Stone & Wood Draught Ale

[esssee]

Hi all,

I got me a copy of the Critics Choice "Top 100 Australian Beers", and noted that the Stone & Wood Draught/Pacific Ale was No 1.

Well bugger me if I wasn't in my local 1st Choice the other day, and saw cases of said beer for $35. OK, they were a couple of weeks past the "Best Before" date, but it's cheap beer, and the best one in Australia at that. I therefore procured one.

Now, not having had this beer before, I can't comment on the taste, but My God they are Super Carbonated. They froth up when the stubbie is opened, and then are a bit of a pain to pour.

Is this normal for this beer, or just a side effect of being a few weeks past Best Before?

 

[Pistol]

No, it's not normal.

Sounds like a bad batch or maybe from poor handling in transit/ storage.

 

[adryargument]

I grabbed two a sixpack of s&w and lcpa for $32, both were wonderful as usual. No carb issues with the pacific ale.

 

[DanRayner]

If you can, stop buying from 1st Choice / Dan Murphy's - they really don't seem to look after their beers as they should - why were they selling it after the best before (and not on special)?

Your local independent beer nutters will be a better bet - Sunbury isn't too far from Slow Beer, Purvis, Cloudwine, or Acland Cellars is it? If you're spending $70/case on a good beer then it's worth the drive in and these guys should have the sort of turn over of stock that would allow them to be reasonably competitive with their prices on these sorts of beers (maybe not on things like VB but then who wants a $33 carton of VB anyway?)

 

[manticle]

Sunbury is a fair way from all mentioned retailers. Sunshine wouldn't be so bad.

 

[DanRayner]

Sunbury is a fair way from all mentioned retailers. Sunshine wouldn't be so bad.

Fair enough, not being from Vic I wouldn't know, I just prefer local independents - what's in Sunshine?

 

[WarmBeer]

Fair enough, not being from Vic I wouldn't know, I just prefer local independents - what's in Sunshine?

Ahhh, Sunshine, Melbourne's best "joke name" suburb

 

[Maxt]

If you can, stop buying from 1st Choice / Dan Murphy's - they really don't seem to look after their beers as they should - why were they selling it after the best before (and not on special)

Dan, unfortunately not all places have good independants.
I have scoured every bottle shop in my neck of th Northern Rivers, and the most exotic they get is Barefoot Radler! You might see LCPA and James Squire, but that's it for alternatives to large Australian breweries.
Dan Murphy's opened in Ballina and all of a sudden we have access to a hundred beers not seen up here before.

Tell Ant to get a Plonk franchise up here and I'll be happy to support him, but otherwise I will continue to use Dans...(yes I have asked the local independants to get beer in, but they are not keen, saying it's a volume issue).

BTW, I still think Oetinger Pils is the best value beer to be found in a bottle shop.

 

[TedAu]

I've tried the S&W pacific ale from bottles with two weeks till there best before date and it had lost a lot of its flavour punch, but didn't have any carbonation issues.

So far I've only found it in one boutique wine and beer store down here, would love to find it for less than $90 a carton.

 

[manticle]

Fair enough, not being from Vic I wouldn't know, I just prefer local independents - what's in Sunshine?

I just mean in terms of proximity (comparatively speaking) to the retailers you're suggesting.

 

[brando]

BTW, I still think Oetinger Pils is the best value beer to be found in a bottle shop.

True! I was buying it recently for $24 per carton.

 

[BitterBulldog]

i had carb issues with the latest case i purchased from Dan's @ Willoughby.

I just opened them slowly & poured them slowly.

It's the 1st time though, & i've been buying the beer regulary for a year now.

i guess any bottle conditioned beer has the potential to do this.


A lot of my Murray's beers have had the same problem.

But they're just too delicious to keep me away!

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

On special $15.90 per 6-er at 1st choice. Planning on taking in the catalogue and making Dan's match it and beat it.

Goomba

 

[Jarthy]

A lot of my Murray's beers have had the same problem.

But they're just too delicious to keep me away!

About 5 of the last 20 Murray's that i've had have gushed.

one i was drinking out of the bottle and it kept gushing in my mouth :S not a good feeling, though it looked like i had rabies...

 

[.DJ.]

I always buy murrays from the brewery.. NEVER had an issue... I try to do the same for any cases of Micro brewed buy I buy. at least if its not really fresh, it would have been stored correctly.

its mishandling...

 

[Pennywise]

No, it's not normal.

Sounds like a bad batch or maybe from poor handling in transit/ storage.

Seems to be quite a bit of this going on ATM, and not with imported beers either

If you can, stop buying from 1st Choice / Dan Murphy's - they really don't seem to look after their beers as they should - why were they selling it after the best before (and not on special)?

Couldn't agree more with this

Fair enough, not being from Vic I wouldn't know, I just prefer local independents - what's in Sunshine?

It's pronounced scum-shine, just for future refernance

 

[domix]

Had the same problem with a S&W Pacific from 1st Choice. Very, very fizzy.
Never had a problem with them when buying from Purvis in Surrey Hills.

Also, the only 2 Murray's Dark Knights I've bought were gushers.

The Icon 2IPA is always great though.

 

[HeavyNova]

Had the same problem with a S&W Pacific from 1st Choice. Very, very fizzy.
Never had a problem with them when buying from Purvis in Surrey Hills.

Also, the only 2 Murray's Dark Knights I've bought were gushers.

The Icon 2IPA is always great though.

Had a few bottles of the S&W Pacific Ale from a Vintage Cellars store in South Perth last weekend. No carb issues with the ones I had.

 

[Aus_Rider_22]

I've always noticed the Draught/Pac Ale is overly carbonated. I will take notice of the BB date next time. I've always got them from my local shop who specialises in craft/microbeers.

I had just assumed it was a negative on the beer itself and how they all were. The owner of the shop said to me before I tried them that they are really fizzy.

 

[haysie]

i had carb issues with the latest case i purchased from Dan's @ Willoughby.

I just opened them slowly & poured them slowly.

It's the 1st time though, & i've been buying the beer regulary for a year now.

i guess any bottle conditioned beer has the potential to do this.


A lot of my Murray's beers have had the same problem.

But they're just too delicious to keep me away!

It`s not a bottle conditioned beer, unfiltered yes. Unless some wild yeast slipped the pastuerisation process, buggered how you get a gusher.

Buy a lot of this stuff :beerbang: from the local Dan, never had an issue. The only time I didnt like this beer was drinking at the Beach hotel in Byron and left my glass in the sun only for a couple of minutes, the whole schooner was giving off that sun-kissed not to be missed aroma.