something's different now. Not sure if they have boosted the sugar level up a bit, or whether the lacking hop flavour is exposing the megaswill nastiness more, or whether they have changed to the Tooheys house yeast, but it certainly seems a lot more "mainstream Aussie lager" than "Australian craft beer". Extremely disappointing. I haven't had Golden Ale for quite a while, which may have made the differences more obvious, but geez they are far from in anybody's imagination!
> 
> Hopefully the newsletter's mention of going back to the old Golden Ale again means this will be cleared up. And hopefully the six pack I got wasn't one out of their new batch! :unsure:


TD You have to brew your own. As a homie you can use as much hops and malt as you like. JS has to please the bean counters. I know what you are saying but all good commercial beers get changed by economics. Not mine or yours , but we brew for a passion not a bottom line.
GB


----------



## altone

T.D. said:


> I bought a six pack of golden ale yesterday to have while watching the cricket (which I am now using to drown my sorrows).
> 
> I must admit, after seeing plenty of discussions about how James Squire have ruined the Amber Ale and Pilsner (which I think are both still great beers even if they are different to their original versions), I thought this was the same type thing. But OMG!! I can hardly drink this golden ale! Seriously I am not really sure I want to finish them off. To me the most disappointing thing is not the hops (although I wonder where they have gone) but more the distict megaswill character the beer now has. Its like drinking VB with a little squirt of hop flavour. I know GA has always had some sugar in it but something's different now. Not sure if they have boosted the sugar level up a bit, or whether the lacking hop flavour is exposing the megaswill nastiness more, or whether they have changed to the Tooheys house yeast, but it certainly seems a lot more "mainstream Aussie lager" than "Australian craft beer". Extremely disappointing. I haven't had Golden Ale for quite a while, which may have made the differences more obvious, but geez they are far from in anybody's imagination!
> 
> Hopefully the newsletter's mention of going back to the old Golden Ale again means this will be cleared up. And hopefully the six pack I got wasn't one out of their new batch! :unsure:




Geez I know golden ales getting a bashing recently but thought that was mainly the hop switch they made quite a while ago.

Had some this weekend and still tasted quite good to me - a heck of a long way from VB with a hop addition.

Maybe I got a good batch .. I did try the Amber ale a few weeks ago and still have most of it sitting in the fridge because it was so poor. (good for my mates when they come around next weekend)

Hope they keep up a decent quality on the golden as it's avaialble at a couple of restaurants I frequent.


----------



## lastdrinks

Bottled James Squire is still ok, not great but ok and much better than vb or hahn. its better on tap, i have some at the portland every now and then and its good. as are their other beers.

I find the Golden Ale and Amber are not what i remember but i was not a home brewer when i first tasted them. James Squire were a revelation back then but now i drink quality belgians, bocks, IPAs etc regularly and James Squire are not a standout against that crowd.

Yeah, sure, maybe the golden ale has turned to crap but likely a lot of this is that peoples palate has improved similar to mine.


----------



## dr K

Sadly, I cannot make much comment on Carlton as I have not for many years had the pleasure of tasting it, the small comment I can make is that it is not particularly memorable, certainly not so so memorable as to create its own subset of taste, the "Carlton taste" referred to by a number of posters to this thread.
So far as James Squires beers and in particular the JSGA are concerned I find them to be excellent beers, yes they do vary but within a pretty small frame, I see this as a good thing.
Frankly I am not a great fan of JSGA, Amarillo (which I find cloying after a dozen schooners) or not, it is too wheaty for me. The IPA I buy and (of course) drink regularly, and the Pilsener comes a close second. I find both these beers far superior to the swill I produce at home, AG and all.
I humbly suggest that the JS range (even those produced in Lidcombe or heaven forbid Adelaide), whilst relegated to the megaswill catergory are every bit as good, and at the risk of being burnt at the stake better than home brewed examples.

K


----------



## matti

Chuck Hahn is a pleasant fellow but as GB suggested.
He has sucumbed to the mighty $$$ since he joined JS and the other trouble with Chucky.
He doesn't brew much..... HE promotes his beer more....
Sorry Chucky

So We Brew our own hop hop hopaway


----------



## Sydneybrewer

cant really comment on the golden but brought a 6 pack of JS amber and struggled through 3 of them they were very poor, had to take another trip to the bottlo and picked up a 6 of LCPA... the difference in quality between the two is quite large, i actually used to love JSAA.

Grammer


----------



## manticle

Had a golden ale yesterday: it was fine. Also a pilsner.

I reckon two suggested reasons are possible culprits- changing palates and a batch with less amarillo due to the shortage. Also not drinking every beer at nipple-as-bullets temperature certainly helps.


----------



## gava

Got a james squire Golden Ale sixer saturday..... started drinking and it had no hop burst at all... could only drink four of them..

Just opened a mates AG DrS Golden Ale and its soooooooooooooooooooo much better... the hops hmmmmmmm i can taste them.. 

I think wont buying them anymore..


