Has James Squire Ruined The Golden Ale?

[gava]

I've never had JS Golden Ale before this year so I dont know what its suppose to taste like but I love the drop..

Saying that, If DrSmurto's Golden Ale is a clone of what its suppose to taste like previously... then it has lost of lot of flavour... Now I just drink DR S Golden Ale..

 

[Cube]

Yesterday I picked up two stubbies of the IPA from BWS as a spur of the moment as I went to check the PO Box. I was looking forward to this and tonight drank them and was not impressed at all. My wifey took a sip and said:

"that's the worst you have brewed yet - sorry"

Hmmmmm..... it tasted shit house. No hops aroma or taste just a over powering ' out of date cascade kit and kilo taste'.

Checking bottle, expired june 08. BWS - **** you. Unfortunately for the brew company, be it their head brewer or BWS, they have been labelled shit house in my house.

Only good thing I got out of it was two crown seal bottles.

 

[PostModern]

There was talk quite some time ago about Lion Nathan bottle codes. Can't recall (or google) the code for the MSB, and it's been a while since I bought any. What I recall tho is that bottle code 142 is some large brewery in the LN group in SA and any JS beers from there are lacking in more than just a "certain something".

 

[eamonnfoley]

thanks for contacting us regarding your complaint. We will pass on your complaint to our Customer Service centre who will follow up to you to gain further detail & replace your faulty beer. Please retain any bottles & be ready to provide info from the bottle on the production date of the batch involved. You will find this printed in white ink near the shoulder of the bottle as a Best Before Date. It is possible that the lack of flavour may be due to the beer being very old, that is close to or past its recommended shelf Life (too long in store or lack of stock rotation) or exposed to non desirable storage conditions. As beer ages it does loose both hop aroma & bitterness & appears thinner in flavour. If that is the case we'd be keen to know the store you purchased from so we can follow up.
I do note that pre- Christmas a shortage of the Amarillo hops which are imported from the US (not currently grown in Australia) meant we needed to reduce our use of these hops & substitute about 20% of a locally grown variety. The usual characteristic Golden aroma was slightly lower at this time but we felt still typical of the beer, so I dont believe this would have been the cause of your low flavour comment. Anyway you'll be pleased to hear that new seasons Amarillo hops were secured in January & Golden Ale is now back to its usual hop loading & characteristic fruity aroma & taste.
I do hope this recent experience wont put you off trying another Golden Ale in the near future. Thanks again for taking the time to communicate to us & should you not hear from Customer Service within the next few days please get back to us.
Cheers Tony Jones
Chief Brewer - MSB

At least they offer you a decent explanation. I actually thought the hops were subbed out when I tried one the other night.

 

[Steve]

Had a schooner today off tap. Definately blander than it used to be. Just doesnt have the same punch that it used to.
Cheers
Steve

 

[mwd]

I've never had JS Golden Ale before this year so I dont know what its suppose to taste like but I love the drop..

Saying that, If DrSmurto's Golden Ale is a clone of what its suppose to taste like previously... then it has lost of lot of flavour... Now I just drink DR S Golden Ale..

Drinking the K&Bits version bloody marvelous IMO much better than the real stuff. So good I will be doing it as one of my regular house brews.

Good stuff Dr S. Mine is a good bit more bitter than the commercial brand. Might be the Sparkling Ale Can. :icon_cheers:

 

[HoppingMad]

It is possible that the lack of flavour may be due to the beer being very old, that is close to or past its recommended shelf Life (too long in store or lack of stock rotation) or exposed to non desirable storage conditions. As beer ages it does loose both hop aroma & bitterness & appears thinner in flavour. If that is the case we'd be keen to know the store you purchased from so we can follow up.

Yep. Like I said earlier dudes. Check the brewed on dates. Bear in mind if you buy on special you're more than likely buying at end of shelf(and flavour) life so it's buyer beware.

I do note that pre- Christmas a shortage of the Amarillo hops which are imported from the US (not currently grown in Australia) meant we needed to reduce our use of these hops & substitute about 20% of a locally grown variety. The usual characteristic Golden aroma was slightly lower at this time but we felt still typical of the beer, so I dont believe this would have been the cause of your low flavour comment.

