James Boags Whizard Smith English Ale

[PostModern]

I had this beer the other night at our presentation dinner & even after a skin full of other craft beers I got plenty of English hop aroma. The beer lacked a bit of depth, but drunk warm, it wasn't a bad drop at all. It deserves a far better rap IMHO than some of you guys are giving it. Try drinking it at proper ale temp & evaluate it then....

cheers Ross

Yeah, I did. And let the excess CO2 get out. The IBU's recently had a club ESB comp. I reckon this would have come third or fourth... Mostly I think the interesting flavours were knocked out by the filtration and pasteurisation. Give me real ale any day.

Don't get me wrong, I applaud Boags for brewing and marketing it (waking up the dead palates of Australia's beer drinkers) but I don't think it was sensational, is all.

 

[///]

& even after a skin full of other craft beers I got plenty of .....

Ross - just wondering if such a wonderful descriptor would be suitable on a judging sheet?! :blink:

'yes I am only making a lousy joke' key on

Scotty

 

[mfdes]

I think that's a pretty cynical attitude. Boags have been making seasonal beers for some time now, as do many breweries. They have to appeal to the broadest demographic in order to sell the whole run each time they release one. I think they're targeting the palates of the "unbeerducated" masses. Fair enough. They have a greater obligation to their shareholders than they do to beer, unfortunately. Do you think they should abort the whole seasonal program or make beers that won't sell out?

This however is not a seasonal but an entirely new production line. Some of you may appreciate the risk Boags is taking by starting what is the only major brewery English style ale in Australia, and the fact they have to pitch to the uneducated palate.
As Ross says, let it warm up. The head brewer at Boags explained that they have carbonated it less than their lagers (though it doesn't feel like it and the difference may be minimal), but also that Australian pub beer dispensing systems are all geared to serve the beer at 2 degrees C, and there is not a lot they can do about that. Even on the warmest thermostat setting such systems wouldn't get much above 4 degrees.
As I said wait till you burp and you'll taste the EKG dry hops! :chug:

MFS

 

[Lukes]

Lynch's Brewhouse,
love the tall story, they have it in writing on the web site so I guess it must have some level of truth just like San Miguel Corporation is Southeast Asia's largest publicly listed food, beverage, and packaging company...... <_<

Guy's do you think they are dry hopped with N.T.G. (North Tassie Golding's) or maybe they are E.K.G (East Kiwi Golding's) ?

Good luck too them as I tasted the St George stuff when it came out and it is S#@*house.

- Luke

 

[0M39A]

it escapes my mind at the moment where they said they are currently sourcing the goldings from, but as soon as they are ready, they will be coming from the bushy park hop farm.

 

[jonbob]

. Do you think they should abort the whole seasonal program or make beers that won't sell out?

Not at all, I'd like to see more major breweries making seasonal or interesting beers.
I just think the whole 'olden days story' to go with the beer is a bit over done. I mean Whizard Smith? Couldn't they get the rights to call it Harry Pottters best beer

I would like to see this beer become more popular, BUT, I'd also like to see it priced to compete with main stream beers rather than mico breweries, at its current price it seems like the market they are targeting is the people like us, who will happily pay $20 a 6 pack for good beer, rather than your average mega swill drinker.

 

[0M39A]

well put.

personally though, being tasmanian, its on tap at a few of the locals i go to, and id much rather drink this than any other macrolager swill, and its priced the same per pint.

 

[tangent]

I tried it last night and I gotta say, I like it!
Could have had some more body IMO but a nice beer.
Shame it's also only a seasonal beer, and yeah Harry Potter beer? WTF?