----------



## mckenry

Thought I had better post this as I am a believer in credit where credit is due.
I have previously written (possibly this thread, havent gone back all 6 pages) that JSGA had gone all bland.
This is one of my favourite Aus beers and I was very dissappointed when it went down hill.
I have to say that it is back. In a good way!
I have tried it at the AB in Glebe, The Marlborough in Newtown and the Edinburgh Castle in the city.
All extensive testing proved each and every sample was an overwhelming success.

Thank you JS for getting this back to its very best.

mckenry


----------



## T.D.

That's good to hear mckenry. Unfortunately though my last JSGA experience was a bit less favourable! I was at a pub the other day and ordered a golden ale and a tooheys new (for somebody else). I seriously had to check if I had actually gotten the new while she got my golden ale. But no, my beer was definitely the golden. But geez, it had a very Aussie lager megaswill tang to it. Maybe it was just the environment I was in or something, or that I had a homebrew before going to the pub, but it definitely tasted bland and "aussie lager" like to me...


----------



## gava

I noticed this also.... (mind you I haven't had a GS for awhile) last attempt I had was very bland and well odd tasting.
I had a sip and made a weird face and said "man my homebrew is better than this" whoops too loud the bar guy looked at me.. 

As james squire said themself in an email which I believe is in this thread, they were subsituting hops due to lack of supply.. Hopfully they've got stock again.. I will give this try again and will hope I get a good version  




T.D. said:


> That's good to hear mckenry. Unfortunately though my last JSGA experience was a bit less favourable! I was at a pub the other day and ordered a golden ale and a tooheys new (for somebody else). I seriously had to check if I had actually gotten the new while she got my golden ale. But no, my beer was definitely the golden. But geez, it had a very Aussie lager megaswill tang to it. Maybe it was just the environment I was in or something, or that I had a homebrew before going to the pub, but it definitely tasted bland and "aussie lager" like to me...


----------



## Effect

Great news!!

Will give it another go


----------



## Bribie G

It's good to get out and recalibrate the tastebuds once in a while. I had my first trip to the Platform Bar in Brisbane a couple of weeks ago and was seriously underwhelmed by most of the brews on tap. The Sunshine Coast Best Bitter lacked any perceivable hop, the Wood and Stone was just another cloudy C-hops offering that most of us on this forum could whack out with one hand tied behind our backs, and you know what, the Golden Ale was a welcome relief. However I taste far better brews at the BABBs club meetings and, of course, out of my own taps.

I'll try the International Hotel next and see how the house brewed Pilsener is. I'd love a nice Czech style Pilsener like you would get in Prague - why the micros feel they have to ape the US ales which have only been around since the 70s whilst there are brewing traditions centuries old they could emulate is beyond me. 

</grump>


----------



## vykuza

In a similar vein, I had my first bottle of JS Porter in a long time (6 months perhaps?) and it seemed like a different beast altogether. The roast flavour was really quite powerful, not really balanced, and the hop bitterness was clawing at the back of my throat. Not too bitter, but a different bitterness - much less smooth.

My mate, who's been away for a year, saw my face as I took a nice gulp out of the glass and said, "it's different now... but not in a good way". That sums it up for me. Anyone else notice a big change in the porter?


----------



## Pennywise

The Porter hasn't been the best for some time now. Pity, it was one of my fave's


----------



## Back Yard Brewer

Its ironic that this thread has been revived. I had a stubbie yesterday of the JSA and found it nice and golden as it should be with a very nice hop aroma that I remember. Like someone else stated on this thread, as brewers we can some time be a little critical of mass produced beer. We can hop to high heaven or put our own small twist when brewing. Then one day when we try a mass produced beer that may have been our staple megaswill, suddenly we start picking it to pieces. 


BYB


----------



## eamonnfoley

You would think the bean counters would realise that just one cheapened ordinary batch can stop customers drinking their beer completely, costing them in the long run. If you listen to interviews with successful craft breweries they all talk about how important consistency is. A little bit of extra cost when hop prices go up will lead to more sales in the long term.

In general I think all james squire beers have gone to sh**. Same as Matilda Bay. That's life I guess.


----------



## dago001

Had a few JSGA on saturday night at the local Irish pub :icon_cheers: . Have to admit it's pretty good. Its certainly got more hop flavour than most standard tap beers, but not as hoppy as my DSGA brews. I think its a good brew that almost anybody could/would/should drink over a carlton draught. After all, they aren't trying to appeal to home/craft brewers, who will just pick the sh#t out of it, more of an attempt to convert Carlton drinkers. 
Cheers
David


----------



## MarkBastard

I drank a carton of the IPA about a month ago and loved it. Really great session beer.

I still drink the Porter from time to time, usually when I go to a BYO Thai place. It may sound funny but I really like drinking Porter with spicy food.

I've had the Pilsner on tap, it goes alright. I'm not the biggest fan of 'proper' Pilsners so the JS one hits the spot for me pretty nicely.

