Newcastle Craft Beer Week Events!

Without further ado here is the full list of events for  Newcastle craft beer week in the last week of November 2011!! Woohoo!
It's gonna be beertastic!(All entry priced are listed in Australian dollars)
Saturday 19th & Sunday 20th Hunter Beer Co. Oktoberfest
Monday 21st - 6pm -
Beer & Cheese - $40 per person
@ Prince of Wales Hotel
with McLaren Vale Beer Co, Lord Nelson Brewery & Murrays Brewery
Monday 21st - 7pm
@ Bar Petite
Women & Beer - $40 per person (Female ONLY Event)
Hosted by Kirrily Waldron (The Beer Diva)
All Beers brewed by females by 2 Birds Brewing + True South + Hunter Beer Co.
Monday 21st - 8pm
The Junction Hotel
Meet The Brewers - $30 per person
With 4 Pines Brewing Company & Rocks Brewing McLaren Vale Beer Company
Tuesday 22nd - The Boardwalk Craft Beer Crawl
6pm Silo Restaurant and Lounge with Hunter Beer Co. Head Brewer Keith Grice
8pm Dockyard with Murray's Craft Brewing Co Head Brewer Shawn Sherlock
$50 includes both Silo & Dockyard Events
Tuesday 22nd - 7pm
The Burwood Inn
Aussie Craft Beer Showcase - $35 per person
Hosted by Lachlan McBean with guests
Wednesday 23rd - 6pm
The Delany Hotel
The Art of Brewing - $40
Hosted by Coopers Brewery Technical Manager Simon Fahey
Also Includes 'Newcastle Home Brew Awards'
Home Brew Awards Entries limited to one beer / brewer Sample brews to be dropped into
Mark's Home Brew Shop, Maitland Rd, Islington
Wednesday 23rd - 7pm
Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club
'Where it all Started' - $75
Matilda Bay Brewing
4 Course Dinner with 8 Beers
Wednesday 23rd - 7pm
Clarendon Hotel
'Meet The Brewer Dinner' - $75
Burleigh Brewing
Hosted by Owner/Head Brewer Brennan Fielding
Thursday 24th - 6.30pm
Albion Hotel
'Official Newcastle Craft Beer Week Dinner' - $99 per person
Featuring The Brewers from
Stone & Wood, Feral, Mclaren Vale, 4 Pines, Murrays, Hunter, Burleigh & Holgate
Friday 25th - 12.00pm
The Delany Hotel
'Tales & Ales Long Lunch' $75
James Squire Brewing
Hosted by Chuck Hahn
Friday 25th - 7pm
Clarendon Hotel
'Let's Get Crafty' $45
Hosted by Little Creatures & White Rabbit
Saturday 26th - 12.00pm
Albion Hotel
Beer & Food (BBQ Session) $50
Hosted by Holgate Brewhouse, Stone & Wood, Mountain Goat
Also featuring a special guest host.
Saturday 26th 6pm
Albion Hotel
'Have a beer with the brewers'
FREE ENTRY
A informal chance to share a beer and chat with Australia's best brewers!
Sunday 27th 12pm - 4pm
Warners @ The Bay
5th Annual Beer Festival - $50 per person
30 Brewing Companies Involved
Contact the venues direct to book into any events follow the links to their facebook pages for contact info.
or contact me and i'll point ya in the right direction: dane@beerbeer.org
Cheers!

Newcastle Craft Beer Week!

I am pleased to announce that our beaut city of Newcastle is hosting it's first Craft Beer Week between the 21st and 27th of November 2011! With 12 pubs onboard and over 20 brewery partners as well the event is set to go off! Not even Sydney- you know that other city in N.S.W. has an event like this. Over the course of the week there will be a whole range of beery events happening such as a Home Brew competition, beer style based pub crawls and a Ladies only beer tasting event hosted by none other than the Beer Diva herself  Kirrily Waldhorn. Newcastle has always been a  beer town as it is home to the highest percentage of home brewers in the country! This event will really show the city's love of PROPER BEER!
More info on the week will be posted on the lead up to the event- so watch this space!
PROPERBEERMATE

