Js Hop Thief Launch Dates

[bconnery]

I'm as bad as many, but isn't it funny how many people enjoy CPA, but won't use POR in their homebrews...

Or love the JS golden ale, which is bittered with said hop...

I have an Irish mate who always swore against POR, until he found out about golden ale, which he absolutely loves...

On topic, I found the first hop thief to be a very nice beer. I think many people expected more of a real hoppy in your face APA style beer. I always found that the hop flavour was what the beer was all about without it being a real hop monster. Very similar in style to the golden, with a different hop profile.

I haven't tasted the new one yet but if they have increased the hop levels and used more American ones they may have tried to increase the malt background to balance it a little.

 

[mikem108]

Good night tonight, they had a keg which was promptly devoured by us and the MSB staff. Good to see Leon, beers and the usual MSB crew of Chuck, Rob and co down there.

Good beer too. Definitely better on draught.

High praise from you indeed Ben, considering you were so down on it on saturday, or was that part of the ploy?

You'll never see Leon say no to a free beer!

Pity I couldn't make it but Luke and I were busy cracking grain for his next brew and testing my memory as to what was in some of my kegs.

 

[DJR]

High praise from you indeed Ben, considering you were so down on it on saturday, or was that part of the ploy?

You'll never see Leon say no to a free beer!

Pity I couldn't make it but Luke and I were busy cracking grain for his next brew and testing my memory as to what was in some of my kegs.

Heh maybe i had one too many last night - it's a nice beer but i still think that there are better out there.

 

[beers]

Heh maybe i had one too many last night - it's a nice beer but i still think that there are better out there.

Agreed. Could do with more hops IMO

 

[niall]

Yeah what's with their water? I thought I was the only one who had trouble drinking JS, haven't met anyone who has agreed that there's something peculiar about their water until this thread.

 

[DJR]

Dunno about the water, they might be adding a lot of salts to it though. I'd assume Sydney special with a couple of inline carbon blocks, but after that it's anyone's guess. Might ask them if they treat the water when i go down there, a lot of the beer taste quite like they've added a fair whack of calcium chloride to it to bring out a pseudo-maltiness. Then again it could be the Tooheys Ale yeast throwing that characteristic flavour.

 

[SpillsMostOfIt]

I fronted up with a mate and SWMBO this evening.

At 17:30, someone rang a bell and announced that they had put a keg of their new beer on tap and that it would be free to all and sundry until it ran out.

I had already purchased a pot of it and, frankly, dithered about whether to have one on the house or buy a Highwayman. We decided on the HopThief and had another afterwards. They also put on some nibblies which was an unexpected nice touch.

The flavour is very sweet and, in my uneducated opinion not very hoppy. It certainly is not bitter enough for the rest of it to my liking. I quipped at the time that it was thieving hops from better beers (and failed to get a laugh).

I guess it provides another good alternative to those wanting to explore something other than CUB's product, but for anyone who cannot get the taste of hops out of their mouth and does not want to, it does not cut enough mustard. It is not their best beer - I think the IPA and Highwayman are better beers as is (probably) the Golden Ale.

Give it a try though. Just don't sell your beer making kit.

 

[Steve]

I bought a case of the hop thief yesterday. Ive drunk half and still dont know whether im sold on it. For some reason every time I take a taste I think of lemony dish washing liquid - but in a nice way. Ive never tasted anything like it. Very bizarre, but very drinkable. Me and col from the LHBS had a couple yesterday arvo and we just couldnt pick the hops.

Has anyone else had a stubby full of hop floaties? I did. To me that means its been dry hopped maybe?

Regarding the label, it says JS was the first to grow hops on Australian soil? Is that right?
Cheers
Steve

 

[DJR]

Has anyone else had a stubby full of hop floaties? I did. To me that means its been dry hopped maybe?

Regarding the label, it says JS was the first to grow hops on Australian soil? Is that right?

Sounds like a QC issue if you have hop gunk in your bottles, perhaps some made it through the fermenter and into the bright tank, but all JS beer is filtered so that seems a bit weird. I'd contact LN immediately and get a replacement case

JS was the first, but the JS brand only summarises some history of the real JS who was a convict, JS the brand has only been around since '99 so they definitely weren't the first.

The hops are simcoe and tomahawk. 2/3 of the hops as a late addition, probably tomahawk to bitter and simcoe at flameout.

 

[Ross]

Tried it today & wasn't too impressed - Has the same background flavour as all their beers (I'm guessing it's the yeast), & just doesn't do it for me...

cheers Ross