I haven't had Golden or Amber for quite some time and haven't missed them.


----------



## T.D.

Back Yard Brewer said:


> Its ironic that this thread has been revived. I had a stubbie yesterday of the JSA and found it nice and golden as it should be with a very nice hop aroma that I remember. Like someone else stated on this thread, as brewers we can some time be a little critical of mass produced beer. We can hop to high heaven or put our own small twist when brewing. Then one day when we try a mass produced beer that may have been our staple megaswill, suddenly we start picking it to pieces.
> 
> 
> BYB



For me it was not the hopping that disappointed the most, it was the fact that the malt was lacking and it tasted more like Tooheys New wort had been used with a small addition of Amarillo late, and then fermented on the Tooheys house lager yeast. It just tasted like megaswill, not "craft beer" as Chuck Hahn so carefully describes MSB beers.


----------



## T.D.

Mark^Bastard said:


> I drank a carton of the IPA about a month ago and loved it. Really great session beer.



Despite all the carry on about this beer lacking as a genuine IPA, I love it. Definitely my favourite MSB beer by a long shot.


----------



## MarkBastard

T.D. said:


> Despite all the carry on about this beer lacking as a genuine IPA, I love it. Definitely my favourite MSB beer by a long shot.



I for one am glad there's a "non-genuine" IPA option available to use at under $60 a carton. It's pretty good value by alcohol percentage points.

I love the malt profile and the flavouring hop additions. It's perhaps not bitter enough but that just makes it sessionable for me. The aroma is okay, nothing special, but again in a session beer not the end of the world.

In fact if anyone knows a decent clone of this I'd love to give it a go, particularly I'd love to get the malt profile right and use it as a base for pale ales with different hops to experiment.


----------



## Bribie G

I'll get a six pack on pay day and see what I reckon. All my kegs are empty at the moment, waiting for 3 cold crashers which are in the fridge at the moment so I'm using up odds and ends of bottles - good opportunity to try something different.


----------



## brendanos

I skipped pgs 4-6, so not sure if anyone has mentioned, but the last few golden's I've had (draught) have started great -nice sweet candieish malt initially, some very faint hop, but over the palate the beer stumbles around leaving a distinct cannned corn/boiled cabbage flavour lingering in my mouth. Never used to get DMS, though not sure if I (and perhaps a lot of us) have just learnt to taste beer better and identify off flavours (or at least the effect they have on a beer's appeal).

I've never personally liked the Amber and also find it vegetative, and gave up on the Pilsener a few years ago (too many incosistancies). Should probably try it again, but I don't think I'll take that gamble - plenty of other great consistant pilsners out there if that's what I'm feening.


----------



## zebba

On the Amber front, I had two six packs of the amber from different batches in the fridge and was able to try them side by side with my old man. We both agreed. 

First batch was nutty, dry, with a nice lingering roast flavour. A nice easy drinking beer, with a reasonably complex malt flavour. It was what I expect from JS beers - a nice stepping stone from bland lagers into real beers. 

The other batch was a completely different beer - creamy, almost doughy in flavour. The malt was very one dimensional (all bread/dough). Certainly wasn't dry, and was almost cloying in the sweetness. It wasn't even close to the first batch. It was drinkable, but when the 6 pack ran out, neither of us were disappointed.

Didn't look at the age on the bottles. Something strange is going on though, that the flavour profile could be so different.


----------



## beerDingo

I actually enjoy the Pilsner during a game of cricket! I agree the Golden Ale dropped in quality, but resent tastings have definately improved IMO. However, that thing they call an IPA?? :icon_vomit: I don't think I'll ever revisit that thing! Only tried it once, but it was bloody awful! Gave one to my housemate, and he couldn't even finish it! Now that's saying something... Not saying he's a beer connoisseur (actually, the exact opposite), as he'll usually drink anything that is called "beer".


----------



## ojmasens

beerDingo said:


> I actually enjoy the Pilsner during a game of cricket! I agree the Golden Ale dropped in quality, but resent tastings have definately improved IMO. However, that thing they call an IPA?? :icon_vomit: I don't think I'll ever revisit that thing! Only tried it once, but it was bloody awful! Gave one to my housemate, and he couldn't even finish it! Now that's saying something... Not saying he's a beer connoisseur (actually, the exact opposite), as he'll usually drink anything that is called "beer".



JS recently had a dodgy batch of IPAs. Apparantly it was due to some dodgy hops. Had a real burnt, earthy taste IMO. Was nothing like their normal quality. If anyone has any dodgy examples lying around, just inform JS on their website, send in a dodgy bottle and they'll give a you free case. Unfortunately when this happened to my uncle they sent him another case from the dodgy batch! The next case they gave him was the real deal though. 

If ever you get dodgy beers, inform the breweries. On the most part they really appreciate being notified of dodgy batches (although I know of one who outright refused to believe they could possibly have had an infection), and normally you'll get free beer.

Nothing wrong with that!!!


