Has James Squire Ruined The Golden Ale?

[caleb]

I just bought a 6 pack of JS Golden Ale from 1st Choice, because it was on special as part of a win a holiday competition.

On taking my first sip, I noticed something was wrong... gone was that sharp crisp bite and the lovely amarillo hop flavor and aroma that we all know well. In it's place was, well... something more like Carlton Draught where the guy pouring the pride of ringwood into the tank slipped and let a bit too much in...

It tastes flat, bland, and has that characteristic "dirty" POR taste. Bugger all amarillo or any other US hop, in fact bugger all late hopping of any kind really.

Thinking my latest IPA batch (where I went crazy with hops after everyone said my Easter swap beer was too sweet) had spoiled my palette, I asked my wife. She too instantly said it had changed, and said it tastes "flat" and boring, and agreed that it was nothing like the old Golden Ale, which was actually one of her favorite beers.

Anyone else experienced this yet? Anyone else actually PREFER the new golden ale to the old? My opinion is that JS has dropped the ball BADLY with this one, and produced something bordering on megaswill....

:angry:

 

[manticle]

I've noticed on tap it seems to lack something but I just assumed that was because it was way colder than I usually like to drink my beers and that the flavour was subdued. If they have changed it, it would be a shame because it's a reasonable drop.

 

[matt white]

Mate of mine only today said that he succumbed (well ran out of home brewed beer) and actually bought beer, JSGA on special for $50 a case, and said it tasted metallic. He was very disappointed after having brewed AG successfully for the past 3 years.

Coincidence that they are on special, I think not!!

 

[Bribie G]

In February I joined a couple of AHB members at the JS pub in Sydney. The IPA, Pilsener etc were awesome, hop thief was nice. However the Golden was Ho Hum and the Amber even more so. Then we went back onto the IPA and it was great. I assume that the Golden and the Amber are actually brewed at Tooheys ? Compared to the other brews we had on the day the Golden was definitely megaswill.

 

[Gout]

I also thought the hop aroma and flav. had dropped off. I had not had it for a few years and when i got back to aus i tried one and thought maybe it was my memory but sounds like it has gone down hill.

Metallic flav, i always get this when i drink from the bottle - i assume its from the cap (as its fine in a glass but i could be wrong)

 

[QldKev]

Funny thing is I got a 6 pack from 1st choice tonight too. Where was the Amarillo? it is supposed to be a smack in the face of it not if a I think I taste it...

Golden Ale has not been brewed by Malt Shovel (James Squire) for a while. Have a look on the neck "142" that is not a Malt Shovel production line..... Should we just call it Tooheys Golden Ale.. It surely taste like it now.

Time to find a new beer when for when I need a 6 pack.

QldKev

 

[benny_bjc]

I have noticed that the Golden Ale has been terrible for a long time, over a year. - watery, no hop aroma and that awful taste of carlton and piss.

As for the Amber ale I think it is slowly following down a similar path... its becoming more and more like a slightly darker megaswill with very little hop presence and becoming sweeter, more watery and pissy.

It seems the way good commercial brews go.... Sad but true.

I think what these breweries do is create a nice beer that appeal to both mainstream as well as those who like a good micro beer then slowly take short cuts to cut costs once they have a bit of a customer following.

 

[Tony]

I think what these breweries do is create a nice beer that appeal to both mainstream as well as those who like a good micro beer then slowly take short cuts to cut costs once they have a bit of a customer following.

Spot on!

Like packaging getting smaller slowly but the price going the other way.

I say just brew your own and leave it to the folks that dont know any better.

I stopped buying JS beers a year or 2 ago when they started to show this trend. There are plenty of great aussie micro beers out there that are packed with character i would rather spend my money on to take to a BBQ or the like.

