So the contract brewed Becks actually has a higher IBU? That's hard to believe from the beer my wife had the other day. The contract brewed Becks definately tasted lighter on the hops to me.
Just A Bit Of A Rant...
- Thread starter Ronin
- Start date
Help Support Australia & New Zealand Homebrewing Forum:
So the contract brewed Becks actually has a higher IBU? That's hard to believe from the beer my wife had the other day. The contract brewed Becks definately tasted lighter on the hops to me.
peas_and_corn
I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I cannot mash that
No, I genuniely didn't know.
The thing is, it would be easier to BUL in Australia than to bother with dealing with all the hassles of local regulations and standards- let CUB or whoever makes the beer in question deal with it, take the usual fee for using the name and there you have it. I can understand them not bothering to deal with Ausralia when you have a crazy inflating market in Russia. I am not defending this, I am just saying from this perspective it makes sense.
devo
Str8outtaCoburg
sorry, correction. The contract/export has a lower IBU.
I ask questions like that... I expect people to have a basic grasp of their stocked items, lowest rung employees excepted. It is amazing how many people don't even think we care about the beer we drink. I often feel that one is treated as insignificant unless you are buying top shelf wine. Obviously not at a brewpub.
That definately makes more sense from what I tasted. I really would be interested to hear some people doing blind taste tests if they can get the imported product from anywhere. In my experience the difference is noticeable. Again, not saying the BUC beers are not nice...they just taste different IMO.
And if what devo says is true they aren't even brewed to the same specification. How can you call it the same beer?!
Oh oh, ranting again... :lol:
Jase71
Out of Order
- Joined
- 15/10/08
- Messages
- 782
- Reaction score
- 6
Unfortunately, I think most consumers of these beers don't really have the same standards that most of us here do, and the powerful driver for sales is the branding, not the taste. So if Heinekin, Stella, Carlsberg etc are to look at the majority of their target market, then the small percentage of people who will stop drinking their product as a BUL is insignificant when compared to their increased profit margin.
But that's getting away from the point. As far as restaurants calling these beers 'imported' - well it's simply disgusting, and quite frankly it's an outright deception. It's like calling a pizza 'imported' because of it's historical origins.
Incidentally, up until about 6 months ago, my local bottlo were selling true imported Stella, that came via Turkey or some other country. So someones still bringing in the stuff (if anyones interested I'll pop up and see of I can find the independant importer's name). Mind you, I don't really think any of the aformentioned beers are great, even imported..... .... better than swill, but I'd rather my homebrew wheatbeer or an Amber Squire.
But that's getting away from the point. As far as restaurants calling these beers 'imported' - well it's simply disgusting, and quite frankly it's an outright deception. It's like calling a pizza 'imported' because of it's historical origins.
Incidentally, up until about 6 months ago, my local bottlo were selling true imported Stella, that came via Turkey or some other country. So someones still bringing in the stuff (if anyones interested I'll pop up and see of I can find the independant importer's name). Mind you, I don't really think any of the aformentioned beers are great, even imported..... .... better than swill, but I'd rather my homebrew wheatbeer or an Amber Squire.
See I wouldn't imagine any of the waiting staff would care/know about the beer.
Was at the elephant and the castle down in geelong (great place BTW, newcastle brown on tap :icon_drool2: ) and asked for a prickly moses/otway estate beer (which I knew they stocked). The waiter just looked at me and I had to go and show him where the beer was in the fridge!
Jase71
Out of Order
- Joined
- 15/10/08
- Messages
- 782
- Reaction score
- 6
Not always at bottleshops either, my two closest stores both have beer-centric staff. Surprising mroe that ones a chain store ! One of the staff in question is also my neighbour, which is sweet.
The other place is Platinum Liquor (say no more).
devo
Str8outtaCoburg
Actually my source came from a former employee of InBev so i figure it's pretty much true.