----------



## T.D.

Janis said:


> JS recently had a dodgy batch of IPAs. Apparantly it was due to some dodgy hops. Had a real burnt, earthy taste IMO. Was nothing like their normal quality. If anyone has any dodgy examples lying around, just inform JS on their website, send in a dodgy bottle and they'll give a you free case. Unfortunately when this happened to my uncle they sent him another case from the dodgy batch! The next case they gave him was the real deal though.
> 
> If ever you get dodgy beers, inform the breweries. On the most part they really appreciate being notified of dodgy batches (although I know of one who outright refused to believe they could possibly have had an infection), and normally you'll get free beer.
> 
> Nothing wrong with that!!!



Damn! I had a six pack of the dodgy batch, I had no idea what was wrong with them but it wasn't pretty. I just wrote it off (have been fine since then) but bugger I didn't keep a bottle! Anyway, good to hear they sorted it out. Its a good beer, when its in the right condition...


----------



## phinnsfotos

So does anyone else find James Squires beers to be inconsistent. I thought it was just me but over the last year or so (since I've actually been paying attention to beer) they seemed to be a bit all over the place. A mate and I were drinking Golden Ale on a qantas flight (cans), went straight from the airport to the bar and had a few bottles, it was a totally different beer. I've found the same thing with their IPA and Amber. A lot of variation from 6 pack to 6 pack. 

I'm hardly going to stop trying their beers, but I was starting to think it was my mind playing tricks on me.


----------



## beerDingo

Janis said:


> JS recently had a dodgy batch of IPAs. Apparantly it was due to some dodgy hops. Had a real burnt, earthy taste IMO. Was nothing like their normal quality. If anyone has any dodgy examples lying around, just inform JS on their website, send in a dodgy bottle and they'll give a you free case. Unfortunately when this happened to my uncle they sent him another case from the dodgy batch! The next case they gave him was the real deal though.
> 
> If ever you get dodgy beers, inform the breweries. On the most part they really appreciate being notified of dodgy batches (although I know of one who outright refused to believe they could possibly have had an infection), and normally you'll get free beer.
> 
> Nothing wrong with that!!!



Yeah, I've only had 1 six-pack of them. And it was awful. Someone else had ciders, and I actually drank them instead :blink: First time that's happened. I'd have drunk CUB products before having this again... 

But, that is probably good info there (above). Unfortunately it was about a month ago, and like others, i just put it down to their IPA being awful. But maybe I'll try it again. Might just grab a single bottle to compare against my previous experience.


----------



## Hatchy

phinnsfotos said:


> So does anyone else find James Squires beers to be inconsistent. I thought it was just me but over the last year or so (since I've actually been paying attention to beer) they seemed to be a bit all over the place. A mate and I were drinking Golden Ale on a qantas flight (cans), went straight from the airport to the bar and had a few bottles, it was a totally different beer. I've found the same thing with their IPA and Amber. A lot of variation from 6 pack to 6 pack.
> 
> I'm hardly going to stop trying their beers, but I was starting to think it was my mind playing tricks on me.



I've never had an enjoyable beer on a plane, I don't know if it's the altitude or how much they get shaken up but there's something off about beers on planes


----------



## Fatgodzilla

phinnsfotos said:


> So does anyone else find James Squires beers to be inconsistent.




Yes.

I have drunk a lot of bottled Golden Ale over the past few years. Bought a slab of Golden Ale from a known good treater of beer and after checking use by dates etc. Was freshly brewed. It's a beer now, nothing more. Not a great beer as I have thought. A real lack of all the things it used to be - malt flavour, strong hop profile. Really disappointed. Won't ever bother again. I haven't had their porter recently, hope it hasn't down down the hill like the GA. 

For people like me in the bush where there is very little turnover in beers other than megaswill (so therefore nothing much variety in stock) James Squire has at least been an acceptable alternative. But no more GA for me.


----------



## zebba

I hear what people are saying about JS, BUT...

Over the last week or so unforseen circumstances have left my homebrew stocks dangerously low. So low that last night we were forced to head down to the local Coles to grab some shelf fillers.

Even with the inconsistencies that have been experienced lately (and as I detailed above, I've experienced them also), a bad JS beer is still better than enything else that was on those shelves... 2 fridges full of "blondes", 1 fridge full of "draughts/bitters", a token stout, and some "premium" lagers. Heck, they didn't even have any pales. We grabbed some ambers. It would be comical if this wasn't such a serious issue h34r:


----------



## Snowdog

Just a little aside here ... The Glen Hotel on Logan Road in Eight Mile Plains is now serving JSGA & JS Pils on tap. The sad thing is they seemed to have dropped Kilkenny. Still, +1 for even trying to up their beer game ever so slightly.


----------



## Fatgodzilla

Snowdog said:


> Just a little aside here ... The Glen Hotel on Logan Road in Eight Mile Plains is now serving JSGA & JS Pils on tap. The sad thing is they seemed to have dropped Kilkenny. Still, +1 for even trying to up their beer game ever so slightly.




