Bintara [brewery Review] Good And Really Bad

[sicklizard]

During the Tastes of Rutherglen (VIC) weekend recently we took the option to sample the wares of Vintara winery which incorporates the Bintara brewery relocated from central Rutherglen to a lovely site out of town. The setting is great, the seating area is spacious with a good view of the brewing equipment, food was sensational, wine fantastic and service excellent but, and it pains me to say this, the beer was appalling. Myself, my wife and her brother are all home brewers and we know from our own stuff ups what bad beer tastes like, and we all agreed the beer on that day tasted like some of our worst brews. Specifically, the Pilsener had a flavour that I find in my own lighter brews (pale ales and lagers), and although I can drink it, I never allow it to be sampled by even close friends. I mostly brew dark ales which always come out fine.

So here's the real reason for this post. While I am sure Bintara will sort it out, what I would really like to know is that if anyone else has tried Bintara pilsenser recently (on tap that is, I don't know i f the same flavour comes through in the bottles, I certainly hope not) and experienced the same thing, I'd love to know what the cause of it is so that I can avoid it in my next pale ale.

I realise it's a long shot but I'd love to know what that flavour is and the cause.
Ben

 

[stew41]

Fair assessment Ben.

I reckon this mob has been well below par for more than a few years.

 

[bconnery]

I can't speak for on tap but someone bought a few bottles to the Xmas case swap here in QLD and they tasted like infected extract beers to me.
If stillscottish reads this he might add more...It was a large night full of quality beers, the Bintaras just weren't amongst them...

 

[neonmeate]

how these guys can brew beer that tastes of toejam CONSISTENTLY for at least the last 5 years is beyond me. do they drink their own beer?

 

[sicklizard]

how these guys can brew beer that tastes of toejam CONSISTENTLY for at least the last 5 years is beyond me. do they drink their own beer?

hmmm, although I've never tried toejam I reckon you've hit the nail on the head. However, what do reckon causes that flavour!! And yes, I tried their beer in 2007 and had a similar experience. A real shame.
B

 

[stew41]

I'd put Dark Isle from Tassie in the same boat. Consistently churns out rubbish with the same infections year after year...........do they actually try their own beers?

 

[Juddy]

Was there that very weekend and was amazed!

Tried the wheat!

The barman had to pour about 1lt of beer from the tap to get my small sample due to frothing. The taste was horrible! I'm not the biggest wheat fan to begin with so passed this as 'just another funny tasting wheat beer'! When asked about the amount of wastage I was told that it was due to the beer being served directly from the fermentation vessel.

On to the Pilsner!

Much the same as the wheat! Poured better but tasted like dettol! Tried to explain to my non brewing companions that there was simply something not right with this beer! Everyone tasted the same thing, and believed it to be terrible! Decided to give them one last go...

The dark!!!

Asked what style of dark beer it was?
Oh its a stout
Was told they had 3 beers on tap that day, and the previous 2 had been shockers! When I went to try the 3'rd they told me it infact wasn't from the tap but rather it was some stubbies they had on premise. Nothing ventured nothing gained I agreed to try one! Do you want it cold, was the reply? Yes I answered with baited breath! When the stubbie arrived it was diligently divided between the 5 adults present, and the overwhelming answer was that the stout was by far their best beer! However, we all agreed that as a stout it was weak and incipient, and the same dettol flavour persisted! It was only the stronger flavour of the dark grains that slightly hid the infection that was so clearly present in all of their offerings that day!

I cannot be any clearer. The beer served on that day was a disgrace! As a very average home brewer I would be embarrassed to serve beer of the same quality! It was terrible! Having said that, now let me say this; the only positive of the trip was the location! Open shaded areas with tables you could drive your car up too and sweeping vistas of the surrounding lands.

Promised a lot and delivered next to nothing...

Cheers

Juddy

 

[Barry]

If it tasted like dettol it could indicate wild yeast infection ie phenolic. Other infections can also cause this. It is not good regardless Could be a problem with not rinsing their sanitiser enough?

 

[stillscottish]

I can't speak for on tap but someone bought a few bottles to the Xmas case swap here in QLD and they tasted like infected extract beers to me.
If stillscottish reads this he might add more...It was a large night full of quality beers, the Bintaras just weren't amongst them...

