Five Beers I Should Try?

[lespaul]

good read, but this is not a thread i should be reading coming into friday when i have no money :icon_drool2: :icon_drool2: :icon_drool2:

 

[pk.sax]

The cascade first harvest is in the shops. Its only available for a bit of time every year and boy, it's a hoppy hit to taste. Tasted last time at their brewery and his once I lucked on a six pack. It's an amber coloured ale with very pronounced hoppy flavour.

 

[michael_aussie]

Smithwicks = on draught in Ireland - the bottled version doesn't do it justice.

Does anyone know the difference (if there is any?) between Smithwicks and Kilkenny?


http://www.smithwicks.ie/what-is-smx.html


EDIT also Baltika #4
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltika_Breweries

 

[O'Henry]

5 for flavour and approachability in new beers:
Rodenbach Grand Cru
Murrays 2IPA
Ace of Spades
Wicked Elf Pale or Alpha Pale Ale
Dupont Saison

Honourable mentions:
Cantillion Gueze
Duchesse de Bourgogne
The Hopinator
Double Dog Double Pale Ale
Rogue's Hazelnut Brown

 

[HoppingMad]

Lecterfan do you have a good boutique retailer of beer near you in the 'Rat' or are you suggesting we name beers you could get at a place like Dan Murphy's or Liquorland?

Names like Southern Tier and Sierra Nevada are awesome but I suspect you'd have to drive to Melbourne to a retailer like Purvis, Slowbeer or Acland Cellars to grab stuff like that? I do like the Sierra Nevada Kellerweiss myself but Dan's won't have it.

For a selection from Dan's:

Weihanstephaner Dunkelweizen (or Hefeweizen, or failing that Shofferhofer Hefeweizen)
Aventinus anything
LaTrappe Tripel (Dubbel is good too)
Chimay anything (Blue is a fave of mine, but Red is pretty fine too)
If you can find it Holgate Temptress (Chocolate Porter) It's heaven in a bottle.
If you can't find Holgate look out for Hargreaves ESB - really nice beer - not a true ESB with all the yankee hops but damn delish.
If you can't find either of those get Young's Double Chocolate Stout - amazing drink. Like drinking a big rich chocolate bar.

Happy beer hunting! :icon_drunk:

Hopper

 

[moonshine]

three that would be on my list (mmmm)

edelstoff augustiner
westmalle dubbel
rochefort 8 or 10

 

[pk.sax]

+1 for the Augustiner. I remember an augustiner weissbier from sometime.
I won't touch a shofferhoffer really. Too bland for a hefe.

 

[InCider]

If you're short of funds, see if they still make this classic little number.

 

[Lecterfan]

Thanks all...yes I am able to get down to Melbourne with more regularity than I'd like, so I can source some of the more obscure beers.

And Incider...thanks for the suggestion but part of the reason I started brewing was to avoid classic little numbers like that :icon_chickcheers:

 

[bcp]

Ok, with so many good beers already listed you probably won't try this one, but it's still #1 for me.
Piraat Ale by brouwerij van steenberge.

 

[Shed101]

Problem with your request, is that people's taste varies so much.

There's several beers mentioned here I wouldn't go near ever again ... even with your money , but others that I love.

I reckon a trip to slowbeer is in order (way cheaper than Acland Cellars), browse the shelves, talk to the staff and then tell us all about it.

 

[jbowers]

I second that. Go down to slowbeer and talk to chris, he should point you in the right path. I'd recommend st bernardus or rochefort 10 for a Belgian dark, westmalle triple, Schneider aventinus, peche mortel by dieu du ciel and then jamieson beast for an ipa as it will likely be the freshest ipa in there ATM.

 

[argon]

Anytime i want to find info on a new beer i see in the local bottlo or find a new beer on tap i go here for a look... Beeradvocate This is the top 100 list... just make your way down the list 1 by 1 as you find them in the shop... most are probably not readily available in OZ but should be able to find a few both in Dan's/First. A local boutique bottlo is probably your best bet for alot of these.