My comments were on bottled JSGA. I have had some nice experiences with the tap variety, as well as the amber. If the cellar people are worth their salt, the tap beer is better than the bottled beer. Kind of like Tooheys Old on tap tastes heaps better than the bottled stuff.


----------



## beerDingo

Fatgodzilla said:


> My comments were on bottled JSGA. I have had some nice experiences with the tap variety, as well as the amber. If the cellar people are worth their salt, the tap beer is better than the bottled beer. Kind of like Tooheys Old on tap tastes heaps better than the bottled stuff.


I had an amber on tap at a pub in Richmond a few weeks ago, and there was definitely something wrong with it! I've had it on tap in the city (a few months back) and really enjoyed it.



[b]phinnsfotos[/b] said:


> So does anyone else find James Squires beers to be inconsistent.


Yes


----------



## beerbrewer76543

I had a 6 pack of IPA 2 weeks ago that was rather lack luster compared to the tap beer at Squires in Perth

Quality control seems to be an issue with all their brews..


----------



## Snowdog

When comparing any specific brew on tap at different pubs you add the variable of the pubs line maintenance. Do they clean them regularly or not.

As for the inconsistency in bottled brew, a factor can be handling. Ive seen pallets of beer cartons, JS products included, sitting outside the store (coughdammurphyscough) in the sun on a 40 day after its been offloaded from an open truck. Cant do it much good. That said, Ive noticed inconsistency between bottles from the same 6 of JS IPA and Porter. Thought at first it may have been my taster, but Im thinking there may be an issue with mass-production.


----------



## eamonnfoley

Snowdog said:


> When comparing any specific brew on tap at different pubs you add the variable of the pub's line maintenance. Do they clean them regularly or not.
> 
> As for the inconsistency in bottled brew, a factor can be handling. I've seen pallets of beer cartons, JS products included, sitting outside the store (coughdammurphyscough) in the sun on a 40 day after its been offloaded from an open truck. Can't do it much good. That said, I've noticed inconsistency between bottles from the same 6 of JS IPA and Porter. Thought at first it may have been my taster, but I'm thinking there may be an issue with mass-production.



Granted, but do you see Carlton draught or VB changing like that? They are always the same because the same ingredients go in every time.


----------



## dgilks

foles said:


> Granted, but do you see Carlton draught or VB changing like that? They are always the same because the same ingredients go in every time.



That and it is hard to mess up the flavour when it has no flavour to start with.


----------



## Snowdog

VB _always_ tastes like its been sun-baked & then drawn through contaminated lines. And I've had it from a bottle. a can, and at a couple different pubs.


----------



## Screwtop

Well.........swallow me knob..................JSGA is on tap in............................GYMPIE

The Phoenix Hotel revamp came with a great new beer line up, and a publican sensitive to the 2010 beer scene. A fantastic venue, great food/chef, Guiness and JSGA on tap. JSGA outstripping sales of XXXX Bitter and the plan is to showcase some other beers and provide another tap to into micro brewed beers. Plans for food/beer pairing dinners are under way and they are taking names for a beer aficionado group.

Have to say the JSGA on tap at the Phoenix is all I remember it to be, its great

Celebrating in the club lounge with a few local beer lovers this Friday :beer: 

Screwy


----------



## mrmatt

> .JSGA is on tap in............................GYMPIE



well maybe theres hope for when go home to the 'borough (mary).


----------



## Gulpa

With all the love for the IPA on here, I thought I would give it a go last night. Very nice beer. If they called it an ESB they would be pretty close to the money.

cheers
Andrew.


----------



## T.D.

Yeah I agree Gulpa. I doubt anybody on here can really say its a "bad" beer, people's beef with it is more about the fact its called IPA. Then again, I have tried A LOT of softer IPAs than this one...


----------



## winkle

Screwtop said:


> Well.........swallow me knob..................JSGA is on tap in............................GYMPIE
> 
> The Phoenix Hotel revamp came with a great new beer line up, and a publican sensitive to the 2010 beer scene. A fantastic venue, great food/chef, Guiness and JSGA on tap. JSGA outstripping sales of XXXX Bitter and the plan is to showcase some other beers and provide another tap to into micro brewed beers. Plans for food/beer pairing dinners are under way and they are taking names for a beer aficionado group.
> 
> Have to say the JSGA on tap at the Phoenix is all I remember it to be, its great
> 
> Celebrating in the club lounge with a few local beer lovers this Friday :beer:
> 
> Screwy



 Ya having a dream Screwy, wake up


----------



## lczaban

Hatchy said:


> I've never had an enjoyable beer on a plane, I don't know if it's the altitude or how much they get shaken up but there's something off about beers on planes



There would be two things about having the JSGA on a plane. The first is that the altitude (or more specifically the difference in cabin air pressure and that at ground level) do make a difference in how your taste buds perceive the flavour of foods and beverages. The second is that you are drinking the beer from a can, and that makes a difference to the taste as well. All the other variables (storage and handling etc.) also have a part to play as per usual.