Took a 6pack of Matilda Bay Fat Yack to a BBQ on sunday and it was enjoyed by all who tried it.

cheers

 

[troopa]

Oh the good old days when this was a spring / summer only brew and by January you were driving all over Melbourne to grab the last case/s and by February you would drive 200klms cause you heard there was still a couple of cartons left at some obscure little bottlo

Now i walk past it at Dans and head for the Scotch

Tom

 

[Gout]

funny you mention the amber ale, i got a slab as it was $44 2 weeks ago and i thought it lost some of the magic that i recall. I have given up on buying a nice beer now and if at all possible try and keep the home brew stock up as i am sure we all do

 

[caleb]

I have noticed that the Golden Ale has been terrible for a long time, over a year. - watery, no hop aroma and that awful taste of carlton and piss.

As for the Amber ale I think it is slowly following down a similar path... its becoming more and more like a slightly darker megaswill with very little hop presence and becoming sweeter, more watery and pissy.

Well I have bought it within the year, but not for a while because, you know... it's WINTER. I only picked it up today because it was cheaper than the rest in the range. And while it may have been going downhill slowly, I was shocked by the obvious sudden drop in quality - during the downhill slide it has suddenly fallen over a cliff...

I would not buy it again without assurances that it has returned to form.

Tell me the amber ale hasn't done the same thing... please! It's been a few months since I bought that too...

 

[WarmBeer]

There are plenty of great aussie micro beers out there that are packed with character i would rather spend my money on to take to a BBQ or the like.

Took a 6pack of Matilda Bay Fat Yack to a BBQ on sunday and it was enjoyed by all who tried it.

Hope you weren't trying to infer that Matilda Bay are a micro brewery. They are owned by a decidedly non-micro brewer.

 

[///]

Brewed at SAB now I believe, and everyone ran out of Amarillo so I would say substitutes were made ...

 

[tcraig20]

Wow, glad to hear that its not just me. It tastes awful on tap these days (the only time I drink it), the first time I thought that they hadnt cleaned the lines properly. I think you;d call it astringent and generally awful. Amber ale is even worse.

 

[HoppingMad]

Had a mate whinge to me about JSGA being off the boil tastewise two weeks ago.

I asked "Did you buy it on special?"

He said "Yes."

I said "What was the brewed on date?"

He didn't know and had to get back to me. He checked it and sure enough it was towards the end of its shelf life.

When you buy this stuff on special check the dates - it still tastes fantastic on tap at the James Squire Ale House in Melbourne, probably because it's fresh and there's a high turnover of the kegs.

Hopper.

 

[A3k]

Yeah, i was saying the same thing about golden ale lack of flavour lately to a mate just a few days ago.

He disagreed, so i started wondering if my taste buds cos i've been making more flavoursome beers lately.

Nice to know it's them and not me.

 

[hairofthedog]

agreed JS beers are worse by the day with the exeption of there seasonal beers which normally pretty good

if you want a nice micro i just finished a bridge rd brewers the HARVEST top drop :icon_drool2:

 

[manticle]

Hope you weren't trying to infer that Matilda Bay are a micro brewery. They are owned by a decidedly non-micro brewer.

Imply.

Otherwise I agree. Both Matilda bay and Malt shovel are as micro as Cadbury-Schweppes.

That's irrelevant to whether or not their beer is any good but it's a bit like village having an 'independent' cinema (and I know they do have something that pretends it is).

Nonetheless, I have enjoyed a few goldens, porters and indias from the squire and would rather buy that than many varieties available from other macro-breweries.

 

[MarkBastard]

All I know is I can actually get Amber and Golden on tap at quite a few regular pubs these days. That means when I drink at these pubs I no longer have to decide between Tooheys Old or Coopers PA. It sucks but to be honest there's better options in the $60/carton range these days than there used to be and I'm sort of okay with these two beers being less good but more available. Especially the Amber Ale because I never really drank the Golden ale anyway.

Fat Yak is good though, I hope it doesn't go downhill, though I fear it may have already.

 

[manticle]

Fat yak is some hops. Unremarkable. I'd go the Coopers PA with gusto (presuming the relevent establishment kept their lines clean).