# Feral Hop Hog gone bad



## Sammus (28/1/14)

I bought a case of Hop Hog recently from First Choice. It had all the old green labels from last year. I've opened three from the case, all of them extremely carbonated, thin, sour and almost unpalatable. Now, I love IPA as much as anyone here, and there is definitely something wrong with this.

I spoke to the Feral sales rep who insists its from Coles mistreating the bottles. Is it really possible for this to happen from mistreated bottles? Even left out in the sun for a year and shaken up daily I didn't think it could change a beer this much, but apparently it can.

Anyway, he recommended I try and return it. Pity my case was made up of the four 4-packs they had left in the store, and I paid with cash, and declined the receipt. Hopefully FC is better at keeping records than I am! I spoke to someone on the phone there and they said it should be OK... fingers crossed.

Has anyone else had a bad feral? The hop hog is one of my favourite beers, and this has put a really downer on it for me. Hopefully it's the last time it happens.


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## StalkingWilbur (28/1/14)

I haven't. And I buy it all the time. I always buy the newer bottles though whenever a store still has some of the old labeled ones and the new ones.


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## pnorkle (28/1/14)

I bought a 4-pack of their "Golden Ace" golden ale on Oz day to take along to the fireworks... tasted fine, but extremely over-carbed. Wrecked the experience for me.


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## GalBrew (28/1/14)

Sammus said:


> Is it really possible for this to happen from mistreated bottles? Even left out in the sun for a year and shaken up daily I didn't think it could change a beer this much, but apparently it can.


Yes.


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## stakka82 (28/1/14)

pnorkle said:


> I bought a 4-pack of their "Golden Ace" golden ale on Oz day to take along to the fireworks... tasted fine, but extremely over-carbed. Wrecked the experience for me.


Golden Ace is a saison, which is typically carbed higher than a pale/golden ale.


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## Liam_snorkel (28/1/14)

I've also had a 4 pack of gushing Hop Hogs.. also bought from a First Choice. I'm not convinced it's _purely_ a handling issue.


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## pnorkle (28/1/14)

stakka82 said:


> Golden Ace is a saison, which is typically carbed higher than a pale/golden ale.


You're probably right - but this was *very* carbonated. BTW, they market it as a Golden Ale 




> [SIZE=medium]*Golden Ace *
> _Golden Ale 5.6% 42 IBU OG 1059_ [/SIZE]
> [SIZE=medium]Golden Ace is a refreshing Golden Ale brewed with Japanese Bred Sorachi Ace hops. Lightly filtered and slightly cloudy, the results are a vibrant aroma of hoppy lemon and citrus with a refreshingly clean bitter finish.[/SIZE]
> [SIZE=medium][/SIZE]


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## GalBrew (28/1/14)

pnorkle said:


> You're probably right - but this was *very* carbonated. BTW, they market it as a Golden Ale


I thought it was a Belgian Golden Ale?


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## Liam_snorkel (28/1/14)

GalBrew said:


> I thought it was a Belgian Golden Ale?


that's what they described it as when it was first released.

http://craftypint.com/beer/beer/feral-golden-ace/


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## Sammus (28/1/14)

To be clear I don't mean to badmouth Feral at all, I guess it's a stab at first choice if anything. I've probably bought 10 cases in the past year and have never had a bad one yet. Just seeing if anyone had a similar experience!


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## doon (28/1/14)

Bought a four pack of old label from bws a few months back and it was pretty average bugger all hop flavour or aroma. Have bought a few of the new label and they have all been excellent. Check the best before date on the ones you have


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## lukiep8 (29/1/14)

There is still Golden Ace sitting in First Choice? We haven't bottled that since... August? :/

Old label was last packed in November. All cases have a best before which is a year after bottle-on date (Woolies requires 12 month BB).


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## Yob (29/1/14)

I was told yesterday that the brewer has not been on deck for a little while but things should be returning to normal very soon. If it has anything to do with the perceived quality of late due to a stand in brewer in not sure but can only hope those issues are resolved and things will get back to normal..