I have done a fair bit of flying and I have always found that JSGA was the pick of the bunch wrt the other megaswill options they have on board Qantarse flights :icon_vomit: . The service was the key IMHO - don't drink it straight from the can, use the plastic cup they give you :icon_cheers: . You may have come across either a dud batch Hatchy, but I reckon if you ever find yourself in the air contemplating a cold, frosty one, give the JSGA another crack...


----------



## goomboogo

Screwtop, draught Golden Ale outselling XXXX Bitter (yes, I know that XXXX Gold will still be the no.1 seller) is not something I thought would happen in a small town. Or in a big town for that matter. I hope it's a sign for the future.


----------



## Screwtop

winkle said:


> Ya having a dream Screwy, wake up



Nope, Friday was great, 6 of us sat around for 3 hrs, JS Golden Ale then on to JS IPA, great to have this venue in Gympie. Nice outdoor deck and a club lounge. Bartender Karl even accosted my guests asking if they would add their details to the Beer Appreciation Group list, :lol: preaching to the converted.




goomboogo said:


> Screwtop, draught Golden Ale outselling XXXX Bitter (yes, I know that XXXX Gold will still be the no.1 seller) is not something I thought would happen in a small town. Or in a big town for that matter. I hope it's a sign for the future.



Publican wants to head in this direction, progressive guy.

Screwy


----------



## MarkBastard

Had a Golden Ale last night. Absolutely no hop characteristics. Just takes like Tooheys New with a bit of crystal in it.

Ended up just drinking Tooheys Old.


----------



## thesunsettree

dgilks said:


> That and it is hard to mess up the flavour when it has no flavour to start with.




ha ha,

this cracks me up. a several years ago i started drinking carlton draught after going on a mission to find more flavoursome beer after being disallusioned by xxxx gold and the like. found i really liked it and all my mates would tell me it is shit cos its got so much flavour (that they found foreign cos they drink xxxx gold/carlton mid =absolutely no flavour). since then the last few years have been good homebrew and quality craftbrews i find c draught quite flavourless, i will drink when the options are very low but by no means first choice. the other night i had a schooner of carlton black which i'd tried about 4 yrs ago. my recolection was it was a high flavoured beer with toasty burnt flavours....lol hahaha it tasted like diet coke. isnt it amazing how ur palate evolves when exposed to flavour.
p.s. had fatyak pale ale the other night yum yum

cheers 
matt


----------



## argon

Digging this one up again... had a GA at lunch. So dissapointing  this used to be my absolute favourite easy drinking APA. Probably 75% of all the empty bottles i had for homebrew were JSGA. I'll not be buying them any more.

i remember a couple of years back sitting in the Qld Cricketer's Club having dinner and going through schooners like they were mother's milk. :icon_drool2: I remember a nice rounded sweetness almost syrup like. That Amarillo was just so nicely integrated into the beer. You could catch the aroma from a foot or 2 away. Today, i got a thin bready character with virtually no hop aroma... nothing at all like i remember... such a shame.


----------



## MarkBastard

Actually I had some last week and it was a bit better than the time before. Decent malt at least. Still bugger all late hops.


----------



## argon

Well at least one good thing came of buying a pint... i've just bumped an Amarillo APA up the to-brew list just, so i can experience what i'm now missing. Rymarillo, here we come!


----------



## Lecterfan

Interesting to read this...I'd never really had the JSGA, but after recently going AG and giving amarillo a flogging (including the ubiquitous drsmurto recipe) I decided to get a 6 pack. Meh. I prefer the amber ale (at least it doesn't need a big hop profile) or the IPA (which has plenty of hop). Still a decent beer, but not what I was expecting/hoping for. The copious number of bottles I have with "APA" written on the lid are actually more to my liking - although I know a large part of that is probably one-eyed pride/bias.

Cheers all.


----------



## Nick JD

SWMBO nags me to make another batch of Amarillo lager when I'm busy making other beers. I buy her a JSGA at the pub and she says, "Bugger-all Amarillo!".

You know you're into brewing when SWMBO has a better beer-tasting ability than 95% of the yobbos in the pub.


----------



## geoffi

I was on a tour of the Camperdown brewery many years ago when they were just launching the JSGA. The bar was open and the ale was flowing. Mmm, mmm, mmm...

It's still a pretty good beer, but it ain't what it used to be.


----------



## mckenry

Geoffi said:


> I was on a tour of the Camperdown brewery many years ago when they were just launching the JSGA. The bar was open and the ale was flowing. Mmm, mmm, mmm...
> 
> It's still a pretty good beer, but it ain't what it used to be.