Pales In Comparison

With the recent arrival of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale officially in Australia I felt the need to compare it against two of the nations favorite pale ales-- Little Creatures Pale Ale and Murrays Nirvana Pale Ale.
Sierra Nevada is a America craft brewery based in Chico California which has been regarded by many as the one that kick started the American Craft beer revolution!  Way back in 1980 they brewed the first batch what was to become the bench mark west coast American Pale ale that has inspired craft brewers and home brewers alike since due to its big game changing hoppy aromatics cascade hop driven beer.
While you could buy this brew in Australia for about $7~9 AUD per bottle at selected bottle shops for many years now,  it was usually brought in to the country as an "unofficial grey import" which very much compromised the brews quality.It was brought over via various countries with no temperature control  and by the time it reached here it would be very close to the best before date or past it!
Now thanks to the demand of  Australia's PROPER beer drinkers and Phoenix Beers in Western Australia -Sierra Nevada is now officially available in Australia! Transported from the USA via refrigerated container so us Aussies can now enjoy fresh Sierra Nevada Pale Ale the way its creators meant it to be! It is also alot more affordable now at about $20AUD a six pack!!
So I picked up a sixer and a couple of local Pale Ales from the local supermarket bottle-lo. To make it fair as some of you may already know I do live near Murrays Brewery(lucky me:) but for intensive purposes of the comparison I decided to pick up a bottle of Nirvana Pale Ale at the supermarket bottle shop as the bottle would have been stored under the same/similar conditions as the other two and not directly from the brewery which would I think give it somewhat of an advantage.
Okay on to the comparison!
Little Creatures Pale Ale (W.A. Australia) 5.2%ABV

My first real American style Pale ale way back in 2004 and gave me my first hop hit! It was amazing the floral fruity aroma and the drinkabilty was awesome! The malts and hops melded together perfectly going down.... slightly sweet in a good way on the finish.  Probably one of the first beers that I really raved about to both friends and family. Every time I bought this beer back then I enjoyed every drop! Now over the years I have gone on to much more bigger beers such as  hoppy double IPA's.... does the creature still liven up my palate and senses? In a word no.It is not  the beer I remember as a younger hophead. The Aroma is there but only just....I noticed there is no slight yeast sediment  in the bottom of the bottle like before either. The mouthfeel is now alot thinner too no real hoppy hit like back in 2004.  Okay it is a good beer... but having the memory of tasting what it should taste like is very dishearting. Maybe they thinned it out to appeal to the demand? Different/less hops used? Have I punished my palate too much with hoppy goodness? I have been drinking mostly wheat beers lately so my hop senses have been calmed down too.  In a nutshell good beer if nothing else is available or you haven't tried it before...... still I will also say a good entry beer into the world of craft beer. Cute label though.... they haven't changed that!   $20~23AUD a six pack

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (Chico C.A. USA) 5.6%ABV

Now this what I was craving! Nice balanced cascade hop aroma on the nose and some medium malt tones. Not much of a head after being poured slowly into my shaker pint glass. Very enjoyable going down a good malt backbone without being too overpowering. Nice hoppy finish and very hard to put the glass down!  I kept going back to this stuff over the course of the comparison . Extremely smooth and drinkable while giving you a hop hit.The brewers really got the balance right with this one !
Would be a regular to go to beer if the 24pack case price was right but its still up there around the $77~80AUD mark. The sixer is the way to go with this guy at $20 bucks and also the fact the bottles are 345ml and not 330ml like LCPA and MNPA.  A fantastic beer..... I can see why it has inspired many .....including me!  Gotta love that label....

Murrays Nirvana Pale Ale (N.S.W. Australia) 4.5%ABV

Now this beer after poring correctly had the biggest retaining head out of all three. Awesome BIG hop aroma on the nose from those kiwi hops used- lots of fruit characters and a hint of floral. Going down slightly heavier than the other two with a more assertive malt tone. Good balance between sweetness of malt and hop bitterness. Nice fruity hop finish and very satisfying.  A pleasure to drink. Excellent off tap too if you see it out there!  As some of you would know Murrays Brewery's beginnings were actually inspired by a visit by Murray himself to a diner in the United States were he tried Sierra Nevada Pale Ale...and loved it! The rest is history and he and his brewers have created a fantastic example in this evolution of the style! Well done guys! $15AUD a four pack or $15 bucks a growler fill at the brewery!
Conclusion:
It is great to see Sierra Nevada available officially in Australia now and at a reasonable price too! Fantastic drop would like to give it a go off tap some day!  Little creatures has tied us over 'til now... sorry old friend you just 'aint what cha used to be! But in the end I really crave my good 'ol hops and freshness you can't beat from a true craft/micro brewery and Murray's Nirvana Pale Ale would be my choice if all three were offered to me.
PROPERBEERMATE

Holland Beer Brewery Bangkok Thailand!