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## lukiferj (29/1/14)

Still at Dan Murphys too


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## Yob (29/1/14)

Keg supply at the pub I frequent most Tuesday's has been sparodic over the last few months, both in quality (perhaps perceived) and quantity.

Not that the beer was bad, just not 'as' good as I am used to on the nose or the pallet.


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## Spiesy (29/1/14)

Yob said:


> Keg supply at the pub I frequent most Tuesday's has been sparodic over the last few months, both in quality (perhaps perceived) and quantity.
> 
> Not that the beer was bad, just not 'as' good as I am used to on the nose or the pallet.


Agreed.


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## Sammus (29/1/14)

FC swapped the bottles no questions, they were really nice about it. New feral is great, night and day difference.


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## DJ_L3ThAL (29/1/14)

Did you return the whole case less the opened bottles?


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## Sammus (29/1/14)

Yep, and they only had 7 bottles in stock, they gave me them and refunded the difference between the cost of those bottles (at case price) and the whole case.


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## slash22000 (29/1/14)

Honestly I find Hop Hog to be very hit and miss. Sometimes it makes me almost cry with an explosion of hopgasmic flavour/aroma, other times it basically tastes like nothing.


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## lukiep8 (31/1/14)

Yob said:


> I was told yesterday that the brewer has not been on deck for a little while but things should be returning to normal very soon. If it has anything to do with the perceived quality of late due to a stand in brewer in not sure but can only hope those issues are resolved and things will get back to normal..


There are three of us.... Whomever told you this is wrong.

Just to clarify with people, there has been no recipe change or difference at all in how we brew or our standards in quality. Every batch is checked literally minutes before we keg/bottle the beer and is consumed regularly afterwards by all three brewers.

If there are issues with the product we are very much interested in finding out as it would likely be handling issues after the beer has left our hands.


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## Yob (31/1/14)

handling issues aside, im a regular consumer of this beer, both bottled and kegged... in a number of states, the variations in product, as noted by many in this thread, are certainly there, that said, ive never had a 'bad' one, just some not as good as the others...

In fact, this beer is one of the only beers to come out of Perth that I enjoy and I look forward to enjoying many more of them.

Unfortunately, the pub I drink the majority of them at is sadly closing at the end of July so the number of them that I will be consuming is likely to drop..

Hows about a recipe assist?


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## Natdene (31/1/14)

Hows about a recipe assist?[/quote]

Love your work Yob!


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## philmud (31/1/14)

I've found great variation in HH too. First had it on tap at Y&J'S in Melbourne a couple of years back and hated it - it had an overpowering oily/grassy thing going on that was consistent with extremely heavy handed dry hopping. I have revisited a number of times since then, on tap and in bottles and loved the shit out of it. I'm assuming that first experience was an anomaly, perhaps my palate, perhaps handling, perhaps manufacture.


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## WitWonder (31/1/14)

Due to my stocks being hideously low I was buying a case or so of HH a week up until the end of Nov approx and it's definitely hit and miss in terms of flavour/aroma. Also on one occasion at the start of November I bought a case and it was very undercarbonated. As a guess I'd say this beer is usually about 2.5 volumes CO2 and the one in question was about 1. I tweeted this to feral at the time but no response was forthcoming.


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## zeggie (31/1/14)

I've never had a bad HH personally. Always seems to taste better on tap tho


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## JaseH (31/1/14)

I find some occasional variation in most of the craft breweries heavily hopped local ales - Little Creatures, Matilda Bay, Feral.. I just put it down to the nature of highly hopped ales. I find it with my own IPA's/APA's too - after a couple of months in the bottle they change.

I figure it's probably exacerbated by the less than ideal handling practices of the larger bottle shop chains. We could always just go and drink the big boys homogenised lagers I suppose?


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## Yob (31/1/14)

You list Matida Bay and little creatures in that group?

Gosh...