Well, no affiliation etc, but I have to defend JSGA when required.
I have had some bland ones, granted.
JSGA jugs for $14 at the Ancient Britian (Britton?) -[the AB in Glebe anyway] are superb. Great flavour and good value. If you want Great Value JSGA jugs - all styles - $10 in Leichhardt, think its called the royal.
So, what I am trying to say is, the good examples are out there. For non Sydney members, Glebe is a stones throw from Camperdown, where the brewery is. Not sure if some GA is brewed at Lidcombe, but I have had excellent JSGA close to the brewery. Maybe its a turn over thing, but the last JS newsletter talks about how much JSGA has improved on sales from last year. From memory it was 4 times...
No, I dont think they have ruined it. I still love it at the AB.
mckenry


----------



## Bribie G

I probably posted this on one of the many pages of this thread, can't be arsed to look, but last year at the James Squire bar, King St Wharf, where we drank about 11 pints during the course of the day :icon_cheers: the beers were great, hopthief, highwayman's, Pilsener, Porter etc. The only two 'meh' ones were GA and Amber ale which really did taste out of place and possibly were brewed at Lidcombe I would guess, as they were just so average.


----------



## geoffi

mckenry said:


> Well, no affiliation etc, but I have to defend JSGA when required.
> I have had some bland ones, granted.
> JSGA jugs for $14 at the Ancient Britian (Britton?) -[the AB in Glebe anyway] are superb. Great flavour and good value. If you want Great Value JSGA jugs - all styles - $10 in Leichhardt, think its called the royal.
> So, what I am trying to say is, the good examples are out there. For non Sydney members, Glebe is a stones throw from Camperdown, where the brewery is. Not sure if some GA is brewed at Lidcombe, but I have had excellent JSGA close to the brewery. Maybe its a turn over thing, but the last JS newsletter talks about how much JSGA has improved on sales from last year. From memory it was 4 times...
> No, I dont think they have ruined it. I still love it at the AB.
> mckenry




As I say, it still ain't a bad beer. I buy it fairly often when I'm out and enjoy it. Now it is of course possible that my experience at the brewery was skewed by the fact that this was super-fresh beer. I mean, at the brewery, on tap...how fresh can you get? But I'm sure they have 'dumbed down' the recipe quite a bit, especially once the Toohey's/LN bean counters got hold of it.


----------



## argon

This has probably been discussed here before but couldn't get search results... But IIRC, the code stamp on the bottle shoulder tells you where the beer was brewed. Both the golden ale, sundown and the amber ale are coded with a 142 stamp. I believe that's lindcombe, where toohey's is made. (Happy to be corrected here.) Larger scale setup for the larger volumes required for these 3 beers.

I also believe the pilsner, porter and the ipa are done at camperdown (spelling?) where the recent batches have not declined.


----------



## dgilks

argon said:


> This has probably been discussed here before but couldn't get search results... But IIRC, the code stamp on the bottle shoulder tells you where the beer was brewed. Both the golden ale, sundown and the amber ale are coded with a 142 stamp. I believe that's lindcombe, where toohey's is made. (Happy to be corrected here.) Larger scale setup for the larger volumes required for these 3 beers.
> 
> I also believe the pilsner, porter and the ipa are done at camperdown (spelling?) where the recent batches have not declined.



I'm fairly sure that Golden, Amber and Pilsner are all brewed at Yattala in SA. Sundowner was supposed to be moving there (as of May). Porter, IPA and special releases (excepting Malt Runner) are all done at Camperdown. I believe that a very small number of batches of the Yattala beers are brewed at Camperdown as and when there is excess capacity.

The second way to determine where the beers are made is to check the six pack holder. If it is the fold up type it is brewed at Camperdown, the ones that are "tabbed" together at the bottom are from the Toohey's facilities.


----------



## Murcluf

dgilks said:


> I'm fairly sure that Golden, Amber and Pilsner are all brewed at Yattala in SA. Sundowner was supposed to be moving there (as of May). Porter, IPA and special releases (excepting Malt Runner) are all done at Camperdown. I believe that a very small number of batches of the Yattala beers are brewed at Camperdown as and when there is excess capacity.
> 
> The second way to determine where the beers are made is to check the six pack holder. If it is the fold up type it is brewed at Camperdown, the ones that are "tabbed" together at the bottom are from the Toohey's facilities.


Yattala isn't in SA its in QLD the Yatala in SA is where the prison is, maybe your right as it should be a crime to brew bad beer


----------



## dpgrent

Back when was working in the Cellar at a club the best tap beer on was always the ones that were the fresh kegs no matter what the cleaning of the beer lines were like if u but a fresh keg on straight from the brewers it always tasted better. Guiness Especaily a good fresh keg of guiness always better that one sitting in the coolroom for over 1 mth.
saying that home brew different story the older the better go figure
so if drinking at a club or pub always try and stick to a higher selling flavour u like (more chance of fresher keg) then getting the more obscure flavour that no one buys at the club or pub


----------



## mckenry

dpgrent said:


> Back when was working in the Cellar at a club the best tap beer on was always the ones that were the fresh kegs no matter what the cleaning of the beer lines were like if u but a fresh keg on straight from the brewers it always tasted better. Guiness Especaily a good fresh keg of guiness always better that one sitting in the coolroom for over 1 mth.
> saying that home brew different story the older the better go figure
> so if drinking at a club or pub always try and stick to a higher selling flavour u like (more chance of fresher keg) then getting the more obscure flavour that no one buys at the club or pub



Home brew is definitely not "the older the better"
Some benefit from aging, others are best drunk young. For example, hoppy beers lose their punch after a couple of months, and a good Old Ale is better after a year if brewed and stored properly.


