I've Just Had A Vb Out Of Necessity

[dammag]

I am over at my dad's place and have run out of my home brew. I have just cracked one of the "new" 4.9% VB's he had in the fridge.

It has aroma, although not "nice", it has flavour, once again not "nice" and it has some body and mouthfeel, but nothing like my home brew. Having said that, it is easy to drink and there is nothing "bad" about it.


Where does the aroma come from if it is brewed with bittering hops only? It definately has an aroma that keeps going in the glass. If it were a "nice" aroma it would be great. Where does the taste come from?


Is it true that this is a well made beer that would be completely different with another hop or is there no hope for the Aussie mainstream?

 

[Helles]

isohops

 

[Phoney]

I feel your pain. I drank Carlton Draught last night, because there was a work related open bar tab and it was the best pick of a bad bunch. After my third one I began to forget about the bland / horrible taste and they started going down like water.

Once the freebies were over we moved onto a pub down the road, so I ordered a fat yak and it was like an angel landed on my tounge. :lol:

 

[pk.sax]

A couple of weekends ago, CD gave me my first night in a year that I don't remember anything more of and a day in bed.

I've puked my lungs out on HB from fast over imbibing but nothing this horrible.

 

[kelbygreen]

I drink megaswill if its free, It is easy to drink and after a few the taste and aroma isnt to much a issue lol but thats few times a year so I think thats alright. Although xmas party coming up have to see the offerings lol

 

[mwd]

I must be one of the few on here that can drink VB without complaining. Nothing great but makes a good mixer with a robust stout

BTW I usually buy Torpedo or Ballast Point Bigeye when I make a trip to Dan's

 

[dammag]

Ballast Point Big Eye is my current favourite.

 

[iralosavic]

Bitter tongued fellows!

Welli don't mind CD - I quite like the sulfur thing it has going on. I might actually buy it too if I have no HB and all other options are expensive, but I've never been able to enjoy VB - and I reckon it's cause I'm less tolerant to bitterness and just find the balance way out (ie too thin).

So I guess a Torpedo drinker could smash it down like rain water!

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

A lot of taking the piss VB threads going on, are you getting paid for this ?
Dead set worst beer ever but good marketing from a forum.

Nev

 

[Bribie G]

isohops

Common misconception. The CUB hop extract factory in Victoria produces - well, extract. That isn't necessarily just isohop, it can contain flavour and aroma compounds as well. A good example of this type of product is Oettinger, which clearly states Hopsextract B) on the labelling. Sure, not the Acme of German Pilsners, but definitely a nice hoppy euro nose when you pop the lid. Craftbrewer sell "liquid hops" which contain flavour components but not isohop.

I am led to believe that at the Abbostford brewery, VB and Melbourne Bitter come out of the same pipe and are tweaked differently by adding different hop extracts and different amounts of caramel for colour adjustment. MB has a noticeable and nicely subtle hop aroma - try a stubbie.

Edit: I'll check the ABV of MB - I wonder if they have lifted that back up again if the "one pipe" is true?

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Mate bought a carton of VB and I helped him drink it. He hasnt drunk it for years and was suprised at actually how good it was. Way better then when the diluted it

 

[JDW81]

A good example of this type of product is Oettinger, which clearly states Hopsextract B) on the labelling. Sure, not the Acme of German Pilsners, but definitely a nice hoppy euro nose when you pop the lid.

:icon_offtopic:

I quite enjoy Oettinger. One of my go to beers. $14 for six 500mL cans is certainly value for money (in my book at least) and not a half bad beer either.

 

[ben_sa]

I had one of the 'new' VBs the other day... Wasnt as bad as i remembered...

Thankfully, here in SA, most weddings/free piss ups have coopers readily available... Pint o sparkling thanks darl :-D

That said, if im out or run out of HB, CPA is my goto megaswill... Love it and the clone is my house beer (with cpa yeast)

 

[Florian]

A good example of this type of product is Oettinger, which clearly states Hopsextract B) on the labelling.

Are there any German Pilsners without Hopfenextrakt these days? I certainly haven't seen one in a while.
Heaps of them also use Hopfenextrakt exclusively without any 'normal' hops in it at all, same as Carlton Draught and others.

 

[pk.sax]

I fukin hated the German pils while I lived there. Gimme a sweet helles any day.

 

[Bribie G]

The VB at the club up the road now sports new fonts announcing that it's back to the old recipe. I had a schooner while I was doing my fortnightly pokies thing, then another, then one for the road. Still has that mouse piss twang that I don't really object to - it's a bit like caraway seed as well - but what impressed me was that it was quite flavoursome and refreshing. Possibly the version on tap is a bit fresher tasting than the bottled and canned variety, but I didn't mind it as a pokies lubricator.

 

[lukiferj]

but I didn't mind it as a pokies lubricator.

Definitely drinkable now but certainly not my first choice. Would still take a Coopers or Fat Yak over this at a pub with limited options.

 

[Thefatdoghead]

I like getting a carton of budweiser every blue moon when I run out of the home made stuff and I quiet enjoy it. VB...well i'll drink it but It has to be so cold it numbs the taste buds then ill get into it.

 

[Nick JD]

If you're buying, I'd drink anything brown and fizzy.

Except carbonated sewage. Reminds me of VB.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

What suprised me was that after having near half a carton of it, I didnt get the banging headache and actually woke up OK.... It tasted like the VB I used to drink in the days when there where only ever 3 beers on tap and the only take aways you could get was VB ..........Ahh...the memories