Mclaren Vale Ale

[~MikE]

i tried this, wont be buying it again. it's a flawless beer, but rather booring i found - and farking expensive for something that's just an easy drinker. i really don't think micros should be trying to edge into the bland session beer market...

 

[Murcluf]

i tried this, wont be buying it again. it's a flawless beer, but rather booring i found - and farking expensive for something that's just an easy drinker. i really don't think micros should be trying to edge into the bland session beer market...

That's a tad harsh as it is an AIBA award winning beer (mmm.... well for its label h34r: ) tried it recently along with a few other SA micro's thankfully I didn't pay for it. Cracked the cap poured in glass tasted it and sinked it, must admit it wasn't the only SA mirco beer in the lot I sinked. Currently whats on offer in SA micro wise is pretty much below par unfortunately. Mind most of the ones I sinked were brewed over the border. I've tried beers from nearly every SA micro, there's only 2 maybe 3 max I'd be happy to drink the rest is taken with caution and a lot of questions too.

 

[jbirbeck]

That's a tad harsh as it is an AIBA award winning beer (mmm.... well for its label h34r: ) tried it recently along with a few other SA micro's thankfully I didn't pay for it. Cracked the cap poured in glass tasted it and sinked it, must admit it wasn't the only SA mirco beer in the lot I sinked. Currently whats on offer in SA micro wise is pretty much below par unfortunately. Mind most of the ones I sinked were brewed over the border. I've tried beers from nearly every SA micro, there's only 2 maybe 3 max I'd be happy to drink the rest is taken with caution and a lot of questions too.

don't buy the Vale in the bottle, its awful. there are only probably 4 SA micro's I'd buy in the bottle...the rest I'd pass. of the rest a couple are good on tap including the Vale but there are better locals. I won't drink it at the Kings for example. there are two micros I wouldn't go near again either in the bottle or on tap to anme them would be unfair but if you've tried them you'd know which.

 

[mikk]

I've tried this beer twice now- once in the bottle and once on tap. Both times i found it to be a horrible example of marketing style over substance. I found it to be almost undrinkable, and the others i was with agreed fully. One to stay away from, even if it's free!

 

[Hatchy]

i tried this, wont be buying it again. it's a flawless beer, but rather booring i found - and farking expensive for something that's just an easy drinker. i really don't think micros should be trying to edge into the bland session beer market...

My uncle (who owns several pubs) asked me about this beer on the weekend when we were talking about the breweries Mrs Hatchy & I visited last week in WA. What MikE said is pretty much what I said to him. If their looking to start stocking SA micros in their pubs & bottle shops I'd really hope they get Brewboys, Steam Exchange & Lobethal in before they worry about this stuff. Probably should've said that to him at the time. He also mentioned that carlton are bringing out a white beer. That's about the point that we started talking about something else.

 

[dj1984]

IMO steam exchange can be a bit hit and miss ive had the steam ale at the brewery one time and it was great the next time i went there it was not so good.

Brewboys and Lobethal Have great beers.

 

[jbirbeck]

Beard & Brau beers are great as well.

If I find a pub where B&B beers are on tap I'll def choose those over the Vale, but the Vale if fresh and well cared for is a decent beer on tap, and its reasonably common around town making it easier to get than others.

 

[lordofthebottleshop]

For those in Sydney, it appears like they have a bar at St James owend by McLaren Vale. Had a whole bunch of signs out the front about the quality of their beer.... :huh:

 

[BitterBulldog]

Crows nest hotel has it on tap!
It's not offensive BUT nothing at all special about it.
I don't understand all of these bland pales ales being released?
I mean LCPA has been around 10 years now & is the standard - so why go backwards?
Seems most of the OZ craft beer industry is going backwards.
Thank **** for Murray's!

 

[craigo]

Had this beer last night and i found it absolutley horrible couldnt drink it, Over carbed sour smell and sour taste no hop flavour at all down the sink it went wont be buying this again.

 

[mckenry]

So it seems from this thread, in 2008 this beer was terrible. By 2010 some are saying its quite a nice easy drinker and in 2012 some more "this is horrible" comments. Also many "avoid bottle, good on tap" comments too.