----------



## proudscum

it is not the beer that it was when Doug and Michel first brewed it at squire bar at the portland.
Used to help in the brewery a bit and get them to evaluate my humble offerings as did wes smith the malt supplier(he used to always pick the hops and malts used).
was very disappointed the night they launched it in melbourne after the brew had been through the camperdown brewery and the rough(read flavour)edges where taken off.
shame as it was one of the tap beers i used to go there for on nearly a daily basis.oh well.


----------



## JestersDarts

The closest pub to me (well i say "pub" its actually another pokie barn) the ROYAL HOTEL KENT TOWN (i'm quite happy to name and shame here haha) has put on JSGA on tap..

Out of 12 taps in the sports bar/ pokies area, this makes it the second ale on tap! 
..next to CPA.

Oh, it gets thinner as I drink more flavourome AG brews..


----------



## [email protected]

dgilks said:


> I'm fairly sure that Golden, Amber and Pilsner are all brewed at Yattala in SA. Sundowner was supposed to be moving there (as of May). Porter, IPA and special releases (excepting Malt Runner) are all done at Camperdown. I believe that a very small number of batches of the Yattala beers are brewed at Camperdown as and when there is excess capacity.



I believe JSGA is brewed by South Australian Brewing Company. (so I'm told)

Booz


----------



## jayse

Not sure if its exclusively brewed at S.A.B but it is brewed there yes.


----------



## hazard

mckenry said:


> JSGA jugs for $14 at the Ancient Britian (Britton?)



Had JSGA on tap at Watermark bar, Docklands, Melbourne last Friday. $10 a pint. Virtually no amarillo, ar any hops to speak of. Tasted like Tooheys New (welll its been about 20 yeasr since I had a Tooheys New, so maybe its only what i imagine Toohey's New might taste like. Just accept it as a statement of huge disappointment).

How far is from Melbourne to the Ancient Britain? At least the price is right!


----------



## mckenry

hazard said:


> Had JSGA on tap at Watermark bar, Docklands, Melbourne last Friday. $10 a pint. Virtually no amarillo, ar any hops to speak of. Tasted like Tooheys New (welll its been about 20 yeasr since I had a Tooheys New, so maybe its only what i imagine Toohey's New might taste like. Just accept it as a statement of huge disappointment).
> 
> How far is from Melbourne to the Ancient Britain? At least the price is right!



About 900km :lol: Inner west Sydney.


----------



## keifer33

Have had this recently in two bars and hugely disappointed. Just another tasteless beer on tap...


----------



## jayse

I still can't comprehend some people thought it was good once, drunk it since the begining and its like a funeral in your mouth, dull under bittered and the wheat malt is thin husky and stale tasting, hops taste dull and old/not right, I'd rather drink superdry.
It has a little sweetnes in there, doesn't help just goes to make it worse.
They seem to have captured everything you don't won't from the hops, malt and yeast pretty well though, I wouldn't buy it.
The other beers though still are pretty decent stables this one is so wrong.


----------



## argon

Yep agreed had a couple of ambers this arvo. A much better beer. Jsga was once good though... For me pick of the bunch. I can only think it was me that changed. 

The ipa is still good though. Not mind blowing or great but will do, when nothing else to choose.


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## haysie

I havent read all the post`s h34r: 
I reckon its great to visit a pub and have a pot of JS for $4 thereabouts versus a Carlton Draught at about $3.80, nice beer and a second is always welcome. JS does a great job at supplying a good product at a fair price, its a reckonised brand and the lines are flowing. On the other hand, I drink some obscure micro that doesnt get pushed out the lines very much and pay $6+ :angry: , some pubs really do have their heads up their ass re. what they are serving up..... not everyone can, wants to be a beer nerd. Once upon a time ago, the wine industry held that throne. Better still a thread on "rip off pubs, beer places" similar to all those Fosters,Tooheys,XXXX are crap and rubbish threads.
I would always have an amber before the golden but neither are session beers IMO, a couple then hit the road.


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## MarkBastard

I reckon all JS are session beers. Amber, IPA, even the Porter. Especially the Pilsner on tap.

Golden I never really liked and I just find it weird.


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## J Grimmer

ive liked the golden ale for a while, and saw this thread and thought id check it out, JSGA by far was the best beer they had in supply in the hotel i was staying in this week and hadn't noticed any change, Having said that i reakon the S&W draught will give it run for the money IMO.

Cheers J


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