So these guys are admitting that at the time specified they're substituting the bulk of their Amarillo with something else. Something local and they admit that Amarillo isn't grown domestically. So most likely that would be Pride of Ringwood, Super Alpha or Tassie Cascade. And judging by the taste of the stuff I had in the case I bought and consumed in January it's probably the first two.

Interesting stuff. <_<

Hopper.

 

[felten]

Unfortunately it can't be grown locally, it's privately grown by the people that trademarked it.. something like that anyway

it's a pity since it has an awesome aroma/flavour and it's really the backbone of the jsga

 

[brocky_555]

i've just had a few js golden ales and i think there is somthing missing in the middle of the tastes. But no aroma and no mid taste and no lingrering amarillo taste as far as i'm aware they (tooyeys) have ruined it to turnit into a more acceptable ale /lager


i agree with the restg of you good people

 

[bum]

I'm not sure sure the rest of those good people will be quite as agreeable, however.

 

[JaffaMan]

I bought 6 of their GA, and 6 of their IPA last night from 1st choice and I must say its nothing like what I remeber back in my commercial binge days, dirty aftertaste and very little carbonation (that was the GA). As for the IPA, I swear I used to drink a completly different drink from that same label.

Mabey 1st choice cant store or transport beer properly, I'm spewing I threw the bottles out cos didnt even think till now to check the dates on them.

 

[manticle]

thanks for contacting us regarding your complaint. We will pass on your complaint to our Customer Service centre who will follow up to you to gain further detail & replace your faulty beer. Please retain any bottles & be ready to provide info from the bottle on the production date of the batch involved. You will find this printed in white ink near the shoulder of the bottle as a Best Before Date. It is possible that the lack of flavour may be due to the beer being very old, that is close to or past its recommended shelf Life (too long in store or lack of stock rotation) or exposed to non desirable storage conditions. As beer ages it does loose both hop aroma & bitterness & appears thinner in flavour. If that is the case we'd be keen to know the store you purchased from so we can follow up.
I do note that pre- Christmas a shortage of the Amarillo hops which are imported from the US (not currently grown in Australia) meant we needed to reduce our use of these hops & substitute about 20% of a locally grown variety. The usual characteristic Golden aroma was slightly lower at this time but we felt still typical of the beer, so I dont believe this would have been the cause of your low flavour comment. Anyway you'll be pleased to hear that new seasons Amarillo hops were secured in January & Golden Ale is now back to its usual hop loading & characteristic fruity aroma & taste.
I do hope this recent experience wont put you off trying another Golden Ale in the near future. Thanks again for taking the time to communicate to us & should you not hear from Customer Service within the next few days please get back to us.
Cheers Tony Jones
Chief Brewer - MSB

To their credit - that's a response that shows they actually read the complaint, identified the problem and suggest that it will be shortlived. Better than the stock response quoted earlier from Mr Ireallydontgiveatossaboutyoufussybeerdrinkersbeerisjustmeanttotastelikebeer-Jones

 

[bum]

I bet he got teased at school.

 

[~MikE]

Unfortunately it can't be grown locally, it's privately grown by the people that trademarked it.. something like that anyway

it's a pity since it has an awesome aroma/flavour and it's really the backbone of the jsga

unless they've genetically modified it, there's nothing stopping anyone else from owning the organism. What they do own is the trademark. of course if they own all the amarillo plants in existence, there's no way of obtaining one that wouldn't be considered theft

 

[gone brewing]

I was on holidays last week and took the opportunity to try the JSGA having heard so much about it on this website. I was quite underwhelmed by it. I would think that Dr Smurto's recipe would have heaps more flavour than it, yet people report the recipe matches the original quite well.

The use by date on my six pack was December this year and if the use by dates are one year after production then it somewhat fits with their explanation.

I also got a six pack of the JS amber ale which I have tried plenty of times before and it wasn't half the beer I remembered it to be. I used to try to make beer that good but if my beer nowdays tasted like that I would be disappointed.

 

[BitterBulldog]

Had someone from Lion Nathan contact me - It went like this

"Hi, i'm Jodie from Toohe..i mean, Lion Nathan...'

enough said

She said they had not changed the recipe.

They are sending me some replacements - will be interesting if it is any different? can't see how it is going to be any different.
& i am sending them one of my samples for them to ANALYZE.

 

[caleb]

Had someone from Lion Nathan contact me - It went like this

"Hi, i'm Jodie from Toohe..i mean, Lion Nathan...'

enough said

She said they had not changed the recipe.

They are sending me some replacements - will be interesting if it is any different? can't see how it is going to be any different.
& i am sending them one of my samples for them to ANALYZE.

WTF... wait a minute... I started this thread with the original complaint. How come BitterBullDog is getting a replacement pack and I'm not!?!

I did get a similar but even more descriptive email from Mr Jones about changes to the product and that it was now back to 100% Amarillo. (so we weren't imagining things)

Anyway, as compensation I've asked for them to make the next summer special a real cracker! (not some mild lager). Let's see if they deliver...

 

[Bribie G]

I used to really enjoy Amber Ale and always had some in the fridge before I started home brewing.
I was out with some mates last week, and bought a 6 pack, and wondered where the magic had gone. Is it worse? Or are my expectations higher because of the "Higher" standard of beer I make for myself.

Off topic, I often find that commercial beers taste different depending on what home brew I am quaffing. Currently drinking my way through a mountain of stouts and dark ales that I brewed for mini comps and when I was at the doc's the other day, next door there's a bottle shop which sells guinness 750 tallies. The 6% ABV job which is almost impossible to get on the Island so I grabbed a couple. It usually tastes brilliant, not quite in the same class as Sheaf Stout (can't get it in QLD) or Coopers Stout (rare as hen's around here) but I always buy a couple when I come across them.

They tasted pretty ordinary and when I opened one of my stouts I reckon it wiped the floor with the Guinness. I'll bet you anything that when I have run out of stout and buy a Guinness 6% in a month or two my palate will have readjusted again.

 

[T.D.]

Just got the "goodbrews" newsletter from James Squire. This is what it said about the golden ale:

"The phenomenal growth of Golden Ale, which is selling at over 40% above last years volume, has brought its own problems compounded by a shortage of Amarillo hops (sourced ex the U.S.). This forced us to introduce a back up locally grown aroma variety as a small percentage of the total hop load in order to eek out supplies until the new season Amarillo hops arrived in early January.
For the benefit of the enthusiastic home brewers who have been avidly speculating about this I can confirm that it was definitely not Pride of Ringwood that we used as a substitute.
We are glad to report that with our hop stores now bursting with the newly acquired and very characteristic US hop, the distinctive Golden Ale aroma is now back to its brilliant, stone-fruity best."

Interesting stuff. My guess is the substitute hop would be Galaxy. Could explain why some of you blokes have been detecting some changes in the flavour recently.

 

[Katherine]

Just got the "goodbrews" newsletter from James Squire. This is what it said about the golden ale:

"The phenomenal growth of Golden Ale, which is selling at over 40% above last years volume, has brought its own problems compounded by a shortage of Amarillo hops (sourced ex the U.S.). This forced us to introduce a back up locally grown aroma variety as a small percentage of the total hop load in order to eek out supplies until the new season Amarillo hops arrived in early January.
For the benefit of the enthusiastic home brewers who have been avidly speculating about this I can confirm that it was definitely not Pride of Ringwood that we used as a substitute.
We are glad to report that with our hop stores now bursting with the newly acquired and very characteristic US hop, the distinctive Golden Ale aroma is now back to its brilliant, stone-fruity best."

Interesting stuff. My guess is the substitute hop would be Galaxy. Could explain why some of you blokes have been detecting some changes in the flavour recently.

Recently it changed ages ago, but my partner had one on the weekend and said it was much better then it has being. Might have to try one on tap soon.