To the point. My brother has just arrived home after a couple of weeks road trip, which took in Adelaide. His beer highlight, was McLaren Vale Ale.
Now, I judge his beer appreciation to be pretty good. He quite likes the LC range, Alpha Pale Ale, Sierra Nevada Pale & Torpedo etc, so when he says this is good, I reckon it might be.

I came here looking for a clone, but found this thread. From what I can gather from this thread and the website its 25IBU , Amarillo & Cascade (probably combo'd late) someone suggested super pride as bittering, and some crystal malt in there.
Having never had it and before I buy to test, does anyone know what EBC I should aim for? Its 4.5%
They talk about some honey flavour too. So I'm thinking about Ale 95% and making up the colour with 5% crystal, depending on the EBC of the beer.

Yeast? 1272 maybe?

Any suggestions brothers? Anyone done one they like? BTW, I'm going to bottle it for his 40th

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

I've done a beer very very similar to the McLaren Vale IPA (Which I rate as a waaaaay better beer, even though I don't reckon it's an IPA).

My missus' favourite beer, post-popping out our 4th kid, is the Vale IPA.

So when I get some beer bottled, I'll be grabbing some Nelson Sauvin and re-doing this. Or subbing with Mosaic (cue: Yob likes this), which I rate as a hop. It's called "Lord Nelson Citra cascading out of this galaxy Pale Ale" - look it up if it interests you - even if you want to stick to the Vale/ALE, this will give you a pretty good basis upon which to shoehorn the hops you like in there at the IBU you want.

As a side point, the honey might be using JW or BB Pilsner malt, which has the 'honey' flavour that tends to be par for the course in European beers shipped halfway across the world and left in the sun for weeks.

 

[slash22000]

When I was last in Adelaide I went to a restaurant that had Vale IPA on tap, and it ******* blew my mind. I could have put the tap in my mouth, opened her up and died a happy man. Every complaint I have about the bottled version went out the window. The version on tap was IPA level bitter, explosive hop aroma, everything you'd want. Maybe the keg I tasted was super fresh, dunno.

I dunno how they **** up their bottles so badly but I'd recommend people try it on tap if you can.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Interesting, in light of this - that Vale are switching the bottling (and thefore BUL) to Gage Roads, whilst retaining the kegged version brewing for themselves. Be interesting to see if this improves it, dumbs it down or makes not an ounce of difference.

I don't mind gage roads beers, they are consistent, not mind blowing, but reasonably priced (even in Tassie) and generally sessionable. Cheaper per carton in Tassie (another gripe) than Boag's Draught for Gage Roads Sleeping Giant/Atomic Pale.

So I'm hoping they are just BUL and bottling and the recipe remains the same.

 

[cremmerson]

They're a venture capital backed group that set up a couple of years ago, from memory, and are branching out from their ale to now feature an IPA and a dark and another one that slips my mind.

I tried the ale a while ago and was suitably unimpressed. Actually, after hearing the name so often, I was disappointed.

To be fair, though, they have pushed their PR and journalists credentials to build the brand...

 

[Pickaxe]

ALH (ie. Woolworths) have a big stake in this beer (not sure how but...). It's a new range being launched alongside the Sail and Anchor shit which is hitting every ALH venue soon (if it hasn't already). I wouldn't expect much from it. That's certainly why it has premium shelf space in DM.

Woolworths + big stake = shit beer.

ALH pubs are run by wine drinking toffs who do not go to pubs and don't drink beer (surprised). They are aware of a "market" for craft beer and their answer is Sail & Anchor + McLaren Vale beers. They are 'core range' beers at these venues alongside every other beer they have a stake in - anything else doesn't get a look in. Their mission statement is to get everyone drinking the beers they own in their venues and crush the competition.

@ Goomba - this explains the switch to Gage Roads bottling. Woolworths/ALH. Gage Roads are Woolworths bitch. Pity, I like Gages Atomic for a cheap quaffer, but the rest can get &*%^ed.


As a side note - don't CUB have a major stake in Little Creatures? Wonder how they keep it real, so to speak?

 

[Moad]

The IPA (red label) is excellent, haven't had the vale ale though.

 

[stakka82]

Pretty sure LC is now fully owned by lion Nathan ie. Kirin. Could be wrong tho.

 

[Pickaxe]

Pardon me, Lion Nathan is correct.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Woolies own about 25% of GRB shares, off memory.

GRB announcement in Jan stated that McLaren Vale bottling would be done by them.