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## lukiep8 (31/1/14)

Yob said:


> handling issues aside, im a regular consumer of this beer, both bottled and kegged... in a number of states, the variations in product, as noted by many in this thread, are certainly there, that said, ive never had a 'bad' one, just some not as good as the others...
> 
> In fact, this beer is one of the only beers to come out of Perth that I enjoy and I look forward to enjoying many more of them.
> 
> ...


Water, malt, hops and yeast


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## Dan Dan (31/1/14)

I bought a four pack a while ago, and it was very underwhelming. Bugger all hop aroma left, and a bit thin tasting. Since then, I've only bought it in the new packaging and have had no complaints. My guess is old stock. From bws of course...
Off topic a bit, but there is a bws near me (actually there are 4 within a 5 minute drive) that has all the "craft" beers in a fridge which is in front of a window that cops the sun for hours each day.... It's a real shame, coz they have Birra Del Borgo beers in that fridge that I'd love to try


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## bigmacca (1/2/14)

Had a 4 pack this week. Was very happy, sounds like there are a few issues with consistency.


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## jyo (1/2/14)

My mate buys cartons of Hop Hog regularly. 9 times out of 10 it is fantastic. Some of the lack-lustre bottles we have had have been bought from suppliers who store the cartons warm. Overcarbed, watery, lacking hop aroma and flavour.


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## WitWonder (1/2/14)

LUKIE said:


> Water, malt, hops and yeast


Funny how some breweries are so protective of the ingredients in their beers. I can understand the general principal, obviously, however the ingredient list is only part of the equation. There are a number of other variables which have a marked impact on the final product, not least of all the system it's brewed on. Come to think of it, don't Little creatures have the ingredients listed on the wall in the brewery? I'm sure someone posted a photo of it a while ago. Maybe that's why there's been such a depreciation in the value of Little World Beverages, because of all the LCPA clones that have entered the market... :unsure:


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## keifer33 (1/2/14)

When Brendan gave the WestCoastBrewers a tour of the new facilities he was pretty happy to tell us a bit about HopHog but I was more interested in the technical questions and forgot the majority of the recipe. Lucky I live down the road from the brewpub and can just enjoy it on tap.


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## O'Henry (1/2/14)

LUKIE said:


> There is still Golden Ace sitting in First Choice? We haven't bottled that since... August? :/
> 
> Old label was last packed in November. All cases have a best before which is a year after bottle-on date (Woolies requires 12 month BB).


What a joke on the shelf life from Woolies. That shit is why they should not be selling beer. 6 months is more realistic for most craft beer, and even that is generous. Fresh is Best. /rant


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## huez (1/2/14)

I've had mixed experiences with it to, it is coming from WA for us on the east coast and i doubt they ship it cold. I live down the road from the bottleshop that got voted number 2 in australia last year, so apparently number one in nsw. They still have the hop hog with the old label sitting on the shelf. No point having 500 plus different beers if you cant shift them. Go to dan murphys and you're lucky to score a 4 pack of hop hog it sells that quick.


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## lukiep8 (1/2/14)

> it is coming from WA for us on the east coast and i doubt they ship it cold.


It is refrigerated shipping.


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## eamonnfoley (1/2/14)

On thing about Dans, they do shift a fair bit of beer, and can get some good fresh stuff. Picked up 3 week old (out of brewery) Coopers and SN Kellerweis in great condition today.


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## doon (1/2/14)

Agreed got an 11 day old 6 pack of bridge road pale from dans South Melbourne today. Got a four pack of new label hop hog also and preferred the bridge road.


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## huez (2/2/14)

LUKIE said:


> It is refrigerated shipping.


i stand corrected!


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## Liam_snorkel (2/2/14)

O'Henry said:


> What a joke on the shelf life from Woolies. That shit is why they should not be selling beer. 6 months is more realistic for most craft beer, and even that is generous. Fresh is Best. /rant


For sure man. I'd love to see more breweries take a tip from Stone.. most of their beers have best before date only 3 months after bottling. Not that woolcoles would pay any attention to it 
http://www.stonebrew.com/freshbeer/


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## lukiep8 (3/2/14)

12 months, not a brewery choice.


