Coopers Celebration Ale

[ekul]

Forgot about this, anyone in brisbane seen it yet? Got a 1500ml coopers yeast starter happening right now, should be ready to go tomorrow. Can't wait to have the sweet coops on tap again, seems like a fitting time to do a run of beers on cpa yeast. Makes a great aussie amber ale.

 

[QldKev]

Booooooooooooooooooooo i wanted a 5L cask of strong ale for the 150th celebration.

God almighty, and it's in 355ml bottles only. What happened to the 375ml, Coopers? Do they now have 330ml, 355ml, 375ml & 750ml in the range?

Grrr.. Well, i'll at least try it as it's a new beer.

Looks like the bean counters are getting Coopers to rip us of on the bottle size reduction too. It must be a good beer cause you get less!

24 x 375ml = 9.000L
24 x 355ml = 8.520l

So they are ripping you off by over a stubby per carton!


How long before they ram us up the arse into believing the best beers are in 315ml bottles?

QldKev

 

[Samuel Adams]

Dans near me still doesn't have it yet

The whole 355ml thing might be so they can export to USA
I'm of the understanding that they can only sell beer in certain sizes, one of them being 12 F oz (355ml)

Hey at least it's not 330ml !!

 

[WSC]

Forgot about this, anyone in brisbane seen it yet? Got a 1500ml coopers yeast starter happening right now, should be ready to go tomorrow. Can't wait to have the sweet coops on tap again, seems like a fitting time to do a run of beers on cpa yeast. Makes a great aussie amber ale.

Yamanto Tavern/Harry Brown in Ippy have it. Brissy bottlos are a bit slow on the uptake!

 

[dicko]

Got mine from the New Whyalla hotel I think it is a Thirsty Camel. $54.00 / carton.
I bought a 6 pack first up at $19.00 and then after tasting could not wait to get back to get a carton.
As with most beers this may not appeal to everyone but IMO it is one of the best commercial beers
I have had in a long while.
Keep it up Coopers!!

Cheers

 

[pmunny]

My six pack tastes like a watered down version of something thatmight have been okay, not hop driven at all.only thing i could recognise is the yeast

 

[vortex]

My six pack tastes like a watered down version of something thatmight have been okay, not hop driven at all.only thing i could recognise is the yeast

You know we finished our carton of it tonight (been drinking it for a week), and I followed the last stubbie up with an American Pale Ale homebrew - and in reflection the homebrew APA was much more hop driven than the Celebration. I think it has a lot to do with the type of hops used in each as well. EKG/Cascade/Amarillo are no match for POR/Nelson/Centennial used in the CCA. Quantities of hops also have a lot to do with it, the CCA isn't an APA or IPA, but it sure has more hop-driven character than any of the other Cooper's beers have in the past. Keep in mind they do need to appeal to a wider market

 

[pmunny]

I understand the market thing but to me it just tastes like their pale except looks darker, just opened another and it tastes like dish water. Could i have a poor 6 pack?

 

[vortex]

No the hops were hardly mind blowing. It's only been in bottles for a month so I'd say it's just a 'good' beer not a 'fantastic' beer.

IMO Coopers have yeast issues, have had for a while but it's been getting worse over the past 12 - 18 months. 10 years ago the Pale Ale was a MUCH better beer, especially with the yeast mixed in, these days the yeast flavour is harsh and not very good at all. The CCA was the first Coopers carton i've bought for about 3 years..

 

[jameson]

Got a case yesterday $65 from my local bottlo beside caltax on stafford rd.
Not what I was hopping for but a great beer would buy again if it was on sale/special or I was out and it was one of the limited offerings.
I did find it sweet but with A nice malt character to equal things up. A little more aroma hops and I would of been raving about this beer to everyone. In saying this I have been craving iipas this past few months and my hop tolerance, wants, needs is a wee bit ott.
Is the coopers yeast like a hefe yeast?

Ps. Just MY opinion

 

[mikec]

Anyone seen it in Sydney yet?

 

[Liam_snorkel]

Brisbane folks - the bottle-o attached to the Melbourne hotel in west end has it.

 

[browndog]

I wouldn't bother to go out of your way to get hold of a bottle folks. Imagine a Coopers Pale Ale with a bit of dark crystal in it and you pretty well have this beer. Nothing special.

-Browndog

 

[MitchyP]

Had a bottle of this last night for the birth of my son in Monday.

Definitely nothing to set the world on fire but a big improvement on what is available. Certainly nothing to compare with American ales but good to see Coopers produce something with a bit more of a hop presence.

Maybe Aussie brewers are starting to realise there is a market for more hop driven beers (my brother works for Joe White Maltings and I mentioned this to him. He says the market in Australia isn't really there for it, probably reflecting our mega swill lager culture).

Anyway, big malt taste and the hops certainly come through in it. Quite a nice ale to sip on during the footy.

 

[Murcluf]

Just got an polished of a sixer tonight. As long as you don't compare it with any other beer or style it is a very good beer, fresh crisp, malty, good body, and flavoursome. It's very much a Coopers beer don't know why I was expecting anything else, easiest way to describe it is a Sparkling with extra body and a slight hop twist. If offered to me would be happy to drink, would consider purchasing again too. At the end of the day Coopers is Coopers and I think will always be Coopers and we shouldn't expect them to be anyone else. As if they were they would no long be Coopers.

 

[bignath]

Nothing really much to write home about with this beer.

Its nice, dont get me wrong, but 150th anniversary, nice flash label, two hops that would be new to them in Centennial, and NS, i was just expecting something a bit more WOW factor.

Someone previously wrote its like the Pale Ale with some crystal malt added, and i tend to agree. Would i buy it again? Sure, after all it has more use than just consumption, but i wont lose sleep ove it if i cant ever have another one.

Dissappointed.

EDIT: strangely, its got some very english thing going on. Almost what youd expect Old Speckled Hen would taste like if it was fermented with Coopers yeast, youd get this beer.

 

[[email protected]]

Found some of these at the Wine Room on Waterworks Rd.

I like it. Somewhere between the Pale and Sparkling. If it became a regular I would buy it. I find the Pale a bit insipid and the Sparkling a bit strong for session beer (although I do enjoy it). This one would be a good goto beer for everyday drinking, BBQs, out at a gig etc.

i do like the pear esters in combination with the subtle hop flavour and aroma. Even SWMBO said it was enjoyable.

 

[Filfy]

Just tried one now.

Less than impressed, as mentioned, pale with some crystal and that's it.

For 150 yrs they coulda done better IMO

 

[Mr. No-Tip]

Pretty unimpressed by this. I've not had a midshelf beer for months - been sticking to my home brew or interesting craft output.

It's certainly hoppier than coopers standard, but it has a certain twang to it that I do not like.

I had high hopes when I heard of the hops, but colour me disappointed.

 

[bignath]

Actually, i've just finished the sixer i bought earlier this evening.

Still not all that impressed with it.

BUT, i did finish my stir plate build today........

**** it, the yeast is now spinning in my flask....lets see if i can make a better beer with it than they did.

 

[Lodan]

I found the Celebration Ale to be an enjoyable beer with that distinctive Coopers taste.

All in all it is a commercial beer with something different; enough to spark a bit of interest but not too much to alienate the core Coopers fans.

 

[piraterum]

I'm a big fan of Coopers Pale & Sparkling Ale so I was looking forward to trying this one.

Tried a six pack and it's a good session beer. Nicely balanced with a decent malt flavour, bit of hop flavour and a crisp bitter finish. It kind of looks like a darker / red version of the Sparkling Ale. However, it seems to have a cleaner and more crisp finish than either of their other ales. It would go down rather nicely at a BBQ. If you're expecting some kind of hop explosion or out there craft brew you may be disappointed. But if your after a session beer with a little more flavour than your average commericial brew, this one is a goer.

 

[Johann]

I'm a big fan of Coopers Pale & Sparkling Ale so I was looking forward to trying this one.

Tried a six pack and it's a good session beer. Nicely balanced with a decent malt flavour, bit of hop flavour and a crisp bitter finish. It kind of looks like a darker / red version of the Sparkling Ale. However, it seems to have a cleaner and more crisp finish than either of their other ales. It would go down rather nicely at a BBQ. If you're expecting some kind of hop explosion or out there craft brew you may be disappointed. But if your after a session beer with a little more flavour than your average commericial brew, this one is a goer.

You couldn't describe this beer any different, good job!

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Pretty disappointed - I got this, based on their email that this would be a hoppier beer.

Nothing to speak of. A bit like Sparkling Ale, but with a touch of crystal and roasted malts.

Cleaner than CPA, but pretty disappointing - I really regret buying a 6 pack of it.

 

[ekul]

Pretty disappointed - I got this, based on their email that this would be a hoppier beer.

Nothing to speak of. A bit like Sparkling Ale, but with a touch of crystal and roasted malts.

Cleaner than CPA, but pretty disappointing - I really regret buying a 6 pack of it.

where did you buy it? I've been to a few bottlos and they haven't had it

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Dan Murphys.

If you're in Brisbane - it's the airport one.

 

[petesbrew]

Tried one of these at a mate's place on the weekend.
To me it was similar to their vintage ale but a lot more sessionable. Not totally outstanding, but perfect for a rainy winter's day.
Probably would buy a 6 pack if I see it.

 

[dammag]

I bought a carton today from Dan Murphy's at Mermaid Beach, QLD.

I can't say I am overly impressed but it is certainly a nice beer to drink. I drink the Pale Ale sometimes and like it but I am not that impressed but I drink a lot of Sparkling Ale and with every mouthfull I am in heaven.

I was hoping for that heavenly feeling but I am just drinking it. Nice, clean, tasty, but just a beer.


Damian.

 

[Hassles]

Dan Murphy's stock the Celebration Ale at $53+ per case.

What? Vintage Ale in smaller bottles? ? ? Cascade Brewery tried this and their customers left them in droves.

I was under the impression the (1.5L) Magnum's were only offered to Cooper's club members or similar. Even then, the costs were/are er, um, surprisingly elevated equating to $50 per half litre (less for members).

Like others here, I'll stick with the Sparkling ale. The Celebration ale looks great in the glass but it just doesn't do it for me.

 

[soundawake]

Dan Murphy's stock the Celebration Ale at $53+ per case.

What? Vintage Ale in smaller bottles? ? ? Cascade Brewery tried this and their customers left them in droves.

I was under the impression the (1.5L) Magnum's were only offered to Cooper's club members or similar. Even then, the costs were/are er, um, surprisingly elevated equating to $50 per half litre (less for members).

Like others here, I'll stick with the Sparkling ale. The Celebration ale looks great in the glass but it just doesn't do it for me.

Yeah you're right. I don't think they had made up their mind what to do with the magnums when I spoke to them. I'm in the club so I was offered one but at $150 for a bottle I'd likely never drink? No thanks.

Time will tell what the backlash will be regarding the Vintage in smaller bottles, if in fact that's still what they're planning. Since its a strong, limited number beer they might get away with it.