Kooinda Witbier
This is a hard one to pick. I like the beer, but when the witbier yard stick is Hoegaarden, which would be my desert island beer, it is hard to call this one honestly. Clearly is is more of a hazy orange than the whitish yellow I am used to, and the flavours seem to highlight that bitter orange slant. Whilst the head was light and fluffy in the picture it fell away within minutes and was a little one dimentional, as I just was not getting those yeast flavours I love so much with a witbier. I have praised everything that Kooinda has done in the past, so it is probably just me that is not getting this beer, due to the Hogaarden bias.
Little Creatures DIPA
I have read some criticism on here about this beer, and its lack of in your face hops. Sure that might be true, but I liken it to more of a English approach where there this beer had that malt and hops in balance. The bitterness was still up there, even though the hop aroma was more subdued. After two of these, I was really feeling it, and in a good way. If LC brought this out more, I would be buying. I really loved how I was able to come back for more, as the beer was not cloyingly sweet
Matso's Smokey Bishop - Was this supposed to have smoke in it. I could not find any if there was. Nevertheless, this is a solid dark lager, that appears to have a nicely balances amount of roast in it, to place it above its megalager brethren. Whilst I did not fall in love with this beer, I enjoyed it.
Matso's Pale Ale.
It would appear that Matso's is really are brewing for their local conditions (and why wouldn't you) The clarity on this beer is flawless, at the expense of an averrage head. The beer is very very refreshing, the malt is not overly obvious, but clearly in balance with the hops, which is also not in your face, but present and flavoursome. If I was up in the top quarter of WA, this would be easily as refreshing as a lager, which I would say is what they are trying to achieve. Sure it is no LCPA, but I am sure it is not trying to be.