Vb Is Rubbish Right?

[Bribie G]

The only occasions I drink draught beer are at specialty bars like James Squire etc or if I am accompanying the Mrs to her pokies. That boils down to the usual suspects so I normally go the Toohey's Old. However I find that gets a bit chewy after a couple of glasses and when the happy hour is on at the RSL - $1.50 pots why wouldn't you - I'll usually have six or eight VB pots and after a couple you don't notice the mouse piss flavour that I think comes from the malt (you get a similar twang from XXXX) and it's a smooth acceptable drop after the initial assault on the senses.

Definitely better than the lo-blond-platinum shyte brewed with the industrial enzymes.
I really like Melbourne Bitter on a hot day at the beach and I am still puzzled that Fosters can crank out two almost identical beers and give one a nice malty hoppy balanced finish with some pleasant aroma and 'after belch' whilst the other one VB is an awkward jumble of flavours that just don't seem to fit together. If they could just give it a bit of hop aroma and cut down on the isohop that would be half the battle. However they reckon it ain't broke so have no incentive to fix it. It's a pity they don't put MB on tap but following the catastrophe when they put Fosters on Tap in the 80s, an exercise that totally destroyed a former best selling brand, they are wisely leaving well alone, I guess.

 

[j1gsaw]

Come on Guy's VB is not all that bad. I am a big fan of Stella Artois and many in the UK put it down as a beer for Bogan's
Now I definitely don't agree with that.

I find stella is highly over-rated, much like Crown Lager and Corona... can only stomach a few and im over them..

 

[Greg Lawrence]

+1 for the crown lager. One of the most over-rated beers ever IMHO.

 

[roger mellie]

Not true. I use Headmasters at home and I notice a huge difference between various similar styles of beers. They aren't magic - they don't give a glorious head to every beer.

Maybe an idea for a tee shirt there - forgive the artwork

View attachment t.tiff

RM

 

[Kai]

In Queensland beer with a good head is only about 20 years old. Back then when there were no schooners and beer was served in seven and ten ounce glasses, it was served with very little head, maybe just a sort of scum on the top but the beer was virtually level with the top of the glass, and head was a NSW thing. It was common when visiting NSW, when served a NSW schooner with a thick head (collar) to ask "why don't you put a bloody tie on it as well".

Pubs then were tied houses and there was not the same commercial argy bargy between brands, in fact there weren't any brands except for Carlton Draught and XXXX depending on what pub you went to (a red pub or a blue pub).

Nowadays with pubs milking every cent of profit out of every keg, the head is a godsend to Queensland pubs, why wouldn't you serve the biggest creamiest head you can get away with and pocket four or five percent out of the beer you are cheating the customer out of by not giving them full measure?

Back to the flat days I say.

Geez Bribie, you sound like a scotsman.

 

[Bribie G]

Geez Bribie, you sound like a scotsman.

Aye laddie anything tae save a groat. Anyway canna hang around, just got hame frae ALDI I've got tae dough in the noo:

 

[Kai]

och! ye could use a lick o' that in a wee heavy...

 

[flattop]

If the beer poured between Jenifer Hawkins breasts tastes of Jennifer then count me in, i'll take a slab...

VB was mothers milk when i was younger, now i don't buy the stuff, i often wondered why i drank it when i was actually drinking it.
I didn't mind a Carlton off the tap though.
Anyhow i was recently interstate and rather than take anything off the tap i had 3 JS Amber stubbies, 2 Hoegaarden stubbies and a Blue Tongue, the Blue Tongue wasn't much chop but the others were good drops.

 

[Thunderlips]

Not true. I use Headmasters at home and I notice a huge difference between various similar styles of beers. They aren't magic - they don't give a glorious head to every beer.

Surely it's true in the case of VB.

The last time I had VB was at a Christmas lunch function where it was served to tables in longnecks.
A look around the various tables and all you could see was VB in glasses without any trace of a head.

There's been occasions when my own brew has a hard time holding a head. Pour it into one of my Headmaster glasses and
it certainly helps.