Stella has really gone downhill too, that's what I had when my wife had the Becks. And I didn't even know Carlsberg was BUC..it wasn't last time I had it (which admitedly was a while ago). These beers were the best ones we could find on the beer list of the pub we were at (in Geelong admittedly, but that's no excuse :lol: ). No James Squire in sight, which is a rant for another occasion. :lol: Surely they could have something decent....
Try finding a restaurant that doesn't advertise it as imported. Almost every restaurant I've been to that splits the beers into local and imported (not all split them and I have no problem with them) has heineken/becks/stella as an imported beer. It's not just a couple, it's almost all of them.
petesbrew
Lover of Beer
- Joined
- 31/3/06
- Messages
- 5,198
- Reaction score
- 172
Interesting thread, but yeah, I reckon restuaranteurs will just get slabs of this or that, and not care if it's imported or BUL... it's all down to cost for them.
When SWMBO and I are out at dinner I usually look over the drinks list to see what's there... basically if there's anything different I'll always give it a go.
But Geez, I would NOT hear the end of it from SWMBO if I asked to inspect the bottle of heineken!!! :huh: :blink: She's already calling me a beernerd, beersnob, but that'd take it to a new level.
Safer tastewise, (and marriagewise!!!) to share a bottle of wine instead. :lol:
jimmy01
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 12/8/05
- Messages
- 369
- Reaction score
- 8
I've done blind taste tests with the imported Stella and the Oz stuff sold under the same name. There is definitely a difference. Even mates of mine who are not "beer snobs" could pick the difference and preferred the Imported Stella.
I believe there is also a big difference between imported Heineken and the NZ brewed stuff. Try the beer from the 5l mini keg (imported) and compare it to the draught or bottled stuff sold in Oz.
Can't comment on Becks as I don't think I've ever had the original brew.
Jimmy
I believe there is also a big difference between imported Heineken and the NZ brewed stuff. Try the beer from the 5l mini keg (imported) and compare it to the draught or bottled stuff sold in Oz.
Can't comment on Becks as I don't think I've ever had the original brew.
Jimmy
Jase71
Out of Order
- Joined
- 15/10/08
- Messages
- 782
- Reaction score
- 6
Becks has changed for the worse too. It wasn't even about the label telling us that it was brewed locally so there's no 'mind over matter' aspect (to be honest, at the time we didnt even look). It was only after the second time a month later that i noticed it wasnt imported.
When I started drinking imported beers a few years ago, mostly the common ones lilke Peroni, Stella & Becks, something I found was that I didn't have nearly as bad a hangover the next day compared to previously, when by comparison as little as four schooners of CUB brands (425ml for you interstaters) in a session would give me a shitty headache and carry over to the next day. And I'm no softie when it comes to huge sessions on the piss, so it's not anything to do with personal 'conditioning'. Ive kinda moved away from these beer styles now, but I wonder if the 'local imports' would do nasty things to my head in small quantities (ie four beers). In the name of science, Im going to have to try this out.
Ultimately, lots of people still enjoy the BUL 'imported names', and good on em if they feel happy about drinking them, it may just open the mind a bit more and have them dig around the bottleshop for some better beers down the track. Sadly though, I suspect that for guys (suits especially) who like to buy them, its more about being seen to have a top-shelf taste in beer than any flavour that their chosen beer imparts.
or maybe Im just a snob when it comes to snobs.
Funny word that. Snob.
When I started drinking imported beers a few years ago, mostly the common ones lilke Peroni, Stella & Becks, something I found was that I didn't have nearly as bad a hangover the next day compared to previously, when by comparison as little as four schooners of CUB brands (425ml for you interstaters) in a session would give me a shitty headache and carry over to the next day. And I'm no softie when it comes to huge sessions on the piss, so it's not anything to do with personal 'conditioning'. Ive kinda moved away from these beer styles now, but I wonder if the 'local imports' would do nasty things to my head in small quantities (ie four beers). In the name of science, Im going to have to try this out.