These are the only 3 i recognise to be readily available at Dan's/First (could be wrong, there could be more, but can vouch very highly for these 3 at least)
20 - Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier
29 - Duvel
42 - Chimay Grande Rserve (Blue)

:icon_cheers:

 

[Mobbee007]

Orval it's like nothing else I've had before
Chimay blue
Aventinus
Leffe anything
Piraat
I love them all!!
Or
Rochefort 10
Duvel
Mort Subite anything
Hoegaarden forbidden fruit
VB ( just so you can appreciate whatever you buy that little bit more lol)

 

[Bribie G]

Ok, with so many good beers already listed you probably won't try this one, but it's still #1 for me.
Piraat Ale by brouwerij van steenberge.

That's rotgut, had six in Wellington and I was crawling around on the floor sobbing "Why did Princess Diana have to die" :unsure:



Maybe that's not the same beer but :blink:

 

[MitchDudarko]

Try get a hold of Feral's Hop Hog IPA. It's like someone grabbed a handfull of hops and smacked you in the mouth with each mouthfull. Awesome.

 

[hazard]

Smithwicks = on draught in Ireland - the bottled version doesn't do it justice.

Does anyone know the difference (if there is any?) between Smithwicks and Kilkenny?

Google does!

Kilkenny is a nitrogenated Irish cream ale from the makers of Guinness, which originated in Kilkenny, Ireland. The brand is managed and produced by Diageo. It is available in draught and cans. It is brewed in Ireland and its heritage dates back to the 14th century.

Kilkenny is similar to Smithwick's Draught; however, has less hop finish and it has a nitrogenated cream head similar to Guinness. The 'Kilkenny' name was originally used during the 1980s and 1990s to market a stronger version of Smithwick's for the European and Canadian market due to difficulty in pronunciation of the word 'Smithwick's'. It now refers to a similar yet distinct beer.

Kilkenny is served in similar manner to Guinness; fully risen with a head of 3/4 to 1" approx.

Ingredients: water, malted barley, roasted malted barley, hops, and yeast.^[2]

I've had Smithwicks in Dublin, fresh draught, a very nice drop. Much prefer it to Kilkenny, but only had Kilkenny here, I wonder if it is brewd under licence like Guineess? Cause the guinness you buy here doesn't rate against the guinness you get in Dublin, either.

 

[Lecterfan]

Problem with your request, is that people's taste varies so much.

I don't see that as a problem, it was an intentional variable left open...it allows me to work both on the principles of availability, association between styles and individual preferences, as well as submitting to excellent suggestions like your own about going to specific shops. I understand that it is all subjective, and that is why I am appealing to subjects themselves, rather than just accepting an "objective" description of a style.

Thanks again for your (and everyones) input. This has been an awesome exercise and has definitely given me an awesome starting point... It'll be a while before I get to Melbourne but I shall certainly make a start on a few suggestions this weekend. :icon_cheers:

 

[HoppingMad]

If you're short of funds, see if they still make this classic little number.

InCider you left off the other 4! :lol: :lol: :icon_vomit:

 

[manticle]

Of the beers listed that I've tried, there's not 1 serious one that I don't think deserves to be there.

My list of favourites:

Belgian:
Leffe blonde and brun
Westmalle dubbel and tripel
Rochefort 8
Orval
Duvel
Chimay red, white and blue

Australian:

Mountain Goat Hightail and surefoot
Kooinda Pale
Coopers stout
Beechworth Pale
White rabbit dark (I like the white too)
Little creatures (pale, roger's and bright)

English

Sam smith's oatmeal stout and taddy porter
Youngs special london ale
Fullers esb
Black sheep ale

German

Dab
Erdinger weizen, dunkel, dunkel weizenbock, oktoberfest
Schofferhoffer hefe and kristal
Weistephaner hefe
Aventinus weizeneisbock

US

Everybody says get them fresh so no idea

Eastern European

Zywiec (lager and baltic porter)
Trumer pils
Pilsner urquell

Also try a few naturally fermented ciders and lambics. Faro is a good place to start if you are not used to the word of sour beers - less intense sour.