 

[Pollux]

It was common when visiting NSW, when served a NSW schooner with a thick head (collar) to ask "why don't you put a bloody tie on it as well".

I remember those comments when I worked in pubs.....There as always the other fun one

Them: "Could you manage to pop a nip of scotch in that for me?"
Me (looking at the glass trying to guess if it will fit while keeping a head) "Yeah, probably"
Them: "Then fill it up with beer"

People like this used to get cut off by me just as I knew the bottle shop 3 doors down the road was shut.......I can be so vindictive.

 

[bum]

Headmasters certainly can improve a beer's head but they don't miraculously give Glorious Head™ to all beers.

Sounds to me like the experience you relate, Thunderlips, could be caused by dirty or detergent washed glasses.

 

[T.D.]

no tetra in VB

Do you know what they use it in then? I saw drums of the stuff in the CUB brewery.

 

[therook]

Though I am not a fan I'm sure VB meets is some BJCP criteria.

So true Devo, We spoke about this at Mrs Parma's on friday and all agreed that so many people on here talk utter CRAP, everyone has drunk VB or similar and will do so again. I went to a 20 year footy reunion on the weekend and drank Carlton and VB all day....was i meant to take a keg of home brew with me....How many guys take cans away with them when they go fishing for a week or Two???

Rook :icon_cheers:

 

[manticle]

I'll happily drink Carlton or Melbourne in the right context. Sometimes I even crave it. I'd never (and never would have) called it good, just as I wouldn't call four'n'twenty a good pie. I'll still eat one from time to time and enjoy it if it isn't cold in the middle.

 

[therook]

I'll happily drink Carlton or Melbourne in the right context. Sometimes I even crave it. I'd never (and never would have) called it good, just as I wouldn't call four'n'twenty a good pie. I'll still eat one from time to time and enjoy it if it isn't cold in the middle.

I couldn't agree more manticle, your an honest person :icon_drunk:

Rook

 

[Fents]

i LOVE four n twenty pies! also partial to the odd steamed dimmie or ten.

 

[BitterBulldog]

VB is easily the best out of the cheap commercial beers ie Carlton, NEW, etc

I still don't mind it if i'm at the Footy or the pub doesn't have anything better.

I don't buy cases anymore when you can pay another $5 for a case of Coopers Green.

Coopres @ my local too!

 

[Bribie G]

Interesting short article which mentions Tetrahop from Beer and Brewer Magazine, I was surprised to see that this forum is associated with them (scroll down, to the bottom right). I'll bookmark this site, looks like a good read.

http://www.beerandbrewer.com/content/view/107/66/

 

[canon1ball]

Or you could put a mark on the glass that shows where full measure is - make the glass a bit bigger than that and fill liquid to the mark with head above it

That's what you will find in Germany. You can even get fined for not filling up to the mark!

 

[hatchor]

I like 99% of the beers out there..... but I sometimes wonder if the dislike of VB from various people (via a few comments on AHB forums) has something to do with what we all 'cut our teeth' on. I don't fancy VB that much, I will drink it and enjoy it for what it is... if I have to, it isn't terrible like some other beers I have tried, but I grew up on West End Draught and also Coopers (Draught, Sparkling, and Pale). While the Coopers was far and away the better beer, I wouldn't put it in the same class as something like a Squire or a handfull of other 'commercial' operations' beers. But nowadays one of my most disliked beers is west end draught, my once-upon-a-time stock pub session beer.

The point I am trying to make is the beer that we cut a swathe through in our early years may have a mental pre-disposed image of negativity now that we have all moved on to 'nicer' beers and the whole industry has evolved... boutique and imports etc? Also as our pallettes have developed along with the constant discovery of new beers, so when we go back to our once 'standard beers' we find that they are no longer the wonderful drop we once thought they were....

Hope that sort of makes sense.... got a few under the belt this arvo.... :chug:

edit: Fents, where are those steamed Dimmies..... :icon_drool2: