Since this seems to be the most recent thread referencing Redoak, I'll report on my 'Beergustation' from the weekend @Sydney Redoak.
Was a Xmas present from wifey, took a long time to sort babysitters/time off!
4pm arrival for an introductory glass of 'German Wheat Beer' or Cider. I went the wheat and thought it was OK, seemed like a bold interpretation of style being very banana-y/murky, but a nice drop.
Followed by 6 more beers/food and some presentation/talking pitched at the general public level. Didn't really get much from the talking but it was interesting enough to get conversation flowing and I appreciated the sentiment/the level they were pitching it all at, plus it felt welcoming/genuinely intentioned and not snobbish in any way.
The beers - my first visit to Redoak
English Bitter - very fruity and at only 3.5% I was definitely impressed at the amount of body/character it still had - very sessionable and very drinkable - would quoff this one readily.
APA - was OK, having been bombarded by megahop US style APAs of late, I found this one very slight, was OK. Much prefer Harts Hangman for a much more malty/citrusy APA.
Honey Ale - I'm not into the Honey in beer thing, this didn't change my view, but very noticeable honey taste for those that do enjoy bee food in their brew.
Irish Red Ale - found it bland and uninteresting but again, not my first choice for style. It might have taken a hit being amongst all these different beers/foods - the subtelies (if they were there) not standing out.
Oktoberfest Lager - very very nice. Really enjoyed this. It probably benefited from its very sweet caramel notes in the same way the Irish Red suffered. We were all craving sweet tastes a bit at this point I think but I would definitely like to 'get to know' this one a bit more.
Porter - nice Porter. Enjoyed it.
ESB - just a taster on the way out, was in full
diaphragm-spasm mode by now
- was OK, preferred the standard Bitter but on paper I prefer ESB to sessionable bitters. Testament to the 3.5% bitter really.
The food/setup was OK, lot to get through - good for an afternoon with the Mrs.
Would definitely go back to try the Bitter, Oktoberfest and Porter again. No idea on prices, all the above were included with the gift. :icon_cheers: