Abject Apologies

[mfdes]

I've made a couple of posts in the past saying I thought Little Creatures Pale Ale is not as good as people make it to be... Though I have qualified them saying here in Hobart it's kind of hard to get fresh beer from the mainland...

I had a LCPA in a restaurant last night, it was fresh, and it was fantastic! Couldn't believe that hop flavour and aroma! Every other example I had tried before was crap! Usually not a hint of hop in it, but this was an absolute revelation!

MFS.

Edit: clarification.

 

[joecast]

blame the bottleshops and distributors, not the brewers. what happens to the bottles after they leave the brewery (like sitting out in the sun waiting to be put away, or sitting in a lit up fridge for months) is of no control to the brewers.

 

[beerguide]

50% of the time I look at stock in Dan Murphy's it is out of date unless it is mega-swill. As joecast says most bottle-shops do not treat their stock correctly and as such the quality slips over time.

 

[Guest Lurker]

You would probably perceive a significant further improvement in taste if you could get to Freo and try it from the bright tank behind the bar.

 

[Jerry]

mfdes,

Had a similar experience to you as well. The first 2 stubbies I had were pretty ordinary and I couldn't work out why everyone else was raving about it.

Tried it again a month or so later and what do know - completely different beer! :beerbang:

If its a handling issue then its luck of the draw I suppose, but gee how many people don't go back (and you can't blame them) and try it again?

Could add up to fairly large potential loss of future sales.

Scott

 

[devo]

It's like nectar from the gods severed via the bright tanks in Freo.

 

[therook]

You would probably perceive a significant further improvement in taste if you could get to Freo and try it from the bright tank behind the bar.

Did that last Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday

Rook

 

[troydo]

It's like nectar from the gods severed via the bright tanks in Freo.

:icon_drool2: why are flights to WA so $$

 

[eric8]

It's like nectar from the gods severed via the bright tanks in Freo.

I have only been to WA twice and both times have gone to Lil Creatures. Devo has hit it on the head, I think it's one of the best beers there is. Great place to have a few beers and some nosh. Next time I go hopefully the lil one's can stay with someone so swmbo and I can have more than a couple.
eric

 

[mfdes]

It's made me want to brew a new APA...

What hops do they use? I've centennial, cascade and amarillo at home.

MFS.

 

[Trent]

MFS
I am pretty sure that they use Cascade flowers from the US in a hopback. As it is impossible to get hop flowers from the US here (they get a special license from quarantine, and do it all under quarantine laws, supervision, dispose of them into quarantine buckets, etc...) you are just going to have to settle for regular cascade pellets, throw a heap in at flameout.
Some have said they use chinook for bittering, but I have always found chinook to be a fairly rough bitterness, so i cannot say if that part is true.
Best of luck
Trent

 

[Katherine]

They use Cascade and Chinnook....

Im lucky enough I can actually see Little creatures from my rear courtyard!

 

[Paul H]

They use Cascade and Chinnook....

Im lucky enough I can actually see Little creatures from my rear courtyard!

Then I bet you'd get a few blokes wanting to come back to your place

 

[Ross]

This old post from Grumpys by an employee of the Company should be fairly reliable.

"Name: Little Creatures Brewery
Date: 30-08-04 10:59

No chinook in the boil, only in whole hop flower form in the hop back. Cascade whole hop flowers along with it. You wont find either of the strains that we use here in Australia as we bring them in specifically for our own use. They do come from Portland Oregan and they are vacume sealed and stay in a customs controlled quarantine on site in the brewery. Even if anyone could get somone to send them some from ther US customs would be right on to it. Even after we have used them the go into special bins and customs comes and takes them away for disposal."

...& a little more brew info here:

"Name: Little Creatures Brewery
Date: 27-08-04 10:34

We use cascades and goldings in the kettle and whole hop flowers (which is the hard part), in our hopback. IBU is 35ish. Quantities and the rest are under lock and key. Have fun,. "

Cheers Ross

 

[mfdes]

He he he...

Lucky then that I work at a QAP (Quarantine Approved Premises)...
Mind you I'd have to brew at work... I wonder how that'd go down... I'd probably have to 'donate' half to the boss

MFS

 

[warrenlw63]

I am pretty sure that they use Cascade flowers from the US in a hopback. As it is impossible to get hop flowers from the US here

I can highly recommend the Cascade plugs. Reasonably easy to get here too.

Warren -

 

[mikem108]

Im lucky enough I can actually see Little creatures from my rear courtyard!

Now you're just being plain spiteful

 

[therook]

I can highly recommend the Cascade plugs. Reasonably easy to get here too.

Warren -

Wazza, you would brew with the Bath Plug you love Plugs so much

Rook

 

[warrenlw63]

Plugs everywhere except for my hair and butt. :icon_chickcheers:

Warren -

 

[goatherder]

blame the bottleshops and distributors, not the brewers. what happens to the bottles after they leave the brewery (like sitting out in the sun waiting to be put away, or sitting in a lit up fridge for months) is of no control to the brewers.

From what I've read of Jim Koch from Samuel Adams in the US he might disagree with this. As the stories go he would visit distributors and bottleshops who were selling his beers. If the beers were out of date he'd personally take them off the shelves and arrange to have fresh bottles delivered at no cost. He used the freshness as a key differentiator for his products and he took responsibility for this way past the brewery gates. Sorry about the OT, just thought it was a good story.