This place is found about 20~40mins by taxi from Bangkok's main center on Rama II .I was very surprised
by the size it was massive!! And the amount of people pouring into the place! Yes I thought! The holy grail of beer in Thailand must be here!
Well it was kinda.....
This place was very Thai orientated.... fair enough I'm in Thailand!! But in terms of a beer enthusiast looking for the western microbrewery experience you won't find it here aye.. The main attraction is the big stage show with various choreographed dancing and singing shows  in Thai and also some English pop/R&B solo and duet songs are performed.... highly entertaining to be honest! The beer here is surprisingly fantastic though which is the main thing!

The place has absolutely nothing to do with Holland other than the crazy windmill out the front and the fact I assume those Dutch love their beer?! Well they made Heineken and Grolsch I spose....

The whole place is more so centered on the massive stage show and awesome food more  than the excellent beer on offer even though fermenters behind the bar themselves were clearly in view and big!


No one sitting round the bar, Just the wait staff collecting orders and filling up those incredible beer towers that you see round Thailand and Malaysia mainly in food courts...gotta love that!
So we ordered our food and I ordered the BEER! They had three brews on offer a dark Dunkel , a Weizen and a wait for it a........ Lager!!

After a week of Lagers in beaut Chiang Mai I was craving a good 'ol ale! Had a stein of the Dunkel to start off  nice roasty choc malt on the nose and a faint noble hop aroma. Wow... on the mouth full it was very malty and  caramelly in taste and smooth as! It was more like a robust porter beer than a German style Dunkle. The Weizen was very nice too! Big banana and clove notes on the nose  true to style, very cold creamy and refreshing going down as a good Weizen should be! It filled me up quite quickly though due to the wheat malts and having close to a litre of Dunkle before!  Now the Lager....Now this was a big surprise! No big hop aroma but a subtle scent of a noble hop was there along with a good fresh somewhat pilsner malt grain tone. Mmmmm....nice and cold going down  like a Lager should be with a awesome very well balanced bitter after taste! Easily the best lager I had on my Malaysia/Thailand trip! I can see why this was the most favored brew at the venue! Could of drank it all night...and almost did!

I really wanted to complement the brewer but found it hard to communicate this to the staff due to the language barrier. Oh well if you're out there mate I think you make some of the best beer in Thailand by far!! Service by the way was excellent- as always in the land of smiles : )


The food was great. If you like your fresh seafood dishes this is a good place to check out if you are ever in Bangkok. We had the crab curry and rice  as our main and it was a very good match for the Lager.  I'll definitely be going there again next time I'm in Bangers..now to find a decent hotel on Rama II.......

Holland Beer
129/9 moo 6 Rama 2 Road
Bangkhuntian
Bangkok 10150
Telephone: +66 2-4531101-10

Warners at the Bay and Yeastie Boys Pot Kettle Black growler style!

Warners at the Bay bottle shop here in Beaut Newcastle NSW Australia that currently boasts over 900 beers from both Aussie craft/macro and sweet beery nectar from around the world-My kinda place : )

When I first stumbled upon this great institution a few years back the sign out the front stated over 500 beers from around the world, it has certainly grown since then! Looking forward to when they crack 1000!

 Everything from your standard macro lagers, Fine Ales,Heffes, Belgians, Tasty Stouts,Aussie/NZ/US~Canada craft beers- to the extreme end of craft brewin' Such as Mikkeller, Brew Dog and EPIC~  Mmmmmm..... hOPS!
They also have a extensive range of PROPER glassware behind the counter mostly branded from the respective breweries. I always cave in to a impulse buy of a beaut glass on the way out with my usual case of brewed goodness and/or interesting singles.   
Mark the manager is a great bloke always willing to give advice of what to try out according to your taste, favorite style or season.
He and the staff have introduced me to some wonderful brews over the last couple of years such as Burleigh Brewing(Gold Coast), Stone & Wood (Byron Bay) and Yeastie Boys(NZ) .Cheers Mate!

They have recently brought in an awesome growler filling station where you purchase a beaut refillable 1.89 litre glass growler bottle from them for about $10AUD (yours to keep!). Then the staff will fill it up for ya with the brew of your choice/budget out of six taps which are constantly changing with local and international brews.It really is a great idea-for example a bottle of the Brew Dog/Mikkeller Colab brew "I Hardcore You" retails for about$30~40AUD for a standard 330ml stubbie where as a fresh growler fill of the good stuff was $25~32 bucks!

Check out their twitter page 'ere for the latest line up.
I was lucky enough to pick up a growler of  Yeastie Boys Pot Kettle Black IPA when it was on tap and it was sensational!