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## Bizier (3/2/14)

Feral are a small brewery who attempt to meet the national demand for their product, we are in the height of summer and they are one of the only breweries who insist on refridgerated shipping.

Small breweries who package need to be taken in context. They will not give you Asahi's or AB's level of quality control, but few will.

The only way you can really judge these kinds of things is when you have it available fresh on draught. Otherwise your issues are with the packaging that you probably helped create the demand for.

Yes, Hop Hog varies somewhat fresh off draught, but it is a beer made in relatively small volumes, using powerful ingredients. If you scratch your nut sack before adding that whirlpool addition, it probably changes the flavour enough for people to notice. I appreciate the variation and continue my support, likewise there are flavours which are indicative of poor storage/transit, and they must also be viewed in context.

We all want 3 month BBE dates on bottles, but it requires a far more advanced market than what we have. Perhaps I will be drinking beer that fresh in my autopiloted car whilst chatting about Astro's space rash to my wife Judy.


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## rude (3/2/14)

Last I heard there nearly was a court battle going on there at Ferral
Money issues some people talking liberties (money)
I believe it got settled, now the beers off struth
The hop hog with the rye hit loved it there for a while hard to drink a lot of it though a great starter as you cruise through the bottle o
The more choise the better off we are.
Bring on the affordable english bitter in oz I say


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## Yob (3/2/14)

The tastings I had at GABF were fantastic, of which there were many.. In fact, toward the end we just gave them all our tokens and propped at the stall 

Love those guys


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## zappa (22/2/14)

The first time I tried Hop Hog was at the Spieglau Glasses tasting at Queensland Homebrewing Conference. It was ******* superb. Next time I had it was on tap at a bar down Gold Coast. Yeast hadn't settled out properly and I was really unimpressed. Certainly wasn't the beer I'd had at qhc.

Have had the odd bottle since then. It's been OK. Nothing more. Currently, the missus has me on a 1 beer a week regime (hopefully almost done with that). Managed to sneak one at lunch today and saved myself this week for the Double Bastard from Stone Brewing, which I've not long finished (Wow! Rediculously piney/resiny). Well, SWMBO has gone to bed, so I've managed to sneak in a Hop Hog (am thinking I might sneak a few more beers yet). Anyway, I digress. I could only describe the aroma and flavour of this bottle as used motor oil, 24 months since last change, sitting in water for 6 months. It really is putrid. Truth is, I bought it before I went away at Christmas (that Pagan holiday the Christians stole and repurposed to suit their ideals), so it was sitting in the fridge for near 3 months. Anyway I conclude... It really is a beer best drank fresh, but not from a keg.

"Ye Shall Know the Bastard, and the Bastard Shall Set You Free"


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## idzy (22/2/14)

Walked into BWS at my local Woolies and they had em in stock. $19 for a 4 pack. First time I have tried, but thought it was a great beer! My mrs. also had a sip and loved it and the only beer she drinks is Leffe Blond, everything else she reckons sucks.

Getting her beer buds I reckon


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## Dan2 (22/2/14)

Of all the IPA I've sampled over the years, Lobethal Bierhaus IIPA and Feral Hop Hog are hands down clear favourites. And availability of the hog means it's been my "go to" IPA whenever I get the chance.
I had a pint of the hog at Young & Jacksons on a recent Melbourne visit - it's not the same.
I can't fault it - it's still a delicious brew, but it didn't have the same "peel your tongue from the roof of your mouth" sticky resinous mouthfeel I was accustomed to.


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## JB (23/2/14)

Loved em! As good as they ever were! That first inhale & sip ... awww man, that's heaven!


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## lukiferj (23/2/14)

Nice one man. That's the new label. Still see the old one around. When they're fresh, its a great beer.


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## idzy (24/2/14)

Went to grab last of my 4 pack out of the fridge and SWMBO has already cracked it and it's on the bench with a few mouthfuls gone, what the heck! Testament to the fact that we're both lovin' em!


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## Forever Wort (24/2/14)

It's a damn tasty beer. I need to get my hands on the new bottle for my collection.


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