# Australias Best Beer?



## .DJ. (1/4/11)

http://www.brewsnews.com.au/2011/04/reveal...lias-best-beer/

Well its been a long run to this point. We have seen Pale Ales, we have seen IPAs and we have seen double IPAs. We have seen beers light and dark. We have seen beers from breweries large and small, owned by massive public companies and by small private ones that define the purists vision of craft.

And the best beer in Australia in 2010, at least according to the critics? *Stone & Wood Pacific Ale*.

No2: LCPA
No3: Feral Hop Hog
No4: Murrays @IPA
No5: Knappstein Reserve Lager


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## dougsbrew (1/4/11)

heres the places where you can buy this beer for those interested. 
http://www.stoneandwood.com.au/availability.html


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## Online Brewing Supplies (1/4/11)

Looks like its not so much about the beer, more about the hops. More hops = Better beer. :blink: 
GB


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## .DJ. (1/4/11)

I wouldnt have LCBA there as I think its gone down hill but othna than that cant compain with the top 5...

what would you have GB?


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## HoppingMad (1/4/11)

Thank heavens. 

A deserving & tasty winner. Unlike this poll which was a tad more controversial because all the people at the brewery and their friends emailed in to push them to the top. :blink: 

Hottest Aussie Craft Beers 2010

Don't get me wrong, the winner of this poll was a nice enough beer, but Stone & Wood kicks all over it. Nice to see a beer that's doing something different getting well earned praise.

Hopper.


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## winkle (1/4/11)

Aussie's best beer?
Billy B's
Apple lambic?
Great stuff anyway and really good ciders - never gets mentoned by lazy hacks though.


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## Kirko (1/4/11)

winkle said:


> Aussie's best beer?
> Billy B's
> Apple lambic?
> Great stuff anyway and really good ciders - never gets mentoned by lazy hacks though.



I take exception to that Winkle  Sometimes it's laziness but some breweries make it very hard to do stories on them by being so uncooperative or unrespopnsive.


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## jayse (1/4/11)

HoppingMad said:


> Thank heavens.
> 
> A deserving & tasty winner. Unlike this poll which was a tad more controversial because all the people at the brewery and their friends emailed in to push them to the top. :blink:
> 
> ...



I don't put it soley down to the whole 'they rigged it' bit, it is moreso the beer is availible in many many places, places where no other craft beer is availible and more people are drinking it, same as james squire golden and such, it places much higher then it should simply because it is everywhere and plenty of people drink it. Many people that drink those beers and voted for them have proberly never heard of most beers in the list let alone drunk them. 
It is fair to say those drinkers would not have heard about the local taphouse or its poll and were pointed to it through the breweries emails and facebook posts though, they may argue that is nothing many other breweries did not do but i think it helped them more then it did some other breweries being they have a broader and bigger audience.
Anyway no need to start that arguement up again.

If Ace Of Spades is not in the list then it has no credibilty with me :icon_cheers:


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (1/4/11)

I'm becoming addicted to S&W and have decided that galaxy will feature prominently in my next Pale Ale.

Yum, yum, citrus, yum.

Goomba


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## Malted (1/4/11)

HoppingMad said:


> Thank heavens.
> A deserving & tasty winner. Unlike this poll which was a tad more controversial because all the people at the brewery and their friends emailed in to push them to the top. :blink:
> Hottest Aussie Craft Beers 2010
> 
> ...



Where can I find an official defintion of what constitutes a craft beer? Is it purely based on low volume output regardless of how big the brewery it comes from or how big the company that owns them? It seems to me that many on that list are probably not what I would call craft beer so maybe my knowledge is lacking.


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## winkle (1/4/11)

Kirko said:


> I take exception to that Winkle  Sometimes it's laziness but some breweries make it very hard to do stories on them by being so uncooperative or unrespopnsive.



Sorry mate, the comment was meant to be generic not pointed, most people have never heard of Billy B's which is presumably why the cidery is up for sale. I guess a single person business can be unresponsive - doesn't do themselves any favours though.

Edit: at least S&W is a pretty good beer. Best??


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## Online Brewing Supplies (1/4/11)

Australia's best beer = subjective. :icon_cheers: 
GB


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## Kirko (1/4/11)

Malted said:


> Where can I find an official defintion of what constitutes a craft beer? Is it purely based on low volume output regardless of how big the brewery it comes from or how big the company that owns them? It seems to me that many on that list are probably not what I would call craft beer so maybe my knowledge is lacking.



It's really a statistical definition, but there's discussion of it here: http://www.brewsnews.com.au/2011/01/what-is-craft-beer/


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## Kirko (1/4/11)

winkle said:


> Sorry mate, the comment was meant to be generic not pointed, most people have never heard of Billy B's which is presumably why the cidery is up for sale. I guess a single person business can be unresponsive - doesn't do themselves any favours though.
> 
> Edit: at least S&W is a pretty good beer. Best??



Just kidding. As to S&W 'best', is there really an absolute best all purpose, all occasion, any time beer? Not in my view, it's subjective and the list was based on that. Here is how the list was compiled: http://www.brewsnews.com.au/2011/03/how-the-critics-chose/

I was on the panel, but I think it was a robust way to determine the list and, yes, there are a lot of great beers out there but the way votes were counted, the consensus view was that Pacific Ale was the best...most of the critics consistently rated it higher than other beers. This book was about subjective enjoyment of beer, not objective qualities - we'll leave that to the awards (which themselves are always criticised!). For what it's worth, my personal #1 was Clout Stout from Nail Brewing and #2 was Murray's Anniversary Ale...neither made the top 12. But I have no qualms at all about Pacific Ale being #1, for exactly the reasons that i set out in the story. It is a very clever beer and deserves the top spot...in my humble opinion!


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## winkle (1/4/11)

Gryphon Brewing said:


> Australia's best beer = subjective. :icon_cheers:
> GB



How true.

I guess it'd be natural for me to say Thorogoods or Murrays since that's the type of Farmhouse Ale product I enjoy and try to brew.
(Arse covering - Apologies to the above if they don't consider themselves farmhouse producers)


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## HoppingMad (1/4/11)

Gryphon Brewing said:


> Australia's best beer = subjective. :icon_cheers:
> GB



Spot on Nev. 

Like I always think that in Miss Venezuela should win the beauty contest every year, but some folks see it different! :lol: 

B) Hopper.


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## Pennywise (1/4/11)

Australia's best beer = The beer I brewed myself


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## Wolfy (1/4/11)

.DJ. said:


> And the best beer in Australia in 2010, at least according to the critics? *Stone & Wood Pacific Ale*.
> 
> No2: LCPA
> No3: Feral Hop Hog
> ...


 ... publishing such results on April Fools day is something that could have been timed better.


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## .DJ. (1/4/11)

Gryphon Brewing said:


> Australia's best beer = subjective. :icon_cheers:
> GB



and your subjective view is?
:icon_drunk:


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## Online Brewing Supplies (1/4/11)

.DJ. said:


> and your subjective view is?
> :icon_drunk:


Reserved, as I rate different beers great on different days.
GB


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## .DJ. (1/4/11)

whilst sitting on the fence... :lol: :icon_cheers:


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## Brad Churchill (1/4/11)

Couldn't agree more with this.

Right now I am loving a local Tassie beer. 

Ironhouse Pale Ale. 

Beautiful citrus aroma and taste backed up with some lovely malt flavours. :icon_drool2: 

Cheers
Brad



Gryphon Brewing said:


> Reserved, as I rate different beers great on different days.
> GB


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## brett mccluskey (1/4/11)

Kirko said:


> It's really a statistical definition, but there's discussion of it here: http://www.brewsnews.com.au/2011/01/what-is-craft-beer/


A very interesting discussion on the subject from England,Seems to be a hot topic amongst drinkers/brewers there too :icon_cheers: http://www.pencilandspoon.com/2011/02/craf...right-name.html


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## HeavyNova (1/4/11)

Always keen to try new beers so I'm going to try me some of this Stone and Wood Pacific Ale.


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## .DJ. (1/4/11)

HeavyNova said:


> Always keen to try new beers so I'm going to try me some of this Stone and Wood Pacific Ale.


drink it on tap.. the bottled version doesnt do it justice after trying it... (although it was from Dans so could have been mishandled...)


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## Bribie G (1/4/11)

Melbourne Bitter. :icon_cheers:


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## HeavyNova (1/4/11)

.DJ. said:


> drink it on tap.. the bottled version doesnt do it justice after trying it... (although it was from Dans so could have been mishandled...)


Ok, thanks for the tip. Anybody in Perth know where this beer is on tap?


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## J Grimmer (1/4/11)

Congrats to the S&W brewery a great result, personally this beer caught my attention late last year in Townsville and havn't looked back since. 

Jan


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## tcraig20 (1/4/11)

HeavyNova said:


> Ok, thanks for the tip. Anybody in Perth know where this beer is on tap?



Sail and anchor and Clancys in Freo both have it from time to time. 

