steamrail

[pmunny]

Was just at liqourland and it looks like coles has started brewing or more like it getting someone else to brew steamrail amber golden and something else i cant recall. The only thing that gave it away was the address on the bottle which is their head office. Does anyone know who is producing it for them? Bought a sixer of the golden currently chilling so will see how it goes...

 

[QldKev]

Was just at liqourland and it looks like coles has started brewing or more like it getting someone else to brew steamrail amber golden and something else i cant recall. The only thing that gave it away was the address on the bottle which is their head office. Does anyone know who is producing it for them? Bought a sixer of the golden currently chilling so will see how it goes...

Not sure who brews it, but I got a 6 pack of the pale ale. Whilst it wasn't completely crap, I wont be buying it again. My money would be one of the big boys brewing it. The package branding and style both remind me of a Coopers Pale Ale, but not as good. Hopefully the golden is better.

 

[DU99]

there tasman beer was made by boag's..

 

[piraterum]

I've tried each of the Pale, Golden and Amber Ale.

The pale ale was drinkable with a slight tropical hop flavor, but I wouldn't buy it again. The Golden and Amber are as bland as they come. They both taste like a first attempt at a kit and kilo.

 

[brewsnob@WA]

Just enjoying a Steam Rail Amber with a mate, finding it an easy drink, actually a nice drink on a summer evening in Perth...not the usual pick for a summer drink but it's refreshingly light/drinkable, usually find ambers and pales to be too heavy in the summer months. Can't comment on the "big boys" making it, makes a reference on the label to an "english settler on the north coast of WA" but it's made in Vic????

 

[DU99]

Hope it's lot better than sail & anchor golden ale

 

[MattC]

Hmmm isn't there another Australian brewery that specifically brew a pale, amber and golden ale and also have a little story of an Australian in the settler times and how they were one of the first (the first) to brew beer in Australia? Yeah..... the Malt Shovel Brewery (James Squire Brewery). This is direct attempt to compete with Malt Shovel Brewery beers other craft brewers with a very bland, low body and insipid mix. I agree with an above post in that it tastes like their first K & K with a few extra hops (not many). NOTE: I only tried the Pale Ale.

Save your $$$$

My Thoughts only

 

[Batz]

I bought a six pack yesterday to share with my son, I thought it was OK. Nice to see beers like this appearing in the mega bottle shops though, it's getting the Aussie swill drinkers to try something different.

Batz

 

[Liam_snorkel]

bahaha

http://www.brewsnews.com.au/2013/01/steamrail-proving-coles-are-completely-lacking-in-original-thought-and-dont-even-have-the-decency-to-be-embarrassed-about-it/

 

[mikec]

bahaha

http://www.brewsnews.com.au/2013/01/steamrail-proving-coles-are-completely-lacking-in-original-thought-and-dont-even-have-the-decency-to-be-embarrassed-about-it/

Very informative, thanks Matt.

(where's that sarcasm style button?)

 

[Liam_snorkel]

did he really need to write any more than he did, though?

 

[mikec]

did he really need to write any more than he did, though?

Well, yes.
He could explain what he means by how "mind-blowingly cynical the marketing of these beers is", or why "Coles are completely lacking in original thought", or, dog forbid, he could actually review the beer.

That article is nothing more than a teenage girl's whiny facebook post.

 

[jayahhdee]

I'm sure Matt has more on the way but I can't blame him for wanting to reduce the amount of free advertising he gives them.

 

[Liam_snorkel]

Well, yes.
He could explain what he means by how "mind-blowingly cynical the marketing of these beers is", or why "Coles are completely lacking in original thought",

I don't think it requires much explanation for anyone with more than a passing interest in craft beer. Look at the promotional picture attached to the article.

 

[stux]

Lets see



vs



I hate aldi for the same reason.

 

[Innes]

Does anyone know who is brewing this for Coles?

 

[kevo]

Hmmm isn't there another Australian brewery that specifically brew a pale, amber and golden ale and also have a little story of an Australian in the settler times and how they were one of the first (the first) to brew beer in Australia? Yeah..... the Malt Shovel Brewery (James Squire Brewery). This is direct attempt to compete with Malt Shovel Brewery beers other craft brewers with a very bland, low body and insipid mix. I agree with an above post in that it tastes like their first K & K with a few extra hops (not many). NOTE: I only tried the Pale Ale.

Save your $$$$

My Thoughts only

... and isn't James Squire a reasonable rip off of the Sam Adams approach?

Brewer & patriot vs brewer & convict.

 

[Kirko]

That article is nothing more than a teenage girl's whiny facebook post.

I'll wear that..the article was originally more than 800 words long pointing out that unlike Coles' other homebrand products which have the fact that they are made for Coles, this cynically doesn't mention Coles anywhere. Despite exchanging emails with them and their PR flacks I could get no more information out of them about where it was brewed or what their plans were. In beer and wine provenance matters and one of the things driving the growth of craft beer is that people like that it is made by smaller independent producers. Coles has gone out of its way to hide the fact that they make it. I couldn't care that Coles is in the 'craft' market, but I do care that, having invested nothing in the growth, education and development of the current beer renaissance, they wade in and seek to harvest the hard work and investment of others now and are so devious in the way they have gone about it. To me that's cynical and it will result in less shelf space for the brewers who are innovating and creating that interest.

Next time you are in Coles have a look at how many different brands of Cornflakes and Baked Beans etc there are...two. Coles and the leading brand and the Coles brand looks passably like the leading brand...is that what you want to see when you go to your local bottleshop in five years?

Anyway, as I said in the article, I could have written 1500 words expanding on that thesis, but I just depressed myself writing it. You got the executive summary, for free.

 

[mikec]

A fair response.
I guess similar things could be said for the multitude of "craft" breweries that are in fact now owned by the multi-nationals. Are they really craft breweries anymore?
They don't exactly go out of their way to advertise on the label who they are ultimately owned by (it's in the small print sometimes I accept).

Us beer snobs love to bag out the megaswill beers, and everything they stand for, so I get where you were coming from when you "just depressed yourself writing it".
But reading the article, I was hoping to learn more about the beer than just how it made you feel. [insert winking smiley]

So, assuming it is the beer that we assume it is, made at the brewery that we assume it's made at, is it the same as the original, or merely a shadow of it?

 

[NewtownClown]

Australia needs a legal definition for Craft Beer and Craft Breweries and a singular representative body. The debate over definition and industry group representation has been going on for years....