Not much more I can add. The dark beer I had on tap down there, the barman said it had won a number of awards, was his favourite and he had some every day. To me it tasted like a kit stout with a helping of vegemite and molasses. I thought I'd give them a try and came away with a mixed six pack. Had one and it was shite. Some were used as examples of what not to brew at the case swap. I have two left and I really don't want to drink them. I think the brewers there must have taste bud issues. You've got to wonder if they stuck their fingers up their arses and licked them, would they taste like paddle pops?

And don't get me started on Buffalo Brewery.
Too late.
Three of us were there, three different beers tried, three glasses left unfinished. Surely if your Pilsner has the clarity of a weizen and tastes of medicine you might wonder about what's going on?
At least they had a bit of consistency across the range. The wheat looked like the pilsner and tasted pretty much the same........

Campbell

 

[Thirsty Boy]

These problems are far from temporary at either of Bintara or the Buffalo -

the good ones wouldn't be so special if they were all good though, would they?

 

[KingPython]

Okay who are the good ones? I think only Redoak qualifies across most of their range.

 

[Ronin]

Okay who are the good ones? I think only Redoak qualifies across most of their range.

Red Hill. I've tasted all their regulars but not all their seasonals, but the one's I have tasted have been very good.

I did have a Bintara Dark ale/Porter that wasn't too bad once, about 5 years ago.

 

[stew41]

Red Hill. I've tasted all their regulars but not all their seasonals, but the one's I have tasted have been very good.

I did have a Bintara Dark ale/Porter that wasn't too bad once, about 5 years ago.

Definitely Red Hill but also Murrays and I'd put 3 Ravens in the mix, albeit at a lower notch. There are a few average beers in the Red oak line-up (IMHO) but a long way from compete duds.

 

[AussieGuy]

I would have to 100% agree with the OP. Bintara has fantastic food and is a nice place to chill on a weekend, but thats about it. Last time I went there, I tried 2 off their beers to be that disappointed that I left them on the outside table and drove off. Hopefully they got the message that their beer taste so poor that i rather not drink it.

 

[wabster]

+1 for consistently horrid beers.

My wife and I visited Bintara May 08 and I tried to be positive. I hadn't tasted any wines or beers that day, and this was around noon. There was a customer there negotiating a function to be held there, as the site itself is quite nice. The guy-manager type there was emphatic they could not BYO any grog, including beer, and you could tell the customer was trying to negotiate around this somehow. It should have been a warning hahaha.

The same guy, handling the samples for which we paid of course, really didn't seem to give a rat's arse about the beer or our comments. I was literally gagging, and my wife spat it out claiming she was driving.

Every beer I tried in their sampler was crap, infected or with an unpleasant aftertaste. They had a stout/dark beer which was only just drinkable, but was the best of a bad bunch.

Never again for us, I've spoken to a few people at the ANHC and all conclude it is dreadfully amateurish operation. How the heck do they stay afloat financially?

Wifey and I speculated that maybe wild wine type yeasts had infiltrated the beer operation, but that is the best excuse we could think of.

Cheerz Wabster

 

[Kai]

These problems are far from temporary at either of Bintara or the Buffalo -

the good ones wouldn't be so special if they were all good though, would they?

In a perfect world, every one would be special.

 

[AussieGuy]

Not far from Binara is Bridge Road Brewers (Beechworth), which in my opinion is the best in the North East Vic area. Cant go past their wheat beer.

 

[MarkBastard]

Someone should forward this thread on to these guys.

 

[brettprevans]

yup mky old man was wrapped with self after hhe bought a mixed slab worth of craftbeers. it was bintara and most of them tasted infected to me. the wheat was really bad. i told him to take them back (although he had bought them straight from the brewery) but of course he didnt.

someone should tell them. cause if they never knew then they cant do anything about it.

 

[staggalee]

yup mky old man was wrapped with self after hhe bought a mixed slab worth of craftbeers. it was bintara and most of them tasted infected to me. the wheat was really bad. i told him to take them back (although he had bought them straight from the brewery) but of course he didnt.

someone should tell them. cause if they never knew then they cant do anything about it.

Since you can speak from actual experience of their products, why don`t you let them know?
Keep us informed of their reply.

stagga.