Tas Brewery Tours.

[Dave70]

Have any of you guys done either or both of these?
Good? rubbish? was one better than the other?
We will be in Tassie for about eight days over new years and I want to try and squeze in a tour or two. Even a distillery or winery (can you see a pattern forming) if anybody can recomend a couple would be great.

cheers

 

[fraser_john]

Did the cascade one quite a few years ago, I'd do it again!

 

[alowen474]

Any brewery tour is a good tour

 

[Jerry]

Dave,

I've done Cascade twice and I'd probably do it again.

If I was going to be in Launceston then I'd definately be interested in Boags.

As beerforal said - Any brewery tour is a good tour.

 

[Mearesy]

Ive done both the Boags and the Cascade tours - and I preferred the Boags tour. Make sure you hit up Hellyers Road distillery in Burnie (tour is pretty average but the whisky is great! Nice place for lunch too) and Lark Distillery in Hobart. Lark has an amazing whisky bar so if you love your single malts you could easily spend many hours and a lot of cash here. Well worth the visit.
:icon_chickcheers:

 

[brendo]

haven't done the Boags one, but SWMBO and I enjoyed Cascade. Awesome grounds to enjoy a beer in afterwards too.

Brendo

 

[floppinab]

Just had the feeling that the Cascade tour would be better than Boags, so we chose that one when we were there in Jan. Absolutely no evidence to back that up but knowing they had the onsite maltings piqued my interest plus the range of softies for the kids (and have since been a regular feature in our kitchen fridge).
We all enjoyed it, if you ask nice they'll let you have a photo with the stuffed tiger!!!!!

Oh, some nice wineries on the West side of the Tamar and around Devonport as well, although we generally found the wines somewhat overpriced.

 

[pokolbinguy]

Have done both in the same trip...both were great!!

 

[Kai]

Have done a tour of Boag's, haven't done the proper tour at Cascade but have been around the brewery a bit. I think it's the more interesting brewery to look around.

 

[Smashin]

Boags on top of the upgrade of the last 18 months are undergoing a $25M upgrade, Cascades imo has the last of the half decent commercial beers in Australia (Cascade Pale Ale) boags currently tastes like ****. I used to love the spiciness of boags draught but that has long gone since they turned to the 3 week turn around. Maybe shorter since i was last informed. Boags is changing hands like a whore, gone is the classic tassie class of the old boags. Cheap nasty hang over, sugar brewed material is all that remains.

Woolven St remains strong.

 

[Josh]

I did both a few years ago and had a good time at both. Loved the smell of Launceston in general. But the malthouse at Cascade was the most interesting of both tours. And it looks so stunning on the road heading in. Stop to take a pic with Mt Wellington in the background.

 

[stillscottish]

Did the Cascade one a couple of years ago. Depending on what guide you get, they ask a question on the way round "Can anyone tell me what the smell coming from the next area is?" If you're a smartarse like me you'll say - Germinating malt - and get an extra drink at the end as a reward.
The day I was there they were bottling a batch of VB. It would have been interesting to compare it to one from VB's MegaSwill plant.

Good tour and good tucker in their restaurant at the end.

Campbell

 

[Stagwa]

Hi Dave70,



I have been on the Cascade brewery tour and enjoyed it was cold though! For me the best part was the tasting bar and restaurant. Great location that can be enjoyed regardless of the weather. I probably wouldnt do the tour again but would rather visit one of the craft breweries.



If you are going to be in the North of Tassie check out Willie Simpsons Seven Sheds Brewery:



http://www.sevensheds.com



It is a tiny operation (300 to 500 liter capacity?) with cellar door tasting and sales. The Kentish Ale is great and they have seasonal beers as well as mead. The seasonal beers when I was there (Easter time) were: The Willie Warmer strong dark ale and Razzimitazz or something like that which is a fruit infused wheat beer. The beers are really nice as was the mead.



This is another one:



http://www.moobrew.com.au



I havent been there but it has a microbrewery and wine estate.

 

[bconnery]

I have no evidence to back this up but I'm sure I read a story on here or somewhere else where a homebrewer asked one of the guides a few smart arse questions on the tour, including something about Cascade hops, and was told that 'we own those' or 'invented those' or something similar.

 

[Punter]

If you will be on the East coast, check out Ironhouse.
BREWERY
We stayed here last year while the main brewery was being built.
They were brewing out in the back shed while we were there.
The new brewery should be finnished by now. The pale ale is a stunner. LOADS of Amarillo.

 

[scott_penno]

+1 Seven Sheds

Visited a little while ago and received the guided tour and a chat by Willie...

sap.

 

[DJR]

Boags on top of the upgrade of the last 18 months are undergoing a $25M upgrade, Cascades imo has the last of the half decent commercial beers in Australia (Cascade Pale Ale) boags currently tastes like ****. I used to love the spiciness of boags draught but that has long gone since they turned to the 3 week turn around. Maybe shorter since i was last informed. Boags is changing hands like a whore, gone is the classic tassie class of the old boags. Cheap nasty hang over, sugar brewed material is all that remains.

Woolven St remains strong.

I agree - had a Boag's Draught the other day and it's a shadow of its former self - i can't believe that they would change it that much.

Tastes highly like they stripped out all the malt, upped the polyclar dosage (if you do the tour, have a look at the PVPP dosage chart on the largish PVPP mixer near the dealcoholizer), lowered the turnaround time in order to support more output. One of the good things about Boag's was always the lagering time. I suspect they will still keep the Premium at marginal levels to maintain its price status but will probably turn to more additives/different yeast to get the time down. It's a pretty tiny brewery comparitively. They'd be better off brewing some product at other LN breweries i reckon but probably want to keep the "Brewed in Tassie" logo spiel about the water/ingredients being better by association.

Used to live 5 mins stumble from Cascade and never did the tour for some reason. It seems a little overpriced but i guess it's the one place in Aus that you'll see a brewery with inhouse maltings.