Is the Pacific Ale just the Draught Ale relabelled? I used to love the draught ale when I lived in NSW, but the pacific ale tastes a little different. Im trying to work out whether its different, if I dont like it as well as a used to, or it doesnt cross the desert that well (or all three). 

Either way, its still a great beer.


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## Silo Ted (1/4/11)

JamesCraig said:


> Is the Pacific Ale just the Draught Ale relabelled?



As I understand - Yes.


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## Nick JD (1/4/11)

Australia's best beer is the one that most people like to drink.

Pull ya head in, cork sniffers.  Not everyone likes beer flavoured with flowers that taste like a grapefruit tree. Pooftas.


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (1/4/11)

Gryphon Brewing said:


> Reserved, as I rate different beers great on different days.
> GB



Fair comment. Love the S&W PA (my Dan's is inside a shopping centre) at the moment, but when (or if) the weather gets cooler, I'll be hammering far maltier beers, dark beers and the like.

As SWMBO says "you don't just feel like beer, you feel like a particular beer" - she said it when I was on crutches and I asked her to go into the bottle shop.

Goomba


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## Silo Ted (1/4/11)

Lord Raja Goomba I said:


> "you don't just feel like beer, you feel like a particular beer"



That's totally true. Right now, all I want is a dark, malty brown ale, nothing else will do. So... I'm outta here to get one right now !


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## Nick JD (1/4/11)

I almost always want a Schneider Weisse. It's the best beer in Australia.


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## HeavyNova (1/4/11)

JamesCraig said:


> Sail and anchor and Clancys in Freo both have it from time to time.


Thanks!


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## beersom (1/4/11)

winkle said:


> Aussie's best beer?
> Billy B's
> Apple lambic?
> Great stuff anyway and really good ciders - never gets mentoned by lazy hacks though.




Perry you may be pleased to know that as part of the voting panel I placed Billy B's in my top 5 (can't remember where exactly) and there is a bottle in the coolroom at work awaiting further enjoyment.



edit-
just did a quick check and I put Billy B's at No 3
and as a quick aside and a bit of boring info that I at least found interesting.
7 of my top twelve beers made the cut in the top 12 of the list
3 of my top five were in the top 5 on the list
1 of my top 12 made the list in the same position I voted for it.

I can't wait to see the full list.


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (1/4/11)

Billy B's has given me inspiration for another winter brew. fantastic.

Goomba


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## Rotgut (1/4/11)

A deserving winner. I wouldn't say the 'best' beer this year, but easily the best session beer I've ever tasted. I've come close to cloning it and try to keep a keg in stock at all times. Well done guys!


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## sav (1/4/11)

I have tried and tasted alot of friggen beer but Sunshine Coast Brewery has somthing special in the rye ESB I am loving it .Cheers 
sav


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## michael_aussie (1/4/11)

Just my 2c on the whole Craft Brewer discussion.

I dont understand why the size of, or the owners of a brewery should make any difference to judging a beer.

Shouldnt each beer be judged on its own merit?

Shouldnt the best beer be the best beer, not the best beer brewed by no more than 3 men, in containers no larger than 100 litres, owned by no more than 3 other men??? 

Its the beer that matters, not how or where, or by who, or who owns it???

my 2c


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## Muggus (2/4/11)

If this is legit, then good on Stone and Wood. 
Their Pacific Ale certainly is a tasty drop and good to see it's starting to gain recognition...I spose it doesn't get much better than this?

I'm probably in the same boat as alot of others on this thread though. Someone mentioned Billy B's apple beer(s)... :icon_drool2: Enough said.
And I think there really are alot of really fantastic more "ut there" sort of beers coming from the likes of Feral and Murrays, which truely are the best beers coming out of this country and certainly comparable to the likes you get from micros in the US and Europe. But alot of these beers are hard to come by and often one off smaller batches, particularly some of the Murrays beers, and I think S&W certainly ticks the boxes for being a sessionable beer with a very appealing flavour that doesn''t have the tendancy of blowing ones socks off with high abv, like some of the best beers tend to...Murrays Icon 2IPA etc.


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## BrenosBrews (2/4/11)

It's legit in so far as someone came up with an idea, convinced a publishing company to publish the idea, invited selected people involved in the beer industry to vote on their top 50 beers and applied a mathmatical formula to those votes to work out which beer got the most votes. I believe the only criteria was that it was commerically available between 1st of January 2010 and 31st of December 2010.


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## jayse (6/4/11)

Picked up my copy yesterday and nervously open to check just where brewboys sat in the list and was overjoyed with the results.
Spades at No. 20 yeah! very proud and happy to be given the nod by our peers.
Maiden Ale at No. 34 polling higher then many more well known, loved and respected beers and seeing dubs at 44.

Means a lot to me and the book is great, top work.
Cheers
Jayse


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## .DJ. (6/4/11)

is the full list on the net somewhere?


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## jayse (6/4/11)

.DJ. said:


> is the full list on the net somewhere?



Most newsagents are carrying it for 15 bucks and I suggest everyone supports it and goes and gets a copy, I don't think those involved would want the full results put up online, they want people to buy the book.


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## dougsbrew (2/7/11)

its been on the todo list for a while and saw it today at dan murphys, bought it - stone and wood pacific ale. 
a thumbs up from the missus and i. great aroma and flavour. nice job s&w. :chug:


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## DU99 (2/7/11)

http://www.beerloversguide.com.au/countdown/countdown01.html

shows the top 12 only


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## warra48 (2/7/11)

michael_aussie said:


> Just my 2c on the whole Craft Brewer discussion.
> 
> I dont understand why the size of, or the owners of a brewery should make any difference to judging a beer.
> 
> ...



There are two local breweries in my area, both of them really only mum and dad type operations, ie run by the wife and husband as a team.
Wicked Elf and The Black Duck Brewery (of the famous lable design thread on AHB) are run this way.
I'm sure the ladies have a huge input into those operations, without diminishing the input of the fellows.

Australia's best beer?
Impossible to answer that question. The answer is totally subjective, depending on individual tastes.

PS: I'm sure Mick Aussie didn't mean to ignore the ladies.


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## mwd (2/7/11)

dougsbrew said:


> its been on the todo list for a while and saw it today at dan murphys, bought it - stone and wood pacific ale.
> a thumbs up from the missus and i. great aroma and flavour. nice job s&w. :chug:



But don't you feel let down by distinct lack of bitterness just find it way too bland for a pale ale.


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## dougsbrew (2/7/11)

Tropical_Brews said:


> But don't you feel let down by distinct lack of bitterness just find it way too bland for a pale ale.




no, i didnt feel let down, it was very enjoyable. personal taste i suppose. some people dont like anchovies on there pizza.


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## warra48 (2/7/11)

dougsbrew said:


> no, i didnt feel let down, it was very enjoyable. personal taste i suppose. some people dont like anchovies on there pizza.



It's not a pizza without anchovies !!!


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## warra48 (2/7/11)

warra48 said:


> It's not a pizza without anchovies !!!



It's also not a pizza without pepperoni !!!





Edit: Too many of my DrS GA with waggastew flowers, thus the spelling error


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## jakub76 (2/7/11)

+1 for the pepperoni but not sure about the S&W Pacific Ale

Congrats for the great press and kudos to Stone & Wood. I picked up a sixer tonight after reading this thread but was left underwhelmed. Wishing I had only bought 2 but I opened the third anyway and it was a gusher.

Does anyone know if this beer is bottle conditioned or force carbonated? There's quite a chunk of yeast in each bottle - I'm wondering if it's functional or just lazy.


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## RobH (2/7/11)

Have not read any replies.... but to be sure the answer is HOMEBREW!


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## hoohaaman (3/7/11)

Tropical_Brews said:


> But don't you feel let down by distinct lack of bitterness just find it way too bland for a pale ale.



But it does have the bitternes,just not where bland people expect it.A cracka,deserves it's rating.


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## dougsbrew (5/7/11)

jakub76 said:


> Congrats for the great press and kudos to Stone & Wood. I picked up a sixer tonight after reading this thread but was left underwhelmed. Wishing I had only bought 2 but I opened the third anyway and it was a gusher.
> 
> Does anyone know if this beer is bottle conditioned or force carbonated? There's quite a chunk of yeast in each bottle - I'm wondering if it's functional or just lazy.


on the bottle it says unfiltered, aswell as gently rolling bottle before opening to rouse the yeast. 
i imagine it was forced carbed, doubt it was bottle conditioned(i tried to get some more info on this off there website 
but wasnt working)however you may want to drop a friendly email to s&w about the gusher as it is a quality control 
issue. how fresh was it/what was the best before date, where did you purchase it. 
ive had the empty bottle sitting on my desk for a couple of days now and it still smells great.


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## RobboMC (5/7/11)

Interesting that at #12 Coopers Best Extra Stout is the highest ranked of what I would call non-micro breweries,
if that makes any sense. Glad I'm drinking it while I build my kitchen.


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## craigo (14/7/11)

id have to say white rabbit dark ale is my favourie.


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## roo_dr (14/7/11)

Not Fat Yak up here in Cairns... :icon_vomit: 

Get me back to Victoria!


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