Ultimately, lots of people still enjoy the BUL 'imported names', and good on em if they feel happy about drinking them, it may just open the mind a bit more and have them dig around the bottleshop for some better beers down the track. Sadly though, I suspect that for guys (suits especially) who like to buy them, its more about being seen to have a top-shelf taste in beer than any flavour that their chosen beer imparts.
or maybe Im just a snob when it comes to snobs.
Funny word that. Snob.
Yeah I get beersnob too...but I'm winning, she could taste the difference between imported becks and BUC becks. And she didn't like the latter. I would've wrecked all the ground I've gained if I had've called her a beersnob too! :lol:
I think the problem we had with heineken was that we just spent a year in the netherlands and france (who claimed heineken was a local beer!), where we drank a lot of the stuff. We then got back here and kept drinking it until we got a suprise when the taste changed, we looked at the label and saw that it was BUC. It really isn't the same, both times we've noticed a beer that was BUC by the taste, not by the packaging.
I've been thinking about those little kegs...but after I got my homebrew on tap 5L just sort of didn't cut it.
Muggus
Case swap whore
- Joined
- 9/7/07
- Messages
- 2,361
- Reaction score
- 15
From past experience i've definately found a difference between imported and BUL Becks, among others.
Had an odd occurance at one point a few years back after purchasing an imported case of Becks from a local independent bottle 'o stowed away in my fridge for Christmas.
Anyway, I managed to get one of those 'premium' mixed beer giftpack thingos for Chrissie as well that contained Becks and few other lagers. Chucked them in the fridge along with the other Becks.
Pulled out a Becks one night, had a swig "Hmmm tastes a bit off" check out the bottle "Brewed under license eh". Goto my fridge, check my other bottles with a different label in several languages and figure "Yeah why not". Crack it open and the difference was immediately apparent. Cleaner flavour, more prominant hops, more prominant maltiness, may as well be a different beer.
Had an odd occurance at one point a few years back after purchasing an imported case of Becks from a local independent bottle 'o stowed away in my fridge for Christmas.
Anyway, I managed to get one of those 'premium' mixed beer giftpack thingos for Chrissie as well that contained Becks and few other lagers. Chucked them in the fridge along with the other Becks.
Pulled out a Becks one night, had a swig "Hmmm tastes a bit off" check out the bottle "Brewed under license eh". Goto my fridge, check my other bottles with a different label in several languages and figure "Yeah why not". Crack it open and the difference was immediately apparent. Cleaner flavour, more prominant hops, more prominant maltiness, may as well be a different beer.
jonocarroll
uıɐbɐ ʞunɹp ɯ,ı
Or have you? I'm gobsmacked... Really. I picked up a 6 pack of beer tonight (pfft!! $20!), and was shocked to see this on the box. Seriously people - if this is true, we should friggin march the streets, or have a sit in at the pub (not a terrible idea, granted) or something. This had better be a printing error, not even 'for future use', 'cause seriously...
WTF!!!???!!!
jonocarroll
uıɐbɐ ʞunɹp ɯ,ı
:huh: My impressions of this company have just been shattered.
What frustrates me is that the megabrewers who do the 'under licence' thing are actually proving that they can brew a good beer.
Not the SAME beer, but a good beer. A locally brewed Stella is not the same as the real thing but it is still way ahead of anything
that that brewery puts out under the normal Aussie megaswill labels.
It's amazing that when a brewery is forced to use good malt, good hops and good yeast - they can make a beer that is not the same
as the intended cloned beer, but not a bad beer in its own right. Not to mention less or no sugar!!!
Back to the original topic of this thread of "imported vs premium vs local" in restaurants.....you don't want me to go there!
Cheers,
smudge
Not the SAME beer, but a good beer. A locally brewed Stella is not the same as the real thing but it is still way ahead of anything
that that brewery puts out under the normal Aussie megaswill labels.
It's amazing that when a brewery is forced to use good malt, good hops and good yeast - they can make a beer that is not the same
as the intended cloned beer, but not a bad beer in its own right. Not to mention less or no sugar!!!
Back to the original topic of this thread of "imported vs premium vs local" in restaurants.....you don't want me to go there!
Cheers,
smudge