 Very aromatic & hoppy on the nose from those fantastic fresh Nelson Sauvin & Cascade NZ hops.   Massive hop hit with a big roasty malt undertones on the mouthful with a satisfying bitter twang. Really sends ya beer sensors into overload wanting more and MORE!!(ok settle down now :)  At 6.0%ABV it is very drinkable and should be paired with anything spicy and burnt to complement the roastyness and hop hit. Spicy bbq'd chicken Satay comes to mind....... YUMMO!
If you are lucky enough to be in Newcastle pop in and see the crew at Warners at the Bay- NSW's and I reckon Australia's premier bottle-o!
They are at :
320 Hillsborough Rd,Warners Bay NSW,2282 Australia
PROPERBEERMATE

BUDVAR DARK LAGER!

Hey guys here is my review of  a sensational dark lager which comes from one of my favorite breweries in the world Budweiser Budvar in the Czech Republic -established in 1895.
Budvar Dark Lager is a relatively new beer brewed by Budvar-first brewed in 2004 in fact- who are famous for their Czech Premium Lager- which is regarded by many beer enthusiasts as the benchmark pilsner/lager type beer and I totally agree. If you see Budvar  Czech Premium Lager at your local-- grab it 'an drink it! And you'll see why it is my favorite lager....!! Look out for a review!

Anyways (I got abit excited there : ) on to the review...

Pours a dark porter/slight coke tinge with a awesome creamy head smelling of a mix of yummy malts and Czech saaz hop goodness!
On the mouthful it glides down like a smooth porter while giving that zangy bite of  that again fantastic Czech saaz hop character and surprisingly the absolute re freshness of a larger on the finish. A very balanced beer at the same time at 4.7%ABV.

With its simplicity of  ingredients- good malts, local fresh hops and good water it really is an example of when a brewer can bring out the best qualities in what they have on hand-- and the skill of  what these guys/gals can do really shines through.
There has to be a lot said for tradition.... This is what balanced & drinkable beer should be all about.
A very satisfying beer. Paired it with  Japanese style char siu/chyashyu pork- tsukemen (cold-ramen) noodles and it went down a treat!
Picked this 500ml bottle  up at Warners at the bay bottle shop here in beaut Newcastle --- the holy grail of PROPERBEER in Australia!

Guinness & Kilkenny Draught Can

To keep on the theme of St Pats day here is my review of Guinness and Kilkenny Draught cans...
I had a quiet St Pats day this year mainly due to the terrible situation in Japan as a result of the recent earthquake and tsunami...As some of you would know by reading some of my previous reviews on PROPER BEER MATE I have family and friends in Japan, all are fine and safe thank goodness.....Thanks to all my friends/colleges/family who have expressed their concern and a big GAMBATTE (GOOD LUCK!) to all the people of Japan to overcome this disaster. 
So I grabbed a couple of 4 packs of irish goodness from the shop to enjoy later on in the evening after work at home...
It's time for a Guinness!   

Pours a fantastic fizzy creamy head due to the beaut widget can setup! Tried my best to let it sit/settle in true Guinness pouring form by filling up half the glass straight after cracking the can open and letting the foamy goodness settle then topped up with the remaining black magic in the can. Really dark appearance close to night with a awesome lightly fizzed creamy white head on top!
No massive aromas on the nose apart from some good 'ol maltiness and a whiff of a quaint noble hop--goldings comes to mind.

Goes down quite smoothly the creamyness of this beer helps greatly with this and at the same time is quite thin compared to other stouts I have had including Guinness Extra Stout.
Good roasty malts flavour this famous beer making every sip quite satisfying even on a humid march night.... I chilled the can well in advance which added to it's drinkabilty.  At 4.3% ABV means it is a sessionable beer but watch out it does fill you up quite quickly though! Grilled herbed fish with lemon and salad I find is a good match with this beer which should balance out the strong malt character.

Next Kilkenny:

Again chilled well in advance for after work on St Pats day and poured in the same fashion as the Guinness Draught can. Kilkenny is a very different beast, This what my mates have at the irish pub if they are not keen on the black stuff.
Awesome red amber appearance and a creamy head follows after the beer has settled.
Not much on the nose abit of noble hops and slight maltiness.
Drinkable?.... oh you bet mate! At 4.3% ABV this bad boy goes down soooo easily very smooth and refreshing! A slight nutty taste to it..dry almonds come to mind. The ever so creamy head adds to the enjoyment of this amber wonder.
Force down a good burger and chips with this one..... it matches very well!

At the end of the day we all know these brews are so much better directly off the tap at your favie pub/irish bar.... but for enjoyment at home they are not bad at all...Enjoy! And happy St Patricks day PROPER beer lovers!

PROPERBEERMATE